Santos-Griswold rallies to win 500m short track
Team USA's Kristen Santos-Griswold captures gold in the 500m with a brilliant late-race move during the ISU Short Track World Tour stop in Milan, Italy.
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New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Blackhawks power rankings, from Frank Nazar to Mitch Marner to (you guessed it) CHSN
Ten years ago might seem like forever, but it wasn't that long ago that the Blackhawks were still playing hockey this time of year, the way the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are. But these days, June is about hiring coaches and developing prospects and making draft picks. The idea is that if you do enough of those right, eventually you'll be back to playing well into May and June. Easier said than done, of course. Advertisement So, how are the Blackhawks doing this offseason? Let's take a look with the latest edition of our power rankings: The new Blackhawks head coach won the press conference, as they say, but there's plenty of overlap between Hawks fans and Bears fans in this town, so this city knows to take that with a big ol' lump of salt. Still, it's not hard to understand what GM Kyle Davidson saw in Blashill, with his strong mix of experience and development. And while there's nothing unusual about a new coach's friends saying nice things about him, how the likes of Jon Cooper and Bill Zito — two of the most respected and most successful people in the hockey world — raved about Blashill is encouraging. The honeymoon has begun. Hopefully, it lasts longer than it did for Matt Eberflus. Or Matt Nagy. Or John Fox. Or (ye gods) Marc Trestman. Nazar was arguably the Blackhawks' best player late in the season. Carrying that play and that confidence, Nazar proved to be a dominant player for Team USA at the World Championship with six goals and six assists in 10 games. He finished tied for sixth in the tournament in points and tied for fourth in goals. On top of that, he helped the U.S. win the tournament, breaking a 92-year drought. Defenseman Alex Vlasic was also a plus-3 and averaged 16:35 of ice time over his 10 games for Team USA. Fans have been asking for the Blackhawks to create a ring of honor for years. Now they'll finally get their wish. As part of their centennial celebration, the Blackhawks have introduced a team-specific Hall of Fame, which will be located at Fifth Third Arena. Duncan Keith and Steve Larmer are probably the odds-on favorites to be the first inductees (aside from everyone who already has their numbers retired), but you never know. Why no love for Charlie Gardiner in the Heritage Era? Advertisement If you're a Comcast subscriber and were waiting eight-plus months for the Blackhawks and Comcast to reach an agreement, you finally received some good news this week … possibly. Of course, you do need to be paying for Comcast's top tier to watch the channel, which will cost you just as much as the direct-to-consumer app would. But there are still plenty of those subscribers, as Comcast is still Chicago's biggest cable provider. The Blackhawks' viewership won't return to where it was with NBC Sports Chicago, but Comcast carriage will help with that 78 percent viewership loss. You rarely see an interim head coach stick around after failing to get the job long-term, but it's now happened twice with the Blackhawks, with Derek King and Anders Sörensen. Maybe it says something about the lack of egos of those two men, or maybe it says something about the Blackhawks organization, or maybe it just says something about how rare and precious NHL gigs are. Regardless, it's a win-win situation. The Blackhawks get to keep Sörensen, a well-regarded skills coach who has a built-in relationship with many of the Blackhawks' top young players. And Sörensen gets to stay in Chicago rather than go back to the AHL, even if it's in a lesser role. The Fifth Third Arena expansion has the potential to be a game-changer for the Blackhawks and youth hockey in the Chicago area. The expansion has everything a hockey family is looking for, from additional ice sheets to lounge areas to a bar/restaurant. Objectively, it's an impressive building. The 2,000-capacity arena also has the possibility to bring in top junior events and will house the Chicago Steel. As mentioned, the Blackhawks Hall of Fame will also have a physical space there. The Blackhawks are going to add a player or two this offseason. Time will tell whether those players are notable names. Advertisement Chicago has the cap space to pursue someone like that in free agency, but it might be easier for Davidson to get someone who fits what he's looking for via trade. The