Clark Spencer Retires

     Longtime Miami Herald sportswriter Clark Spencer has retired from the newspaper. He leaves his position as the Miami Marlins beat reporter for the Miami Herald. Jordan McPherson moves up to the Miami Marlins lead beat reporter role after being named Marlins backup writer in January. He was the lead high school sports reporter at that newspaper since in the middle of 2018.
     Spencer, a Miami University grad, has been a sports reporter with the Miami Herald since 1990. He also wrote about horse racing during his long reign there. He was elevated to cover the Florida Marlins in 1999 as their lead baseball writer.

Jack Daniels Exits Dwyer

     Dwyer Panthers football head coach Jack Daniels has stepped down from his position. He has been in charge of the team for the past 23 seasons.
     Daniels led Dwyer to two FHSAA state championships. They won the Class 4A title in 2009 and the Class 7A title in 2013. Former players who played for the Panthers and went on to the National Football League included running back/defensive back Matt Elam, quarterback Jacoby Brissett and tight end Nick O'Leary.

Heat Shock Warriors

     The two-time defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors were surprised by the Miami Heat 126-125 at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night. The Heat snapped a six-game home losing streak. The Warriors entered the contest with the best record in the Western Conference.
     Miami(27-33) stormed out to a 32-22 lead after one quarter. They at one time had a 24-point margin during the second quarter and piled on to make it 74-59 at halftime. It was the most points by the Heat in the first half since they put up 75 points in November 1997 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
     Golden State(43-18) slowly cut the deficit and trailed 100-92 after the third quarter. The Warriors tied it 109-109 with six minutes to play in the fourth, however the Heat scored the next five points. Golden State answered back with seven straight points and moved ahead 116-114 with 3:16 left. Kevin Durant hit a four-point play with 1:07 remaining to make it 122-118. It would come down to the final play as Dwyane Wade chucked a one-legged three-point shot off the glass from the top of the arc for a 126-125 lead.
     Goran Dragic helped Miami with 27 points. Wade compiled 25 points while Josh Richardson added 21 points. Klay Thompson had a game-high 36 points for Golden State. Durant dropped in 29 points and Stephen Curry scored 24 points.

Coyotes Survive Panthers

     Keith Yandle passed Craig Ramsey for fifth all-time in NHL history when he played in his 777th consecutive game on Tuesday night as the Florida Panthers were edged by the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 in a shootout at Gila River Arena. Yandle began the streak with the Phoenix Coyotes back on March 26, 2009. Riley Stillman made his NHL debut with the Cats. The Coyotes have won four straight and seven of their last nine.
     After a scoreless first period, Arizona(30-28-5) pulled ahead 1-0 at 8:15 of the second. Derek Stepan was able to put in an unassisted goal by Roberto Luongo, who replaced James Reimer in net one minute into the second period.
     Florida(28-25-9), who had only seven shots through the first 30 minutes of the contest, finally found the net with 5:16 left in the frame. Aarron Ekblad wrapped the puck around the end wall to the left wing. Jonathan Huberdeau backhanded a blind pass and Mike Hoffman blasted a one-time slapshot from the left circle past Darcy Kuemper. It was the 28th goal of the season for Hoffman, who extended his point streak to four games.
     The Coyotes scored a power-play goal with 44.5 seconds left in the second to make it 2-1. Clayton Keller flicked a wrist shot from the left post that was deflected in by Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the slot.
     The Panthers evened it up at the 5:46 mark of the third period. Riley Sheahan won a right-circle faceoff to Troy Brouwer and he circled to the right wing. His centering pass was tapped in by Jamie McGinn outside the blue paint for his second goal of the year.
     As an Arizona power play was ending, Florida came up on a 2-on-1 breakaway. Alesander Barkov place the puck his right at the red line where Brouwer was. He skated in, returned it back to Barkov at the left side of the crease and he roofed a wrist shot into the Coyotes cage at 8:15 for a 3-2 lead. Barkov has seven goals in his last six games and a six-game point streak.
     The Desert Dogs got a shorthanded goal with 6:29 remaining. Stepan brought the puck into the Panthers zone on 2-on-1 breakaway, toe-dragged it around Yandle and snapped a shot from the low slot for his second tally of the game.
     The contest would be decided in a shootout. Nick Cousins scored on a wrist shot on Arizona's first attempt and Huberdeau matched for Florida with a snap shot. Alex Galchenyuk ripped a forehand shot for the Coyotes and Barkov was stopped during the second round. Vinnie Hinostroza went to a backhand shot for the Yotes to end the game.

Panthers Overcome Avalanche

     Roberto Luongo passed Ed Belfour for third all-time in NHL history with his 485th win as the Florida Panthers topped the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in overtime at Pepsi Center on Monday night. It was the first game of a three-game road trip for the Cats following a seven-game home stand. Derick Brassard was traded by the Panthers to the Avalanche earlier in the day. The Avs are now 1-11 in overtime this campaign.
     Colorado(27-24-12) waited until the second period to lead 2-0. Tyler Jost scored at the 2:12 mark and Mikko Rantanen got his 26th goal of the season at 14:31.
     Florida(28-25-8) answered back with 1:34 remaining and trailed 2-1. MacKenzie Weegar slammed the puck around the boards from the right corner to Keith Yandle on the left wing. He centered it and Troy Brouwer snapped a shot from the slot area by Semyon Varlamov.
     The Panthers added a power-play goal with 24.8 second to go to tie the contest. Mike Hoffman fired a wrist shot from the right circle that which went off Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov poked it in from the crease for his 22nd goal of the season. Dadonov extended his point streak to six games with his second tally in the last three games.
     In the third period, Brassard burned his former team at 7:49. Ryan Graves carried the puck from his own zone all the way to the end wall of the Panthers zone. He sent it to the crease and Brassard one-timed a shot from close range past Luongo.
     The Cats evened it up 3-3 with 8:03 left. Yandle connected a cross-ice pass from above the right circle to Hoffman in the left circle for a snap shot. It was the 27th goal for Hoffman and 40th assist for Yandle this season.
     Florida took their first lead 26 seconds into overtime to win the game. Vincent Trocheck won a faceoff in his own zone and swatted the puck down the ice. Hoffman skated the puck from the Panthers blue line, stopped in the left circle and backhand a pass. Aaron Ekblad received it and shot from the right-circle dot for the victory.

Suns Slip By Heat

     The Phoenix Suns got by the Miami Heat 124-121 at American Airlines Arena on Monday night. The Heat have lost their last six games at home. The Suns, who have the worst record in the NBA, snapped their longest losing streak in franchise history of 17 games.
     Miami(26-33) got up 29-23 after one quarter and stayed ahead 63-52 by halftime. Phoenix(12-50) trailed 87-84 at the end of three quarters and won the contest in the final minute of the fourth.
     Hassan Whiteside had the game-high with 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat. Kelly Olynyk contributed 28 points for the Heat while Bam Adebayo fell short of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points and nine assists.

Jean-Sebastien Dea Goes To Panthers

     The Florida Panthers traded Chris Wideman to the Pittsburgh Penguins for center Jean-Sebastien Dea. Wideman was acquired by the Panthers back on December 30 from the Edmonton Oilers for Alex Petrovic. He just played one game for Florida on January 5 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
     Dea will be playing for his organization in 2018-19. He was picked up on waivers by the Penguins from the New Jersey Devils on November 29. He had four goals in 23 games combined with New Jersey and Pittsburgh this season.

Panthers Deal Bogdan Kiselevich To Winnipeg

     The Florida Panthers have traded defenseman Bogdan Kiselevich to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2021 seventh-round draft pick. He has played the past season for Florida. Kiselevich had eight assists in 32 games this season with the Cats.

