Sports
Ducks visit Oilers seeking first series victory in 9 years
Apr 26, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks celebrate a goal during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Corinne Votaw-Imagn Images The Anaheim Ducks are one victory away from winning their first Stanley Cup playoff series in nine years.
Finishing off the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers, especially on the road, won’t come easily.
The Ducks own a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven first-round series heading into Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Anaheim has won three in a row after blowing a late lead and dropping the series opener 4-3 on April 20.
The Ducks answered back with a 6-4 win last Wednesday and a 7-4 victory Friday. Overtime was needed Sunday before the Ducks came away with a 4-3 victory.
“We’re up 3-1, and every game has been a toss-up,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “Hanging in there and finding different ways, different guys against an excellent hockey team. We’re in a position now to look ahead and only think of one game.”
Quenneville is well aware that the Oilers have made a habit of coming back during the playoffs in recent years. They lost the first two games of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings last season before winning four straight.
Two years ago, Edmonton came back from 2-1 series deficits in the second and third rounds and then dropped the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers before forcing a Game 7.
“We’re in a hole, no doubt about it,” Oilers star Connor McDavid said. “We have to find a way to get a win at home.”
McDavid, who led the NHL with 138 points during the regular season, hasn’t been as dangerous since tweaking his right ankle in Game 2. He did manage to produce two points in each of the past two games after going scoreless in the first two, however.
“We’re all doing the best we can out there,” McDavid said. “We’re all working and trying to get it done.”
The Oilers may have to get it done without their biggest star. McDavid is a game-time decision for Tuesday night as he continues to deal with the ankle injury. Fellow center Jason Dickinson, who missed Games 2 and 3 with a lower-body injury before returning for Game 4, is also a game-time decision.
Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch likely will start Tristan Jarry in goal for the second straight game.
Jarry started Game 4 in place of Connor Ingram, who surrendered 14 goals on 93 shots in the first three games of the series (.849).
Jarry made 34 saves in his first postseason start since a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first round on May 15, 2022, when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Tristan played really well,” Knoblauch said. “Two of the goals, one went off our defenseman’s stick and the other was an unfortunate bounce that went off a skate. He made some big saves, and that’s what we wanted from him, a solid performance, and he played well. “
On the other side, Lukas Dostal played his best game of the series, making 24 saves. He used the blade of his right skate to turn away McDavid after he got behind the defense in the final minutes of regulation.
“He’s the rock of our team,” Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier said of Dostal. “It doesn’t really surprise me how well he performs in high-pressure situations like that.”
The Ducks will also look to stay hot on the power play, which is 6-for-12 in the series.
“Our execution has been excellent,” Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “Similar to our 5-on-5 play, we’ve been working more and recovering more pucks, being in better spots for each other and being more available. That’s leading to more time and success, too.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Two ex-Fordham players banned after betting probe
Mar 11, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Fordham Rams guard Will Richardson (1) looks to drive past Dayton Flyers guard Koby Brea (4) in the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Two former Fordham men’s basketball players received permanent bans from the NCAA on Tuesday after a lengthy gambling investigation.
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson participated in potential game manipulation for sports betting reasons.
According to the investigation, a $10,000 bet was placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham in which the bettor wagered that the other team would win. NCAA enforcement staff identified three members of the roster with connections to the bettor, including Gray and Richardson.
Another member of the team told investigators he overheard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing the idea of throwing a game for money.
Gray admitted to agreeing to participate in the scheme in exchange for a payment of $10,000 to $15,000, but said he reconsidered and played with his normal effort and Fordham won the game. Richardson has denied involvement and he declined to cooperate with the investigation, which itself is an NCAA violation.
Gray, a 6-foot-8 forward, played two seasons at Fordham (2022-24) before transferring to Temple for the 2024-25 season. He transferred again to Wisconsin but was dismissed from the program last October amid the investigation. Gray averaged 5.7 points in 61 games (nine starts) for the Rams.
Richardson, a 6-foot-3 guard, played three seasons at Fordham (2022-25) before transferring to Albany, where he was dismissed from the program in December without appearing in a game. He averaged 7.9 points in 73 games (41 starts) for the Rams.
The bettors involved in the plot were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PWHL officially passes 1M attendance mark for first time
Nov 30, 2024; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Sceptres forward Jesse Compher (18) joins team mates and fans as they celebrate a goal scored by forward Hannah Miller (34) against the Boston Fleet in the third period at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Professional Women’s Hockey League surpassed one million fans in the regular season for the first time in its three-season history, the league announced Tuesday.
In all, 120 games were played, with slightly more than 1.1 million people filling the seats for an average of 9,304 per game.
That total is an increase of 28 percent over last season, including the playoffs, and 71% over the first season of 2023-24. The average total of fans in the stands was 5,448 per game in the first season, 7,230 in the second.
On April 17, the PWHL surpassed one million fans in a single season for the first time in league history, reaching the milestone in 109 regular season games, 30% fewer than the PWHL needed to reach its first million fans.
The attendance mark was helped by the addition of the expansion Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes, which The Athletic reported had the largest average attendance of all franchises at home this season. Seattle averaged 12,875 fans, with Vancouver bringing in 11,234 per game.
The league is expected to announce further expansion soon.
Before that, the league will hold the Walker Cup Playoffs beginning Thursday. The top-seeded Montreal Victoire and reigning champion Minnesota Frost will meet in one semifinal, with the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge in the other pairing. The winners of the two best-of-five series will play for the Walker Cup.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Celtics' Brad Stevens named NBA Executive of Year
Feb 28, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens before their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was named the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year for the second time in three seasons on Tuesday.
Stevens’ Celtics finished with the second-best record (56-26) in the Eastern Conference in 2025-26 and secured a top-two playoff seed for the fifth time in his five seasons in his current role.
Boston accomplished that despite parting ways with Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday before the season and only having All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum for 16 games after he recovered from an Achilles injury.
Stevens, who also won the award in 2023-24, is the 12th executive to receive the honor multiple times since it was first presented in 1972-73.
Stevens, 49, received 11 first-place votes and 69 total points in voting by his fellow executives. Atlanta Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh was second with 41 points, one more than Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon.
Before joining Boston’s front office, Stevens served as the team’s head coach for eight seasons and tallied a 354-282 record. During his 13-year tenure with the franchise, the Celtics have made 12 playoff appearances.
The Celtics currently have a 3-1 lead in their first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. Game 5 is on Tuesday night in Boston.
–Field Level Media
Two ex-Fordham players banned after betting probe
PWHL officially passes 1M attendance mark for first time
