Ontario Sports News

The highly regarded Canadian women’s 3×3 basketball team is in excellent form ahead of its Olympic qualifier.

Canada beat the United States 20-18 on Wednesday in the final of its season-opening 3×3 Women’s Series Springfield tournament in Massachusetts.

Twin sisters Katherine and Michelle Plouffe, Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch went 5-0 at the tournament.

Canada is gearing up for its Olympic qualifying tournament, May 3-5 in Japan. The winner of the eight-team event gets a spot in the Paris Olympics.

Katherine Plouffe is the top-ranked player in the world, while Michelle is No. 3.

Canada won stops in the 3×3 Women’s Series last year.

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Addison Barger is finally getting his shot.

Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith confirmed Wednesday that the slugging utility player has been recalled to the Toronto Blue Jays roster.

Barger will make his MLB debut Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals, playing left field and batting eighth for Toronto.

The move was first reported by Johnny Giunta of the Gate 14 Podcast.

To make room for Barger on the roster, the Blue Jays placed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on the 10-day injured list with left hip flexor inflammation.

Kiermaier left Tuesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals in the sixth inning.

He was replaced in the lineup by Cavan Biggio and in centre by Daulton Varsho. Kiermaier was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt in the game before exiting.

Barger has slashed .314/.435/.586 through his first 19 games with triple-A Buffalo this season, spending time at third base and in right field. He has added 10 doubles and three home runs to the powerful Bisons offence.

The right-handed throwing, left-handed swinging Barger has played more third base this season, logging 87 innings in the infield, but has also put in a fair amount of time in right, playing 40 innings in the outfield.

The 24-year-old was the team’s sixth-round pick in 2018 and has steadily progressed through the minor leagues.

Toronto’s No. 6 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Barger was impressive in nine games with the Blue Jays in spring training, posting a 1.157 OPS in 18 at-bats.

The Blue Jays will continue their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night as Yariel Rodriguez takes the mound against Alec Marsh. You can catch all the action on Sportsnet One or Sportsnet+, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

More from Sportsnet

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s error proves costly for Blue Jays in one-run loss to Royals

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The CFL has suspended defensive lineman Shawn Lemon indefinitely Wednesday for participating in sports wagering activities involving league games, including one he played in.

A league investigation revealed that Lemon placed a wager on games in 2021 when he was playing with the Calgary Stampeders.

The league said no evidence indicated that games were impacted by his wagering. The CFL also says that there was no evidence to suggest Stampeders coaches, teammates, or team personnel were aware of his actions.

“The integrity of our game is of the utmost importance. Any other factors — career performance, actions in the community, timing, frequency or size of wagers — hold no weight when the legitimacy of the CFL can be called into question,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie wrote in a statement.

“It is our responsibility as a league to investigate and address such abnormalities, and it is our collective duty, along with our teams and players, to ensure that sports wagering in no way impacts the quality nor standing of the CFL. We will continue to work with our authorized gaming operators, partners and stakeholders to hold our game to the highest standard.”

Lemon announced his retirement from football back on April 10, less than five months after he helped the Montreal Alouettes defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.

The 35-year-old had initially signed a one-year deal with Montreal in December.

“The Alouettes were recently made aware of the CFL’s investigation regarding an issue involving Shawn Lemon that took place in 2021. Additional information was made available to the club upon the completion of the league’s investigation in recent days,” the team wrote in a statement. “The team fully supports the CFL’s rules on gambling. As a result of this investigation and the league’s ruling, we have suspended Shawn Lemon indefinitely. We will have no further comment.”

“The Calgary Stampeder Football Club is surprised and disappointed by the revelations of the Canadian Football League’s investigation into Shawn Lemon’s sports wagering activities,” the team wrote in a statement.

“The Stampeders unequivocally support the CFL’s policy on gambling and condemn the actions for which the player in question has been sanctioned. The Stampeders echo CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie’s comments about the upmost importance of preserving the integrity of the sport and the league. The Calgary Stampeders will have no further comment on the matter.”

Lemon registered 237 tackles and 101 sacks in 237 career regular-season games as a member of all nine CFL clubs. He also had three interceptions, forced 30 fumbles and returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

During his career, he also won three Grey Cup titles in 2014, 2017 and 2024.

Single-game betting became legal in Canada in 2021.

Lemon is the third Canadian-based athlete to be suspended or banned by a major sports league since the legalization. Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto was suspended for the first half of the 2023-24 season by the NHL for an undisclosed gambling infraction. Former Toronto Raptors centre Jontay Porter was banned by the NBA earlier this month after a league investigation found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limited his participation in one or more games for betting purposes and bet on NBA games.

— with files from CP.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell was scratched from Wednesday’s scheduled start against the New York Mets and placed on the 15-day injured list with a left adductor strain.

Giants manager Bob Melvin called it a moderate strain. There were no immediate details on a timetable for Snell’s return.

“(The injury occurred) the other day when he was throwing his bullpen,” Melvin said. “And then kind of shut himself down. Next day, came out and threw some more, tried to lean on it a little bit. … Obviously to lose him for, we don’t know how long yet, it’s not great.”

Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner with the San Diego Padres, went 0-3 with an 11.57 ERA in his first three starts after signing a $62 million, two-year contract with the Giants last month. The 31-year-old has allowed 15 earned runs and 18 hits in 11 2/3 innings, with 12 strikeouts and five walks.

