Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba were named the NFL’s Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year respectively on Thursday night at the NFL Honors.
Garrett was the unanimous choice for NFL Defensive Player of the Year and it was the second time in his career that he was awarded the honor.
Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett accepts the AP Defensive Player of the Year award during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco.(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The Browns star set the NFL mark with 23 sacks in a single season, surpassing Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt and New York Giants legend Michael Strahan in the final game of the season. Garrett sacked Joe Burrow in the final game of the season. Cleveland defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-18.
It was the first time Garrett reached at least 20 sacks in a single season. He never had more than 16. Garrett added 60 total tackles, tying a career high. He had three forced fumbles and a pass breakup.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Smith-Njigba helped the Seahawks get back to the Super Bowl as they will take on the New England Patriots on Sunday night. In 2025, he asserted himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL and was rewarded for it.
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The third-year player had 119 catches for an NFL-leading 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns. It was the first time in his young career that he reached the double-digit touchdown mark. He also led the NFL in yards per touch with 14.3.
Myles Garrett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were named the Defensive and Offensive Players of the Years respectively on Feb. 5, 2026.(IMAGN)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Brooks Koepka just wanted to get the ball in the hole, and that’s led to one of the most notable gear switches in the five-time major champion’s career.
After more than a decade playing a Scotty Cameron Teryllium blade, Koepka made a last-minute switch to a new TaylorMade Spider Tour X L-neck this week at the WM Phoenix Open.
Koepka, playing his second event this week since coming back to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf, was searching on the greens at Torrey Pines a week ago. He was last in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting among those who made the cut. He lost more than seven strokes on the greens in the three rounds with Shot Link Data.
To help, Koepka actually made a weekend visit to the Scotty Cameron Gallery in nearby Encinitas for a practice session with Scotty Cameron’s director of Player Fitting and Development, Paul Vizanko.
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Koepka and Vizanko were at it again on Monday at TPC Scottsdale, working for hours on Koepka’s putting.
“Trying to get the ball in the hole,” Koepka said candidly on Wednesday of the Monday session. “Yeah, like, just really never felt comfortable over the ball. You’ve got to have everything squared up to the target. Just working on things like that. Real simple stuff, setup. Shoulders were open. My feet are always a little bit open, but just trying to minimize the lines crossing so much.
“I’ve been putting pretty poorly for the good side of two years. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve got to figure it out.”
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What wasn’t apparent on Monday or even during Wednesday’s pro-am was that a change was imminent. Koepka had four putters with him on Monday: his gamer Scotty Cameron T22 Teryllium Newport 2, an identical backup and two TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallets. One Spider had a short slant hosel while the other had an L-neck like his Camerons.
Koepka has used the T22 for the better part of the past five years, since 2020, shortly after the model was released in late 2019 as an homage to Scotty Cameron’s first Teryllium putters. It replaced a T10 Newport 2 dating to Koepka’s college days at Florida State that featured a button-back design, as opposed to the silicone dots to hold the insert in place.
Got in-hand pictures of Brooks Koepka’s new TaylorMade Spider Tour X L-neck putter on Monday, although it didn’t seem likely to go in the bag then!
This is not the first time Koepka has flirted with putters other than his Scotty Cameron TNP2 (that I posted yesterday). In fact,… pic.twitter.com/WaAWhZhph0
Even on Wednesday, Koepka used the Cameron during his pro-am, and the gamer was the only putter in his bag afterward when he was back on the putting green.
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But later that afternoon, Koepka told Golfweek‘s Eamon Lynch he was switching this week to the Spider Tour X. Not only does the Spider Tour X mark a departure to a more forgiving mallet from his blade, but it’s also the first putter Koepka has used in his career without a milled face.
Koepka went with the L-neck Spider Tour X, the same model Scottie Scheffler switched to in 2024 and has since won 14 PGA Tour titles and 16 events worldwide, including the American Express two weeks ago. The Spider was also the winningest putter family on the PGA Tour last season, racking up 13 victories during the FedEx Cup season by seven players.
