Sports
Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski passes away at age 89
Bill Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman who won eight Gold Glove awards for his steady work in the field and the hearts of countless Pittsburgh Pirates fans for his historic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, has died at the age of 89.
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said, “Maz was one of a kind, a true Pirates legend … His name will always be tied to the biggest home run in baseball history and the 1960 World Series championship, but I will remember him most for the person he was: humble, gracious and proud to be a pirate.”
Mazeroski died Friday, the Pirates said. No cause of death was given.
Elected to the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2001, he was, by some measures, no superstar. Mazeroski had the lowest batting average, on-base percentage and stolen base total of any second baseman in Cooperstown. He hit just .260 lifetime, with 138 homers and 27 stolen bases in 17 years, and had an on-base percentage of .299. He never batted .300, never approached 100 runs batted or 100 runs scored and only once finished in the top 10 for Most Valuable Player.
His best qualities were both tangible and beyond the box score. His Hall of Fame plaque praises him as a “defensive wizard” with “hard-nosed hustle” and a “quiet work ethic.” A 10-time All-Star, he turned a major league record 1,706 double plays, earning the nickname “No Hands” for how quickly he fielded grounders and relayed them. He led the National League nine times in assists for second basemen and has been cited by statistician Bill James as the game’s greatest defensive player at his position — by far.
“I think defence belongs in the Hall of Fame,” Mazeroski said, defensively, during his Hall of Fame induction speech. “Defence deserves as much credit as pitching and I’m proud to be going in as a defensive player.”
But his career’s signature moment took place in the batter’s box, as the square-jawed, tobacco-chewing Mazeroski, a coal miner’s son from West Virginia, lived out the dream of so many kids who thought of playing professional ball.
The Pirates had not reached the World Series since 1927, when they were swept by the New York Yankees, and again faced the Yankees in 1960. While New York was led by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, Pittsburgh had few prominent names beyond a young Roberto Clemente. They relied on hitters ranging from shortstop Dick Groat to outfielder Bob Skinner, and the starting pitchers Vernon Law and Bob Friend. Mazeroski, who turned 24 that September, finished the season with a .273 average and usually batted eighth.
The series told one story in the runs column and another in wins and losses. The Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 and 38-3 in the three games they won. Mazeroski’s counterpart on New York, Bobby Richardson, drove in a record 12 runs and was named the series’ MVP — even though he was on the losing team. Whitey Ford shut out the Pirates twice, on his way to a then-record 33 2-3 straight scoreless World Series innings for the Yankees ace.
The Pirates’ first three wins weren’t nearly so spectacular, but they were wins — and Mazeroski helped. He hit a 2-run homer in the fourth inning off the Yankees’ Jim Coates in Game 1, a 6-4 Pirate victory, and a 2-run double in the second inning off Art Ditmar in Game 5, a 5-2 Pittsburgh win. In Game 7, he saved his big hit for the end.
Some 36,000 fans at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, and many more tuning in on radio and television, agonized through one of the fall classic’s wildest and most emotional conclusions. The lead changed back and forth as Pittsburgh scored the game’s first four runs, only to fall behind as the Yankees rallied in the middle innings and went ahead 7-4 in the top of the eighth. Pittsburgh retook the lead with five runs in the bottom of the eighth, helped in part by a seeming double play grounder that took a bad hop and struck Yankees shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat. But the Yankees came right back and tied the score at 9 in the top of the ninth.
The bottom of the ninth has been relived, not always by choice, by the two teams and by generations of fans. The New York pitcher was Ralph Terry, a right-hander whom manager Casey Stengel had brought in during the previous inning and would later acknowledge that he had a tired arm. The right-handed hitting Mazeroski, who had grounded into a double play in his previous appearance, was up first.
Terry started with a fastball, called high for a ball. After conferring briefly with catcher Johnny Blanchard, who reminded him to keep his pitches down, he threw what Mazeroski would call a slider that didn’t slide. Mazeroski got under it and belted it to left, the ball rising and rising as it cleared the high, ivy-covered brick wall, with Yankees left fielder Yogi Berra circling under it, then turning away in defeat. The whole city seemed to erupt, as if all had swung the bat with him, as if he were every underdog who longed to beat the hated Yankees. Mazeroski dashed around the bases, grinning and waving his cap, joined by celebrants from the stands who had rushed on to the field and followed him to home plate, where his teammates embraced him.
