CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Adrian Autry has been fired as head basketball coach at Syracuse after three largely unsuccessful seasons.
The school announced the decision Wednesday, one day after the Orange lost 86-69 to SMU in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Syracuse lost its final six games and 12 of the last 15 under Autry to finish 15-17.
Autry was 49-48 over three seasons after replacing Jim Boeheim and failed to reach the NCAA Tournament.
“Adrian first came to Syracuse as a student-athlete in 1990, and this program has been a constant in his life ever since: as a player, assistant coach, associate head coach and ultimately as head coach,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a news release. “His dedication to our student-athletes on and off the court never wavered throughout his time here, and we are grateful for his service and commitment to Orange Basketball.”
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Autry said Tuesday after the loss that “ I didn’t get the results that we wanted.”
“It has been an honour to coach at my alma mater, ” Autry said in a statement Wednesday following the firing. “I want to thank Chancellor Syverud, John Wildhack, Jim Boeheim, my team and my staff for their support.”
The four-year Syracuse starter under Jim Boeheim and later his associate head coach took over for the retiring Hall of Famer in 2023, only to fail to gain any traction in carrying the program into its post-Boeheim era.
Last spring, Wildhack didn’t lay out specifically what Autry had to do to keep his job. He did, however, lay out clear expectations: “The goal of this program is we should be playing meaningful games in March.”
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Wildhack already has announced he is retiring in July, and replacing Autry will be among his final responsibilities. A national search will begin immediately.
Autry failed to get the Orange to March Madness, the place where Boeheim routinely led them while building a nationally relevant program. Instead, Syracuse finished with consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1968-69.
Going back to NCAA Tournament expansion to 64 teams in 1985, Syracuse won the 2003 championship, reached the finals in 1987 and 1996, reached two other Final Fours in 2013 and 2016, and reached the second weekend 11 other times under Boeheim. Yet this year marks the fifth straight season without a bid, continuing a string of mediocrity across Boeheim’s final two years at the helm.
Autry was 24-34 in league regular-season play in his three seasons.
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The Orange have lost 27 games by double-digit margins while managing just four Quadrant 1 wins that top a post-season résumé.
The nadir for Autry came on Feb. 16 with a 37-point loss to Duke, the Orange’s worst ACC loss since joining the conference 13 years ago and tied for the fifth-worst loss in program history. The game symbolized how far the program has drifted, with the Orange overwhelmed in talent and athleticism.
Autry seemingly had an improved roster heading into the season. He retained his two best players in J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman, while the transfer portal yielded a six-player haul that including ACC assists leader Naithan George. Syracuse also landed a quality recruiting class highlighted by consensus top-40 prospects Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony, son of 2003 title winner Carmelo Anthony.
But the team failed to find any consistency. A defensive intensity preached by Autry peaked in a win over Tennessee in early December, then vanished. The trademark 2-3 zone that once frustrated opponents had been replaced by a unit that too often looked disorganized and vulnerable. Stretches of that isolation offense, inconsistent guard play and limited interior toughness undermined late-game execution.
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Starling and Freeman, who missed nine games because of injury, mostly struggled. The Orange rarely played to maximum “Level 5” effort and too often had prolonged “dips” — words that became part of the Autry vernacular. Near-upsets of Houston and Kansas were followed later by inexplicable losses to Hofstra and Boston College.
As the program changed hands over to Autry in October 2023, he had preached Syracuse was striving to return to the “Orange Standard.”
“I think we all know where we want to be as a team, what we want to be as a program,” Autry said at his introductory news conference.
At the end of the Autry era, Syracuse stood the furthest it’s been from that standard in a long while.
The referee blows the final whistle and it’s level at half-time of this tie!
Not a vintage Arsenal performance but they have the result to take back to London, while Leverkusen put in a spirited display and may well feel hard done by to not come out with a win.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:39
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
It’s a good delivery…but there’s some holding and an Arsenal player is penalised.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:38
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A late corner for Arsenal. Can they steal the win from right under the noses of the hosts?
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:36
Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
A well-taken penalty from Havertz and Arsenal are right back in it. At this stage, you feel like they might just settle for the result.
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We’re into the first of three minutes of added time.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:34
GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal
Havertz steps up against his old club – he’s calm and collected as he slides it right into the corner past Blaswich!
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(REUTERS)
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:33
PENALTY! Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
It’s given! Perhaps a little soft but Tillman definitely catches Madueke and once it’s given, those can’t be reversed.
Havertz will step up to take it!
