Keshad Johnson In Slam Dunk Contest

     The National Basketball Association has announced that Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson will be one of four participants for the NBA Slam Dunk contest. It will be held next Saturday at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. 

     All four players will make their debut in the event. The reigning three-time slam dunk champion Mac McClung was not invited to defend his title. 

     Johnson has played 37 games with the Heat over the past seasons. He has averaged 2.9 points-per-game during his Miami tenure. 

Juho Lammikko Heads To Switzerland

     One-time Florida Panthers forward Juho Lammikko has signed a three-year contract with Zurich in the Switzerland National League. The deal will run through the 2027-28 season. 

     Lammikko was recently with the New Jersey Devils for 24 games in 2025-26. He spent 2018-19 and 2020-21 with the Panthers and had 11 points in 84 contests. 

Paul Mason Top Mid-Market Sports Radio Program Director

     Former West Palm Beach radio executive Paul Mason has been named the top mid-market program director of a sports station in the United States during 2025. Barrett Media selected him first among their top 20 in that category. 

     Mason is the program director of 104.5 The Zone WGFX-FM in Nashville since May 2020. He previously was the program director at 640 WMEN-AM and 850 WFTL-AM from March 2017 until April 2020. 

     He was selected by Barrett Media and their prior brand Barrett Sports Media in recent years. Mason finished 13th in 2020, 16th in 2021, fourth in 2022, sixth in 2023 and fourth in 2024.  

Len Weiner Lands On Program Directors List

     104.3 Sports WQAM-FM and 560 WQAM-AM programming chief Len Weiner appears on the top 25 local sports radio program directors list decided by Barrett Media. Weiner ended up in 21st place in 2025.

     He has been the WQAM program director since February 2018. Audacy added an FM frequency simulcast of their Miami sports station back on August 7. 

     Weiner has been a regularly listed in recent years. He was 25th in 2018, 21st in 2019, 21st in 2020, 20th in 2021, 22nd in 2022, 21st in 2023 and 20th in 2024. 

Craig Minvervini Working Caribbean Series

     South Florida sportscaster Craig Minervini is announcing the Caribbean Series as the television play-by-play announcer for the second straight year. The games have been seen on MLB Network. 

     Minervini worked as a fill-in radio play-by-play announcer of the Miami Marlins last season. He has a long stint as the Marlins television studio host since 2002. 

Marlins Trade Victor Mesa Jr.

      The Miami Marlins have traded outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins will receive back infielder Angel Brachi. 

      Mesa made his Major League Baseball debut with Miami in 2025. He had one home run, six runs batted in and a .188 batting average in 16 games with the Marlins.

Celtics Escape Heat

     The Boston Celtics survived the Miami Heat 98-96 at TD Garden on Friday night. The Heat began a short two-game road swing. The Celtics leaped to second place in the Eastern Conference. 

     Miami(27-26) steamrolled out to a 15-2 to begin the contest. They had a 29-15 advantage at the conclusion of the first quarter. The Heat continued the pressure in the second quarter and lead 59-38 at halftime. 

     Boston(34-18) outscored the Heat 36-15 during the third quarter and both teams were tied 74-74 after three quarters. Neither club led by more than five points in the final frame and the Celtics held on in the final minute of the fourth quarter.    

     Andrew Wiggins led the Heat with a team-high 26 points. Norman Powell contributed 24 points and Bam Adebayo added 16 points along with seven rebounds. 

     Jaylen Brown knocked down a game-high 29 points for the C's. Derrick White ended up with 21 points while Payton Pritchard had 24 points coming off the bench. 

Panthers Put Josh Davies On Unconditional Waivers

     The Florida Panthers have placed forward Josh Davies to unconditional waivers. It will result in the Panthers terminating the contract of Davies. Florida did the same thing recently with forward Ryan McAllister. 

     Davies spent his time last season between the Panthers ECHL affiliate in Greenville and the Panthers AHL affiliate Charlotte. He had 12 points in 31 games with Savannah this season. 

Juho Lammikko Gone From Devils

     The New Jersey Devils have put right wing Juho Lammikko on unconditional waivers. The club will terminate his contract. He participated in 24 games with the Devils this season and chalked up two points. 

     Lammikko was previously on the Florida Panthers in 2018-19 and 2020-21. He finished with 11 points in 84 contests. 

Lionel Messi Selected Best Soccer Player Ever

     The Soccer 100 book publication, which is associated with The Athletic, has named Inter Miami CF midfielder Lionel Messi the greatest player ever in soccer history. The book was written by Oliver Kay and James Horncastle. 

     Messi has been with Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer since July 2023. He led the Herons to the MLS Cup championship in 2025 along with the Leagues Cup title in 2024. 

     He won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and helped them reach the World Cup title game in 2014. Messi played most of his professional soccer career with FC Barcelona.

      The Athletic came out with the Basketball 100 book in 2024. Former Miami Heat forward LeBron James was selected second all-time among the top 100 players in basketball history. The book was authored by David Aldridge and John Hollinger. 

Hochman, Crowder & Solana On Afternoon Sports Show List

     Barrett Media issued their list for the top 25 local afternoon sports radio shows in the United States. The afternoon program of Marc Hochman, Channing Crowder and Alejandro Solana on 104.3 Sports WQAM-FM finished 19th in 2025. 

