Sports
Sharks determined to end long trend of losing to Oilers
Jan 27, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (71) shoots against the Vancouver Canucks in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Following years of futility, the San Jose Sharks are once again playoff contenders.
Perhaps they’ll end their recent struggles against the Edmonton Oilers, as well.
Aiming for a third straight victory, the Sharks look to avoid a seventh consecutive loss against the host Oilers on Thursday night.
San Jose hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2019, but its 57 points have already surpassed the total from each of the past two seasons. The Sharks are 10-4-0 since Dec. 27.
Macklin Celebrini had a goal with three assists Tuesday as San Jose overcame an early 1-0 hole to win 5-2 at Vancouver.
“We’re starting to pick up little details, momentum shifts in games,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We got to keep pushing forward and get better in areas.”
After totaling two points over a five-game stretch, Celebrini has followed with six points in the last two. However, the second-year superstar managed just two assists as the Sharks lost all four games versus Edmonton in 2024-25.
San Jose last beat Edmonton 3-2 at home on Nov. 9, 2023. The Sharks are 1-10-4 against the Oilers in the last 15 meetings.
In the mix for first place in the Pacific Division, Edmonton totaled 13 goals while winning two straight after losing two in a row.
After being blanked in the Oilers’ back-to-back losses to New Jersey and Pittsburgh last week, superstar Connor McDavid totaled three goals and four assists in the two wins that followed. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm recorded his first career hat trick and Leon Draisaitl notched four assists during Edmonton’s 7-4 home win over Anaheim on Monday.
While McDavid and Draisaitl, who has seven assists in the last two games after also going without a point in the previous two, are the undeniable leaders and offensive superstars in Edmonton, Ekholm represents the depth the team boasts.
The veteran blue-liner has recorded seven of his 26 points in the last five games.
“He’s going to be tough to play against every night,” forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said about Ekholm. “It makes a huge difference for our team.”
Since joining the Oilers in 2023, Ekholm has three goals and seven points in eight games versus San Jose. Meanwhile, McDavid has 17 goals and 50 points in 33 career games against the Sharks, and Draisaitl has 13 goals and 39 points in 36 matchups.
Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry made 37 saves against the Ducks. He owns a 3-2-1 record and an .882 save percentage since returning from an 11-game absence with a lower-body injury.
Teammate Connor Ingram has a .909 save percentage in 10 starts for the Oilers, but he was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots during Saturday’s 6-5 overtime win against Washington. Meanwhile, the struggling Calvin Pickard (.871 SV%) yielded seven goals in two January starts.
San Jose’s Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves against the Canucks to snap a three-start losing streak.
However, teammate Alex Nedeljkovic, with a .931 save percentage in his last five starts — all wins — is likely to be back in the Sharks net.
McDavid (92 points), Celebrini (78) and Draisaitl (74) rank among the NHL’s top five scorers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Galaxy extend D Jakob Glesnes through 2028-29
Feb 8, 2026; Indio, California, USA; LA Galaxy defender Jakob Glesnes (5) poses for a photo after the MLS preseason match against Chicago Fire FC at Empire Polo Club. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The LA Galaxy signed star defender Jakob Glesnes to a contract extension through the 2028-29 season.
The team acquired Glesnes the 31-year-old Norwegian center back from the Philadelphia Union in December.
Glesnes, the 2022 MLS Defender of the Year, is a two-time MLS Best XI selection and a three-time MLS All-Star.
“Jakob has been an exemplary addition to the Galaxy, and we are excited to announce that he is extending his time with the club,” Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said in a news release Tuesday.
“His impact in the dressing room and in all phases of the game on the field have provided a huge boost to our group from the first day of preseason. We are thrilled that Jakob will be a key part of our future and look forward to what we’ll accomplish together.”
Glesnes has recorded nine goals and 10 assists in 184 MLS regular-season matches (181 starts) with Philadelphia (2020-25) and the Galaxy.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Chargers re-signing All-Pro special teamer Del'Shawn Phillips
Nov 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (53) celebrates after a muffed punt recovery against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Chargers are re-signing special teams standout Del’Shawn Phillips to a two-year, $7.5 million contract worth up to $10.5 million in incentives, the NFL Network reported on Wednesday.
Phillips, 29, was selected second-team All-Pro for special teams in his first season with the Chargers in 2025. Phillips played in 17 regular-season games (one start) and had 37 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery.