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:31
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
PENALTY! Finally something a little more direct from Arsenal, and they have a penalty for it!
Madueke skips in between the two defenders and he bursts into the box, and he’s clipped by Tillman!
It’ll go to a VAR check but the on-field call was a penalty.
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Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:30
Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
CLOSE! Arsenal go up the other end and Martinelli hangs up another good cross. Timber is there to meet it just a few yards out but he can only direct his header over the bar!
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:28
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
Another free-kick in a dangerous area for Leverkusen. Can they make something of another set-piece?
Garcia’s ball in looks like a tempting one but it has a little too much on it and nobody is there at the back post.
Chris Wilson11 March 2026 19:27
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Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Arsenal
Changes for both sides as Gabriel Jesus replaces Eze for Arsenal.
Leverkusen take off Terrier and Palacios for Fernandez and Hofmann.
With Crawford’s retirement taking a rematch off the table for Canelo, he has announced his return on a September card in Saudi Arabia, a fight that boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh says will come with a world title.
“For me, my goal right now is to fight Canelo because I was [the] long time number one WBC challenger. Number one challenger, number one on WBC for Canelo. Now I have to show that I am the number one of the division.”
Mbilli fought on the Canelo–Crawford undercard, drawing with Crawford stablemate Lester Martinez to retain the belt. The Cameroon-born Frenchman said, in the same interview, that he intends to rematch Martinez down the line.
The fight with Alvarez has little to no obstacles and plenty of weight behind it: Turki Alalshikh, Canelo’s good standing with the WBC and his number one ranking, and it being undoubtedly the most lucrative option for Mbilli. If the Mexican wants to test himself, the opportunity is there.
A PWHL official said Wednesday that there have been constructive conversations in potentially teaming with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators to secure its women’s hockey franchise a long-term future in the Canadian capital.
The discussions centre on the Ottawa Charge playing home games at the Senators’ arena, the Canadian Tire Centre, PWHL senior VP of business operations Amy Scheer told The Associated Press. The Charge’s future is in Ottawa is uncertain beyond this season due to the city going ahead with renovations that will reduce the team’s current home’s capacity by about 2,000 seats.
“We’ve got a long ways to go to figure out where we are for the future of Ottawa, but the relationship with the Senators has blossomed,” Scheer said during a video conference call.
She referred to Senators president and CEO Cyril Leeder as being “a gem to work with.” Scheer and league officials also met with Senators owner Michael Andlauer while attending the women’s tournament at the Milan Cortina Games last month.
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The PWHL has already established a partnership with the Senators, with the Charge scheduled to play Montreal at the Canadian Tire Centre on April 3.
“The game is selling really well, so hopefully that’s the first of a really positive road for us to skate down,” Scheer said.
The Senators did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
The Charge were one of the PWHL’s original six franchises, and have spent the first three seasons playing at the city’s centrally located TD Place, which is also home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s. The aging facility has a capacity of about 8,500 for hockey but the renovation will reduce seating to about 5,700, with an additional 900 standing-only spots.
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The PWHL said the cuts make it financially unfeasible to stay at the arena. The Charge averaged about 7,000 fans per outing over the first two seasons, with that number jumping to 7,225 over the team’s first nine home games this year.
Scheer previously said the league was exploring all options, including the possibility of relocation. “We will not go backwards,” Scheer said in November.
The PWHL expanded to eight teams this season, with plans underway to add 2-4 teams for next season.
The Senators’ home arena is located about a 40-minute drive outside of downtown. The team, however, is in the early planning stages of building a new home closer to downtown.
Il Etait Temps (5/2) landed a third Grade 1 for Willie Mullins on day two of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
The son of Jukebox Jury, ridden by Lisgoold, Co Cork-born Paul Townend, ran out an emphatic 10-length winner of the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase despite a final-fence error.
A faller on his previous start at Ascot on 17 January, the eight-year-old grey was back to form with this his seventh Grade 1 success.
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The British-trained pair of filled the places: Libberty Hunter was runner-up at 50/1, while L’Eau Du Sud was third at 13/2.
Seven G1s & counting for Il Etait Temps, including:
Majborough the 5/6 favourite, in the colours of J.P. McManus, could only finish in seventh place after some major jumping errors over the two-mile race.
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His defeat continues the poor record of odds-on favourites in the Champion Chase – he is now the 14th odds-on shot to taste defeat in the race this century.
Champion flat jockey Colin Keane gave Ireland a fifth winner on Ladies Day at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Keane and Noel Meade teamed up to win the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper – the final race on a seven-race programme – with The Mourne Rambler (15/2).