     Hochman and Crowder has appeared in previous years. They were 19th in 2017, 25th in 2020, 22nd in 2021, 25th in 2022, 17th in 2023 and 18th in 2024. 

Lightning Smash Panthers

     The Tampa Bay Lightning stormed by the Florida Panthers 6-1 on Thursday night at Benchmark International Arena. It was the final game for both clubs before the 2026 Winter Olympics break. 

     Panthers defenseman Mikulas Hovorka made his NHL debut with the team tonight. The Lightning have won five straight games and have a 19-1-1 record in their last 21 games. 

     Tampa Bay(37-14-4) raced out to a 1-0 advantage at the 2:08 mark of the first period. Victor Hedman blasted a slap shot from the left point and it was redirected in by Brandon Hagel from the inner left circle for his 27th goal of the season. 

     It became 2-0 for the Bolts with 5:52 remaining in the first. Zemgus Girgensons backhanded a shot from the low slot past Daniil Tarasov for his seventh goal in 2025-26. 

     In the second period, the Lightning added a power-play tally to make it 3-0 at 1:14. Jake Guentzel put in a rebound wrist shot from the right side of the crease for his 26th goal this season. 

     They increased their lead to 4-0 with 2:10 left in the second. Erik Cernak got to his own rebound shot and scored his first tally of the year on a wraparound shot. 

     Florida(29-25-3) surrendered another goal at 6:09 of the third period and trailed 5-0. Pontus Holmberg poked in a shot from the blue paint on the power play for his ninth goal of the campaign. 

     The Panthers broke the shutout at the 9:50 mark of the third to make it 5-1. Mackie Samoskevich snapped a shot from the right-circle dot for his sixth goal of the season. 

Team Canada Adds Sam Bennett

     Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett has been added to the Team Canada roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The men's ice hockey tournament will begin next week. 

      Bennett played for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Tourament last year. He has been with the Panthers since the 2020-21 season.

Nick Bjugstad Traded To Devils

     The St. Louis Blues have dealt center Nick Bjugstad to the New Jersey Devils. He joined the Blues prior to the 2025-26 campaign and had seven points in 35 contest this season. 

     Bjugstad was once with the Florida Panthers for seven seasons from 2012-13 to 2018-19. He finished with 87 goals and 104 assists for 191 points in 394 games with the Panthers. 

Kyle Keller Off To Red Sox

     Former Miami Marlins pitcher Kyle Keller has agreed to a one-year minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He will be invited to their spring training camp. 

     Keller was with the Marlins in 2019 and had a 3.38 earned run average in 10 games. He was with the Los Angeles Angels in 2020 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. 

     He spent the past four seasons in Japan. Keller pitched for the Hanshin Tigers from 2022 to 2023 and the Yomiuri Giants from 2024 to 2025. 

Randy McMichael Appears On Midday Show List

     One-time Miami Dolphins tight end Randy McMichael showed up in the Barrett Media 2025 top 20 midday sports radio shows. His show was in 16th place during 2025. It did finish in 17th place in 2024. 

     McMichael joined 92.9 The Game WZGC-FM in Atlanta back in 2015 hosting a Saturday morning college football program. He was promoted to midday co-host in May 2019. 

Panthers Bag Bruins

     The Florida Panthers knocked off the Boston Bruins 5-4 in a shootout on Wednesday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Prior to the game, Florida honored 10 of their players who will participate in the upcoming  2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

       It was the Panthers final home game in Sunrise before the Winter Olympics break. The Panthers are now eight points behind the Bruins for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Cats were able to snap a four-game losing streak. 

     In the first period, Florida(29-24-3) took a 1-0 lead at the 4:22 mark. Eetu Luostarinen intercepted a pass in the high slot and placed in a wrist shot from the inner right circle for his seventh goal this season.

     Boston(32-20-5) tied it up 1-1 at 7:18 of the opening frame. Michael Eyssimont collected his seventh tally this year when he buried a forehand shot from the low slot past Sergei Bobrovsky. 

      The Bruins moved ahead 2-1 with 7:17 left in the first. Eyssimont stuffed in a shot from the right side of the crease for his second goal of the contest and eighth goal in 2025-26.

     The Cats evened it up 2-2 just 30 seconds into the second period on the man advantage. Uvis Balinskis chalked up his fifth goal of the year as he snapped a shot from the top left circle. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 3-2 on the power play at 2:47. Mathew Tkachuk collected his third goal this season when he backhanded a shot from the left goal line by Joonas Korpisalo. 

       It became 4-2 for Florida with 1:27 remaining in the second. They got a shorthanded goal by Anton Lundell in the low slot on a cross-ice assist from Sam Reinhart.

       The B's closed it to 4-3 at 7:52 of the third period. Charlie McAvoy took a shot from the right point and it went off the face shield of Mark Kastelic in the crease area.

         Boston tied it 4-4 with 9:30 to go on the power play. Casey Middlestadt released a wrist shot from the top of the crease for his 12th goal of the season. 

     The contest would reach the shootout phase. The Panthers won it on their fourth attempt when Brad Marchand lifted a backhand shot. 

Panthers Releasing Ryan McAllister

     The Florida Panthers are placing forward Ryan McAllister on unconditional waivers. It means that his contract will be terminated by the team.

