Florida fires Billy Napier. Who should be their next head coach? Notre Dame defeats USC. How does this help Miami after being upset by Louisville? What other coaches are on the hot seat? A full Week 8 recap.
Why Florida hiring Lane Kiffin could ruin Kirby Smart’s day
Georgia's enjoyed a coaching advantage in rivalry with Florida since the day it hired Kirby Smart. Lane Kiffin would help level the scales.
Results and Takeaways: Poor Execution And Missed Chances Doom Oilers in Detroit
An out-of-sync Edmonton Oilers team was looking to get back on track as they took on the Detroit Red Wings in a Sunday matinee. They wanted a better start and a 60-minute effort, things that have eluded them against the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.
They didn't get it as the Oilers were not at the top of their game for 50 minutes. The push from Edmonton came late in the third, but it was too late to produce the desired result.
McDavid remains without a goal and didn't get on the scoresheet for the Oilers. Draisaitl, when asked by @DNBsports about what's gone wrong with the offense, responded, "You can't win scoring 1-2 goals a game. It's me, I'm certainly not feeling it. Take a look in the mirror and figure out a way to get going."
First Period:
The first quality chance of the game came for Detroit after another turnover, with Andrew Copp firing a clean look that Ilya Skinner stopped with a solid save.
Connor McDavid had an opportunity coming down the slot but again opted to pass. The attempted feed to Andrew Mangiapane failed, resulting in a turnover and another chance for Detroit — though they couldn’t capitalize.
Skinner then made a strong save on Alex DeBrincat to keep the game scoreless.
Ike Howard had his first real opportunity with a one-timer, but the puck bounced awkwardly, and he mishandled the shot — the kind of look Howard needs to capitalize on if he's going to keep a spot in the lineup.
The line of Trent Frederic, Philip, and Kasperi Kapanen showed some chemistry, cycling effectively in the offensive zone and creating pressure. There weren't many dangerous chances to show for it.
Around the 18-minute mark, McDavid was pulled down on a play that went uncalled. Detroit quickly transitioned, but Mattias Ekholm made a smart play to break up the rush.
First Period Takeaways
Overall, the first period felt a bit choppy, but both teams managed several good scoring chances. There were no goals after one period. Skinner has looked solid so far. McDavid continues to pass up opportunities to shoot. It's baffling after he said in September, “I want to prove that scoring 50 or 60 is not a one-off. I've had 50 goals, and I've had 100 assists, and I like the goals a little bit more.”
The Oilers only had three shots on goal.
Second Period:
Evan Bouchard fired a shot that deflected wide but bounced off the end boards and slid back through the crease, giving the Oilers a brief look. It was a perfect example of why simply getting pucks on net can create opportunities.
Kasperi Kapanen left the game after missing a hit in the corner and crashing hard into the boards. He appeared to injure his hip and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
At the 9:51 mark of the second period, a faceoff win by the Red Wings set up Dylan Larkin in the slot, and he ripped a one-timer past Stuart Skinner to open the scoring, 1–0 Detroit.
Shortly after the goal, Jack Roslovic drew a tripping penalty to give Edmonton a power play. Matt Savoie took net-front duties as the Oilers managed a few decent looks, including a dangerous shot from Connor McDavid, but John Gibson held firm. Just as the power play expired, the Red Wings struck again — rookie forward Emmitt Finnie buried a rebound for his first NHL goal, extending Detroit’s lead to 2–0.
⚠️ FIRST NHL GOAL ALERT ⚠️
— NHL (@NHL) October 19, 2025
Congrats, Emmitt Finnie! pic.twitter.com/TuIicRQoM6
The Oilers finally responded when Vasily Podkolzin tossed a puck toward the net and Noah Philp tipped it in for his second goal in as many games, cutting the deficit to 2–1. It was a greasy goal, but they all count.
Moments later, Finnie crashed the crease on Skinner, drawing a response from Mattias Ekholm. At the other end, Ben Chiarot shoved Roslovic into Gibson, but neither play resulted in a penalty.
Savoie had another solid chance in tight, but Gibson stood tall again.
With just under three minutes left in the period, Larkin fired another puck toward the net. With Finnie and Ekholm battling in front, Skinner was screened and caught mid-movement as the shot slipped past him. It was another simple play that paid off for Detroit, pushing their lead to 3–1 and halting any momentum Edmonton had built.
Second Period Takeaways
The Oilers are through 20 minutes with only 11 shots on goal. That's simply not enough. There are too many examples, even in just this game, where putting the puck on net can produce positive results. Now down two goals, Edmonton will have to dig itself out of another hole.
