Browsing: stars

TORONTO – Needing six outs to force a Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, Blue Jays manager John Schneider went to his best.

After Fridayâ€s bullpen meltdown in Seattle, there were no questions about matchups, handedness or saving a reliever for later. The eighth and ninth innings were Jeff Hoffmanâ€s, and the closer delivered the two most important innings he has thrown so far as a Blue Jay, closing out Torontoâ€s 6-2 win over the Mariners to force Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday night at Rogers Centre.

The heart of the Mariners†order was due up in the eighth, with switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh leading off, followed by switch-hitter Jorge Polanco and lefty Josh Naylor. That was the same situation the Blue Jays faced in Game 5, although they were leading by one at that point and not by four like they were on Sunday.

It did not work then with Brendon Little, but Hoffman got Raleigh and Polanco to strike out swinging, followed by a flyout from Naylor to end the eighth. Hoffman struck out the first two batters of the ninth, walked J.P. Crawford but got a popout from Dominic Canzone to send this series to Game 7.

“I think we took a shot right there to shut the door with Hoff, knowing how important this game is,†Kevin Gausman said. “Whether that affects tomorrow, we donâ€t know. Weâ€ll see how those guys feel coming in tomorrow. But weâ€ve got a lot of other guys who are ready to go and fresh. If we need to pick up an inning or so, itâ€s all hands on deck.â€

As inconsistent as Hoffman has been this year, Sunday night was why the Blue Jays signed him to a three-year, $33 million contract this past offseason. Schneider has consistently put his trust behind the right-hander despite a 4.37 regular-season ERA and seven blown saves, which was tied with 10 other relievers for fourth most in MLB.

But Hoffman has been the Blue Jays†guy at the back end of the bullpen. The 32-year-old threw 1 1/3 innings in Game 4 of the AL Division Series against the Yankees, but he hadnâ€t thrown two innings since April 30. But when Raleigh was due to lead off the eighth, Hoffman knew he would likely throw two innings Sunday.

“Now itâ€s just about recovering and getting ready for tomorrow,†Hoffman said.

Yes, tomorrow. The Blue Jays got there. Now they have to figure out how to get 27 outs and send this franchise to its first World Series since 1993.

And everybody will be available to pitch behind starter Shane Bieber, who gave the Blue Jays their first win of the ALCS in Game 3.

“Everyone’s available tomorrow,†Schneider said. “Biebs is obviously starting, so that takes him out of the equation in the bullpen, but every single person that is active on our roster will be available to play tomorrow.â€

Hoffman added: “If youâ€re not [ready], I donâ€t know if you have a pulse. This is why we do it. To have an opportunity like this – to do something special. Iâ€m pretty sure everybody will be fighting to get on the field tomorrow.â€

That will include the usual suspects out of the ‘pen. Louie Varland, who threw 22 pitches (11 strikes) over 1 1/3 innings, can be available for those middle bridge innings. Hoffman, who threw 35 pitches (23 strikes) on Sunday, said heâ€ll be ready to go for Game 7. The Blue Jays can turn to Seranthony Domínguez late in the game, too.

But that group will also include Max Scherzer and Gausman, who pitched Games 4 and 5, respectively. The Mariners have performed much better against the Blue Jays†relievers in this series than the starting pitchers:

Mariners vs. Blue Jays rotation: 132 PA, .198/.295/.371, .666 OPS, 6 HR
Mariners vs. Blue Jays bullpen: 89 PA, .247/.337/.519, .856 OPS, 6 HR

In a win-or-go-home game, teams are sure to have a few tricks up their sleeves. And the Blue Jays are going to need everyone to keep this season going. That includes a stable of arms ready to step up.

“They were awesome [Sunday],†third baseman Ernie Clement said. “We trust those guys in any situation. We know theyâ€re going to have to come up big tomorrow as well. Theyâ€ll do it.â€

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One fan is hoping to cash in on a part of Shohei Ohtani’s incredible performance during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

Ohtani launched three home runs in the 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, which propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series with the NLCS sweep. Video showed David Flores ended up with the third home run ball, and he said he plans on selling it.