Through 12 holes on Thursday, Koepka didn’t exactly seem like he’s found the same magic as Scheffler as he was four over for the day and losing two strokes on the greens, 119th in the 123-player field.
Former Super Eagles and Marseille defender Taye Taiwo has welcomed Tochukwu Nnadi to the French Ligue 1 side following the Nigerian midfielder’s move to the club.
Taiwo sent a video message to Nnadi, which was shared on Marseille’s official social media platforms. In the message, the former left-back congratulated the 22-year-old and encouraged him as he begins a new chapter in his career.
“Hi Nnadi congratulation brother. Welcome to Marseille you know I just want to say I wish you all the best and I will see you soon. You know say Naija no dey carry last. All the best brother. See you soon. Ciao. Yeah,” Taiwo said.
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Taiwo spent six successful years at Marseille between 2005 and 2011 and remains a respected figure at the club. His message was seen as a major show of support for Nnadi, who is joining one of France’s biggest teams.
Nnadi responded by thanking Taiwo for the kind words and said the message meant a lot to him.
“I’m just going to say thank you so much to Uncle Taiwo. This message means a lot to me and like he said Naija no dey carry last. So come on Naija,” the midfielder said.
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Nnadi, who was born in Ihiagwa, Imo State, completed his transfer to Marseille from Belgian Pro League side Zulte Waregem. He impressed in Belgium with his strong work rate, defensive qualities and ability to play in different midfield roles.
Marseille confirmed the signing on Monday, February 2, just hours before the winter transfer window closed.
The move highlights the growing presence of Nigerian players in Europe and creates a strong link between Nnadi and Taiwo, whose time at Marseille is still fondly remembered by the club’s supporters.
Jan 31, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The New York Knicks acquired guard Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for guard Dalen Terry and two second-round draft picks on Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
New Orleans also sent the draft rights for Latavious Williams to New York.
Alvarado, 27, is averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, 21.9 minutes and a career-high 2.8 rebounds in 41 games as a reserve this season. The native of Brooklyn, N.Y., posted career-high averages of 10.3 points, 4.6 assists and 24.4 minutes in 56 games (23 starts) last season with the Pelicans.
For his career, all with New Orleans since the 2021-22 campaign, Alvarado is averaging 8.1 points, 3.1 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 20.3 minutes in 268 regular-season games (34 starts).
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Terry, 23, was traded earlier from the Chicago Bulls to the Knicks for forward Guerschon Yabusele, 30.
Terry averaged 3.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 11.1 minutes in 34 games off the bench this season for the Bulls. His career averages in parts of four seasons are 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 11.1 minutes in 204 games (seven starts).
Chicago selected Terry with the 18th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Arizona.
Williams, 36, was picked in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Miami Heat but has never played in the NBA. He is currently playing for Al-Ittihad Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Super Eagles forward Terem Moffi has been tipped to make a bigger impact at FC Porto than Viktor Gyökeres has done at Sporting, following his winter move to the Portuguese giants.
Moffi joined FC Porto on loan from French club Nice during the January transfer window. The deal includes an option to buy, valued at eight million euros, with an additional 250,000 euros in bonuses.
The move followed a difficult period for the Nigerian striker in France, where he struggled for form and was affected by off-field issues, including an incident involving a group of fans targeting players.
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Speaking on Moffi’s character and development, former teammate Mindaugas Grigaravicius said the striker has the mindset and quality to succeed at the highest level. The two played together at Lithuanian club FK Riteriai, where Moffi joined at the age of 18 after leaving England.
Grigaravicius recalled that Moffi found life and football in Lithuania difficult at first but later proved his critics wrong.
“I lived with him for three weeks in a hotel, while the club looked for apartments for the players. I was the one who took him to training, we went for rides in the car and ate together,” he said.
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“He was a shy and quiet boy who didn’t speak at first. He didn’t show his emotions; he seemed like a boy who had come from Africa just chasing his dream of playing football. His first training sessions were terrible.”
He added that many people doubted Moffi’s ability in the early weeks.
