Category: Sport

MILAN — Only minutes away from going from clear favorites to win Olympic gold to crashing out before the medal round, the Canadian men’s hockey team desperately tried to steady its churning nerves

Outwardly, Canadian players tried to project an attitude of confidence and optimism on the bench after Czechia’s Ondrej Palat scored to put the Canadians down a goal with less than eight minutes left in Wednesday’s quarterfinal. And yet even one of the most star-laden collections of hockey players ever assembled is still susceptible to doubt creeping in.

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“You can’t entirely avoid it,” Canada defenseman Drew Doughty said. “You look down the bench, you see the players we have on our team and you know no one’s going to quit and we have a great chance of coming back. But as the clock keeps ticking, you’re also like, ‘Holy f***. This is not ideal.’”

The mood on the Canadian bench went from despair to delirium with 3:27 left in regulation when Nick Suzuki saved his team with a deflected goal. With Canada pressing for the tying goal, Suzuki got a stick on a Devon Toews wrist shot from the point and redirected it through the legs of Czech goaltender Lukáš Dostál.

The sight of the puck hitting the back of the net produced a roar from the pro-Canadian crowd that could be heard outside Santagiulia Arena. Arms shot into the air. Flags waved. Grown men danced at their seats and exchanged hugs.

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While Canada didn’t secure the win until Mitch Marner scored less than two minutes into overtime, Suzuki’s goal is the one that will live on in hockey lore long after these Olympics are over. As Canada coach Jon Cooper told reporters after the game, “Our country needed a goal. Nick Suzuki answered.”

“It was a great job by Devin putting it on my forehand side and letting me bring it back toward the net,” Suzuki said. “I wanted to do something to help the team, so it was obviously a big goal to tie it up and send it to overtime.”

While Suzuki is one of the elite two-way centers in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens playmaker hasn’t been able to showcase his array of skills so far during these Olympics. He has been forced to play on the wing as a result of Canada’s mind-blowing collection of talent at the center position.

With Brad Marchand set to rejoin the Canada lineup for Wednesday’s quarterfinals, there was even pregame talk of Suzuki being a potential healthy scratch. Hours later, all of Canada should be rejoicing that Cooper didn’t subscribe to that theory and kept his team captain on the ice.

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The heroics from Suzuki actually started even before he found some space in front of Dostál’s net. He dumped the puck into the attacking zone and then chose to chase it in the corner while the rest of his linemates headed to the bench for a line change.

Asked why he also didn’t go to the bench, Suzuki explained that he was just hoping to “give some time for fresh guys to come out there.” Suzuki did far more than that, outbattling Czechia’s Filip Hronek for the loose puck and keeping possession alive.

“That was an elite play winning that puck,” Marchand said. “It’s not just the tip. It’s the entire play.”

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What happened next will be replayed forever, especially if Canada manages to go on to win Olympic gold. Suzuki fed Seth Jarvis in the corner. Jarvis set up a wide open Toews just inside the blue line. And Toews wristed his shot in Suzuki’s direction just as the 26-year-old had moved into space in front of the net.

“I never stopped believing,” Doughty insisted.

Added Marchand, “I’ve seen him do that against my teams plenty of times. It’s great when he’s on your side.”

Yahoo Sports’ 26-and-under power rankings are a remix on the traditional farm system rankings that assess the strength of MLB organizations’ talent base among rookie-eligible and MiLB players. By evaluating all players in an organization entering their age-26 seasons or younger, this project aims to paint a more complete picture of each team’s young core. Our rankings value productive young major leaguers more heavily than prospects who have yet to prove it at the highest level, and most prospects included in teams’ evaluations have already reached the upper levels of the minors.

To compile these rankings, each MLB organization was given a score in four categories:

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• Young MLB hitters: scored 0-10; 26-and-under position players and rookie-eligible hitters projected to be on Opening Day rosters

• Young MLB pitchers: scored 0-10; 26-and-under pitchers and rookie-eligible pitchers projected to be on Opening Day rosters

• Prospect hitters: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible position players projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years

• Prospect pitchers: scored 0-5; prospect-eligible pitchers projected to reach MLB in the next 1-2 years

We’re counting down all 30 organizations’ 26-and-under talent bases from weakest to strongest, diving into five teams at a time. In addition to the scores for each team in each category, we’ll highlight the key players who fall into each bucket and contributed most to their organization’s place in the rankings. Below, we dig into Nos. 25-21.

Read more: 26-and-under rankings Nos. 30-26 | Nos. 20-16

25. Los Angeles Angels (total score: 12/30) | 2025 rank: 23

Young MLB hitters (5/10): SS Zach Neto, 1B Nolan Schanuel, C Logan O’Hoppe, INF Vaughn Grissom, OF Wade Meckler, INF Christian Moore, INF Oswald Peraza, INF Matthew Lugo, INF/OF Kyren Paris
Young MLB pitchers (3/10): LHP Reid Detmers, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP José Fermin, RHP Chase Silseth, RHP Ben Joyce, RHP Jack Kochanowicz, RHP Caden Dana
Prospect hitters (1/5): OF Nelson Rada, SS Denzer Guzman, INF David Mershon
Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Tyler Bremner, LHP Sam Aldegheri, RHP George Klassen, RHP Ryan Johnson, RHP Chris Cortez, RHP Chase Shores, RHP Walbert Urena

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With the Colorado Rockies clearing house over the winter, Anaheim is now squarely the most outdated and archaic organization in the sport. This undesirable status falls on the shoulders of owner Arte Moreno, whose complete misunderstanding of modern baseball has led to the decaying of his franchise from the inside out. Dramatic underfunding in research and development, scouting and player development have left the Angels relatively devoid of talent and with the bleakest future in MLB.

None of that, however, is Zach Neto’s fault. Like many Angels prospects, the 25-year-old shortstop raced to the bigs less than a year after being drafted. And though Neto struggled in his 2023 debut season, he has been downright fabulous the past two years. His 10.2 bWAR since Opening Day 2024 is 17th in baseball over that span and sixth among players eligible for these rankings (after Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Julio Rodriguez, Geraldo Perdomo and Brice Turang). There’s still ample room for improvement — Neto’s defense is lackluster, his strikeout rate is too high, his walk rate is too low — but this is a real cornerstone talent and one the Angels, given their track record, will surely fail to build around.

While Anaheim actually has a large group of young hitters, few of them project as impact types. Nolan Schanuel is a solid big leaguer but probably won’t develop enough power to become an All-Star. Logan O’Hoppe is coming off a brutally disappointing 2025 that saw declines in both his offensive and defensive outputs. If he can rebound to be a decent second-division starter, that would be a win. And while we loved Christian Moore’s physicality coming out of the draft, his swing has real issues that might preclude him from hitting for average in the bigs.

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Things aren’t much rosier on the pitching front. Grayson Rodriguez, whom Anaheim acquired straight-up for Taylor Ward, was a savvy addition this past winter. The former top prospect struggled through injuries in Baltimore and never got settled as a big-league starter. Can a clear runway with the Angels get him purring again? We’ll see. Reid Detmers has had quite a tumultuous tenure in Anaheim, but the lefty found some stability last season once relegated to the bullpen full-time. Can he continue that success as the Angels push him back into the rotation? We’ll see. The rest of these names look like either back-end depth pieces or relief options.

