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CHANCELL-ING: Aggies Excel in Academics, Athletics

Commencement season is here, one of my favorite times of the year. It’s when we celebrate collectively a major milestone in the lives of our students and their families. With a degree from UC Davis, students are well equipped for success in the next chapters of their lives, whether it’s entering the workforce, graduate school […]

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Commencement season is here, one of my favorite times of the year. It’s when we celebrate collectively a major milestone in the lives of our students and their families.

With a degree from UC Davis, students are well equipped for success in the next chapters of their lives, whether it’s entering the workforce, graduate school or whatever path comes next.

That’s certainly true for our 671 student-athletes. Among the class of 2025 are a combined 123 undergraduates and graduate students who excelled in the classroom and the competition fields. From the gridiron and basketball courts to gymnastics, baseball and far beyond, UC Davis Athletics fosters an environment where our student-athletes are encouraged to excel in their academic studies, paving the way for their success once they graduate.

I always say that athletics are the front porch of a university. In this case, we’re witnessing a remarkable story of excellence in both academics and athletics.

For this past winter quarter, UC Davis student-athletes posted an average GPA of 3.3. Out of this group, 77 finished the quarter with a perfect 4.0. Nearly 72% of our student-athletes ended their quarter with a 3.0 GPA or higher. I’d also note that the number of UC Davis student-athletes pursuing STEM majors is more than 20% higher than the national average.

These students are on track to be game-changers in their chosen fields. They are people like Kaia Wolfe, a member of the women’s tennis team who’s majoring in Aerospace Science and Mechanical Engineering. Now, she’s also interning with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

In a March interview with UC Davis Athletics, Kaia said, “Tennis taught me how to stay focused, even under pressure, which was incredibly useful when working on complex models or dealing with tight time constraints.”

Meanwhile, Audrey Lee combined her love of sports with her studies in statistical data science. The senior field hockey player landed an internship with the San Diego Padres, joining its finance team to assist with budgetary work and day-to-day operations. In the process, she also gained leadership and critical thinking skills that will be a tremendous asset after she graduates this spring.

Many of our student-athletes also have an artistic flair. In April, our Manetti Shrem Museum hosted an art exhibition created by student-athletes. More than 20 students participated in this 16th annual “Art of Athletes” exhibition, showcasing their paintings, videography and photography talents.

Our teams also reached new heights in this year’s competition. The whole year was a lengthy highlight reel for UC Davis Athletics, one in which our football team finished fifth in the country with big wins over Idaho and Montana.

The UC Davis women’s gymnastics team qualified for NCAA regionals for the first time since 2014, while women’s golf qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. The 2024-25 academic year also saw women’s basketball head coach Jennifer Gross set the all-time wins record in the program’s history.

We’re already looking forward to another season of success once the fall quarter starts in September. I encourage you to support our student-athletes and enjoy some games in the 2025-2026 season. You can plan ahead now, as season tickets for football are already on sale.

No matter what sport you choose, our games are fun and affordable ways to entertain the family while rooting for UC Davis teams and our entire city.

In the meantime, let’s root for all our students graduating this spring. Our primary goal at UC Davis is for all students to be winners in the game of life. With a diploma from UC Davis, they are well on their way to victory.



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Penn State women’s soccer incoming recruits | Penn State Soccer News

Penn State is headed into the 2025-26 season with seven new additions to its roster.  Last fall, the blue and white battled through postseason play, making it to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. While the Nittany Lions fell 2-1 in overtime against UNC, they had an entertaining showing, beating Stony Brook, TCU and Vanderbilt in the […]

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Penn State is headed into the 2025-26 season with seven new additions to its roster. 

Last fall, the blue and white battled through postseason play, making it to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. While the Nittany Lions fell 2-1 in overtime against UNC, they had an entertaining showing, beating Stony Brook, TCU and Vanderbilt in the first three rounds of the tournament. 

While the team went 15-7-3,  earning their spot in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row, they lost several players for several reasons such as moves to the National Women’s Soccer League, graduating members and transfers. 

With players leaving, also comes the arrival of new athletes and in Penn State’s situation, seven of them. Here’s seven new players to keep an eye on as the Nittany Lions look to grab an NCAA title.

