Penguins recall forward Filip Hallander from conditioning loanVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled rookie forward Filip Hallander from a conditioning loan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Friday evening. With regard to his NHL status, Hallander remains designated to injured reserve as a result of a blood clot in an unspecified leg that initially sidelined him...
Teenage girls face higher ACL injury risks; parents want better preventive measures
HARRISBURG — Sofia Tepichin was about 30 minutes into her club soccer team practice in October when she spotted a fast-approaching defender. She tapped the ball away and hopped over the defender’s outstretched foot, came down awkwardly, and heard a “pop.” She immediately fell to the ground, pain shooting through...
Kyle Nicolas finishes off Orioles with scoreless 9th inning before joining Team Italy for WBC
BRADENTON, Fla. — Kyle Nicolas scratched the top of his right thumb in the bullpen before his outing against the Baltimore Orioles and ended up getting blood all over his white uniform pants. In his final appearance before joining Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic, Nicolas overcame the mishap...
Penguins notebook: Rookie Avery Hayes knows his place in a top-6 roleVideo
Avery Hayes knows his place as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. And the speedy winger knows he can’t use “Hayes-ey” as a nickname within the confines of the team’s dressing room despite having likely responded to it throughout his first 23 years of life. He will defer to veteran...
‘Just talking ball’: 1st-round QB prospect Ty Simpson, Steelers coach Mike McCarthy meet
Time flies when you’re having fun, and apparently not moreso than when the consensus No. 2 quarterback available in the draft met this week with the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It was really cool,” that quarterback, Alabama’s Ty Simpson, told reporters at the NFL combine Friday, “because...
New Pitt tight ends coach Brent Davis seeks versatility among his position groupVideo
By hiring Army’s former longtime offensive coordinator, are Pat Narduzzi and Kade Bell planning to implement the triple option at Pitt in 2026? Not exactly. But if they ever change their minds, Brent Davis would be happy to run them through the basics of the flexbone. Davis, Army’s play-caller from...
Penguins defenseman Sam Girard sidelined by undisclosed injury
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sam Girard was absent from a practice session in Cranberry on Friday as he was being evaluated for an undisclosed injury. According to coach Dan Muse, Girard will travel with the team for a road contest against the New York Rangers on Saturday. Acquired in a trade...
Mock drafts entering NFL Combine link Steelers with 1st-round receivers
Five mock drafters concurred this week that the Pittsburgh Steelers should take a receiver in the first round, but they disagreed on who that pass catcher will be. With the 21st overall pick, they predicted the Steelers might select Washington’s Denzel Boston, USC’s Makai Lemon or another wideout all together....
The NFL Draft opens to new group: Tech innovators
The NFL wants you for the upcoming draft — if you’re a technology innovator, that is. The league on Friday unveiled the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a crowdsourcing initiative to “enhance the fan and event experience.” The league is inviting individuals, startups and established companies to propose new tools and...
Penn State LB Tony Rojas ‘on track’ in return from injury
Penn State sorely missed Tony Rojas after he went down with a season-ending injury. His absence exposed a glaring lack of depth in the linebackers room, but it was also impossible to replace his elite athleticism and playmaking on defense. The good news for Penn State in 2026? Rojas is...
Beyond the Bylines: Bad Steelers NFLPA grades, Malik Willis’ price tag, Jack Hughes wins the crowd at PPG Paints Arena
In this week’s “Beyond the Bylines,” Joe Starkey and Tim Benz discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers’ poor showing in the NFLPA grades. What does this say about the players’ perception of the franchise in the post-Mike Tomlin era? We also investigate Malik Willis’ price tag and the importance of toilets in...
U.S. hockey player Brady Tkachuk slams White House TikTok as ‘clearly fake’ after anti-Canada slur
OTTAWA, Ontario — American hockey player Brady Tkachuk said Thursday that he did not appreciate a doctored TikTok video shared by the White House that made it look like he was disparaging Canadians after winning Olympic gold, calling it fake and something he would never say. The video includes fabricated...
USA Olympic star Jack Hughes: ‘Every time I come back to Pittsburgh, I’ll really appreciate what they did for me’Video
The last guy with a similar smile to get an ovation that big in Pittsburgh might have been Jack Lambert after Super Bowl XIV. Some of Jack Hughes’ teeth are still chipped from a stick to the mouth he endured during Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada last weekend....