“I have a 12-year-old son and his college is in his future,” Flores said, per Josh Peter of USA Today.

He also said, “It ricocheted to me and I just caught it like a baby and I squeezed it nice and tight, and it just happened that I stayed calm and I remained calm.”

Peter noted Carlo Mendoza said he found Ohtani’s second homer in bushes after it went over the right-center field pavilion roof, although there is no video to confirm as much. Steve Brener, who is in the Dodgers’ public relations department, “expressed skepticism about Mendoza’s claim,” per Peter.

Mendoza said he prefers to give the ball back to Ohtani.

The fate of the first home-run ball is unknown at this time.

Hitting three monster home runs in front of a raucous home crowd to lead the team to a second straight World Series would be an incredible performance on its own. But Ohtani also started the game on the mound as a pitcher.

All he did in that role was strike out 10 and allow two hits in six scoreless innings of work. It was another brilliant starting pitching performance for the Dodgers in the series after Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow impressed in the first three games.

Given what was at stake and the overall showing, it was arguably the most memorable game of Ohtani’s legendary career. It fully highlighted how unique of a player he is across all sports as he single-handedly took over the victory in multiple ways.

A souvenir from that performance could certainly be worth plenty of money, and Flores is hoping to receive the windfall.

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One fan is hoping to cash in on a part of Shohei Ohtani’s incredible performance during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

Ohtani launched three home runs in the 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, which propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series with the NLCS sweep. Video showed David Flores ended up with the third home run ball, and he said he plans on selling it.

“I have a 12-year-old son and his college is in his future,” Flores said, per Josh Peter of USA Today.

He also said, “It ricocheted to me and I just caught it like a baby and I squeezed it nice and tight, and it just happened that I stayed calm and I remained calm.”

Peter noted Carlo Mendoza said he found Ohtani’s second homer in bushes after it went over the right-center field pavilion roof, although there is no video to confirm as much. Steve Brener, who is in the Dodgers’ public relations department, “expressed skepticism about Mendoza’s claim,” per Peter.

Mendoza said he prefers to give the ball back to Ohtani.

The fate of the first home-run ball is unknown at this time.

Hitting three monster home runs in front of a raucous home crowd to lead the team to a second straight World Series would be an incredible performance on its own. But Ohtani also started the game on the mound as a pitcher.

All he did in that role was strike out 10 and allow two hits in six scoreless innings of work. It was another brilliant starting pitching performance for the Dodgers in the series after Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow impressed in the first three games.

Given what was at stake and the overall showing, it was arguably the most memorable game of Ohtani’s legendary career. It fully highlighted how unique of a player he is across all sports as he single-handedly took over the victory in multiple ways.

A souvenir from that performance could certainly be worth plenty of money, and Flores is hoping to receive the windfall.

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Two female WWE stars get matching tattoos with CM Punk.

Just days after WWE held Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia, the Stamford-based promotion then made a trip to Tokyo for a special two-day SuperShow Japan. Stars like AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and more were present for the show at the Ryogoku Kokugikan from October 17 to 18, joining them is CM Punk.

Aside from competing in both nights in Tokyo, Japan, The Best in the World also gets to spend time with his fellow superstars outside of the squared circle. On Instagram, Rhea Ripley shared a photo of herself, Raquel Rodriguez, and CM Punk getting a matching Japanese-inspired tattoo of a sumo wrestler.

CM Punk pic with Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez showing off their new leg tattoos â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/qXXmyihf6C

— Teffo (@Teffo_01) October 19, 2025

CM Punk Shares The Ring With Rhea Ripley And Raquel Rodriguez At WWE SuperShow Japan

Although The Voice of the Voiceless was getting along with Raquel Rodriguez outside the ring, that isn’t the case once the bell rings. Still, he maintained a positive relationship with The Eradicator.

CM Punk competed in both nights of WWE SuperShow Japan on October 17 and 18. On the first night of the show, he faced Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship. Although the former won, he wasn’t able to win the title because the finish was due to The Judgment Day’s interference. However, Punk was able to fend off Raquel and Roxanne Perez by having Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky as backup.

