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Gladiators Extend Affiliation Agreement With Nashville Predators

The Atlanta Gladiators announced Thursday that the club has signed a two-year extension to continue as the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Nashville Predators.

Photo Courtesy of the Atlanta Gladiators

“The Nashville Predators and Milwaukee Admirals have been terrific affiliates the last two years,” Gladiators owner Alex Campbell, commented in a statement. “We’re proud to extend our partnership through the 2026-27 season, and I look forward to continued success for the Predators, the Admirals, and the Gladiators.”

Since joining forces with Nashville and the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League prior to the 2023-24 season, Atlanta has had 11 players join the club under either an AHL or NHL contract, further adding to the developmental pipeline between all three teams.

This season, the Gladiators have benefited from additions such as defenseman Jeremy Hanzel (48GP-3G-15A), forward Alexander Campbell (3GP-2G-2A), and first-year goaltender Ethan Haider, a former 5th round selection of the Predators in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (29GP, 16-11-1, 3 SO).

The Predators are led by head coach Andrew Brunette, who played for the ECHL's Hampton Roads Admirals during the 1993-94 season. Since taking the helm, Brunette has guided Nashville to a record of 72-62-12.

Additionally, forward Cole Smith who now has over 200 games of NHL experience, began his professional career with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades.

The Predators currently sit in seventh place in the NHL’s Central Division, with a record of 25-32-7, for 57 points. This past season, Nashville qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing as a Wild Card team in the consistently competitive Western Conference.

"We are excited to keep the Atlanta Gladiators as part of the Predators family moving forward," Predators General Manager Barry Trotz said in a news release. "We've been fortunate enough to reap the benefits of having a longstanding AHL affiliate in Milwaukee, and we are hoping that our partnership with Atlanta will blossom into something similar. The proximity between our two teams offers us the chance to further expand the game of hockey in the South, with two strong, passionate fan bases cheering us on. I'd like to thank the Gladiators organization – including the ATL Hockey Group, led by Alex Campbell – for their leadership and commitment to making this relationship even stronger in the coming years."

Over the years, Nashville has partnered with several teams, including the Hampton Roads Admirals (1998-00), New Orleans Brass (2000-01), Cincinnati Cyclones (2001-02, 07-17), Toledo Storm (2003-04), Norfolk Admirals (2017-18), the Florida Everblades (2019-22), and most recently the Atlanta Gladiators (2023-Present).

Atlanta was initially affiliated with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers from 2003 until 2011, when the franchise relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Following the Thrasher’s departure from the NHL, the Gladiators have partnered with the Arizona Coyotes (2011-15, 2022-23), Boston Bruins (2015-18), Ottawa Senators (2021-22), and the Predators (2023-Present).

The Predators are currently on a west coast road trip, with their next game set forFriday in Anaheim against the Ducks. The Gladiators are also back in action on Friday when they host the South Carolina Stingrays for Heroes Night. Puck drop is set for 7:30 Pm.

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No. 17 BYU rides barrage of 18 3-pointers to ninth straight win, Big 12 Tournament semifinal game

BYU coach Kevin Young still remembers the day then-Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie pulled the up-and-coming assistant into a conference room and showed him what amounted to a heat map of 3-pointers. After moving onto the Phoenix Suns, then landing the head job at BYU last April, the 43-year-old Young found himself on the sideline at his first Big 12 Tournament on Thursday. It was the best spot in the building to watch his No. 17 Cougars go 18 of 36 from beyond the arc, setting a tourney record for made 3s, and rally for a 96-92 victory over No. 12 Iowa State.

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Union, Chick-Fil-A pair up for promotion: ‘Corner Kicken for Chicken'

Union, Chick-Fil-A pair up for promotion: ‘Corner Kicken for Chicken' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Piggybacking on the popularity of the Sixers’ wildly popular “Bricken for Chicken,” the Philadelphia Union has partnered with restaurant chain Chick-Fil-A for a promotion of their own.