     McAllister signed a three-year contract with Florida in April 2023. It was to last until the end of the 2025-26 campaign. He mainly played with the Panthers AHL affiliate the Charlotte Checkers for the past three seasons and was never called to participate in an NHL game. 

Norman Powell Makes NBA All-Star Game

     Miami Heat guard Norman Powell has been named to the Eastern Conference squad for the upcoming 2026 NBA All-Star Game. It will be Powell's first appearance.

     Powell was acquired by the Heat during the offseason from the Los Angeles Clippers. He has averaged 23 points per game in 43 contests this season. 

LeBron James In NBA All-Star Game

     Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has been selected for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game as a Western Conference reserve player. It was his NBA-record 22nd selection to the NBA All-Star Game. James had been voted as a starter for 21 consecutive seasons until this year.

     James was with the Miami Heat for four seasons from 2010-11 until 2013-14. He helped the team capture two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 along with four Eastern Conference titles. 

Marlins Pick Up Garrett Acton

     The Miami Marlins have claimed pitcher Garrett Acton off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. He was selected off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on November 6.  

      He has played with two different teams in the majors. Acton pitched in six contests with the Oakland A's in 2023 and participated in one game with the Rays in 2025. 

Jorge Sedano & Scott Kaplan Make Local Morning Show List

     Former Miami radio sportscasters Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan showed up on the 2025 top 25 local sports radio morning sports shows by Barrett Media. They both co-host the morning program on KSPN-AM in Los Angeles. Their show moved from afternoons to mornings at that radio station on September 2. 

     Both have co-hosted a show together since February 2021. They ended up 19th in 2021, 20th in 2022, 12th in 2023, 14th in 2024 on the local afternoon sports show list. 

Joe Rose On Local Morning Show List

     Joe Rose of 104.3 Sports WQAM-FM appeared on the 2025 Barrett Media top 25 local sports radio morning shows in 24th place. He co-hosts the only local morning sports talk show on the airwaves in South Florida with Danny Rabinowitz.  

     Rose showed up for the 10th consecutive year. He was 18th in 2016, 16th in 2017, 24th in 2018, 22nd in 2019, 23rd in 2020, 22nd in 2021, 21st in 2022, 20th in 2023 and 20th in 2024. 

Hawks Fly Over Heat

     The Atlanta Hawks downed the Miami Heat 127-115 at Kaseya Center on Tuesday night. The Heat completed a three-game homestand. 

     The Heat honored the 20th anniversary of the 2006 NBA championship team during a halftime ceremony. It was the first time Miami captured an NBA title in franchise history.  

     Atlanta(25-27) raced out to a 33-23 lead by the end of the opening quarter. The Hawks made it a 21-point margin by the midway point of the second quarter and led 67-50 at halftime. 

     Miami(27-25) went on a 19-7 run to begin the second half, however they were down 98-81 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat started the fourth quarter with a 10-4 spurt until the momentum shifted to the Hawks.

     The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo with a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds. Simone Fontecchio dropped in 18 points and Pelle Larsson had 18 points. 

     Jalen Johnson compiled a triple-double for Atlanta with 29 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. C.J. McCollum finished with 26 points while Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 19 points. 

Sean Duggan Joining Dolphins

     Sean Duggan will be joining the Miami Dolphins as their new defensive coordinator. He is replacing Anthony Weaver in that position. 

     Duggan spent the past two seasons on the staff of the Green Bay Packers. He worked under new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley while in Green Bay as a linebackers coach. 

Avisail Garcia Retires

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Avisail Garcia announced his retirement on Monday. He concluded a 13-season MLB career. 

     Garcia played three seasons with the Fish from 2022 to 2024. He had 13 home runs, 49 runs batted in and a .217 batting average in 153 games with the Marlins. 

Anthony Weaver Heads To Ravens

     Anthony Weaver will be named the new defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. He will work under new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter. 

     Weaver was with the Miami Dolphins under former head coach Mike McDaniel for the past two seasons. He held the post as Dolphins defensive coordinator. 

Ex Locals On National Radio List

     Three broadcasters with a South Florida connection appeared in Barrett Media among the top 25 nationally syndicated sports radio hosts. They are Damon Amendolara, Evan Cohen and Amber Wilson. 

     Amendolara is the co-host of the morning show at SiriusXM Radio on the Mad Dog Radio channel and his show ended in ninth place. He once hosted evening on Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM from early 2008 to August 2009.  

     Cohen co-hosts Unsportsmanlike on ESPN Radio as his program finished in 10th place. He had a long reign with Good Karma Brands in West Palm Beach from 2003 until December 2021. 

     Wilson holds the co-hosting role with Ian Fitzsimmons during evenings at ESPN Radio and they landed in 25th place. She was part of Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM from March 2016 to June 2021. 

Miami Heat May Leave FanDuel Sports Network

     The Miami Heat may exit the regional sports network FanDuel Sports Network Sun at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. FanDuel Sports Network's parent company Main Street Sports did not make their periodic payment to the Miami Heat for their television broadcast rights. 

     The rights fee this season from Main Street Sports to the Heat is $55 million. It is the largest amount given to 13 NBA clubs under contract with Main Street Sports The agreement between both them and the Miami Heat is through the 2026-27 season. 

     Regional sports television networks no longer can broadcast postseason games as of the 2025-26 campaign. The Heat have been with FanDuel Sports Network Sun since 2024-25 and their previous brand Bally Sports Florida Sun since 2020-21. 

