Sports News

Auston Matthews will take on the role of unofficial host of the All-Star festivities in Toronto next month.

Not only was the NHL's leading scorer selected to represent the Maple Leafs in the inaugural All-Star selection announced Thursday night, but multiple industry sources say Matthews will serve as one of four team captains for an event at Scotiabank Arena on April 1. until February 3rd.

The NHL has eliminated the divisional format for All-Star Weekend, instead letting captains select their own teams for the 3-on-3 tournament. This draft will be televised to kick off the weekend, along with a presentation from PWHL players. While the NHL isn't expected to name official captains until later this month, Matthews and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid have already agreed to lead two of the teams, according to sources.

The league is also revamping the format for its skills competition, and Matthews has signed on to be one of 12 players vying for a $1 million prize, which will now be offered to whoever accumulates the most points in eight events.

That promises the former Hart Trophy winner will be the center of attention during Toronto's first All-Star Weekend since 2000.

Matthews has now been voted an All-Star in all seven NHL seasons in which he was eligible to play. On Wednesday, he scored his 30th goal of the season in overtime to give the Leafs a win over Anaheim – moving three players ahead of Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov at the top of the league standings entering Thursday's game – and then spoke to reporters about the Prospect of representing the Leafs in his own backyard.

“Because it’s in Toronto, it’s a special event,” he said. “So I definitely don’t take it for granted. I’m sure we have a lot of guys who deserve to go.”

The Leafs aren't alone in this regard, but they'll need the fans' help to bring in another representative or two. The NHL selected one player from each of the 32 teams, and the remaining 12 All-Star spots were decided via online voting.

That made William Nylander one of the most notable omissions, as Matthews' teammate was fifth overall in the league standings with 51 points entering Thursday. New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin was one place higher on the NHL scoring list but was passed over in favor of Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

The format also ensured that McDavid's Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl needed fans' help to get in and ensured that Quinn Hughes was the only Vancouver Canucks player automatically admitted, although Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko All-Star worthy campaigns.

The league's second-leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, was named to represent the Colorado Avalanche – leaving teammates Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar dependent on fan support to book a trip to Toronto.

Finally, Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Adin Hill, who had the NHL's best save percentage of .933 entering Thursday, was left off the inaugural All-Stars list because Vegas Golden Knights teammate Jack Eichel got the nod instead .

Complete list of Eastern Conference players

• Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak, F
• Buffalo saber: Rasmus Dahlin, D
• Carolina Hurricanes: Sebastian Aho, F
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Boone Jenner, F
• Detroit Red Wings: Alex DeBrincat, F
• Florida Panthers: Sam Reinhart, F
• Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki, F
• New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes, F
• New York Islanders: Mathew Barzal, F
• New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin, G
• Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk, F
• Philadelphia Flyers: Travis Konecny, F
• Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby, F
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Nikita Kucherov, F
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews, F
• Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson, F

Complete list of Western Conference players

• Anaheim Ducks: Frank Vatrano, F
• Arizona Coyotes: Clayton Keller, F
• Calgary Flames: Elias Lindholm, F
• Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard, F
• Colorado Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon, F
• Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger, G
• Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid, F
• Los Angeles Kings: Cam Talbot, G
• Minnesota Wild: Kirill Kaprizov, F
• Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg, F
• San Jose Sharks: Tomas Hertl, F
• St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas, F
• Seattle Kraken: Oliver Bjorkstrand, F
• Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes, D
• Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel, F
• Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck, G

Required reading

(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

The noose is beginning to tighten around Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco, who faces serious charges in the Dominican Republic related to an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

On Wednesday evening, the 22-year-old was charged with commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering, the Puerto Plata public prosecutor's office said in a statement. He will face a judge for the first time Friday morning.

• Also read: Baseball: Wander Franco is reportedly wanted in the Dominican Republic

• Also read: Alleged relationship with a minor: a player suspended by Major Baseball

In August, a 14-year-old girl said on social media that she was in a relationship with Franco. A police investigation was launched and a second report was filed. On December 26, the City of San Domingo's Department of Child and Youth Safety conducted two searches, but the athlete was not found.

Franco finally turned himself in voluntarily to the prosecutor's office a few days later, was detained for refusing to comply with a subpoena and interrogated for three hours.

The Rays prospect hasn't played since August and finished the season with 58 RBIs in 112 games and a .281 batting average. He participated in the 2023 All-Star Game.

