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Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal wins 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy

Jun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA;  Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) raises the the Stanley Cup after the win against the Vegas Golden Knights in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn ImagesJun 14, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) raises the the Stanley Cup after the win against the Vegas Golden Knights in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Carolina captain Jordan Staal was voted the 2026 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs following the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup-clinching 3-0 Game 6 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights Sunday evening in Las Vegas.

Staal, 37, had scored goals in five straight games coming into the deciding contest, tying a Stanley Cup Final record which had stood for 70 years.

He had six goals in the finals overall and two goals in previous rounds, which coupled with his four assists gave him 12 points during his team’s championship run.

Staal became the oldest player to ever win the award.

“I learned a lot about perseverance and trusting God,” Staal said in a postgame interview. “It’s been such a grind.

“I just wanted to win so bad.”

In his 14th season with the Hurricanes after six seasons with Pittsburgh, Staal totaled 36 points (20 goals) during the 2025-26 regular season.

The center won his second Stanley Cup, 17 years after his first. That gap marked the largest in NHL history.

“This is something I’ve been going after ever since we got the first one,” Staal said in the postgame broadcast. “You want to win it again and again and again.”

Selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the Smythe award is named for former Toronto Maple Leafs coach, manager, president and owner-governor Conn Smythe.

The Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett was the 2025 winner of the award. Prior to that in 2024, the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid became just the sixth player to ever win the award playing for the finals loser.

Previous notable winners include Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby — each of whom won the award twice) — Patrick Roy (the only three-time winner), Steve Yzerman and Alex Ovechkin.

–Field Level Media

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Continuing tradition, fans of Japan clean up postgame

June 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Japan fans inside the stadium before the match.  Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images June 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Japan fans inside the stadium before the match. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Fans of Japan’s World Cup soccer team might be forgiven for acting a little raucous following their squad’s 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

Instead, as is their custom, they spent their time post-match picking up trash at AT&T Stadium in large plastic bags.

Daichi Kamada knotted the score in dramatic fashion, positioning for a deflection off a Koki Ogawa header to rescue a point against the much larger Netherlands squad.

The two highest-ranked squads in Group F settled for the draw, though for Japan, which trailed twice in the second half, it no doubt felt like more of a victory to draw even.

Fans caught in the euphoria of the moment did not forget to engage in what has become a tradition for the side supporting Japan. Eight years ago, at the World Cup in Russia, Japan fans went viral for picking up litter, even after a difficult loss that ended their stay at the event.

Four years later at Qatar, Japanese fans were likewise documented picking up their surroundings, though those circumstances were positive rather than negative — Japan won Group E with victories against Germany and Spain.

“For Japanese people, this is just a normal thing to do,” Hajime Moriyasu, coach of the 2022 team, told The Athletic. “When you leave a place, you have to leave it cleaner than it was before.”

On Sunday, fans even had help from an unlikely source, NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, covering the event as a correspondent for FOX.

The spirit of humbleness on display was fully captured by the New York Giants backup signal-caller, though he didn’t limit his interactions only to Japan. Winston also participated in a pregame chant and singalong with Dutch supporters outside the stadium.

–Field Level Media


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Uruguay arrive in Miami after travel delayed by permit issues

Nov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Uruguay defender Jose Gimenez (2) reacts following the loss against Portugal in the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn ImagesNov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Uruguay defender Jose Gimenez (2) reacts following the loss against Portugal in the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images

The Uruguay national team arrived in Miami late on Sunday after a travel ordeal ahead of its opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Uruguay pinned the blame on FIFA for their troubles flying from Mexico to Miami, yet they reportedly faced the threat of sanction if their head coach and captain could not make it to a mandatory press conference Sunday.

The original flight reportedly was not allowed to depart due to administrative issues, including some missing paperwork, and officials had to scramble to line up a new flight.

The Athletic reported that a member of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said FIFA was responsible for the traveling snafu. FIFA is in charge of all travel related to the 48-team World Cup.

Uruguay is training in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and held a practice on Sunday. When the traveling delegation reached the airport in Cancun, approximately 45 miles away, they learned the group was not authorized to enter the United States.

The AUF said that a second plane from South Florida was en route to pick up the squad, while players waited at a resort outside Cancun until its arrival.

“Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed,” the AUF said in a statement. “The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15 pm.”

FIFA later released a statement to the Daily Mail and other outlets.

“Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed,” the statement said. “The airline has apologized for the inconvenience caused. FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimize disruption to the team’s travel arrangements.”

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa and team captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed Sunday’s originally scheduled press conference in South Florida due to the issue. The team’s press conference was pushed back to 8 p.m. ET, and the coach and captain were in attendance.

“The trip went well, we made the most of it and saw it in a positive light,” Gimenez said in Spanish. “We took the chance to rest at the hotel (in Cancun).”

Bielsa was asked what sort of disruption the flight snafu caused his team.

“No, the flight doesn’t cause any complications,” Bielsa said in Spanish before changing the subject to his team’s preparation in both the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo and Playa del Carmen.

“In Montevideo, the players had constant obligations, but they also had family time, which I felt was necessary.”

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia will play their first match of Group H at Miami Gardens, Fla. The other members of the group, Spain and Cape Verde, will play Monday in Atlanta.

The match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia is slated for 6 p.m. ET, giving them less than 24 hours to settle in before kickoff.

–Field Level Media

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No. 5 Tar Heels top No. 16 W. Virginia, move on at MCWS

Jun 12, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Caden Glauber (27) pitches against the Mississippi Rebels during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn ImagesJun 12, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Caden Glauber (27) pitches against the Mississippi Rebels during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Gavin Gallaher hit a tiebreaking two-run triple during a three-run seventh inning to help No. 5 North Carolina produce a 5-2 victory over No. 16 West Virginia on Sunday night in Men’s College World Series play at Omaha, Neb.

Owen Hull had two hits and one RBI and Carter French also had two hits for the Tar Heels (52-12-1), who will continue on in winner’s bracket play on Wednesday.

Right-hander Walker McDuffie (9-3) pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for North Carolina before running into trouble in the ninth. Right-hander Caden Glauber struck out both batters he faced for his fifth save.

Armani Guzman had two hits and one RBI and Brodie Kresser had two hits for West Virginia (46-16), which committed two errors during North Carolina’s three-run seventh-inning uprising. The Mountaineers will oppose Troy on Tuesday in an elimination contest.

At the outset of the seventh, Mountaineers third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Kresser booted routine grounders in a span of three batters to set up the Tar Heels.

Gallaher then made West Virginia pay with a shot into the gap in right-center off Maxx Yehl (9-3) to score French and Jake Schaffner and give North Carolina a 4-2 lead. Hull followed with a grounded single up the middle for another run.

The left-handed Yehl allowed five runs (two earned) and eight hits over seven-plus innings. He had seven strikeouts and walked one.

North Carolina right-hander Ryan Lynch gave up two runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two. McDuffie struck out four and gave up three hits and two walks.

Matt Ineich drew a one-out walk off McDuffie in the ninth and Kresser followed with a single to right-center. Glauber entered and struck out Ben Lumsden and fanned Hall looking to end it.

The Tar Heels scored twice in the first inning after loading the bases with one out. The first crossed when Erik Paulsen walked and the second came in on Cooper Nicholson’s infield out.

West Virginia got a run back in the third on Guzman’s RBI single. One inning later, a double-play grounder plated the tying run.

–Field Level Media

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