Sabres Stall Panthers

     The Buffalo Sabres handled the Florida Panthers 5-3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday night. The Panthers, who have lost four straight games, continued their three-game homestand. 

     The Sabres are trying to end an NHL record 15-year playoff drought. The Panthers once held the league record with 10 years without a postseason appearance between 2001 and 2011. 

     Florida(28-24-3) broke out to a 1-0 lead just 37 seconds into the first period. Niko Mikkola blasted a slap shot from the left point that went off the back of A.J. Greer from the slot area. Sandis Vilmanis scored his second NHL goal on a wrist shot from the inner left circle past Alex Lyon. 

     The Cats increased their lead to 2-0 at 5:54 of the first. Sam Reinhart got to the puck off the end wall and passed it back. Evan Rodrigues had his pass in the crease deflected off Jason Zucker's right skate and it ended up inside the cage for his 10th tally in 2025-26. 

     Buffalo(32-18-5) cut it to 2-1 with 4:57 left in the first. Rasmus Dahlin zipped a long lead pass from behind his own net and Peyton Krebs made a square pass in the neutral zone. Tage Thompson carried it into the Florida zone and snapped a shot from the high slot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his 29th goal of the season. 

     The Sabres evened it up 2-2 with 1:34 remaining in the frame. Alex Tuch connected a cross-ice pass from the right point. Dahlin sent a diagonal pass from the top left circle and Krebs tapped in a backhand shot from the right side of the crease for his seventh goal of the year. 

     In the second period, Buffalo added another goal to make it 3-2 at 5:44. Owen Power banked a long diagonal pass from his own left circle. Ross McLeod got to the loose puck in the right circle before Bobrovsky. He pushed the puck across and Zach Benson put in a forehand shot into an empty net for his seventh goal of the campaign. 

     The Panthers tied it up 3-3 on the power play with 1:01 to go in the second. Carter Verhaeghe passed ahead from above the left circle. Reinhart angled a pass from the left goal line and Uvis Balinskis placed in a one-time snap shot from the right circle to chalk up his fourth tally this year. 

     The Sabres moved ahead 4-3 with the man advantage at the 5:31 mark of the third period. Jack Quinn backhanded a pass from the left point. Josh Doan skated to behind the cage and centered the puck. Zucker scored his 14th goal this season on a wrist shot from the low left circle. 

     It became 5-3 for Buffalo with 2:09 remaining in the third. McLeod chipped the puck out of his zone. Krebs slid a pass from the left circle and Doan put in a forehand shot from the top of the crease for his 17th goal of the season. 

Former Miami Sports Radio Stations Off Air

     Two former sports talk radio format radio stations in Miami have been taken off the air. They are 1210 WNMA-AM and 1700 WJCC-AM. Multicultural Broadcasting owns both radio stations and asked the Federal Communications Commission for a special temporary authority because they no longer have a transmitter site. 

     The 1210 AM frequency was once owned by One-On-One Sports from November 1997 to February 1998 and aired their nationally syndicated sports talk radio network. The 1700 AM frequency was formerly known as 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM from August 1999 until December 2000. 

Heat Slaughter Bulls In Rematch

     The Miami Heat pounded the Chicago Bulls 134-91 on Sunday night at Kaseya Center. It tied the third-largest margin of victory for the Heat in franchise history. 

     It concluded three consecutive regular season games played between both teams. The last time two NBA clubs faced each other in three straight contests was in 1972 between the Baltimore Bullets and the Houston Rockets. 

     Miami(27-24) rocketed out to a 34-13 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. Chicago(24-26) kept up with the pace in the second quarter and trailed 62-40 at halftime. 

     The Heat piled it on early in the second half to take a 101-62 lead after three quarters. Reserve players participated during the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo fell short of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds for the Heat. Pelle Larsson dropped in 20 points while Kel'el Ware drained in 17 points.

     Cody White contributed a team-high 16 points for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic finished up with 12 points in the defeat. 

Luis Arraez Signs With Giants

     The San Francisco Giants have signed second baseman Luis Arraez to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $12 million. He was with the Padres since May 4, 2024 when they acquired him from the Miami Marlins.

     Arraez was with the Marlins in 2023 and 2024. He captured the National League batting title during the 2023 season. Arraez had a .343 batting average in 180 games with Miami. 

Bulls Mow Down Heat

     The Chicago Bulls outpowered the Miami Heat 125-118 at Kaseya Center on Saturday night. It was the second contest of three straight games between both teams.

     Chicago(24-25) held a 31-25 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Miami(26-24) roared back and led 63-56 at halftime. 

     The Bulls stormed out to a 91-84 lead by the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat tied it up 106-106 with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter. Chicago then went on a 19-12 run down the stretch.  

     Pelle Larsson dropped in 22 points for Miami and Jaime Jaquez Jr. knocked down 20 points. Bam Adebayo finished with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. 

     Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls with a game-high 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Matas Buzelis was able to score 21 points. 

Jets Come Back On Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were defeated by the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. The Panthers play two of their next three games at home before the Winter Olympics break. 

     In the first period, Florida(28-23-3) moved out in front 1-0 with 5:20 remaining. Gustav Forsling angled a pass from the top of the zone. Evan Rodrigues shot the puck from above the top right circle and it was deflected in by Eetu Luostarinen from the right side of the crease past Eric Comrie for his sixth goal this season. There was no scoring in the second frame by either team. 