Panthers Acquire Cliff Pu

     The Florida Panthers have picked up right wing Cliff Pu from the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. Both teams made a separate deal where the Panthers traded right wing Tomas Jurco to the Hurricanes.
     Pu has split 2018-19 with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. He has put together six points in 44 games this season.
     Jurco once played for seven seasons in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. He was with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League in 2018-19 and had 10 points in 14 games.

Panthers Trade Derick Brassard To Colorado

     The Florida Panthers traded forward Derick Brassard and a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2020 third-round pick. Both teams will be facing each other tonight in Denver.
     He was acquired earlier this month on February 1 along with Riley Sheahan from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. Brassard played 10 games with the Panthers and compiled one goal along with three assists. His only goal for the team was seven seconds into a period in his lone road game against the Washington Capitals. It was the fastest goal to begin a period for Florida in franchise history. He previously played with the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators.

Former Panthers On Toronto Radio

     Shawn Matthias and Anthony Stewart are working at 590 The Fan CJCL-AM in Toronto as sports talk hosts. Both one time played for the Florida Panthers.
     Matthias was with Florida for seven seasons from 2007 until 2014. He had 48 goals and 49 assists in 312 games with the Panthers. Matthias was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with Jacob Markstrom for Roberto Luongo on March 4, 2014.
     Stewart played for the Panthers from 2005 to 2009 and had 12 points in 105 games. He sometimes appears as a panelist on Hockey Central at NHL Network and Sportsnet.

Pistons Roar By Heat

     The Detroit Pistons defeated the Miami Heat 119-96 on Saturday night at American Airlines Arena. It was a return home for the Heat after six games on the road over the past three weeks.
     Miami(26-32) scooted out to a 29-20 advantage after one quarter, however Detroit(28-30) came back with a 34-17 spurt to go up 54-46 by halftime. After both clubs scored 30 points each in the third, the Pistons pulled away as they outscored the Heat 35-20 in the final quarter.
     Josh Richardson had 22 points to lead the way for the Heat while Dwyane Wade added 15 points. Hassan Whiteside chalked up a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Ish Smith fell short of a double-double with a team-high 22 points and nine assists for the Pistons. Blake Griffin was able to add 20 points along with six assists.

Kings Taken By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers finished off a seven-game home stand with a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at BB&T Center on Saturday night. Roberto Luongo tied former Panthers netminder Ed Belfour for third all-time in NHL history with 484 wins as a goalie.
     The Panthers ended a stretch in which they played 11 home games in the last 23 days. The Cats head on the road for their next three games. The Kings are now winless in their last seven games. 

     Florida(27-25-8) took a 1-0 lead with 8:04 left in the first period. Vincent Trocheck made a pass to Evgenii Dadonov in the low left circle and received it back. He put a wrist shot by Jonathan Quick for his sixth goal of the year. 

     Los Angeles(23-32-6) answered back with 6:01 remaining in the first with an unassisted tally. Dustin Brown stole the puck from Keith Yandle at the Panthers blue line. He skated down the right side, through the right circle and snapped a high snap shot from the right of the crease past Luongo. It was the first goal for Brown in the last 13 games and his 13th goal of the season.
     In the second period, the Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 6:27 to go. Anze Kopitar took a shot from the right circle that went wide and it carried out of the zone. Jonathan Huberdeau came out of the penalty box, got the puck and went on a breakaway. He skated to the crease and scored on a forehand shot for his 17th goal of the campaign.
     They added a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 1:44 left in the second. Aleksander Barkov traded the puck back-and-forth with Yandle in the high slot. He waited and then blasted in a slapshot. It was the 25th goal of the season for Barkov, who now has six goals in the last four games.
     The Cats continued to coast as they got another power-play tally with 37.5 seconds remaining. Yandle took a snap shot from the high slot area on a feeds from Barkov and Huberdeau.
     Two players from Florida both got their initial goals of the campaign in a 28-second span during the third period. Jamie McGinn was playing in his 600th NHL game and he snapped a shot from the right circle for an unassisted goal at 6:14.
     Ian McCoshen added a tally at the 6:42 mark with a slapshot from the top of the zone. Troy Brouwer and Henrik Borgstrom were credited with assists on the play. 

Byung-Hyun Kim Retires

     Former Florida Marlins pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim has retired. He played two seasons with the Marlins from 2007 to 2008 and had a 9-5 record in 23 games. He left Major League Baseball following that stint and played the last 10 years in Japan, South Korea and Australia.
     Kim is best remembered in the majors for giving up game-winning home runs to Derek Jeter in Game 4 of  the 2001 World Series. He won a world championship with Arizona that year and helped the Boston Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years back in 2004.

West Palm Beach Ratings January 2019

     West Palm Beach came out with their ratings for sports talk radio stations. ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM does not subscribe to the monthly ratings.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM moved up from a 0.2 to a 0.3 in January. Andy Slater continued in his third month as the afternoon host. Kevin's Other Show with Kevin Rolston and Steve Diener was no longer broadcast on Monday afternoons during the month.
     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM ended up with a 0.0 for the fifth consecutive month. The station has depended on University of Florida basketball with the end of the football season.

New Dan Le Batard ESPN Show

     ESPN will debut The Art of Conversation with Dan Le Batard on Sunday afternoon at 5:30 PM. His first guest on the new program will be Miami Heat president and former head coach Pat Riley.
     Le Batard already does a simulcast of the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on ESPN Radio and ESPNEWS. He also hosts Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable weekdays on ESPN2. He recently launched the Le Batard and Friends Podcast Network in January. Le Batard and Stugotz have been on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM with their program since August 2004.

76ers Edge Heat

     The Miami Heat lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 106-102 on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center. It was the first contest for the Heat since the NBA All-Star Game. Miami completed a six-game road trip and return home on Saturday.
     Philadelphia(38-21) started out well and led 29-21 after the first quarter. They stayed ahead and were up 57-50 at halftime. Miami(26-31) came back and moved ahead 75-73 after three quarters. The Sixers overcame and took the contest late in the fourth quarter.
     Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 19 points along with six assists. Dion Waiters drained in 18 points while Kelly Olynyk added 15 points. 76ers newcomer Tobias Harris compiled a double-double with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Simmons knocked down 21 points and Jimmy Butler scored 18 points

Hurricanes Surge By Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes held off the Florida Panthers 4-3 at BB&T Center on Thursday night. The Panthers had their three-game winning streak snapped with the defeat. Both clubs will play each other in Sunrise twice during a 10-day span.
     Carolina(32-23-6) got on the scoreboard first at the 5:12 mark of the first period. Brett Pesce released a high wrist shot from the high slot that went off the face of Justin Williams in the crease and past James Reimer. It was the 16th goal of the campaign for Williams.
    In the second period, the Hurricanes extended their lead to 2-0 at 4:35. Jaccob Slavin took a slapshot from the top of the zone that grazed off Williams in the slot. It was saved by Reimer, however Nino Niederreiter put in the puck with a forehand shot from the blue paint and compiled his 18th goal of the season.
     Florida(26-25-8) pulled to within goal at the 6:53 mark. Jayce Hawryluk stole the puck behind the Carolina cage. He backhanded it in front and Evgenii Dadonov popped in a one-time shot by Petr Mrazek. Dadonov was able to expand his point streak in four games.
     The Panthers evened the contest up with 10:11 left in the second on the power play. Dadonov sent a pass from the right circle ahead to Aleksander Barkov to the left of the crease and he redirected in a backhand shot. Huberdeau was credited with an assist on the play. Barkov scored his fifth goal in the last three games along with his 24th goal of the season.
     The momentum continued as the Cats scored another power-play tally with 8:52 remaining. Mike Hoffman made a pass from the right wing and Huberdeau snapped in a shot from the edge of the right circle for his 17th goal. Barkov got the secondary assist on the goal.
     The Canes tied it up 3-3 just 19 seconds into the third period on a power-play goal. A cross-ice pass from Teuvo Teravainen from the left circle went to Justin Faulk. He blasted a slapshot from the top right circle for his sixth goal.
     They would convert on another power play and regain the lead 4-3 at 2:16. Williams picked up his second goal of the game in the crease area on assists from Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. The Panthers had allowed three power-play goals in their last 19 games prior to this contest.