He participated on 80% of special teams plays (352).
Phillips has 113 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries in 86 career games (three starts) for the Buffalo Bills (2020), New York Jets (2021), Baltimore Ravens (2022-23), Houston Texans (2024) and Chargers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PGA Tour targets marquee courses, big markets and meritocracy
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolopp addresses a the media, tournament sponsors and Tour employees during a news conference on March 11 at the PGA Tour Global Home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – While no final decisions have been made, plans are being laid out to “build the best version of the PGA Tour” possible with an emphasis on meritocracy, a 26-event season and the possible introduction of matchplay at the end of the year, says CEO Brian Rolapp.
During a massively attended press conference Wednesday at the PGA Tour’s ‘Global Home,’ Rolapp outlined six pivotal themes shaping the Tour’s future.
“This remains a work in progress, and it is by no means a baked cake,” said Rolapp, who was speaking ahead of the Players Championship. “These are simply areas where we are starting to see a meaningful consensus….this is a complex process with many constituencies impacted. We will continue to move with urgency, but we are focused on getting it right.
“We went into this project with a very clear objective: to build the best version of the PGA Tour, one that better serves our fans, players, and partners. Throughout the process we are keeping today’s fans and the fans of tomorrow at the center of our work, making sure that everything we do and every decision we consider is evaluated through that lens.”
Rolapp continues to work closely with Tiger Woods and the Future Competitions Committee with their collective focus placed on a competitive model built on meritocracy.
“This is not a closed shop,” Rolapp said. “We are aiming to create a more cohesive schedule with a simpler point system, one where the best players compete against one another more frequently.
“Fans know who the best players are. They are the players who perform best on the course. Our competitive model will be built around elevating those who prove themselves to be the top performers inside the ropes.”
Rolapp unveiled plans to double the number of signature events to 16, add in the four existing majors and the Players Championship and then designate a secondary wave of Tier II events.
“As we look at the calendar, there is an emphasis on playing our season from late January to early September … we are looking at roughly 21 to 26 tournaments on a first track of elevated events with the best players competing for higher purses,” he said. “We will then have a second track of PGA Tour tournaments which will ladder up to those elevated events.”
As a second theme, Rolapp said that more consistent fields would be established, with a move away from small fields and no-cut events.
“Ideally, we are targeting something closer to 120-player fields with a cut,” he added. “That consistently matters. It helps fans know who they will see and showcases who they want to see, the most competitive players. It helps partners know what they’re investing in, and it helps players better understand the competitive landscape in their schedules, all while embracing meritocracy.”
Opening the season with a marquee event at an iconic venue on the West Coast was another piece of the expanded vision for the PGA Tour, according to Rolapp.
“That will then allow us to finish on network television in primetime on the East Coast,” he said.
A fourth theme would focus on where the PGA Tour played its tournaments, and plans were afoot to include bigger markets such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC and Boston.
“Today the PGA Tour competes in only four of the top 10 largest U.S. media markets,” said Rolapp. “That is an opportunity. We are evaluating other markets … places where there is a strong fan demand for our sport, and a chance to reach new fans.”
Rolapp dispelled any idea that his definition of “scarcity” in scheduling meant a reduction in the number of events each year.
“Ultimately, scarcity is not about the number of events we have, but rather scarcity is about making every event we have matter,” he explained. “This is why we are evaluating the role of promotion and relegation between these two tracks within our competitive model… what we envision is a merit-based system that leans into what makes professional golf so compelling, players earning their way to the top, with every event having greater meaning.”
The sixth and final theme hinged on adding more drama to the PGA Tour schedule, including the possible addition of match play.
“We are exploring ways to enhance the post-season,” said Rolapp. “We have heard from our fans and our partners, they want more drama. We are considering the potential integration of match play, either at the Tour Championship or across the post-season as a whole, bringing win-or-go-home moments to the conclusion of our season.”
While everything outlined by Rolapp on Wednesday remains a work in progress with nothing yet decided, he planned to have further updates in late June.
“Nothing has been finalized,” he said. “We are still doing our work and gathering input from our players, our partners, and other key stakeholders. No recommendations have gone to our player-led boards. Looking ahead, we expect to make more meaningful progress by this
summer, and following our June 22nd board meeting, I plan to host another press conference at the Travelers Championship.”
-Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
-Mark Lamport-Stokes, Field Level Media
