Sports
The German who recovered from a stroke to seal Olympic first
A little tired but with a smile on her face, Kathrin Marchand arrives for her first training session of the day. Together with her rowing partner Valentin Luz, the para-athlete will spend the first few hours of the day on the water in a double scull. A few quick stretches, and then they’re off.
“Five years ago, I never would have thought I’d be rowing this much again,” Marchand told DW. “I consider it a privilege that I can still compete at the elite level.”
Now 35, Marchand made her Olympic debut in 2012 in London as part of the German women’s eight. Four years later, she competed for the second time at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
After the Olympics in Brazil, Marchand ended her sporting career, completed her medical degree and then began working as a doctor in 2018 — until a stroke in 2021 turned her life upside-down.
During an indoor cycling class, the left side of her body suddenly went numb, she recalled. “I didn’t immediately think of a stroke back then because I was simply far too young. I was 30 years old and had no preexisting conditions,” she said.
Marchand didn’t call an ambulance until an hour after the incident. An MRI scan at the hospital then confirmed the stroke. “In that moment, you think: ‘What did I do to deserve this?’”
Adjusting to a new reality
The medical bolt from the blue changed the young doctor’s life. Since then, Marchand has had problems with concentration and forgetfulness, and difficulty orienting herself, as well as a limited field of vision. It has taken her a long time to get used to her new reality and come to terms with her limitations.
“It’s really hard when you’re suddenly torn away from your everyday life,” she said. “I’ll never be healthy again. I’ve learned that the body isn’t a machine, even if I sometimes wish it were.”
The stroke has meant she has had to scale back on a number of fronts. “I have to lower my standards. I set fewer goals for myself, but I’ve also learned not to be quite so hard on myself.”
But Marchand is determined to make the best of her situation. “I’ve changed my perspective. Of course my limitations annoy me, but in the end, it comes down to how you deal with them.”
From Rio to Paris and Olympics to Paralympics
Just a few months after her stroke, Marchand was back in a rowing boat — this time, however, as a para-athlete. “Sports teach you a lot about how to cope with negative events. A sports career isn’t always smooth sailing, there are some lows but also positives,” she said.
Marchand didn’t have to wait long for her first successes in her “new” discipline. She won her first medals at the European and World Championships and also qualified for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, where she took fourth place in the German mixed four-person boat.
“I used to have nothing to do with para sports and had no connection to it at all,” said Marchand.
“But then I spoke with para-athletes and started looking into it. I went to my first training session and it was absolutely wonderful. Everyone there had a disability, and then you see: ‘Hey, having a disability isn’t so bad.’ It was a totally positive experience.”
Marchand makes sporting history
After several years competing in summer Paralympic sports, Marchand took it a step further with a new challenge: para cross-country skiing. Her first winter training sessions on the narrow skis weren’t easy, but she adapted to such an extent she qualified for the Milan-Cortina Games earlier this year.
In doing so, she became the first athlete in history to have competed in the Summer Olympics, the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics.
Since then, Marchand’s profile has grown. She has become a public figure in Germany — and wants to use that to encourage others facing similar challenges.
“I’m just living my life and find it amazing when I can inspire other people or serve as a role model,” she said. “I’m always happy when I get messages saying, ‘Hey, we love what you’re doing, and it’s helped us get through a difficult time.’”
Aiming for 2028 Paralympic medal
Marchand tries to wring as much from her own life as possible, and believes that “in the end, the stroke has given me more than it has taken away.” She admits that often sounds strange to other people.
“I used to be healthy, and now I’m sick. Why would anyone want to be sick when they can be healthy?”
Her explanation is simple: “Before the stroke, my life was much more stressful; I worked a lot and took much less joy in the things I did.”
It’s sad to admit to that, she said. “I could have turned my life around before, but I didn’t. It’s a shame that it takes a moment of fate to realize so many things.”
Today, Marchand is content with her life and knows her limits. Nevertheless, she has set herself a major goal at the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028, where she hopes to finally win her first Paralympic medal in the para-rowing boat.
This article was originally written in German.