Miami Ratings January 2019

     The ratings for sports talk radio stations in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market were issued. It was a tie between two Entercom Communications stations and the closest race among the top three local competitors in over five years.
     Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM fell from a 0.9 to a 0.6 in January. It was their lowest ratings for them since the holiday season in December 2012. The drop in audience was due to no more Miami Dolphins and University of Miami Hurricanes football game broadcasts. It was the first complete period with Alex Donno and Josh Friedman as their new midday show.
     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM stayed at a 0.6 during the period. The Miami Heat were in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They have been using different hosts in their evening program that includes Greg Likens and Zack Duarte.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM remained at a 0.2 for the month. It is the closest they have been to the market leader since August 2013. They added The Greek to host a mid-afternoon show midway through the period. WINZ has been at a 0.2 in five of the last six months.
     640 The Hurricane WMEN-AM dropped off the radar in the market from a 0.1 to a 0.0 in January. They have appeared in the Miami ratings since August, even though their operations are based in Palm Beach County. The station has depended on afternoon host Andy Slater along with Florida Panthers hockey broadcasts.

San Jose Sharks Claim Micheal Haley

     The San Jose Sharks have claimed center Micheal Haley from the Florida Panthers. It will be the second stint for Haley in San Jose. He played three seasons with the Sharks from 2014-15 to 2016-17 and he compiled 13 points in 78 games.
     Haley signed with the Florida Panthers as a free agent on July 1, 2017. He led the NHL with 212 penalty minutes in 2017-18 as he put together nine points in 75 games. Haley had one goal and two assists in 24 games this season with the Panthers.

Panthers Come Back On Sabres

     The Florida Panthers overcame the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 at BB&T Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers have won three straight games and nine of their last 13. It was the 100th NHL meeting between Florida and Buffalo. The Sabres have lost three straight games. Mike Hoffman participated in his 400th career game in the National Hockey League.
     Buffalo(28-24-7) was able to score on the power play at 5:14 of the second period. Jeff Skinner made a cross-ice pass from the left-circle dot. Sam Reinhart sent a pass from the right circle and Jack Eichel redirected the puck with the backhand from the low slot past James Reimer. Eichel put in his first tally ever versus the Panthers. It was the 11th point in the last nine games for Skinner against the Cats.
     In the third period, Florida(26-24-8) scored three goals in a 2:35 span. They tied it up 1-1 at the 3:07 mark of the frame. Aleksander Barkov cleared the puck out of the Panthers zone and Frank Vatrano poked it from the Sabres blue line into the offensive zone. Jonathan Huberdeau raced to the loose puck in the right circle and snapped a shot by Linus Ullmark for his 14th goal of the season.
     The Panthers scored 43 seconds later to took their first lead of the contest. Jayce Hawryluk was in the slot area and squared a pass to his right. Vincent Trocheck fired a wrist shot that hit the crossbar and the puck bounced off Hawryluk's hip in the crease and into the cage for his fourth goal of the campaign. Evgenni Dadonov was also credited with an assist on the play.
     The Cats made it a 3-1 at 5:42 on the 23rd goal of the season by Barkov. Vatrano connected a pass from the blue line to Huberdeau at the top of the zone. He backhanded a lead pass to Barkov in the low left circle and his shot trickled slowly through the pads of Ullmark for a goal. Barkov has scored four goals in the last two games.
     The Sabres though that they had closed the gap to 3-2 on the power play with 7:07 remaining on another Eichel goal. The call was reversed due to offside which waved off the tally.
     Florida would extend the margin to 4-1 with 3:15 left. Barkov handed the puck to Huberdeau in the left corner. He skated through the left circle and the low slot then swept in a backhand shot for his second goal of the contest and 15th goal of the year.
     Buffalo picked up a meaningless goal with 7.9 seconds to go as Vladimir Sobotka found the net. It was the first goal for him in 43 games.

Dwyane Wade In Last NBA All-Star Game

     Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade played in his final NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Sunday night. Team LeBron was able to defeat Team Giannis 178-164.
     Wade was with Team LeBron as he played 10 minutes and compiled seven points along with four assists. His former Heat teammate James had 19 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Kevin Durant was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player with 31 points and seven rebounds.

Reds Sign Derek Dietrich

     Former Miami Marlins utility player Derek Dietrich has signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He can play three positions on the infield and all three outfield positions.
     Dietrich spent six seasons with the Marlins. He had a career-high 16 home runs and 26 doubles along with a .265 batting average in 2018. He played 608 games in Miami during six years with 60 home runs, 204 runs batted in and a .254 batting average.

Barkov Hat Trick And Panthers Defeat Canadiens

     Alekander Barkov scored a hat trick as the Florida Panthers beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 on Sunday night at BB&T Center. It was the second time that he had a hat trick broadcast nationally on Canadian television this season. Barkov scored three goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs back on December 15.
     The Panthers are now 11 points behind the Habs for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cats have won four of their last six games while the Canadiens are winless in their last four games.
     Florida(25-24-8) scored on their first power-play attempt to go up 1-0 at 3:59. Keith Yandle sent the puck from the top of the zone to Mike Hoffman on the right point and he returned it. Yandle smashed a slapshot that was saved by Antti Niemi, however Barkov pounced and poked in the rebound from the edge of the blue paint for his 20th goal of the season. It is the fourth consecutive time that Barkov has scored at least 20 goals in a season.
     The Panthers increased their margin to 2-0 at the 11:28 mark. Derick Brassard connected a pass toward the center circle to Denis Malgin. He skated past the Canadiens blue line and released a rising wrist shot from the high slot.
     Montreal(31-21-7) cut the deficit to 2-1 with 6:56 remaining. Hoffman lost the puck at the top of his own zone to Tomas Tatar. He left-angled a pass to Max Domi in the slot area and he scored a forehand shot by the blocker of James Reimer. The 18th goal of the season for Domi tied a career-high for him that he set in his rookie season with Arizona in 2015-16.
     The Cats made it a two-goal gap with 6:03 to go. Frank Vatrano snapped in a shot from the high slot for his 20th goal of the campaign. Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau were credited with assists on the play. Carey Price replaced Niemi in net after he surrendered three goals on nine shots.
     The Habs closed it to 3-2 with 3:14 left in the first. Brendan Gallagher stole the puck from Mike Matheson at the red line, skated to the right circle and ripped in a slapshot for his 23rd tally.
     The Canadiens finally tied the contest at 5:18 of the second period. Domi dropped a pass at the right point to Mike Reilly. He sent the puck diagonally to the middle and Domi redirected it into the Panthers cage from the low slot.
     Florida moved ahead 4-3 with 2:11 remaining on a spectacular goal by Barkov. Aaron Ekblad sent a long lead pass to Barkov at the Habs blue line for a breakaway. He skated in, dropped the puck behind his two legs and flipped a forehand shot over the right shoulder of Price. It turned out to be Barkov's 24th game-winning goal which surpassed Pavel Bure for second all-time in Panthers franchise history.
     In the third period, the Panthers expanded their margin to 5-3 at the 9:13 mark. Barkov was on a 2-on-1 breakaway into the Montreal zone. He tried to connect a pass across the slot which bounced off a defender and back to him for a wrist shot from the low right circle. It was his third goal of the game and 22nd goal of the season.
     Montreal pulled Price from the goal for an extra attacker with 3:10 to go. It did not work as Riley Sheahan scored his first goal as a Florida Panther on a feed from Evgenii Dadonov with 2:25 remaining.