On the second night, The Best in the World teamed up with Shinsuke Nakamura, where they defeated The Vision’s Bron Breaakker and Bronson Reed. Following this main event, AJ Styles joined the winners inside the ring to address the Japanese fans ahead of his 2026 retirement. The rest of the locker room also came out to give The Phenomenal One a proper send-off.

In other news: CM Punk and other WWE stars meet with top NJPW stars.

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ST.
LOUIS – It
was pretty low-keyed around here for the St. Louis Blues after their
last home game on Wednesday.

They
were lambasted by the Chicago Blackhawks, 8-3, and dropped to 0-2-0
at Enterprise Center and outscored 13-3. Coach Jim Montgomery was
wanting to see “more of a competitive spirit by our team.”

Well
he got that and then some on Saturday night against a very good
Dallas Stars, and the Blues responded with arguably their most
complete effort of the season, winning 3-1 for their first home win
of the season.

Jordan
Kyrou scored his first goal of the season, Jimmy Snuggerud added his
third in three games, Pius Suter iced it with an empty-net goal, and
Jordan Binnington came within 2:18 of earning his first shutout of
the season, but the Blues’ netminder made 18 saves.

“Obviously
way better game overall,” Kyrou
said.
“I thought our habits were great. I thought our effort was great,
our compete was great. It’s great to get that first win at home.”

Lets
look at Saturday’s observations:

*
Best stick
game in years? – Well, according to Montgomery, it was, in fact the
best game using
their sticks to break up plays since
a special time around these parts.

“Our
sticks were probably the best I’ve seen them since probably the
year after the Blues won the Cup,” Montgomery
said.
“That was a really good year and that team had great sticks.
Something we’ve been preaching and the players are starting to do
it. Hopefully we can develop that consistently.”

The
Stars have plenty of weapons, and in particular, if you allow them to
gain a head of steam, especially from their defensemen moving pucks
in transition, you will get burned.

The
Blues as a group were killing plays, and when the Stars were gaining
the zone, the D-men were efficient in not allowing pucks to get to
the net, they intercepted seam passes, tied up sticks in front of
Binnington and used those break-ups to their advantage.

“We
were just moving our feet,” Kyrou
said.
“We were staying on top, not really diving down and not letting
them get too many odd-man rushes, just staying on top of them and
good sticks.

“They’re
a super dynamic offensive squad. We want to kind of limit them as
much as possible and try to take away any sort of speed that they can
get. Obviously with the forecheck it kind of helped.”

*
Forecheck was highly efficient – The Blues had a great advantage
with offensive zone time and a large part of it was due to their
forecheck. They got in on the body, and the forecheck and stick work
went hand in hand this game.

The
Stars were having to chase the puck for extended shifts in the
D-zone, and for an efficient team that’s good at turning pucks out,
they had their issues handling the Blues on this night.

It
helped fuel the two goals scored in the second period when the Blues
outshot the Stars 12-5.

“I
think it was a big factor, but more importantly, we tried to force
too many offensive plays because we had time to make plays,”
Montgomery
said.
‘Instead of just possessing it and then either finding someone open
in the slot five to seven seconds later, we wanted to find someone in
the first period right away. But in the second period, I think that
might have been our best period of the year so far.”

*
Needed a bounce back – Quite simply, the game Wednesday against the
Blackhawks was embarrassing for the Blues.

It
was a game of pond hockey at its best but for all the wrong reasons.
An effort and executed game like that against a top-notch Western
Conference team would not have looked pretty.

But
the players regrouped, realized it was put up or shut up and they
rose to the occasion.

“We
knew we needed to respond,” Binnington
said.
‘… We’re
still building something here. We got right back to work on Friday
and now we’re building each day and it was a big response by us.”

Added
defenseman Cam Fowler, who
had an exceptional defensive game with partner Colton Parayko, “That
was a lot better. Obviously we were disappointed with the effort that
we had in that last game and even the game before that on home ice.
We didn’t come out to play either of those games. Tonight was a lot
better overall team effort against a really good hockey team. A good
victory for our group moving forward.”