Thankfully, both Tyler Bremner and George Klassen appear primed to contribute in the near future. Bremner, the second pick in last year’s draft, boasts a plus-plus changeup that should allow him to move through the minors quickly. He’s a consensus top-100 prospect. Klassen is closer to the show (he finished 2024 in Triple-A) and has massive stuff (high-90s heat), but questions remain about his command and pitchability. At worst, he’ll be an impact reliever.

Offensively, the Angels don’t have much to write home about in the upper minors. Nelson Rada can really, really play center field, but he has the power of a geographically isolated Amish community. Shortstop Denzer Guzman can also pick it but hasn’t ever hit for impact. And because the Angels rush their top position-player picks to the majors so quickly (Neto, Schanuel, Moore), this system is devoid of the high-end talent you’d see in most.

As harsh as it sounds, it’s incredibly difficult to envision a path to contention for the Angels in the relatively near future. These are dire straits. — J.M.

24. Toronto Blue Jays (total score: 12/30) | 2025 rank: 25

Young MLB hitters (3/10): 3B/OF Addison Barger, OF Jonatan Clase
Young MLB pitchers (5/10): RHP Trey Yesavage, RHP Braydon Fisher, LHP Mason Fluharty, RHP Spencer Miles
Prospect hitters (2/5): OF Yohendrick Pinango, OF RJ Schreck, SS Josh Kasevich, OF Victor Arias, INF Charles McAdoo, 3B Sean Keys
Prospect pitchers (2/5): LHP Ricky Tiedemann, RHP Jake Bloss, RHP Gage Stanifer, LHP Johnny King, RHP Angel Bastardo

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Toronto’s place in our rankings barely changed since last year, but what an eventful year it was. Consider two of the main characters involved in Toronto’s remarkable run to an AL pennant and nearly a championship: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Trey Yesavage. Guerrero was one of several key position players, including Alejandro Kirk, Andres Gimenez and Davis Schneider, who played their age-26 seasons in 2025, which gave Toronto a strong young MLB hitting grade a year ago. On the mound, however, there were zero 26-and-under pitchers on the major-league roster to open last season, earning Toronto a nil in that category, which severely hampered its overall spot in the rankings.

Entering 2026, Toronto’s young hitting grade has dropped considerably with the graduations of Guerrero, Kirk, Gimenez and Schneider. But the unfathomable fast track traveled by Yesavage, plus the arrivals of reliable relievers Braydon Fisher and Mason Fisher, has transformed Toronto’s outlook on the mound. On a staff loaded with older veterans, the importance of a younger wave of pitchers headlined by Yesavage cannot be overstated. There’s more promising arm talent looming in the minors, though it’s concerning how many of them have dealt with major injuries recently (Jake Bloss, Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera). Gage Stanifer is the 2025 breakout arm to keep an eye on this summer, though he might not throw enough strikes to be a starter.

Addison Barger’s big step forward last season helps make up for the hitters who aged out of his category. His physical tools are stupendous and enable jaw-dropping highlights on both sides of the ball; if he can refine his game further, he could play his way into an even more significant role than we’re currently giving him credit for. There’s also considerable pressure on Barger to do so, as the next wave of position players at the upper levels of the minors almost all project as role players rather than stars. That limited collective ceiling on the farm and the lack of depth in the majors keep Toronto in the bottom-third of our rankings. — J.S.

23. Minnesota Twins (total score: 13/30) | 2025 rank: 20

Young MLB hitters (3/10): 2B Luke Keaschall, SS Brooks Lee, OF Alan Roden
Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Taj Bradley, RHP Mick Abel, RHP David Festa, RHP Zebby Matthews, RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP Travis Adams 
Prospect hitters (4/5): OF Walker Jenkins, OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, SS Kaelen Culpepper, OF Gabriel Gonzalez, OF Hendry Mendez, C Eduardo Tait
Prospect pitchers (3/5): LHP Connor Prielipp, LHP Kendry Rojas, RHP CJ Culpepper, RHP Marco Raya, RHP Andrew Morris, RHP John Klein, LHP Dasan Hill, RHP Charlee Soto

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Injuries limited him to 49 games as a rookie, but Luke Keaschall’s introduction to the majors was impressive: His .382 OBP ranked 11th among big-league bats with at least 200 plate appearances in 2025. If he can stay healthy, Minnesota should have its top-of-the-lineup tablesetter for the foreseeable future, though Keaschall’s ultimate ceiling will be determined by how much power he can access in games and how much he can improve as a defender. Conversely, Brooks Lee — the eighth pick in 2022 — has a lot to prove entering his third big-league season. The shocking trade of Carlos Correa last summer cleared the way for him to take over as the starting shortstop, but the 25-year-old switch-hitter is coming off a poor season with both the bat and the glove, which has left his outlook as a no-doubt lineup fixture in doubt.

Speaking of trades, last year’s epic deadline sell-off netted Minnesota several relevant players in these rankings, particularly on the mound. Taj Bradley (acquired from Tampa Bay for Griffin Jax) has already logged 346 more major-league innings than Mick Abel (acquired from Philadelphia for Jhoan Duran), but both right-handers turn 25 this year, and their ability to translate their premium stuff into reliable results will be paramount to Minnesota as it looks ahead to life without Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober in the rotation. There’s also substantial starting pitching depth beyond those two additions, giving the Twins a deep pool of candidates who could emerge as rotation candidates; the draft has yielded Minnesota several interesting arms who could break out further in 2026.

Unfortunately, a franchise familiar with navigating repeated injuries to its best players has encountered similar issues with Keaschall, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez. But when these guys have been on the field, evaluators have raved about their potential impact, with Jenkins lauded as one of the most advanced hitters in the minors and Rodriguez flashing a potent power-and-patience combination that could fit in center field. Kaelen Culpepper is an athletic shortstop with electrifying bat speed who has hit his way to the upper minors and could factor in on the left side of the infield if Lee and Royce Lewis fail to entrench themselves over the next 18 months. Add the other half of the Duran return in catcher Eduardo Tait, who should play in Double-A this season at age 19, and Minnesota boasts one of the stronger crops of prospect bats league-wide. — J.S.

22. Texas Rangers (total score: 14/30) | 2025 rank: 22

Young MLB hitters (6/10): OF Wyatt Langford, OF Evan Carter, OF Alejandro Osuna, 2B/OF Cody Freeman
Young MLB pitchers (3/10): RHP Jack Leiter, RHP Kumar Rocker, RHP Cole Winn, RHP Carter Baumler
Prospect hitters (2/5): SS Sebastian Walcott, SS Cameron Cauley, C Malcolm Moore
Prospect pitchers (3/5): RHP Jose Corniell, RHP Caden Scarborough, RHP David Davalillo, RHP Emiliano Teodo, RHP Winston Santos

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Evan Carter seized the spotlight first with his performance during Texas’ run to the 2023 World Series, but it has become clear since then that Wyatt Langford is the outfielder who will define this next era of Rangers baseball. The hulking slugger took another step forward as a sophomore, consistently crushing the ball with his powerful, right-handed swing while rating shockingly well as a defender in the outfield. He’s the total package and continues to trend toward stardom, though the Rangers might need to get back in the postseason for Langford to garner the proper amount of recognition. Carter, meanwhile, is still only 23 years old and looks like a capable center fielder who can hit right-handed pitching, but his durability issues and struggles against southpaws might restrict him from rediscovering the star power he initially wielded.