Adeiny Hechavarria Signs With Mets

     Former Miami Marlins shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria has signed a minor-league deal with the New York Mets. He is expected to compete for a spot on the roster for the Mets during spring training.
     Hechavarria spent five seasons with the Marlins. He batted .255 with 13 home runs and 113 runs batted in for the Fish in 599 games.

Cameron Maybin Heading For Giants

     Former Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin is expected to join the San Francisco Giants. He will try to get a roster spot on the club in spring training for the regular season.
     Maybin had two stints with the Marlins franchise. He joined the Florida Marlins when he was acquired in an eight-player trade from the Detroit Tigers for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in December 2007. Maybin played three seasons with the Fish from 2008 until 2010. He was with the Miami Marlins for 99 games in 2018 and was then traded to the Seattle Mariners.

Antwan Staley Leaving Miami

     Local sportswriter Antwan Staley is leaving South Florida to join MLB.com as a Baltimore Orioles beat reporter. He was a Miami Dolphins reporter with USA Today The Dolphins Wire for the last couple of years.
     Staley, an East Carolina University grad, had worked as a college football reporter for Athlon Sports. He also did freelance work covering the Florida Panthers from 2014 to 2016. Staley was a guest evening co-host on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM from 2015 until 2019 with Josh Friedman and later Greg Likens.

Panthers End Flames

     The Florida Panthers slipped by the Calgary Flames 3-2 in a shootout at BB&T Center on Thursday night. The Panthers, who stopped a two-game losing streak, are in the middle of a stretch during February in which they play 11 of 12 games at home. The Flames are now on a season-high four-game winless streak.
     After a scoreless first, Florida(24-24-8) made it 1-0 with 4:33 left in the second period. Mike Hoffman dropped a pass to Mark Pysyk at the top of the zone and his wrist shot was deflected in the crease by Evgenii Dadonov past Mike Smith. It was the 20th goal for Dadonov this season.
     Calgary(34-16-7) tied the contest 1-1 at the 6:51 mark of the third. Noah Hanifin carried the puck through the neutral zone and into the left circle of the Panthers zone. He dropped it off and Mark Jankowski and he snapped a shot from the top left circle by James Reimer.
     The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 8:01 remaining in the period. Vincent Trocheck won a right-circle faceoff and Keith Yandle angled a pass from the blue line to Mike Hoffman on the right wing. He skated a couple of feet and ripped a high wrist shot for his team-high 26th goal of the campaign.
     The Flames were able to tie it again with 2:24 to go. Johnny Gaudreau placed a pass from the right wing to the top and Rasmus Andersson blasted a one-time slapshot. Elias Lindholm was able to deflect the puck in from the crease area.
     The game went into a shootout and Florida got the victory. After Jonathan Huberdeau missed on a forehand, Sean Monahan scored on the Flames first attempt as he faked and put in a forehand shot. Aleksander Barkov made the second attempt for the Panthers when he went to his backhand and roofed in a shot. Andrew Mangiapane was stopped on a forehand shot in response for Calgary. On the third attempt, Vincent Trocheck released a high wrist shot for the tally and Matthew Tkachuk failed with a backhand shot to end the contest.

Heat Shoot Down Mavericks

     The Miami Heat completed a five-game road trip as they topped the Dallas Mavericks 112-101 at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night. The Heat finished the road swing with a 2-3 record and head into the NBA All-Star Game break.
     Dwyane Wade made his final game appearance in Dallas. He played on the same court where the Miami Heat won their first NBA championship in 2006 and he was given the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
     Miami(26-30) ran out to a 29-25 advantage after one quarter and trailed Dallas(26-31) at halftime 58-57 at halftime. The Heat dominated the third quarter and outscored the Mavericks 32-16 to go up 90-73.
     Wade led the Heat with 22 points while Dion Waiters added 20 points. Justice Winslow put together a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a team-high 20 points and Dirk Nowitzki put in 12 points.

Joe Angel Retires

     Former Florida Marlins radio and television play-by-play announcer Joe Angel is retiring. He was in the final year of a contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
     Angel was the first lead radio play-by-play announcer of the Florida Marlins when he joined the organization in 1993. He called the Marlins first World Series championship in 1997 alongside current Boston Red Sox television play-by-play announcer Dave O' Brien.
     Both added and split the role as play-by-play announcers on television when they replaced Jay Randolph after the 1996 season. Angel would stay with the Florida Marlins until 2000.
     Angel has worked as a radio play-by-play announcer for several different organizations in Major League Baseball. He was with the San Francisco Giants from 1977 to 1978 and the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1986.
     He had three stints with the Baltimore Orioles. They include from 1988 to 1990, 1992 and from 2004 to 2018. Angel had a one-year stop with the New York Yankees in 1991 and another two-year reign with the San Francisco Giants in 2002 and 2003. He did call baseball games on ESPN in 2001.

Stars Blind Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were blanked by the Dallas Stars 3-0 at BB&T Center on Tuesday night. The Panthers are in the middle of a seven-game home stand. Jamie McGinn made his season debut with the Cats after missing the first 54 games of the campaign.
     The Panthers were shut out for the first time in 2018-19. They were the last club in the National Hockey League to go scoreless in a game this season.
     Dallas(29-22-5) go a 1-0 lead with 8:13 left in the first period. Tyler Seguin made a pass from the Panthers blue line and Roope Hintz on the right wing. He returned the puck to the slot area where Seguin one-timed a backhand shot by Roberto Luongo. Alexamder Radulov was also credited with his 30th assist on the play.
     The Stars made it 2-0 with 7:21 remaining in the second. Jamie Benn was behind the Florida(23-24-8) cage and centered the puck to Tyler Seguin in the crease. He put a square pass to his left and Esa Lindell scored on a wrist shot.
     Florida pulled their goalie with around three minutes to go in the third period. Seguin would get his second goal of the contest and 24th goal of the season with 2:12 left as he put the puck into an empty net.

Marlins Sign Sergio Romo

     The Miami Marlins have signed relief pitcher Sergio Romo to a one-year deal. He compiled 25 saves with a 3-4 record last season with the Tampa Bay Rays.
     Romo played his first nine seasons in the majors with the San Francisco Giants. He contributed to the club winning three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Romo helped end a 52-year drought in which the Giants had not won a championship since they moved to San Francisco in 1958.

A.J. Ellis To Retire

     Former Miami Marlins catcher A.J. Ellis is expected to retire from Major League Baseball. He will join the San Diego Padres front office in baseball as a special assistant to the general manager.
     Ellis was with the Marlins during the 2017 regular season. He batted .210 with six home runs and 14 runs batted in with Miami in 51 games. Ellis is best remembered playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2016.

Nuggets Carve Out Heat

     The Miami Heat continued their five-game road swing as they fell to the Denver Nuggets 103-87 on Monday night at Pepsi Center. The Heat have lost three straight games and play in Dallas against the Mavericks on Wednesday prior to the NBA All-Star Game break. The Nuggets remain in second place among the Western Conference. 