Snell is one of seven pitchers in MLB history to win Cy Young Awards in both the National League and American League. He won the 2018 AL Cy Young Award with the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 194 starts between the Rays, Padres and Giants, Snell has gone 71-58 with a 3.30 ERA.

San Francisco recalled right-hander Landen Roupp from Triple-A Sacramento and announced right-handed reliever Ryan Walker would open Wednesday’s series finale against New York.

The Giants won the first two games of the series and are seeking their first home sweep of the Mets since June 6-8, 2014.

Left-hander Sean Manaea, who pitched for San Francisco last season, will start Wednesday’s game for New York.

Kia Nurse has watched with both wonder and a knowing eye as women’s basketball and women’s sports in general enjoy a cultural moment that has been decades in the making, a series of ripples that has coalesced into a flood.

The soon-to-be three-time Canadian Olympian and WNBA veteran about to kick off her seventh season has been both a builder and beneficiary of the growth in women’s basketball in Canada and beyond. She’s excited about how far things have come even in her own experience.

As an example, her sister Tamika Nurse, nine years her senior, chose not to pursue a professional career because the opportunities were relatively limited, while a short time later Nurse is part of a generation of female pros who can carve out a good living between on-court earnings and opportunities her profile has allowed her off the court as well.

There’s still a ways to go, but the pace is picking up. The viewership data for the recently completed women’s NCAA tournament — boosted by the impact of Iowa star Caitlin Clark — as well as the attendance records set multiple times during the PWHL’s inaugural season are proof-of-concept.

“I think, as a female athlete, [there] … is the understanding that change happens at whatever rate it wants to happen, but ultimately, it happens usually a lot slower than we would hope for,” Nurse said on a conference call on Tuesday. “[But] … I think we are on the cusp of kind of really pushing forward [and] getting rid of some of those narratives about women’s sports, or that no one watches women’s sports. I think it’s pretty blatantly obvious now … and the buzz is there for everybody, and our leagues are only continuing to grow, and women’s sports are only continuing to grow.”

A tangible example will come May 4 in Edmonton, where Nurse and her new team, the Los Angeles Sparks, will host the Seattle Storm at Rogers Place for an exhibition game. It is just the second WNBA game to played north of the border, a followup to the hugely successful WNBA debut in Canada at a sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto this time a year ago.

The hope is it’s a precursor to a WNBA franchise landing in Toronto or elsewhere.

“I have no inside scoop,” she said. “But if feels like a matter of time.”

To play a WNBA game on home soil isn’t a dream come true because it wasn’t on the horizon when she was getting into basketball at Transway Basketball Club in Hamilton.

It comes with the bonus of being able to watch her brother, Darnell Nurse, help lead the Edmonton Oilers in their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings. With Nurse set to start training camp in Los Angeles with the Sparks, it’s created a nearly unprecedented opportunity for a reunion for a typically far-flung family.

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Nurse and her parents will be able to watch the Oilers in Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles and will all be in attendance in Edmonton if the series happens to go seven games — the WNBA game was shifted from Sunday to Saturday to accommodate the possibility of a deciding game on May 5.

In any event, Nurse will have tickets set aside for her brother and the rest of her immediate family for the Sparks-Storm game.

“I think what I’m really excited about as we have actually kind of missed each other in the last couple of years because I’m always in camp [during the NHL playoffs],” Nurse said, “… so it’s weird now my parents are coming here [to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4] and I’m like, ‘I also live here,’ so I guess we can all get dinner together and then he’s gonna play his games and we’re gonna go watch them and, you know, then come back to Edmonton. So we’re going to get a full extra week if family time.”

But it’s all a welcome preamble to what promises to be the highlight of her summer, if not her year, as Nurse keeps an eye on the Paris Olympics, where the women’s national team will be making its fourth consecutive appearance, and Nurse’s third, dating back to Rio in 2016.

For Nurse, 28, just being there isn’t quite enough. Canada hasn’t advanced past the quarterfinals at the Olympics in its last four tries. While the buzz around women’s sports and the enthusiasm for women’s basketball is at a peak, Nurse wants to have her own moment to share with the national team, and Canada as a whole.

“For me, personally, it’s great, this will be my third Olympics,” she said. “But I don’t just want to go to an Olympics. I want to come home with some hardware, and I think that’s the mindset for a lot of us who are going back there for multiple times.”

She’s also itching to suit up for Canada while at full strength and in peak form.

An ankle injury kept Nurse out of the lineup during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February where Canada had to rely on a 22-point comeback by Spain to eliminate host Hungary. That allowed Canada — having missed its chance to punch its own ticket earlier with a loss to Japan — to earn an Olympic berth while watching Spain-Hungary game at the hotel.

Even going back to Canada’s impressive fourth-place showing at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Australia in 2022, Nurse was playing for the first time since suffering a torn ACL in the WNBA playoffs 11 months prior. It was an aggressive return-to-play timeline. Nurse struggled to find her best form last season with the Seattle Storm as she averaged a career-low 5.9 points a game while shooting just 34.3 per cent from the floor — the second-lowest mark of her career — for a rebuilding team that finished 11-29.