The current top team in the Eastern Conference (3-0-0) today announced “Corner Kicken for Chicken,” which will continue through the 2027 MLS season.

https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion/status/1900216396497227841

For those unfamiliar with “Bricken for Chicken,” Sixers fans were rewarded with chicken nuggets when a Sixers’ opponent misses two free throws during the second half of every home game. If it happens multiple times in the same game, the amount of nuggets increases: Five for one instance, then eight, then an even dozen.

Similarly, for the Union’s “Corner Kicken for Chicken,” (as you could probably guess by now) fans score nugs if the Union score from a corner kick. And just like the Sixers, the more they score, the more nuggets for fans.

Fans can claim the offer on the Chick-Fil-A app until 10:30 a.m. the day after the Union’s game, and one claimed, they have three days to redeem.

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Max Fried strong, Paul Goldschmidt drives in four runs as Yankees beat Tigers

The Yankees continued Grapefruit League play as they beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-6, on Thursday afternoon.

Here are the takeaways...

- Max Fried fared pretty well making his second start of the spring. Former Yankee Gleyber Torres struck for a solo homer in the bottom of the first, but that was the only serious damage against him in four innings of work. The southpaw allowed just that one hit and struck out four batters while throwing 57 pitches (35 strikes).

Fried now has a 4.26 ERA this spring. His addition on a historic eight-year deal this offseason became even more important to the Yankees this week with Gerrit Cole set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 season.

The Yanks will need Fried to stay healthy and pitch like the ace he was during his eight years with the Braves.

- Jasson Dominguez has been having a bit of a rough time both at the plate and in the field thus far this spring, but he put together a strong showing in this one. The youngster finished 1-for-3 with a walk and his second home run to get the Yanks on the board against Jackson Jobe in the fourth.

- Paul Goldschmidt's showing he may have something left in that veteran bat of his. He followed up Dominguez's blast with a solo shot of his own, and then drove in two more runs an inning later with a double down the left field line. The 37-year-old now has four extra base-hits over his last three spring games.

- Austin Wells continues to be a catalyst out of the leadoff spot -- reaching base two more times with a walk and a hit and scoring two runs. The young backstop is now hitting an impressive .360 with a 1.167 OPS through 25 spring at-bats.

- Right-hander Fernando Cruz, who was acquired this offseason from the Reds, continued his rough start to the spring. He allowed back-to-back doubles to Colt Keith and Javier Baez leading off the bottom of the fifth to bring his ERA to 10.13 -- but he did recover nicely, striking out the next three batters.

- Tim Hill also struggled for the first time this spring. The southpaw had put together four scoreless appearances coming into the day, but he allowed two runs on three hits in his lone inning of work.

Upcoming schedule

Allan Winans takes the mound as the Yanks continue their spring slate against the Phillies on Friday at 6:35 p.m.

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Edwin Diaz bounces back, Brett Baty reaches base twice as Mets fall to Red Sox

The Mets lost to the Red Sox, 3-2, on Thursday afternoon as their spring training slate continued.

Here are the takeaways...

- David Peterson gave up a leadoff homer but limited the damage after that.

It was an uneven start for the left-hander, though, as he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out one in 3.2 innings.

Peterson, who threw 69 pitches (43 strikes), has a 0.84 ERA this spring.

- Brandon Nimmo was back in the lineup for the first time since missing over a week of game action due to a knee issue that required a gel injection.

In his first at-bat, Nimmo smoked a single to right field. He finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

- Edwin Diaz allowed a leadoff double before settling in to retire the next three batters on a fly out, strikeout swinging, and a fly out. He threw 18 pitches, with 12 going for strikes.

It was a bounce back effort for Diaz, who was erratic during his first two spring appearances.

Diaz's strikeout came on a slider (which Triston Casas flailed at), while his fastball topped out at 96.3 mph.

- Brett Baty got the start at second base.

He cleanly fielded a liner in the first inning but made an error on a hard grounder hit to his right in the second inning.