“I was just looking to get on base,″ he told The New York Times in 1985. ″Nothing fancy, just looking for a fastball until he got a strike on me. I thought it would be off the wall, and I wanted to make third if the ball ricocheted away from Berra. But when I got around first and was digging for second, I saw the umpire waving circles above his head and I knew it was over.”
ESPN has called it the greatest home run in major league history. It was the first time a World Series had ended on a homer, leading to enduring waves of celebration and despair. Pirates followers memorized the date, Saturday, Oct. 13, 1960, and the local time of Mazeroski’s hit, 3:36 p.m. Forbes Field was torn down in the 1970s, but a decade later fans began gathering every Oct. 13 at the park’s lone remnant, the center field wall, and listened to the original broadcast.
Meanwhile, Mantle would sob on the plane ride home in 1960, insisting the better team had lost. Ford would for years remain angry at Stengel — fired five days after the Series — for using him in Games 3 and 6 and making him unavailable to start a third time. Singer Bing Crosby, a co-owner of the Pirates, was so afraid he’d jinx his team that he listened to the game with friends across the Atlantic Ocean, in Paris.
“We were in this beautiful apartment, listening on shortwave, and when it got close Bing opened a bottle of Scotch and was tapping it against the mantel,” his widow, Kathryn Crosby, told the Times in 2010. “When Mazeroski hit the home run, he tapped it hard; the Scotch flew into the fireplace and started a conflagration.”
Mazeroski was a Pirate for his entire time in the majors and was a team man off the field. His wife, Milene Nicholson, was a front office employee whom he met through Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh. They were married in 1958, had two sons and remained together until her death in 2024.
William Stanley Mazeroski was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, during the Great Depression, grew up in eastern Ohio, and lived for a time in a one-room house without electricity or indoor plumbing. His father, Louis Mazeroski, had hoped himself to be a ballplayer and encouraged his son’s love for sports, even practicing with him by having Bill field tennis balls thrown against a brick wall.
Although a star in basketball and football, he favoured baseball and was good enough to be drafted by the Pirates at age 17 in 1954. Mazeroski was a shortstop for a team with numerous prospects at that position, and had switched to second by his rookie year, 1956. Even as a part-time player at the end of his career, he was a leader and steady presence on the 1971 team that featured Clemente and Willie Stargell and defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
After his final season, 1972, Mazeroski coached briefly for the Pirates and the Seattle Mariners and was an infield instructor for Pittsburgh during spring training. In 1987, the Pirates retired his uniform number, 9. The 50th anniversary of his Game 7 heroics was marked in 2010 by the unveiling — on Bill Mazeroski Way — of a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue of one of Pittsburgh’s greatest everymen, rounding the bases, on top of the world.
The Adani Group is working on strategies to restart the Formula 1 motor sport at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Karan Adani, the MD of Adani Cement said on Saturday.
According to official sources, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently visited the circuit and held talks with officials from Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority.
“I’m very excited… obviously the Buddh circuit comes (as) part of the deal. I’m very personally engaged in terms of bringing Formula 1 back into India. I think India has a lot of potential. There’s a lot of following in Formula 1 from India, ” Adani, who is also the MD of Adani Ports & SEZ, said while speaking at the 70th Foundation Day of All India Management Association (AIMA) in the national capital.
The Adani Group is in the fray to buy the troubled Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) — the flagship company of the Jaypee Group.
In November 2025, the infrastructure-to-energy group won majority lenders’ vote for takeover of debt-laden Jaiprakash Associates as its Rs 14,535-crore acquisition proposal included a higher upfront payment than rival bidders.
Adani further said he has been following the sport since 2000 and believes India can set a benchmark for global events like Formula 1.
