Sports
Flyers won’t loan unhappy prospect Alexei Kolosov back to KHL
Mar 28, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a Philadelphia Flyers logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team against the Montreal Canadiens during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said he will not loan Belarusian goalie prospect Alexei Kolosov back to Russia’s KHL.
Briere told reporters at the team’s rookie camp Tuesday that Kolosov has not reported to the team and wanted to be guaranteed a spot with the NHL team, or else continue to develop in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk rather than with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Briere said the Flyers already granted Kolosov an additional year of training in the KHL last year.
“That was the understanding,” Briere said. “Last year, when we signed the contract, he asked us to loan him back for one year so he can keep developing for one year, and then he would come over. And then we’re here now and he’s still saying the same thing.
“It’s time for him to step up and respect the contract.”
The Flyers want Kolosov to begin integrating himself into North American hockey as well as acclimating to a new home and learning English.
“I get it, you might be homesick, but that’s the life of a professional hockey player. You’ve got to adapt if you want to play hockey. That’s just how it is,” Briere said.
Kolosov could have been the No. 3 goalie on the Flyers’ organizational depth chart, Briere said. But the club signed Russian Ivan Fedotov to serve as the backup to No. 1 goalie Samuel Ersson.
Kolosov was a third-round pick (No. 78 overall) by Philadelphia in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Flyers already had a similar situation take place with forward Cutter Gauthier, though they sank more draft capital in that case. Gauthier was the fifth overall draft pick in 2022, but his camp eventually told the team that Gauthier had no interest in playing for Philadelphia.
The Flyers then traded Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in January 2024 for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick.
Briere didn’t indicate that another trade could be in the works. Any team that might be interested in Kolosov as a prospect presumably would need to guarantee him an NHL-level job right away to peel him away from the KHL.
“I guess we can still hope that he decides to show up if he wants to play hockey, but it’s not looking like it at this point,” Briere said. “It is what it is. We have to move on.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Darryn Peterson, Kansas gear up for sizzling TCU in Big 12 tourney
Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) shoots the ball against Kansas State Wildcats guard David Castillo (10) during the Sunflower Showdown game in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. No. 14 Kansas is rested and ready to use this week’s Big 12 tournament as a tune-up of sorts for the NCAA Tournament.
That won’t be easy when the third-seeded Jayhawks face perhaps the hottest team in the conference, No. 6 seed TCU, in the nightcap of the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas (22-9) ended the regular season with a 104-85 win over rival Kansas State on Saturday to snap a two-game losing streak. Still, the Jayhawks lost four of their final seven games after going over a month between losses with eight straight wins from Jan. 13 to Feb. 9.
TCU (22-10) won its sixth straight game — tied with top-seeded Arizona for the longest active Big 12 streak — in its tournament opener Wednesday with a 95-88 victory over Oklahoma State.
Both teams will be in the NCAA Tournament regardless of how this rematch plays out. However, Kansas is projected much higher (4 seed in ESPN’s latest update) than TCU (projected 9 seed) despite similar records.
The Jayhawks have high-level wins, including against then-No. 1 Arizona, then-No. 2 Iowa State and No. 5 Houston.
They’re also getting their most consistent availability of the season from star freshman guard Darryn Peterson.
Peterson, who averages a team-high 19.9 points per game, missed 11 regular-season games with a host of issues, including quad, hamstring and ankle injuries. He was spotted checking himself out of games and drew outside questions about if he was looking ahead to the NBA as a projected top-three pick in this year’s draft.
But he’s turned a corner health-wise, playing in each of Kansas’ final seven regular-season games. And he closed out with one of his best games, hitting 10 of 15 shots for 27 points — his most since Jan. 6 — in the Kansas State win.
“I’m feeling good,” Peterson said. “It’s perfect timing, if you ask me, going into the Big 12 tournament and NCAA. I’m feeling probably the best I’ve felt all year.”
“That’s the best he’s moved all year long, without a question,” Kansas coach Bill Self added.
The Horned Frogs, who were firmly on the bubble before ending the regular season with five straight wins, had to work for their win over Oklahoma State. They trailed by 10 with 13:48 left and by five with 6:32 left before ending the game on a 22-10 run.
A career-high 26 points from leading scorer David Punch (14.0 ppg) anchored TCU’s comeback bid. Punch made 9 of 14 shots, and was supplemented by Xavier Edmonds’ sixth double-double in the last eight games with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Horned Frogs, who rank 12th in the Big 12 in shooting percentage, shot 50.7% in the win. It’s just the third time they’ve made at least half their field-goal attempts against a conference opponent and the first time since Jan. 24 vs. Baylor.
TCU and Kansas met in early January in the second conference game for each team. The Jayhawks prevailed 104-100 in overtime over the visiting Horned Frogs behind a career-high 32 points from Peterson.
“We played hard, but we’re a lot better team than we were then,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said of the prior matchup. “I think that was a good — I wouldn’t say a good experience but a learning experience.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kirill Kaprizov stepping up as Wild take aim at Flyers
Mar 10, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) and left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) celebrate their teams win against the Utah Mammoth during the third period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Many teams in the NHL might need to choose between goal scoring from their top stars or from their depth players.
The Minnesota Wild have enjoyed both heading into their game on Thursdayt against the Philadelphia Flyers in Saint Paul, Minn.
“It’s nice that some of the guys that we’re expecting to score are continuing to do that and play well,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “But it also takes a little bit of the load off them when you have guys that can score and produce. It makes you a harder team to defend.”
The Flyers are vying for two wins in as many nights after knocking off the Washington Capitals 4-1 on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Owen Tippett notched a goal and an assist for the Flyers, and Travis Konecny, Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale each scored one goal.