“We were discussing amongst ourselves what he had come here to do, he couldn’t fit in or play. He was strong and tall, but he seemed weak, he lost every ball,” Grigaravicius said.
“After a month, we said he had no chance of staying… But he showed us how wrong we were.”
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According to Grigaravicius, Moffi’s improvement began when he accepted the physical and tactical demands of European football and put in extra work, especially in the gym and on the training ground.
“He had a complicated adaptation… He had to do extra work, and that’s where the progress began,” he said.
Once he settled, Moffi’s rise was rapid.
“He showed passion, power, a lot of strength… he crushed the defenders, he killed them! He started scoring a lot of goals,” Grigaravicius added.
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Looking ahead to Moffi’s time at FC Porto, Grigaravicius said the striker has everything needed to succeed in Portugal.
“At a big club like FC Porto, there’s no time for adaptation… he will surely be successful,” he said.
“In good form, with everyone’s confidence, he has no limits. He could be better than Gyökeres at Sporting.”
NEW DELHI: Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a stunning performance in the U-19 World Cup final on Friday, producing one of the most dominant innings ever seen at this level. Playing against England on the biggest stage, the young Indian opener showed remarkable composure and attacking intent from the very start.
Why this T20 World Cup could well see a 300 plus total | Will India create history?
Sooryavanshi reached his century in just 55 balls, making it the second-fastest hundred in U-19 World Cup history. Only Australia’s Will Malajczuk has scored a quicker ton in the tournament. He brought up his century with a single and then marked the moment with a calm and respectful celebration. After a brief roar, he removed his helmet and gloves, paused for a brief prayer, and applauded the dressing room.Watch:The Indian batter brought up his first fifty in 32 balls and then accelerated even further, scoring his next fifty in only 23 deliveries as England’s bowlers struggled to slow him down.He shared a rapid 142-run partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre, who contributed a steady half-century before getting out. Together, they completely took control of the final and pushed England onto the back foot.Sooryavanshi eventually fell for a breathtaking 175 off 80 balls, an innings filled with 15 fours and 15 sixes. His dismissal finally gave England a moment to regroup, as the scoring rate had made even an extremely high total seem possible.Despite missing out on a double century, the young prodigy walked off to a standing ovation. At the time of reporting, India have crossed 300 runs with over 15 overs left to play.
A wrestling veteran said that the former AEW World Champion, Chris Jericho could return to WWE in a non-wrestling role. The veteran believes that Y2J could join the Stamford-based promotion in an off-screen role.
Chris Jericho may not return to the WWE as a talent, according to the wrestling veteran, Dutch Mantell. Jericho last appeared on AEW TV back in April 2025. While he has been heavily rumored to be returning to the Sports Entertainment Juggernaut for months, Y2J is still listed on the official roster page of Tony Khan’s promotion.
Speaking on his Story Time podcast recently, Dutch Mantell assumed that Jericho may not return to the WWE as a talent, but could become a part of the promotion’s creative team instead:
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“Well, he may be in shape, but when people hear he’s 55-56, to me, he is an old guy in a young man’s game; it’s what he is. I don’t care how good he is, he is great. I’ve seen him do a lot of great stuff and he hits all the points. But at 55, and he’s not going back till next year, I would say there is a possibility that he doesn’t even go now, as a talent, let me say that. He may not go as a talent; he could go as a part of the creative team, but I don’t think he wants to do that.”
Why Did WWE Waste This Year’s Royal Rumble? Find Out!
Veteran believes Chris Jericho will end his wrestling career in WWE
The wrestling veteran, Jim Ross recently claimed that Chris Jericho wants to finish up his wrestling career in the WWE. Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross also recalled hiring Jericho to the Stamford-based promotion decades ago:
“I don’t think going to WWE is a matter over paychecks. I think he wants to end his career in wrestling in WWE. I hired Chris Jericho. Jerry Brisco and I had a couple of meetings as I recall to get him pointed in the right direction,” JR said.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Y2J.
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If taking quotes from this article’s first half, H/T ‘Sportskeeda Wrestling’ for transcription and credit ‘Story Time with Dutch Mantell on YT.’