For the first time in seven years, it feels like the Minnesota Vikings are on the brink of drafting a rookie running back in the first four rounds or so of the NFL draft — and all the hints are pointing at Nebraska tailback Emmett Johnson.
Johnson has become one of the cleaner RB matches for Minnesota.
Of course, like every prospect, Johnson is not a shoo-in to turn purple, but the evidence is stronger for him than for any other rookie runner.
Several Vikings Clues Keep Pointing toward Emmett Johnson
The Vikings have four picks in the Top 100 next week. Johnson may be one of them.
The “College Production” Theory
Here’s a newsflash: the Vikings need to draft good players. They haven’t really done that in the last four years, outside of a few notable exceptions.
Therefore, according to ESPN, Minnesota may be prioritizing college production over age and youthful unknowns. Matt Miller wrote last weekend, “The Vikings must hit at a higher rate on Day 2 picks, and with that in mind, I’ve heard the team will target players with higher college production over potential or traits.”
Johnson played over 40 games at Nebraska and will be a 23-year-old rookie during the regular season. He emphatically checks the production box ESPN described.
The Hometown Angle
You know the high school that Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald attended? Holy Angels in Richfield. That’s where Johnson went before taking the plunge at Nebraska.
The Vikings and their fans always love a hometown story — see: Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham — and Johnson fits the criteria. He was named Minnesota Mr. Football in 2021.
From Johnson’s Lips to God’s Ear
What’s more, Johnson wouldn’t mind being a Viking. He said so. Johnson told NBC Sports about his meeting with the Vikings’ coaches in February, “Hey, man, it would mean a lot. I grew up in the inner city. I lived about 10-15 minutes from U.S. Bank Stadium. I had a great formal meeting with them and Kevin O’Connell. I would love to go back home.”
Of course, Johnson doesn’t control where he’ll be drafted, but if Minnesota knows he wants to return home, the temptation to draft him heightens. Why not fire up a hometown angle with Thielen and Ham freshly retired? Nobody would hate it, especially not Johnson personally.
The Pre-Draft Visit
The Vikings don’t meet with every running back. But they met with Johnson.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted Monday, “Source: Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson concluded a 30-visit with the Vikings. Johnson ran for 1,451 yards and 15 total TDs last season en route to 1st-Team All-American honors for the Cornhuskers. He is considered a likely top-100 pick.”
If you’re keeping score at home, that’s two meetings with Johnson for the Vikings: one at the Combine and one formal Top 30 visit. They’re clearly intrigued.
Zone Coverage‘s Trevor Ripley noted on Johnson last month, “Minnesota could get the falling star at a reasonable pick. Johnson’s primary role in the NFL may be as a receiving back; he’ll need to greatly improve his pass protection to garner a bigger role.”
“But Johnson’s 251 carries this past season at 5.8 yards per clip are strong signs he can work up to an every-down back. Interestingly enough, many have compared him to Kenneth Gainwell, a free agent who many Vikings fans were eager to bring aboard before he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson has proven to be a workhorse, something the Vikings became accustomed to with Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook. The good thing is he won’t have to be, at least initially.
The Need for a Rookie RB
Since 2017, Minnesota has drafted four running backs:
- Dalvin Cook
- Alexander Mattison
- Ty Chandler
- DeWayne McBride
Cook succeeded and then some, completing six successful seasons in Minnesota before falling off a cliff with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Mattison came aboard in 2019, serving as an adept RB2 for five seasons but not much more.
Chandler was an RB3, and McBride didn’t last long.
Under O’Connell, the Vikings’ rushing offense has never hit a groove, preferring the friendly confines of a pass-happy attack, fitting for a former quarterback like O’Connell. It’s time to change that, though, and especially with youth. Aaron Jones will turn 32 in December, and Jordan Mason will be 27 next month. Both men are scheduled to become free agents in 2027.
The Vikings need a rookie running back who can take the RB1 baton in 2027. Why not Johnson?
Two 3rd-Round Picks in Johnson Territory
Perhaps the most convincing evidence, Minnesota has two picks in Round 3, also known as prime territory for Johnson.