After his rookie season, Franco signed a massive 11-year, $182 million contract in November 2021.

• 

  Kendra Andrews, ESPN January 5, 2024, 2:26 a.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO – Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon hit the ball to center Nikola Jokic with 3.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors and the score was tied.

Jokic completed three dribbles down the right side of the court and then fired a 39-foot 3-pointer over the head of Warriors center Kevon Looney.

From the Nuggets bench standpoint, it looked complete.

“When it left his hands, all the coaches in the background said, ‘This is online. This is going in,'” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

“I don’t know if it was something in my intuition or what, but I knew we weren’t going to go to OT. I knew Joker was going to hit that shot,” said forward Peyton Watson.

And he did it. Jokic's shot bounced off the glass and into the goal, sealing the Nuggets' 130-127 victory over the Warriors. Even Jokic knew it would go in.

“That was the last option on this play,” said Jokic. “I just took a recording. I think these shots are the easiest shots. You have no other options. When I felt it, I actually thought, 'Oh, I'm going to bench that.' You can see the trajectory of the ball and I just knew I was going to bench him.

Editor favorites

2 relatives

That was the key goal in a 25-4 run by the Nuggets in the final 6:45 minutes of the game, including a 13-0 run.

“The thing with Nikola, I love the fact that he gets in his spot, steps up and just shoots his shot,” Gordon said. “He doesn’t allow the defense to change anything. When he hits his shot, there’s always a chance he can make it.”

Jokic finished the game with 34 points on 13 of 15 shooting, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Gordon added 30 points on 11 of 17 shooting and guard Jamal Murray had 25 points on 8 of 16 shooting.

But entering the fourth quarter, Denver trailed by 18 points after the Warriors outscored the Nuggets 44-24 in the third quarter.

The Nuggets said they expected Golden State to play their best, especially after scoring 70 points in the first half, 42 of which came in the game – the most points the Warriors have allowed in the first half this season .

The Warriors' third quarter was one of their best periods of the season. Her 75% shooting percentage from the field was also her best mark ever in a quarter, and her +20 point differential was her second-best in a quarter (+21 in Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns on October 24).

Gordon said the Nuggets never hung their heads. They were positive during every timeout, pushing the “one stop, one point, one stop, one point” mentality until they were able to level the playing field.

Malone said he is most proud of that attitude and his team's ability to withstand Golden State's push.

“They were very aggressive in the third quarter and we couldn't cope with that. They had us on our heels,” Malone said. “I said, ‘Okay, enough is enough. We have our backs to the ball. We have to go now,' and then we became the aggressors. We became a team that made stops, pushed, attacked, we became more physical.”

“The most aggressive team will win. … I felt like when the game was on the line, we were the more aggressive team.”

This is the seventh time this season that the Warriors have had a lead of 10 or more points and still lost. It is the fourth time with a lead of at least 18 points.

“The defense was great in the fourth period,” Jokic said. “We didn’t want to give up. We could have easily had excuses to lose the game. … But the boys didn’t let their heads down, especially against this team.”

Arguably the most important defensive play of the night came just seconds before Jokic's game-winning shot.

With 6.2 seconds left, Murray intercepted a cross-court pass attempt from Warriors guard Stephen Curry.

“Jamal recognized this situation so well,” Jokic said.

Malone immediately tried to call a timeout, but only got it after Murray took a dribble. Therefore, the Nuggets were forced to take the ball out three quarters of the way down the court.

Malone had three plays in mind. The first should be Murray on the strong side on the sideline. The second was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who took off in Jokic's halfcourt. The third was Gordon beating Jokic and hoping the two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP could make something happen.

The last thing is what happened. But there was no panic, especially from Jokic, as he chased his shot to find it in less than four seconds.

“I wish I could tell you [that’s how I drew it up]. “But this is just a great player playing a great game,” Malone said. “Nikola lives for these moments. And it's great and a joy to watch a player of his talent go out and make the plays that he makes.”

Aatos Koivu, Saku's son, made his professional debut in the Liiga, Finland's top division, on Wednesday evening at the age of 17.

If his baptism of fire came in his team TPS Turku's 4-0 defeat against Jukurit Mikkeli, we still have to remember that the teenager was playing against adults.

Koivu played on the team's third line and finished the game with a -2 differential.