Nicole Crane, forward

The Glen Rock, New Jersey, native played for World Class FC prior to signing with the blue and white. Throughout her career so far, Nicole Crane has proved to be a significant dominating factor.

The freshman forward was named to the 2022 and 2024 All-Conference New England Team. Along with that selection, she was on the U17 National Team Roster and 2024 ECNL All-American team. 

The 5-foot-6 freshman was named All-State and Conference Player of the Year en route to a 2024 High School All-American selection while playing at Depaul Catholic High School.

Kennedy Ring, forward

Kennedy Ring has roots in East Greenbush, New York, where she played for Columbia High School. Like Crane, she played for World Class FC throughout her time in club soccer. 

Ring was named a two-time ECNL All-American and ECNL Player of the Year. Receiving many decorations, and proving to be a wrecking force on the offensive for her teams, she was named to the U17 and U19 National teams, while she currently is a member of the U19-U20 player pool.







Women's Soccer vs Rutgers, Team Huddle

The Nittany Lions huddle before the Penn State women’s soccer game against Rutgers at Jeffrey Field on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2024 in University Park, Pa. The Nittany Lions and the Scarlet Knights tied 1-1. 




Riley Cross, midfield

Riley Cross is one of three new midfielders coming to Happy Valley and slots in as the highest-ranked recruit in the class. 

Like Ring and Crane, the Chatham, New Jersey, native also has national team experience — the 5-foot-8 midfielder has attended U15 and U17 training camps with U.S. Soccer and was named an alternate to the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

She played for Oak Knoll High School for her first three years, earning first team All-Conference honors twice and contributing a total of 55 goals in her first two seasons. 

Senior year she joined Chatham High School, where she was named Conference Most Valuable Player and led her team to a state championship. 

Hannah Jordan, midfield

Hannah Jordan comes all the way from Southlake, Texas, where she attended Southlake Carroll High School. The 5-foot-4 midfielder contributed to a 2022 UIL 6A State Championship and was named a first team All-District selection four times. 

Club-wise, Jordan represented Solar SC, leading her team to two ECNL National Championships. She was named ECNL Conference Player of the Year and an ECNL All-American while also earning a spot on the U.S. Youth National Team.

Lily Ann Phillips, midfield

Lily Ann Phillips, a Hockessin, Delaware, native has always been a Penn State fan and dreamed of representing the blue and white from a very early age, she told The Sentinel. 

She played for Saint Marks High School, serving as the team’s senior captain. She was named a Regional All-American last year and has had her share of appearances at USYNT camps and ID events. 

Phillips played for Penn Fusion SA, where she led her team to the ECNL Final Four. 







Penn State Women's Soccer vs. Northwestern, Pregame Lineup

Penn State and Northwestern starting players line up before the Penn State women’s soccer game against Northwestern at Jeffrey Field on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 in University Park, Pa. Penn State defeated Northwestern 1-0.




Emma Fassora, defense

Emma Fassora calls Louisville, Colorado,  home and is one of two new defenders picked up by Erica Dambach.

 The 5-foot-7 freshman played for Real Colorado and led her team to a North American Cup title back in 2023. Additionally, Fassora contributed to her squad’s Northwest Conference Championship win in 2022.

Fassora has seen the USYNT Talent ID Center a notable three times. In the ECNL, Fassora was named to multiple ECNL Girl’s Northwest All-Conference teams. 

Marlee Raymond, defense

Marlee Raymond stems from Cumming, Georgia, where she played at West Forsyth High School as a two-sport athlete partaking in both basketball and soccer.

Raymond was a key contributor to her school’s 2024 undefeated season and across her career was named All-Region, All-State and two time Defender of the Year.

Raymond represented United Futbol Academy in her club endeavors, receiving ECNL All-Conference honors, and participated on the USYNT U15, U16, U17 and U20 teams. One of her most notable accomplishments lies in her gold medal at the UEFA Tournament just last year. 

College soccer fans have a lot to look forward to as these new forces embark on their collegiate journey and get the chance to contribute to a potential Penn State 2025 national championship run.

MORE SPORTS COVERAGE


Penn State women soccer's Hannah Jordan selected to U.S. Soccer Women's College ID Camp

An incoming Nittany Lion is off to Georgia. 

