The Friars trailed by nine in the second half before outscoring the Red Storm 22-7 over the final six minutes.
St. John’s falls to Providence, 77-71, despite Zuby Ejiofor’s 33 points
Stefan Vaaks scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half and Jamier Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds to help lead Providence to a 77-71 victory against St. John’s on Saturday despite Zuby Ejiofor tying a career-high with 33 points.
Toppin, Anderson lead No. 15 Texas Tech with double-doubles in 102-80 win vs. Oklahoma State
JT Toppin had 23 points and 14 rebounds for his 39th career double-double, Christian Anderson had 19 points and a career-high 13 assists, and No. 15 Texas Tech beat Oklahoma State 102-80 on Saturday. LeJuan Watts finished just shy of Tech's third double-double of the game at 19 points and nine rebounds. Donovan Atwell had 15 points on five 3-pointers, and Jaylen Petty had 12 points on four 3s.
Rumors of Predators, Hurricanes 2027 Winter Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway shut down by BMS president
A rumor that the 2027 NHL Winter Classic will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) between the Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes has been debunked.
On Saturday, a Reddit post shared a screenshot from NHL.com advertising the Discover NHL Winter Classic in Bristol, Tennessee. The photo illustration on the right of the announcement shows the BMS finish line with the Predators and Hurricanes logos on the wall.
Fox Sports motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass posted on X/Twitter that BMS President Jerry Caldwell has denied the claim that the Winter Classic will be held at the speedway.
“BMS is always interested in unique large-scale events. The reports of a scheduled event with the NHL at BMS are inaccurate, but we do look forward to welcoming fans back to The Last Great Colosseum for the Food City 500 on Sun., April 12.”
The news comes a day after the NHL hosted the 2026 NHL Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. The Rangers won 5-1.
The rumor isn't too far-fetched. Back in August, when the MLB hosted a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at BMS, it was reported that NHL officials were in attendance, and the speedway had expressed interest in hosting NHL games and WWE events.
The speedway has hosted multiple sporting events, including an NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in 1961, and two college football games between Tennessee and Virginia Tech, and East Tennessee State and Western Carolina in 2013.
If a hockey game were hosted at the speedway, it could set a record for the most-attended match in league history, as the venue holds nearly 150,000.
Bristol is located four hours east of Nashville.
The Predators have played in two outdoor games: the 2022 Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium in Nashville and the 2020 Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Out-Of-Sync Red Wings Drop 4-1 Matinee Tilt Against Penguins
Following their 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday evening, the Detroit Red Wings wanted to come out with a stronger and more determined effort in the rematch on home ice at Little Caesars Arena.
Instead, Detroit sleepwalked for most of the matinee game, registering only 12 shots on goal and ultimately losing by a 4-`1 final score in what was one of their most listless performances of their centennial campaign.
Final from Detroit pic.twitter.com/wt2r2lsrBs
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 3, 2026
The Red Wings, who didn't get their first official shot until the first period was well past the halfway point, dropped both contests against the Penguins by a combined 8-4 score and earned only one of a possible four points.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Longtime Red Wings nemesis Sidney Crosby picked up his fourth point in two games against Detroit, setting up Pontiac, Mich. native Bryan Rust for the game's opening goal at the 3:44 mark of the opening 20 minutes of play.
Distracted by a line change, the Red Wings didn't pick up Penguins forward Yegor Chinakhov, who took a pass from Ben Kindel and broke in alone on John Gibson, beating him to increase the lead to 2-0. His tally would also ultimately stand up as the game-winner.
Alex DeBrincat brought the Red Wings back to within a goal with his 21st tally of the season, as he beat Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner on a two-on-one rush at the 15:06 mark of the second period.
Detroit had a brief spell of life, and came within an inch of knotting the score after hitting the post on a subsequent power-play chance.
However, it's as close as they'd get. Detroit managed only three total shots in the third period and got no sustained zone pressure when Gibson was pulled for an extra attacker; the Penguins sealed the win with empty-net goals from Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar.
Gibson finished with 27 saves, while Skinner stopped 11 of the 12 shots he faced.
The Red Wings will next head out on the road for their first matchup of the season against the Ottawa Senators on Monday evening.
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Premier League’s warped economics make £65m fee for Semenyo a snip | Jonathan Wilson
Price tag for winger’s move to Manchester City would make headlines in any other country but not in England
Antoine Semenyo, it seems likely, will soon join Manchester City from Bournemouth for a fee of £65m. Given how well Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden have played from the right this season, it is not immediately obvious why City need him, but the modern game is the modern game, the rammed calendar makes large and flexible squads essential and Pep Guardiola may have some esoteric plan for the Ghanaian anyway. But perhaps what is most striking about the deal is the fee – or, more precisely, how little attention it has drawn.