“Reputation of India and Indians has improved very, very significantly… I do believe that India can really showcase Formula 1… and can be a benchmark for a global event,” he said.
Adani said the exposure to such sports in India is limited and people have to go to other countries like Abu Dhabi or Singapore to experience the sport.
Re-starting Formula 1 will also provide an opportunity to showcase not just the infrastructure but the hospitality and the heritage of country, he said.
The F1 race was held in 2011, 2012, 2013 at the Buddh Circuit before being halted due to tax dispute with the Uttar Pradesh government, which said the event was entertainment and not a sport.
Sports
Man City vs Newcastle United LIVE early team news as Blues aim to cut Arsenal's lead to two points
Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to the Etihad Stadium tonight aiming to reduce the gap at the top of the Premier League to Arsenal to two points
Photo/TimesofIndia.com
NEW DELHI: The first match of the Super Eight stage at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was abandoned on Saturday after continuous rain prevented any play between Pakistan and New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.Officials called off the game after conditions failed to improve enough for a start, meaning the Super Eight phase began without a ball being bowled. Both teams shared one point each, which could affect their chances of reaching the semi-finals.
The playing conditions of this tournament for the International Cricket Council (ICC) require a minimum of five overs per side for a result to be declared. The cut-off time for a shortened contest was set at 10:15pm, but the weather never cleared. With no reserve days in the Super Eights – they are only available for the semifinals and final – the fixture was abandoned and ‘no result’ was marked against it. Pakistan had won the toss and chosen to bat first amid light drizzle, but the rain soon became heavier, forcing the match to be abandoned.Before the washout, Pakistan made one change, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay.New Zealand made three changes, with captain Mitchell Santner returning after missing the previous match against Canada due to a stomach issue, while Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi were also included in the playing XI.The abandoned match has tightened the situation for both teams ahead of their remaining two Super Eight fixtures. Another washout or a defeat could seriously affect their chances of reaching the semi-finals. Pakistan, New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka are placed in Group 2 of the Super Eight stage. Pakistan will next play England in their next Super Eight match on February 24, at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele.New Zealand will remain in Colombo to play the Sri Lanka on February 25.
Oscar De La Hoya, who lost a split decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2007, has given an honest assessment of his former foe’s exhibition match with Mike Tyson.
It was reported earlier this week that, on April 25, the two legends will headline an event in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This follows the news that Mayweather has filed a lawsuit against American TV network Showtime and Stephen Espinoza, claiming that he is owed “at least” $340 million.
The former five-division world champion’s last professional outing, which was broadcast on Showtime PPV, saw him handily defeat UFC star Conor McGregor in 2017.
Since then, Mayweather has been involved in several exhibitions, but the 48-year-old has now set his sights on a former world heavyweight champion.
Tyson, meanwhile, is no stranger to an exhibition himself, having previously had a non-competitive bout with pound-for-pound legend Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
‘Iron Mike’ then entered an eight-round bout with internet star Jake Paul in 2024, which saw him suffer a convincing points defeat almost 20 years on from his previous professional outing, a sixth-round stoppage loss to Kevin McBride.
Partly because of this, many have ridiculed the very idea of Tyson, at 59 years old, entering an exhibition with Mayweather, whose career-highest weight as a professional was 151lbs.
De La Hoya, however, has told ESNEWS that the event could be “fun”, or at least more popular than UFC boss Dana White’s recent Zuffa Boxing shows.
“It’s an exhibition. You have two legends. If they [give] us a little glimpse of the past, I think it’ll be fun.
“It’ll probably draw more people than what Zuffa is drawing now. That’s for sure.”
The Golden Boy Promotions boss has been highly critical of White’s Zuffa Boxing outfit in general, hence why he saw this as an opportunity to further lambast his promotional rival.
Sports
PAK vs NZ Rain Washout: Who benefits and who is in danger in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s? | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Rain became the biggest talking point around the Pakistan vs New Zealand Super 8 match in Colombo on Saturday, and a complete washout means it will shake up the race for the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals. With both teams seen as strong contenders, fans are wondering who benefits and who could be in trouble if no ball is bowled.
