HOCKEY TAKES CENTER STAGE: USA DEFEATS CANADA; FINLAND TOPS SWEDEN
The reviews are in: the NHL figured out how to create the most entertaining mid-season tournament out of the Big Four sports leagues in North America. The Four Nations Face-Off has been a hit, proven by ratings, and the intensity on the ice brought to the Bell Center in Montreal on Saturday. Finland defeated Sweden 4-3 in overtime before Team USA grinded out a 3-1 win over Canada in a feisty night-cap.
According to Sports Business Journal, the USA-Canada game that featured three fights in the first ten seconds, was the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final hockey telecast since 2019, having garnered an average of 4.4 million viewers and a peak of 5.2 million on ABC.
Hockey fans were glued to their tv sets on Saturday night, but it wasn’t just the fights at the beginning that was entertaining. With the best of the best NHL players participating, the level of skill on display was evident.
Connor McDavid zipped past the USA defense for the game’s first goal, putting the Canadian crowd into a frenzy early in the first period. Even when surrounded by the best players from both countries, McDavid’s speed, agility, and hands standout to the novice as better than the rest. As the game went on, the teams settled into a hard-nosed, physical style of hockey, playing into the much heavier team USA’s hands.
Without star defenseman Cale Makar, Team Canada lacked a jolt from their blueline to break-out past the stout American defenders. Jake Guentzel would be the hero, scoring two goals for Team USA.
With the regulation win, the Americans punched their ticket to the Championship game, to play played on Thursday night at 8PM. Their opponent is still yet to be determined, as Finland, Canada, and Sweden all fight for that other spot in the Final today. It’s Canada vs Finland at 1PM, then the USA and Sweden at 8:00, both games in Boston, Massachusetts.
NIAGARA SWIM AND DIVE TEAMS WIN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
It was an historic weekend for the Niagara Purple Eagles, as both the NU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams took home the conference championship.
While the Niagara women’s team has become a powerhouse in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, capturing their third title in the last four years, this has been a long time coming for the men, who claim the championship for the first time since 1994.
Over the course of the meet, there were six MAAC records broken by the Purple Eagles, aiding the school to be the first to sweep both the men’s and women’s titles in the same year since 2008. Purple Eagles Head Coach Eric Bugby was named MAAC Coach of the Year for both programs.
BANDITS SPLIT BACK-TO-BACK, NOW 7-1 ON THE SEASON
The Buffalo Bandits defeated the Toronto Rock on Friday night, before returning home, but falling to San Diego on Saturday, the first loss on the season suffered by Buffalo.
The weekend started poorly for Buffalo, as the Rock took a 5-0 lead over the Bandits after one quarter. Buffalo got three back in the second frame, including a pair from Kyle Buchanan. By the end of the third quarter, the two-time defending champs erased the deficit, tying the game at 7. A fourth quarter hat trick from Dhane Smith helped lift the Bandits to a 13-12 road win over Toronto, though it certainly sounded like Banditland took over the arena up north, as the Buffalo fans have been known to do. With that win, the Bandits started the season 7-0, the third best start in franchise history, behind that of the 1993 and 1996 teams. For the record, both the ‘93 and ‘96 Bandits won the Championship.
Saturday night in downtown Buffalo, the Bandits faced a tough task: their first back-to-back of the season, against a pesky San Diego team. Each game the Seals have played this season has been settled by no more than three goals. Once again, Buffalo started slow on Saturday, trailing San Diego 5-1 early in the second quarter. Josh Byrne and the Bandits mounted the comeback in the following four minutes, tying the game at 6 by the mid-way point of the second quarter, but the Seals took two back before halftime, garnering an 8-6 lead at the break. Back and forth they went in the third quarter, with Buffalo cutting the deficit down to 11-10 before the start of the fourth. In front of another near-sellout, the Bandits scored three straight, taking a 13-11 lead with just under seven minutes left. San Diego scored twice to tie the game and force overtime. Early in the extra frame, former NLL Rookie of the Year Wesley Berg ended Buffalo’s unblemished record, winning it 14-13 for the Seals in overtime. Smith led the Bandits with 8 points on the night.
Buffalo, still atop the NLL standings with a 7-1 record, can get their revenge this weekend, when they head to San Diego on Saturday night for the rematch one week later.
WNBA ADDING TEAM IN CLEVELAND; WITH TORONTO COMING NEXT SUMMER
It’s well known at this point that women’s basketball is growing at a rapid pace across North America, and the WNBA has been capitalizing on its widespread audience. Announced this weekend, the WNBA is returning to Cleveland, adding an expansion team to the Rock and Roll capital of the world by the summer of 2028. The Cleveland Rockers was one of the original eight teams in the league in 1997, but dissolved in 2003 citing a lack of revenue and regular attendance.
This addition comes after the Toronto Tempo are deep into their expansion plans, preparing to join the league officially for the 2026 season, becoming the only team in the league based in Canada. For women’s basketball fans in our listening regions of Buffalo and Toronto, these expansions make the WNBA that much more accessible, with a team no more than a two-hour drive away, whether you’re up in Toronto or down in Jamestown.
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