Texas’ score was impacted late in the process by the disappointing news that Sebastian Walcott needs elbow surgery, which could jeopardize the entirety of his 2026 season. Because Walcott is considered such an impactful talent — and because there’s limited depth of near-ready minor-league bats behind him in Texas’ system — this setback was enough to dock the Rangers from 3 to 2 in the prospect hitting category. While Walcott is still worth getting excited about long-term, the possibility of him arriving in 2026 is now drastically reduced, if not entirely eliminated. That lessens the value of his proximity to the majors and adds an element of uncertainty to his developmental timeline.

There is notably more depth in the minors on the mound. Caden Scarborough was one of the biggest breakout arms in 2025, pitching his way into a crowded group of right-handers who could see major-league time in 2026. How much Texas will rely on that depth will depend on the ever-fascinating duo of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, the long-linked teammates who delivered disparate rookie seasons in 2025. Leiter trended favorably, amassing a considerable workload and improving as the season went on; he’s a rotation lock at this stage. Rocker is still in the process of figuring things out, and it would not be surprising if his terrific slider ultimately plays best in a relief role, particularly if Texas gets impatient with his slow progress as a starter. — J.S.

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21. Tampa Bay Rays (total score: 14/30) | 2025 rank: 11

Young MLB hitters (6/10): 3B Junior Caminero, OF Chandler Simpson, INF Ben Williamson, OF Justyn-Henry Malloy
Young MLB pitchers (1/10): RHP Mason Englert, RHP Yoendrys Gomez, RHP Joe Boyle
Prospect hitters (3/5): SS Carson Williams, OF Jacob Melton, 1B Xavier Isaac, 1B Tre Morgan, C Dominic Keegan, 2B Jadher Areinamo
Prospect pitchers (4/5): RHP Brody Hopkins, RHP TJ Nichols, RHP Anderson Brito, RHP Santiago Suarez, RHP Ty Johnson, RHP Michael Forret

Few teams tumbled further in this year’s rankings than the Rays, despite Junior Caminero’s breakout 2025. Let’s start there because Caminero’s ascension from hyped prospect to franchise cornerstone is a big deal. Even though the 21-year-old benefited from playing at George Steinbrenner Park, his 45-homer campaign was far from a fluke. He boasts 100th-percentile bat speed and 92nd-percentile average exit velocity; few players on Earth have this type of offensive ceiling. If Caminero can improve at the hot corner and start producing more optimal launch angles, he’s a future MVP candidate whenever Aaron Judge’s reign comes to an end.

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Tampa’s total dearth of young impact MLB arms was one of the most startling realizations during this ranking process. For an organization with such a fabulous pitching development track record, the Rays haven’t matriculated a game-changing starter to the bigs in a while. Brody Hopkins, despite some reliever risk, projects as the next best candidate to fill that void. He’s a freak athlete with a devastating cutter who is still learning how to pitch; he was a primary outfielder until his draft season in 2023. Michael Forret, acquired as part of the Shane Baz haul, lacks elite raw stuff but has fantastic command. A velo jump from Forret would solidify him as a future mid-rotation piece.

The stagnation from a number of Tampa Bay’s hitting prospects was another reason for the team’s slide down our rankings. Carson Williams reached the big leagues but didn’t quell the massive swing-and-miss concerns that continue to dog his profile. He’s a potential Gold Glover at shortstop and has legit juice, but the 41.5% strikeout rate he ran over five weeks in the show is no aberration.

Xavier Isaac is a big first-base bopper type who snuck into the back of a few top-100 lists last year, but he had a subpar and injury-marred 2025. As with any bat-first corner type, the offensive bar is high for him. Dominic Keegan had a similarly truncated season, but his ability to catch, even at a below-average level, should carry him to a big-league role of some sort. Jacob Melton, acquired from Houston in the three-way deal that sent Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh, is also looking for a bounce-back after a difficult debut stretch in the bigs with the Astros. — J.M.

The coaching carousel had been spinning rapidly since the end of the 2025 NFL regular season. Now that the dust has settled, we have a good view of who will be orchestrating new offenses in the 2026 season. Yahoo analyst Matt Harmon goes over each significant head coaching and offensive coordinator hire, and whether or not he likes it, is fine with it or is skeptical for fantasy football.

Like it

Cardinals hire HC Mike LaFleur

Realistically, the Cardinals were always going to have trouble recruiting a massive name as their head coach. There is deep skepticism in the league about Arizona’s ownership and overall operation. That being said, considering the options, I really like them landing on Mike LaFleur.

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The former Rams offensive coordinator has held that position for the last three seasons and was the Jets’ play-caller from 2021 to 2022. LaFleur was good in that role where he weaponized timely motion, schemed receivers open and made use of creative concepts like pony personnel with Breece Hall and Michael Carter in the backfield together. He was fired as a scapegoat for Zach Wilson not working out, and so the team could pave the way for hiring an offensive coordinator of Aaron Rodgers’ choosing — ironically, that ended up being Nathaniel Hackett, who is now on LaFleur’s staff in Arizona. The decision to abandon a modern offense for the archaic structure Rodgers preferred didn’t age well and Jets star receiver Garrett Wilson had a quote regarding LaFleur that has stuck with me after watching his usage throughout his career.

That creative use and deployment of the pass-catchers is something that’s desperately been needed in Arizona the last few years. There will be some volume-based regression toward the Cardinals’ passing offense in 2025, given that they led the NFL with a 67% dropback rate in neutral situations. However, an offset in volume can be made up for by a boost in the dynamic use of talented pass-catchers like Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson. I really like what LaFleur will bring in that regard for fantasy purposes, at the very least. Of course, we need to see this group identify a quarterback solution, as Kyler Murray’s time on this roster has likely come to an end.

If they’re able to get someone, even just viable, behind center, I like what LaFleur brings to the table, married with the talent enough that I’ll be interested in investing in the Cardinals ecosystem when most will likely avoid it.

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Ravens hire HC Jesse Minter and OC Declan Doyle will call plays

The Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh after a long and successful run and immediately landed one of the hottest candidates from his cycle. Jesse Minter interviewed for every available option and ultimately chose to head to Baltimore to pair with a well-regarded organization. He’s filled out a strong staff too, with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle one of the most interesting names.

The 29-year-old Doyle was an offensive assistant under Sean Payton in New Orleans and followed him to Denver, where he became the tight ends coach in 2023 before being tapped by Ben Johnson to be the offensive coordinator in Chicago in 2025. That alone is an encouraging resume for Doyle, who will now get his chance to run the show as the play-caller in Baltimore.