     Winnipeg(22-25-7) tied it up 1-1 at the 8:34 mark of the third period. Cole Perfetti released a wrist shot from the top of the crease by Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal of the year. 

     The Jets took a 2-1 lead with 4:14 left in the third. Mark Schefiele put in his 27th goal of the season on a forehand shot from the crease area.

David Robertson Retires

      Longtime pitcher David Robertson announced his retirement on Friday. He finished off a 17-season career in Major League Baseball and won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009. 

      Robertson once had a stint with the Miami Marlins in 2023 and helped them reached the postseason for the fourth time in franchise history. He had a 5.06 earned run average in 22 games with the Marlins. 

South Florida Sports Radio Shows Increase

     The number of local weekday sports radio shows in South Florida has seen an increase beginning earlier this month. There are now nine weekday programs on the local airwaves. 

     104.3 Sports WQAM-FM had three weekday shows. Joe Rose and Danny Rabinowitz are the morning co-hosts. Brendan Tobin along with Leroy Hoard work the midday shift together. Marc Hochman, Channing Crowder and Alejandro Solana co-host the afternoon program. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM added a new local show on January 19. Jon Weiner, a.k.a. Stugotz, broadcasts his nationally syndicated show from their Pembroke Pines studios. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida consists of two shows. Andy Slater hosts a solo mid-afternoon show. Ken LaVicka and Josh Cohen launched a one-hour afternoon program on January 5.

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WESP-FM had two entries. They are Theo Dorsey, Christian Katt and Tina Constanza in mid-afternoons. Colin Russo and Michael Rizzo co-host the afternoon show. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM has just one show on their airwaves. Their mid-afternoon program is hosted by The Greek. 

West Palm Beach Holiday Ratings 2025

     Ratings were issued for West Palm Beach area sports talk format radio stations. The holiday span went from the second week in December to the first week in January. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM moved from a 0.3 to a 0.2 in the month. The radio station launched a one-hour afternoon show co-hosted by Ken LaVicka and Josh Cohen at the end of the time span on January 5. The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball team entered conference play and had a 10-6 mark. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Gambler WBZT-AM remained at a 0.0 in the period. The University of Florida Gators men's basketball team opened up with a 10-5 record. 

Blues Slip By Panthers

     The Florida Panthers had a one-game road trip and were edged by the St. Louis Blues 5-4 on Thursday night at Enterprise Center. The Panthers concluded over a three-week stretch in which they played 10 of their last 12 games on the road. The Blues entered the contest with the second-worst record in the NHL. 

     Florida(28-22-3) scooted out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:12 mark of the first period. A.J. Greer chalked up his 11th goal of the year on a wrist shot from the crease area by Joel Hofer. 

     St. Louis(20-25-9) responded back at 4:46 of the period to tie it up1-1. Jake Neighbours placed in a snap shot in the high slot for his 13th goal of the campaign.

     The Blues moved in front 2-1 at 7:51 of the first. Jordan Kyrou put in his 12th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the inner left circle. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 on the power play at 9:52 of the opening frame. Sam Reinhart got his 27th goal this season on a forehand shot from the low slot. 

      It became 3-2 for St. Louis with 5:33 left in the first. They picked up a tally from Jonatan Berggren as he snapped a shot from the inner right circle. 

     In the second period, the Blues expanded their lead to 4-2 at 41 seconds. Oskar Sundqvist found the net for the fourth time this year when he released a shot from the high slot. 

     The Cats would get two goals to tie it 4-4. Mathew Tkachuk scored his first goal of the season on a backhand shot from the right of the crease with 3:08 to go and his second goal this year from the top of the crease while on the power play with 1:21 remaining in the second.

     St. Louis took a 5-4 lead on a power-play goal with 8.4 seconds left in the third period. Pavel Buchnevich fed a cross-ice pass from the right wing and Jimmy Snuggerud one-time a shot from the left circle past Daniil Tarasov for his eighth goal in 2025-26.

Heat Beat Bulls In Rescheduled Game

     The Miami Heat topped the Chicago Bulls 116-113 at United Center on Thursday night. It was a rescheduled game from earlier this month. Both teams were to play back on January 8, however floor condensation issues postponed the game. 

     It was the first contest of three consecutive games between both clubs. They face each other tonight in Chicago along with Saturday and Sunday in Miami. The last time two NBA teams challenged each other in three straight regular season contests was the Baltimore Bullets and the Houston Rockets in 1972. 

     Miami(26-23) was able to lead 36-33 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat extended their lead to 62-51 by halftime. 

     Chicago(23-25) closed the lead to 91-85 by the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat expanded their margin to double digits during the fourth quarter. 

     Norman Powell dropped in a club-high 21 points for Miami. Two players collected double-doubles in the contest. Bam Adebayo compiled 20 points and 12 rebounds while Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

     Ayo Dosunmu finished with a game-high 23 points coming off the bench for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic picked up a double-double with 15 points along with 10 rebounds. 

Meadowlark Media Among Top 20 Sports Podcasts

     Two podcasts from Meadowlark Media appears in the 2025 top 20 national sports podcasts by Barrett Media. Pablo Torre Finds Out hosted by Pablo Torre finished first overall while the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz ended up in 13th. 