Owned by the Pollys, the five-year-old son of Well Chosen, raced to a two-and-three-quarter length success, on Keane’s first Cheltenham Festival ride.
English-trained horses filled the places as Mets Ta Ceinture (14/1) for Dan and Harry Skelton finished in the runner-up spot. Long time race leader, Bass Hunter (8/1), was a short-head further back in third place for Chris and Freddie Gordon.
Keane emulates his fellow Irishman Jamie Spencer as a flat jockey to win the Cheltenham bumper.
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Reacting to his win, the 31-year-old multiple Group 1-winning rider admitted:
“Turning for home I thought, if we got a bit of room [we could win] – the one thing he was going to do was stay, and he had a bit of pace. I though he’d be in the three then.
“The crowds are a different level to what we’re used to. I know Ascot would be busy, but this is some atmosphere here. It was brilliant.
“When Noel [Meade, winning trainer] rang me two weeks ago, it was an easy ‘Yes’ if I could get the licence sorted. I probably didn’t think enough of it, but it worked out well.”
The Baltimore Ravens’ sudden change from Maxx Crosby to Trey Hendrickson raised eyebrows across the NFL. The franchise agreed to acquire the Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher in exchange for two first-round picks on Saturday. However, the deal collapsed after Crosby reportedly failed his physical due to concerns tied to his torn meniscus that was surgically repaired in January.
The Ravens pivoted to the Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Hendrickson, reportdly agreeing to terms on a four-year, $112 million deal on Wednesday.
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Tom Brady’s former Patriots teammate, Ross Tucker, questioned the team’s motives.
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“If the Ravens end up signing Trey Hendrickson, that’s going to invite all kinds of speculation that they actually had buyer’s remorse with Maxx Crosby and that it wasn’t really a failed physical,” Tucker said on Wednesday on the “Ross Tucker Podcast.”
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“Now, the Ravens could argue, ‘We need an elite edge rusher. It’s critical to our defense. Max failed the physical. We got to get somebody available, but there’s also something to be said for we’re a couple days into free agency.’”
He also analyzed what could have been the franchise’s reason.
“Hendrickson’s market probably not what he thought it would be,” Tucker said.
“Did the Ravens maybe realize they could get a very good player for less money than Crosby and no first round picks and not coming off of a meniscus repair? That’s a distinct possibility. And that’s what we’re going to be screaming about if and only the Ravens sign Trey Hendrickson.”
Baltimore turned to Hendrickson just hours after it backed out of the Crosby trade. The canceled deal would have cost the team two first-round picks, while Hendrickson required only cap space.
Multiple doctors reviewed Maxx Crosby’s medicals before Ravens canceled the trade
The Baltimore Ravens’ decision to cancel their trade for Maxx Crosby was reportedly based on evaluations from several medical experts.
Multiple physicians reviewed the Raiders pass rusher’s MRI scans and conducted examinations before the team decided not to proceed with the deal. One of the doctors involved was Dallas Cowboys team physician Daniel Cooper, who previously performed surgery on Patrick Mahomes and Malik Nabers.
The Ravens were set to give up two first-round picks for Crosby. However, medical projections regarding his recovery from knee surgery led the team to halt the transaction.
The Cheltenham Festival is back and the 2026 edition promises to be action-packed before culminating in Friday’s Gold Cup with Inothewayurthinkin attempting to win the trophy for a second successive year.
St. Patrick’s Thursday looks set to follow in the footsteps of two fabulous days of racing with Willie Mullins’ Irish Gold Cup winner, Fact To File, the odds-on favourite to triumph in the Ryanair Chase (4.00pm). Also of note is another Mullins’ charge at Bambino Fever goes off in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle while Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel takes on the Jack Richards Novices’ Chase again but without last year’s winning jockey Rachael Blackmore.
(PA)
Following Lossiemouth’s victory in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday, Mullins continued his form when Il Etait Temps won the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The Irish trainer is now two for two from the champion races this year and looks set for a third victory on Thursday.
Find the latest Cheltenham offers and free bets with Independent Sport ready to provide daily coverage from the festival and get our free betting newsletter for the latest Cheltenham tips. Sign up here.
Our racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge will be at Cheltenham all week to share his thoughts, insights and tips. Plus legendary former jockey Ruby Walsh has shared his tips with Paddy Power.