The Bears offense from 2025 carried plenty of similar schematic DNA to what Baltimore was already doing. Chicago and Baltimore both were zone-heavy ground games, made use of heavy-personnel packages and were third and eighth, respectively, in use of motion at the snap on passing plays, per Fantasy Points Data. Chicago leaned a bit more on under-center play-action, which could increase the overall efficiency of the Ravens’ passing attack if implemented here. In total, as long as Doyle has the goods, this should be a seamless and perhaps beneficial transition for current stars like Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, while making life easier on a pass-catching corps that has mainstays like Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, but is also due for an influx of talent this offseason.

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Bills promote HC Joe Brady

We can certainly quibble with the process in which the Bills operated in the aftermath of the Sean McDermott firing and why they ultimately landed on Joe Brady as an internal promotion. However, from a pure offensive scheme perspective, I’m higher on Brady than most in the space. Many of the outside complaints about Brady’s offense — heavy use of mesh, tons of screens/short throws and a tendency to go run-heavy — are mostly forced into the unit because of personnel problems. It cannot be overstated just how limiting it is for the entire operation to have a wide receiver room filled with guys who can’t get open on their own.

Brady comes from the Sean Payton tree, as evidenced by his hiring of long-time Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael to serve in the same role on his staff. That brand of offense wants to run the ball well and produce layup throws for the quarterback, both things we’ve seen Brady do well in Buffalo. However, it’s also predicated on launching the ball down the field to a vertical X-receiver and a flanker who can win over the middle of the field. The Bills haven’t had a league-average starting option at either spot the last two seasons.

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If they solve this position in the offseason, Brady’s offense conceptually fits in right along with all of the smart trends across the NFL right now. Last season, Buffalo ranked fifth in play-action rate, 17th in rate of plays with heavy personnel on the field, first in motion rate on dropbacks and third in under-center rate. Just get some real receivers in the mix here on the outside and this unit can be a huge hit in 2026.

Raiders hire HC Klint Kubiak

Klint Kubiak parlayed his strong season as the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks into a gig as Tom Brady’s handpicked head coach for the Raiders. Kubiak did almost everything you want out of a modern offensive coordinator last season. Seattle made use of heavy personnel packages to increase the efficiency of the passing game, ran under center play action and were fifth in dropback motion rate. He’s also not a one-hit wonder, as he was doing most of this for a 2024 Saints team that had its moments offensively but fell apart due to injuries.

Much of what Kubiak brought to the table in Seattle fits in with what the Raiders have on the roster. Ashton Jeanty is a talented back who was held back by an offensive line that ranked 31st in yards before contact on running back runs last year. The Kubiak system elevates the floor of offensive line play, which is sorely needed after the Raiders’ front was one of the worst-coached units in the game in 2025. In the passing attack, Brock Bowers will be easily weaponized in multi-tight end sets this unit likes to run. Some of the pieces at receiver like Tre Tucker and Jack Bech could even fit into the system, although they still clearly need a more defined starter at X-receiver to bring the unit together.

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The fact that Kubiak will get to pick the lone quarterback most have pegged as a Round 1 option in Fernando Mendoza at first overall seals the deal. We’ll see if he works out as a head coach but he’s clearly the right man for fixing an offense that was an outright disaster in 2025.

Chargers hire OC Mike McDaniel

Just like everyone else, I’m excited about the idea of adding Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator to an already strong team under Jim Harbaugh and a talented offense. If you’re interested in chasing the hype, expect to pay a heavy ADP price. The pursuit may well be worth it.

In the passing game, McDaniel will bring a ton more motion to the table to create mismatches and layups for Justin Herbert. According to Fantasy Points Data, the Chargers ranked 19th in both the rate of rushing plays with motion and the rate of dropbacks with motion. The Dolphins ranked first and third, respectively. Ladd McConkey, a versatile inside/out threat with a ton of burst and separation skills, will be a natural fit for most of these concepts. McConkey and Herbert were excellent from a production standpoint last year when Joe Alt was healthy and before the offensive line completely fell apart. They were excellent rebound candidates even before this hire but McDaniel’s scheme only improves the outlook. How they sort out the rest of the complementary receivers like impending free agent Keenan Allen, the volatile Quentin Johnston and Year 2 guys like Tre Harris and Oronde Gadsden II, will be important to track. Depending on how crowded the room gets, a couple of these guys should be strong values.

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How McDaniel changes the run game in L.A. will be key to the outlook of second-year back Omarion Hampton. The Chargers were more of a gap-based run game under Greg Roman but there were some evaluators who thought Hampton would be a better fit as a more one-cut outside zone runner. McDaniel’s base run scheme is more zone-leaning but he mixed up the concepts for a Dolphins’ rushing attack that low-key was cooking down the stretch of 2025. The Dolphins led the NFL in yards per carry on gap runs last year and first in explosive rushing rate on running back runs. For all his creativity as a pass-game designer, McDaniel’s background comes as a run-game mastermind. He could do big things for a run game that was too often too stagnant despite Harbaugh’s core philosophies as a physical football team.

Falcons hire HC Kevin Stefanski and OC Tommy Rees will call plays

Admittedly, I was a little on the borderline with this pairing between the “I like it” and “it’s fine” designation. Kevin Stefanski is essentially running back a very similar staff to the one he had in Cleveland and I’m not sure that offense, while clearly held back by quarterback messes, was such a hotbed of football ideas that we needed to cleanly replicate it in Atlanta. However, Stefanski is still a quality offensive coach and his brand of football fits with the talent already on the Falcons’ roster.

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While he’s mixed it up over the years based on offensive line talent, Stefanski’s bread and butter has been in the zone rushing attack world. The Falcons have been the most zone-heavy run game in the NFL over the last two seasons. That is a natural fit with the offensive linemen already established in Atlanta and won’t change the picture much for Bijan Robinson. If anything, Stefanski and offensive line coach Bill Callahan adding some more gap-based principles for the rushing game would increase the chances for explosive runs with Robinson. That’s what he needs to make that next step to ultra elite levels in fantasy football.

In the passing game, the Falcons landed heavily on multiple tight end formations after being the most 11-personnel heavy team in the NFL in 2024. This was a smart shift by former OC Zac Robinson and one that, based on their history, Stefanski and Rees will likely keep in place in 2026. Kyle Pitts Sr. is an upcoming free agent and the franchise tag is a mere $16.3 million, so you’d imagine they’ll consider keeping him around to feature in those packages.

Drake London was perfectly used in a Rams-style system under Robinson as he was allowed to move around the formation and be featured in the slot on 30-40% of his snaps. His deployment in a more 12-personnel-heavy world is something I’m at least tracking this summer. However, I generally think there is a tier of receiver where they are too good for a coach to bungle their usage — outside of a small handful of play-callers who are in over their heads — and London is among that cohort.

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Commanders hire OC David Blough

The Commanders were one of, if not the first, teams to hire an offensive coordinator this cycle after moving on from Kliff Kingsbury, who didn’t get another OC gig. Despite many big-name options available, Washington was hasty in promoting former assistant quarterback coach David Blough. The 30-year-old is one of many fast risers in this coaching carousel, as he started games at QB for the Arizona Cardinals as recently as 2022 before finishing his playing days on the Lions’ practice squad in 2023.