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has his organic 82nd pick, in addition to the 97th, a compensatory selection for Sam Darnold’s free-agent exit last year. For now, Johnson is considered the 106th-best player in the draft, according to the Consensus Big Board, so Minnesota will have two reasonable chances to draft him in Round 3 if it’s in the mood.
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Team USA star Ilona Maher is not happy with her alma mater, Quinnipiac University, after their recent decision regarding their women’s rugby team.
The university released a statement on Tuesday, stating a realignment of their athletics program “to support long-term competitive, financial, and Title IX objectives.” Within the statement, the women’s rugby team is transitioning from a varsity team to a club team “at the conclusion of the current competitive cycle.”
“These decisions are never easy, but they are essential to ensuring that Quinnipiac Athletics remains equitable, competitive, and sustainable for the long term,” athletic director Greg Amodio said in the statement.
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Ilona Maher of the USA looks on during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A match between the USA and Australia at York Community Stadium in York, England, on Aug. 30, 2025. (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Quinnipiac’s transition of the women’s rugby team “follows a holistic assessment that incorporates competitive sustainability, national participation trends, resource allocation, and gender equity impacts,” according to the statement.
No matter the case, Maher is furious, and she went public with it on social media.
“Shame on you,” she posted to her Instagram Stories while tagging the school and the athletics page with a screenshot of the statement showcasing the decision.
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Then, Maher posted a text chain she had with an unknown recipient, where she asked if “girls will lose scholarships and everything.”
“Yes,” the other line responded. “None of them can afford to stay. I have two athletes who have no parents. They have nowhere to go if they aren’t at QU. I can’t believe this happened.”
The statement adds the university will “redirect varsity level resources to programs with greater long-term stability and strategic alignment,” which would confirm this text chain about scholarships for the women in the program.
Ilona Maher is seen before the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game between UCLA and South Carolina at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on April 5, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“This action is in no way meant to diminish the dedication, effort or ability of these fine student athletes, coaches and alumni,” Amodio added. “They have contributed greatly to Quinnipiac Athletics and to the vitality and history of the University.”
The Bobcats are also adding a men’s indoor and outdoor distance running program to their existing track and field squad as part of this new realignment. The university viewed it as a “high impact opportunity” to advance “both competitive and gender equity objectives” for the athletics program.
“Athletics will coordinate with Campus Recreation to ensure women’s rugby remains a well-resources and organized club program and will work closely with students to ensure a smooth and respectful transition,” the statement continued.
Maher, 29, was recruited to join the Bobcats’ women’s rugby team after playing at Norwich University — her first year ever playing the game. Maher’s father, Michael, encouraged her to try it after she grew tired of softball.
Ilona Maher of the United States plays during the Women’s Rugby World Cup match against Samoa at LNER Community Stadium in York on Sept. 6, 2025. (Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto)
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Maher helped Quinnipiac win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association championships, and she was named to the NIRA All-American team all three of those years. She was also given the MA Sorensen Award as the country’s top collegiate women’s player in 2017.
In 2024, Maher was a key piece in helping Team USA’s women’s rugby team secure the country’s first-ever medal in the sport, winning bronze over Australia.
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Coverage of the 90th Masters was spread across broadcast networks and streaming, but Sunday’s final round belonged to CBS and Paramount+, with Jim Nantz on the call.
Over the decades, the network has polished its Masters coverage into what is largely viewed as golf broadcasting’s gold standard. Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of a rare repeat at historic Augusta National drew criticism from some viewers as apparent broadcast errors surfaced.
After McIlroy’s second shot on the 18th hole, cameras lost track of the ball as it landed in the woods right of the fairway. That was one of several shots in which tracers seemed to have difficulty keeping up with as a ball was in flight. CBS, according to reports, uses a brief tape delay for some shots rather than broadcasting every moment in real time.
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A general view of the 16th hole during a practice round before the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 6, 2026. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
PGA Tour golfer Kevin Kisner, who served as a guest analyst during SiriusXM’s coverage of Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds, was among those who questioned CBS’ approach to this year’s Masters during an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Fore Play Golf” podcast.