If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.



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A teen with no criminal background was deported by ICE, leaving his community aghast

For 19-year-old Emerson Colindres, it was supposed to be a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It turned out to be a trap. He never returned home. Colindres, who came to the United States with his family more than a decade ago to escape the violence in their native Honduras, was detained by ICE […]

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A teen with no criminal background was deported by ICE, leaving his community aghast

For 19-year-old Emerson Colindres, it was supposed to be a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It turned out to be a trap. He never returned home.

Colindres, who came to the United States with his family more than a decade ago to escape the violence in their native Honduras, was detained by ICE on June 4, just days after the talented student and soccer player graduated from high school in Cincinnati. Colindres, whose teammates said was one of the greatest players they met on the field, dreamed of continuing his sports career and hoped to attend a university. He did not have a criminal record, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

In the span of two weeks, Colindres went from celebrating his graduation to being detained by ICE to then being deported to a country where he has not lived since he was 8 years old.

He is not the only law-abiding high school student who has been targeted by ICE. Immigration enforcement around the country has also swept up students in New York City, as well as in Milford, Massachusetts.

“Sadly, he’s not the only one. I think there are a lot of Emersons in the same situation right now,” Bryan Williams, Colindres’ coach at the Cincy Galaxy soccer club, said ahead of the young man’s deportation. “They’re all the same story, someone who was here doing everything they were asked, trying to make a better life for themselves and their family, and now they’re being detained somewhere.”

Ada Bell Baquedano-Amador stands next to a poster of her son Emerson Colindres
Ada Bell Baquedano-Amador, of Cheviot, Ohio, says she and her son were fleeing violence in their native Honduras.Albert Cesare / The Enquirer via USA Today Network

While President Donald Trump has long promised to enact mass deportations, the administration initially said it would focus on criminals and bad actors who were in the country illegally.

But as pressure to increase deportations has grown, young people without criminal records — including teens like Colindres who have lived in the U.S. since they were children — have been caught up in immigration enforcement.

Colindres’ arrest did not go unnoticed.

Protests erupted in the Cincinnati area and outside the detention center in Butler County, Ohio, where Colindres was, for a time, being held. His coach, teachers, classmates and teammates — all called for the release of a beloved teenager who they said was unfairly ripped away from their tight-knit community.

On Wednesday, Colindres was deported.

“It’s devastating,” Johanna Froelicher, a middle school teacher who had Colindres as a student, told NBC News. “But we aren’t giving up on him.”

Coach Bryan Williams with Emerson Colindres high school ICE detainee
Coach Bryan Williams with Emerson Colindres.Courtesy Bryan Williams

Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told NBC News “we are delivering on President Trump’s and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens to make America safe.”

McLaughlin said that during the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, 75% of immigrants arrested had convictions or pending charges. According to reporting from Reuters, the top charges making up 39% of that total were traffic offenses or immigration-related crimes.

A senior spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security told NBC News that immigrants arrested during routine check-ins, “had executable final orders of removal by an immigration judge and had not complied with that order. If you are in the country illegally and a judge has ordered you to be removed, that is precisely what will happen.”

After he was arrested, Colindres was spirited out to the Butler County jail, where Sheriff Richard Jones said about 450 immigrant detainees were being held after the sheriff’s office agreed to partner with the Trump administration.

On June 17, Colindres was taken from the jail and “none of us, including his family or legal team, have been informed where he was taken,” Froelicher said ahead of his deportation.

Jones said that Colindres never had any legal issues, and that he was given due process on his ability to stay in the U.S. through his immigration case. “He had a court order from a judge to be deported, and he was deported,” he said.

emerson colindres soccer futbol high school ICE detainee
Emerson Colindres has lived in the U.S. since he was 8 years old.Courtesy Bryan Williams

Williams said he was shocked by the turn of events.

“These are your friends and neighbors,” Williams said. “They make your community what it is, and then one day they’re just gone.”

Colindres arrived in the U.S. in 2014 with his mother and sister at a time when many Central American families were fleeing gang violence and extreme poverty in their home countries.

“In Honduras, families have no security,” Colindres’ mother, Ada Bell Baquedano Amador, said in Spanish. “It’s a very complicated situation.”