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Canada’s chance of going undefeated in mixed doubles curling has come to an end at Milano Cortina 2026..
The husband-and-wife duo of Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant dropped their first match of the competition against the United States, 7-5, on Friday. The loss drops Canada’s record to 3-1.
Through the first six ends, not much separated the two rivals with the game tied 4-4.
But USA’s Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin (3-0) changed that in the seventh end while using their power play.
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Peterman was facing four U.S. stones while without hammer, and with no easy triple to limit the Americans from scoring a big end, she elected to try and freeze onto one of the rocks.
Keep up with Olympic mixed doubles curling
The Milano Cortina 2026 mixed doubles curling event runs Feb. 4-10. Follow along with the scores, standings and schedule on Sportsnet.ca
For seemingly the first time all week, Peterman was just a tad off, coming down heavy and bumping the U.S. stone, leaving an easy hit for Thiesse to score three to take a 7-4 lead.
The strong U.S. crowd, including Snoop Dogg, erupted, knowing how big of an end it was.
With no opportunity for Canada to score three in the eighth end on Peterman’s final shot, they shook in defeat.
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Peterman and Gallant will have the rest of the day off for the opening ceremony but will be back on the ice to play twice on Saturday. Canada meets Great Britain at 4:05 a.m. ET / 1:05 a.m. PT before facing Estonia at 1:05 p.m. ET / 10:05 a.m. PT.
Elsewhere in Draw 5, Italy beat Switzerland 12-4 and Great Britain beat Sweden 7-4.
The top four teams after nine round-robin games advance to the playoffs starting Monday.
At the 2022 Olympics, Canada’s pair of Rachel Homan and John Morris missed out on playoffs with a 5-4 record.
Consider how Minnesota has opted to beef up the front office, per Ian Rapoport: “The #Vikings are hiring Matt Thomas as a football administration consultant, per me and @TomPelissero, and he will assist the team through the 2026 NFL Draft. One of the most respected salary cap executives, Thomas spent 11 seasons as #Seahawks VP of Football Operations. He’ll allow interim GM Rob Brzezinski to focus on the big picture.”
Vikings Pivot from Inactivity, Hire Short-Term Help
Hiring Thomas is akin to signing a bridge starter at QB, someone to help in the immediate as the team looks for someone to fill the job for a long time. Onboarding the stopgap solution for the front office has generated some commentary within the Vikings chatter.
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Consider the word from Kevin Seifert of ESPN: “The Vikings have hired longtime NFL executive Matt Thomas as a football administration consultant through the draft. Thomas will work on cap/contracts with senior manager of football admin Emily Badis while EVP Rob Brzezinski focuses on his interim role leading the front office.”
And a follow-up from Seifert, who connects the dots: “Matt Thomas, who retired after the 2024 season, was a front office colleague of Rob Brzezinski when both were with the Miami Dolphins in 1998-99.”
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans perform the ÒSkolÓ prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Some thoughts based on the insight provided by Seifert.
Minnesota appears to be relying on an established relationship — the one that exists between Brzezinski and Thomas — to plug-in a veteran executive to help Minnesota navigate what is the busiest time of the year for the front office. Note, as well, that Rick Spielman used to work in Miami, further solidifying the idea that the Dolphins and Vikings have some connections at the executive level.
Worth noting, as well, that Thomas is coming out of retirement. The suggestion could be that Thomas is going to function as short-term help to grind through these unusually busy months. Maybe there could be a long-term job on the other end, but the likeliest scenario appears to be hiring someone for busy season before Thomas then gets to fade back into the luxury of retirement.
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The Seattle tidbit is similarly of note. Thomas is a cap guy, but do remember that he has worked from within a franchise that has drafted several excellent players recently.
