7:15 AM ET We’re just days away from embarking on a very different kind of NHL season, and it was fascinating to see how this year’s NHL Rank — our predictive ranking of the top 100 players for 2020-21 — played out. But it also got me thinking: How different will this list look in
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7:00 AM ET The NHL drops the puck on the 2021 season on Jan. 13, and things are going to look different. It’s not just the abridged 56-game season length and temporary divisional realignment. The league also instituted several new rules. There’s one big on-ice change, which could simplify one of hockey’s most controversial rules
6:09 AM ET Associated Press ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin reached the third round of the Abu Dhabi Open on Friday after her opponent Kirsten Flipkens injured her ankle and had to retire. Flipkens won the first set 7-5 and was 5-4 down in the second when she jumped
Former Australia skipper Steve Smith dismissed talk of a form slump but credited a more positive attitude after his battling century against India in Sydney on Friday. The 31-year-old reached three figures in a Test for the first time since 2019, smacking 131 for his 27th ton to help steer Australia to a first innings
4:00 AM ET It’s traditionally one of the most exciting dates in the English football calendar: the third round of the FA Cup, the oldest cup competition in the world, when the Premier League teams enter the fray. Upsets follow as lower-league teams are inspired by “the magic of the cup” to knock out more
2:44 AM ET Perhaps the most frightening thing about Luka Doncic is how far the Dallas Mavericks superstar is from a finished product. After Doncic’s spectacular performance in his first taste of the playoffs, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle predicted that the 21-year-old would add an element or two to his game during the offseason, saying
5:30 PM ET It’s hard to concoct a more perfect baseball union in 2021 than Francisco Lindor and Steve Cohen’s New York Mets. The team needs a long-term solution at shortstop, someone who plays high-end defense. Check. The Mets need more lineup balance. 2 Related Done. Lindor’s a switch-hitter who hits with power on both
10:38 PM ET Associated Press KAPALUA, Hawai’i — Justin Thomas kept bogeys off his card, thanks in part to Dustin Johnson‘s caddie, and birdied three of his last five holes Thursday for an 8-under 65 to share the lead with Harris English in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Thomas couldn’t have asked for a better
8:25 PM ET Lindsey ThiryESPN Close Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times Previously covered the Falcons Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — “Good” was the word at the Los Angeles Rams‘ practice facility Thursday when quarterback Jared Goff spoke with reporters for the first time
7:00 AM ET Fingers crossed that the 2021 MLB season will begin on time — and that we get to see some live baseball at the ballpark this year. As we wait, Buster Olney continues his annual ranking of the 10 best players at each position heading into the coming season, based on input from
7:19 PM ET By hiring former New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio to solve a large set of problems within the organization, the Houston Texans have created additional ones with star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson offered his input on potential general manager candidates, but the Texans neither considered nor consulted with those endorsed by their
5:56 PM ET Associated Press DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Tommy Paul made the most of his home-court advantage Thursday, sweeping Ji Sung Nam of South Korea 6-1, 6-4 in the first round at the Delray Beach Open. Paul, who lives in Delray Beach, came into the tournament seeded fifth and ranked a career-high No. 52.
7:11 PM ET UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan will seek the first defense of his 135-pound title when he meets Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259 on March 6, sources confirmed to ESPN. Both sides have agreed to the matchup, which was originally scheduled for UFC 256 on Dec. 12, but Yan was forced to withdraw
9:31 PM ET Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has spoken with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and is “pretty optimistic” the city is moving toward landing an expansion franchise to replace the SuperSonics. Silver said in a news conference last month that the NBA was dusting off its long dormant expansion consideration and had put more time
8:37 PM ET UFC fighter Irwin Rivera was arrested Thursday on two counts of attempted murder, according to an incident report obtained by ESPN. He was booked just after Noon local time after being apprehended by the Boynton Beach Police Department and is being held without bail, per online jail records. Boynton Beach Police Department
4:22 PM ET Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Thursday that his team is on track to play in the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T against No. 1 Alabama on Monday despite ongoing coronavirus issues. In his first comments since reports earlier in the week that there were discussions about possibly delaying
7:55 PM ET As Alabama prepares for Monday’s national championship game, multiple Crimson Tide players were honored with individual awards Thursday at the Home Depot College Football Awards. As expected, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith won the Fred Biletnikoff Award (best receiver), while quarterback Mac Jones (Davey O’Brien) and left tackle Alex Leatherwood (Outland) were
England’s Jonny Bairstow Thursday said the addition of South African great Jacques Kallis as batting consultant is a “fantastic addition” to their squad during the Sri Lanka tour. The 45-year-old Kallis has flown in from South Africa to join England for their two-Test series in Sri Lanka starting January 14. Bairstow, who is expected to