He spent 13 minutes and 37 seconds on the ice and won nine of the 17 faceoffs in which he participated.

He didn't take any shots on goal.

The son of the former Montreal Canadiens captain also played for TPS Turku's U18 and U20 teams this season, in addition to taking part in the U18 World Cup. It was this participation in the international tournament that truly made Koivu a star in his country.

In the 2023-2024 season, Koivu scored 23 points in 15 games in the U20; a performance that certainly earned him that professional audition.

After seven games at opposing ice rinks, the Canadian will get back in touch with his fans on Thursday evening when the Buffalo Sabers visit. In the morning, the Habs learned more bad news with the loss of Christian Dvorak. Montreal native Devon Levi will make his first start on the ice at the Bell Center.

The Journal offers five items to keep an eye on in this game against the Sabres.

1 – Dvorak: Season over

The years pass and are similar for the Canadian. Especially because of the news from the infirmary. Christian Dvorak is out for the rest of the season. Dvorak will undergo surgery on Friday for a torn pectoral muscle.

CH will have another center on the long-term injured list. Kirby Dach saw his season come to an end after the second game of the season. Dach suffered a torn anterior and internal cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Martin St-Louis described the loss of a player like Dvorak to his team.

“He's important for faceoffs on the left side, he plays outnumbered and does a little bit of everything,” noted St-Louis. It is not one player who will replace him in his role, but several players. Sean Monahan has to take more penalties. We also need to find an attacker who can play in the second wave of the power play. We will replace him together.”

2 – Healthy Anderson

There are always doubts about a Canadian player's health. But when a player limps off the ice, things become even more worrisome. This was the case for Josh Anderson in the third period against the Stars in Dallas. For a rare time, luck was in the CH camp. Anderson apparently did not suffer an injury as he was at his post during Thursday's morning skate at the Bell Center.

Anderson will therefore be in uniform to accept his December Player of the Month award for CH.

3 – Jake Allen's turn

After departures in Tampa and Dallas, Samuel Montembeault will pass the torch to Jake Allen. The New Brunswick goalie won his only start this season against the Sabers in Buffalo. On October 23, Allen blocked 36 shots in a 3-1 win against the Sabres.

4 – Levi against his childhood team

“It was fun playing against the Canadian in Buffalo, but it will be even more fun in this building. »

Devon Levi had a big smile on his face as he left an optional Sabers practice on the ice at the Bell Center. He was just hours away from his first start against the Habs in Montreal.

Getty Images via AFP

” I am very excited. During my last visit to the Bell Center I saw Carey Price. Now it's up to me to find myself in front of the net. I will be performing in front of several family members and friends. »

When asked to describe his best moments at the Bell Centre, the 22-year-old Montrealer spoke about the former Boston Bruins captain.

“I watched several games with my father and brother because of the matchups against Boston,” he replied. They were good matches and the crowd booed Chara. It was fun. I booed him too. I won't do it now, but I could do it when I was little! »

5 – Aim for consistency

The Sabers are one of the disappointments in the NHL this season with a record of 15-19-4. Given that they were likely to clinch a playoff spot before the season began, the Sabers would have to stage quite a comeback to get there.

“It starts with consistency,” Sabers head coach Don Granato said. There is no point in thinking about the past, you have to look to the future. We have to play a big game against the Canadian. »

The Canadian's likely lineup:

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky

Monahan Anderson

Ylönen-Evans-Gallagher

Pezzetta Stephens Armia

Matheson Savard

Guhle Barron

Struble Harris

Kovacevic

Allen

*CH will again play with eleven attackers and seven defenders

See also:

Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti have dealt a serious blow to the Brazilian team. After the confirmation of the former president of the Brazilian Football Federation, international media announced the Italian as the future strategist of the Canarinha Copa America 2024. However, “Carletto” extended the contract with the 14-time Champions League champions until 2026.

It should be noted that former CBF boss Ednaldo Rodrigues had assured that Ancelotti “will take over the starting role in the Copa América” because he maintains the same “type of approach to the game” as Diniz. Recently, the strategist broke his silence and spoke about his extension at Real Madrid and why he didn't join the Brazilian team.

What did Carlo Ancelotti say about the Brazilian team?

In foreplay Real Madrid vs Mallorca LaLiga's Ancelotti was happy to have extended his contract with the Merengue team: “I'm very happy about the extension, it was pretty easy negotiations because we reached an agreement between the president and myself. I am very happy to be here for another two years as coach of Real Madrid”.