Nurse is hoping the 2024 season will be a turning point for the 2019 All-Star. While holding down her broadcasting duties at TSN, Nurse worked diligently with Matt Nichol, her strength and conditioning coach, dug in on an enhanced on-court program with her trainer, Justin Alliman, as well as adding pilates to her routine and a nutritionist to her team.

She declares her knee concerns behind her and feels poised for a big season.

“[Last season, I was] fighting between feeling like yourself and the self that you want to be right away and then you know what your body physically is able to do,” she said. “And so I’m excited for this new opportunity and this new, you know, team and organization. I think there’s more to the role here [with Los Angeles] than I had in Seattle. And so I think that’s something that’s also exciting for me, but physically I feel great. …

“Ultimately, I’m more hard on myself than anybody else could be possibly, so I’m giving myself a little bit of grace for last year but wanting to be a lot better [this year] than I was.”

She wants to return to attacking the point more and drawing fouls after being cast into more of a catch-and-shoot role with the Storm last season.

The national team should benefit. The WNBA season goes on hiatus for a month to accommodate the Olympic schedule. It makes for a hectic season, but it ensures Canada will be getting the best version of Nurse possible in Paris.

“The WNBA is different than international play, but at the same time it gives me an opportunity to get 20-some-odd games under my belt prior to heading into the Olympics,” she said. “And, for me, I think that’s the big piece, is it gets my mind in the right place … being able to get consistent reps at that against the best players in the world every single night for me is a huge piece of it. And I think that [being in mid-season form] is where I would want to go into the Olympics.”

It’s exactly what Canada is hoping for, and leaves Nurse and the national team best positioned to create a women’s sports moment of their own this summer in Paris.

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Toronto FC, pivoting after a deal for an overseas player fell through, added to its attack Wednesday by acquiring Haiti international winger Derrick Etienne Jr. from Atlanta United FC in exchange for up to US$375,000 in general allocation money.

Some US$175,000 of the allocation money in the deal is conditional on certain performance-based metrics.

Toronto general manager Jason Hernandez said the MLS club had been looking for a centre forward but reframed its search because of the recent goal-scoring prowess of German forward Prince Owusu, with four goals in his last five outings, and injuries elsewhere.

“The reality is we had a couple of conversations that were all happening at the same time,” said Hernandez.

That included coming close to acquiring a player from outside of MLS. But the player in question was still under contract, meaning the other club had a say in the matter.

“Unfortunately we ended at a place where we couldn’t secure someone that we were down the line with,” Hernandez said. “And we had a keen understanding that Atlanta was interested in doing a deal for (Etienne). They were interested in doing a deal whereby we feel we would get great value as far as our salary cap considerations.”

The Etienne deal was finalized Tuesday before the MLS primary transfer window closed at 11:59 p.m.

Etienne made US$676,250 last season, according to the MLS Players Association. But he will only count the senior minimum charge (US$89,716) against the Toronto salary cap with Atlanta covering half of his salary in 2026, according to a TFC spokesperson.

Etienne, an eight-year MLS veteran who was scheduled to arrive in Toronto later Wednesday, has 17 goals and 19 assists over 171 regular-season appearances, including 89 starts, with the New York Red Bulls, FC Cincinnati (on loan during the 2019 season), Columbus Crew and Atlanta.

He won the Supporters’ Shield with the Red Bulls in 2018 and the MLS Cup and Campeones Cup with Columbus in 2020 and 2021, respectively. 

But Etienne has appeared in just two league games for Atlanta this season, logging 25 minutes off the bench.

“This is a mutually beneficial trade that provides us flexibility to potentially strengthen the roster in the summer, while giving Derrick a fresh start in Toronto,” Carlos Bocanegra, Atlanta’s vice-president and technical director, said in a statement.

Hernandez says Etienne gives the Toronto options at wide forward, attacking midfielder and wingback with the team looking to manage the minutes of Italian star Lorenzo Insigne, who is currently sidelined by  a hamstring issue, and knowing that captain Jonathan Osorio will be away with Canada for a spell this summer.

“I think he can give us some real impact whether it’s starting or being an impactful substitute that comes on to change a game for us,” Hernandez said.

The hope is Etienne could be available for Saturday’s game in Orlando.

Hernandez said earlier in the week that the club was looking to move a player out. That could still happen.

“There is a world in which there maybe one or two folks that you guys have been seeing around our group that may not be around our group by this time next week.”

Born in Richmond, Va., the 27-year-old Etienne is the son of former Haiti international Derrick Etienne.

He joined the Red Bulls academy as an under-14 player and signed a homegrown player contract in December 2015, making his MLS debut against D.C. United in September 2016.

At the international level, Etienne has eight goals and seven assists in 41 appearances for Haiti since making his senior debut against French Guiana in a Caribbean Cup qualifier in November 2016. Etienne also previously represented Haiti at the youth level, featuring at the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Panama and 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jamaica.

Toronto (4-4-1) stands fifth in the Eastern Conference.

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The Florida Panthers were breathing a sigh of relief Wednesday because the news about forward Sam Bennett‘s injury was better than the team initially feared.

Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters that Bennett will be out for at least a week after leaving Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury.

Bennett exited the game during the second period after being struck in the left hand by a shot from teammate Brandon Montour.

As he headed down to the team’s locker room, Bennett could be seen throwing his glove down the tunnel.

The 27-year-old had opened the game’s scoring in the first period.

A native of Holland Landing, Ont., Bennett had 20 goals and 21 assists in 69 games over the regular season.

