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The Vancouver Canucks’ D-core keeps getting younger and younger. With Tyler Myers being held out of the lineup due to roster management reasons and Pierre-Olivier Joseph out due to an upper-body injury, Vancouver has recalled defenceman Victor Mancini from the AHL in preparation for their home game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
Mancini, who had a strong training camp for Vancouver, has skated in 10 games for the Canucks this season. He was sidelined due to injury on October 26 and did not return to play until about a month after. In January, he spent five more games with Vancouver before being re-assigned to Abbotsford. Mancini currently has four goals and eight assists in 33 games played in the AHL this season.
With Mancini now expected to skate against the Hurricanes, the average age of Vancouver’s D-core is now around 24. Mancini, Tom Willander, Zeev Buium, and Elias Pettersson are all under 24 and collectively have skated in a total of 221 NHL games. All four have yet to play in their first full NHL season.
Wednesday will mark the last game before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Ahead of it, nearly every member of the Canucks organization has had their name mentioned in trade rumours. With the passing of the trade deadline will come a conclusion to the Myers saga, which is expected to give Vancouver more clarity on how their blueline could look in the coming seasons.
The Canucks take on the Hurricanes on Wednesday at 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Yesterday, there was a report that Johan Rojas had been removed from the Dominican Republic WBC roster for “personal decisions” as termed by Nelson Cruz, decisions that have now been given a little more clarification.
As said above, Rojas is reportedly appealing said failed test.
This is sad news for a few reasons, number one of which that Rojas would consider taking PEDs. We knew that his place in the organization had slipped quite a bit from being the center fielder of the future to “maybe he’ll make the roster?” Perhaps that fall had led to his apparent decision to partake in PED usage, but now he is facing an 80 game suspension from MLB as well as not being able to participate in this or the next World Baseball Classic.
We’ll update once more information is available.
COMO, Italy (AP) — Inter Milan was held to a 0-0 draw at neighboring Como in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals Tuesday.
Como had the better chances but couldn’t quite find the target. The second leg is scheduled for April 22.
Lazio plays Atalanta on Wednesday in the other semifinal.
Inter, which faces AC Milan in a derby on Sunday, rested several usual starters.
Inter has won the Italian Cup nine times, while Como is chasing its first top-level trophy.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Canada 7 Blue Jays 10
It looked like a runaway, early, the Jays were up 7-0 after 2 innings. But Team Canada tied things in the top of the eighth. Then the Jays scored three more in the bottom of the inning.
Kevin Gausman cruised through his two innings, allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts. He looked good.
Other Jays pitchers:
Hitting, Jays starters:
Others:
On the Canada side:
The Jays have tomorrow off from spring training games, then a game against the Braves on Thursday, a 1:00 Eastern start time. The Jays will be on MLB TV as their Free Game of the Day
Last year Sunderland departed West Yorkshire on a snowy February night with their hopes of automatic promotion from the Championship in tatters. Leeds had come from behind to clinch a 95th‑minute win that would take them top of the second tier and only the most optimistic visiting fans expected a rematch this season.
Fast forward to a balmy March evening, though, and Régis Le Bris’s well‑executed gameplan lifted an injury hit yet streetwise Sunderland and their debutant goalkeeper Melker Ellborg to 11th in the Premier League.
Continue reading...With the 2026 NHL trade deadline rapidly approaching, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj is generating interest from a Pacific Division club.
According to the Montreal Gazette's Herb Zurkowsky, the Calgary Flames have "an interest" in Xhekaj.
Hearing that the Flames have their eye on Xhekaj is easy to understand. With the Flames rebuilding, they should be looking to add young talent with good upside. At 25 years old, Xhekaj would have the potential to fit in nicely on a team that is focused on the future, like the Flames.
If the Flames acquired Xhekaj, he would have a far better chance of receiving consistent playing time. This is because the left side of the Flames' defense is weaker than Montreal's. With this, Xhekaj could even be a potential option for Calgary's second pairing if brought in.