Thursday 12 March – St Patrick’s Thursday
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1.20: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Bambino Fever
“Bambino Fever has an outstanding chance. She was beaten by Oldschool Outlaw at Naas, but improved markedly to win at Fairyhouse on her second start over hurdles. She was last year’s Champion Bumper winner, and she’s in very good form at home. I couldn’t oppose her.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Oldschool Outlaw (e/w)
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“There’s little to choose between the top two in the market on what they’ve achieved so far but the second favourite, Oldschool Outlaw is a much bigger price than Bambino Fever, whom she’s already beaten when they met at Naas in December. Of the Brits, La Conquiere looks the most interesting.”
2.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Sixmilebridge
“I really like Simmilebridge, who’s done nothing wrong over fences. He’s won all three starts over the larger obstacles, including the Scilly Isles at Sandown, where he beat Kala Conti impressively.”
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Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Ben Solo (e/w)
“I think there may be some value in Ben Solo. He’s a seven-year-old trained by Rebecca Curtis and is still feeling his way as he tries to establish himself over fences. He’s certainly shown ability, having won one of his four starts over the bigger obstacles, that coming over an extended 2m3f at Chepstow last November.”
2.40: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Wodhooh or Jade De Grugy
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“This looks between Wodhooh and Jade De Grugy, and I’m finding it hard to split them. I can’t see Wodhooh out of the first two, and Jade De Grugy is the only one I can see beating her. The rest will struggle to match that pair for pace, so I’ll be playing them in a reverse forecast.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Wodhooh
“She’s several pounds clear of the field on official ratings and I think last year’s Martin Pipe winner Wodhooh is still a half decent price at a shade of odds-on.”
3.20: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
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Ruby Walsh’s tip: Honesty Policy
“I can’t see a lot of pace on, and that may suit Honesty Policy, who has plenty of gears. If Gordon Elliott’s string starts firing, I’d be keen on this improving six-year-old. I loved his run at Ascot last time, and he’s a big player.
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Bob Olinger (e/w)
“Surely it’s only the fact that he’s now an 11-year-old that means Bob Olinger is a 15/2 chance for the staying hurdlers’ championship, as I write this. He is 4-4 at Cheltenham, three of those wins coming at the Festival.”
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4.00: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Fact To File
“Fact To File can avoid back luck, he should win. Impaire Et Passe could be the one to chase him home for a Willie Mullins 1-2, but I can’t see past Fact To File.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Fact To File
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“I’ve been praying that Willie Mullins would send Fact To File to this race and Gaelic Warrior to the Gold Cup and I’ve got my wish in that respect. I’m not saying that Fact To File can’t win a Gold Cup but I do think he is perfectly suited by this trip at a stiff track and on more or less any ground.”
4.40: Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Yeah Man
“I’m giving a shout to Yeah man for the Gavin Cromwell team. He ran in the Red Mills Hurdle to get his fifth qualifying run in after finishing second in a Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown. He’s off a higher mark in the UK, but on a going day, he’s a solid proposition.”
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Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Red Dirt Road (e/w)
“I’m prepared to take a chance here on a lightly raced nine-year-old who I’ve already tipped to no avail this season but I’m happy to hold my nerve and suggest a small each-way play on Red Dirt Road. He was my selection at Sandown in January, where he’d won a Grade 3 decisively last year. On this occasion, he led before going out like the proverbial light on ground described as heavy.”
5.20: Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145)
Ruby Walsh’s tip: Kim Roque
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“Kim Roque made the trip to Cheltenham on his first two starts for Joseph O’Brien. He then went to Leopardstown and ran well in the handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival. If the step up in trip brings about any improvement, he’s got a solid chance under John Gleeson.”
Jonathan Doidge’s tip: Gericault Roque (e/w)
“Only two of the last 10 favourites have won this and I’ll warn you, I’ve not backed the winner in that entire decade. I’m going to go with a sporting selection in Gericault Roque, who was third here in the Ultima in 2022 and went on to be third in Newbury’s Coral Gold Cup later that year.”
While there are debates to be had about the true value of a good captain, nobody argues against the need for strong leadership in general.
Whether it comes from one person or a group or people doesn’t matter; if you’ve got shining examples of what the coach and team want executed, you can establish a healthy direction for your team.
With that, the debates about who actually wears the coveted letter probably matter less than many think on the outside. Still, the choice does tell us something — mainly, who the organization sees as ‘The Guy,’ and I don’t just mean the coaches, but the offices above that too.
Today’s captains are still supposed to be those “shining examples,” but they’re more commonly franchise players now, the types who are going to be with the organization from start to finish (ideally), the types the team wants to present to their fans and the world as their face of the franchise. That means that some superstars are handed that letter young and meant to grow into it.