     Denver(38-18) rolled out to a 35-27 lead after one quarter and stayed ahead 54-49 by halftime. Miami(25-30) still trailed 83-70 at the end of third quarter and could not cut the deficit down to single digits in the fourth.
     Justice Winslow scored 15 points for the Heat while James Johnson added 14 points. Nikola Jokic compiled a double-double for the Nuggets with a game-high 23 points and 12 rebounds. 

Armando Salguero Joins Radio.Com

     Miami Herald sportswriter Armando Salguero is joining Radio.com as a sports insider. Salguero will be heard occasionally on 35 Entercom Communications sports radio stations throughout the United States for his sports expertise and opinions. It does include Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM.
     He had previous stints in South Florida radio. He was a sports host on 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM in Miami from 1999 to 2000. Salguero also was the morning co-host on 640 Sports WMEN-AM with The Amigo Larry Milian and later Chris Perkins from July 2010 until May 2012.
     Salguero has been the Miami Dolphins beat writer at the Miami Herald since the 1990s. He was employed at ESPN as a sports reporter during the 2000s.

Peter Bolger Retires

     Former Miami radio program director Peter Bolger will retire on March 15. He will be leaving his position as program director and operations manager at WLS-AM in Chicago.
     Bolger was associated with several stations of Clear Channel Miami during the 1990s and 2000s. He was the program director of WZTA-FM, Fox Sports Radio 940 WRFX-AM, News Radio 610 WIOD-AM, WINZ-AM and Total Traffic Network.
     He left South Florida in 2007 and moved to San Antonio. Bolger was the program director for KPRT-FM, KTKR-AM, WOAI-AM and KTSA-AM. Prior to his arrival in Miami, he programmed KGON-FM and KSGO-AM in Portland, Oregon.

Tyler Cloyd Signs With Rays

     The Tampa Bay Rays have signed pitcher Tyler Cloyd to a minor-league contract. He will compete for a spot on the major-league roster during spring training.
     Cloyd played in seven games with the Miami Marlins in 2018. He pitched 17 2/3 innings and had a 8.66 earned run average.

Warriors Jump Over Heat

     The defending two-time defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors hosted the Miami Heat and won 120-118 at Oracle Arena on Sunday night. It was the last time that the Heat will visit Oakland. The Warriors move into a new arena in San Francisco next season.
     Miami(25-29) rocketed out with a 26-7 run to begin the contest and were up 34-24 after the first quarter. The Heat held off their opponent and were still ahead 59-54 at halftime. Golden State(40-15) got the momentum as they outscored Miami 36-23 to go up 90-82 after three quarters.
     The contest came to the final minute of the fourth quarter. Dwyane Wade blocked a Kevin Durant shot and scored on a fast-break dunk with 54.8 seconds followed by a Josh Richardson steal and dunk with 51.5 seconds to go for a Miami 118-115 lead. The Warriors got a three-point shot by Durant with 42.7 seconds remaining to tie the game 118-118. Draymond Green made two free throws with 5.4 seconds left to finish the game.
     Richardson led the Heat with a career-high 37 points and Dion Waiters pulled up for 24 points. Hassan Whiteside compiled a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Justice Winslow added 22 points and Wade placed in 10 points. Durant had a game-high 39 points for the Warriors. Clay Thompson dropped down 29 points while Stephen Curry put in 25 points.

Lightning Storm Panthers

     Roberto Luongo passed Patrick Roy for second place in NHL history with most games played by a goalie as the Florida Panthers were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Sunday night at BB&T Center. Luongo replaced James Reimer at the beginning of the third period and played in his 1,030th contest.
     The Panthers began a seven-game home stand. The Lightning have the best record in the National Hockey League with 86 points. The Panthers ended up winless against the Bolts in their four meetings this season.
     Tampa Bay(41-11-4) pulled ahead 1-0 at the 4:02 mark. Anton Stralman found Victor Hedman in the low left circle and he centered it. Nikita Kucherov scored on a wrist shot from the low slot for his 23rd goal and 81st point of the season.
     The Lightning made it 2-0 at 12:08 of the second period. Steven Stamkos was in the neutral zone and passed to his right where Stralman got it at the Panthers blue line. He returned the puck to the middle and Stamkos redirected a backhand shot from the low slot past James Reimer for his 29th goal of the campaign.
     Just over a minute later Florida(23-23-8) was able to score with 6:49 left. Mike Matheson flicked the puck from the red line down the left-wing boards. Jonathan Huberdeau made a pass from the left circle and Frank Vatrano one-time a shot from the slot area by Louis Domingue for his 19th goal of the year.
     The Bolts extended their laed to 3-1 with 2:09 remaining in the second. Matthieu Joseph poked the puck out of the zone to center ice. Ryan Callahan got the puck at the red line, skated in alone on a breakaway and put in a backhand shot.
     The Panthers answered back again quickly and cut it to 3-2 with 1:10 to go. Denis Malgin snapped a shot into the cage from the right circle. Troy Brouwer and Riley Sheahan were credited with assists on the play.
     Luongo replaced Reimer at the start of the third period to get a major milestone in NHL history. Tampa Bay added a power-play goal at 4:25 for a 4-2 lead. Brayden Point compiled 32nd goal of the season from close ranger on assists from J.T. Miller and Kucherov.
     Florida pulled Luongo from net for an extra attacker with three minutes remaining. Keith Yandle hooked Miller on the way to net and ended the situation. The Bolts got a 5-on-3 power play goal from Kucherov with 47.2 second left. He now leads the National Hockey League with 84 points.

Panthers Outlast Capitals

     The Florida Panthers edged the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals 5-4 in overtime on Saturday night at Capital One Arena. It was the only road game for the Panthers in a 13-game stretch over a five-week period.
     Roberto Luongo made his 1,000th start in his NHL career. He also tied Patrick Roy with most games played by a goalie in NHL history with 1,029. Luongo made his 28,000th save in his NHL career during the third period.
     Florida(23-22-8) picked up two goals in a 35-second stretch during the first period. Frank Vatrano scored at 12:55 and Keith Yandle made it 2-0 at 13:30.
     Washington(30-18-7) got a tally by Brett Connolly at the 5:02 mark of the second period. The Panthers regained a two-goal margin when they Colton Sceviour found the net at 9:17. Lars Eller added a goal for the Caps with 41 seconds left in the second.
     Derick Brassard quickly scored just seven seconds into the third for a 4-2 lead. It was the fastest goal scored to begin a period in Florida franchise history. The Capitals compiled goals by Connolly at the 6:12 mark and Evgeny Kuznetsov with 3:06 remaining in regulation to tie the contest 4-4.
     The game would go into overtime. Mike Hoffman scored a power-play goal on assists from Yandle and Aleksander Barkov at 1:31 to get the victory. It was the 25th goal of the season for Hoffman on that play. Yandle and Barkov both chalked up their 34th assists of the campaign.

Heat Punished By Kings

     The Miami Heat were stopped by the Sacramento Kings 102-96 on Friday night at Golden 1 Center. It was the first time ever that the Kings swept Miami in two straight years. The Heat continue their road trip up until the All-Star Game break.
     Miami(25-28) jumped out to a 28-17 lead after one quarter and stayed up 59-50 at halftime. Sacramento(29-26) fell behind by 17 points in the second half and were down 83-75 at the end of three quarters. The Kings went on a 14-2 run and took their first lead of the contest 97-96 with 1:21 left. Sacramento finished the game on a 19-2 spurt.
     The Heat got a double-double of 17 points and 19 rebounds from Hassan Whiteside. Josh Richardson had a team-high 21 points while Dwyane Wade added 15 points. Buddy Hield led the Kings with a game-high 23 points.