*
Kyrou’s goal example of effort paying off – What
amounted to be a tight-checking game where mistakes would need to be
limited and the first goal would provide to be a huge one, Kyrou took
matters into his own hands, and it was the start of the goal that put
the Blues ahead 1-0 at 2:27 of the second period that signified the
rewarding feeling of making a solid defensive play and turning it
into offense.

Kyrou,
who had his stick work on par in this game, was able to backtrack
into the neutral zone, check the puck back before working up the
right side into the zone, cut it back to Brayden Schenn, get it back,
ease past Matt Duchene before beating Jake Oettinger low glove:

Look at these moves by Jordan Kyrou. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/t6NmRh14Vb

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 19, 2025

“
Feels
good to get the first one finally,” Kyrou
said. “Great
play by ‘Schenner’ to get it to me there. I kind of just saw low
glove side so I just shot it there.

“Obviously
none of us had a great game the other day, including myself. I wanted
to try and have a bounce-back game.”

Montgomery
was certainly appreciative.

“
Kyrou
in particular, his first goal was just an incredible reload where he
back-checks and he has his stick on the ice and his God-given ability
took over,” Montgomery
said.

*
Tucker middle net drive on Snuggerud goal – Blues
coaches always encourage the defensemen to pinch offensively, and
when the Blues got a 3-on-2 breakout, Tyler Tucker knew exactly what
he needed to do: act like a forward.

As
the defenseman starting the transition, he left the puck off for
Pavel Buchnevich while taking his man with him to the net. Buchnevich
would get off a shot from the slot, get another attempt that allowed
Snuggerud, at the net where he should be, enough wherewithal to poke
the puck past Oettinger at 13:52 for a crucial goal and a 2-0 lead:

That’s 3 goals in the last 3 games for Jimmy Snuggerud. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/0ByR8vBemk

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 19, 2025

“It
was a really good example of it,” Montgomery
said.
“We want our defensemen to be active. I actually think that once we
get in sync and we get in rhythm, our D-corps can be one of the
highest-scoring D-corps in the league. I think we already have a fair
amount of goals from our D-corps, but I think it’s going to be more
and more. We’ve had a lot of good deflections off their shots.”

*
Binnington glove save on Johnston – The
Blues had control of the game, but a strong team like the Stars, you
knew a third-period push was coming.

If
Dallas gets an early goal to make it a one-shot game, it would have
been game on.

But
when Binnington gloved Wyatt Johnston’s effort in tight to keep it
a 2-0 game at 5:35, it just felt like at that moment it would be the
Blues’ night:

dontcha just gLOVE to see it? pic.twitter.com/wO6zpArpGK

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 19, 2025

“He’s
a nifty player and I know he can get it up quick,” Binnington said
of Johnston. “It just worked out well there. Unfortunately they got
one at the end there, but it’s hockey so it was a fun game, fun
atmosphere and fans were great too.”

*
Suter effort on ENG typified solid team game – The
Blues were buckled down after Mikko Rantanen in fact spoiled
Binnington’s shutout with 2:18 remaining. That meant that the
5-on-6 group would have to go to work again, and Montgomery had some
of his most trusted and reliable defenders on the ice at the time.

Suter
was one of them, and his effort along the wall to not only be able to
push a puck out of the zone, but fight through Miro Heiskanen before
diving and having enough to poke the puck down the ice for the
clincher was the icing on the cake of several strong efforts in this
game:

and he is not going to get there… pic.twitter.com/4VJ8Pxin9I

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 19, 2025

“The
more we’re getting to know him, the more we realize how smart he is
as a hockey player everywhere, and his defensive instincts are really
good,” Montgomery said of Suter. “I
really liked how well we checked,
and it was for 60 minutes. That was a really good team effort. They
feel really good about themselves. When you work and you play as five
(man units) … our goaltender had to make some great saves, but they
weren’t 15. They were less than five.”

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Bound For Glorywas a time of celebration for the entire TNA Wrestling roster. For McKenzie Mitchell, it was a time to reflect on the companyâ€s rollercoaster journey. Her start into the business came through a three-year stint with the company. Earlier this year she returned home back in the role of ring announcer. Certainly, things like introducing the Hardy Boyz and Team 3D in their “One Final Table†will be a career highlight.