     LeBatard and Meadowlark Media had appeared among sports podcasts on the previously branded Barrett Sports Media since he left ESPN Radio in January 2021. South Beach Sessions hosted by Le Batard showed up in 10th place and Stupodity hosted by Stugotz chalked up 18th place in 2020 while they were on ESPN Audio. The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz finished in first place during 2021 and Stupodity was listed in 22nd place. 

Red Wings Extend Ben Chiarot

     The Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Ben Chiarot have agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2028-29 season. The deal is worth $11.55 million. 

     Chiarot once spent part of the 2021-22 season with the Florida Panthers. He finished with two goals and six assists for eight points in 20 games with the Cats. 

Magic Step By Heat

     The Miami Heat came off a five-game road trip and were defeated by the Orlando Magic 133-124 at Kaseya Center on Wednesday night. The Heat began their only stretch this season playing four games in five days. The Magic stopped a four-game losing streak. 

     Orlando(24-22) came out with a 34-27 advantage at the end of the opening quarter. Miami(25-23) answered back outscoring their opponent 41-25 in the second quarter and had a 68-59 halftime lead. 

     The Magic pulled ahead 96-85 by the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat were held in check by Orlando during the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo composed a double-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Miami. Simone Fontecchio had a surprising team-high 23 points while Norman Powell dropped in 22 points.

     Paolo Banchero led the Magic with a game-high 31 points along with 12 rebounds for a double-double. Anthony Black drained in 26 points and Desmond Bane scored 23 points. 

Kyle Stowers On Lindy's Baseball Magazine Cover

     Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers appears on the front cover of Lindy's Sports baseball magazine. He showed up on the Florida region edition of the annual publication.

     Stowers was acquired by Miami from the Baltimore Orioles in July 2024. He was the Marlins only representative at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. Stowers had 25 home runs, 73 runs batted in, .288 batting average and a .912 OPS in 117 games last year. 

Miami Holiday Ratings 2025

     The ratings came out for the sports talk format radio stations in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. The holiday period went from the second week of December to the first week of January.  

     104.3 Sports WQAM-FM decreased from a 1.3 to a 1.2 in the month. The University of Miami Hurricanes football team won their first two CFP games with victories over Texas A&M and reigning national champion Ohio State. The Canes were approaching their CFP Semifinal contest against Ole Miss. The Florida Panthers were primarily at home over a four-week period and climbed up the Eastern Conference standings. The Miami Heat got some winning momentum and had an over .500 record. 

     Fox Sports 940 WINZ-AM moved from a 0.4 to a 0.5 in the period. The Miami Dolphins won just one of their last four games to complete the regular season with a 7-10 mark. The University of Florida Gators men's basketball team entered SEC play and had a 10-5 record. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM stayed at a 0.2 to a during time span. The Florida Atlantic University Owls men's basketball team started their 2025-26 season with a 10-6 record. 

     The WINZ-AM stream on WZTU-FM-HD2 fell from a 0.3 to a 0.2. The WQAM stream remained at a 0.0 in the period. 

Mammoth Hunt Panthers

     The Florida Panthers lost to the Utah Mammoth 4-3 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night. The Panthers had their three-game winning streak snapped. 

     It was the Panthers second home game in the past three weeks. The Mammoth appeared in Sunrise for the first time with their new nickname. 

     In the first period, Utah(28-21-4) rolled out to a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal with 4:14 to go. Nick Schmaltz got to a loose puck at his own blue line and went on a breakaway. He eventually lifted a backhand shot from the top of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 19th goal this season.

     Florida(28-21-3) tied it 1-1 at the 2:52 mark of the second period. Ian Cole turned the puck over on a bad pass from the end wall. Sandis Vilmanis then snapped a shot from from the slot area by Vitek Vanecek for his first NHL goal of his career. 

     The Mammoth recaptured the lead 2-1 at 3:46. Michael Carcone connected a cross-ice pass from the left corner. Jamie McBain fed a pass from below the right circle and Sean Durzi chalked up his fourth goal of the campaign on a forehand shot from the slot. 

     The Panthers answered back with 10:05 remaining in the second to make it 2-2. Vilmanis tapped a pass back in the right circle and Cole Schwindt released a wrist shot from the inner right circle for his third goal of the year. 

     Utah moved in front 3-2 with 8:55 left in the third period. Durzi took a shot from right point and Mikhail Sergachev redirected it from the right circle for his eighth goal in 2025-26.

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 1:28 remaining. Barrett Hayton skated with the puck and put in an empty-net goal from the low slot with 55.7 seconds to go in the third for a 4-2 lead. 

     The Cats closed it to 4-3 with 14.6 seconds left. Sam Bennett made a drop pass at the left point and Carter Verhaeghe followed with a snap shot from the top left circle for his 16th goal of the season. 

Trey Mancini Goes To Angels

     Trey Mancini has inked a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He will be invited to their spring training camp. 

     Mancini signed a minor league deal for one year with the Miami Marlins in January 2024. He was cut in late March 2024 prior to the regular season. Mancini has not played in the majors since the 2023 campaign with the Chicago Cubs. 

Panthers Scoot By Blackhawks

     The Florida Panthers pushed by the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 at United Center. The Panthers finished off and swept a three-game road swing. 

     The Cats concluded a stretch in which they played nine of their past 10 games on the road. The Blackhawks are playing their 100th season in the National Hockey League. 