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“I was so f—ing confused the entire time by trying to keep up with the behind-the-scenes CBS feed,” Kisner said. “They’re literally showing s—t that I knew happened ten minutes ago all day long. It was so bad that I in fact text Colt Knost during the show and said, ‘do you all ever show a live shot?’ I’m better off following the f—ing app than following your feed.”
Kevin Kisner lines up his putt on the 9th hole during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament in Silvis, Illinois, on July 3, 2025. (Marc Lebryk/Imagn Images)
Kisner compared the viewing experience — which he described as out of sync — to major events like the Super Bowl.
“So your entire Masters coverage is a fantasy world. It’s bulls—. Whatever we all watch has already happened seven minutes ago. Could you imagine watching the f—ing Super Bowl and being like, ‘yea Tom Brady threw that touchdown seven minutes ago, we’re going to act like it’s live here so our announcers can sound really smart and we’re going to sit here and he’s going to throw it wide open down the middle but it actually happened seven minutes ago and everyone in the stadium’s taking a p—. What are we doing, man?”
NFL games feature several built-in commercial breaks, while the Masters has limited commercial interruption as multiple players hit shots simultaneously across the course.
A general view of the leaderboard as patrons walk the course during a practice round before the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 6, 2026. (Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
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ESPN hold the rights to this season’s next scheduled major, the PGA Championship, which begins next month at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
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Ademola Lookman was the hero on Tuesday night as Atlético Madrid secured a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with a 3–2 aggregate victory over FC Barcelona.
Despite suffering a 2–1 defeat in the second leg, Atlético advanced thanks to Lookman’s decisive first-half goal, which ultimately proved the difference over the two legs. The result marks Atlético’s first appearance in the semi-finals since the 2016–17 campaign.
The Nigerian international continues to make his mark in Europe, moving into third place among Nigeria’s all-time top scorers in the competition with eight goals—behind Obafemi Martins (9) and Victor Osimhen (16).
Barcelona made a blistering start at home, taking the lead just four minutes into the contest through Lamine Yamal. The hosts continued to press and found a second goal in the 24th minute when Ferran Torres curled a fine effort into the top corner to level the tie on aggregate.
Atlético, however, responded with composure. In the 31st minute, Marcos Llorente led a swift counterattack and delivered a precise pass to Lookman, who calmly slotted home to restore Atlético’s aggregate advantage.
Barcelona thought they had pulled level again in the 55th minute when Torres found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Lookman was later substituted in the 66th minute, with Nicolás González coming on in his place, while Atlético also introduced Álex Baena. Barcelona responded with attacking changes, bringing on Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski in a bid to rescue the tie.
The home side’s hopes suffered a major setback in the 80th minute when Eric García was shown a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after bringing down Alexander Sørloth.
With the numerical advantage, Atlético managed the closing stages effectively, holding firm under late pressure to eliminate Barcelona and book their place in the final four.
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Sergio Garcia posted an apology to social media on Tuesday for taking his anger out on the second tee box during the final round of the Masters.
Garcia, 46, hit a shot into the bunker on the second hole and took out his anger on the box, shattering his driver after slamming it into the turf twice and taking chunks out of the ground. He then took another swing at a table with a green cooler.
The 2017 Masters champion said he regrets the way he acted.
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Sergio Garcia of Spain reacts on the 18th green during the first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 9, 2026. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
“I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday at The Masters tournament. I respect and value everything that The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club is to Golf. I regret the way I acted and it has no place in our game. It doesn’t reflect the respect and appreciation I have for The Masters, the patrons, tournament officials and golf fans around the world,” Garcia posted to X.
The apology comes after he was highly criticized for his actions, including an ESPN star calling for him to be banned from the tournament for his actions.
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Sergio Garcia of Spain finishes his first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP)
According to club officials Garcia was issued a code of conduct warning on the fourth tee by Geoff Yang, the chairman of the competitions committee. Garcia, who competes in LIV Golf, finished 8 over for the tournament, finishing 52nd out of 54 players who made the cut.
Since winning the Masters, Garcia has struggled mightily in majors. He has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors since winning at Augusta in 2017, and has missed the cut six of eight times since his victory.