“Standing in the ring at Bound For Glory in Boston with nearly 8,000 people. Sometimes you donâ€t take the moment to stop and truly look around and look at what is happening before your eyes. For me, it was a moment to soak everything in,†Mitchell said. “You talk about the ‘One Final Table†match with the Hardyz and Dudleys. That is the last time those two iconic tag teams will be in the ring together.

“I was lucky to be a smart part of that. I told Bubba this the other day that I wanted to really do them justice of their careers and everything theyâ€ve done putting their bodies on the line year after year. For me, I was very lucky. I was very honored to be a part of that. Again, in wrestling because it moves so quickly…For Bound For Glory, before I did the announcement for the Dudleys and the Hardyz, I just stopped and looked around and saw everyone on their feet for this moment. It was really an opportunity to pay respect to them. It was so cool I was just a small part.â€

Itâ€s a great time to be a pro wrestling fan in this landscape of collaboration. Among those partnerships has been an unheard of one between TNA and WWEâ€s NXT brand. The two sides have been sharing talent, meshing, and overall working together. So much so that Mitchell was able to go back to her old stomping grounds at the WWE Performance Center where she helped ring announce for the NXT x TNA ‘Showdown†special. An added bonus was getting to see her husband, voice of NXT Vic Joseph, at work.

“Obviously, I started my career at TNA for three or four years of my life. I remember back then, in my resume reel I was submitting to WWE to get hired by WWE, it was almost this feeling that Iâ€m this TNA girl,†Mitchell recalled. “I think back then…I applied on the website, WWECareers.com. I also made a new resume reel that was things that were outside of professional wrestling, that wasnâ€t just TNA wrestling. I didnâ€t know that for a fact, but it kind of felt like it was hurting my chances of being able to make the transition to WWE. I went out and filmed other things to show my versatility and what I could do as a broadcaster.

“Now you fast forward to this partnership, something we thought would never happen because they were separate brands. You were either TNA or WWE. Now to see this seamless blend of this partnership. I think itâ€s something the fans can appreciate. True TNA diehard fans are getting their feel. WWE fans are getting their feel. These are matches you would never have thought would happen. Jeâ€Von Evans and Leon Slater, what in the world? The talent these two have in the ring is really cool. Whatâ€s really awesome, to put it in a one-word way, but itâ€s awesome to see the growth that has been had and is still to come. Talking about working with my husband, itâ€s almost like this full-circle moment. Starting in TNA, going to WWE, and going back to TNA and still doing this handshake moment is really awesome for me.â€

Mitchell loves wearing many hats. Her skillset has taken her from ring announcing to broadcasting to interviewing. However, one part of the pro wrestling show we havenâ€t seen is an actual in-ring performer. Will that ever happen?

“I have never taken a bump,†Mitchell answered. “In all of my years in professional wrestling, Iâ€ve been in wrestling for 10 years, Iâ€ve never taken a bump. Now something you say in wrestling is never say never. I always have to say never say never. I would like to take one kind of bump, whether itâ€s in a match or just behind the scenes just so when I have kids one day I can say, ‘your mom did that one time and it hurt really, really bad.†I think I would want to because I would then be able to relate what these athletes do week in and week out, putting their body on the line.

“I have been approached several times about having the match. For me it’s a matter of, I think Iâ€m a better talker than I am wrestler or would-be wrestler. I did grow up an athlete. I was a cheerleader. I was a dancer. I played volleyball, so I was athletic growing up. If the right opportunity would present itself, maybe I would have my Michael Cole moment at WrestleMania. We all remember that moment. Never say never, but it would have to be the right opportunity for me.â€

Though she might be a little too busy these days to buckle down for training. After all Mitchell is a mogul in the making. Not only does she have her commitments to TNA, but she is a business owner and brand boss within the jewelry industry.  The entrepreneur owns a Headline by MM online store, as well as a formal store in Nashville. For Mitchell, the business venture follows in the footsteps of her family, which spans more than 75 years in the jewelry business. Her Drippin collection took off thanks to those who have worn custom pieces from Seth Rollins to Trick Williams. Jeff Hardy even sported a piece of Mitchellâ€s collection during Bound For Glory.She also has some of country musicâ€s biggest names like Sarah Evans and Lainey Wilson wearing her jewelry.