     There was no scoring by either team during the opening frame. Florida(28-20-3) made it 1-0 with 4:27 remaining in the second period when Tobias Bjornfot placed in a wraparound forehand shot by Spencer Knight for his first tally this year. It was Bjornfot's first NHL goal since the 2020-21 season and his second career goal. Cole Schwindt was credited with the only assist on the play.

     Chicago(21-23-8) tied it up 1-1 with 29.3 seconds left in the second. Wyatt Kaiser intercepted the puck at the left point and zipped a pass across. Ilya Mikheyev fired a shot from the top right circle which was saved by Daniil Tarasov. Tyler Bertuzzi put in the rebound shot from the top of the crease for his 25th goal of the campaign. It was just the second time that Bertuzzi reached the 25-goal plateau. 

     In the third period. the Panthers regained the lead 2-1 at the 5:20 mark. Gustav Forsling dumped the puck in from the red line around the end wall. Mackie Samoskevich stopped it on the right wing and took a wrist shot from the right-circle dot for his fifth goal in 2025-26. 

     The Cats expanded their lead to 3-1 at 7:24 of the third. Forsling sent a long lead pass from his own zone. Evan Rodrigues carried the puck into the Blackhawks zone and centered the puck from the left circle. Carter Verhaeghe scored his 15th goal this season on a wrist shot from the high slot. 

     The Blackhawks pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:55 to go. Reinhart backhanded a shot from the neutral zone into an empty net for his 26th goal of the season and gave the Panthers a 4-1 lead with 1:49 remaining. He became the first player in Florida Panthers history to have at least 50 points in his first five seasons with the team. Rodrigues and Aaron Ekblad picked up assists on the sequence. 

     Florida added another goal with 22 seconds left in the period to make it 5-1. Anton Lundell angled a pass to his right from the neutral zone. Verhaeghe made a diagonal pass from the top of the zone and Bjornfot chalked up his second goal of the contest on a forehand shot from the left circle. 

Heat Soak Up Suns

     The Miami Heat dashed by the Phoenix Suns 111-102 on Sunday night at Mortgage Matchup Center. The Heat concluded their five-game road trip with a 3-2 record. 

     Miami(25-22) broke out to a 32-21 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Phoenix(27-19) went on a 19-8 spurt to start the second quarter, however they were down 58-48 at halftime. 

     The Suns had a 17-9 run to begin the second half, but trailed 82-77 after three quarters. The Heat rolled out at the start of the final quarter with a 19-6 spurt to get their largest margin of the game of 18 points. 

     Bam Adebayo dropped down a team-high 22 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 20 points for Miami. Andrew Wiggins completed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Norman Powell was able to contribute 16 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. 

     Dillon Brooks piled on with a game-high 26 points for Phoenix. Grayson Allen finished up with 18 points. 

Jacques Martin Senators Ring Of Honor

     Jacques Martin was placed in the Ottawa Senators ring of honor in a pregame ceremony on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa. Yesterday also marked the 30th anniversary of him becoming the Senators head coach. 

     Martin was once the Florida Panthers head coach for three seasons from 2005-06 to 2007-08. He finished with a 110-100-36 record with the team. 

Luke Williams Stays With Braves

     Former Miami Marlins outfielder Luke Williams will be remaining with the Atlanta Braves as he has signed a minor league deal. He has been on the Braves since the 2023 season and contributed a .151 batting average in 80 contests. 

     Williams was with Miami during the 2022 season. He compiled one home run, three runs batted in and a .235 batting average in 71 games with the Marlins. 

Chad Wallach To Athletics

     One-time Miami Marlins catcher Chad Wallach has moved on to the Athletics. He has inked a minor league contract with the club. Wallach had two stints with the Los Angeles Angels over the past four seasons.  

     Wallach spent four seasons with the Marlins from 2018 to 2021. He composed three home runs, 20 runs batted in and a .213 batting average in 71 contests with Miami. 

Wild Fall To Panthers

     The Florida Panthers spoiled the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night at Grand Casino Arena. The Panthers are in the middle of a three-game road trip

      Florida(27-20-3) roared out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:44 mark of the first period. Sam Reinhart collected his 25th goal of the season on a wrist shot from the low slot. It was the sixth consecutive season and seventh overall that Reinhart has reached the 25-goal plateau. 

     Minnesota(29-14-10) evened it up 1-1 on the power play at 9:17 of the first. Kirill Kaprizov picked up his 28th goal of the campaign on a shot from the low right circle. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 on a power-play tally with 1:40 left in the period. Brad Marchand got his 24th goal in 2025-26 on a backhand shot from the inner left circle.

      The Wild tied it 2-2 with the man advantage at 4:33 of the second period. Joel Eriksson Ek chalked up his 12th goal this year when he released a backhand shot from the left side of the crease.

     In the third period, Minnesota moved ahead 3-2 with 7:51 to go. Matt Boldy went on a breakaway and from the slot area scored a shorthanded goal for his 28th goal this season.

     It became 3-3 as the Cats got a power-play goal with 6:49 remaining. Sam Bennett found the net as he lifted a wrist shot from the left side of the crease for his 19th goal this season.

      Florida won the game in overtime at the 3:00 mark. Carter Verhaeghe made a square pass in the low slot and Marchand got his second goal of the contest and 25th goal of the campaign on a forehand shot from the crease area. It was the 11th occasion that Marchand reached at least 25 goals in a single season. 