An NCAA conference title was riding on Brooke Rivers’s putter, but she kept her mind clear.

Rivers, from Brampton, Ont., sank a 12-foot putt on the 18th green to break a tie in her match and lift the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to the ACC conference final with a 3-1 win over North Carolina on Sunday. 

The championship match against the Clemson Tigers was called that night due to darkness. With Wake Forest ahead in three matches and the top seed in the tournament, the Demon Deacons won the title, a scenario that was set up by Rivers’s cool demeanour earlier in the day.

“I just thought of the putt at hand and no external factors,” said the 19-year-old Rivers. “So I tried to clear my mind of anything consequential and focus more on what I was doing in that moment.”

“The only thing running through my head was the putt that I had to hit and how I was going to actually hit that putt.”

Wake Forest won the eighth conference title in program history after the two rain delays, advancing the Demon Deacons to the regional finals as they look to defend their 2023 U.S. collegiate national title.

Rivers said that she likes how match play — the format used in the medal rounds of varsity golf — boils the sport down to its essence.

“You just control what you’re doing and what you can do instead of putting your focus and emphasis on another person,” said Rivers. “You just control what you’re able to control.”

Wake Forest women’s golf coach Kim Lewellen said that Rivers has shown in her freshman year that she knows how to rise to the occasion.

“Brooke is a competitor and when she’s out there, the tougher the situation, the better that she does,” said Lewellen. “She had to make a putt on the hole before that that was a left-to-right slider that was probably five, six feet, and she made that.

“When we really needed her to clinch that point she had that competitiveness come out and there was no doubt in her mind.”

Wake Forest will be one of six host sites for the 2024 NCAA Regionals in two weeks at Bermuda Run Country Club in North Carolina. In each regional, 12 teams and six individuals not on those teams will compete. 

The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the finals. 

NCAA — Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., tied for third on the individual leaderboard to help the University of Texas women’s golf team win Big 12 Championship with a commanding 12 stroke victory on Saturday at the Clubs at Houston Oaks. The Canadian freshman earned a Big 12 All-Tournament Team honours.

LPGA TOUR — Rookie Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is 62nd in the Race to CME Globe standings and is the top-ranked Canadian in the field at this week’s JM Eagle L.A. Championship. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., is 137th and will also tee it up at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles.

EPSON TOUR — Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., leads a group of four Canadians into the IOA Championship. Although she has yet to earn points on the second-tier Epson Tour this season, she is No. 773 on the Rolex women’s golf world rankings heading into play at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, Calif. She will be joined by amateur Leah John of Vancouver, Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., and Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong.

PGA TOUR — Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, who grew up together in Abbotsford, B.C., will team up at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in Avondale, La. They are the highest-ranked Canadians in the FedEx Cup standings at 21st and 33rd, respectively. Best friends Corey Conners (55th) of Listowel, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith (99th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., will also be a team. Ben Silverman (103rd) of Thornhill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (189th) of Merritt, B.C., will be in different pairings at TPC Louisiana.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Edmonton’s Wil Bateman leads the Canadian contingent into the Veritex Bank Championship. He’s 18th on the second-tier tour’s points list. He’ll be joined at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, by Myles Creighton (27th) of Digby, N.S., Etienne Papineau (35th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Jared du Toit (76th) of Kimberley, B.C., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (120th) of Mississauga, Ont.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is the lone Canadian in the field at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. He’s fourth in the Schwab Cup standings heading into the three-day event at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., which tees off on Friday.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., sits atop the Fortinet Cup points list after winning last week’s 69th ECP Brazil Open in a 54-hole, wire-to-wire victory. He’ll be back in action at the Diners Club Peru Open in Lima on Thursday. Anderson is one of 13 Canadians in the field.

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The New York Islanders are making a change in goal ahead of a pivotal Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Head coach Patrik Roy told reporters Wednesday that Ilya Sorokin will take over in goal for Semyon Varlamov.

The Islanders went with Varlamov for the first two games of the series with Sorokin struggling this season. The 28-year-old had a 25-19-12 record, 3.01 GAA and .908 save percentage in 56 regular-season appearances this season.

Varlamov, 35, helped the Islanders reach the post-season, posting an 8-1-1 record over his last 10 games, with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. This led to Roy deciding to ride the hot hand going into the series.

Carolina has outscored New York 8-4 in the series and holds a 2-0 series lead.

The Islanders will look to avoid going down 3-0 when they take on the Hurricanes in Game 3 Thursday. Watch the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

The Detroit Lions are locking up one of their top young players agreeing to a four-year, $120-million deal with receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

The deal is expected to include $77 million guaranteed and would make the 24-year-old the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

In his third season with Detroit, St. Brown was an All-Pro year receiver making 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns Detroit. The year before, St. Brown was selected to the Pro Bowler after he recorded 1,161 yards and six touchdowns.

The Lions selected St. Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of USC.

In his three years in the NFL, the Anaheim Hills, Calif., native has 315 catches, 3,588 yards and 21 total touchdowns.

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This weekend and next, flyweight competitors headline inside the octagon, bringing the 125-pound weight class into the spotlight as the UFC returns following its one-week hiatus after a historic night in Las Vegas at UFC 300. 

For the last several years, the flyweight division has been a favourite of diehard fans; an action-packed collection of talent that still receives a boost in support on the basis of the UFC thinking about shutting down the weight class more than five years ago. 