“I wanted it to be the perfect blend within my professional life and personal life kind of creating this moment coming together,†she said. “…It has snowballed, and Iâ€m so excited to see where we go with this and how we can build this dream.â€

One person who has yet to be a customer is her own husband. Joseph does support the wife, including the promotion of her upcoming book “Threads of Triumph Professional Wrestling’s Most Iconic Looks.â€However, McKenzie admits he owns zero Headline by MM products.

“I say this to my husband all the time. I know a thing or two about fashion, why do you not want to just listen to me,†she explained. “Put on a necklace, a lapel pin, there are so many things we can do. My husband is very set in his ways, and so weâ€re working on it. The other day we were at Disney with the Garganos, and Johnny was wearing a nice bracelet. I said, ‘See, Johnny is wearing a bracelet. Why canâ€t you wear a bracelet?†Shawn Michaels was wearing a nice watch the other day. I said, ‘See, Shawn is wearing a nice watch.â€

“This is how it goes. Maybe, maybe heâ€ll start wearing something. But to keep it simple, he owns zero pieces. It is one of those things too when you’re growing up and your mom says you should wear this. And you think, ‘mom thatâ€s a dumb idea.†Itâ€s similar. The fact he still doesn’t believe I know what I’m talking about. Maybe one day heâ€ll realize, ‘hey, maybe my wife does know what she is talking about.â€â€

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After two straight games chasing their opponents, trying and failing to mount comebacks, what the Vancouver Canucks desperately needed in their fourth game of 82 was a swing in momentum — a lucky bounce, a strong shift, anything that could inject and sustain life into this lineup.

On Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, however, it seemed to be getting late early.

An unfortunate own-goal tip from Elias Pettersson got the Stars on the board, a Mikko Rantanen power-play snipe doubled their lead and it looked like the Canucks were headed towards another too-little-too-late effort after barely surviving the first period.

Then, the momentum swing came, and it came in the form of a penalty kill.

The Canucks just had their best scoring chance after being thoroughly hemmed in their own zone when Conor Garland took a slashing penalty against Sam Steel in the early minutes of the middle frame. It could have been a nail in the coffin for Vancouver, could have made the hill to climb that much steeper. Instead, the penalty killers dug in and prevented the Stars from producing any dangerous chances.

Suddenly, it was an entirely different game.

Evander Kane sprung Filip Chytil just after Garland’s penalty came to an end, who tucked one in blocker-side on former Canuck goalie Casey DeSmith for his third of the season. Then, Brock Boeser tipped home a Quinn Hughes shot on the power play for his third marker this year just over two minutes later, followed quickly by Max Sasson’s first in his season debut. In the span of 3:26, the Canucks turned a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead — a lead they would not surrender en route to a gusty 5-3 win.

“The guys stuck with it. The start of the game didn’t go how we wanted,” Adam Foote told reporters in Dallas after the game. “But I give the guys a lot of credit. They hung in there at intermission and stayed with their game.”

In a market so accustomed to gloom, doom and endless disappointment, it’s easy to catastrophize after two straight losses. But it’s only Game 4, and this win returned the team to .500. More importantly, the Canucks put together their most dominant period of the season in the second and held strong in the final frame in the face of pressure, and a goal, from the Stars.

“We just fought our way back,” said Conor Garland, who scored the game-winner to close out the dominant second period. “That Sasson line kind of carried the pace for us, let us get our legs under us, and we had a really good game. Really good finish to it as well.”

That this performance came against a Western Conference juggernaut like the Stars should do loads to boost the Canucks’ confidence as they continue along their five-game road trip, with upcoming stops in Chicago, Washington, Pittsburgh and Nashville.

Is this the type of performance we should expect from the Canucks going forward? We’ll find out on Friday night, when they take on the Blackhawks.

“We’re 2-2 now,” said Garland. “We had no panic. It’s early. We’re trying to find our game. A lot of young guys in the lineup just getting used to the league. To hang in there tonight against one of the best teams in the Western Conference was a good statement by us.”