Pitt visits Cal for 1st time to complete West Coast swing
Increased cross-country travel is a reality for collegiate programs across sports these days owing to conference realignment. As a result, coaches frequently lean into narratives surrounding the challenges of being ready to play far from home. Pitt is undertaking such a journey. After the Panthers lost at Stanford on Wednesday,...
After just 1 practice, defenseman Sam Girard effective in Penguins debut
A quick peek at the stat sheet would suggest a routine or uneventful first game in a Pittsburgh Penguins sweater Thursday for new defenseman Sam Girard. Girard, skating for 17 minutes, 53 seconds against the New Jersey Devils, recorded no points or shots with an even plus-minus rating. “Not too...
With a superstar as his shadow, Nick Gonzales embracing challenge at shortstop for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The phone call from Ben Cherington was meant to reassure Nick Gonzales of his importance to the Pittsburgh Pirates, even after the acquisition of two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe. To Gonzales, it was unnecessary. The 2020 No. 7 overall selection — Cherington’s first draft pick as...
First Call: There’s ‘momentum’ for Steelers using an early pick at safety; Malik Willis’ reported asking price
Friday’s “First Call” suggests that the secondary could be a primary point of interest in the draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite a high asking price, a former Pitt legend loves what Malik Willis could bring at QB to the Steelers — or anyone else. Duquesne takes on the best...
Penguins beat Devils in 1st game after Olympic break without Sidney Crosby
The challenge of replacing the irreplaceable Sidney Crosby is a lot of things for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Immense? Certainly. Daunting? Absolutely. Impossible? Perhaps. But not complicated, at least in the eyes of his healthy teammates, who suggest all they have to do is offer a little bit more on an...
Caleb Downs, Kenyon Sadiq may provide strong draft value for NFL teams at often undervalued spots
INDIANAPOLIS — Caleb Downs and Kenyon Sadiq played it cool Thursday at the NFL’s annual scouting combine. Rather than brag about sitting atop their respective positional rankings — safety and tight end — for April’s NFL Draft, the two All-Americans spoke confidently about simply what they could add next fall....
Reports: 3-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, Blue Jays agree to 1-year, $3M deal
NEW YORK — Max Scherzer is returning to the Toronto Blue Jays. Two weeks into spring training, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has agreed with the reigning American League champions on a $3 million, one-year contract, according to multiple reports Thursday. The 41-year-old Scherzer can earn another $10 million...
Hornets’ Kon Knueppel breaks NBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a season in just 59 games
INDIANAPOLIS — Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel reached yet another milestone in a remarkable rookie season for the No. 4 overall pick from Duke. The Hornets swingman broke Keegan Murray’s NBA rookie record for 3-pointers, making his 207th Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers. Knueppel connected on five 3s in the first...
Reports: Colts give injury-plagued QB Anthony Richardson permission to seek trade
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have given quarterback Anthony Richardson permission to find a trade partner, according to multiple reports Thursday. Indy believed Richardson could become its longtime franchise quarterback when it drafted him with the No. 4 overall selection in 2023, but nothing has gone according to plan for...
Bruce Froemming, record-setting major-league umpire, dies at age 86
Bruce Froemming, a major-league umpire for 37 consecutive years who worked the third-most games in big-league history and a record 11 no-hitters, died Wednesday, his son said. He was 86. Froemming fell just after midnight Tuesday and hit his head on the hardwood floor at his home in Mequon, Wisc.,...
Austin Smotherman leads the Cognizant Classic, making 6 straight birdies in a first-round 62
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Austin Smotherman’s one previous PGA Tour appearance at the tournament now known as the Cognizant Classic was in 2022, and it was forgettable. He shot 70 in the first round, 76 in the second and missed the cut by four shots. Given that, he didn’t...
Former teammate of Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. at PSU, Zakee Wheatley a versatile safety prospect
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s not uncommon for a player to transition, at some point in his football career, from cornerback to safety, and there are plenty of cases of deep safeties moving to in-the-box linebacker. But how about a player who has made the move among the three and back again?...