Philp is showing the Oilers that he should be staying in the lineup. He's one of the few guys playing a simple and effective game.
Third Period
The Oilers started the third with more turnovers near the offensive blue line which led to transition chances against. The Oilers' top stars were feeling it and clearly frustrated. The first shift for the top line resulted in absolutely nothing.
Podkolzin was elevated to the top line in an attempt to get some energy and simple plays on goal.
The Oilers finally executed on a nice play. Leon Draisaitl got a great passed from Brett Kulak. It was a tap-in for Draisaitl to get the Oilers back to within one. McDavid won't get an assist on the play, but he started the nice sequence of passes by finding Ekholm as the trailer.
McDavid went in on a break wide and Gisbon stopped him. The Oilers were pushing a little after their second goal of the game.
The top line came out for the Oilers and, on successive sequences, turned the puck over again at the offensive blue line. The game was going 12 minutes without a whistle, meaning time was starting to run out for the Oilers. Draisaitl had a breakaway and lost the handle on the puck.
The Oilers pulled Skinner, and the Red Wings scored to make it 4-2. Finnie got his second of the game.
Final Takeaways:
The Oilers found some urgency in the last half of the third period, but it was too late. The execution, outside of the Draisaitl goal, just wasn't there.
Skinner was solid again in the defeat, and Dylan Larkin was a weapon against the Oilers, putting up four points in the game.
Finnie had two goals, which are his only two goals in the NHL.
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Ex-Flyers Coach John Tortorella Recounts Golden Matvei Michkov Story
Given how things have started this season under Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia Flyers fans can certainly appreciate one of ex-coach John Tortorella's fondest memories of star forward Matvei Michkov.
Tortorella, 67, now works as an NHL analyst for ESPN, giving him a larger platform to openly share stories and experiences from his decorated coaching career.
The former Flyers coach, who coached Michkov in his rookie season last year, was covering a game between the San Jose Sharks and Utah Mammoth live in-studio when a too many men penalty, served by Will Smith at the end of the second period, prompted Tortorella to tell a great story about the Russian phenom.
"Michkov, with me in Philly, every time we had to put someone in the box for something like that, a delay or whatever it may be, he'd be burning a hole through me," Tortorella said of Michkov. "He wants to go in the penalty box hoping to get a breakaway when the power play's over or whatever it may be.
"Coaches think about that, too. You'd be surprised. There's a little bit of strategy involved in that. It's interesting."
Here is a funny moment from torts on Michkov last season😆 pic.twitter.com/NtaMtcwKMW
— Flyers Stats (@Flyers_Stats) October 18, 2025
The Sharks finished the period down 3-2 and ultimately lost 6-3 with Smith failing to score out of the box, but Tortorella's assessment is spot on, especially when the player serving the penalty won't be utilized on the penalty kill at all.
It's something Tortorella did with Joel Farabee and the Flyers a good amount in 2023-24, and continued with Michkov in 2024-25 before being relieved of his duties at the end of March.
Michkov, 20, could certainly use a goal like that at some point, too. In five games under Tocchet, his average ice time is sitting at 14:50, down nearly two minutes from his rookie season 16:41, most of which came under Tortorella.
Further compounding the issue is the fact that Michkov has just one goal - his only point - in those five games, and just seven shots on goal.
Matvei Michkov Says He Was 'Very Upset' When Flyers Fired John TortorellaThe relationship between star <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> rookie Matvei Michkov and fired head coach John Tortorella was much better than many have made it out to be.
The gruff Tortorella often took a lot of heat for his treatment of Michkov and other players, which was often conflated with how the coach conducted himself, but this latest story shows that the 67-year-old maybe knew exactly what he was doing all along.
Former Rangers Defenseman Signs In KHL
According to Championat's Anton Pachenko, former New York Rangers defenseman Ben Harpur has signed a one-year contract with the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL.
Harpur signing in the KHL comes after he did not land a contract with the Florida Panthers after participating in their training camp on a professional tryout (PTO). Now, the former Ranger will be playing overseas with the Dragons, where he should be a solid part of their blueline.
Harpur played in 42 games with the Rangers during the 2022-23 season, where he recorded one goal, five assists, six points, 57 blocks, 63 hits, and an even plus/minus rating. This is the last season that he played at the NHL level, but he did play the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns exclusively with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
In 29 games during the 2024-25 with Hartford, Harpur posted one goal, four assists, five points, 48 penalty minutes, and a minus-4 rating.