It took four games, but the Canucks power play finally got on the board.

The Canucks have suffered from a lack of production from their top players, and the same can be said about their power play, which went 0-for-7 prior to Thursday night.

While going 2-for-3 on the man-advantage against the Stars won’t magically fix the power-play woes, which date back to the latter half of last season, it’s encouraging to see them finally find success and string together high-danger chances on each chance.

“I thought they were moving the puck pretty good tonight,” Foote said.

The Canucks scored on their first opportunity, with Boeser, Hughes and Elias Pettersson combining to finally score for the snake-bitten unit.

They were stymied on their second chance, but looked dangerous throughout, forcing DeSmith to stay on his toes and make some tough saves, and on their third try, with the Stars’ goalie pulled to pull to five-on-five, Hughes sent one into the empty net for his first of the year.

The power play still sits at a dismal 20 per cent, but for the first time this season, there is a glimmer of hope that they can find this success consistently.

With just one assist through three games — albeit a record-breaking assist — the Canucks captain was off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the season.

Of course, ‘slow’ for the 2024 Norris Trophy winner is a relative term, and he still led the team in ice time prior to Thursday, smooth skating even if the points weren’t coming with it — very much the case for the entire top-end of the lineup.

Nobody who watches Hughes play regularly thought this mini-slump would at all extend to the point of concern, but it was still a relief to see the defenceman impact the scorecard in the way we’ve grown accustomed.

Hughes finished the night with a goal and an assist, bringing his point total up to three in four games this year, while launching a team-high four shots in over 25 minutes on ice.

If there were any questions surrounding Thatcher Demko’s ability to man the crease after an injury-plagued 2024-25, he has very quickly provided answers.

The 29-year-old has far and away been the Canucks’ MVP through his three games played this season, looking much like the Vezina Trophy runner-up of two years ago, and on Thursday night, he provided yet another first-star performance.

His .903 save percentage is a little misleading, as he kept the Canucks competitive even as the Stars were throwing everything at him. He had to be sharp early, too, with Dallas outshooting his squad 8-1 before the halfway point of the first period, including a Grade-A chance from Adam Erne less than three minutes into the game.

“I think he’s the best in the world. So big, so mobile, tracks every puck,” Garland said of his goaltender. “We feel very confident any time he’s in the net and we’re fortunate to have (Lankinen) tomorrow night, so we feel great about our goalies.”

“He’s unbelievable,” Sasson added. “The saves he makes just look… They’re really hard saves, and he makes them look routine. It’s just a testament to his professionalism.”

In his past two games combined, against the Stars and the Oilers on Sunday, he’s been tested 67 times and made 62 saves.

It’s early, but Demko is already in mid-season form.

Compliments to the Calder Cup line

Foote, on the Arshdeep Bains-Sasson-Linus Karlsson line: “I thought they had some jump. You saw it in pre-season and then you saw it tonight. That speed on the goal —(Sasson) almost had another chance — with that speed, defencemen will back off when he’s out there. He spread the D out, they weren’t playing up when that line was out there. They had to be cautious of that speed.”

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma of India (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) AB de Villiers has shared how special it is to still see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing for India. The former South African captain, who has been Kohliâ€s long-time IPL teammate and close friend, spoke at the Launch of Test Twenty, a proposed fourth format of the game. He compared watching Kohli now to seeing Tiger Woods during his comeback years. Despite the uncertainty around their international careers, de Villiers said he is simply happy to watch them in action.“Iâ€m one of those guys who take what I can get,†de Villiers said at the event. “If Tiger Woods comes back and makes a few shots, Iâ€m just happy heâ€s playing. Same with these two. They know what they still want to achieve; the 2027 World Cup is probably their main target. I just wish them all the success and a fantastic end to their careers, whenever that may finish.â€

Massive crowd for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma at Delhi airport as Team India leave for Australia