English football has become inured to big transfers. The fee feels about right. Semenyo is 25. He has four and a half years left on his contract. He is quick, skilful, intelligent and works hard. He is disciplined, but has the capacity to do the unexpected. Of course a player of his ability costs that much. Yet £65m would make him the third-most expensive player in Bundesliga history. He would be the seventh-most expensive in Serie A history, the 14th-most expensive in La Liga history. Only nine non-English clubs have paid a fee higher than that. Even in Premier League terms, Semenyo sneaks into the top 25.
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Report: Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and Blue Jays agree to $60 million, 4-year contract
TORONTO — Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal.
A six-time All-Star, Okamoto has a .277 average with 248 homers and 717 RBIs in 11 Japanese big league seasons, leading the Central League in home runs in 2020, 2021 and 2023. He homered off Colorado’s Kyle Freeland to help Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final.
Under the posting agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, a deal must be finalized by 5 p.m. EST Sunday.
Okamoto, a 29-year-old third baseman and first baseman, hit .327 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games last year for the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants. He injured his left elbow while trying to catch a throw at first base on May 6 when he collided with the Hanshin Tigers’ Takumu Nakano, an injury that sidelined Okamoto until Aug. 16.
With five-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, Okamoto presumably would play mostly at third. Addison Barger had 67 starts there last year, Ernie Clement 66, Will Wagner 22, Isiah Kiner-Falefa six and Buddy Kennedy one.
Barger also plays right field, and the addition of Okamoto could mean Andrés Giménez will move from second to shortstop if free agent Bo Bichette doesn’t re-sign. Clement and Davis Schneider could share time at second.
Under MLB’s posting agreement with NPB, the posting fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.
Three takeaways: Some good, some bad for Panthers, but overall Winter Classic experience was spectacular
It was a fun and festive atmosphere at loanDepot park in Miami for the 2026 Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.
The vibes were immaculate, and the players and fans all seemed to be enjoying themselves leading up to the big game.
Unfortunately for the home fans, the game didn’t go very well for the Panthers as they were taken down by the Rangers 5-1.
While much of the attention and conversation afterwards was about the event itself, there were some elements of the game that needed to be addressed.
Let’s get to our Winter Classic takeaways:
UNDERLYING STATS LEANED PANTHERS
From shots to shot attempts to puck possession to opportunities from the slot, Florida did more than enough correctly on Friday to come away with two points.
But the amount of times they either missed the net, turned the puck over or failed to convert a rebound or rush into a high danger chance cost them dearly.
Even though Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin finished the game with 36 saves, only seven of those shots were considered high danger.
Florida’s expected goals for the game was 3.86, so it’s not like they weren’t generating scoring chances, but the quality has got to be better.
“We had 50 pucks that never got to the net,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “We got 30 blocked and we missed the net 20 times. I think we were just squeezing and pushing to come from behind, a little late getting the puck off our stick.”
FINDING POSITIVES
Between the unorthodox conditions, the Winter Classic ice, the distance they had to travel to get from place to place in their gear, the longer pregame and intermissions…there were several elements of Friday night that made things a bit more challenging for both teams.
The task now for Maurice and his staff will be dissecting the positive things Florida did against the Rangers and highlighting the areas they need to be better.
There isn’t much time to dwell though, as the Cats are right back at it on Sunday afternoon when they face the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche.
“There's a couple things I'll take out of this game that I like to show, and I won't share that with you…It's kind of part of our technical package,” said Maurice. “There were a couple things I thought we were a little late on, and then some good things we just didn't connect on. I don’t want us to lose our focus with that. We had 21 shot attempts from the slot, that would be our biggest number this year. So there's some things I didn't like, and then the rest of it will be Colorado, because they handled us was pretty well the last time they played us.”
AN AMAZING EVENT
At the end of the day, despite the final score, the Winter Classic in Miami was a resounding success.
The week of festivities and events at the ballpark for the players, coaches and staff members created memories that will last a lifetime for many of those who were fortunate enough to participate.
Even though many of the players and coaches had previously participated an NHL outdoor game, the sights, sounds and overall experience of hosting something like this in South Florida is something incredibly unique that will not soon be forgotten.
“I feel a real sense of gratitude to the National Hockey League,” said Maurice. “This was an incredible event. I can't believe how many people worked on this thing, and then they got it all right, for me anyway. This is the losing coach, right? So, incredible memories. I've been to Europe three times with the Global Series and this is my third outdoor game. We had a pretty good run here over the last three years in the playoffs, so I've got to see some pretty exciting nights in the National Hockey League, and I'm just grateful to be a part of it.”
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Photo caption: Jan 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; The Florida Panthers play against the New York Rangers during the first period in the 2026 Winter Classic ice hockey game at loanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
‘We rolled over’: Parker angry at Burnley as Rutter and Ayari end Brighton’s lean run
Brighton ended a six-match winless run with a comfortable home victory over second-bottom Burnley.
Georginio Rutter gave Brighton a first-half lead before Yasin Ayari doubled the advantage early in the second period. Loum Tchaouna came close to halving the deficit, but Scott Parker’s struggling side remain six points adrift of Nottingham Forest in 17th after their wait for a league victory stretched to 11 games.
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García was instrumental in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory, producing a series of outstanding saves, with the league leaders extending their lead at the top of the La Liga standings to seven points.
