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Jets resume playoff push without No. 1 goalie, face lowly Canucks

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Winnipeg JetsFeb 4, 2026; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) celebrates a goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the first period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets restart their season Wednesday night in Vancouver, following a 20-day Olympic break that showcased their gold medal-winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on the biggest stage.

Hellebuyck won’t play against Vancouver because he made a side trip to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night in Washington, but he is expected to rejoin the team for Friday’s game in Anaheim.

The Jets visit the Canucks just three days after Hellebuyck delivered a 41-save performance to stymie Team Canada and help Team USA snap a 46-year gold medal drought at the Winter Olympics in Milan.

“The biggest thing I was looking for was that he was going to be at his best,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said at Monday’s practice of the three-time Vezina Trophy winner. “You heard the Canadian players talk about how it was one of the best games they ever played and the goaltender (Hellebuyck) was the difference.

“He was a wall and well deserving of that gold medal.”

Now that the hockey world has seen what Hellebuyck can do with an elite team in front of him, the Jets are hoping some of his Team USA magic will rub off on their late-season playoff push.

Winnipeg is battling for a postseason spot, 11 points away from the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. The Jets have a compact schedule to do it in with 26 games in just 50 days.

“Points are huge and we got to make a run here,” said Arniel, who won gold with Canada at the 1982 World Junior Championships.

“Our schedule lines up so that we are playing a lot of these teams that are just above us.

“We got to focus on getting two points from Vancouver, then move on to Anaheim. Try to just stay in the moment, not worry about how big the hill is, just take our steps to climb it.”

Eric Comrie is expected to start in goal against the Canucks. Forward Kyle Connor, a member of Team USA, did not go to Washington with Hellebuyck and practiced with the Jets on Tuesday.

Winnipeg will also be without defenseman Josh Morrissey, who will be examined by team doctors after suffering an undisclosed injury in Team Canada’s first game.

The Canucks, who have yet to win back-to-back games at home this season, are in last place in the league and are already looking toward next season.

Vancouver has lost three in a row and 17 of its last 19 (2-14-3) and it doesn’t look promising against the Jets thanks to travel and health woes.

They will be missing Finnish Olympic goaltender Kevin Lankinen and forward Brock Boeser. Lankinen likely won’t be available because of winter storms that caused travel chaos on the East Coast.

Boeser suffered a concussion before the Olympic break but is now dealing with a virus that had him skating with the team Monday but not doing contact drills.

Head coach Adam Foote said the team is officially in a rebuilding mode with younger players who he wants to give more ice time for the rest of the season.

“I am not going to go into what’s happened to us. We all know,” Foote said. “Our young guys are moving forward with a rebuild.

“No. 1, we are going to use this time to win hockey games.

“And No. 2, we want to do it the right way.

“We are working on who we want to be moving forward with our identity, but giving them (ice time) so we have a quicker start next season.”

–Field Level Media

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Hilary Knight calls President Trump's comment 'distasteful joke'

Olympics: Ice Hockey-Women Finals - Gold Medal GameFeb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Hilary Knight (21) of the United States high fives the bench after scoring a goal against Canada in the women’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Hilary Knight, captain of the gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team, took exception to a comment President Donald Trump made in the wake of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team winning its championship game.

Trump invited the men’s Olympic team to attend the State of the Union speech, adding, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.”

He then said if he didn’t welcome the women’s team, too, “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”

Knight reacted while appearing Wednesday on ESPN: “I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and, unfortunately, that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold-medal feats.

“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history, as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”

While some members of the men’s team laughed at Trump’s comment, Knight wasn’t overly upset with them.

“I think there’s a genuine level of support there and respect,” she said regarding the men’s and women’s Olympic teams. “I think that’s being overshadowed by a quick lapse. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”

The majority of the men’s Olympic team players visited the White House on Tuesday and then went to the Capitol for the State of the Union. The players received bipartisan cheers when they entered the House of Representatives chamber after being introduced by Trump.

The U.S. women’s hockey team declined Trump’s invitation Monday, issuing a statement that read in part, “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”

Knight, 36, collected her U.S. Olympic-record 15th goal at 17:56 of the third period in the gold-medal game against Canada, leveling the score at 1-1. Megan Keller’s goal 4:07 into overtime was the winner.