Panthers Down Penguins

     The Pittsburgh Penguins made their only appearance in South Florida this season and fell to the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime at BB&T Center on Thursday. Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann returned to Sunrise after being traded by the Panthers to the Penguins for Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan last week.
     The Cats finished a five-game home stand and head for Washington to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals on Saturday night. Florida is in a stretch after the NHL All-Star Game in which they play 11 of 12 games at home.
     The Panthers thought they had a goal by Sheahan from the crease at 1:37 of the first period, however the referee whistled the play dead.
     Florida(22-22-8) scored a power-play goal at the 5:22 mark. Mike Matheson blasted a slap shot from the top of the zone that hit the back glass. It bounced to Evgenii Dadonov at the left side of the crease and he flipped a wrist shot past Casey DeSmith. Brassard was also credited with an assist on the play.
     Pittsburgh(28-19-7) waited until 6:09 left in the second period to score a shorthanded goal to tie the contest 1-1. Kris Letang sent a lead pass from his own right circle to Jared McCann at the center-ice circle. He brought the puck into the Panthers zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway and snapped a shot from the right circle by Roberto Luongo.
     The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 2:28 remaining in the period. Alekander Barkov fed a pass from below the left circle and Colton Sceviour lifted a wrist shot from the crease in. Barkov collected his 300th NHL point with the assist. Sheahan got the secondary assist on the tally for his first point with the Cats.
     In the third period, the Penguins evened it again with 11:43 to go. Jake Guentzel made a pass to Letang on the right wing and he cycled the puck to the left point. Marcus Pettersson rocketed a slap shot through traffic for his first goal of the year. He now has one goal and three assists in three games this season against the Panthers.
     Florida was able to get the victory with 45.6 seconds left in overtime. Barkov connected a pass to Jonathan Huberdeau in the left circle. He then dropped the puck to Matheson and he put in a snap shot from the high slot area.

Marlins Trade J.T. Realmuto

     The Miami Marlins traded catcher J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Jorge Alfaro, pitcher Sixto Sanchez and pitcher Will Stewart on Thursday. 

     Realmuto has been with the Miami Marlins since the 2014 season. He had his best season last year as he compiled 21 home runs, 71 runs batted in and a .277 batting average in 125 games. Realmuto represented the Marlins at the 2018 All-Star Game. 

     Alfaro participated in 108 games for the Phillies last year as he put together 10 home runs, 37 runs batter in and a .262 batting average. He was on their major-league roster since 2016. Sanchez and Stewart have not yet pitched in the majors. 

Kris Versteeg In Sweden

     Former Florida Panthers right wing Kris Versteeg has signed a contract to finish the 2018-19 season with the Vaxjo Lakers in the Swedish Hockey League. He played 11 games earlier this season with the Avangard Omsk in the KHL.
     Versteeg played three seasons with the Florida Panthers and helped the team win their first division title in franchise history as they won the 2011-12 Southeast Division. He had 27 goals and 38 assists in 99 games with the Panthers. Versteeg captured a Stanley Cup title with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009-10 and they ended a 49-year championship drought.

Heat Burn Trail Blazers

     The Miami Heat began a long road trip and easily beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-108 at Moda Center on Tuesday night. The Heat held and kept the lead from wire-to-wire in the contest.
     Miami(25-27) had a 34-30 lead after one quarter and were in front 62-55 at halftime. Portland(32-21) trailed even more 94-79 after three quarters.
     Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds. Dwyane Wade had 22 points and Josh Richardson added 18 points. C.J. McCollum put in a game-high 33 points for the Trail Blazers.

Heat Trade Tyler Johnson And Wayne Ellington

     The Miami Heat traded guards Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington to the Phoenix Suns for forward Ryan Anderson. The team made the deal prior to the NBA trade deadline.
     Anderson has played in just 15 games for the Suns this season. It was the only season for him with Phoenix. He averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game with them. Anderson had made previous stints in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets.
     Johnson played his entire five-year NBA career with the Heat. He played in 44 games this season and averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assist per game.
     Ellington signed as a free agent with Miami prior to the 2016-17 season. His best season with the Heat was last season when he averaged a career-high 11.2 points per game in 77 games. Ellington has only played 25 games this season and averaged 8.4 points along with 1.9 rebounds a game.

National Signing Day Dade County 2019

     Dade County had their national signing day on Wednesday. Most of the top talent from the region signed during the early signing period in December.
     Miami Central had wide receiver Jaylin Young select Western Carolina University. Carol City defensive lineman Juwan James choose Keiser University. St. Thomas University picked up numerous players from Dade County.

National Signing Day Broward County 2019

      Broward County had national signing day in the region on Wednesday. Some of their high profile players made their selections.
     Cardinal Gibbons defensive lineman Khris Bogle decided on the University of Florida. He led the Chiefs to the FHSAA Class 5A state championship last year. It was the first football title in school history. Long snapper Shelby Langen goes up to Keiser University.
     University School wide receiver/defensive back Josh Sanguinetti will go to Indiana University. Linebacker Moizies Telfort remains in the state at Florida A&M University. His teammates running back Michael Hurt and defensive end Alejandro Perez signed with St. Thomas University. University School made the Class 4A state semifinal round for the last two seasons.
     St. Thomas Aquinas again had their share of players to go to the next level. Wide receiver Jamal Cooney enters the Ivy League with Dartmouth College. Offensive lineman Jason Munoz choose Syracuse University. Both were on the squad that won the Class 7A state title in 2016.
     Chaminade-Madonna had running back Willie Davis IV pick Florida Tech. He helped the school win their second straight FHSAA Class 3A state championship last year.
     Other top Broward County talent made their decisions as Piper defensive back Cecil Powell selected North Carolina State University while Western linebacker Gino Sandora along with Somerset Academy wide receiver Tyler Foster goes to Keiser University.
     St. Thomas University compiled a slew of Broward County players in their first year of recruiting. They include Fort Lauderdale wide receiver David Crawford III, Deerfield Beach linebacker Juwan Williams, Miramar running back Nathaniel Williams, Deerfield Beach defensive back Clifford Thevinen, Monarch defensive end Michael Torrence, Everglades wide receiver Dimitriee Lewis, Plantation defensive lineman Kahlill Bryan, Northeast offensive lineman Keyon Phillips, Plantation running back Elishah Barnwell, Miramar wide receiver Donavan Hubson, Piper defensive end Cyrus Turnquest, Piper offensive lineman Tyler Jerome, Taravella offensive lineman Joshua Young, Plantation defensive lineman Daniel Crump, South Plantation offensive lineman Jayce Collins, Piper offensive lineman Vedale Stubbs and West Broward linebacker Willie Webb, Cooper City running back Mark Fontana, Piper offensive lineman James Mims III, Marjory Stoneman Douglas defensive back Diangelo Amaya and Western linebacker Angel Cepero.

