Sports

US hockey player Brady Tkachuk slams White House TikTok as ‘clearly fake’ after anti-Canada slur

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — U.S. hockey player Brady Tkachuk says a White House TikTok video falsely paints him as insulting Canadians. Tkachuk calls the clip clearly fake. He says the audio and lip movement do not match. The video uses fabricated audio that includes a bleeped slur about Canadians. Tkachuk says he would never use that language. He also denies shouting “close the northern border” during Team USA’s phone call with President Donald Trump after Sunday’s Olympic gold medal win over Canada. The team has returned from Italy and is resuming the NHL season.

US women’s hockey team has date in July with Flavor Flav in Vegas to celebrate gold medal victory

The United States women’s hockey team has a date with Flavor Flav in Las Vegas in July to celebrate its gold medal victory from the Milan Cortina Olympics. The rapper posted a note on his X account announcing he’s hosting a “She Got Game” event from July 16-19. The post says the event was being held to honor the women’s hockey team and other female athletes. A publicist for Flavor Flav confirmed the event. The women’s players worked on their own to accept the invitation, without input from USA Hockey, a person familiar with discussions told The Associated Press.

Jets agree to trade Jermaine Johnson to the Titans for T’Vondre Sweat, AP source says

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the New York Jets have agreed to trade pass rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot become official until the NFL’s new league year starts on March 11. ESPN and NFL Network first reported the deal Thursday. Johnson joins Titans coach Robert Saleh again. Saleh was the Jets coach when New York drafted Johnson in 2022. Tennessee drafted Sweat in the second round in 2024.

SEC, Big Ten study: Pooling TV rights ‘dangerously unworkable’ and not as profitable as suggested

A study commissioned by the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten has concluded that a proposal to allow the pooling of media rights among Division I conferences would generate less revenue than if the conferences continued marketing their own games. The idea of pooling media rights among the conferences has been touted by some lawmakers and sports leaders as the best way to ensure college sports remains solvent in a new, more-expensive era brought on by name, image and likeness payments to college players.

Tkachuk returns to the Panthers as a gold medal party awaits against the Maple Leafs

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk returns to the Florida Panthers lineup while the team keeps the Olympic party going. Florida hosts Toronto on Thursday in its first game after the Milan Cortina Olympics. The Panthers are staging a gold medal celebration for Tkachuk and the U.S. men’s team. U.S. captain Auston Matthews also is taking part, even though he captains the Maple Leafs. It’s been a whirlwind for Tkachuk since Sunday, with parties in Italy and Miami and a White House visit. Seven Panthers players won Olympic medals, including Canadians with silver and Finns with bronze. Brad Marchand calls it a strange mix of pride and disappointment.

Nottingham Forest and Stuttgart take 3-goal leads into return playoffs in the Europa League

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest and Stuttgart take healthy first-leg leads into Europa League playoff second legs and look close to the round of 16. Forest carries a 3-0 cushion from its win at Fenerbahçe. It was coach Vítor Pereira’s first match in charge. Stuttgart brings home a 4-1 lead over Celtic after a dominant night at Celtic Park. Celtic caretaker Martin O’Neill says his team hasn’t given up. Genk leads Dinamo Zagreb 3-1. Bologna is 1-0 up against Norwegian side Brann. Lille goes to Belgrade with a 1-0 deficit to Red Star. In the Conference League, Crystal Palace and Bosnian team Zrinjski Mostar are 1-1.

F1’s new era demands a new driving style as ‘big four’ seek opening victory in Australia

Formula 1’s new era of regulations could upend the series in some unexpected ways when the season begins in Australia next week. Look out for chaotic starts, near-impossible overtaking, and lifting off the gas on straights. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are the two most successful drivers on the grid and have been critical in preseason testing. They say the cars’ complex electrical hybrid systems promote unusual driving styles and make racing more strategic. Four-time champion Verstappen has branded the cars “no fun” and suggested they might be a factor in considering retirement. Seven-time champ Hamilton suggests the rules are too complex for fans to grasp.

IndyCar roars into its season opener at St. Petersburg as Alex Palou chases a 4th straight title

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — IndyCar opens its season with a packed schedule and Alex Palou chasing yet another title. The season starts Sunday on the streets of St. Petersburg with 25 drivers. Palou returns after a dominant run last year with Chip Ganassi Racing. He’s eying a fourth straight championship. Team Penske tries to bounce back after a rough season. Andretti Global also looks stronger with Will Power and new leadership. IndyCar has four races in March and that includes a return to Phoenix Raceway. The series also welcomes Mick Schumacher, the son of Michael Schumacher, as he joins IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

Spanish soccer league wants to try again in the US and resurrect overseas game

LONDON (AP) — The Spanish soccer league wants to resurrect plans to stage a regular-season game in the United States. La Liga president Javier Tebas said Thursday that he was not giving up on taking a top Spanish match abroad after controversial plans to play outside Miami last year were scrapped in the face of pushback from clubs, players and fans. He told a news conference in London: “We are going to try again. I’m not sure when.” Barcelona and Villarreal were slated to play at the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium on December 20, which would have made Spain the first major European league to move a regular-season match abroad. But those plans fell through in October as opposition grew.

Premier League to launch its own streaming platform in Singapore next season

LONDON (AP) — The Premier League is launching a direct-to-customer streaming platform from next season, chief executive Richard Masters said. Premier League Plus will be launched initially in Singapore and, if successful, could be “replicated all around the world”. The new platform could eventually transform the way fans consume the most popular league in the world, which says it has a global audience of 1.87 billion people and is watched in 189 countries. It had long-been rumored that the league would launch a “Premflix”-style platform. It has previously always sold its rights to independent broadcasters such as Sky Sports in England and NBC in the United States.