
ESPN can't stop zooming in on stunning NHL fan sat behind team bench
A busty NHL fan went viral on Saturday night after being spotted in the crowd at a playoff game in Dallas.
As the hosts secured a crucial Game 7 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, the stunning blonde was frequently captured by ESPN cameras while sitting over the right shoulder of Stars head coach Peter DeBoer.
She caused quite a stir online after positioning herself behind the home team's bench at American Airlines Center, and she proved a good-luck charm as they ran out 4-2 winners.
The fan in question has since been identified as Instagram model Natalie Gauvreau, who boasts close to half a million followers on the platform and
Gauvreau, who is a huge Stars supporter, has been seen sitting behind the Dallas bench on several occasions in the past.
She has also been picked up on NHL broadcasts while sat over the shoulder of DeBoer's predecessors Rick Bowness and Jim Montgomery.
At Saturday's playoff game, Gauvreau shared a video of herself walking down to her seat with two drinks in her hand and an upbeat song playing in the background.
'The sound that plays in my head knowing the boys can't lose with their Lucky Charms behind the bench,' she wrote as the caption along with two four-leaf clover emojis.
The social-media beauty proved correct in the end as her beloved Dallas swept aside Colorado to book their place in the second round of the playoffs.
Dallas has won all four Game 7s it has played against Colorado, and reached the Stanley Cup Final after each of the first three.
They went to seven games in the Western Conference final in both 1999 and 2000, and the Stars won a seven-game series in the second round of the pandemic-impacted 2020 playoffs inside the Canadian bubble.
They are now gearing up for Game 1 of their second-round battle with the Winnipeg Jets, which comes on Wednesday night in Manitoba, Canada.
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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Caitlin Clark's new Wilson basketballs reveal who she is as a person
The colors, the patterns, the detailing -- all are the result of months-long conversations between Clark and Wilson's design team about who she is, what she likes and what messages she wants to send to young fans. "It was a really fun process for me to go through," Clark told USA TODAY Sports. "It's things that are super important to me and all very different things, too, throughout my life. So hopefully they can make an impact on whoever's going to pick the ball up." Clark joined Michael Jordan as the only athletes to be brand ambassadors for Wilson, signing a multiyear sponsorship deal in May 2024 with the official manufacturer of basketballs for the WNBA, NBA and NCAA. In part because of the short turnaround time before the release of her first signature ball last October, Clark's first line leaned heavily into history. The records she broke at Iowa. Her historic rookie season with the WNBA's Indiana Fever. But Clark and Wilson knew they wanted future lines to be more personal, reflecting who Clark is as a person as much as a player. "She's actually influencing this. It's not just people at Wilson picking the design," Hudson Vantrease, director of product design at Wilson, said. "We never wanted to just put her name on a ball and call it a day," he added. "We want to tell the most compelling story, and having her as part of that is a positive to it." Wilson invited USA TODAY Sports to attend the design team meeting in April where Clark saw the finished basketballs for the first time. The design team also gave USA TODAY Sports a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration process with Clark for the latest collection, which will be released June 23. There are four balls in the collection, and they differ in both purpose (one is an indoor-only ball, one is outdoor-only and two can be used either indoors or outdoors) and price point. One, the Embrace, is an Evo NXT basketball, meaning it has the same construction as a regulation W ball and could be used in official games. "Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome," Clark said when she walked into the Indiana Fever's practice gym and saw the four new basketballs. "You guys killed it." The team responsible for developing Clark's line has about a dozen core members. They met with Clark at last year's All-Star Game and got her initial thoughts about the collection, including what a young Caitlin Clark would have wanted. "I think she said a blue ball," said Haley Reines, the product line manager at Wilson. Afterward, Reines and product designer Julia Muscarello sent Clark a detailed questionnaire, asking her everything from her favorite color (blue) to her hobbies outside of basketball (golf, being on the water) to what she'd be if she wasn't a basketball player (chef). They also monitored social media, taking note of Clark's clothes -- there's an Instagram account devoted to her fits -- and what she does off the court. "I don't want to say borderline stalking, but yeah," Muscarello said with a laugh. "I was trying to stay on the Caitlin pulse." Those answers and details drove the design process, which involved "hundreds" of hours. Christopher Rickert, the senior director of global production at Wilson, said the team began with 50 design ideas and whittled them down. Sometimes the color wasn't right. Sometimes the pattern didn't work. Sometimes what seemed like a great idea on paper didn't quite translate into reality. When the team had 10 ideas, they sent the designs to Clark for her thoughts. There were further tweaks, and prototypes were made to make sure the designs looked the same on an actual basketball as they did in drawings. The four designs ultimately chosen for this year's line all have very different looks, but there's a commonality to