The Minnesota Wild might have fallen short in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the whole organization’s long-term outlook still seems pretty strong, honestly. After that rough second-round elimination against the Colorado Avalanche, everyone’s focus jumped fast to what’s next, mostly because of some comments made by Quinn Hughes. 

He was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season, and Hughes didn’t just give a safe answer, he actually praised the Wild organization, plus he admitted he’d be interested in staying around long term. This is honestly creating a big wave of optimism in Minnesota heading into the offseason.

Speaking with The Athletic after Minnesota got knocked out, Hughes said, in a pretty obvious way, he has built a real, fast connection with both the organization and the city. The veteran defenseman went on to say that he likes playing in Minnesota, he’s taken with the team culture, and he thinks the Wild are putting together something kind of special, for what comes next. 

Hughes also talked up general manager Bill Guerin, and the kind of trust that seems to live inside that whole setup. As Hughes described it, the mood inside the Wild locker room mattered a lot in how he felt about the franchise once he arrived halfway through the season.  

Those comments immediately stood out , because Hughes is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Minnesota had to move pretty significant assets to acquire him, without any promise that he would stay around for the long term. So when the defenseman talked openly about the idea of re-signing, a lot of fans saw it as a huge, kind of signature win for the organization.  

Minnesota Wild Emerging As Serious Long-Term NHL Contender

The Wild’s growing optimism seems to reach way beyond just Hughes, alone, it goes further. Minnesota now has one of the NHL’s most promising young groups, led by names like Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and defenseman Brock Faber. Also, young netminder Jesper Wallstedt put in some encouraging playoff showings, even though the pressure was heavy against Colorado.

For years, Minnesota was sort of stuck trying to fit in with the NHL’s elite teams. But now the organization looks like it could be set up to become a steady Stanley Cup contender under Guerin’s leadership.

If Hughes eventually agrees to a contract extension, that huge trade that brought him to Minnesota could turn into one of the most important events in franchise history, and help push the Wild toward a real championship-level side.

Canada will host some of the biggest matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Toronto and Vancouver set to welcome national teams and supporters from around the world.

The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, will feature 48 countries for the first time in FIFA World Cup history. Canada will stage 13 matches across two cities, including all three group-stage games involving the Canadian men’s national team.

With the countdown to kickoff continuing, here is the full list of confirmed FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures to be played in Toronto and Vancouver.

Toronto FIFA World Cup 2026 Fixtures

Toronto’s BMO Field will host six matches during the tournament, including Canada’s opening World Cup game on home soil.

Toronto Match Schedule

June 12, 2026
Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina

June 17, 2026
Ghana vs Panama

June 20, 2026
Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire

June 23, 2026
Croatia vs Panama

June 26, 2026
Senegal vs Iraq

July 2, 2026
Round of 32 Match

Toronto is expected to become one of the major football destinations during the tournament as fans from different countries travel to Canada for the World Cup experience.

Vancouver FIFA World Cup 2026 Fixtures

BC Place in Vancouver will host seven matches, including knockout-stage football and two Canada group-stage games.

Vancouver Match Schedule

June 13, 2026
Australia vs Intercontinental Playoff Winner

June 18, 2026
Canada vs Qatar

June 21, 2026
Qatar vs New Zealand

June 24, 2026
Switzerland vs Canada

June 26, 2026
Germany vs Curaçao

July 2, 2026
Round of 32 Match

July 7, 2026
Round of 16 Match

Vancouver will also play a major role in Canada’s World Cup journey, with crucial matches expected to draw huge crowds inside BC Place.

Canada’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule

The Canadian men’s national team will play all three group-stage matches inside Canada.

Canada Fixtures

• June 12 — Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Toronto)
• June 18 — Canada vs Qatar (Vancouver)
• June 24 — Switzerland vs Canada (Vancouver)

The home tournament represents a historic opportunity for Canada to make a deep World Cup run in front of local supporters.