Seemingly safe in the U.S., her family filed for asylum and settled in Cincinnati. And while they waited for their immigration case to play out, they started rebuilding their lives.

Colindres was a gifted student and “and did amazing academically,” said Froelicher, the middle school teacher who is now a family friend and supporter.

When he wasn’t hitting the books, Colindres was on the soccer pitch and quickly became a star player at a local soccer club. “He’s continued to be beloved by anyone who came in contact with him,” Froelicher said.

Baquedano Amador said she is so grateful to have Colindres as her son.

“As a mom, sometimes I don’t even have words for how much I thank God for Emerson,” she said. “I’m so proud of him.”

The family’s hopes for a future in the U.S. took a hit after an immigration judge denied their asylum application and in 2023 they were given a final order of removal, Baquedano Amador said.

Emerson Colindres high schoole ICE detainee
Colindres aspired to continue playing soccer and attend college.Courtesy Bryan Williams

During the Biden administration, immigration officials were ordered to exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis and to prioritize deportation for immigrants with criminal convictions who were a threat to national or public safety.

So instead of immediate deportation, Baquedano Amador was given an ankle monitor and ordered to check in with ICE.

But after Trump took office in January, ICE began targeting immigrants with and without criminal histories, as well as those who entered the country legally through Biden-era programs and those with pending asylum cases.

When Colindres came of age, he too was given a schedule to check in with ICE and told he too would soon have to don an ankle monitor, his mother said.

Williams said to boost the morale of his star player, he started going with Colindres to his ICE check-in appointments. And June 4, he also brought along his wife and son.

But Colindres was not allowed to return home that day in a pattern seen around the country of immigrants showing up for what were once routine appointments and being taken into ICE custody for deportation.

“They took him out of the building in handcuffs,” Williams said. “My son got to see him and give him a hug and tell him he loved him. But one of his good friends was in handcuffs being taken away and he doesn’t know if he’s ever going to see him again.”

McLaughlin said in a statement that Colindres had a final order of removal from 2023 and that “if you are in the country illegally and a judge has ordered you to be removed, that is precisely what will happen.”

Froelicher said Colindres and his family are not the kind of migrants the Trump administration should be targeting.

“He and his family have literally done every single thing that they have been asked,” Froelicher said. “They have complied with everything because they’re just such good people. They truly want to be here and they wanted to do things the right way.”

“This is not just about policy,” Froelicher added. “This is about human lives. These are real people with dreams and aspirations.”

Colindres’ soccer teammates said they can’t picture celebrating their graduations without him.

“He is one of my closest friends,” said 18-year-old Alejandro Pepole, who said he has known Colindres for about 10 years. “Emerson has always been a very funny guy. I never saw him in a bad mood. Every time we hung out on or off the field, he was always uplifting people’s moods and he always had a smile on his face. He was overall just a very good person and what he’s going through right now just isn’t right.”

Pepole said Colindres was an inspiration on the soccer field.

Colindres, he said, “can just do everything as a player. He wins us games. He’s like the main goal scorer. He controls the game. And he’s just an overall good team leader as well.”

And Colindres was ambitious, his friends said.

“He had a dream to play at the next level in soccer and eventually play professionally,” Preston Robinson, 18, said. “You could tell by the amount of effort he put in and how good he was, it was definitely possible for him. We were trying to help him get to the next level for soccer, no matter what it took.”

Robinson said he was shocked when Colindres was arrested.

“He was going there expecting to just have a check-in, like he was supposed to be doing, and then they took him away,” he said. “It was almost like he got trapped, which just doesn’t seem fair.”

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Colorado College’s Kris Mayotte was “too critical” of team during Tigers’ 8-0 start, notes coaching hires reflect commitment to winning | Sports

This article is part of a series of stories stemming from a lengthy interview with Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte in mid-June.  Colorado College hockey coach Kris Mayotte mirrors the shifting college hockey landscape around him.  There will be no shortage of changes coming to college hockey in the 2025-2026 season. As collegiate athletics as […]

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This article is part of a series of stories stemming from a lengthy interview with Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte in mid-June. 

Colorado College hockey coach Kris Mayotte mirrors the shifting college hockey landscape around him. 