National Signing Day Palm Beach County 2019

     It was national signing day for Palm Beach County on Wednesday. Some of the top talent from the region made their decisions.
     Wellington wide receiver/defensive back Marc-Antony Richards decided on Auburn University. His brother Ahmmon Richards recently had his college career abruptly end with the University of Miami Hurricanes last season due to a neck injury. Wellington defensive back O'mari Burgess picked Murray State University while wide receiver Cornelius Butlet heads south to St. Thomas University.
     The Benjamin School quarterback/defensive back Kaiir Elam will head for the University of Florida. His father Abram Elam attended Cardinal Newman along with Notre Dame and Kent State as a defensive back. His uncle is former Dwyer and Florida defensive back Matt Elam. Both of them eventually played in the National Football League.
     The Dwyer Panthers had three players who transferred from Oxbridge Academy and moved to Dwyer for their senior year in 2018. Quarterback Gio Richardson choose University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, running back James Meeks went with Florida Atlantic University and defensive back Antavious Lane moves on to Georgia State University. All of them played in the FHSAA Class 3A state title game for Oxbridge Academy in 2017. Dwyer linebacker Cory Hamilton remains local at Keiser University while running back Cedric Tucker is going to St. Thomas University.
     Atlantic wide receiver Kamereon Williams will stay local and play for Florida International University and quarterback Kalani Ilimaleota along with defensive back Jaha'd Williams heads to St. Thomas University. All of them helped Atlantic reach the FHSAA Class 8A state championship game back in 2017.
     Three Park Vista players will remain in South Florida. Quarterback Tyler Thomas and linebacker David Kellier both selected St. Thomas University. St. Thomas University takes linebacker Marion Johnson.
     Glades Central quarterback Davius Richard heads to North Carolina Central University. Muck Bowl rival Pahokee had wide receiver Deante Nelson and offensive lineman Deshawn Richardson select Florida Atlantic University.
     American Heritage had three of the players choose Keiser University. They include defensive lineman/tight end Luke Sharkey, kicker/punter Lucas Matias and linebacker Iasaiah Rampart.
     Keiser University picked up more Palm Beach County talent. They got Forest Hill defensive back Tyrell Coleman, Forest Hill offensive lineman Sincere McCall, Dwyer defensive lineman Vernon Padgett, Palm Beach Lakes defensive lineman Denzel Mears, Palm Beach Lakes defensive back Wisney Jean and Palm Beach Central offensive lineman Joseph Villano. They also picked up linebacker Andy St. Hillaire, wide receiver Jerson Jacques and defensive lineman Angerlyns Julceus from Santaluces.
     The Kings Academy had quarterback Justin Wake and defensive back/wide receiver Jeremiah Scroggins sign with Southwest Baptist University. TKA reached the Class 3A state title game in Orlando last year.
     St. Thomas University added more Palm Beach County players to their first recruiting class. They include Santaluces wide receiver Anthony Caldwell, Palm Beach Gardens Dametrius Love, Forest Hill offensive lineman Joey Suarez, Santaluces defensive end Aundre Remelus, Olympic Heights tight end Bryan Antoine, Palm Beach Gardens linebacker Wendy Francois, Palm Beach Central linebacker Elijah Roman, Palm Beach Gardens defensive back Belden Smith II and Seminole Ridge defensive lineman Ertonn Chatelain.

Panthers Moved By Blues

     The Florida Panthers blew a two-goal lead in the third period and lost to the St. Louis Blues 3-2 at BB&T Center on Tuesday night. It was the fourth game of a five-game home stand for the Cats.
       A poke-in shot by Evgenii Dadonov from the crease ended up on the goal line, however Colton Parayko swept the puck underneath his goalie just 3:27 in. The Panthers had the first eight shots on goal while the Blues did not have a shot on goal in the first nine minutes of the contest. Vladimir Tarasenko did hit the left post when he deflected a slap shot by Alex Pietrangelo from the right point at the 7:05 mark.
     Florida(21-22-8) took the lead on the power play with 1:05 left in the first period. Aaron Ekblad jumped up and stopped a clearing pass at the blue line. His wrist shot was partially deflected by a defender in the high slot to Frank Vatrano and Henrik Borgstrom swept in the puck with a forehand shot from the left of the crease.
     After no scoring in the second period, the Panthers scored 30 seconds into the third with the man advantage. Jordan Binnington saved a slap shot by Keith Yandle from the top of the zone. Mike  Hoffman got the rebound from behind the Blues cage, centered it and Alekander Barkov roofed in a snap shot from the blue paint. It was the 19th goal of the season for Barkov.
     St. Louis(24-22-5) answered back at the 3:05 mark. Oskar Sundqvist made a pass down low. Parayko carried the puck from the low right circle, around the Panthers net and stuffed in a wraparound shot past James Reimer for his ninth goal of the campaign.
     The Blues tied the game with 8:51 left in the third. There was a scramble in the crease area with the puck under Tarasenko and eventually Ryan O'Reilly smacked it in from close range.
     The contest was decided by St. Louis with 3:53 to go. Vince Dunn snapped a shot from the high slot after recovering a bouncing puck at the top of the zone.

Curtis Granderson Signs With Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have signed outfielder Curtis Granderson to a minor-league contract. He spend his time last season with the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers. He helped the Brewers win the National League Central Division in 2018 as he batted .220 in 19 games.
     Granderson began his career with the Detroit Tigers in 2004 and played there for six seasons. He led that franchise to the 2006 American League Championship, their first since 1984, and they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
     He was traded to the New York Yankees in December 2009. Granderson played with them for four seasons and they made the playoffs three times. He went across town and signed with the New York Mets as a free agent. Granderson helped them win their first National League Championship in 2015 after a 29-year wait. They fell to the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
     Granderson was traded by the Mets to the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2017. The Dodgers would win their first National League title since 1988. They lost to the Houston Astros in seven games.

Austin Brice Returns To Marlins

     The Miami Marlins picked up pitcher Austin Brice on waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. It will be the second stint for Brice with the Fish.
     The lone season for Brice with Miami was during the 2016 season. He was 0-1 in 15 games with a 7.07 ERA. Brice was dealt in January 2017 to the Cincinnati Reds for Dan Straily. He played the last two seasons with the Reds where he compiled a 2-3 record with a 5.40 ERA in 55 games.

Nick Winngren Traded To Indians

     The Miami Marlins have traded pitcher Nick Winngren to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Jordan Milbrath. The Marlins look to plug Milbrath into their bullpen rotation.
     Winngren played in the majors with the Miami Marlins for the past three seasons as a middle reliever. He had a career 9-5 record with a 3.60 ERA in 118 pitching appearances.

Miami Heat To Retire Chris Bosh Number 1

     The Miami Heat will retire the number 1 jersey of Chris Bosh on March 26 in a halftime ceremony at American Airlines Arena when they face the Orlando Magic. It will be the fourth uniform number to be retired by the Heat franchise. The club has retired number 33 for Alonzo Mourning, number 10 for Tim Hardaway and number 32 for Shaquille O'Neal.
     Bosh joined the Miami Heat in July 2010 as part of The Big Three which consisted of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and him. He helped the team win two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. Bosh also compiled four consecutive Eastern Conference titles from 2011 to 2014.

Brian Flores New Miami Dolphins Head Coach

     Brian Flores was named the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Monday. He is the 13th head coach in franchise history. He replaces Adam Gase, who recently became the head coach of the New York Jets in January.
     Flores worked as a defensive coach for the New England Patriots during the 2018 regular season. They won Super Bowl LIII over the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 on Sunday in Atlanta. He has been a part of the Patriots organization in different capacities since 2004.

Local Players Win Super Bowl

     Three former South Florida high school players were on the New England Patriots team that won Super Bowl LIII over the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday night. Running back James White, running back Sony Michel and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett were on the winning side.
     It was the third Super Bowl title for White in the last five seasons. He was on the winning side with New England when he scored the game-ending touchdown in overtime over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. White went to St. Thomas Aquinas and contributed to the Raiders FHSAA Class 5A state championships in 2007 and 2008. He attended the University of Wisconsin and was drafted by the Patriots in 2014.
     Michel scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Pats in the fourth quarter to make it 10-3. He had 18 carries for 94 yards in the contest. Michel went to American Heritage in Plantation and helped the Patriots win one FHSAA Class 5A state championship in 2013. He then played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and lost to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP title game last year.
     Dorsett won his first Super Bowl title this season. He was on the Patriots team that lost last year to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. Dorsett played for the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders and captured two FHSAA Class 5A state titles with them in 2008 and 2010. He then attended the University of Miami and played with the Hurricanes for four seasons. Dorsett was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, played two seasons there and was traded to New England for former Dwyer Panthers quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

Ed Reed Elected To Pro Football Hall Of Fame

     Former University of Miami Hurricanes safety Ed Reed was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. He will be inducted in August.
     Reed played for four seasons with the Hurricanes. He helped the school win their fifth national championship in January 2002 with a 37-14 blowout victory over the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Rose Bowl.
     He joined the Baltimore Ravens in the 2002 NFL Draft as the 23rd overall pick. Reed captured Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013 alongside former Canes linebacker Ray Lewis as they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.