From 2020 to 2023 (Thomas stepped away in 2024), the Seahawks have drafted linebacker Jordyn Brooks (1st — No. 27 in 2020), offensive tackle Charles Cross (1st — No. 9 in 2022), running back Kenneth Walker III (2nd — No. 41 in 2022), corner Devon Witherspoon (1st — No. 5 in 2023), receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1st — No. 20 in 2023), and running back Zach Charbonnet (2nd — No. 52 in 2023). Not an exhaustive list by any means, but a large enough sampling to underscore how several of Seattle’s best players are homegrown talents.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
In fairness, a lot of these drafted players got picked high, so it’s not like Seattle is snagging All Pro talents out of Day 3 of the draft. Still, there’s something to be said for not missing the layups.
How much further along would the Vikings be if the decision had to been to draft Kyle Hamilton, the All-Pro safety, instead of dropping twenty spots for Lewis Cine? At the time, the decision to snag the Notre Dame safety felt like a layup but the ball clanked off the rim.
One could arrive at a similar conclusion in opting for Dallas Turner instead of Jared Verse, though that’s not as bad of an outcome.
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In football, there’s so much competition that nailing the seemingly easy decisions is vital. Just as a quarterback needs to hit his open receiver (ahem, J.J. McCarthy), so does the front office need to avoid overthinking easy decisions. Take the surefire win and move on to the next battle.
Ideally, Matt Thomas will allow Rob Brzezinski do so. The former Seahawk can help on money matters as the fill-in at GM looks to welcome a hearty helping of high-end young fellas. Minnesota will have nine draft selections going into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on from the sideline during a matchup with the New York Giants, Dec 21, 2025, as Minnesota continued navigating the latter portion of the season. Adofo-Mensah, hired in 2022, has overseen the franchise’s roster construction and long-term vision following the departure of former general manager Rick Spielman. Mandatory Credit: VikingzFanPage–Twitter
After April, Minnesota’s ownership group will get going with the search for a new general manager. Rob Brzezinski will be in the mix. Other names to emerge include the Denver Broncos’ George Paton and the LA Rams’ Ray Farmer.
We’ll learn of others generating interest in a few months. In the meantime, Matt Thomas will shoulder some of the load within Minnesota’s front office.
WASHINGTON — Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in his first game since Halloween, Jakob Chychrun added a pair of goals and Washington beat Nashville.
Logan Thompson returned in goal from an injury of his own and made several sparkling saves, and the Capitals won for the fourth time in five games entering the Olympic break. Tom Wilson, who is on Canada’s roster for those Olympics, also scored for the Caps.
Jonathan Marchessault and Michael McCarron scored for Nashville, which had its five-game points streak snapped.
Dubois had no points in his first six games this season and underwent surgery on injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He hadn’t played since Oct. 31.
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Wilson opened the scoring for Washington, and then Dubois made it 2-0. The flashiest goal belonged to Chychrun, however. The defenceman left Nashville’s Tyson Jost behind with a 360-degree spin near the boards, then entered the offensive zone and scored.
TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots to improve to 16-0-1 in his past 17 games, helping the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 6-1 on Thursday night in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
Brandon Hagel, Oliver Bjporkstrand, Jake Guentzel, Erik Cernak, Pontus Holmberg and Zemgus Girgensons — who will all participate in the Olympic Games — scored for Tampa Bay. The Lightning are 19-1-1 in their last 21 games.
Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov extended his scoring streak to 10 games, his 13th career scoring streak of at least 10 games — which is tied for fifth in NHL history.
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Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers. Danil Tarasov finished with 20 saves for Florida before leaving due to injury in the third period. Sergei Bobrovsky finished the game for the Panthers, who played without regulars Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues. They all sat out after playing Wednesday against Boston.
NEW YORK — Rookie Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for his second shutout, Andrei Svechnikov gave Carolina an early lead in the first period and Carolina topped New York to extend its points streak to 10 games.
Jordan Staal scored into an empty net with 54 seconds left to seal it for the Hurricanes in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
The Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes are 8-0-2 since Jan. 16 and 12-1-3 since Jan. 4.
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Jonathan Quick made a season-high 41 saves for the Rangers, who were shut out for the ninth time this season and the seventh at home. New York has lost four in a row.