In 198 career NHL games split between the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and Rangers, Harpur recorded two goals, 19 assists, 21 points, 143 penalty minutes, 221 blocks, and 317 hits.
Blues Announce Hall Of Fame Class Of 2026
The St. Louis Blues announced their Hall of Fame class of 2026, which features Alexander Steen, Barret Jackman and Al Arbour.
The announcement of the class was made in front of the Enterprise Center crowd during the first period of Wednesday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The team will officially induct the players into the Blues Hall of Fame on Monday, Jan. 12, during a ceremonial dinner at the downtown Missouri Athletic Club. The inductees will then be honored prior to the game when the Blues host the Carolina Hurricanes the following evening at 7 p.m. at Enterprise Center.
Steen, the Blues' soon-to-be general manager, played 12 seasons with the organization, scoring 195 goals and 496 points in 765 games. The Winnipeg, Man., native won a Stanley Cup with the Blues, playing as a depth forward with veteran leadership later in his career. Steen ranks fourth in Blues history in games played, sixth in assists and points, and 10th in goals. He is also one of five players in franchise history to dress in at least 90 playoff games.
Jackman played 13 seasons with the Blues, skating in 803 games and scoring 28 goals and 181 points. Jackman was a first-round pick (17th overall) of the Blues in the 1999 NHL Draft. Jackman leads all defensemen and ranks second in franchise history overall in games played, while his 1,026 penalty minutes are fourth. In 2002-03, Jackman was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and became the first player in franchise history to earn the Calder Trophy. Jackman was named the Director of Alumni earlier this season.
Arbour, the first captain in Blues history and was a member of the original Blues team in 1967-68 after being drafted from Toronto in the 1967 expansion draft. Arbour spent four seasons with the Blues, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the team’s first three campaigns. The Sudbury, Ontario, native was a 1969 NHL All-Star and finished fifth in voting for the Norris Trophy that season. Arbour also served as head coach of the Blues for parts of three seasons (1970-71 to 1972-73), leading them to the NHL Semi-Finals in 1971-72.
Where Steph Curry ranks on NBA's current, future all-time career earnings list
Where Steph Curry ranks on NBA's current, future all-time career earnings list originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Stephen Curry hasn’t just changed the way basketball is played — he has changed how it’s valued.
Spotrac released its updated list of the NBA’s highest career earners, and Curry currently sits third, behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Durant passed James for the top spot on Sunday after signing a two-year, $90 million extension with the Phoenix Suns, which includes a player option for the 2027–28 season.
Other members of the top 10 include Devin Booker, Paul George, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum — a mix of established stars and younger faces quickly climbing the list.
That younger wave could soon reshape the standings entirely. With Booker, Gilgeous-Alexander and Tatum all still in their late-20s and already on max extensions, they’re on pace to shatter the totals set by Curry, James and Durant as new TV deals and cap increases drive salaries even higher.
Curry, though, has been at the forefront of the league’s salary evolution. In 2017, he became the first player in NBA history to sign a $200 million contract, a five-year deal worth $201 million. Two years later, he became the first to make more than $40 million in a single season.
He topped that milestone again in 2021, signing a four-year, $215 million extension that made him the first player ever to sign multiple $200 million contracts. That deal helped him become the first to earn over $50 million in 2023–24, and by 2026–27, he is set to be the first player to surpass $60 million in a single season.
Over the past few years, Curry has climbed steadily up Spotrac’s career earnings rankings. He first appeared in the top 10 at No. 7 through 2022–23, rose to No. 4 through 2023–24, and reached No. 3 this year, where he is expected to remain for the foreseeable future as his current deal runs through 2026–27.
Curry’s journey into the NBA’s top three career earners reflects more than a decade of sustained excellence — and positions him to stay there as new deals reshape the league’s financial landscape.
Verstappen cruises to victory in F1 US Grand Prix to pile pressure on McLaren
Lando Norris overtakes Charles Leclerc to finish second
Piastri manages fifth with rivals closing in on title lead
Dominant, untouchable and bearing a broad, beaming grin in the Texas sunshine, the transformation in Max Verstappen after he took victory at the US Grand Prix could not have been starker.
The disillusioned and dissatisfied driver who felt his title defence was long over has, against all the odds and indeed his own expectations, restaked his claim as a genuine contender in a deliciously tight Formula One world championship battle. Little wonder there were smiles, Verstappen knows he is back in the fight.