Philadelphia is 5-2-0 in its past seven games as it aims for a postseason run. The Flyers are seven points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
The Wild also have their hopes pinned on the playoffs and are in third place in the Central Division. Minnesota is 3-0-1 in its past four contests and has a 12-3-2 record in its past 17.
Kirill Kaprizov has led the way for Minnesota. He has 78 points (37 goals, 41 assists) in 65 games this season, and he leads the team with 16 goals on the power play.
Hynes said Kaprizov is playing as well as he has all season. He praised his star after the Wild’s 5-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night, during which Kaprizov finished with a goal and an assist.
“Kirill, he was physical, playing with power,” Hynes said. “He’s such a skilled player, but when he plays a power game, when he’s tenacious like a dog with a bone, that’s when you really stand out. I think that goal (he scored against Utah) was indicative of that.”
On the opposite bench, Konecny leads Philadelphia in goals (24), assists (34) and points (58). Zegras is second on the team in all three categories (22, 31, 53).
The Flyers likely will start Dan Vladar in net one night after Samuel Ersson made the start against the Capitals. Vladar is 20-11-6 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage this season, and he is 3-1-1 with a 2.63 GAA and an .896 save percentage in five career games against the Wild.
Vladar will try to bounce back from a rough performance Monday against the New York Rangers, who scored six goals against him on 24 shots.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said he gave Vladar an extra day of rest Wednesday after his difficult performance earlier in the week.
“He might have been a little bit tired,” Tocchet said. “You know he’ll never admit it. We have to be cautious of that.”
Minnesota could counter with Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt in net.
Gustavsson is 24-10-6 with a 2.46 GAA and a .913 save percentage this season, and he is 0-2-0 with a 6.09 GAA and a .709 save percentage against Philadelphia.
Wallstedt is 14-6-5 with a 2.81 GAA and a .911 save percentage this season, and he is 0-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA and a .905 save percentage in his lone start versus the Flyers.
-Field Level Media
Sports
A Simple Plan to Fix the NBA Schedule Without Cutting Revenue
There’s no way the NBA is going to cut back on its number of games.
Going from 82 to 72 games, as Steve Kerr suggested this week, would create a 12% decrease in game-day revenue.
The billionaire owners – or shall we say, their ticket-buying fans – might be willing to absorb that, but no way the millionaire players go for it.
If only there were a way …
C’mon, you had to know I have a solution.
The key to solving this equation is understanding where the NBA’s money comes from. It’s the various television contracts.
The TV people have to be kept happy in any new arrangement.
They’re proud as peacocks now, so why change the presentation? The goal here is not to shorten the season, but rather to shrink the number of games.
As it stands now, the NBA campaign runs 173 days. Squeezing 82 games in there leaves just 91 days off. That’s 10 weeks with four games per team and 14 weeks with three.
And you thought the LA freeway was congested.
By cutting back to 72 games but keeping the 173-day schedule, you get exactly three games a week, with 10 additional days off, going from 91 to 101.
That sounds more reasonable from a players’ perspective … as long as they still get their money. Understood.
Here’s how that would work:
By keeping the schedule at 24 weeks, the big-money networks would still have the same number of telecast dates. No money lost. No reason to renegotiate any deals.
So, the TV people are happy and the players are happy. That just leaves the owners and those five home dates lost per team.
Alas, that’s not a problem, either.
First off, while nothing can be done about existing deals, owners would have the ability to cut back on future player contracts, right? The question is: How much?
That would depend upon a key transition the league is undergoing as early as next season.
The NBA has been snatching up local TV rights. This will soon become another major revenue source … one with no collective bargaining agreement that will guarantee the players anything.
So, while the owners might take a small hit short-term, they’ll be just fine, too.
But that’s not all. Greater breathing room in the schedule also creates the opportunity for a greater viewing product.
You’ve heard the complaints: We’re not watching because stars aren’t playing. And we don’t even know where to find the games in the first place.
Well, with no four-game weeks, there will be no need for back-to-backs. Take away back-to-backs and you greatly increase the possibility that your old men won’t need a night off.
Equally important is the difficulty in finding games. Spreading out the schedule could help fix that problem as well, as long as the league becomes a little more creative.
The NBA needs a “Basketball Night in America” – one game, marquee matchups, NBC, Shaq and the guys. It appears NBC wants that night to be Tuesday, so let’s keep it on Tuesday.
But let’s give everyone else the night off.
And with maximum potential exposure, let’s make it an attraction to more than just serious basketball fans.
Let’s create a 24-person Celebrity Shootout, to be contested at halftime of the game. Big names. REAL big names. Single-elimination, March Madness-style. One head-to-head per week.
I can already see Charles choreographing a “Gone Fishing” segment at the end of the night, complete with a live interview with the loser.
This could be your viewer-magnet Super Bowl halftime show. Only weekly.
Then let’s take our second-most important network, Peacock, and give them Sunday night. Again, just one game on the schedule. Others can play earlier in the day, but at 8 p.m. Eastern, all eyes are on two teams.
And I’d even give this game a side attraction – a Survivor Pool in which all Peacock subscribers are invited to pick the winner of the game. Afterward, we find out how many got it right, and thus earn the right to advance to pick again next week, and how many were eliminated.
Did I mention $1 million – it might have to be “paid” in Peacock gear to satisfy the various state gambling laws – to the eventual winner?
Just two big-splash showdowns each week would leave more glamorous matchups for the NBA to sell on its new local-television deal, which keeps the revenue streams flowing even while the players are getting more time off.
Everybody wins. Even the fans.
Imagine that.
Darryn Peterson, Kansas gear up for sizzling TCU in Big 12 tourney
Kirill Kaprizov stepping up as Wild take aim at Flyers