There will be no shortage of changes coming to college hockey in the 2025-2026 season. As collegiate athletics as a whole adjust to schools now being able to pay athletes directly. Thanks to the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, college hockey specifically will change with the inclusion of Canadian Hockey League players this coming season.

But the evolution of the sport isn’t just external. Mayotte is evolving as a coach. He reflected on a 2024-2025 season in which CC underachieved and acknowledged he could have handled his team’s undefeated start differently.  

“I think I’m my best when it’s about building belief and optimism and the work that it takes to earn that. But I think when I reflect on last year, and we start 8-0 and I didn’t think we were playing very good hockey, even though we were 8-0. I probably was a little too critical,” Mayotte said. “And not that you can’t be critical, but I don’t think I blended keeping a team grounded with building belief at the same time. I think I was too much about keeping them grounded because I didn’t think we were playing up to our potential.” 

Mayotte kept his reflections and his commitment to maintaining a winning culture in downtown Colorado Springs in mind when hiring Paul Pooley, the former associate head coach at Notre Dame, for the same position at CC. Pooley replaces Peter Mannino, who parted ways with the Tigers in the offseason. Mayotte also hired former Michigan Tech assistant Jordy Murray to the same position at CC following the departure of Andrew Oglevie to Notre Dame.

According to Mayotte, Pooley’s decades of experience around a winning culture for the Fighting Irish were a key factor in his hiring.  

“Bring in a guy like Paul who’s just been around it so much and has such a good feel on what the goals are and what the priorities are, and the experience of keeping it going forward,” Mayotte said. “His experience obviously speaks for itself: seven Frozen Fours, two national championships, and a ton of All-Americans, obviously. So it’s that  background of he’s developed a lot of players, but he’s been around a lot of winning, and this is what it looks like, and this is how you act, and this is what it should feel like.” 



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Stanley Cup damaged as Panthers celebrate another title

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Stanley Cup is a little banged up, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ celebration of back-to-back titles. The bowl of the famous trophy is cracked and the bottom is dented. Not for the first time and likely not the last. WATCH BELOW: Fans celebrate Stanley Cup win with players Panther fans […]

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Stanley Cup is a little banged up, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ celebration of back-to-back titles.

The bowl of the famous trophy is cracked and the bottom is dented. Not for the first time and likely not the last.

WATCH BELOW: Fans celebrate Stanley Cup win with players

Panther fans celebrate ‘electric’ Stanley Cup victory

The Panthers won their second consecutive championship on home ice Tuesday night, beating Edmonton in six games. The team, following decades of tradition, partied with the Cup into the wee hours and kept the revelry going in Fort Lauderdale well into Wednesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame said the keepers of the Cup are taking the appropriate steps and plan to have it repaired by the celebration parade on Sunday. Made of silver and a nickel alloy, the 37-pound Cup is relatively malleable.

Damage is nothing new for the 131-year-old chalice that has been submerged in pools and the Atlantic Ocean and mishandled by players, coaches and staff for more than a century. Just this decade alone, the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped the Cup during their boat parade in 2021 and the Colorado Avalanche dented it on the ice the night they won the following year.

Read more of WPTV’s coverage of the Florida Panthers’ second straight title win:

Panthers

PANTHER PARTY! Players, fans celebrate Stanley Cup victory

Panthers

PHOTOS: Panthers, fans celebrate back-to-back Stanley Cups

Panthers

Sam Bennett wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP

Panthers

Brad Marchand plays key role in Panthers’ 2nd championship

Panthers

Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champs, defeat Oilers in 6 games





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LCCC President Yudichak shares vision for workforce innovation, regional growth

SUGARLOAF — Luzerne County Community College President John Yudichak on Thursday said he has never been more optimistic, more energized about the future of Greater Hazleton and of Northeastern Pennsylvania than he is right now. Yudichak addressed a full house of regional leaders, elected officials, educators and business professionals at the Greater Hazleton Chamber […]

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SUGARLOAF — Luzerne County Community College President John Yudichak on Thursday said he has never been more optimistic, more energized about the future of Greater Hazleton and of Northeastern Pennsylvania than he is right now.

Yudichak addressed a full house of regional leaders, elected officials, educators and business professionals at the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Breakfast, hosted at Valley Country Club and sponsored by Vytal Plant Research.