Continue reading...As Flames Sink to NHL Bottom, Big Questions Loom Over Culture and Direction
The Calgary Flames wanted progress this season. What they’ve shown is uncertainty.
Calgary enters the week sitting tied for last in the NHL standings and the frustration is mounting. At 1.67 goals-per-game, the offence is stagnant, and the defensive structure is unraveling.
Now the whispers around the team have already shifted toward the long game — or more precisely, the 2026 NHL Draft and expected first-overall pick, Gavin McKenna. The potential of adding a franchise-changing forward is tempting, but - hypothetically speaking - what kind of environment would he be walking into?
That’s the real question for Calgary.
General Manager Craig Conroy made his intentions clear last season: this organization isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about competing, developing, and sustaining a culture that hates to lose. Tanking, at least philosophically, isn’t part of the plan. But with a 1-5-0 start and a minus-15 goal differential, the Flames look far from the kind of team that embodies that mindset.
Saturday’s 6–1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights was the latest example of their problems. Vegas dictated the pace, picked apart the Flames’ defensive coverage, and exposed just how disorganized Calgary has been in its own zone. Odd-man rushes, missed assignments, and poor coverage around the crease continue to hang goaltender Dustin Wolf out to dry.
Wolf, fresh off signing a seven-year deal, hasn’t been perfect — but the defensive breakdowns in front of him have made it nearly impossible to evaluate his play. For a goaltender expected to anchor the next era of Flames hockey, the lack of structure around him is concerning.
The path forward is murky. Calgary needs defensive stability, but trading a top-pair blueliner like Rasmus Andersson (as rumoured in the offseason) seems almost counterintuitive. Veterans such as Nazem Kadri or Blake Coleman could bring value back, but both are key dressing-room voices on a team already light on identity.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s been the effort from the fourth line— particularly Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka. Lomberg’s energy and willingness to step up physically, including his fight with Colton Sissons in response to an earlier hit on rookie Zayne Parekh, injected some spark. Klapka’s forechecking, fighting and physical presence have followed suit. However, when your fourth line is your best line, it’s a symptom of a bigger problem.
The schedule doesn’t get easier — two games against Winnipeg and a visit to Montreal loom. While it’s far too early for Conroy to make panic moves, the questions are starting to pile up faster than the answers.
If the Flames truly want to build a culture around competitiveness, it has to start showing up in the results. As tempting as the McKenna sweepstakes might be, culture and complacency don’t coexist — and right now, Calgary is teetering dangerously close to the wrong side of that equation.
Red Wings' Rookie Emmitt Finnie Scores First NHL Goal vs. Oilers
Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Emmitt Finnie picked a good time to score his first goal in the NHL, only one game after his fellow rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka did the same.
Finnie buried a rebound of a shot by Jacob Bernard-Docker past Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner midway through the second period of Sunday afternoon's game for the milestone marker:
EMMITT FINNIE FIRST CAREER GOAL! #LGRWpic.twitter.com/Ax4r4Ys3Qx
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 19, 2025
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Immediately after the goal was scored, Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, who had just scored himself minutes earlier, retrieved the puck out of the net for a keepsake souvenir he'll keep for the rest of his life.
The Red Wings drafted Finnie in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2023 Draft, and he's quickly made a name for himself in his short time since making the team.
Sandin-Pellikka also recently notched his first career goal, beating Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with a quick wrist shot from near the top of the slot on Friday evening.
Finnie, Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård are all playing in their inaugural campaigns in the NHL as rookies thanks to their strong showings in Training Camp and the pre-season.
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Kings' Domantas Sabonis out for first week of season with hamstring strain
Sacramento coach Doug Christie wanted to get some run together for his core starters last Wednesday night in one of the team's final preseason games, but that always comes with risk, and it has bitten the Kings.
Domantas Sabonis suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain against the Clippers and will be out for at least the first week of the season, the Kings announced. A Grade 1 strain usually keeps a player out about 10 days, but that time can vary.
Sabonis is not the only Kings' starter out. Keegan Murray underwent surgery on a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, which will keep him out for at least a month.
Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, averaged 19.1 points and 13.9 rebounds a game, shooting 41.7% on a couple of 3-pointers a game but 62.7% inside the arc. Dario Saric will get the start with Sabonis out, but that's a lot of scoring and rebounding to make up (plus, Sabonis serves as a hub for the Sacramento offense).
It's a rough way to start for the Kings, a team without much margin for error in the West if the goal is to make the postseason. The Kings open the season at the Suns on Oct. 22, then come home for two games over the weekend against the Jazz and Lakers.