Pacers Down Heat

     The Indiana Pacers held off the Miami Heat 95-88 at American Airlines Arena on Saturday night. The Heat have lost three straight games.
     Miami(24-27) moved in front 27-21 after one quarter and barely led 54-53 at halftime. Indiana(33-19) went on a 14-4 spurt and got ahead 84-77 by the end of the third quarter. Both teams combined for just 22 points in the final quarter.
     Hassan Whiteside compiled a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat. Dwyane Wade put in a team-high 21 points. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with a game-high 31 points.

Panthers Sting Golden Knights

     The Florida Panthers got by the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 on Saturday night at BB&T Center. It was the first game for both Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan with the Panthers. The Golden Knights extended their losing streak to a franchise regular-season record four games. It is their longest losing streak since the Stanley Cup Final against the Washington Capitals last season.
     The Panthers came out on fire and scored on their first shot of the game just 12 seconds into the contest. Alekander Barkov picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and carried it down the right side into the Golden Knights zone. He placed a wrist shot by Marc-Andre Fleury for his 18th goal of the season.
     Vegas(29-21-4) tied the game at 8:07 of the first. Paul Stastny fed a lead pass on the left side. Max Pacioretty went around Mike Matheson in the left circle and scored on a wrist shot past James Reimer. It was the 16th goal of the season for Pacioretty and his ninth in his career against the Cats.
      Evgenii Dadonov was awarded a penalty shot when Derek Engelland took him down in the low slot on a breakaway with 57.9 seconds left. He fired a forehand shot on his attempt which hit the crossbar.
     In the third period, Florida(21-21-8) regained the lead 2-1 with 13:47 remaining. Brassard sent the puck from his own zone off the boards ahead to Mike Hoffman. He broke through the defense at the blue line, skated alone in the slot and scored his 24th goal of the campaign on a snap shot.
     The Golden Knights pulled their goalie with two minutes to go. The Cats would capitalize with 1:14 left. Aaron Ekblad flipped the puck from the back of the Panthers zone to center ice. Barkov angled a pass to his left and Frank Vatrano put the puck into an empty net.

Thunder Hammers Heat

     The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat 118-102 at American Airlines Arena on Friday night. The Thunder have the third-best record in the Western Conference.
     Oklahoma City(33-18) went out to a 31-24 lead through one quarter and led 72-53 at halftime. Miami(24-26) stayed with them in the second half and barely cut the deficit.
     Paul George knocked down a game-high 43 points for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had a triple-double with 14 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds. The Heat were led by Hassan Whiteside with 12 points along with 15 rebounds. Josh Richardson put up a team-high 18 points.

Panthers Topped By Predators

     The Florida Panthers played their first game in the last 11 days and were stopped by the Nashville Predators 4-1 at BB&T Center on Friday night. Florida traded away Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann earlier in the day. The Panthers began a stretch in which they will play 11 home games in the next 23 days.
     Florida(20-21-8) waited until 4:45 left in the second period and scored on a power play to take a 1-0 lead. Evgenii Dadonov passed the puck from the right wing to Keith Yandle on top of the zone. He angled a pass to his left and Jonathan Huberdeau snapped a shot by Juuse Saros from the top left circle. Huberdeau compiled his 13rd goal of the season.
     In the third period, Nashville (31-18-4) tied it 1-1 at the 5:29 mark. Ryan Johansen put the puck ahead, Filip Forsberg made a cross-ice pass from the low right circle and Roman Josi snapped a shot from the left circle past Roberto Luongo. It was his ninth goal of the campaign.
     The Predators took their first lead of the contest at 7:44. Viktor Arvidsson powered in a slap shot from the right circle off a feed from Forsberg on the right wing. Arvidsson got his 20th goal of the season on that play which makes it the third straight season he has hit the 20-goal plateau.
     The Preds put the game away with 5:50 left in the third for a two-goal margin. Mike Matheson lost the puck at his own blue line. Kevin Fiala skated the puck through the slot, faked a shot, went to his left and scored on a forehand shot.
     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with three minutes to go. A clearing pass hit an official at the red line and Arvidsson swept in the puck into an empty net with 1:56 remaining.

Stugotz Adds Podcast

     Jon Weiner, a.k.a Stugotz, has started a podcast called Stupodity on the Le Batard And Friends Network. It is the third podcast to be a part of the new organization. Le Batard launched the podcast network with his own podcast South Beach Sessions in December.
     Weiner has co-hosted the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz since August 2004 on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. The program began to be nationally syndicated by ESPN Radio in September 2013. The show has been simulcast on ESPNU for several years.

Dwyane Wade Added To All-Star Game

     Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been added to the 2019 NBA All-Star Game by league officials. He and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks were given the spots as a tribute for both players who are playing their final seasons in the NBA.
     Both players will be selected in the third round of the NBA All-Star draft selection. The contest will be played in Charlotte on February 17. Wade was named an NBA All-Star for the 12th time.

Panthers Trade Nick Bjugstad For Derick Brassard

     The Florida Panthers have traded Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, a 2019 second-round pick and two 2019 fourth-round picks.
     Bjugstad was selected 19th overall in the first round by the Panthers during the 2010 NHL Draft. He played seven seasons with the club and his best season was in 2014-15 when he had 24 goals and 19 assists in 72 games. He had a season-high 49 points in 82 games last season. Bjugstad finished his Panthers career with 87 goals and 104 assists in 394 games with the team. He played 32 games this season and put together five goals and seven assists.
     McCann was acquired by Florida following the 2015-16 season for Erik Gudbranson. He played parts of three seasons with the Cats. His best campaign was in 2017-18 when he compiled nine goals and 28 points in 68 games. McCann has eight goals and 10 assists in 40 games this season.
     Brassard has made several stops in the NHL which includes the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators. He helped the Rangers win the 2014 Eastern Conference championship and made the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins picked him up for the playoff push last season from the Senators. He has 171 goals and 443 points in 756 NHL games during his 12-year career. Brassard has nine goals and 15 points in 40 games this season.
     Sheahan played his first seven seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and was traded to the Pens early last season. He had 11 goals and 21 assists for them in 2017-18 and compiled seven goals in 49 games this season.

Len Weiner On National List

     Len Weiner finished in 25th place among the top 25 program directors of sports radio stations in the United States by Barrett Sports Media for 2018. He has worked at numerous markets over the last 25 years.
     Weiner has been the program director of Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM since March 2014. He added the role of program director at Miami Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in February 2018 when he replaced Ryan Maguire.
     He first programmed a sports station at KMPC-AM in Los Angeles and moved to ESPN Radio in Connecticut. Weiner then had stints at WMVP-AM and WGN-AM in Chicago. He went to Boston and worked at WAMG-AM.
     Weiner headed down to Florida and became the program director at Genesis Communications in Tampa. He led WHBO-AM, WWBA-AM and WMGG-AM from 2011 until March 2014.