This is by far my most speculative placement in the “I like it” section because, obviously, Blough’s ability as a coordinator and play-caller is a complete unknown. However, one of the reasons I can get behind his promotion is that I expect he will present a somewhat left-turn schematically from Kingsbury’s offense, despite being on his staff the last two seasons. Blough began his career in 2019 with the Detroit Lions and hung onto the roster through Ben Johnson’s rise up the ranks from offensive quality control coach, tight ends coach and ultimately to a passing game coordinator role in 2021, where, after Anthony Lynn was demoted, he helped Dan Campbell craft what would become the ferocious Lions offense we know today. Blough would return to Detroit in Johnson’s second-to-last season with the club as the offensive coordinator when he was no doubt already eyeing a move to the coaching ranks.

My suspicion was that Blough probably leans more into the tenants of Johnson’s offense — physical ground game with under-center concepts and shot plays via in-breaking routes off play-action — than Kingsbury’s more spread-out shotgun-based attack. In a press conference after Blough’s promotion, Dan Quinn essentially confirmed my hunch.

If there’s a world where Blough keeps some of the high-paced elements of Kingsbury’s offense but adds more of these wrinkles from Ben Johnson’s tree, that can make for a pretty dangerous attack in today’s league. Kingsbury’s brand of football has its appeal but the static alignment of receivers and straight-line routes always creates limitations. It’s purely theoretical but I like the idea of Blough blending in some of the under-center world to make the unit feel more dynamic and break past the stone wall this unit ran into, regardless of Jayden Daniels’ injuries in 2025.

It’s fine

Browns hire HC Todd Monken

The Browns landing on Todd Monken for their head coach opening was a surprise but it makes for a fascinating development. Monken has head coaching experience at Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015 and has most recently been the architect of a Ravens offense that ranked third in EPA per play and fourth in success rate since his arrival in 2023. While Lamar Jackson deserves a good chunk of that credit, there’s no doubt that Monken helped evolve the MVP quarterback’s game from the level he operated at under Greg Roman’s watch to start his career.

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Monken has also been somewhat of an identity chameleon in his last four jobs. With the Buccaneers and Browns (ironic, yes) as offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2019, he had a pretty heavy-spread and pass-first identity. When he made the move back down to the college level as Georgia’s offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2022, he leaned into their power run vision. With the Ravens, he featured a heavy outside zone rushing attack and multi-tight end passing game based on the strength of the roster but with tons of flare (eighth-highest rate of motion at the snap on dropbacks, per Fantasy Points Data).

That leaves us with few clues as to what he’ll bring to Cleveland, as not much about the Browns’ offensive roster is set in stone. Monken’s use of tight ends in Baltimore is likely good news for Harold Fannin Jr., who can be used in-line and detached from the formation. However, the team needs a full overhaul in both the wide receiver room and along the offensive line. Not to mention, we don’t know if they have a full-season starter at quarterback. I like Monken’s approach to offense overall and think this is an inspiring hire. I just don’t know what to expect on the field, at the moment.

Lions hire OC Drew Petzing

The Lions picking Drew Petzing for the offensive coordinator job got flamed on the internet but just as the section implies, I thought the hire was…just fine. To be clear, there are some justifiable critiques of his play-calling work and pre-snap alignment of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson with the Cardinals, and those are areas where the 38-year-old needs to improve. However, I’ve always been fond of how Petzing designs both his run and pass game, in particular.

The problem was that his pass-game design just never fit the arranged marriage the staff in Arizona found itself in with quarterback Kyler Murray. We saw with backups like Jacoby Brissett that, while the offense still wasn’t efficient because of personnel issues, the concepts came to life much more than they did with Murray. In short, both player and coach just needed to get away from each other. In Petzing’s fresh start, he’ll find himself both with a quarterback in Jared Goff who fits much better in his preferred under-center play-action world and under the watch of a head coach in Dan Campbell who already has an established vision for the Lions offense. That will ensure needed tweaks in Petzing’s offense, like a boost to the low-motion rates (28th in 2025, per Fantasy Points Data). Petzing’s route concepts that flow over the intermediate middle just fit much better with the Lions than what a vertical-heavy pass game designer in John Morton, brought to the table last year. This will get painted as some big negative for the Lions and some of their players but I don’t view it that way, at all.

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Dolphins promote OC Bobby Slowik

Bobby Slowik became a bit of a punching bag by the end of his watch as the Texans’ offensive coordinator in 2024 but I think he’s worth a second look at the position. Slowik couldn’t evolve the offense as the team had hoped from the “The Shanahan Greatest Hits” compilation they ran in 2023 to a more three-receiver spread unit in 2024. However, his work in 2023 was legitimately good and his pass-game concepts, in particular, stood out. My guess is the Dolphins’ new regime wants to keep most of the run game and heavy personnel identity the team employed under Mike McDaniel. It makes sense to promote Slowik, who was already in-house and worked well in that world with Houston in 2023. Keeping someone from the old staff is likely good news for existing holdovers like De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle and a young offensive line that outkicked expectations in 2025.

Seahawks hire OC Brian Fleury

There are two noteworthy takeaways from the hiring of Brian Fleury in Seattle. For starters, it’s interesting that Seattle, which had some internal candidates to replace Klint Kubiak, decided to go outside the building and pluck another Shanahan tree member. The second is that Fleury, who was most recently the tight ends coach in San Francisco since 2022 and held the title of run game coordinator last year, has an extremely varied background. He was a high school and collegiate quarterback but has held multiple coaching positions at the college and pro level on the defensive side of the ball. Before flipping to offense in 2020, he even began his coaching tenure with the 49ers as a defensive quality control coach in 2019, which came after a stint as the Dolphins’ director of football research from 2017 and 2018, a gig that was preceded by his time in Cleveland as a linebackers coach. Fleury has worn as many hats as anyone hired in this cycle.

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My first read is that grabbing Fleury is a clear indication from Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald that they won’t be changing their offensive identity much from what we saw in 2025 and if anything, they want to improve as an outside zone run team going forward. That should benefit whoever is starting for Seattle at running back, as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III prepares to test free agency.

Buccaneers hire OC Zac Robinson

I was surprised by the public reaction, which seemed overly negative toward Zac Robinson getting this job in Tampa Bay. Robinson wasn’t perfect but it should be acknowledged that he was consistently working with quarterbacks who had their own issues in fully unlocking the offense. The Falcons led the NFL in pistol dropbacks with 125 last year and were second-most with 139 in 2024. They used that to split the difference between the under-center concepts that have made the McVay-offshoot offenses so dangerous the last few seasons, and the shotgun world that both quarterbacks felt more comfortable in. Kirk Cousins struggled with the mobility needed to get under center after his Achilles injury, while Michael Penix Jr. has never operated in that area with much volume since his collegiate days. I’m open to Robinson’s offense looking much more cohesive with a quarterback in Baker Mayfield, who is coming off a down season, but is more comfortable with the base tenants off this offensive tree, considering he had his best season under Liam Coen in 2024.