After a two-year stretch where the title changed hands between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno multiple times during the course of their four-fight series, a new era has dawned in the division, with Alexandre Pantoja seated on the throne, poised to defend his belt for the second time next weekend against Steve Erceg in the main event of UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro. 

Perhaps of greater interest is the fact that several of the established names that remained stationed at the top of the weight class for the last few years have either moved on or are currently question marks, with an emerging class of contenders starting to gather momentum and support as they work their way forward. 

With all that in mind, it’s time to take a look at some of the key matchups on tap over the next several weeks and examine the names to know in the 125-pound weight class as we head into the spring slate in the UFC. 

Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez (UFC Vegas 91 — April 27) 

Nicolau has been a Top 10 fixture since returning to the division after being a part of the talent cull when the organization was moving towards shuttering the weight class several years ago. He carried a four-fight winning streak into his clash with Brandon Royval last year in Kansas City, and returns this weekend looking to get things moving in the right direction again. 

Perez rocketed into contention after earning a place on the roster following a first-round stoppage win on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). He won six of his first seven appearances inside the octagon to land a championship opportunity, but he has faced hard times since. 

After losing to then-champion Figueiredo at UFC 255, injuries, medical issues and opponent withdrawals limited Perez to just one fight over the next three years, a first-round stoppage loss to the current champ as he was working his way into title contention. He went the distance in a losing effort opposite Muhammad Mokaev earlier this year, and Saturday’s pairing with Nicolau feels like a potential referendum on his future, with a strong showing likely buying him further opportunities, and a bad loss potentially signalling the need to take a step back in competition in order to regroup. 

Neither man has yet to show they can beat someone from the current crop of contenders and this fight will determine which one of these two divisional stalwarts will get another chance to clear that hurdle later this year. 

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg (UFC 301 — May 4) 

For a couple years, Pantoja was in a similar place as Nicolau is now — stationed as a top talent in the division, but unable to take that final step to establish himself as a legitimate title threat. A three-fight winning streak capped by his demolition of Perez at UFC 277 earned the Brazilian veteran his first championship opportunity last summer. He made the most of it, landing on the happy side of a debated split decision verdict in a clash with Moreno to claim UFC gold. 

Pantoja successfully defended the title for the first time back in December, grinding out a unanimous decision win over Royval to extend his overall winning streak to five and set up this opportunity to defend his title on home soil in the main event of UFC 301. 

Erceg is one of the most unheralded title challengers in recent memory and the next in a line of flyweight hopefuls hustled into championship opportunities despite a limited number of appearances inside the octagon, joining the likes of John Moraga, Ali Bagautinov, and Kyoji Horiguchi. But unlike that trio that stepped in to face Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson during the height of his dominant reign, Australia’s “Astro Boy” has quickly proven himself as a top contender and has a greater chance at unseating the champion next weekend. 

In less than a year on the roster, Erceg has posted a trio of victories, showing improvements and a clearer superiority each time out. After out-hustling David Dvorak on short notice last summer at UFC 289 in Vancouver, he out-pointed late replacement Alessandro Costa at UFC 295 in New York City, and then kicked off his 2024 campaign with a blistering second-round knockout of Top 10 staple Matt Schnell to literally punch his ticket to his forthcoming championship opportunity. 

Pantoja is a dominant positional grappler, but his decision to prioritize position and hunting for submissions over inflicting damage could come back to bite him at some point during this run, perhaps even as soon as next weekend against a crisp boxer and quality scrambler like Erceg. 

Tim Elliott vs. Tatsuro Taira (UFC Vegas 92 — May 18) 

This one gets special mention as Elliott is the preeminent veteran litmus test in the division and Taira is one of its top rising stars, and how things shake out will tell us a great deal about where each man stands in the careers. 

Elliott carried a three-fight losing streak into the summer of 2020, but since then, the former TUF winner and title challenger has posted a 5-2 mark, most recently submitting Sumudaerji in a bantamweight contest at the end of last year. The Missouri native has a funky style that makes him a tough out for anyone, but he’s also historically lost to the best competition he’s faced, which makes him a perfect measuring stick to station opposite an ascending talent like Taira next month. 

Unbeaten in five UFC starts and a perfect 15-0 overall, Taira showed improved hands in his second-round stoppage win over Carlos Hernandez on that same December fight card where Elliott put Sumudaerji to sleep. The surging Japanese prospect is still just 24 years old, but has reached a point where this type of test is in order. 

If he passes, Taira will establishing himself as a contender-in-waiting, and if he falters, there is still plenty of time to go back into the gym, continue working and build to the point of re-taking this test in another 12 months time. 

Other Important Names to Know 

What’s interesting about the flyweight division right now is that there are several key talents that are currently question marks, either because they’re on sabbatical, injured, or struggle to make it to the cage routinely. 

Former champ Brandon Moreno announced recently that he was going to take some time away in order to be with his family and regroup after a seven-fight run of five-round matchups, including six title bouts. He’s only 30 years old and has been a pillar of the division since returning to the promotion in 2019, and should return to that position whenever he opts to return to action. 

Brandon Royval bounced back from his title loss to Pantoja with a split decision win over Moreno earlier this year in Mexico City. He called for a rematch with the champion, which was thankfully not granted, but remains one of the top contenders in the division. 