As the match is washed out, Pakistan and New Zealand will get one point each. On paper, that sounds fair, but it actually makes the group more complicated. Both teams would then have only two matches left to secure a top-two finish.For Pakistan, the equation is simple but tough. They still have to play England and Sri Lanka. If they win both games, they will reach five points, which should almost guarantee a semi-final spot. But if they lose even one match, things get risky. One win and one loss would leave them on three points, and then they would need other results to go their way. If they lose both games, Pakistan will be out of the tournament.New Zealand face a similar situation. A washout gives them a point, but they will also need wins in their remaining matches to stay in control. If they slip up, they too could be dragged into a tight points race.So who benefits from a washout? Teams like England and Sri Lanka could quietly benefit because it keeps the group open. If Pakistan and New Zealand drop points due to rain, other teams can catch up with wins and put pressure on the favourites.Who is in danger? Both Pakistan and New Zealand lose a chance to get ahead early. In short tournaments like the Super 8s, every point matters, and rain can change everything.
Ben Lynch has finished in eighth place in the Finals of the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno on Friday night.
The Irishman posted an impressive score of 75.00 in the final run of the event. Lynch’s result marks one of the strongest Olympic performances by an Irish winter athlete to date.
Alex Ferreira of the United States won gold in the men’s freestyle skiing halfpipe competition with a score of 93.75. The US Olympian completed his Olympic medal set having previously won silver (2018) and bronze (2022). Silver went to Henry Sildaru from Estonia with a best score of 93.00, while Brendan Mackay of Canada claimed bronze with a 91.00 third run.
Lynch “couldn’t be more happy”
Reflecting on the significance of tonight’s result, Ben Lynch said:
“It feels really cool, especially because eight is my lucky number. My birthday is September 8th. I got eight stitches above my eyebrow here, so eight has always been my lucky number and the fact that I just got eight, the stars align.
“It definitely still feels surreal, but it’s sinking in a little bit. Yeah, it’s pretty cool because my last best result was 16, so I have that at the Olympics and couldn’t be more happy to be here.”
Pivotal third run
Lynch’s third run was his pivotal one, putting him right up the score board, as he explained:
“The third run, I was really nervous at the top. I felt very prepared, but obviously the nerves were on. My family’s here, everyone was watching, and I hadn’t landed my first two runs. But yeah, just tried really hard to focus on the run, not worry about the result, and I ended up landing it pretty much as good as I possibly could have, and I’m really, really excited.
“I think before this, I’d only gotten around the sixties in World Cups. It’s hard to get high scores in world level, world Cup level, but yeah, that’s the best score I’ve ever gotten. I also got down qualifier 75, so just so stoked.”
PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.
The P/PTSD Perspective: February 21st, 2026
1) Vikings Likely to Get a Deal Done with Retirement Candidate: Way back in training camp, I had the good fortune of chatting with All Pro LS Andrew DePaola. At the time, DePaola indicated that he wanted to play beyond 2025 even though he was venturing into the final year on his contract. He looks like someone who is going to remain.
2) Kyler Murray’s Trade Price Comes to Light: Sending out an ambitious draft pick(s) makes very little sense. Much more appealing would be a late-round selection. Even better would be scooping up Mr. Murray from free agency, keeping all of Minnesota’s picks in Minnesota.
3) The Seahawks and Sam Darnold are Cruising Toward a Crossroads: Seattle is staring down what some would call a champagne problem. Indeed, every team would love having a passer in the middle of his prime who demands more money since he just led his team to the Super Bowl.
4) 3-Time Ex-Viking Decides to Keep Riding with the Super Bowl Champs: RB Cam Akers is the gift who keeps on giving in the Twin Cities. By rolling with the Seahawks, Akers opens the door to get grafted onto Minnesota’s roster at some point in the 2026 season. Forget striking twice, can lightning strike four times?
5) Clue Drops on Vikings Target as FA Inches Closer: Minnesota would benefit from adding young, high-end talent at running back. The issue is that Kenneth Walker III isn’t going to lack for options. Quite possibly, Minnesota will roll with Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and then a young lad from the draft.