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Robinson put together a strong zone-based run game with the Falcons and a dynamic passing attack that led the NFL in motion rate at the snap on dropbacks, per Fantasy Points Data. That second wrinkle is a big reason both Darnell Mooney and Drake London received heavy slot usage and thrived when healthy in 2024. Bringing some of that down to Tampa Bay can help elevate a crowded Bucs’ wide receiver room that too often felt static in its alignment last year.

Titans hire OC Brian Daboll

Brian Daboll has quarterback development skins on the wall he can point to during his recent stints with the Bills and Giants. However, you can also argue that the Bills got better offensively when they moved away from his heavy spread concepts after he departed and Daniel Jones played his best football in a much better-designed unit last year with the Colts. That’s generally my view on Daboll, at this stage. He can get your young quarterback on track and even put together a dynamic spread offense, but you’re going to run into roadblocks when it’s time for said passer to take another developmental step. For the 2026 Titans, all that matters is getting Cam Ward rolling after a rough statistical rookie season. So, he can likely accomplish that goal and some of what Daboll does as a spread architect even maps well to Ward’s college tape. Now the Titans need to fully rebuild the pass-catching corps to give Ward a fighting chance in Year 2.

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Broncos promote OC Davis Webb

The Broncos clearly felt the heat from what was a relatively hot cycle of interest from other teams in their 31-year-old former quarterback coach, Davis Webb. Denver fired long-time Sean Payton assistant Joe Lombardi to promote Webb to offensive coordinator and there are even some whispers that he may call plays for the team. That would be a big departure from Payton’s history but it shows how highly the team thinks of Webb, who was on an active NFL roster as recently as 2023. I doubt that the internal promotion of Webb, who is well-regarded, and even if he’s calling plays, will still mirror Payton’s vision, material changes the outlook for any Broncos players. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting development to track as Webb’s name will likely be floated in the next head coaching cycle once again.

I’m skeptical

Eagles hire OC Sean Mannion

Sean Mannion’s hire was the one I had the most trouble categorizing. I like the idea of getting ahead on the 33-year-old riser, who was on NFL rosters as a player as recently as 2023 and spent the last two years with the Packers as an offensive assistant and then quarterbacks coach.

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My skepticism stems mostly from how schematic a left turn this is for the Eagles’ offense. Green Bay has been a heavy under-center, play-action-based offense that attacks the middle of the field and uses a ton of motion. The Eagles were 28th in motion rate last season (per Fantasy Points Data) and didn’t go under center much to use play-action, with a quarterback in Jalen Hurts who hasn’t been a high-volume, middle-of-the-field passer. This is a big shift in the passing game and Mannion will be in charge of rebuilding a running game without legendary offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland, who left Philly after he got the offensive coordinator gig.

The ceiling on Mannion is, without a doubt, higher than anyone else in this section. However, we should be ready to admit this will require some evolution for the entire offense — the quarterback specifically — so it might take some time to see the statistical benefits a schematic shift like this, if it works at all.

Chiefs hire OC Eric Bieniemy

The Chiefs returning to Bieniemy as the offensive coordinator will probably turn out fine, especially since he won’t be the primary play-caller. I just would have loved to see Andy Reid and the Chiefs get out of their same old schematic family in an effort to evolve the offense. They need more than just a boost in accountability and personality that Bieniemy will bring to solve some of the systemic and personnel issues that I outlined in depth in a column this past November. As long as Patrick Mahomes gets healthy and they improve the skill-position talent, this unit will ultimately end up being good again in 2025. An schematic evolution still feels overdue to push this offense out of a self-inflicted rut and that’s unlikely coming with this coordinator hire.

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Giants hire HC John Harbaugh and OC Matt Nagy will call plays

The Chiefs essentially fired Matt Nagy. They can try to soften it and launder it through the media but they let him walk out the door without a thought to keeping him before he took a coordinator job in February, only after the Giants didn’t land Todd Monken. That’s a firing.

Hiring Nagy feels like a scramble move for the Giants, who didn’t have a Plan B to turn to after Monken took the Browns’ head coach gig. Nagy’s Chiefs offenses were based on static, spread, RPO and shotgun-based trends that the NFL has moved away from in recent years. He wouldn’t have been my first pick to shepherd Jaxson Dart’s development. Dart’s collegiate offense shared some similar DNA to what Nagy likely brings — so that’s at least a fit for Year 1 — but I’ll be shocked if we don’t run into a ceiling rather quickly with this pairing.

Steelers hire HC Mike McCarthy

I don’t think Mike McCarthy is some miserable hire by the Steelers, but I think we can agree it was uninspiring and likely doesn’t push them out of the stagnation that befell them during the late Tomlin years. I have two major hang-ups about McCarthy as the offensive architect in Pittsburgh. For starters, the idea that this move is meant to entice Aaron Rodgers back to Pittsburgh in 2026 should not be viewed positively. Rodgers was a bottom-tier starter last season and there is no real reason to revisit that path.

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More importantly, while McCarthy isn’t some offensive buffoon, it’s hard not to notice that the Packers, and even the 2025 Cowboys, immediately got better right after he left as a younger play-caller took over and installed a more dynamic offense with under-center concepts and more motion. McCarthy’s tried-and-true West Coast background has its place, but it also presents limitations and doesn’t fit the Steelers’ offense as currently constructed. I don’t think anyone in Pittsburgh gets any sort of boost with McCarthy calling plays.

Jets hire OC Frank Reich

Alright, if there’s one move I just outright do not understand at all, this is it. By no means was the Jets offense perfect in 2025 but I thought Tanner Engstrand constructed a unit that was well-designed in both phases, even if the sequencing and game-day management needed work. Even if you did decide it was time to pull the plug there, what is the logic in hiring Frank Reich? Last we saw Reich was back in 2023, running a stale offense for the Carolina Panthers before being fired midseason. The league has summarily moved on from his brand of offense and I’m not sure a short 4-8 stint as the 2025 interim head coach at Stanford really did much to help his innovation path. I’m not sure I can sell this as an upgrade, let alone a needle-mover, for any player or unit on the Jets roster.

Steve Lavin is out as the University of San Diego men’s basketball coach following an 11-17 start to the season, On3’s Pete Nakos reports.

The former UCLA and St. John’s head coach joined the Toreros for the 2022-23 season. Under his watch, USD produced one winning season in four, an 18-15 campaign in 2023-24. USD fell to 6-27 last season and was off to a 5-10 start in WCC play prior to Wednesday’s news of his dismissal.

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Lavin’s dismissal concludes by far the worst coaching stint of his career after he previously found relative success with two traditional basketball powers.

Lavin, 61, coached UCLA for seven seasons from 1996-2003. The Bruins made the NCAA tournament in each of his first six seasons. UCLA fired him after a 10-19 campaign in 2002-03, his first and only with a losing record with the Bruins. UCLA went 145-78 under Lavin, but never advanced beyond the Elite Eight.

Lavin returned to head coaching with St. John’s in 2010. St. John’s went 92-72 with Lavin as head coach and made the NCAA tournament twice in five seasons — his first and his last. St. John’s tournament appearance in 2011 under Lavin was its first in nine seasons as Lavin helped return the previously proud program to relevance.