With optimism and energy, Yudichak shared his vision for how higher education, business and government partnerships are powering transformative change in Greater Hazleton and across Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Yudichak highlighted LCCC’s leadership in workforce development through groundbreaking regional collaborations — including the newly launched Teach in NEPA Project.

The initiative — a joint effort with the Hazleton Area School District and Commonwealth University — offers a debt-free pathway to a four-year teaching degree delivered entirely at LCCC’s Hazleton Center.

“The Teach in NEPA Project breaks down all the barriers to higher education,” said Yudichak. “It empowers students to chart a pathway to a college degree and a rewarding professional career without going into debt — and without ever having to leave the city of Hazleton.”

He also unveiled the LCCC Career & Technology Academy — created in partnership with the Hazleton Area Career Center, Wilkes-Barre CTC, and West Side CTC — with more than 2,000 high school students in Luzerne County now eligible to earn tuition-free college credits.

The project is supported by a $1 million Dual Credit Innovation Grant from the PA Department of Education and a $100,000 scholarship gift from businessman William Rinaldi.

Yudichak emphasized that these education pipelines are perfectly timed to meet the workforce demands brought on by large-scale investments — most notably, Amazon’s recent announcement of a $20 billion project to construct hyper-scale data centers in NEPA.

“Get ready Greater Hazleton — big tech and the AI revolution are coming,” Yudichak said. “These projects will create more than 10,000 skilled trade jobs and 1,200 technology jobs. At LCCC, we are responding with strategic, collaborative partnerships.”

Yudichak also previewed the creation of a new Technology and Trade Workforce Consortium, uniting four regional community colleges — Luzerne, Lehigh, Northampton, and Bucks — to launch Career & Technology Academies, MicroCredential Academies and Construction & Trade Pre-Apprenticeship Academies.

“LCCC has become the region’s most collaborative partner,” Yudichak said. “At LCCC, community is in our name, community is our mission—and we love being part of the Greater Hazleton community.”

The event began with remarks from Hazleton Area School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Uplinger and included recognition of elected officials, including State Sen. David Argall. Sponsor Vytal Plant Research was represented by Dr. Shobha Rudrabhatla, who also shared her organization’s commitment to STEM education in the region.

For information about the Teach in NEPA Project, LCCC Hazleton Center, or the Career & Technology Academy, visit www.luzerne.edu.



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Hockey rides into offseason with full-on buzz, a threepeat bid and Olympic-size showdowns ahead :: WRALSportsFan.com

By STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Hockey Writer The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had been nearly a decade since the NHL’s top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament. Instead, the pace and quality of […]

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By STEPHEN WHYNO, AP Hockey Writer

The 4 Nations Face-Off in February was meant to provide a taste of international competition a year before the Winter Olympics because it had been nearly a decade since the NHL’s top players were able to represent their countries in the same tournament.

Instead, the pace and quality of games captivated sellout crowds, with millions tuning in to watch. In the immediate aftermath of his team beating the U.S. i n the final in overtime, Canada general manager Doug Armstrong met up with American counterpart Bill Guerin in the hallway, shook hands and had a message that was bigger than one game.

“He said it best: Hockey was the big winner,” Guerin recalled. “Obviously Canada won that championship, but the sport of hockey, the game, was the big winner.”

Hockey is seeing a surge in popularity and buzz, fed by the 4 Nations tournament, Alex Ovechkin’s stirring run to the NHL career goals record and the Florida Panthers repeating as Stanley Cup champions to set up a threepeat bid next season. Up next are the draft and free agency, with Mitch Marner and playoff MVP Sam Bennett among the top players available, and anticipation is building for the NHL’s return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

“For all of us, I think we’re just really proud of being a part of this bigger picture and growing the game and getting it more on the forefront,” Guerin said. “The game’s never been in a better spot.”

The NHL and NHLPA wanted to stage a World Cup but plans were pushed back until this year with a pared-down version involving the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland.

Commissioner Gary Bettman referred to it as an appetizer, and no one knew exactly what to expect.

“We all went in hoping it was going to be a great event,” Armstrong said, “and it ended up being better than anyone could have expected.”