Countries Confirmed to Play in Canada

Several nations are already confirmed to play matches in Canada during the tournament, including:

• Canada
• Germany
• Croatia
• Senegal
• Australia
• Switzerland
• Ghana
• Panama
• Qatar
• New Zealand
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Iraq
• Curaçao
• Bosnia & Herzegovina

More countries could still play in Canada depending on knockout-stage qualification and final tournament arrangements.

A Historic World Cup for Canadian Football

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest edition of the tournament ever, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and bringing global football attention to Canada like never before.

From Canada’s opening match in Toronto to knockout-stage football in Vancouver, the tournament is expected to become one of the biggest sporting events ever hosted in the country.

A former mixed martial artist died after playing hero, saving four girls from a strong current, according to reports.

Medet Zheenaliev, 30, spotted four girls swimming in Lake Issyk-Kul in his home country of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, and one of them was reportedly pulled under the current.

Zheenaliev and a friend went into the water to save the girls, but the fighter never resurfaced, according to The Sun.

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The Octagon cage is seen during the UFC Fight Night event at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 30, 2024. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Divers found his body the next day.

FATHER DIES TRYING TO SAVE 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AFTER GIANT WAVE SWEEPS HER OUT TO SEA AT CALIFORNIA BEACH

The lake is the ninth-deepest in the world, reaching a depth of 2,192 feet.

Zheenaliev had four professional fights, splitting them even with two wins and two losses. His debut was a victory over Vladimir Kravchuk on Sept. 23, 2017, in Fightpro’s Battle for the Belt in Moscow. Zheenaliev earned the victory with an armbar submission 2:08 into the fight.

A general view of the Octagon during UFC 242 at The Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Sept. 7, 2019. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)

At the Battle on Volga 3 six months later, he defeated Shamil Temirkhanov in a first-round knockout.

He did not have the same success in his final two fights, tapping out to a rear-naked choke in the second round against Akhmadkhan Bokov at the Road to M-1 on April 7, 2018.

A general view of the UFC Octagon inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, prior to the UFC 328 event on May 9, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

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He then took a nearly 17-month hiatus and fought Makkasharip Zaynukov at GFC 16, but doctors stopped the fight after round one and gave Zaynukov the victory.

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NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 match at Eden Gardens on Saturday, ending Gujarat’s five-match winning streak despite a fighting knock from captain Shubman Gill.Chasing 248, Gujarat Titans finished on 218 for 4 after Kolkata’s bowlers held their nerve in the death overs.Gill led the chase with 85 off 49 balls, hitting five fours and seven sixes. Jos Buttler added 57 off 35 balls, while Sai Sudharsan returned after retiring hurt to remain unbeaten on 53 off 28 deliveries.But Kolkata pulled the game back after the dismissals of Gill and Buttler in quick succession. Sunil Narine played a key role with figures of 2 for 29.GT started strongly as Sudharsan and Gill added 42 runs in the first three overs. Sudharsan, however, retired hurt after being hit on the elbow. Nishant Sindhu replaced him but was dismissed cheaply by Narine, who was playing his 200th IPL match.Gill continued the attack, hitting boundaries and sixes against Narine, Anukul Roy and Varun Chakaravarthy. Buttler also found rhythm as the partnership kept Gujarat in the chase.Gill reached his fifty in 33 balls and continued to score freely. Buttler brought up his half-century as Gujarat reached 177 for 1 in 16 overs, needing 71 runs from the last four overs.The match changed when Narine dismissed Gill, caught by Anukul Roy at the boundary. Buttler then fell trying to accelerate, giving a catch at long-off off Saurabh Dubey.Sudharsan returned to complete his innings and reached his fifty, but the target proved too much. Rahul Tewatia was dismissed by Cameron Green late in the innings as KKR sealed the win.The victory lifted Kolkata Knight Riders to seventh place in the points table, two points behind fourth-placed Punjab Kings.Earlier, KKR posted 247 for 2 after strong batting performances from Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Green.Allen smashed 93 off 35 balls to give Kolkata a fast start. Raghuvanshi then made an unbeaten 82 off 44 deliveries, while Green remained not out on 52 from 28 balls to take KKR close to the 250-run mark.Kolkata were also helped by Gujarat Titans’ poor fielding effort during the innings.

