Sports
4 Nations Face-Off Proves One Thing: The NHL Needs More of This
Before the puck dropped on the 4 Nations Face-Off final between the United States and Canada, it was clear that the NHL and NHLPA created a big hit with its return to best-on-best competition.
Players on both sides called Thursday’s game in Boston the biggest of their lives.
Coaches marveled at the speed and pace on display all throughout the tournament, and the 3-2 overtime win for Canada in the final was no exception.
A replacement for the NHL All-Star Game? No way.
“Anybody that thought they were going to come in here and see an all-star game was sorely, sorely mistaken,” Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said prior to the title game. “This has been anything but. It’s been all stars, but it has not been an all-star game.”
The fans responded in a major way, with the round-robin games drawing an average of 4.6 million viewers across North America. A whopping 10.1 million watched last Saturday’s initial U.S.-Canada clash, marking the largest audience for a non-playoff game since the fourth-ever Winter Classic in 2011 at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field.
The tournament was a who’s who of NHL stars, featuring 28 different Stanley Cup-winning players, 16 winners of major league awards and six former No. 1 overall draft picks.
The likes of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby—now a six-time champion in international best-on-best play—finally got back on the grand stage, doing anything possible for their respective nations.
Really, how could fans not respond?
“Just from a hockey purist or a hockey fan in general, it’s hard not to get excited about what we’re witnessing,” said U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, who is typically behind Crosby’s bench with the Penguins. “It’s all of the things you hope for in sports, and that’s why we love it. (The sport is) on display right now and I have to believe this tournament is going to have a lasting impact.”
Of course, it was a shining showcase of young talents like Sweden’s Leo Carlsson, the Anaheim Ducks’ No. 2 overall pick two years ago, and 22-year-old American defenseman Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild.
And while it was not hard to imagine recent No. 1 overall picks like the Chicago Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard and San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini donning the maple leaf sweater in a future tournament like this, the real winners were those watching in awe.
In some ways, it was 1980’s Miracle on Ice all over again in terms of an impact on the sport as a whole.
“It’s pretty cool to think about the next generation and how much this might mean to them,” said U.S. goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner for the Winnipeg Jets.
After two Olympic Winter Games without NHL participation, the players—like Canadian forward and Florida Panthers alternate NHLPA rep Sam Reinhart—have advocated for this type of return for years.
What a return it was. And what an appetizer for Milano Cortina 2026 it was, too.
“It only helps the game; it only helps the league,” Reinhart said. “We both respect what each side is doing from a league and a player standpoint. We both want to push the needle forward, and that’s what an event like this is doing. Certainly a win-win.”
The international flavor will not be over following next year’s Olympics, as the NHL and NHLPA have already announced initial plans for the return of a World Cup of Hockey in 2028. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expects at least eight teams to participate in that tournament, with games possible outside of North America.
What else is on the horizon for the NHL remains to be seen. If another event like the 4 Nations Face-Off comes around, though, hockey fans certainly would not mind.
And there’s no doubt that players would fall in the same boat as well.
“It would be hard for anybody who watched this tournament not to get excited about participating in it. If you love hockey, it would be hard not to get excited about this,” Sullivan said. “It was just an incredible privilege to be a part of it, quite honestly. And the hockey might have been the best hockey that I’ve ever been associated with. It certainly was the fastest, without a doubt.
If anything has stood out over the past couple of weeks, it’s that best-on-best is the best.
Sports
Brewers DFA recently acquired Lance McCullers Jr.
Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (50) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers designated Lance McCullers Jr. for assignment on Sunday morning, less than two weeks after they acquired the right-hander from the Houston Astros.
The move comes one day after McCullers allowed three runs on one hit and four walks in 1 2/3 innings in Milwaukee’s 8-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
McCullers has posted a 3.86 ERA in two relief appearances since he, left-hander Colton Gordon and cash were sent to the Brewers in exchange for minor league outfielder Jadyn Fielder on July 15.
A two-time World Series winner and former American League All-Star, McCullers has pitched only 44 innings this season, posting a 2-3 record with a 6.55 ERA in 10 appearances (eight starts).