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Sergio Garcia lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Apr. 9, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
Garcia’s Masters blowup was not his first at a tournament, as he was disqualified at the Saudi International in 2019 for damaging greens.
Last year during the final round of the Open Championship, he snapped his driver after slamming it into the ground on the second hole, playing 16 holes without a driver.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.
However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
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Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.
They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.
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The newest member of the Indiana Fever, Raven Johnson, who the team took with the 10th overall pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday, will join forces with Caitlin Clark after a tensely competitive moment between the two many years ago.
In the 2023 NCAA women’s Final Four, Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes met Johnson’s South Carolina Gamecocks. During that game, there was a moment when Clark was supposed to be guarding Johnson, but Clark waved Johnson off to double-team another South Carolina player.
The clip of Clark waving off Johnson ended up going viral, and Johnson later said it resulted in online mockery against her.
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Apr 7, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball past South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) in the finals of the Final Four of the women’s 2024 NCAA Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. (Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports)
“I was all over the internet,” Johnson said on the “I AM NEXT” podcast in March. “That’s one reason I hate the internet now, because of that situation. I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things I wasn’t, aka like a monkey and things like that, and I just think I wanted to quit basketball at that time, and I just wanted to go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.”
Still, Johnson appears excited to now be on the same side as Clark.
After Johnson was drafted by the Fever on Monday, she said Clark is the teammate she’s most excited to play with in the pros.
Raven Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the first half during the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“Caitlin Clark,” Johnson said immediately when asked by Overtime WBB which new teammate she’s most excited to play with. “… She’s a phenomenal player, with the things she does, it’s bar standard. She can shoot the ball, she can lead a team, and they win. She has a winning mentality, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”
The Fever have solidified their roster going into the 2026 season as a true championship contender.
The team recently re-signed key players Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham, while adding veteran Monique Billings in free agency.
The Fever have the fourth-best odds to win the WNBA title in 2026 behind the Minnesota Lynx, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.
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Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives up court past South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, left, during the first half of the Final Four college basketball championship game in the women’s NCAA Tournament, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
The Fever’s season ended in 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals last year.
With Clark returning from injury, their core intact and at least one new addition, Indiana is looking to finish the job.
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Ousmane Dembélé scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Liverpool FC 2-0 at Anfield on Tuesday night to seal a 4-0 aggregate win and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
The holders were in control of the tie and did not need to be at their very best to see off the English champions, booking a place in the last four for the third straight season.
Liverpool’s night was made worse by an injury to Hugo Ekitike, who was forced off in the first half with what looked like a serious leg problem. The injury could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Manager Arne Slot made a bold decision by leaving Mohamed Salah on the bench at the start, with Alexander Isak leading the attack. However, Salah came on early after Ekitike’s injury.
Liverpool had a few chances to score. Matvey Safonov made a fine save, while Marquinhos produced a strong block to deny Virgil van Dijk.
PSG also missed chances in the first half, with Dembélé and others unable to find the net. Giorgi Mamardashvili made a good recovery to stop one effort, while Dembélé fired over from close range.
Liverpool thought they had a chance to get back into the game when a penalty was awarded for a foul by Willian Pacho on Alexis Mac Allister, but VAR overturned the decision.
As Liverpool pushed forward late on, PSG struck on the counter. Dembélé opened the scoring in the 72nd minute with a fine left-footed finish from outside the box.
He then added his second goal in stoppage time, finishing calmly from a cross by Bradley Barcola to complete a comfortable win.
PSG will now face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the semi-finals as they aim to defend their Champions League title.
VANCOUVER — When Adam Foote was announced as the 22nd head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on May 14, 2025, his inherited team was at a bit of a crossroads.
Former head coach Rick Tocchet chose to depart Vancouver just one season removed from leading the team to a Pacific Division title, the Canucks had just missed the playoffs by several points and a non-insignificant chunk of the season was characterized by palpable tension between two highly paid star players.
Of course, Quinn Hughes was still the captain and the prevailing hope was that 2024-25 was enough of an outlier that it could convince the franchise defenceman to remain in Vancouver. There was a lot riding on the season — anything less than success would mean the end of this era of Canucks hockey as we knew it.
Eleven months later, well, we know how this story ends.