Blackhawks would like to find players who are compatible in age and talent with their rebuild plan. That likely means some team's restricted free agent. If a team is looking for draft capital in exchange, Davidson has plenty of that and seems eager to use it. The issue may be if teams also want established players in return. For the second straight year (and the third time since 2019), the real draft intrigue starts with the Blackhawks. But unlike last year, when either Artyom Levshunov or Ivan Demidov were extremely exciting, seemingly can't-miss prospects, there's no sure thing at No. 3. With the Islanders expected to take defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the Sharks expected to take forward Michael Misa, the Blackhawks can go in any number of directions. The early buzz is that forwards Caleb Desnoyers and Anton Frondell top the Blackhawks' board, but tantalizing offensive talents such as James Hagens and Porter Martone are there, too. Excitement among the fan base seems to be way down this year, which might be due to draft fatigue as much as the supposed quality of the prospects available. You can only draft in the top three so many times before it starts to get real old. It's one thing if the Blackhawks don't go after Mitch Marner and pin their hopes for progress on continued improvement from within. It's quite another if they let Ryan Donato walk, as well. After all, how do you tell fans you're trying to get out of the cellar when you don't go after a top free agent and you let your leading goal-scorer leave? Donato was Connor Bedard's most frequent linemate this past season. Taking him away and failing to get someone better to replace him isn't exactly putting Bedard in the best position to take the next step toward superstardom. Yes, Donato can probably cash in elsewhere, but will he get the same opportunity he got in Chicago? It might seem melodramatic to say re-signing a career journeyman like Donato is critical for the Blackhawks, but that's just where the franchise is at the moment. Davidson said at the combine that there's 'constant communication' between the team and Donato's camp, and he's 'still hopeful we can find a resolution there.' Not too long ago, the Blackhawks were expected to be top suitors for Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner, with either one being the catalyst to supercharge the rebuild and Bedard. But Rantanen came off the board early, and now the Blackhawks seem like extreme long shots to land Marner, as the focus has turned to potential trades (JJ Peterka? Marco Rossi? Anyone?) instead of free agency. Advertisement There's no doubt that Marner is an ideal winger for Bedard: he's a Selke-caliber two-way forward with three 97-or-more-point seasons in the last four years. With him on his line, Bedard could immediately become a 40-goal, 90-point player. But at 28 years old, Marner doesn't quite fit Davidson's (long, long, long) timeline. So Blackhawks fans might need to continue to be — and stop us if you've heard this one before — patient. CHSN may not have had Comcast carriage from the start, but what it did offer fans was free broadcasts accessible via an old-school antenna. From Chicago to neighboring states, you could watch CHSN for free. That was unique. As an early CHSN press release touted: 'Through free, over-the-air broadcasts, CHSN ensures every fan has access to their favorite teams.' Some of us learned antennas and over-the-air broadcasts sounded simpler in theory than in practice, but some people had no trouble getting the channel that way, and that's how they watched the Blackhawks. But now that viewing avenue is gone for most people. As part of the Comcast deal, CHSN agreed to sunset all of its Illinois over-the-air channels and a few of its out-of-state ones, too. Unless you're in Indianapolis, Milwaukee or a few other out-of-state locations, you can no longer watch CHSN for free. One step forward, two steps back. Yes, some of you can get Blackhawks broadcasts through your primary provider now. But not you, antenna folk. Not you, YouTube TV subscribers. And no matter what, you're paying up for it. An extra 20 bucks a month for the top tier of Comcast, or an extra 20 bucks a month for the app. Thirty bucks if you're a masochist and want to watch the Bulls and White Sox too. It's a lot to ask to watch a team — three teams, really — that don't seem to be in any hurry to be competitive. In other words, you should spend money on these teams — even though they won't. (Top photo of Frank Nazar, left, playing for Team USA at the World Championship: Michael Campanella / Getty Images)
Axios
4 hours ago
- Axios
Tampa Bay's MerMandy helps Team USA win Merlympics gold medal
