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Good morning, sports fans, and happy Thursday! This morning it’s Austin Nivison. A lot has been happening in the sports world lately. Team USA men’s hockey looks set to clash with Canada in the gold medal game after a dramatic win in the quarterfinal round, but Texas Tech just took a big hit on the court as the 2026 Genesis Invitational begins today. It could also be a very important day for American women at the Olympics. U.S. National Team plays Canada in hockey gold medal game and Alisa Liu joins the medal race In figure skating. (You can see all the action for the day here.)
Let’s get started.
🇺🇸 5 things you need to know about Thursday
- Quinn Hughes scored the OT goal against Sweden to advance Team USA to the semifinals. After Sweden tied the game with 1:31 left in regulation time in the quarterfinals, the United States was on the verge of going home early. In overtime, Hughes made a great play to fire a shot past Jacob Markstrom to keep the Americans alive. Team USA is now They will face Slovakia in the semi-finals. The gold medal challenge continues on Friday. Meanwhile, Canada got over its own OT scare against the Czech Republic, but Sidney Crosby died from injury.
- Texas Tech star JT Toppin missed the season with a torn ACL. The Red Raiders suffered a disappointing loss to Arizona State on the scoreboard Tuesday night, but they also suffered an even more significant long-term loss. Toppin left midway through the game with an injury. Tests revealed that he had torn his ACL.. This is a big blow for Texas Tech, as Toppin is the team leader in points (21.8), rebounds (10.8) and blocks (1.7) per game.
- The Seahawks will be put up for sale two weeks after winning the Super Bowl. The Seahawks are on sale following the team’s victory in Super Bowl 60. Paul G. Allen’s legacy is started the process of selling the teamshould yield huge profits on the public market. The Commanders were sold for a record $6.05 billion, and the Seahawks’ sale is expected to be higher than that.
- Magic star Franz Wagner is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain. The Magic are in the thick of playoff contention, and their postseason chances just fell apart. Wagner had already missed 25 games since early December with an ankle injury, but he aggravated the injury again before the All-Star break. Wagner is now He will be out indefinitely with a sprained left ankle.. Wagner has appeared in just 13 games this season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
- NIU coach Thomas Hammock is leaving for a job with the Seahawks. Hammock, the coach famous for leading the Huskies to an upset of Notre Dame in 2024. Join the Seahawks staff as an assistant. The timing of this move is pretty bad for NIU, which is entering the Mountain West Conference this year. MWC means more competition for NIU as the Huskies enter the coaching market.
🏈 Don’t Miss: Pete Prisco’s Top 100 NFL Free Agents
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NFL free agency begins in less than a month, and several stars will hit the open market. As the team prepares to back up Brinkstrack, they will need to sift through some of the top names available.
Fortunately for all 32 teams, our own Pete Prisco is already We’ve identified the top 100 NFL free agents. Class of 2026. One of the most intriguing players is the running back. Kenneth Walker III. In an interesting case, Walker struggled to get regular carries in the regular season, but proved to be a workhorse for the Super Bowl champions. seahawks In the playoffs. How will free agent suitors view him?
- Priscus: “He split time during the regular season, but took over the lead in the postseason. Zach Charbonnet He went down and showed he was more than capable and won Super Bowl MVP. At 25, he’s a good age for a free agent back. But at what cost? More than $10 million per season? ”
The second player on Prisco’s list is bengals defensive end trey hendrickson. He should attract a lot of attention in free agency, but Cincinnati There are still some options at your disposal.
🏌 Genesis Invitational Preview
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One year after the Los Angeles wildfires moved the tournament to coastal Torrey Pines, the Genesis Invitational returned to its usual home at Riviera Country Club. Players will be vying for a share of a whopping $20 million purse, but who will still be standing on Sunday?
in him 2026 Genesis Invitational Previewour own Patrick McDonald reviews the odds for the tournament and offers some choices of his own. meanwhile Scotty Scheffler It’s hard to win, lists McDonald’s. harris english (45-1) was mentioned as a potential candidate to push up the leaderboard all weekend.
- McDonald’s: “There aren’t many players right now who are flying the ball more efficiently than English. English, who won at California’s Torrey Pines last season, has solo finishes of 7th and 12th in his past two outings at the Golden State golf course. , he should have a chance to lift another trophy. English has started four games this season and has finished in the top 30 four times, but never in the top 20. That could change this week, given his proficiency with the mid-iron.
The first round begins Thursday morning. The result is: How to stay focused all weekend.
👍👎 The best (and not the best) of the rest
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📺 What I’m Watching on Thursday
🏅 Women’s curling: USA vs Switzerland9:05 a.m. on Peacock
🥉 Ice Hockey (W): Switzerland vs. Sweden (Bronze Medal Match)8:40 a.m. at Peacock
🏅 Speed skating: Men’s 1500m10:30 a.m. Peacock
🏅 Figure skating: Women’s freePeacock’s 1 p.m.
🏅 Curling: Men’s semifinalsPeacock 1:05 p.m.
🥇 Ice Hockey (W): USA vs. Canada (Gold Medal)1:10 p.m., on USA Network
⛳ Genesis Invitational: Round 1on Golf Channel from 4 p.m.
🏀 No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 24 Georgia (West)6:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 North Carolina State University 9th Duke (W)7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Pistons vs. Knicks7:30pm on Prime Video
🏀 No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 25 Alabama (West)8:30 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 No.7 LSU at No.17 Ole Miss (W)9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 celtics vs warriors10pm on Prime Video