Yet, while Xhekaj is generating interest from the Flames, the Canadiens trading him would come with some real risk. Xhekaj is exactly the mean and bruising defenseman that contenders need to have when the games get tougher during the playoffs. As a result, the Canadiens may be better off holding on to him rather than trading him.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what happens between the Canadiens and Xhekaj leading up to the deadline.
Welcome to Tuesday Night Hockey, folks!
After a disappointing showing in Philadelphia, the Bruins will face another team from the Keystone State as they welcome the Penguins to TD Garden.
The Penguins are having a surprisingly good year and are fresh off of a thorough beating of the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
The Bruins have been great at home lately and will look to recover from Saturday’s (hopefully) blip.
The standings are getting tighter too, with Washington, Columbus, Philadelphia, and Ottawa all within four points of the Bruins for that second wild card spot.
Bruins! Penguins! On ice!
Discuss.
The Astros will host Team Venezuela for an exhibition this evening at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches ahead of this year’s World Baseball Classic.
RHP Cristian Javier is set to make his Spring debut while Team Venezuela will start SEA RHP Eduard Bazardo, who’s been scoreless through two appearances (1.1 IP) this Spring.
Isaac Paredes will make his spring debut at first base.
Tonight will mark the Spring debut for RHP Cristian Javier. In his return from Tommy John surgery in 2025, Javier made eight starts, going 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA (19ER/37IP), 34 strikeouts and a .230 opponent average. In his career, Javier has held opponents to a .203 (397×1956) batting average. Among AL pitchers to toss 525.0-plus innings between the 202025 seasons, Javier ranks first in the AL in that category. He’s also helped author several notable moments in his career, starting a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series, as well as a combined no-hitter in June of that season at Yankee Stadium.
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Sam Carlson, LHP Bryan King, RHP Michael Knorr, RHP Jayden Murray, RHP Ryan Weiss, LHP Tom Cosgrove and RHP Christian Roa.
ABOUT TEAM VENEZUELA: For the second straight World Baseball Classic, Team Venezuela will be managed by Astros bench coach Omar López. Team Venezuela advanced to the quarterfinals in the 2023 WBC prior to being eliminated by the United States in the quarterfinals. The Astros and Team Venezuela also met during Spring Training in 2023, with the Astros hanging on for a 9-8 win at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Notable players on Team Venezuela include: LHP Eduardo Rodríguez, LHP Ranger Suárez, C Salvador Pérez, C William Contreras, IF Luis Arráez, IF Eugenio Suárez, IF Willson Contreras, IF Gleyber Torres, OF Jackson Chourio and OF Ronald Acuña Jr.
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, March 3, 5:05 p.m. CST
Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+,
Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2
The Mets decisively won their exhibition match against Nicaragua 6-3, with 26 different players entering the game for the Mets over the nine innings.
The Mets play again tomorrow in another exhibition match, this time against Team Israel. David Peterson will be making his first start of the spring. The game is at 1:10 PM ET, but will once again go unbroadcast, leaving box score watching as the only option.
Puerto Rico has long been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the World Baseball Classic. This year, even though it's missing some of its biggest star power, it should still be a force.
The runner-up in 2017 after losing 8-0 to the United States in the final, Team Rubio went home early in 2023 in a dramatic 5-4 quarterfinal loss to Mexico. The lasting image from the last Classic, however, is closer Edwin Díaz being carried off the field after tearing his ACL while celebrating after striking out the side against the Dominican Republic to send Puerto Rico to the knockout rounds.
Díaz, who signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason, will be back on the mound for Puerto Rico this year. But the team is missing some notable faces, most notably former captain Francisco Lindor. Several members of Team Rubio's longtime core, including Lindor, will miss the Classic due to insurance constraints that have restricted several big-name players across multiple countries from competing this year. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny offered to pay the insurance for Carlos Correa, but the Houston Astros infielder ultimately declined.