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Per the school, Lavin and St. John’s mutually agreed to part ways following a first-round NCAA tournament exit in 2015. Program icon Chris Mullin took his place.

In between his coaching stints, Lavin has worked as a college basketball broadcast analyst.

LOS ANGELES — It’s time for the final event of the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing.

The Genesis Invitational kicks off Thursday from Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, marking the second straight signature event on Tour. The Tiger Woods-hosted tournament marks the final one before the Tour heads to Florida for a month and gears up for The Players Championship.

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Like it is every time he’s in the field, Scottie Scheffler will be the man to beat. The top-ranked golfer in the world has racked up three straight top-four finishes on Tour this season, starting with his blowout win at The American Express last month. He was briefly tied for the lead last last week at Pebble Beach, too, but couldn’t quite overcome a rough opening round. Scheffler is, naturally, a +300 favorite to win at BetMGM.

Rory McIlroy is back for a second straight start on Tour. He finished T14 last week, though was five shots back of winner Collin Morikawa. Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele are among the other big names in the field this week.

If Scheffler can put together a full week, he’s already proven that he’s nearly impossible to beat. Even if he slips up early, recent history shows he’ll likely find a way to be in contention come Sunday.

Here’s everything you need to know to keep up with the Genesis Invitational, and how much money is up for grabs this week.

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The 2026 Genesis Invitational Basics

Dates: Feb. 19 – 22
Course: Riviera Country Club | Los Angeles, California
2025 Winner: Ludvig Åberg
FedExCup Points: 700
Purse: $20 million

How To Watch the 2026 Genesis Invitational

All times ET

Thursday & Friday
4 p.m. — 8 p.m. | Golf Channel

Saturday
1 p.m. — 3 p.m. | Golf Channel
3 p.m. — 7 p.m. | CBS

Sunday
1 p.m. — 3 p.m. | Golf Channel
3 p.m. — 6:30 p.m. | CBS

2026 Genesis Invitational Payouts

1. $4 million
2. $2.4 million
3. $1.4 million
4. $1 million
5. $840,000
6. $760,000
7. $700,000
8. $646,000
9. $600,000
10. $556,000
11. $514,000
12. $472,000
13. $430,000
14. $389,000
15. $369,000
16. $349,000
17. $329,000
18. $309,000
19. $289,000
20. $269,000
21. $250,000
22. $233,000
23. $216,000
24. $200,000
25. $184,000
26. $168,000
27. $161,000
28. $154,000
29. $147,000
30. $140,000
31. $133,000
32. $126,000
33. $119,000
34. $114,000
35. $109,000
36. $104,000
37. $99,000
38. $94,000
39. $90,000
40. $86,000
41. $82,000
42. $78,000
43. $74,000
44. $70,000
45. $66,000
46. $62,000
47. $58,000
48. $56,000
49. $54,000
50. $52,000
51. $51,000
52. $50,000
53. $49,000
54. $48,000
55. $47,000
56. $46,000
57. $45,000
58. $44,000
59. $43,000
60. $42,000
61. $41,000
62. $40,000
63. $39,000
64. $38,000
65. $37,000
66. $36,000
67. $35,000
68. $34,000
69. $33,000
70. $32,000
71. $31,000
72. $30,000

Kevin Durant has found himself at the center of more “burner” account accusations, the latest of which swirled on social media while the Houston Rockets standout played in his 16th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

The 37-year-old is alleged to be behind direct messages from an anonymous account that criticized players and coaches he’s accompanied during a career that’s seen him win two titles and one league MVP award.

Durant added:

“My teammates know what it is. We’ve been locked in the whole season. … We had a great practice today, looking forward to this road trip.”

At the moment, there’s no evidence actually linking these critical comments to Durant. Still, social media ran rampant with the theory, circulating screenshots of an anonymous user who, among other things, blamed Rockets All-Star center Alperen Şengün for his defense, said that they couldn’t trust forward Jabari Smith Jr. to make a shot or get a stop and took a dig at former Phoenix Suns star teammate Devin Booker.

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Durant is quick to quip, confront and discuss with everyday social media users from his own verified X account, which has more than 19 million followers. He isn’t afraid to stir the pot online or engage with casual fans. Many love him for that kind of engagement, which he willingly offers and most NBA stars avoid.

Durant was asked at this year’s All-Star Weekend media availability on Saturday if he’d rather give up video games or Twitter, now known as X, for the rest of his life.

“I’m gonna go Twitter,” Durant said before continuing jokingly, “because they don’t deserve to hear this God-level-like talk I’m giving to them. They take it for granted.”

But Durant has used burner accounts before.

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In 2017, Durant posted in the third-person from his personal account, throwing shade on the Oklahoma City Thunder and then-head coach Billy Donovan while explaining his decision from the previous year to leave the franchise that drafted him for the Golden State Warriors, a Western Conference foe and the league’s crown jewel at the time.

Durant owned his mistake and apologized for it in the aftermath of the social media storm he caused.

In 2019, according to The Athletic, Durant said in an interview on ESPN’s “The Boardroom” that he used anonymous accounts as a way to speak out and dodge the notoriety that’s often impossible to hide from as an NBA player.

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Durant is playing in his 18th NBA season. He’s spent 19 total years in the league, representing five franchises.

Now with the Rockets, he’s still among the best in the sport. He’s shooting above 50% from the field and north of 40% from 3. His 25.8 points per game are tops on the team.

While fourth in the West, the 33-20 Rockets will need a strong push to grab the No. 2 seed like they did ahead of last year’s playoffs.

Durant is trying to tune out the noise, even if it’s once again loud and scrutinizing his social-media presence.

Texas Tech will be without star JT Toppin the rest of the way.

The Red Raiders announced on Wednesday that Toppin will miss the rest of the season with a torn right ACL. Toppin went down late in No. 13 Texas Tech’s 72-67 loss at Arizona State, and had to be helped off the floor.

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Toppin tried to drive to the rim in transition late in the second half of the contest at Desert Financial Arena on Tuesday when he appeared to lose his balance right as he was going up. That sent Toppin crashing down to the court hard, and he reached for his leg almost immediately under the rim, clearly in a lot of pain.

After remaining down on the court for quite some time, Toppin was helped off and back to the locker room. He did not return.

Toppin had 20 points and eight rebounds when he went down. The junior, who was named a preseason All-American back in October, has averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game this season.

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Texas Tech now sits at 19-7 on the season with Tuesday’s loss, which came just days after they knocked off then-No. 1 Arizona on the road.

The Red Raiders have been hanging with the top of the Big 12 pretty successfully this season, thanks in part to a big win over Houston late last month. They handed Duke its first loss of the season back in December, too, and currently sit in fifth in the conference standings entering the final stretch of the season.

But Toppin has undoubtedly been a major part of that success. While the rest of their schedule is relatively tame, save for a trip to Ames to take on No. 6 Iowa State next week, surviving the Big 12 tournament and making a run in the NCAA tournament without Toppin is going to be much more difficult.