McCullers, 32, is 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA in 156 career games (148 starts) with the Astros and Brewers. He was an All-Star in 2017 and won World Series titles in 2017 and 2022, but he missed three entire seasons (2019, 2023-24) due to injuries.
Also on Sunday, the Brewers recalled right-hander Garrett Stallings from Triple-A Nashville.
Stallings posted a 3-3 record with a 4.11 ERA in 18 appearances (13 starts) with the Sounds. He also pitched three scoreless innings in two appearances earlier this season with Milwaukee.
–Field Level Media
Sports
WTA roundup: Tamara Korpatsch wins Hamburg, first German champ in 34 years
Jun 29, 2026; London, United Kingdom; Coco Gauff of the United States at the net with Tamara Korpatsch of Germany after their match on day one at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images Tamara Korpatsch broke the German curse at the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open by claiming the title in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Hungary’s Anna Bondar on Sunday in Germany.
Korpatsch, born in Hamburg, is the first German since Steffi Graf in 1992 to win the Hamburg Open. Since Graf’s last title, Germans were 0-4 in the final at Hamburg. Korpatsch claimed her second career singles title in one hour and 28 minutes to improve to 5-0 in her career against Bondar.
Korpatsch came out hot in the first set with two aces and won 18 of her 25 first serve points (72%). She won 10 of the first 15 points to jump ahead to a 3-0 lead and wrapped it up by getting a break back to all but clinch the set.
Korpatsch continued to push in the second set and broke Bondar two more times, including to clinch the match.
Prague Open
Austria’s Lilli Tagger won her first ever WTA singles title with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Daria Snigur of the Ukraine.
Tagger came out firing with nine aces, including five in the first set. She found herself down 5-2 in the first set, but won five of the next six games to steal the set. She was able to get a break off Snigur when she was serving for the match.
Tagger won five of the final six games to clinch the title, breaking Snigur two separate times while never facing a break point herself. Four more aces along with converting 10 of 12 first serve points (82 %) was enough to ice the match.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lando Norris captures first race as F1 champion
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; McLaren driver Lando Norris (1) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Defending 2025 Formula One champion Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, finally capturing his first victory of 2026.
Norris was the pole sitter in Mogyorod, Hungary, but quickly lost the top spot when his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, capitalized on a chance to overtake him at Turn 2 of the opening lap.
Norris and Piastri accounted for much of the race drama, with Norris unsuccessfully asking McLaren to call off Piastri. Norris had his first chance at clear sailing when McLaren pulled Piastri in for his second pitstop.
The owner of seven victories in 2025, Norris was forced to watch from behind until Piastri emerged from the pitstop and collided with the car of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. The short delay was enough for Norris to overtake Piastri.
Norris took his first race as the champion ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and points leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
“I don’t know what happened, to be honest,” Norris said of the faulty Turn 2. “I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and of course Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt — game over for the first lap.
“But man, I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race.”
“I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again,” the 26-year-old Brit added.
Piastri had completed 55 of the 70 laps when he was forced to end his day because of a problem with his gearbox.
Technical problems in shifting to the 2026 car specifications allowed Ferrari and Mercedes to pull ahead of McLaren this season after its dominant 2025.
Norris has complained plenty about his car this season but had compliments Sunday.
“The team has put so much work in to making a car that can finally win again. It’s nice to be able to do it for them,” Norris said.
“If we want to come back, we need a lot more of these and we need to continue putting pressure on our competition. This weekend was a perfect weekend for us but it’s going to be tough, so we’ll keep pushing and keep working hard.
“I owe the team a lot. They’ve done an amazing job to even get back to winning races at this point, so I’m proud.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Hamilton fell to fifth place following a penalty for speeding during pitstops. A seven-time season champion, Hamilton is second to Antonelli in the driver standings, trailing by 50 points.
Mercedes leads the team standings with Ferrari second. McLaren is a distant third.
Formula One is now on its summer break until it resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23.
–Field Level Media
Brewers DFA recently acquired Lance McCullers Jr.
WTA roundup: Tamara Korpatsch wins Hamburg, first German champ in 34 years