The Canucks are playing their final home game of the 2025-26 season Tuesday night, nearing a merciful end to a tumultuous year that’s seen one of the worst records in franchise history (20-48-8), the worst home-ice record in franchise history (just eight wins) and their best defenceman in franchise history departing for greener pastures. The only silver lining of this season is likely still ahead, at the May 5 draft lottery, where their odds of winning the first-overall pick sit at 25.5 per cent.
Coaches have been fired for less. In fact, it’s happened multiple times this year. The New York Islanders fired Patrick Roy earlier this month as they pushed for the post-season and the playoff-bound Vegas Golden Knights dismissed Bruce Cassidy, their Stanley Cup-winning coach, in favour of John Tortorella, at the end of March. In 320 games behind the Golden Knights’ bench, Cassidy had a .600 winning percentage, but lost seven of the 10 games leading up to his firing.
It’s the nature of NHL coaching, to an extent. Job security is contingent on winning and when that’s not happening, nobody is safe — not Stanley Cup winners, and least of all the bench boss of a team that entered the year with playoff aspirations and instead will finish last in the league.
So, given the way this year has played out, does Foote feel the heat?
“People are aware of what happens (around the league),” Foote said before Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, Sportsnet, Sportsnet+).
“I don’t think about that. I think about the now. We’re playing hockey, we have L.A. tonight. That’s just noise that’s not in my control. I control what I do here every day and that’s how I played, that’s how I was raised, that’s how I come to work.
“I’ll let the players, the game, the way they play, the way they carry themselves, others talk about that,” he continued when asked if he believes he’s done enough to show the organization he’s their guy going forward. “I’m not going to defend myself to some noise, or things that I can’t control.”
In fairness to Foote, some of the Canucks’ early-season struggles weren’t entirely in his control.
Injuries up and down the lineup, particularly to their centremen, meant their ability to generate offence suffered significantly and by the time the Canucks could play at full-strength, it already felt too late.
Granted, their play — particularly on home ice — wasn’t doing them any favours and with just eight wins at Rogers Arena this season, Foote and his players understand the importance of capping their home schedule with some success.
“If we can at least go out on a high note, and get a win for (the fans) that would be awesome, so we’re going to try to keep this thing rolling,” forward Brock Boeser said. “It’s been a rough year at home. We’ve talked about that a lot, so we’ve got to make sure we have the right mindset going into tonight.”
“We haven’t been able to take care of business at home,” added Aatu Raty. “We’re going to give a really hard effort today and give ourselves a good chance to win.”
As for Foote, any talk of home-ice failures or conjecture over his future won’t change the way he approaches their final home game. For him, the preparation for Game 81 looks much the same to that of Game 1.
“Every game we want to win,” Foote said. “We’re approaching it the same way as we always do.
“We play the game the same way, you prepare the same way. There are things in your control that you grind out, and just do your job. I wouldn’t approach this any different than if it was that we had to win for a playoff spot. … My brain doesn’t go to places where the noise is. I just stay focused on my task, my job and my role. It’s all you can control.”
Former England midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has retired from playing and will take over as manager of third-tier United Arab Emirates side Arabian Falcons FC.
The 34-year-old had been playing for the Dubai club, who were formed in 2023, since September – alongside ex-Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison.
Former Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon is the club’s co-owner and head of football operations.
Shelvey, who played for Liverpool and Newcastle among others, made headlines earlier this season when he told BBC Sport: “I don’t want my children growing up in England any more.
“We’re very lucky that we lived in a nice part of the UK but where I’m from, originally, you can’t have nice things in my opinion.”
A documentary will follow Shelvey trying to lead Arabian Falcons to promotion in the final five games of the season.
He said: “My ambition is to climb to the very top of management and this is the perfect project to prove myself and what I’m capable of.”
Shelvey started his playing career at Charlton Athletic and played in the top flight for Liverpool, Swansea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
He also featured for Blackpool, on loan, Turkish sides Caykur Rizespor and Eyupspor and briefly Burnley before moving to the UAE.
Shelvey won six caps for England, in 2012 and 2016 – all under Roy Hodgson.
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