Mitch Marner saved Canada’s men’s hockey team from an embarrassing exit at the 2026 Winter Olympics with an overtime goal during a 4-3 win against Czechia on Wednesday.

After a back-and-forth regulation that saw three lead changes and Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington denying Czechia forward Martin Nečas on a breakaway with 1:12 to play, Marner delivered the winner 82 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime, beating Lukáš Dostál with a backhand.

Canada now advances to Friday’s semifinal where it will face either Sweden — should it beat the U.S. on Wednesday — or the winner of Finland/Switzerland as the tournament re-seeds following the quarterfinals.

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The Czechs put a big scare into Canada and were on the verge of a massive upset. Ondřej Palát’s goal with 7:42 to play in the third period put the underdogs ahead 3-2, but minutes later Nick Suzuki saved Canada’s hopes with a deflected goal.

Canada loses Sidney Crosby to injury

Team Canada’s victory was not without one bit of worrying news. Sidney Crosby was ruled out of the game early in the third period after suffering a lower-body injury.

The 38-year-old, two-time Olympic gold medalist left in the second period after being hit along the boards by Nečas and Radko Gudas. It was a third big hit Crosby took in the period after Gudas and Palát connected on checks with the Team Canada captain.

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Crosby recovered and took a stride following the Gudas and Nečas hit, but he was seen shaking his right leg before exiting the ice. After being attended to on Canada’s bench, Crosby limped down the tunnel to the locker room. He did not return to the bench for the rest of the game.

Czechia was leading 2-1 at the time of Crosby’s injury.

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Crosby will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine the severity of his lower-body injury.

Czechia coach has complaints about officiating

Radim Rulík has opinions on the officiating during the loss to Canada, and they were not kind.

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“The referees really worry me,” Rulik said, via translation. “What they’re allowing against us is unacceptable. After every game, we send them two or three clips where they confirm that the opponent should have been penalized. I don’t understand it.”

On Nečas’ breakaway attempt late in the game, Rulík felt like the Czech forward was hooked by Canada defenseman Devon Toews in the neutral zone. No call was made.

Rulík went on to say he was also not a fan of how the officiating pool is a mix NHL and European referees. He added that he didn’t understand why more calls weren’t made against Canada.

“I just don’t get it,” Rulík said. “I feel like everyone is afraid to call anything against Canada. We were basically playing against six players. I don’t want to make excuses, and no one has to agree with me, but the video backs me up.”

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What Rulík failed to bring up was a controversial missed call against the Czechs on Palát’s go-ahead goal in the third period.

Canada head coach Jon Cooper was asked about the missed call. His response way to just smile and walk away.

The ex-girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has filed a civil suit against Rice alleging that he abused her for over a year.

Dacoda Jones said in her suit filed Monday in Dallas County, Texas, that Rice was physically abusive from approximately December 2023 through July of 2025. Included in the suit are three specific dates in that timeframe.

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(Warning: The paragraph below details accusations of physical abuse.)

“Defendant Rashee Rice and Plaintiff Dacoda Jones lived together. Following an escalation in violent behavior, in December, 2023, defendant Rashee Rice strangled plaintiff Decoda Jones at their shared home in Victory Park, Texas. Defendant Rashee Rice continued to repeatedly assault Dacoda Jones over the course of their relationship through July 2025,” the suit said. “Defendant Rice has grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, thrown, scratched, hit and head butted Ms. Jones, as well as hit her with inanimate objects. Additionally, he has engaged in other violent and abusive behaviors towards Ms. Jones, including throwing objects, destroying property, punching walls, and breaking furniture, as well as locking her out in the middle of the night. Many of these behaviors occurred while Ms. Jones was pregnant.”

The suit asks for damages over $1 million. Jones and Rice have two children together. Over Valentine’s Day weekend, Rice posted a picture of himself with an Instagram influencer to his own account with a heart covering up a gesture he was making with his right hand.

The legal action comes after Jones posted and deleted pictures on social media that showed bruises and markings on her body and alleged abuse over a lengthy period of time. Rice was not directly named in that post, but the Chiefs said in a statement that it was “aware of the allegations on social media and is in communication with the National Football League.”

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The Chiefs said the same thing Wednesday afternoon.

Rice’s attorney Sean Lindsey, however, released the following statement:

“On October 9th, 2025, well after the parties’ relationship had ended, Ms. Jones stated under penalty of perjury in a sworn Affidavit for Non-Prosecution that ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me. We will allow the legal process to run its course and have no further comment at this time.”

Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation in July for a multi-car crash on the North Dallas Tollway that led to multiple injuries in 2024. Rice pled guilty to two third-degree felonies but those charges can be dismissed if he completes the terms of his probation.

Rice settled a civil suit regarding the crash for $1 million, but an attorney for the plaintiff said in July that his client had not been paid yet.

The NFL suspended Rice for the first six games of 2025 because of the crash. He played in just four games in 2024 before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. In 2025, Rice played in eight games with 53 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns.

Sacramento Kings standout center Domantas Sabonis underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday to repair the torn meniscus in his left knee, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Sabonis, 29, tried to play through the injury, notably returning to the court before the trade deadline, but he missed the team’s final four games before the All-Star break.

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The three-time All-Star big man appeared to be on the trade block this season, and so did fellow veterans Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, but all three of them are still in Sacramento.

LaVine reportedly underwent season-ending surgery himself last week.

His procedure addressed a tendon injury in his right hand that caused the two-time All-Star guard to miss the Kings’ last three games prior to the break. Earlier this season — his second with Sacramento after he was traded midseason from the Chicago Bulls last year in the three-team deal that sent now-two-time All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs — LaVine missed nine games in a row because of a left ankle injury.

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Injuries have been a thorn in the Kings’ side throughout a forgettable season that’s seen the franchise toil in the basement of the league’s standings.

Sacramento’s 12 wins are the fewest in the NBA at the moment. The Kings limped into the break with 14 straight losses.

Their imbalanced and veteran-laden roster featured LaVine and Sabonis as two of its top-three scorers. LaVine had been leading the team with 19.2 points per game, and Sabonis was third with 15.8 points per game, although Sabonis was on the floor for just 19 games this season.

Sabonis, the 11th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft who made his first two All-Star teams with the Indiana Pacers, went down with a partially torn meniscus in his left knee in November. Even before that, though, he missed time early in the season with a hamstring strain that he picked up in the preseason and then a rib injury.

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At the time of his meniscus diagnosis, Sabonis was reportedly expected to be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. When late December rolled around, his recovery timeline was extended, as the Kings announced that Sabonis would miss 4-5 additional weeks.

When he was on the court this season, he struggled mightily from beyond the arc, making just five of his 27 3-point attempts. But he remained an effective rebounder, collecting a double-double in all but seven of his appearances.

Along with Fox, Sabonis helped Sacramento end its 16-season playoff drought during the 2022-23 campaign. Since, however, the Kings haven’t returned to the postseason. They’re nowhere close this time around, and Sabonis’ future with the organization is murky.

So is LaVine’s, even though he might opt into his $48.9 million player option for next season and Sabonis has two years and $94 million left on his contract.

It’s possible Kings general manager Scott Perry resumes trade talks this summer, after all.