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We’re talking about it today because it’s a pivotal time of the season where leadership matters more (post-trade deadline and pre-playoffs), but also because if you look around Canada, the state of the captaincy is … unusual.
32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
World events, contract timing, flailing franchises and a few other reasons have taken what’s typically one of the few solid things about a team and put it on shaky ground.
So in the interest of keeping it democratic, let’s talk about all seven Canadian teams, their captaincies and the direction of the capital-C in Canada.
Backlund has one of the most impressive NHL careers that few outside Alberta appreciate. He’s played in parts of 18 seasons for a total of 1,130 games, and he’s about to hit 600 points, all with the Flames. But while he’s had eight head coaches, he’s only played under two captains: Jarome Iginla and Mark Giordano.
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With all due respect (so much!), he’s not on those guys’ level, and Backlund feels like a steward of the ‘C’ now. He turns 37 next week and has one more year under contract, but the Flames would love for their captain to provide more, from on-ice play to the ability to sell jerseys.
I’m sure they’d love to see Backlund carry them through to the better days, quietly and effectively (just like his career), but eventually they’re hoping the next Iginla comes their way in time for the new building, and the turnaround.
McDavid is Canadian hockey at this point, the heir apparent to Team Canada’s captaincy when Sidney Crosby is done. He checks every box of what you want your captain to be.
Some may say “but he hasn’t won” (because pretending the 4 Nations wasn’t a huge deal at the time is convenient for narratives), but that’s the problem, is that he feels that way too. He wants to win, has to win — and wants to do it in Edmonton.
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The problem there — much like another captain we’ll get to below — is that years of “going for it” have stripped the Oilers’ cupboards thin, and so it gets harder to win each year, and it’s tough to imagine him spinning his wheels in his early 30s for a retool, rebuild, re-anything. He has two years under contract after this one, but as has been written other places, he’s not going to leave Edmonton empty-handed were he to bolt, so it’s down to this year and next for the Oilers to figure it out.
The stakes are high in the games, and the Oilers have as good a shot as anyone in the Pacific. I’d never bet against McDavid. But that underlying pressure adds another layer that hasn’t really been there in the past.
This one is fun to write about, because really there’s nothing to see here. The Canadiens have a star-level captain who’s respected, defends and says all the right things.
He’s prime age, the rebuild has them closer to Cup contention than the lottery, and he’s not going anywhere. There’s really nothing to note here aside from “nailed it.”
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This one is different, isn’t it? In the wake of the Olympics and all the U.S. flag-waving and other things that stirred up particularly patriotic feelings in both Canada and the U.S., there was a bit of a weird tension between American captains and their fans.
Tkachuk was one of those guys handed the captaincy young with the expectation that he would grow into it, and you can’t question his commitment to his team between the whistles. These are great things. But no doubt people are aware of a few other things too, like his relationship with his brother in Florida, and of said brother’s recent comments to Brady about how there’s less pressure, taxes and snow down south.
Fans are aware that his contract is timed the same as McDavid’s and Auston Matthews’, which leaves him two seasons after this one. It’s also well established that final one is the “exit” season, as leaving as Mitch Marner did from Toronto is clearly a way to burn any goodwill fans would have for a departing player, and nobody wants to do that.
There’s just sort of an underlying vibe of “you know he lays it all on the line when he plays, but you wouldn’t be shocked if he did what brother Matthew did and asked to leave.” That guy would lay it on the line for whatever jersey he’s wearing.
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But the Sens have team control and want him to be their guy, of course. And he’s saying all the right things. In the end, the Sens want him to stay, their fans do too — the guy is a prime-aged physical star — and so they hope they can be competitive in the years ahead. After all, winning is the best way to hang on to players who want to win.
Toronto Maple Leafs:Auston Matthews (with Morgan Rielly and John Tavares)
I mentioned above that “there was a bit of a weird tension between American captains and their fans,” and, well, there’s only one other American captain: Matthews.
I’d argue that this captaincy situation has been shoved into “dire” pretty quick for the Leafs and their fans. They spent years with Matthews as the face of the franchise before finally giving him the ‘C,’ which he essentially was even when he wasn’t wearing it. Everyone looked to him to pull them through, he bore the brunt of the pressure, he was undeniably Their Guy. Suddenly though, you’ve got:
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• The aforementioned weird tension
• Matthews’ personal numbers in stark decline for the second straight season
• A team much closer to the lottery than playoff contention
• A guy with two more seasons on his contract, knowing the last one is a “move” season if it isn’t working
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With this season a write-off, that means the Leafs basically have one season — and you might say half of next season, not the whole thing — to show Matthews that they’ve got a direction that’s worth sticking around to be a part of. (Unless you think there’s a world in which he sticks around through a multi-year rebuild, which probably isn’t an outcome worth betting on.)