Baty made a really nice play to get the second out of the third inning, ranging far to his right before making an off-balance throw to first base for the out. He also assisted on the third out -- a routine grounder he fielded at the edge of the infield dirt and threw to first.

At the plate, Baty drew a walk his first time up. In the fifth inning, he led things off by looping a single to right field. He finished 1-for-2 with a walk, and has a 1.110 OPS this spring.

With Jeff McNeil out for Opening Day due to an oblique injury, Baty -- who is expected to start at second base again on Friday -- could have the inside track to the regular second base job to start the season.

- Francisco Lindor drew a walk and stole second base in the sixth inning.

- Ryne Stanek worked around a two-out walk to toss a scoreless inning. He has yet to allow a run in Grapefruit League play.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Mets host the Cardinals on Friday at 6:10 p.m. on SNY.

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Social media reacts to Arkansas’ loss to Ole Miss

Arkansas basketball HC John Calipari. © Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Coach John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks (20-13, 8-10 SEC) lost Game 2 of the SEC Tournament, 83-80, to the Ole Miss Rebels on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Pair Of Golden Knights Forwards Returning To The Lineup

Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden will return to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup tonight after missing Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins for personal reasons. 

Ivan Barbashev, Brett Howden and Brayden McNabb. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Golden Knights were defeated by the Penguins in overtime, 3-2 after Noah Hanifin scored the equalizer with seven seconds remaining. The Golden Knights carried the play for most of the night despite missing two key forwards in Barbashev and Howden.

Both forwards will return to the lineup tonight and will skate together alongside Keegan Kolesar. Exiting the lineup will be Cole Schwindt and Jonas Rondbjerg. 

Barbashev and Howden were paired together on Feb. 27 against the Chicago Blackhawks and clicked instantly. They mesh well offensively, providing north-south oriented offence and are defensively responsible, allowing them to play against any of the opposition's lines. 

Howden is enjoying a career year, scoring 17 goals and 13 points in 62 games. If he continues to score at this pace, the 26-year-old could set a career-high in goals that eclipses his previous career-high in points. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter tonight's game feeling confident, holding the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. When Sean Monahan went down with an injury, many believed the Blue Jackets' chances of making the playoffs were dwindling, but the emergence of Adam Fantilli and stepping up of Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, and Kent Johnson has kept the Blue Jackets afloat. 

Slowing down Zach Werenski will be another difficult task. The 27-year-old has scored 20 goals and 69 points in 63 games. 

The Blue Jackets have struggled to keep the puck out of their net, and the Golden Knights should be able to take advantage of that tonight.

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

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Tottenham and Rangers reach Europa League quarter-finals – as it happened

Spurs made it through to the Europa League quarters … as did Rangers after some late Ibrox drama

Chelsea make five changes to the team that started in Denmark last week. Filip Jørgensen replaces Robert Sánchez in goal, while Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Jadon Sancho and Joshua Acheampong also step up. Sánchez drops to the bench, as do Shumaira Mheuka, Cole Palmer and Reece James, the latter pair having been ill all week. Malo Gusto misses out altogether through injury.

Copenhagen make two changes from that game. Mohamed Elyounoussi, once of Southampton, and Rodrigo Huecas come in, while Giorgi Gocholeishvili and Amin Chiakha are benched.

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Manchester United v Real Sociedad: Europa League last-16, second leg – as it happened

A terrific performance from United, who came from behind to wallop Sociedad with Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick

It’s big night tonight for Højlund. He’s improved a bit in the last couple of games – he’s getting chances and missing them, rather than disappearing – and has done well in Europe since joining United. I think Amorim has him pegged, as it goes:

“We have to look at Rasmus as a player – he has the pace, he has the technique, he’s scored some goals that are really hard to score. Sometimes he doesn’t choose the better run, sometimes he’s so anxious to touch the ball and he moves away from the goal. We address that in training but sometimes it is the confidence of the player.”

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