Amir Albazi was targeted to face Moreno on that Mexico City card earlier this year, but was forced out of the contest after undergoing neck surgery. “The Prince” is 5-0 in the UFC and 17-1 overall, which makes him a legitimate threat in the division, though his time away could set him back a step or two in the pecking order. 

This weekend’s main event was supposed to be a rematch between Nicolau and Manel Kape. But after their initial clash this year was scuttled when Kape came in significantly over the 125-pound divisional limit, Kape was forced to withdraw due to unknown reasons, resulting in his being replaced by Perez. 

There is no denying Kape’s talent, but his focus, dedication, and professionalism can certainly be questioned, and continue to feel like factors that will limit the gifted former RIZIN standout until he genuinely addresses them. 

Muhammad Mokaev has climbed to No. 7 in the divisional rankings on the strength of six wins in as many starts inside the Octagon. The 23-year-old has been positioned as a future champion since arriving on the big stage, and a victory over an established contender this summer — how about Royval, maybe in July, in Manchester — could thrust him into the title conversation. 

Kai Kara-France is another perennial contender currently on the sidelines, having yet to return after being forced out of a clash with Kape last September after suffering a concussion. Many feel like the New Zealander did enough to merit the nod in his close battle with Albazi last summer, but as it stands “Don’t Blink” is sitting on consecutive losses, and will likely find himself facing someone outside of the Top 5 whenever he makes his return to action. 

And finally, keep an eye on both Joshua Van and Felipe dos Santos, a pair of young, talented fighters that appear to have bright futures in the division. The former is already 3-0 in the UFC and 9-1 overall after making his pr debut in October 2021, while the latter gave Kape all his could handle while replacing Kara-France at UFC 291 in Sydney last fall before getting a favourable decision in his sophomore outing earlier this year. 

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It’s halfway through the Olympic cycle in curling as teams continue to make lineup adjustments (or full-scale changes) on the road to Milan-Cortina for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Here’s a rundown of all the top changes you need to know.

Last updated: April 24, 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT

TEAM CAREY

Lineup: Chelsea Carey, Karlee Burgess, Emily Zacharias, Lauren Lenentine

Details: Carey will handle skip duties alongside Jennifer Jones’s former teammates after the iconic skip announced her retirement. Carey has won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts twice, in 2016 and 2019, and filled in for Jones during a handful of tour events this season.

Read More.

TEAM HOWARD

Lineup: Scott Howard, Mat Camm, Jason Camm, Tim March

Details: Following Glenn Howard’s retirement, Scott has taken the reins full-time. The Camm brothers, previously with Team Epping, have come on board as second David Mathers has also stepped back from competitive curling. Scott has skipped the team in the past, notably at the Ontario Tankard and Montana’s Brier this season. Glenn will stay on as the team’s coach.

Read More.

TEAM ST-GEORGES

Lineup: Laurie St-Georges, Jamie Sinclair, Emily Riley, Lisa Weagle

Details: Weagle returns to four-player curling joining the two-time reigning Quebec women’s champions after focusing on mixed doubles over the past two seasons. She previously played with skip Rachel Homan, winning the world championship in 2017, and has represented Canada twice at the Winter Olympics: once with Homan in 2018 and again with Jennifer Jones in 2022. Weagle takes over at lead for Kelly Middaugh, who the team parted ways with in March.

Read More.

TEAM JACOBS

Lineup: Brad Jacobs, Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, Ben Hebert

Details: Jacobs joins Brendan Bottcher’s former teammates to form a powerhouse Alberta rink. All four have earned medals at the Winter Olympics, with Jacobs skipping Canada to gold in 2014, and combined have numerous world and Brier championships. They’ll retain a pre-qualifier berth to next season’s Brier based on points.

Read More.

TEAM SLUCHINSKI

Lineup: Aaron Sluchinski, Jeremy Harty, Kyle Doering, Dylan Webster

Details: The reigning Alberta men’s championship needed a new second after Kerr Drummond stepped back while Doering was looking for a new team with Team Sturmay breaking up. Doering, from Winnipeg, recently served as the alternate for Brad Gushue’s Team Canada at the world men’s curling championship and earned a silver medal.

Read More.

TEAM CARRUTHERS

Details: The reigning Manitoba men’s champions announced skip Brad Jacobs has left the team. With Jacobs joining Brendan Bottcher’s former teammates, Reid Carruthers, Derek Samagalski and Connor Njegovan are now exploring their options.

Read More.

TEAM BOTTCHER

Details: Brendan Bottcher’s teammates — Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert — announced they’ve parted ways with their skip and were moving in a different direction. The Alberta-based trio named Brad Jacobs as their new skip, with Bottcher yet to announce his new plans.

Read More.

TEAM EPPING

Lineup: John Epping, Jacob Horgan, Tanner Horgan, Ian McMillan

Details: Epping, who has won three Grand Slam titles as a skip, disbanded his Toronto-based team and linked up with the Horgan brothers and McMillan, who played out of Northern Ontario last season.

TEAM CAMERON

Details: The Winnipeg-based rink announced third Meghan Walter was stepping back from curling to focus on her studies as skip Kate Cameron, second Taylor McDonald and lead Mackenzie Elias search for a new teammate. Team Cameron earned bronze at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts this season.

