8:13 PM ET The NHL has revised a COVID-19 protocol on arena access just one day after it was established, following emphatic protests from the players. On Wednesday night, the NHL sent a memo to all of its teams and COVID-19 compliance officers that detailed a handful of new safety protocols. The additional measures came
9:54 PM ET Associated Press The NHL has postponed the Colorado Avalanche‘s games through Feb. 11. Colorado becomes the fifth team shut down, joining Vegas, New Jersey, Buffalo and Minnesota. Dallas and Carolina were put on pause in January because of outbreaks. The Avalanche currently have two players on the league’s COVID-19 list: captain Gabriel
10:18 PM ET Nick Kyrgios‘ Australian Open preparation has ground to a halt after losing to Croatia’s Borna Coric in his warm-up event at Melbourne Park and engaging in a expletive-laden tirade. The Australian struggled throughout the match with pain in his left knee, eventually falling 6-3, 6-4 in the third-round of the Murray River
9:49 PM ET Two of the biggest fan favorites in UFC history — and a pair of former teammates — will fight this spring. UFC veterans Donald Cerrone and Diego Sanchez have verbally agreed to a May 8 contest, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. The bout will be contested at welterweight, sources said. While
9:17 PM ET Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants added outfield depth by acquiring LaMonte Wade Jr. from the Minnesota Twins on Thursday for right-hander Shaun Anderson. The team announced the move hours after completing an $18.75 million, three-year contract with versatile infielder Tommy La Stella. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi
9:27 PM ET The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association will have a finalized agreement for an All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta by next week, according to a league memo shared with teams and obtained by ESPN. The single-night event will encompass the Eastern Conference-Western Conference game as well as the skills
8:55 PM ET Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Co-leader Matthew NeSmith nearly made a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th and barely got a reaction from the few fans. Xander Schauffele flubbed a chip and couldn’t help but hear a surprised spectator’s reaction. With attendance capped at about 5,000 at sunny TPC Scottsdale, a fraction of
4:55 PM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs had 20 people, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, other players and staff members, in line for a haircut Sunday with a barber who tested positive for COVID-19, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Backup Chiefs center Daniel Kilgore was mid-haircut when the Chiefs pulled the barber, once his
7:52 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expressed disappointment Thursday that only two minorities were hired for seven head-coach openings despite a growing pool of qualified candidates. “I’m not sure there’s an issue we spent more time with our ownership on,” Goodell said as part of his annual state-of-the-league address ahead of
8:38 PM ET UFC women’s bantamweight fighter Marion Reneau tested positive for the coronavirus and her bout with Macy Chiasson is now off the UFC Fight Night card Saturday in Las Vegas, Reneau announced Thursday on Instagram. Reneau wrote that the bout will be postponed to Feb. 27. Sources confirmed to ESPN that the fight
6:28 PM ET Jose Mourinho was right: It is easy to manage Chelsea, especially if their opponents play like his Tottenham Hotspur team did in a 1-0 loss to the Blues. The Tottenham manager had a wry smile on his face when suggesting in the prematch press conference that “I don’t think it’s very difficult
3:17 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — – Gamine has been disqualified from a third-place finish in last year’s Kentucky Oaks and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert fined $1,500 after a post-race test showed the filly had an anti-inflammatory in her system. Kentucky stewards issued their ruling Jan. 30 and it was posted
New Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali says he will urge the Grand Prix drivers to “lead by example” as role models for the sport. The 55-year-old said he had written to all the drivers to point out their importance as “positive ambassadors for F1”. “They have big responsibility because they are the face of our
2:15 PM ET Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on injured reserve after he was injured during practice. The move came hours before Merzlikins was scheduled to start Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Stars. Joonas Korpisalo likely will start in his place. The Blue Jackets said Merzlikins, who
2:28 PM GMT Franco Smith has named a relatively inexperienced side for Italy’s opening Six Nations game against France on Saturday, with 10 of the starting XV having fewer than 10 caps. Smith has handed Juan Ignacio Brex his first cap for Italy and he will be partnered by Marco Zanon who has just four
2:07 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Essential Quality, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and last year’s 2-year-old champion, is among 326 3-year-old thoroughbreds made eligible during the early nomination period to compete in this year’s Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Other top horses include Fire At Will, Greatest Honor, Keepmeinmind, Life
6:58 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN When more than 90 players who signed as free agents become eligible to be traded Saturday, it will mark the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA. Several big names have already been traded since mid-November, including James Harden, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Chris Paul and Jrue
1:31 PM ET Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football is planning for a “somewhat normal” string of spring practices starting next month and culminating in the return of the spring game in mid-April, coach Ryan Day said Wednesday. “It’s kind of a soft schedule based on a lot of things, but we’re hoping