The long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is closer than ever, with both just needing wins in their ‘tune-up’ fights in order to seal the deal.

Now, domestic fan-favourite Derek Chisora has updated his prediction ahead of the long-awaited grudge match.

Fury made his ring return back in April, when he outpointed Russian powerhouse Arslanbek Makhmudov in a largely uneventful affair at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. For Joshua, excusing wins over Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul, he has not registered a victory over a recognised boxer since 2023.

The 36-year-old looks to soon change that, as he headlines a Riyadh card on Saturday, July 25, against Albania’s Kristian Prenga, looking to build some momentum ahead of a legacy-defining showdown with Fury.

Speaking to Sun Sport, Chisora, who has faced Fury three times but always predicted a Joshua win, has now forecasted that ‘AJ’ will get the job done inside four rounds.

“Tyson can say whatever he wants to say, he is going to talk so much crap. ‘AJ’ is having a warm-up fight, he has been through a lot, it is in Saudi because the war is done, so we are going to Saudi now for Riyadh Season.

“The problem with Tyson is that he is jealous, because ‘AJ’ will do more numbers, more viewers, than he did in his fight on Netflix. This is simple maths.

“He’s going to come in there and talk crap, he can talk so much crap, but at the end of the day, I say this now – Tyson and AJ? AJ will knock him out in four rounds.”

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Fury is also looking for an opponent at the moment, expected to appear in August, before a clash with Joshua in November.

Two-time CY Young winner, Tarik Skubal, is on the fast track to returning to baseball, as he recovers from elbow surgery way ahead of schedule. Skubal is already back to some light throwing after receiving arthroscopic surgery that normally sidelines pitchers for three months.

You never want to rush a pitcher back, especially one as good as Skubal, but if you’re the Tigers, you are doing everything in your power to get him back out on the diamond. Currently, the Tigers are tied with the Royals at 19-25 for last place in the AL Central.

Only being 4.5 games back in a weak AL Central isn’t cause for concern, but this window of Detroit baseball hangs in the balance of this season. It seems unlikely that Skubal will be staying in Detroit in 2027, and missing the playoffs in his final season would be an incredibly tough pill to swallow.

The Tigers are dealing with injuries all over the field at the moment, so having an ace like Skubal in the lineup who can steal starts is so important. Keider Montero transforming into a frontline starter has been one of the few bright spots in the Tigers’ starting rotation, as Framber Valdez has been a bit inconsistent when he isn’t suspended.

Outside of a beaten-up pitching staff, a Tigers lineup that was one of the toughest outs in baseball last year has quickly regressed to the mean. Detroit sent four position players to the All-Star Game last year, and I don’t think that will be the case this year.

Riley Greene is having a career year, largely in part due to his massively improved eye at the plate. His walk rate has more than doubled, going from 7% to 14.2% this year, and I think that has improved every other part of his game.

Also, rookie Kevin McGonigle has had a tremendous start to his pro career, but has cooled off in the month of May, slashing just .195/.327/.220 over his last 41 ABs. Outside of these two, it has been an ice-cold start to the year for the Tigers’ offense.

You’d love to make one last playoff run with this group before Skubal likely takes his talents to Los Angeles; however, if the offense doesn’t get going, he could easily be a trade deadline candidate as well. If Skubal is back pitching in only a month, his trade value would go right back to being sky high, and contenders might be willing to overpay for a potential playoff run. It’ll be intriguing to see how the beginning of Summer kicks off for the Tigers, and if they can stay afloat without their ace.