Enjoy the extra reading, Vikings fans.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
Roy Jones Jr has delivered his final verdict on Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia, envisioning a battle between Garcia’s left hook and Barrios’ relentless pressure.
The two American welterweights will square off in the small hours of tomorrow morning, headlining a Ring Magazine show at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Despite being the defending WBC world champion, many believe that Barrios, following back-to-back draws with Abel Ramos and Manny Pacquiao, is far from an elite operator at 147lbs.
Particularly against a 46-year-old Pacquiao last July, the 30-year-old seemed to lack a degree of technical prowess that is needed at the highest level.
What he did demonstrate to a considerably high standard, however, is his ability to fight at a terrific pace for 12 rounds.
In stark contrast to this, Garcia produced a largely lacklustre performance in his last outing against Rolando Romero, losing a unanimous decision after climbing off the canvas in round two.
Prior to his second professional defeat in May, ‘King Ry’ turned in a far more vigorous display against Devin Haney, only for his majority decision victory to be overturned to a no-contest.
This was because Garcia had tested positive for ostarine, a performance-enhancing substance, which led to him receiving a year-long ban by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Speaking with ESPN, pound-for-pound legend Jones has highlighted the 27-year-old’s left hook as a potential factor, while also admitting that he favours Barrios to get the job done.
“I probably lean toward Barrios, but it’s a tough call.
“If Barrios can take Garcia’s hook, he’s got a good chance to win the fight. And if Garcia can hurt him, then Garcia has a better chance to win the fight.
“But I like Barrios as of late. He just got a lot of rounds in against Pacquiao in a fight I actually thought could have gone either way, but he got the better of it.
“I hope that’ll give him the confidence he needs.”
As a key to victory for Barrios, Jones adds that the Texan must keep his foot on the gas and never allow Garcia a moment to get comfortable.
Eight DP World Tour members who jumped to LIV now have the freedom to play both tours.
On Saturday, the DP World Tour announced that Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig and Elvis Smylie were granted conditional releases to compete on LIV without accumulating further sanctions.
But one notable name was omitted from the list of players: two-time major winner Jon Rahm.
Rahm, who is playing his third season on LIV this year, has reportedly accumulated millions in fines from the DP World Tour for competing in LIV Golf events without a release. In 2024, Rahm said he has no intention to pay the fines and initiated a formal appeal with the DP World Tour, which enabled him to continue to play in DP World Tour events while the appeal was in process. Rahm needed a minimum of four starts outside of the majors to maintain his membership and to be eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup. Rahm was selected as one of Luke Donald’s captain’s picks, with his 3-2-0 record making him a central character in Europe’s 15-13 victory over the United States at Bethpage Black.
;)
Anthony Kim’s stunning LIV Adelaide win came with universal message
In order to play DP World Tour events in addition to LIV’s 14-tournament schedule, the conditions agreed upon by the eight LIV golfers include payment in full of all outstanding fines for breaches of the DP World Tour’s regulations, participation in additional stipulated DP World Tour tournaments, as well as associated media activity and promotion, and withdrawal of all pending appeals.
“The conditions these members have accepted will provide additional value to the DP World Tour and benefit to the entire membership,” the DP World Tour said in a statement. “Provided each member satisfies the conditions of their individual releases, no disciplinary action under the Regulations will be taken against them for playing in conflicting tournaments on LIV Golf in 2026 and they will retain their membership status.”
The statement also clarified that the releases apply for the 2026 season only and are not precedent-setting.
“Requests for releases will continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Regulations that all members agree to abide by,” the statement said.
If Rahm loses his appeal, his DP World Tour membership could be revoked or suspended, jeopardizing his participation in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland.
An arbitration date for Rahm’s appeal has not yet been publicly released.
There will be superstars all over the ice on Sunday morning when the United States and Canada face off in the gold medal game at the Winter Olympics. Which of these two rivals has more firepower? The answer to that question may be what determines the winner.
The Canadians probably have more marquee names than the Americans. Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon have four Hart Trophy wins between them, and they’re probably the two best hockey players in the world. That’s a nice luxury for Canada, but it’s not like the U.S. is lacking for star power at the top of its lineup.