Canada’s star-studded power play of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Sam Reinhart connecting on a tic-tac-toe passing goal less than a minute into the opening game against Sweden served notice that the play would be at the highest level. The U.S. and Canada had three fights in the first nine seconds, and geopolitical cross-border tensions with crowds booing anthems and more put the 4 Nations in an unexpected spotlight. Fans were riveted.

The final became one of the hottest tickets in Boston sports history, and more than 9 million watched in the U.S. and nearly 11 million in Canada. Not bad for a tournament that never happened before and may never happen again.

Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals took center stage as he chased down Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals, a feat that had long seemed unapproachable. Despite missing more than a month earlier in the season because of a broken left leg, he was in striking distance by late March.

Still scoring at an absurd pace at 39 years old, Ovechkin went on a tear and tied the mark at home on a Friday night that became a celebration of his career. Two days later, he got No. 895 in New York against the Islanders, with Gretzky, Bettman, his mother, wife, children and more there to congratulate him.

“(It is) the biggest accomplishment that the world of hockey has seen a very long time,” longtime teammate T.J. Oshie said. “This record is going to be here for a while.”

Ovechkin, now at 897 goals, is set to play his 21st NHL season and add to his total.

Florida had the 11th-most points out of the 16 teams that reached the playoffs and started each round on the road. Didn’t matter. The Panthers got through Tampa Bay in five games, Toronto in seven and Carolina in six to reach the final for a third consecutive year. They then beat McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers again, this time in six to go back to back.

“Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs,” veteran winger Brad Marchand said after becoming a two-time champion. “They had everybody beating us in every round. We just had that fire. We knew we had something special.”

Matthew Tkachuk, whose arrival in the summer of 2022 along with coach Paul Maurice coincided with Florida becoming an NHL powerhouse, went as far as to use the “D” word.

“We’ve got to be dynasty now,” Tkachuk said. “Three years in a row finals, two championships. This is a special group.”

Retired goaltender Cory Schneider called the Panthers “one of the best teams I think I’ve seen in my lifetime.”

“They’re the epitome of depth, skill, structure,” said Schneider, who worked the final as an NHL Network analyst. “A lot of teams have good players. but it takes the attention to detail and the sacrifice to do it all the time. Teams want to play easy hockey sometimes and get their chances, but Florida does that while also committing to playing a complete brand of team hockey.”

BetMGM Sportsbook lists the Oilers as a slight favorite to win next season’s championship over the Panthers. The NHL hasn’t had a three-peat since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.

The league is having its first in-person, de-centralized draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28. The New York Islanders after winning the draft lottery have the first pick, and new general manager Mathieu Darche could pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, an inspirational story off the ice.

With the salary cap getting the first of several big jumps thanks to record attendance and revenue (increases to $95.5 million this summer), player movement could be fast and furious.

Free agency opens July 1, and teams in markets from New York and Toronto to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Utah have cap space to use.

The 12 countries taking part — Russia is banned — have already unveiled the first six players on their Olympic rosters. The International Ice Hockey Federation has released the schedule of games, with the men’s tournament starting Feb. 11,

“When you’re growing up when you’re watching as a kid, it’s Stanley Cup finals and it’s Team Canada,” said Reinhart, who scored four goals in Florida’s Cup-clinching game the day after getting named to Canada’s roster. “Those are the two things that you dream about playing for. To have that opportunity is pretty exciting.”

The NHL went to five consecutive Games from 1998-2014, then skipped 2018 and pulled out in 2022, leaving teams those years without any active league players. Milan-Cortina will be the first Olympics for players like McDavid, MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel.

“Getting another opportunity to bring generations that have a Sidney Crosby and a Connor McDavid together to play internationally, it’s just great for the fans and great for hockey,” Armstrong said. “Players are so excited to be part of this. … It’s neck and neck with the Stanley Cup right now of wanting to win that event.”

Tkachuk was named to the U.S. team along with brother Brady. With the two becoming household names for new fans after the fight-filled 4 Nations, it feels a little like hockey is in its Tkachuk era. Italy is the next stop on their journey.

“4 Nations was good, and hopefully Olympics will be great, as well,” said Matthew after becoming a two-time Cup champion. “I feel I’ve been the luckiest guy in hockey.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl



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