TEAM CAMPBELL

Lineup: Jolene Campbell, Abby Ackland, Rachel Erickson, Dayna Demmans

Details: Shifting from Manitoba to Saskatchewan, Team Campbell will now have Dayna Demmans at lead, taking over for Sara Oliver. Campbell and Demmans previously played together with skips Robyn Silvernagle and Kristen Streifel.

TEAM THEVENOT

Lineup: Ashley Thevenot, Brittany Tran, Taylor Stremick, Kaylin Skinner

Details: The new Team Thevenot announced on Facebook the addition of Tran at third. Tran previously played with Team Skrlik and has competed in three Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Thevenot has moved up to skip the reigning Saskatchewan women’s championship as Skylar Ackerman is taking a break from competitive curling to continue her studies in healthcare.

TEAM BROWN

Lineup: Corryn Brown, Erin Pincott, Sarah Koltun, Samantha Fisher

Details: Koltun, who has competed in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts nine times, joins at second following the departure of Jennifer Armstrong. The B.C.-based Brown skipped a wild-card entry in the Scotties this season after finishing runner-up to Team Grandy in provincial playdowns.

TEAM SKRLIK

Lineup: Kayla Skrlik, Margot Flemming, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Ashton Skrlik

Details: With third Brittany Tran moving on, the Calgary-based club added Flemming, formerly with Kerry Galusha’s team in the Northwest Territories. Skrlik represented Alberta at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2023 and finished runner-up to Selena Sturmay in provincial playdowns this season.

TEAM ASSELIN

Lineup: Felix Asselin, Jean-Michel Menard, Martin Crete, Jean-Francois Trepanier

Details: Former skip Menard makes his return to men’s curling joining Team Asselin at third. The 48-year-old Menard has compete in the Brier 11 times and won the Canadian title in 2006 along with a silver medal at the world championship. Crete moves down to second as the team parted ways with Felix’s brother Emile Asselin.

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The Carolina Hurricanes might be without defenceman Brett Pesce for the remainder of their first-round series against the New York Islanders, according to Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News and Observer.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t sound optimistic about the status of Pesce after the defenceman exited the team’s Game 2 playoff win in the second period due to a lower-body injury.

Pesce appeared to be curling back on the ice when he came up hobbled in a non-contact situation. He was ruled out for the night.

“That’s not looking good,” Brind’Amour said after the 5-3 comeback win against the New York Islanders.

Brind’Amour said Pesce would be further evaluated Tuesday, calling the injury “the big negative of tonight for sure.”

Pesce has played all nine of his NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, including 57 playoff games as a blue-line fixture typically in a second pairing with Brady Skjei.

Carolina’s defensive roster includes Tony DeAngelo, who was a healthy scratch Monday; and rookie Scott Morrow, a 2021 second-round draft pick by the team.

The Hurricanes lead the best-of-7 series 2-0 entering Thursday’s Game 3 after rallying from a 3-0 deficit with five unanswered goals Monday.

With files from the Associated Press.

The Edmonton Oilers are intimately familiar with the Los Angeles Kings’ defensive structure, having gone up against it in two previous first-round series. They know the Kings’ primary aim is to slow down their high-speed attack.

On Monday, the Oilers took it right to the Kings in their playoff-opening 7-4 win, forcing the game to be played on their terms.

“I thought we played a really connected game,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid told reporters. “I thought all five guys were working together. Even if we had to dump it in, I thought we had good numbers on the forecheck. But ultimately, we didn’t have to dump it in all that much, because we were connected coming through (the neutral zone).”

The Kings make it extremely difficult to enter the offensive zone with possession, but the Oilers had no issues with that in Game 1, carrying in the puck 36 times. Los Angeles allowed an average of 31.4 carry-ins per game during the regular season, which ranked fourth in the NHL.

Seventeen of Edmonton’s 36 carry-ins (47.2 per cent) resulted in a shot on net — much higher than the 10.7 that Los Angeles gave up per game in the regular season. (The Kings allowed a shot on net on 34 per cent of opposing carry-ins over 82 games.)

“The rushes were just too many,” Kings defenceman Drew Doughty told reporters. “We’re letting their top guys get way too much speed and just go through the neutral zone like it’s nothing. It’s tough on the ‘D’ when those guys are flying.”

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Zach Hyman, who led the league in inner-slot shots on net (2.01 per game) and inner-slot goals (45), feasted on the Kings around the blue paint Monday. He scored all three of his goals from the inner slot on six shots from that area of the ice. No other player had more than four inner-slot shots in a game against Los Angeles this season.

By comparison, Hyman had three total inner-slot shots in four regular-season games against the Kings. His line with McDavid and Adam Henrique was responsible for all three of the Oilers’ 5-on-5 goals in Game 1.

“You want to exert your style and (play) the game in the flow that you want it in,” Hyman told reporters. “You’re not happy if they’re imposing their will on you. It’s not a great feeling.” 

The Kings had that feeling Monday night after an uncharacteristic performance, which included going a ghastly 1-for-4 on the penalty kill. They will be highly motivated Wednesday, but perhaps the Oilers simply have their number.

All stats via Sportlogiq

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The playoff race is on — “The Chase to the Championship,” as the PWHL is branding it — with fewer than two weeks remaining in the league’s inaugural regular season.