We’ve already seen what Quinn Hughes can do in big moments with his overtime goal against Sweden, and reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck is capable of winning a game on his own between the pipes. That’s without even mentioning the one-two punch of two-way centers the Americans have in their top six forward group.
While Canada holds the edge when it comes to the elite of the elite, the U.S. has the depth to take down a country that has won nine Olympic gold medals in its history. Here are the 10 best players in Sunday’s gold medal game (8:10 a.m. ET).
10. Zach Werenski | D | USA
The U.S. defensive group is deepest and most talented in the tournament, and while Quinn Hughes gets a lot of justified attention, Zach Werenski is right there with him as one of the best defenders in the world. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Werenski has tallied 144 points, behind only Cale Makar among defensemen.
Werenski also boasts a plus-34 five-on-five goal differential in that span, per Natural Stat Trick. At the 2026 Olympics, we’ve seen the best parts of Werenski’s game, from clean zone exits to the frequent creation of dangerous scoring chances.
9. Mitch Marner | LW | Canada
Marner is the rare playmaking winger who is capable of driving play on his own, and he can play in all situations. In this tournament, we’ve already gotten a clear picture of what Marner can do with the puck on his stick. In the Canadians’ overtime win over Czechia in the quarterfinals, Marner pulled off an incredible individual effort to score the game-winner.
A 2023 Selke Trophy finalist, Marner is also a force in the defensive end. His line with Mark Stone on the other wing could create problems for the American offense.
8. Macklin Celebrini | LW | Canada
Some may think this ranking is a little high and a little premature, but Celebrini has just been that good, both in these Olympics and his young NHL career. Celebrini has completely revived a rebuilding San Jose Sharks franchise, and he’s in the Hart Trophy conversation with 81 points, more than double his next closest teammate.
In Milan, Canadian coach Jon Cooper put Celebrini next to McDavid, and that bold move has paid off in spades. Celebrini leads the Olympics with five goals, and he’s second to McDavid in points with 10.
7. Auston Matthews | C | USA
Matthews is one of the best goal-scorers in hockey. His 427 goals since his rookie campaign in 2016-17 are the most in the league with the next closest player sitting 20 goals behind him. Matthews has a deceptive and powerful release that helps him beat goalies with ease, but he’s not a one-trick pony. Matthews’ defensive game has earned him Selke Trophy votes in each of the last six seasons.
When Matthews is on the ice, the Americans are capable of scoring from anywhere in the offensive zone.
6. Jack Eichel | C | USA
One of the best two-way centers in the NHL, Eichel has been making plays all over the ice for the U.S. through its first five games. Eichel can excel in every situation, and he’s currently on pace for a 111-point season with the Vegas Golden Knights. Coach Mike Sullivan has leaned on Eichel a lot at these Olympics, and that won’t stop now.
I’d expect Eichel to be matched up against Connor McDavid whenever possible, and while that is a big challenge for any player, the American center is capable of holding his own.
5. Connor Hellebuyck | G | USA
Hellebuyck has a strong argument to be the best goalie in the league. He’s a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and the reigning NHL MVP. When Hellebuyck is on his game, there’s little that an opponent can do. Hellebuyck is 6-foot-4 and rarely out of position, making him incredibly tough to beat, and he has been great for the Americans in Milan.
Over the last three seasons, Hellebuyck has saved 77.5 goals above average, per Natural Stat Trick. The next closest goalie is Andrei Vasilevskiy at 52.2. Canada’s Jordan Binnington is below water at -6.54.
4. Quinn Hughes | D | USA
What Quinn Hughes brings to this U.S. team was evident in that dramatic win over Sweden in the quarterfinals. Despite playing big minutes, Hughes was a workhorse in overtime, right up until he ended the game by firing a laser beam past Jacob Markstrom. Hughes is one of the best skaters in the world, and he’s able to pair that with his high hockey IQ.