That opened the door for Nolan Arenado, who played for Team USA in 2017 and '23, to switch teams. He played a major role in USA's run to the finals in the most recent WBC, batting .385 and going 10-for-26 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs. Arenado is of Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage on his mother's side.
With Puerto Rico set to play in its first exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox at 6:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, here's everything you need to know about Team Rubio, including the full roster, schedule and how to watch.
Here is the full World Baseball Classic pool play schedule for Puerto Rico:
6:00 p.m. ET: Puerto Rico at Colombia; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Fox Sports 1
6:00 p.m. ET: Panama at Puerto Rico; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Fox Sports 1
7:00 p.m. ET: Cuba at Puerto Rico; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Fox Sports 1
7:00 p.m. ET: Canada at Puerto Rico; Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR; Tubi
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Puerto Rico full World Baseball Classic roster, schedule, how to watch
D.J. Smith's first game as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings is in the books, and it was a 4-2 loss to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.
While the score didn't go Los Angeles' way - and neither did the shot clock or puck possession time - the Kings looked slightly different on the ice with Smith now calling the shots.
For starters, the Kings had three players make their NHL debuts in this contest. Defenseman Angus Booth, right winger Jared Wright and center Kenny Connors were fairly noticeable in what was their first taste of action in The Show.
Before Monday's game, that trio, who have spent all of this season in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. With that, they are also the first players to make their NHL debuts among Kings players who were drafted in 2022 or later.
Even though the Kings were undermanned with injuries, that statistic says a lot about D.J. Smith and the trust he has in the youngsters of the organization.
The Kings Young Talent Could Benefit From The Coaching ChangeThe Los Angeles Kings have parted ways with Head Coach Jim Hiller, which could pave the way for players like Brandt Clarke, and Quinton Byfield to finally flourish. With the injection of youth into the Kings' lineup, not only did the lineup look different on paper, but they played differently, too.
The defense-first mindset was still there, but there was far more pushback on the mighty Avalanche. There was a clear step up in the team's aggression, specifically on the forecheck, and there was some noticeable speed on the rush.
Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland Reveals NHL Trade Deadline PlanWith just a few days until the NHL's trade deadline, Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland has revealed what his plan is with his roster. "What we wanted to establish is a sense of work ethic, a sense of physicality, a sense of we’re not going to sit back, we’re going to come get you," coach Smith told reporters after the game. "I think we did all those things tonight. So, you need the points for sure, but at this point, you can’t fault the effort, and we’re going to need that every game.
"Now, it didn’t look good early. We made some mistakes, we gave up too many odd man rushes, but what you saw from that group is a real effort to forecheck, a real effort to get pucks back, to hunt, to hit people, and you’re going to see that the rest of the way," the interim bench boss added.
Smith wasn't afraid to make tweaks to the Kings' lineup throughout the game, either. Alex Laferriere started the game on the right wing with Alex Turcotte in the middle and Warren Foegele on the left wing. But later, Smith brought Laferriere back to the middle, and Corey Perry was bumped up to that line on the right flank.
Additionally, there was a relatively even distribution of ice time for the majority of the team's forward group. Anze Kopitar's line with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe on his flanks had a positive influence on the game, despite no even-strength scoring from them.
Furthermore, the Kings' bottom six earned some regular ice time in the second half of the contest and imposed their will physically, especially the fourth line of Samuel Helenius, Jeff Malott, and Taylor Ward.
Like Smith said after the game, it's too late for moral victories. However, there are some promising developments from a Smith-flavored performance.
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.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Spring training is all about two things: staying healthy and staying optimistic. There’s nothing that we can do from the outside about ensuring that the Yankees avoid the injured list, but we can allow ourselves to be hopeful with a clean slate for the new year of baseball.