Knight emerged with her second gold medal in her fifth Olympics. The Seattle Torrent forward owns a record 10 golds from the IIHF World Women’s Championship.

–Field Level Media

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Wyatt Johnston tallies twice, Stars beat Kraken to run streak to 7

NHL: Seattle Kraken at Dallas StarsFeb 25, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) skates against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Wyatt Johnston scored twice and Thomas Harley added two assists as the Dallas Stars topped the visiting Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Matt Duchene and Sam Steel also scored, with Duchene adding an assist, as the Stars extended their winning streak to seven and won for the eighth time in nine games.

Casey DeSmith made 18 saves to improve to 3-0-0 against Seattle this season.

With the win, Dallas swept the three-game season series against the Kraken and improved to 13-1-1 all-time against Seattle.

Ryker Evans responded for the Kraken, who lost for just the third time in nine games. Joey Daccord stopped 28 shots.

The Stars outshot the Kraken 10-3 and led 1-0 after 20 minutes.

Dallas opened the scoring with 1:19 remaining in the first as Johnston tipped an Esa Lindell point shot past Daccord for his 30th goal of the season.

Duchene made it 2-0 at 1:43 of the middle period, redirecting a Harley shot from the blue line past Daccord for his 11th. With the goal, Duchene extended his point streak to seven games (seven goals, three assists).

Dallas scored twice in a 39-second span to double its lead.

The Stars took a 3-0 lead as Steel poked home the rebound off Mavrik Bourque’s shot at 5:35. Seattle unsuccessfully tried to challenge for goaltender interference on the play.

Johnston added his second of the game on a power play as Miro Heiskanen’s shot deflected off the Stars forward and in at 6:14.

Evans got Seattle on the board at 6:46 of the third, putting a slapshot past DeSmith for his sixth of the season.

Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury, following a collision with Stars forward Colin Blackwell, and did not return.

–Field Level Media

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No. 9 Gonzaga avenges loss to Portland, grabs share of WCC title

NCAA Basketball: Portland at GonzagaFeb 25, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Noah Haaland (35) shoots the ball against Portland Pilots center Jermaine Ballisager Webb (1) in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Graham Ike scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and snagged a career-high seven steals as No. 9 Gonzaga clinched the top seed in the West Coast Conference tournament as well as at least a share of the regular-season title with an 89-48 victory against Portland on Wednesday in Spokane, Wash.

Braeden Smith added 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting for the Bulldogs (28-2, 16-1 WCC), who also avenged their lone conference loss of the season. Tyon Grant-Foster and Mario Saint-Supery scored 12 apiece as Gonzaga won its sixth game in a row.

Joel Foxwell led the Pilots (12-18, 5-12) with 12 points. Portland has lost four consecutive games.

The Bulldogs were dominant on defense, forcing 22 turnovers while allowing just 17 field goals.

Gonzaga shot 52.4% from the field (33 of 63) while limiting the Pilots to 34.7% (17 of 49).

Ike scored 12 points in the first half as the Bulldogs took a 36-21 lead. He also had six steals by the intermission as Gonzaga forced 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

Foxwell, who scored 27 in the Pilots’ 87-80 upset of Gonzaga on Feb. 4, had eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the opening six minutes as Portland took a 15-12 lead.

The Bulldogs responded with a 16-0 run, sparked by an Ike 3-pointer and fastbreak layup off a steal, to take the lead for good. Smith also had five points during the run, also on a trey and a layup, and capped it with a steal and an alley-oop pass to Grant-Foster for a thunderous dunk.

The Pilots were scoreless for a stretch of 7:22 and held without a field goal for 8:59. They went 0-for-6 from the field with eight turnovers during that stretch.

A putback by James O’Donnell with 5:56 remaining and a jumper by Foxwell with 3:29 to go were the Pilots’ only field goals in the final 14 minutes of the half.

The Bulldogs closed the half with another alley-oop dunk by Grant-Foster with three seconds left off a feed from Saint-Supery.

–Field Level Media

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