The U.S. can deploy Hughes in any situation, and I have a hunch Canada will see a lot of him on Sunday morning. Hughes is one of a few defensemen who can skate with Canada’s biggest stars and not look overmatched.
3. Cale Makar | D | Canada
A two-time Norris Trophy winner (who is gunning to make it three in 2026), Makar is a dynamic player who impacts games in a similar fashion as Hughes. Makar is special, especially with the puck on his stick, as he uses his skating, stickhandling and vision to make plays that few players can.
Since his rookie campaign in 2019-20, Makar leads all defensemen with 485 points, which also ranks 16th among all skaters. Makar is a threat to make a big play from anywhere on the ice — from a stretch pass springing a teammate to wheeling around the offensive zone.
2. Nathan MacKinnon | C | Canada
It’s unfair that, in addition to Connor McDavid, the Canadians also have MacKinnon at their disposal. He would be the best player on any other team in these Olympics, and he is playing at a Hart Trophy level for the Avalanche in 2025-26. MacKinnon leads the NHL with 40 goals, and he has seven points in this tournament.
MacKinnon is a versatile player who can win with speed, power or some combination of both. However you want to play, he’s more than happy to beat you.
1. Connor McDavid | C | Canada
McDavid is the best player in the world, and as if he needed to prove that fact, he leads the tournament in assists (11) and points (13). Since his rookie season in 2015-26, McDavid leads the NHL in assists (783) and points (1,178), and he ranks fifth in goals (395). He’s also a three-time Hart Trophy winner, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, a five-time Art Ross Trophy winner and Maurice Richard Trophy winner.
One of the few things missing from McDavid’s trophy case is a gold medal, and he seems determined to get one of those in Milan. Slowing him down will be a tall task, even for the Americans’ elite defense.
These Are The 10 Most Popular Ryobi Tools, According To The Brand
Donald Bell’s family hold Victoria Cross at Green Howards museum
“ANTM” star injured after falling off pendulum runway speaks out on 'inappropriate' challenge (exclusive)
-
Video5 days agoBitcoin: We’re Entering The Most Dangerous Phase
-
Tech7 days agoLuxman Enters Its Second Century with the D-100 SACD Player and L-100 Integrated Amplifier
-
Crypto World4 days agoCan XRP Price Successfully Register a 33% Breakout Past $2?
-
Sports5 days agoGB's semi-final hopes hang by thread after loss to Switzerland
-
Fashion23 hours agoWeekend Open Thread: Boden – Corporette.com
-
Video2 days agoXRP News: XRP Just Entered a New Phase (Almost Nobody Noticed)
-
Tech5 days agoThe Music Industry Enters Its Less-Is-More Era
-
Business4 days agoInfosys Limited (INFY) Discusses Tech Transitions and the Unique Aspects of the AI Era Transcript
-
Entertainment3 days agoKunal Nayyar’s Secret Acts Of Kindness Sparks Online Discussion
-
Video4 days agoFinancial Statement Analysis | Complete Chapter Revision in 10 Minutes | Class 12 Board exam 2026
-
Tech3 days agoRetro Rover: LT6502 Laptop Packs 8-Bit Power On The Go
-
Sports3 days agoClearing the boundary, crossing into history: J&K end 67-year wait, enter maiden Ranji Trophy final | Cricket News
-
Entertainment3 days agoDolores Catania Blasts Rob Rausch For Turning On ‘Housewives’ On ‘Traitors’
-
Business3 days agoTesla avoids California suspension after ending ‘autopilot’ marketing
-
NewsBeat6 days agoThe strange Cambridgeshire cemetery that forbade church rectors from entering
-
Politics4 days agoEurovision Announces UK Act For 2026 Song Contest
-
Crypto World3 days agoWLFI Crypto Surges Toward $0.12 as Whale Buys $2.75M Before Trump-Linked Forum
-
NewsBeat6 days agoMan dies after entering floodwater during police pursuit
-
Crypto World2 days ago83% of Altcoins Enter Bear Trend as Liquidity Crunch Tightens Grip on Crypto Market
-
NewsBeat1 day agoAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor latest: Police search of Royal Lodge enters second day after Andrew released from custody