Tracking prospects goes hand-in-hand with optimism—at least if the entire enterprise hasn’t jaded you too much—so our Reacts survey this week zeroes in on a trio of young Yankees starters who have caught eyes early in camp: hard-throwing Carlos Lagrange, ascendant 2025 arm Elmer Rodríguez, and 2024 first-round draft pick Ben Hess. Across their six combined starts, the trio has thrown 16.2 innings of 2.16 ERA ball, striking out a little over a batter per inning (17 total) and walking five. But which has wowed you the most?
As a secondary question, we’re just doing a quick pulse check on how you’re feeling about the Yankees deciding to retire No. 52 in honor of 2025 Hall of Famer CC Sabathia. Are you in favor?
Vote in the survey below and let us know.
The United States came up just short in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, losing the championship game against Japan with Shohei Ohtani famously striking out Mike Trout to secure his country's third title.
The Americans were hoping to repeat, having won the tournament for the first time in 2017. Team USA's 2023 squad was loaded on offense but short on starting pitching, which the 2026 roster hopes to correct with the inclusions of Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
The Americans went 3-1 in the group stage held at Chase Field in Phoenix, losing to Mexico. Team USA faced a tough path in the knockout stage, beating Venezuela in the quarterfinals and Cuba in the semifinals to set up the showdown with Japan.
Trea Turner led Team USA with a .391 average (9-for-23) with five home runs and 11 RBIs in six games.
Here's a look back at the 2023 team:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2023 WBC USA roster, results and stats from runner-up finish vs Japan
By now, we’re all begrudgingly used to Topps’ takeover of the NBA license. The flagship series wasn’t priced terribly, and Chrome made its triumphant return—at $50/blaster. What a country.
But for all the skepticism behind our new sports card overlords, there’s one major benefit fans can’t ignore: the Topps buyback program.
Whether you’re new to the hobby or a hardwood veteran, here’s the deal: Topps offers cold hard cash (in the form of store credit) for 2025-26 Topps Chrome cards of the player who wins the MVP. The payout rates are locked in:
Not bad, right? The only question left is: Who is actually winning the Michael Jordan Trophy?
The international big three—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama—are the obvious heavy hitters.
Think one of these three will win the Michael Jordan MVP Trophy this spring? Here’s the profit you stand to make if you head to eBay to buy up singles today:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:
Nikola Jokic:
Victor Wembanyama:
Enough about the favorites. We’re here to talk about the guard who could become the first American-born player to win the award since James Harden in 2018: Cade Cunningham.
Context is king. Two seasons ago, the Pistons won just 14 games. Before Cade was drafted in 2021, Detroit hadn’t cracked 40 wins since the Obama administration. Today? The Motor City sits atop the Eastern Conference at 45-14, easily qualifying for Phil Jackson’s famous “40-20 rule” (winning 40 games before losing 20), a hallmark of true title contenders.
Cade is the engine behind that turnaround, averaging 25.5 points, 9.8 assists (2nd in the NBA), and 5.8 rebounds. While he is currently sitting at +800 odds, he has one massive advantage over the field: The 65-Game Rule.
Introduced recently, players must appear in at least 65 games (playing 20+ minutes) to be eligible for MVP.
That doesn’t make Cade’s MVP chances a safe bet by any means, but it’s certainly a kicker fans—and collectors—should be aware of when making Topps Chrome buyback decisions. If Shai, Jokić or Wemby tweak an ankle down the stretch, the MVP race is blown wide open.
For those that love an underdog, the chance to scoop up Cade’s Chrome cards for less than if/when he keeps the MotorCade humming to his first-ever MVP win is certainly appealing. For example, right now Cade’s Topps Chrome cards are sitting at the following prices:
The regular season isn’t over yet, and it’s going to be a race to the finish in what is shaping up to be the most unpredictable playoff stretch in years. While the NBA’s stars duke it out on the court, it’s time for you to begin collecting the league’s next MVP.
Want more tips and tricks on how to scoop up NBA cards? Head over to Mantel to learn how to start buying rookies, strategically round up key cards, and create a collection your friends—and the Internet—will be jealous of.