When Mandy Walker first donned a mermaid tail a couple years ago, she never thought she'd end up competing in it, let alone on the world stage. Why it matters: Walker, a mermaid performer and teacher from Riverview, was one of six athletes who represented the U.S. last month at the Official Merlympics 2025 in Wolfsburg, Germany, the Tampa Bay Times first reported. And the results are in: Team USA brought home the gold medal, besting more than a dozen other countries with teams in the competition. "It was a life-changing experience," Walker, who goes by MerMandy, told Axios. "USA blew first place out of the water. It was clear we worked our butts off — or, you could say, our tails off." State of play: For Walker, 44, that meant training five to six times a week for the last six months, building up her strength and endurance in and out of the water. Swimming with a monofin takes serious core strength. She did it all as a single mom of four and master's student, without a competitive swimming background or a coach. In February, her teammates visited from as far away as Indiana and Utah to practice in Florida together. They drilled their synchronization in the chilly waters of Alexander Springs in the Ocala National Forest and in the deep end at High 5, an aquatics center in Brandon. Soon, they were off to Germany, arriving a few days ahead of the May 24 competition to practice together a few more times. How it works: While the Merlympics aren't affiliated with the traditional Olympics, the competition has a similar structure with multiple events for individuals and with the synchronized swim, events included: A 50-meter surface swim testing speed. An underwater rescue emphasizing the merfolk oath of safety. An underwater photoshoot judging poise and appearance ("they do say mermaids are vain," Walker joked). Zoom out: They found time to have some fun, too. Team members stayed in the historic Hotel Alter Wolf, where they snapped photos with their tails hanging out the windows. Down the street was Schloss Wolfsburg, a medieval castle where Walker quipped she was just waiting for the moat to fill. The big picture: Mermaid culture has long had a presence in Florida thanks to the famous Weeki Wachee mermaids. But the professional scene has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to social media and the Netflix docuseries " MerPeople." That popularity shined at the competition, Walker said. Folks kept coming up to her saying they followed her on social media. What she's saying:"To meet friends that are now global — that's just mind-boggling and priceless," she said.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
WTA Star Coco Gauff Makes LeBron James Admission Amid French Open
WTA Star Coco Gauff Makes LeBron James Admission Amid French Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. World No. 2 Coco Gauff may be one of the top tennis players in the world, but even champions have fan moments. Advertisement During an interview at Roland-Garros, Gauff opened up about the time she met NBA legend LeBron James and she couldn't help but feel starstruck. While speaking with former tennis pro John Isner during the 2025 French Open, Gauff recalled the unforgettable moment when she met James for the first time at the Olympic Games. The 20-year-old tennis star and reigning US Open champion was selected as Team USA's female flag bearer alongside LeBron James last year in Paris, making history as the first American tennis player to lead the team during the Opening Ceremony. The interview was shared by Bleacher Report on Instagram. 'He walked in all super cool with his shades on,' Gauff said, describing James' entrance. 'And I'm standing there waiting. And I had played it cool. He was like, 'Nice to meet you,' and I was like, 'Nice to meet you too.'' Advertisement But it didn't take long for her inner fan to surface. 'I'm like looking at Tommy Paul and Jess Pegula, and then I'm like, 'Oh my God, LeBron James is here,'' she said. 'And I just kept saying, 'He's so tall.'' Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reacts during a game.© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images James, ever humble, replied, 'I'm not that tall.' Still, Gauff couldn't shake the feeling of awe. 'I was like, 'Okay, but you're a massive dude,'' she added with a laugh. As she continues her run at the French Open, Gauff is showing fans she's not just a star athlete, but also someone who still gets nervous meeting her heroes, just like everyone else. Related: Fans Notice LeBron James' Appearance During Special Event With Savannah James This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