Even in decline, Matthews is a star, and it’s not impossible that with a long summer and a new coach, he’s got a few more elite seasons left. The Leafs badly want to capitalize on that talent, they want him around (for winning and ticket sales alike), and so the question becomes “how do they reposition the Leafs between today and next training camp in a way that allows them to compete again next season?” That’s just six months away.
If the Leafs can’t prove that they’ve got a direction by October, they won’t be any better off by December, which means next trade deadline could involve some big conversations. It’s go time for the front office, or Matthews could follow fellow (former) American captain Quinn Hughes down south.
Ah yes, Quinn Hughes. It would maybe make fans of the above teams feel better if they hadn’t just seen one of the world’s best players say “I like it here captaining a team in Canada, but not enough that if we’re bad I want to stick around and answer questions after losses for multiple years.”
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While the Canucks have not yet doled out the ‘C’ after losing their star captain, give them credit: they’ve only recently embarked very clearly on this rebuild, and it’s too early to say who’s going to be the figurehead of this new direction. They may give it to a proven vet who’s willing to stick around, but it’s possible the next great Canucks captain doesn’t even play on the team yet.
The Jets have gone with Team Dad type of captain, which is always a popular coach’s choice (less so management and those who want to sell jerseys). But Lowry is actually a very Canadian selection for captain: we tend to like a guy who does it the so-called right way, shows up to work every night and leads by example.
Sure, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor may play more, produce more and matter more — Josh Morrissey too — but you can’t teach their talent and you’re trying to get others to emulate the effort of Lowry.
It’s not the perfect scenario, having your leader play 14:33 a night. Maybe they’ll eventually do what the Leafs did with Tavares and Matthews, and hand it over to Scheifele or Morrissey.
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But for now, you can safely say there’s more stability with the Jets’ captaincy than some of these other situations mentioned above.
Undefeated and unassailable, why Lossiemouth is undoubtedly a Cheltenham legend
The Cheltenham Festival roared back into the public consciousness with a sensational opening day that saw Lossiemouth, and jockey Paul Townend, claim the Champion Hurdle spoils in the latest act of glory for this legendary horse.
The Willie Mullins-trained mare, famed for her grey coat, headlined the first champion race of the four-day festival and was a class above the rest of the field.
And that is saying something, as the race featured previous Cheltenham winners Golden Ace and Poniros, as well as Dan Skelton’s favoured The New Lion, who hoped to threaten but failed to make his move early enough.
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Lossiemouth was only confirmed for the race at the weekend but quickly became the pre-race favourite and set off at 7/5 odds to the full backing of a packed grandstand. However, there remained a question over her quality and whether she could handle a competitive champion race, having only previously won novice and mares hurdles here.
Read Michael Jones’s full day one report from Cheltenham:
Luke Baker11 March 2026 08:47
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Ladies Day returns to Cheltenham as organisers try to win back punters after lowest attendance in 30 years
Ladies Day returns to Cheltenham Festival today after a five-year hiatus, with bosses targeting an upsurge in numbers on the lowest-attended day of the week-long event.
Chief executive Guy Lavender, appointed last year, has not commented on the “woke” jibes that were triggered when the day was later resold as the unisex Style Wednesday in 2024.
But after falling to its lowest attendance last year in 30 years, he conceded it was the day with the “most opportunity for growth”.
So last year, following a review, The Jockey Club, which owns the racecourse, decided revive Ladies Day – and figures released on the eve of the event suggest it was a good move.
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Luke Baker11 March 2026 08:33
Cheltenham Festival 2026 race card, start times and full four-day schedule
The Cheltenham Festival is back as the National Hunt jump racing season gathers pace with the four-day bonanza of horseracing goodness one of the highlights of the sport’s calendar.
The Festival began with Champion Day yesterday before Ladies Day today and then St Patrick’s Thursday, with Gold Cup Day bringing the event to a close on Friday.
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Here’s everything you need to know:
Luke Baker11 March 2026 08:28
Cheltenham Festival 2026
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
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After a fascinating opening day, it’s time for day two as Ladies Day makes its return to Prestbury Park
