Sports
Shane Wright's 2-goal effort steers Kraken past Maple Leafs
Jan 29, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken, from left, defenseman Jamie Oleksiak (24), forward Frederick Gaudreau (89), defenseman Brandon Montour (62) and forward Chandler Stephenson (9) celebrate a goal during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Shane Wright scored twice as the Seattle Kraken defeated the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 Thursday night.
Brandon Montour and Jared McCann had a goal and an assist apiece and Matty Beniers also tallied for the Kraken, who won their third game in a row and wrapped up a 4-2-0 homestand. Goaltender Joey Daccord made 29 saves.
It was the Kraken’s first home victory against Toronto. Seattle lost the first four meetings by a combined score of 17-5.
Nicholas Robertson and Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto, which is 0-5-1 in its past six games. Anthony Stolarz stopped 17 of 21 shots.
Trailing 3-1 after two periods, the Maple Leafs cut their deficit in half on a power play at 6:04. Rielly’s shot from the left point made it over the shoulder of a screened Daccord.
But Wright, a native of Burlington, Ontario, scored his second of the night at 8:32 to restore the two-goal advantage. Montour scraped the puck off the right-wing boards and Wright carried it into the slot, where he beat Stolarz with a wrist shot high to the glove side.
McCann put the puck into an empty net at 17:23 to cap the scoring.
The Kraken opened the scoring just 1:21 into the game. McCann spotted a wide-open Beniers in the slot, and Beniers beat Stolarz with a wrist shot.
The Maple Leafs tied it at 15:02 of the first. Robertson connected on a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle immediately after players from both teams were chopping at the puck along the boards.
Seattle regained the lead on Wright’s backhander off the rebound of a Jaden Schwartz shot from beyond the top of the right faceoff circle at 6:23 of the second.
The Kraken made it 3-1 just 31 seconds later. Frederick Gaudreau carried the puck down the middle of the ice and fed Montour for a wrister from the right faceoff circle.
Maple Leafs forward William Nylander rejoined teammates for the morning skate but sat out his seventh straight game due to a groin injury. He could return Saturday at Vancouver.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros sign Cavan Biggio to minor-league deal
May 23, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Cavan Biggio (18) celebrates his double against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Cavan Biggio is following in his father’s footsteps.
The son of Astros legend Craig Biggio signed a minor league deal with Houston on Sunday.
The contract includes an invitation to spring training as a non-roster player.
Biggio spent 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, though he only played in 37 games and made just 83 plate appearances. His best season came during his rookie year with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, when he recorded 16 home runs and 48 RBIs over 100 games.
The 30-year-old Biggio has a career average of .223 to go along with 52 homers and 190 RBIs across seven seasons with the Royals, Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
Biggio’s main asset during his big-league career has been his defensive versatility. He’s played at every position except pitcher and catcher, including 219 starts at second base and 104 combined starts at all three outfield positions.
Craig Biggio, 60, spent 20 years with the Astros during his Hall of Fame career.
The Astros will play their first spring training game Feb. 21 against the Washington Nationals.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Lindsey Vonn out of hospital, returning to U.S.
Feb 6, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITALY; Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images Lindsey Vonn was discharged from a hospital in Italy on Sunday morning and headed to the airport to return to the United States, Reuters reported.
Vonn was admitted to Ca’ Foncello Hospital in Treviso after a devastating crash in the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 8. The 41-year-old had come out of retirement to race in the Winter Games.
She has had four surgeries on her injured left leg since the crash. It occurred when her arm hooked around a gate, sending her flying into the snow and causing a complex tibia fracture just 13 seconds into the race.
Vonn was competing through a torn ACL in her left knee sustained nine days prior to her event in the final tune-up race at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, the latest hurdle in an injury-plagued career that saw her win three Olympic medals (one gold) and more than 80 World Cup races before initially retiring in 2019. Vonn appeared to still be in medal contention, finishing with the third-best time in the final training run.
She had been striving to become the oldest Alpine skiing medalist in Winter Olympics history. She won two downhill races on the World Cup circuit this season and finished on the podium in three others.
It is unclear if she will need to be hospitalized in the United States or whether she will face additional surgeries.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Vonn said she welcomed being able to return home but was reflective about the race that put her in the hospital. And she vowed to return to the slopes.
“I have been reading a lot of messages and comments saying that what has happened to me makes them sad. Please, don’t be sad. Empathy, love and support I welcome with an open heart, but please not sadness or sympathy. I hope instead it gives you strength to keep fighting, because that is what I am doing and that is what I will continue to do. Always,” she said in her lengthy message.
“When I think back on my crash, I didn’t stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk. Every skier in that starting gate took the same risk. Because even if you are the strongest person in the world, the mountain always holds the cards.
“… So please, don’t feel sad. The ride was worth the fall. When I close my eyes at night I don’t have regrets and the love I have for skiing remains. I am still looking forward to the moment when I can stand on the top of the mountain once more. And I will.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Netherlands' Femke Kok takes speed skating 500m gold; Erin Jackson 5th
Femke Kok of the Netherlands in action with Erin Jackson of the United States during the women’s 500m at the Winter Games in Milan on Sunday. Kok won the gold medal.
MILAN — World record holder Femke Kok asserted her dominance in the women’s 500 meters to win Winter Olympics gold and deliver the Netherlands a second speed skating title at the Milan Cortina Games on Sunday.
Kok finished second behind Jutta Leerdam in the 1,000m on Monday but swapped places with her compatriot on the podium in the 500m.
Miho Takagi, Japan’s most decorated female Olympian, won the bronze to take her medal tally to nine over four Games.
Floridian Erin Jackson, who made history four years ago as the first Black woman to win a Winter Olympic gold in an individual sport, finished fifth-fastest.
Winner of the last three world championship golds in the 500m, Kok tore through the distance in an Olympic record time of 36.49 seconds, finishing 0.66 seconds clear of Leerdam.
It was the 25-year-old sprint specialist’s first Olympic gold medal in her second Games.
All eyes were on the 15th and final pairing where Kok, in the outside lane, was pitched against defending champion Jackson.
Jackson initially gained a slight edge that forced Kok to chase but the Dutchwoman unleashed a ferocious final surge as a sea of orange-clad supporters in the stands roared her home.
The Dutch now have eight medals in speed skating at Milan Cortina: two golds, five silvers and a bronze.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Astros sign Cavan Biggio to minor-league deal
Report: Lindsey Vonn out of hospital, returning to U.S.