Svechnikov made it 1-0 game 6:26 into the first period on a wrist shot off an assist from Mark Jankowski. And Bussi, who has won his last seven starts, made that goal hold up.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Avery Hayes scored twice in his NHL debut, Arturs Silovs made 26 saves and Pittsburgh beat Buffalo in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
Called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League with the Penguins hit by a series of injuries, Hayes tied at 1 at 9:18 of the period on his first shot on goal. He raced to beat defenceman Jacob Bryson to the puck and put a wrister past goalie Alex Lyon.
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Hayes made it 2-1 with 1:13 left in the period, taking Anthony Mantha’s short, backward pass and knocking it in. He’s the third Penguins player to score twice in his NHL debut, joining Rob Brown (two goals on Oct. 21, 1987) and Jake Guentzel (two goals on Nov. 21, 2016).
Hayes has 13 goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season in the AHL. He made his NHL debut with Blake Lizotte out for the birth of his first child, Rickard Rakell nursing a lower-body injury and Noel Acciari sidelined by an illness.
NEWARK, N.J. — Bo Horvat broke a tie late in the third period and New York went into the Olympic break with a win over New Jersey.
Horvat went to his backhand off the draw, slipping the puck past goalie Jake Allen, with only 3:27 left to play. Casey Cizikas scored in the second period for the Islanders and Mathew Barzal scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for New York.
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Cizikas put the Islanders up 1-0 at 6:30 in the second period, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net. From behind the net, Allen sent the puck around the boards right to Marc Gatcomb while the Devils were in a line change. Gatcomb fired the puck to the slot, where Kyle MacLean got a stick on it, tipping it to Cizikas. Allen made the save on the first tip by Cizikas, but couldn’t control the rebound.
PHILADELPHIA — Tim Stutzle charged past Philadelphia defenceman Travis Sanheim and scored on a back-hand shot 47 seconds into overtime, giving Ottawa the win.
It was Stutzle’s 28th goal of the season. The Senators won their fifth game in six outings heading into the Olympic break.
Flyers defenceman Jamie Drysdale scored on a wrist shot from the left circle with 1:14 remaining in regulation.
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That came on only the 14th Philadelphia shot of the game against unexpected Ottawa starting goalie James Reimer.
Reimer, 37, was playing in his seventh game since signing with the Senators last month. Would-be Ottawa starter Linus Ullmark recently returned from a personal leave of absence, but he was a late scratch Thursday, reportedly due to illness.
Former Flyer Nick Cousins scored a second-period goal and Reimer made 15 saves for the Senators.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4, KINGS 1
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LAS VEGAS — Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and Vegas took control early by scoring four times on its first six shots for a victory over Los Angeles.
Vegas heads into the Olympic break with back-to-back victories after losing seven of eight games. The Kings have lost four of five.
Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Mitch Marner scored a goal for his 799th career point and Ivan Barbashev extended his points streak to five games with two assists.
Barbashev’s four-game goal streak, however, ended. Eichel extended his points streak to four games and now has 200 assists in a Golden Knights uniform.
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Vegas’ Adin Hill made 32 saves for his 100th career victory, his most stops since having 34 on March 15, 2025, against Buffalo.
Trevor Moore scored for the Kings and Anton Forsberg stopped 18 shots. Adrian Kempe’s eight-game points streak ended.
A Minnesota Vikings helmet rests along the sideline at Ralph Wilson Stadium during second-half preseason action on Aug 16, 2013, as Minnesota faced Buffalo in Orchard Park. The image reflects a quiet evaluation setting, with coaches using the contest to assess depth, execution, and roster-bubble decisions ahead of final cuts and the approaching regular season. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports.
The 2026 NFL Honors ceremony will unfold on Thursday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and one Minnesota Viking could take home some bacon: defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Flores’ case is built on results, and the Vikings’ defensive prowess gives him a credible path to the ACOTY trophy.
Flores is in the running for Assistant Coach of the Year, and with no clear frontrunner, the Vikings’ defensive boss could win the trophy.