Teams have either three or four games to go, and only Toronto has clinched a berth in the post-season. Meanwhile, Montreal and Minnesota are both on the doorstep, with four of six teams cracking the playoffs. 

The most interesting part of the “Chase” is the race for the final spot. Ottawa sits in fourth with four games remaining, and Boston is two points behind with three games to go and a chance to nab that final berth if Ottawa stumbles. Last place New York isn’t yet mathematically eliminated, but they’re close, and it would take a miracle or two or three to climb up the rankings and earn that last playoff spot. 

Ottawa controls its fate

“Everything is in our hands,” Ottawa forward Katerina Mrazova told Sportsnet on Monday, after her team’s practice. “Coming up, every game is really important.” 

The players in the nation’s capital control their destiny. Keep winning and they’re in. 

An especially big game comes Wednesday against Boston, with three points up for grabs for a regulation win. Ottawa wins in 60 minutes and they take a five-point lead over Boston, with a game in hand, and a chance to clinch the playoffs as early as Saturday. 

“Obviously Boston is sitting right behind us, fighting for that spot — it’s going to be a really good game,” Mrazova said. “We’re all excited. We want these games when it’s tight and competitive, and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s not gonna be easy, we know that.”

Boston comes in looking for a third straight win, while Ottawa is gunning for a fourth in a row. 

Mrazova hopeful to return this week

One big question is whether Mrazova will be in Ottawa’s lineup.  

The Czechia star injured her knee ahead of world championships earlier this month and was forced to watch from the stands as her team lost the bronze medal game to Finland in a shootout. She wasn’t in the lineup April 20 when Ottawa steamrolled Minnesota, 4-0, at home. 

Mrazova is a massive part of Ottawa’s offence and plays on the first line with captain Brianne Jenner and speedster Daryl Watts. Only four players in the league (Toronto’s Natalie Spooner, Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin, New York’s Alex Carpenter and Jenner) have tallied more than Mrazova’s 17 points this season. 

She was practicing this week, but without contact as of Monday.

“The recovery time should be shorter than what we thought it was at the beginning,” she said, of her knee. “It’s been getting better.… Aiming for this week. We’ll see how it’s gonna feel, how it’s gonna be. Anything can change but hopefully it’s gonna be good this week.” 

Certainly PWHL Ottawa teammates and fans are hoping the same. 

“I felt really good before I got injured and I think it’s gonna take me maybe a couple games to get back to how I felt before,” Mrazovasaid. “I have to build the confidence back. I think I’ll keep it simple, build on that every time, in every game. It will be huge for me, coming into the playoffs.” 

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Draft Order Points

New York plays Montreal on Wednesday, and a win in regulation would keep them alive in the playoff race so long as Boston beats Ottawa. 

If New York is eliminated from contention on Wednesday, their game on Sunday would be the team’s first where any points earned would be “Draft Order Points.” That’s another of the league’s rules: As soon as a team is eliminated from the playoffs, all points earned in remaining games count towards getting the No. 1 pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft. 

The team with the most points earned upon playoff elimination gets that top pick and a chance to draft a franchise player in a stacked draft that’ll include Canadian national team star Sarah Fillier and Team USA star Hannah Bilka. 

New York plays every team in the league once more to close out the season. They’ve lost eight of their last nine games (two of those losses came in extra time) and with teams still vying for playoffs and wanting to close out the season on a winning note, points will be tough to come by.

Sold-out love for Poulin

The headline going into Saturday night’s tilt between Montreal and Toronto at the Bell Centre was that the sold-out crowd of 21,105 would break a world record for attendance at a women’s hockey game, and the event delivered.  

It’s the sixth attendance record set in the PWHL since it launched in January, fewer than five months ago. The previous record was 19,285 fans, for a game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. 

The Bell Centre attendance made history, but the biggest takeaway from the game was a moment before the puck dropped, one that also involved that record-setting Montreal crowd. Check out the ovation for Poulin, the Montreal captain and Team Canada’s “Captain Clutch,” who recently led her national team to a world championship. You might get chills.   

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Toronto the first to clinch, and what if they finish No. 1?

League-leading PWHL Toronto earned a win in that record-setting Saturday night tilt between the PWHL’s top two teams. 

Sarah Nurse scored the winner just 13 seconds into overtime, and her goal not only sealed the victory, it also made Toronto the first team to crack the playoffs. 

If Toronto manages to hold on to that top spot in the standings, they’ll be the first team given a chance to exercise their will via the PWHL’s awesome playoff rule: If you’re first after the regular season, you get to pick your first-round playoff opponent, between the third- and fourth-placed teams. 

The top team will no doubt look at lots of factors, including head-to-head matchups, the health of the teams and overall finish when determining their selection. 

“I think it’s a lot of pressure on the first team,” Mrazova said. “All the teams are gonna be really, really good…. I call it a different season, the playoffs. Whoever it is, it’s definitely not going to be an easy choice.” 

The top team could well pick Ottawa. 

“I would just like to say good luck to them,” Mrazova said, laughing. “If we’re going to go all the way up, we have to beat everyone, so it doesn’t really matter who we play first.” 

Ottawa is heading into this home stretch feeling confident. Goalie Emerance Maschmeyer recorded her second shutout of the season in the team’s last game, which also happened to give her two shutouts in three starts. 

“I think we’re playing the best hockey right now,” Mrazova said. “And I think it’s going to get even better and better.”