He then said a few words about Brazil, a team he thanked for their interest but whose decision would depend on his relationship with the White House.

“The reality is that I was in contact with the Brazilian team, with its president Ednaldo Rodrígues, whom I thank for his love and interest in coaching Brazil, something that made me very proud, but everything was still pending . Real Madrid's decision.” . In recent months Ednaldo stopped being president and in the end it was what I always wanted: to stay at Real Madrid. I don't know if Brazil wants me in 2026 and I don't know if they want me to. “I'm happy with my decision,” he concluded at a press conference.

• 

  Andrew Lopez, ESPN January 5, 2024, 12:44 a.m. ET

SAN ANTONIO – As Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ran to the rim in the final minute of Thursday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, he tried to create space against rookie center Victor Wembanyama and stood up, like he had done it so many times throughout his career.

But the result was anything but ordinary for Antetokounmpo. The long wingspan of Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick, knocked the ball away and gave the Spurs a chance against the team with the league's third-best record.

San Antonio's final shot, a corner 3-pointer by Tre Jones off a pass from Wembanyama, failed, and Milwaukee secured a 125-121 victory. But the talk after the game was about the battle between two players who are different from everyone else.

Antetokounmpo finished their first meeting with 44 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists in 39 minutes, while Wembanyama had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in 26 minutes.

Editor favorites

Both players had several highlights and fought each other until the end. In a thrilling sequence, Antetokounmpo threw multiple Spurs to the basket on one end, and Wembanyama responded with an alley-oop off the screen on the next possession.

“He’s special,” Antetokounmpo said. “He will be an extremely good player. He plays right. He plays to win. I’ve never seen anything like him.”

Wembanyama said Antetokounmpo was one of the players he watched most as a child and described him as one of the greatest players in the world.

“It’s always an extra motivation and I know I’m a competitor,” Wembanyama said. “So I want to take on everyone and be the bad guy on the pitch. So it was a great duel.”

The Spurs, who fell to 5-29 this season, fell behind by double digits early in the first quarter in what looked like it was shaping up to be another massive loss. But San Antonio quickly battled back in a game that saw eight lead changes and five ties in the fourth quarter alone.

But late in the fourth, Antetokounmpo took over.

Antetokounmpo defeated the Spurs 12:8 in the final period. The 12 clutch-time points were the second-most in a game of Antetokoumpo's career as the Bucks improved to 14-5 in clutch games, the most wins in the league.

Milwaukee also got 25 points, 10 assists and zero turnovers from Damian Lillard for the second straight night after losing a tough game to Indiana on Wednesday.

Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said it was a fun game to watch and practice with Antetokoumpo and Wembanyama in attendance.

“Two of the most unique and talented big men,” Griffin said. “That’s what I use [big-man term] easy because they are very versatile players. Man, that was fun. I thought Wemby was great, I thought Giannis was phenomenal.

Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who did not play in the second half, said he enjoyed watching Wembanyama's aggressiveness at the end of the game.

“To be competitive and not be afraid of the moment,” Middleton said. “In a close game, he's not afraid to take the shot and make a move or a pass or just take a chance, especially late in the game. You can tell he's not afraid of the moment. He loves the challenge. This will be big for him in the future.

Keldon Johnson, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, has watched Wembanyama make plays all year but called it “amazing” to see him and Antetokounmpo compete throughout the game.

“I think Vic did great,” Johnson said. “He had some great plays. Tonight, as always, he showed how he does it. But it’s a good feeling and it gets the competitive spirit going when you see them both doing their best.”

According to Second Spectrum, this is only the second time this season that Antetokounmpo has been blocked by a driving dunk. And the person who delivered that dunk was someone who has been watching Antetokounmpo from afar for a long time.

“I try to gain knowledge from as many great players like them,” Wembanyama said. “Giannis is one of the players I have watched the most. The way he uses his body makes 100% of what he can do with his body. This is something I look up to and still look up to. It's a player I know pretty well.

Despite the loss, Wembanyama said he could sense a performance against a team contending for a championship this season could propel San Antonio forward.

“It’s promising,” Wembanyama said. “That’s the first thing [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] told us we got back to the locker room. We had a few moments in the game where everything seemed to be working. And I could feel the crowd believing in us and going for it. Some of that was satisfying tonight.”