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Flores Has a Real Case on Thursday Night
Is it Flores’s turn?
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores surveys the field late at U.S. Bank Stadium during fourth-quarter action on Jan 4, 2026, as Minnesota faced Green Bay. The image captures Flores’ sideline focus and situational awareness, reflecting in-game command as the defense adjusted alignments and pressure packages during a high-leverage divisional sequence. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Flores Up for ACOTY
Flores pulled down the nomination last month, and Yahoo Sports‘ Andrew Harbaugh wrote, “On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores agreed to a contract extension, despite him being in contention for several head coaching jobs. On Thursday, the prominent defensive mind earned another honor: AP Assistant Coach of the Year nominee.”
“Flores showcased himself once again in 2025 as he was able to make the Vikings one of the best and most feared defenses in the NFL. He also schemed and coached up the likes of Jalen Redmond, Eric Wilson, and Isaiah Rodgers, who had breakout seasons. The team remained one of the more aggressive defenses overall and was a main component of the team finishing the season on a five-game winning streak.”
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Now, it’s time to reveal the winner of the award, and it wouldn’t be weird one bit for Flores to earn the recognition.
The Contenders
Who’s Flores’ competition? Quite the field:
Vic Fangio | Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator
Brian Flores | Vikings defensive coordinator
Vance Joseph | Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator
Josh McDaniels | New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator
Kubiak and McDaniels will be spotlighted in the Super Bowl, perhaps giving them a bit of an advantage in the court of public opinion.
Flores was a runner-up last year, as well, to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who now leads the Chicago Bears as head coach.
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The Case for Flores
The case for Flores is straightforward. His defense performed marvelously, and in fact, propelled the Vikings to a winning record after the club started the season with a sad 4-8 record.
Over the last two seasons, for context, Minnesota has ranked first in the NFL per EPA/Play. In 2025 alone, Flores’s group pulled down the No. 3 ranking behind the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans.
Here’s the statistical skinny for Flores as ACOTY:
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores addresses reporters during a midweek media session on Dec 3, 2024, following a narrow win over Arizona. The moment reflects Flores’ analytical approach and communication style as he discussed defensive adjustments, player usage, and preparation details while shaping Minnesota’s evolving identity after the 23–22 result. Mandatory Credit: YouTube
Flores is now also handsomely paid, having recently secured the aforementioned $6 million-per-season extension. Our Janik Eckardt noted on the deal, “That number is eye-opening for an assistant coach. Most coordinators operate in the low-seven-figure range, which makes Flores’ deal closer to low-end head-coaching money than a typical defensive coordinator salary. In other words, Minnesota didn’t just keep him — they treated him like a franchise pillar.”
“Flores has earned every penny of his new contract, as he turned a subpar unit into one of the best in the business that can single-handedly carry a struggling offense to wins. After a one-year acclimation period in 2023, his squad has been among the league’s best over the last two years and there’s no reason to believe that it would change in the upcoming campaign.”
USA Today Picks Kubiak
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today predicted that former Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the current offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and presumptive next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, will win ACOTY.
He defended the prediction: “After a run of admittedly chalk picks, maybe there’s some mystery in the final few awards, which lack any consensus surrounding them. Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could be the pick here after leading the way for the NFL’s most fearsome pass rush, and Josh McDaniels did superlative work in positioning Maye and the rest of the Patriots’ offense to thrive despite some lingering personnel limitations.”
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“Kubiak, however, was at the controls for one of this year’s most impressive reworkings with Seattle’s offense, and the unit managed to pull off the high-wire act thanks to his guidance.”
New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak observes rookie minicamp drills at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on May 11, 2024, in New Orleans. The scene captures evaluation mode, with Kubiak tracking execution, tempo, and teaching points as young players worked through early installs and fundamentals in a controlled practice setting. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph took home the ACOTY award from the Pro Football Writers of America last month.
The race could truly bend in any direction, with Flores lurking as a possible winner. In February 2025, Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell took home the NFL Coach of the Year award for the 2024 season. It could be back-to-backers for the purple team.