For former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, also speaking at the Launch of Test Twenty, seeing Kohli and Rohit on the field is reassuring. He understands that their time at the top cannot last forever, but he appreciates the value they bring both as players and mentors.“Having Rohit in the house, having Virat in the house, that is gold. They are not just players, they are mentors in the dugout,†Hayden said. “I hope it is not their last tour, but you cannot play forever. This is more than likely their last trip to Australia, but they will be focused on the 2027 World Cup and that is exactly where their attention should be. I was a little surprised that Rohit was relieved as captain after the Champions Trophy, but it makes sense. Shubman Gill is being groomed and it takes time to build a leader.â€Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to impress with their fitness, skill, and determination. Still, there is a quiet understanding among fans, peers, and pundits that their time at the top may be coming to an end. If this turns out to be their last Australian summer, both are likely to make it memorable, putting runs on the board and adding one more chapter to their remarkable careers.

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Australia may be unbeaten but did not start this tournament in the smoothest fashion, with individual performances digging their batting line-up out of trouble in their opening matches.

They slipped to 128-5 in their first game against New Zealand before Ash Gardner scored 115 from number six to drag them to a total their opponents couldn’t chase.

Rain saw their encounter with Sri Lanka washed out without a ball bowled, before Beth Mooney took the saviour role against Pakistan, smashing 109 to take Australia from 76-7 to 221-9.

When India scored 330 on Sunday, the seven-time world champions were up against it again – only for Healy to anchor a record chase, with three other batters recording scores over 40 as Australia slotted into their familiar position as a dominant force.

Their bowlers have looked strong throughout the competition and they overpowered Bangladesh’s batters in this match, with Alana King’s 2-18 the pick as four of the attack took a pair of wickets.

Healy then stepped up, scoring consecutive centuries for the second time in World Cups after achieving the feat against England and the West Indies in 2022.

The 35-year-old, who may be playing her final year of international cricket, has taken her side into yet another tournament semi-final, and will be keen to continue building momentum in their final group stage games.

Their next opponents? England on Wednesday.

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Bayley’s trust issues seemed to get the better of her regarding another WWE Superstar.

The 36-year-old currently portrays a character who switches between dual personalities. Sometimes she turns into the ‘Hugger’ and sometimes she swings back to being ‘The Role Model,’ who used to dominate the women’s division.

She is currently tagging with former Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria, and so far, their partnership hasn’t been the most coherent, with the Irish star often unsure of what to expect next. Their alliance was tested once again on the latest episode of RAW, and while there was some miscommunication, they managed to beat The Judgment Day’s Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez.

Later in the week on NXT, Tatum Paxley won the Women’s Battle Royal for the right to face Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship. After Paxley’s victory, the Lady of the Opera rushed to the ring to congratulate her former tag team partner.

A visibly confused Bayley posted her thoughts about her teammate’s recent reunion with her former partner by taking to X/Twitter. The Role Model’s paranoia seemingly kicked in again, and she sounded upset about not being able to link up with Valkyria again in the future.

Check out her tweet below:

MAYBE SHE REALLY MEANT THAT TAG MATCH ON MONDAY was A ONE TIME THING………………………………………….. https://t.co/K1bPs9m6Cx

— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) October 15, 2025

Lyra Valkyria and Tatum Paxley had once challenged for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship but were unsuccessful against The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane). A week after NXT Stand and Deliver 2024, the 28-year-old turned on Valkyria after revealing that she only teamed with the latter because of the NXT Women’s Championship.

WWE Superstar Bayley Will Share Her Wrestling Expertise In December

Bayley announced on X/Twitter that she will conduct a three-day women’s wrestling seminar on December 4, 5 and 6 in Orlando, Florida. However, the catch was that participants should have some experience competing in the ring, and there were only limited slots, which would be approved by The Role Model.

The seminar will be free, and the accommodation and transportation expenses of all the attendees will be shouldered by the first-ever WWE Women’s Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion.

You can check out the full announcement below:

🔔‼ï¸FREE 3 DAY WOMENS WRESTLING
SEMINAR ‼ï¸ðŸ””

December 4-6
Orlando, FL
Experienced women only
Limited spots available
Contact: [email protected] pic.twitter.com/OOrbHV6pE7

— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) October 6, 2025

Bayley ended the announcement by making it clear that only serious inquiries would be entertained, and she was looking forward to seeing her upcoming participants.

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