Kings' Domantas Sabinis out for first week of season with hamstring strain
Sacramento coach Doug Christie wanted to get some run together for his core starters last Wednesday night in one of the team's final preseason games, but that always comes with risk, and it has bitten the Kings.
Domantas Sabonis suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain against the Clippers and will be out for at least the first week of the season, the Kings announced. A Grade 1 strain usually keeps a player out about 10 days, but that time can vary.
Sabonis is not the only Kings' starter out. Keegan Murray underwent surgery on a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, which will keep him out for at least a month.
Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, averaged 19.1 points and 13.9 rebounds a game, shooting 41.7% on a couple of 3-pointers a game but 62.7% inside the arc. Dario Saric will get the start with Sabonis out, but that's a lot of scoring and rebounding to make up (plus, Sabonis serves as a hub for the Sacramento offense).
It's a rough way to start for the Kings, a team without much margin for error in the West if the goal is to make the postseason. The Kings open the season at the Suns on Oct. 22, then come home for two games over the weekend against the Jazz and Lakers.
Inside the AP Poll: How Indiana, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt soared into the Top 10
Meanwhile, schools like Penn State and Florida are searching for new coaches. College football is upside-down in 2025.
Shohei Ohtani highlighted in film tracing history of Japanese and American baseball
In the opening moments of a new film called “Diamond Diplomacy,”Shohei Ohtani holds the ball and Mike Trout holds a bat. These are the dramatic final moments of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The film puts those moments on pause to share the long and complex relationship between the United States and Japan through the prism of baseball, and through the stories of four Japanese players — Ohtani included — and their journeys to the major leagues.
Baseball has been a national pastime in both nations for more than a century. A Japanese publishing magnate sponsored a 1934 barnstorming tour led by Babe Ruth. Under former owners Walter and Peter O’Malley, the Dodgers were at the forefront of tours to Japan and elsewhere.
In 1946, however, amid the aftermath of World War II, the United States government funded a tour by the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. Director Yuriko Gamo Romer features archival footage from that tour prominently in her film.
Read more:As Shohei Ohtani takes center stage, remembering baseball at Manzanar prison camp
“I thought it was remarkable,” she said, “that the U.S. government decided, ‘Oh, we should send a baseball team to Japan to help repair relations and for goodwill.’ ”
On the home front, Romer shows how Ruth barnstormed Central California in 1927, a decade and a half before the U.S. government forced citizens of Japanese ancestry into internment camps there. Teams and leagues sprouted within the camps, an arrangement described by one player as “baseball behind barbed wire.”
The film also relates how, even after World War II ended, Japanese Americans were often unwelcome in their old neighborhoods, and Japanese baseball leagues sprung up like the Negro Leagues.
In 1964, the San Francisco Giants made pitcher Masanori Murakami the first Japanese player in Major League Baseball, but he yielded to pressure to return to his homeland two years later.
In 1995, when pitcher Hideo Nomo signed with the Dodgers, he had to retire from Japanese baseball to do so. (The film contains footage of legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda teaching Nomo to say, “I bleed Dodger blue.”)
Now, star Japanese players regularly join the majors. In that 2023 WBC, as the film shows at its end, Ohtani left his first big imprint on the international game by striking out Trout to deliver victory to Japan over the United States.
On Friday, Ohtani powered the Dodgers into the World Series with perhaps the greatest game by any player in major league history.
In previous generations, author Robert Whiting says in the film, hardly any American could name a prominent Japanese figure, in baseball or otherwise. Today, Ohtani’s jersey is baseball’s best seller, and he is a cultural icon on and off the field, here and in Japan.
“Suddenly, a Japanese face is the face of Major League Baseball in the United States,” Romer said. “People here can buy bottles of cold Japanese tea that have Shohei’s face on it.
“I know people who don’t care about baseball one iota and they’re like, 'oh, yeah, I know who that is.'”
“Diamond Diplomacy” will show on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Newport Beach Film Festival. For more information, visit newportbeachfilmfest.com.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
England invite Noah Caluori to training after sparkling five-try Prem debut
Saracens’ 19-year-old wing impressed in win over Sale
Jack Willis omitted from autumn internationals lineup
Noah Caluori, the 19-year-old Saracens wing, has been invited to train with England by the head coach, Steve Borthwick, after an incredible five-try barrage against Sale in his first start in the Prem on Saturday.
A 36-man training squad has been named to prepare for the upcoming autumn internationals, with Jack Willis the most notable omission by Borthwick after the No 8’s decision to return to play in France.
Continue reading...