Healthy Hunter Barco adds new pitches in push for starting spot as Pirates top Tigers
LAKELAND, Fla. — Hunter Barco is pitching without restrictions this spring training, and having the reins off has the left-hander finally feeling like a starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I feel much more free,” Barco said. “I don’t have to worry about anything. I’m just going out there pitching...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: In Johnstown, ‘Slap Shot’ lives on — and so does great hockey
JOHNSTOWN — “Dunlop, call the meat wagon.” “I already did.” That’s an exchange between Syracuse Bulldogs captain Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken and Charlestown Chiefs player/coach Reggie Dunlop from the overdubbed, network-sanitized version of the legendary hockey comedy “Slap Shot,” released in 1977. The original, R-rated version of that dialogue is...
After recovering from badly broken arm, new Pirate Tyler Callihan seeks to dispel any doubts
BRADENTON, Fla. — Tyler Callihan seeks perfection in preparation, whether it’s working to keep his swing short to the ball or finding comfort in the field at second base, third base or the outfield. “It’s huge for me,” Callihan said. “I try to prepare as much as I can before...
Daniel Berger handles the ‘US Open in spring’ by building 5-shot lead at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. — Daniel Berger loves playing in Florida in March. For most everyone else Friday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill made it feel like a spring preview of the U.S. Open. Berger was on his game again in the most demanding conditions, leaning on a steady diet...
Honor Huff scores 24 to lead West Virginia win in regular-season finale
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Honor Huff scored 24 points, and West Virginia finished off a season sweep of UCF with a 77-62 victory Friday night to close out the Big 12 regular season. Huff made 4 of 14 from 3-point range and all 10 of his free throws for the Mountaineers...
Minor league report: Penguins lose 3rd consecutive gameVideo
Goaltender Sergei Murashov made 20 saves on 23 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Syracuse Crunch at the Oncenter War Memorial in Syracuse, N.Y., on Friday. The result dropped his record to 20-6-3. Forwards Melvin Fernstrom and Rutger McGroarty each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton...
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin suspended 5 games for slashingVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was suspended five games by the NHL as a result of a slash that struck the head of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The league announced the punitive measure Friday evening During the Sabres’ 5-1 win Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, Malkin and Dahlin became...
Penguins recall forward Ville Koivunen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled rookie forward Ville Koivunen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Friday evening under emergency roster conditions. Koivunen, 22, has bounced between the NHL and AHL rosters throughout the season. In 27 NHL contests, he has scored five points (two goals, three assists) while averaging...
Steelers targeting top wide receivers in latest mock drafts
The consensus among draft gurus remains that the Pittsburgh Steelers will select a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft in April. However, on the heels of the scouting combine, an increasing number of analysts are projecting Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson as the pass-catcher wearing black and gold...
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, QBs Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins are among top NFL free agents
The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks found their starting quarterback in free agency last year, landing Sam Darnold. The New England Patriots went from worst to first in the AFC East after signing several key veterans who helped them reach the Super Bowl. Winning free agency doesn’t always translate into...
NASCAR, IndyCar partner for desert doubleheader
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Pato O’Ward wasn’t sold on the motorsports doubleheader this weekend at Phoenix Raceway because the IndyCar driver doesn’t like being “the support series” to NASCAR. Then he saw the television rating — 3.9 million viewers on Fox Sports for last week’s NASCAR race — and changed his...
Amid labor strife, Riverhounds open championship defense on road vs. rival Charleston
The euphoria and excitement of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ 2025 USL Championship run has been quite the ride — one that has carried the team into the season with its biggest offseason in club history. From the news of a $150M stadium expansion, to new kits with European designer Hummel as...
Penguins president Kyle Dubas stays the course at NHL trade deadline
The NHL’s trade deadline Friday was different for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It wasn’t like the previous two seasons, when the Penguins operated as sellers — jettisoning big parts of the roster such as Jake Guentzel or contributors such as Anthony Beauvillier — for the sake of building to the future....
Penguins re-sign goaltender Taylor Gauthier
The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed goaltender Taylor Gauthier to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Opening the season on an American Hockey League (AHL) contract, Gauthier will carry a salary cap hit of $775,000 with his new deal. The Penguins, under former general manager Ron Hextall,...
Pitt players don pads for 1st time at spring practice
At the conclusion of Friday’s practice, Pitt football is now one week through spring ball, having completed three of 15 sessions that will lead into the annual Blue-Gold Spring Game on April 11. Friday marked the first time the Panthers were in shoulder pads this spring, allowing coach Pat Narduzzi...
Braxton Ashcraft proves sinker can be effective complement to slider as Pirates lose to Phillies
BRADENTON, Fla. — Braxton Ashcraft decided to flip the script on his pitch usage against the Philadelphia Phillies, throwing his sinker five times more than his four-seam fastball. The intention was for the sinker to provide a perfect complement to his bread-and-butter pitch, the slider, against a lineup loaded with...
Penguins acquire forward Elmer Soderblom from Red Wings
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2026. Soderblom, 24, has played in 39 games this season and scored three points (two goals, one assist) while averaging 10:41 of ice time per contest, including 32 seconds during...
Steelers approach free agency flush with cap space — and plenty of needs
For the first time since 2006, a new Pittsburgh Steelers season is accompanied by a new coaching staff. And with that new season — officially, as per NFL parlance, the new league year — beginning next week, the accompanying start of free agency will see the Steelers undergo a significant...
Penguins briefly assign forward Avery Hayes to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Avery Hayes was briefly assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Friday before being formally recalled tot eh NHL roster. The team has not announced the transaction, but it was reflected on the AHL’s website. In reality, the maneuver was a paper transaction...
‘Mountainous’ Miami tackle Markel Bell has pre-draft visit with Steelers
Miami (Fla.) offensive tackle Markel Bell visited the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice facility Friday as the team begins to host possible targets for the upcoming NFL Draft. Even among other linemen, Bell has massive size at 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds. He played two seasons for the Hurricanes, starting five games as...
Injured Penguins Sidney Crosby, Jack St. Ivany resume practicing
Injured Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby and defenseman Jack St. Ivany joined teammates for an optional practice session in Cranberry on Friday. Neither player was cleared for contact, though, the nature of the practice session was non-contact for all players according to Dan Muse. Both players are currently designated to...
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin to have disciplinary hearingVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is scheduled to have a disciplinary hearing with the NHL on Friday at an unspecified time. The league announced the hearing via social media shortly before noon Friday. Malkin is facing supplemental discipline for slashing Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and striking his helmet during...
Ducks get John Carlson, Sabres and Blue Jackets open NHL trade deadline day with moves
John Carlson is going to the Anaheim Ducks as part of a surprising deal from the Washington Capitals agreed to just after midnight on NHL trade deadline day. Anaheim sent a conditional first-round pick in either this or next year’s draft plus a 2027 third-rounder to Washington for Carlson, a...
Beyond the Bylines: Starkey, Benz debate Penguins’ trade deadline strategy; Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfeeVideo
In this week’s “Beyond the Bylines,” Joe Starkey and Tim Benz talk about the NHL trade deadline and how Pittsburgh Penguins fans are morphing into Pirates fans when it comes to their desire to hoard draft picks and prospects. They also discuss Aaron Rodgers’ appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,”...
First Call: Browns speaking with Ty Simpson; Alex Highsmith pledges more pass rush looks from SteelersVideo
Friday’s “First Call” features some defensive dreams for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to ponder courtesy of Alex Highsmith. The Browns apparently have eyes on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. The Penguins have a loaded weekend schedule after the trade deadline, and Pitt is in must-win territory for its basketball team. Promises, promises...