all of them. Clark. "Whenever I do something, I want to make it the best product possible for people. But also I feel like this is an easy way for me to connect with my fans," Clark said of being so involved in the design process. "I want it to feel very personal for them, too. They can connect with me, not just by watching me on TV or coming and buying a ticket to a game." Take the Oasis ball, which can be used indoors and outdoors. Clark told Reines and Muscarello that her favorite color is blue, she likes pastels and her happy places are the water and golf course. So the panels of the Oasis ball are white and light blue, and the light blue panels have what looks like pink and green splashes of paint but is actually an abstract drawing of a golf course. Clark picked up on it right away when she saw the ball. "That looks like a hole on a golf course!" she exclaimed. Light blue is also the shade used for the pattern on the Envision, an outdoor ball. At first glance, it looks like a maze, but it's really the words "DREAM BIG." That phrase is also on the Aspire, an indoor/outdoor ball that at first appears to be white or grey. Put it in the sunlight, however, and the phrases "Dream Big," "Keep Going" and "You're Going to Be Amazing Because You Are Amazing" emerge in bold, Fever-red letters. That last phrase is what Clark says to Boston before every game. "See, she loves it!" Clark said, pointing to a picture of her and Boston on the bench that was on the design team's planning whiteboard. "We'll get her a free basketball. She'll love it. I'm going to put it in her locker." Because the Embrace is an official basketball, it cannot have any obvious detailing. Look closely, though, and you can see a pattern -- again, light blue -- within the Wilson logo and in what looks like a sunburst around the airhole. Both are the visual representation of the decibel level at a Fever game; the Wilson team took an audio file of the sound and made a graphic out of it. "Fans really admire how she just plays so well under pressure," Muscarello said. "Sometimes it's OK to embrace the noise." Though Clark had been involved in every step of the design process, seeing the basketballs on a computer screen is very different than holding the finished product. Clark picked up each of the basketballs and examined it, taking note of the different details. She spun each ball and shifted it from one hand to the other. She also studied the design team's white boards, pointing to some of the notes and photos. Though she initially seemed most taken by the Oasis ball, she was fascinated with the Envision's UV technology and said she'd have loved to have had a basketball that revealed "secret" messages when she was a kid. She also was impressed that Wilson's design team was able to turn a decibel meter reading into a design. "They're all unique in their own way. They all have different things I love about them," Clark said. "I think they each serve their own purpose and are different. "So I guess you have to buy 'em all!" she added, laughing. While there will be some fans who buy the whole collection, whether to use or keep as memorabilia, Clark was conscious of not pricing any fans out of the new line. Two of the balls are less than $50, with the outdoor Envision ball costing $27.95 and the Oasis indoor ball priced at $49.95, while the Aspire outdoor ball is $54.95. The Embrace, which is Wilson's premium Evo NXT basketball, costs $124.95. All the balls will be available on Wilson's website and at retail sporting goods stores. Last year's collection sold out almost immediately and, given the appetite for all things Clark, it's a good bet this one will, too. "It's kind of cool to see how the balls came back and they feel very `me,'" Clark told USA TODAY Sports. "That's what I love about it. I feel like I'm sharing part of my life and my journey with people. "I could have never dreamed (as a child) to have something like this," she added. "It's pretty special." Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Jess and Norma: TikTok gran who amassed millions of fans with her granddaughter dies aged 91 leaving family ‘devastated'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GRANDMA who rose to fame on TikTok posting funny videos with her granddaughter has died aged 91. Norma, who amassed more than 2.7 million followers on the social media app with her granddaughter Jess, 32, died on June 5, her family announced yesterday. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 TikTok star Norma has died at the age of 91 Credit: Instagram 4 The gran was famed for her funny videos alongside granddaughter Jess, 32 Credit: Instagram 4 Norma's family announced her death on social media yesterday alongside a moving tribute Credit: TikTOk The pair created countless heartwarming funny videos on TikTok, including one where Norma says "we're related" in a series of funny voices - mimicking a cow and a vampire - with both collapsing into fits of giggles. Announcing her death on social media, Norma's family wrote: "05/06/2025, the day our family lost our rock, our everything, our beautiful, precious, perfect lady. "We are all truly devastated and our lives will never be the same. "We want you all to know that Nan fell to sleep peacefully, surrounded by all her family, she was full of love and had the most beautiful care. "If anyone deserves a place in heaven, it's you Nanny Norma." The moving tribute also highlighted how social media and the online community around her TikTok had "made Nan's last years so incredibly special". Norma's family added: "Her cup was full and in her own words she 'lived such a wonderful life'. "91 years was never going to be enough and she has left the biggest hole in all of our hearts. "Reunited with her husband and family, until we meet again, our queen." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.


Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Panthers cruise to Game 3 win over Oilers
June 10 - The Florida Panthers didn't pull any punches against the visiting Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night. The Panthers scored in the opening minute and didn't let up in the scrappy, penalty-filled game, cruising to a 6-1 victory in Sunrise, Fla. The result gives the Panthers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading to Game 4 on Thursday night in Sunrise. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett also scored, and Eetu Luostarinen had two assists for the Panthers, who are trying to become the third team to repeat as Stanley Cup champion in the past 10 years. Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves for Florida, which went 3-for-11 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill. "We talk about being composed," Florida forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "If you've got to take a punch in the face, a slash in the face, a cross-check, a slash in the leg, whatever the case is, you've got to it. There's a bigger picture with the win here for us. We just wanted to protect ourselves, protect our teammates when needed, but at the end of the day, you've got to be smart in a game like this, and I thought our team did that." Corey Perry scored for the Oilers, who are hoping to become the first franchise from Canada to win the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Stuart Skinner surrendered five goals on 23 shots before he was replaced early in the third period by Calvin Pickard, who finished with seven saves. "We didn't play very well. We have nobody to blame but ourselves," Edmonton left winger Evander Kane said. "We can definitely be a lot better." Marchand scored his fourth goal of the series 56 seconds into the game. The puck caromed to Marchand in the slot, and he brought it back to the inside edge of the right circle before scoring with a snap shot. Skinner was off balance in front of the crease when the puck hit the net to give Florida a 1-0 lead. Marchand, who turned 37 on May 11, is the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a Stanley Cup Final, and his 11 goals in the finals are tops among active players, one more than Perry. The teams combined for seven power plays in the opening period and the Panthers scored on the last. The Oilers left room for Verhaeghe to skate into the right circle and fired in a wrist shot for a 2-0 lead at 17:45. Edmonton was on a power play to start the second period when Perry converted a rebound to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 1:40. Florida answered 1:20 later when Reinhart shot the puck between the legs of Oilers defenseman John Klingberg from the left faceoff circle and past Skinner to re-establish the two-goal lead at 3-1. "We played like a solid, veteran, older team that's been here before," Tkachuk said. Bennett and Luostarinen then sprung loose on a two-on-none break and Bennett finished it off for his fourth goal of the series and 14th of the postseason to make it 4-1 at 7:26 of the middle period. Florida added another power-play goal at 3:27 of the third period to stretch the lead to 5-1. Ekblad took a feed from Reinhart and scored with a one-timer from the inside edge of the right circle, ending the night for Skinner. Rodrigues blasted in a one-timer during a five-on-three power play with 3:50 left to make it 6-1. The teams combined for 140 penalty minutes. "I mean, it's for the Stanley Cup, you know," Edmonton defenseman Jake Walman said. "There's not an inch out there. It's a grown man's game out there. That's not for the faint of heart. Guys are putting everything on the line." --Field Level Media