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Blackhawks Vs Capitals: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 41
The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off their best win since Connor Bedard’s injury. They have been playing better since the holiday break ended, but this defeat over Dallas was a game to be truly proud of. Now, they are on the road for a match against the Washington Capitals.
This is the first meeting for Chicago against Washington, who comes in with a record of 21-15-5 and 47 points. They have had a solid year, but so has every team in the Eastern Conference up to this point.
Scouting Washington
The Washington Capitals, even after all of these years, have a ton of talent. Everything starts and ends with Alexander Ovechkin, who broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most goals in NHL history last season. Now, at the age of 40, Ovechkin has 15 goals this season and 912 in his career. Ovechkin tied the record with two goals last time the Blackhawks were in town.
Protas-Strome-Ovechkin
McMichael-Sourdif-Wilson
Beauvillier-Dowd-Leonard
Duhaime-Lapierre-Frank
Sandin-Carlson
Chychrun-Roy
Fehervary- van Riemsdyk
Thompson
The Capitals have some good young players and other great veterans besides Ovechkin. For one, Tom Wilson has developed into one of the best power forwards in the NHL. He is no longer the guy running around creating controversy with big hits. He still has an incredible physical presence to his game, but he doesn’t toe the line as much and is an elite offense producer. So much so that he was named to Team Canada for the Olympics.
A young player to watch out for is Ryan Leonard. The Team USA World Juniors hero (back-to-back Golds in 2023-24/2024-25) is still learning his way in the NHL, but he has star potential.
On the back end, John Carlson has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL for years. As an aging player, he isn’t the producer that he once was, but he’s still someone to game plan for. So is the excellent Jakob Chychrun, who has 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points in 41 games.
Logan Thompson will start in goal for Washington. Like Tom Wilson, Thompson will be an Olympian with Canada in Milan, Italy. He has become an outstanding goaltender in this league. To beat him, the Blackhawks will have an interesting time. It can be done, but all of the little things need to happen, like traffic in front, good shot selection, and being hard on the forecheck.
Washington is a flawed team, but they are heavy and skilled, so win or lose, they are hard to play against.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks are coming in feeling good about their games. Now, they have a chance to take that momentum and use it in a situation that's been tough for them this season: back-to-back situations.
Spencer Knight will start in goal for Chicago, meaning that they will likely use Arvid Soderblom against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Bertuzzi-Greene-Burakovsky
Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Teravainen-Moore-Lardis
Dach-Foligno-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Knight
Why change a winning lineup? This exact lineup beat the Dallas Stars at the United Center on Thursday night.
Keep an eye on two young centers in this game. Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore have started to take their games to another level with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar out of the lineup. For Moore, the points have started to come. Greene is still working on his finish, but he looks like a guy who belongs in the top nine of a winning group.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Former Islanders' No. 1 Overall Pick, Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares On Rookie Phenom Matthew Schaefer: 'He's A Stud'
ELMONT, NY -- Former New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick and captain John Tavares spoke with us following Toronto Maple Leafs morning skate ahead of their Saturday night showdown at UBS Arena.
What does he think of Islanders' 2025 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer?
“He’s obviously a stud," Tavares said. "I mean, the way he can play the game has been really special. I think the way he's come in, and he’s just been a game changer throughout the league and obviously for the Islanders. He seems to have tremendous character and a great head on his shoulders. Obviously, his ability to play the game is special, like I said. So we'll have our hands full tonight, even though he’s someone who's only half a season into his career. He’s been really, really impressive.”
Tavares was selected first overall by the Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft, going on to play nine seasons (2009-18), he recorded 621 points (272 goals, 349 assists) in 669 games. He was the Islanders' captain from 2013-18.
What does he remember about his rookie season?
"Obviously, coming to the Islanders as a No. 1 pick and him as well, it's easy to kind of relate that," Tavares said. "But I think for me, throughout the course of my career, you always think about the journey and where things started, and how you got there, and where you're at today. You think about it all the time, just the excitement, all the work to get drafted, to earn an opportunity in the NHL, have the expectations that I had, and just how much fun it is to go through the first time, and certainly the ups and downs. There were a lot of them for me throughout my first year. So, it's something I'm very grateful for, very fond of, and I'll never forget. It's a big part of helping me along my way, throughout my career, and where I got started."
Saturday night is the first time the Islanders battle the Maple Leafs this season.
What does Tavares think of this Islanders' squad?
"Well, certainly they've become a really dynamic team off the rush," Tavares said. "Obviously, with Schaefer and Barzy, their skating ability, their puck play is, is elite. So, you really need to defend that really well. And like most teams, you try to make them use their energy to have to defend and work to get the puck back. And then that means you have in your hands, and you're able to maintain play and wear the opponent down. But no doubt, two very dynamic players with obviously, a lot of depth, a lot of guys that can make plays, put the puck in the back of the net."
Tavares has never met Schaefer.
Puck drop comes your way ar 7:30 PM ET.