Heat Pound Jazz

     The Miami Heat bashed the Utah Jazz 147-116 at Delta Center on Saturday night. The Heat will conclude their five-game road swing tomorrow in Phoenix. 

     Miami(24-22) barely led 35-34 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat added to their lead in the second quarter and were ahead 73-52 at halftime.

     Utah(15-31) tried to come back and they were down 108-89 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat pulled away from the Jazz in the final quarter.

     Bam Adebayo led Miami with game highs of 26 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double. Nikola Jovic piled on 23 points while Pelle Larsson added 20 points. Andrew Wiggins dropped in 17 points and Norman Powell was held to 13 points. 

     Brice Sensabaugh came off the bench for a club-high 23 points for the Jazz. Jusuf Nurkic ended up with a triple-double of 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Keyonte George was able to score 19 points. 

Tayron Guerrero Back In America

     Tayron Guerrero has returned to the United States. He has signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox and will be invited to their spring training camp. 

     Guerrero was a relief pitcher for the Miami Marlins in 2018 and 2019. He ended up with a 2-5 record and a 5.80 earned run average in 112 games with the club. He has not played in the majors since that time.

     He played in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2022 and 2025. Guerrero inked a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds for the 2023 campaign. 

Kyle Smith Dolphins Assistant General Manager

     The Miami Dolphins have announced Kyle Smith as their new assistant general manager. He will work under general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who was named by the team on January 9.

     Smith was in the Atlanta Falcons organization since 2021. He was their Falcons assistant general manager from 2023 until 2025. 

Mike McDaniel Joining Chargers

     Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel agreed to join the Los Angeles Chargers as their offensive coordinator earlier this week. He will work under head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

     McDaniel was the head coach of the Dolphins for four seasons from 2022 until 2025 and had a 35-33 record. He was the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator prior to that. 

Vidal Brujan Shifts To Mets

     One-time Miami Marlins utility player Vidal Brujan has been dealt by the Minnesota Twins to the New York Mets for cash. He was claimed off waivers by the Twins from the Atlanta Braves back on January 14. 

     Brujan played 102 contests with the Miami Marlins in 2024. He had two home runs, 16 runs batted in and a .222 batting average. 

Marlins Trade For Carlos Martinez

     The Miami Marlins have acquired catcher Carlos Martinez from the San Francisco Giants. The Fish sent back international bonus pool space. 

     Martinez joined the Giants organization last season. He split his time in the Dominican Summer League with the Giants Black and the Giants Orange. Martinez had a combined .143 batting average in 27 games with both clubs. 

Panthers Blow Up Jets

     The Florida Panthers knocked off the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in a shootout on Thursday night. The Panthers opened up their three-game road trip. 

     There was no scoring by either club in the opening period. Florida(26-20-3) made it 1-0 with 1:11 remaining in the second period. Sam Bennett won the faceoff in the left circle. Matthew Tkachuk centered the puck from the left wing and Sam Bennett one-timed a slap shot from the top left circle by Connor Hellebuyck for his 18th goal of the season. It was Tkachuk's first point in the 2025-26 campaign. 

     Winnipeg(20-23-7) tied it up 1-1 at the 5:24 mark of the third period. Jonathan Toews stole the puck from Uvis Balinskis in the low right circle and sent a diagonal pass from the top right circle. Cole Perfetti then backhanded a shot from the top of the crease past Daniil Tarasov for his fourth goal of the year. 

      The Panthers converted on their two attempts during the shootout for the victory. Anton Lundell scored on a snap shot and Sam Reinhart followed with a forehand shot. 

Trail Blazers Bounce Heat

     The Portland Trail Blazers handled the Miami Heat 127-110 at Moda Center on Thursday night. The Heat are in the middle of a five-game road swing. 

     Portland(23-22) pushed out to a 38-31 advantage after one quarter. The Trail Blazers had a slim 64-63 lead at halftime. 

     Miami(23-22) was unable to keep up and trailed 103-92 at the end of the third quarter. The Blazers expanded their lead during the fourth quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo finished with 32 points and nine rebounds for the Heat. Norman Powell ended up with 18 points while Andrew Wiggins dropped in 14 points. 

     Shaedon Sharpe compiled 27 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Caleb Love came off the bench with 20 points and Jrue Holiday scored 15 points. 

Twins Get Tristan Gray

     The Minnesota Twins have acquired infielder Tristan Gray from the Boston Red Sox. It will be his fourth team since the start of the 2025 season. 

     Gray spent part of the 2024 campaign with the Miami Marlins. He participated in just seven contests and had a.000 batting average in seven at-bats. 

Seth Jones Off Team USA

     Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones will not be playing in the 2026 Winter Olympics next month. He has been taken off the Team USA roster and replaced by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe. 

     Jones suffered an injury a couple of week ago and is currently on the Panthers injured reserve list. He was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks by Florida during the 2024-25 season and helped them win a second straight Stanley Cup title. 

Marlins Acquire Bradley Blalock

     The Colorado Rockies have traded starting pitcher Bradley Blalock to the Miami Marlins. The Fish send back pitcher Jake Brooks. 

     Blalock has been with the Rockies for the last two seasons. He had a 3-9 record and an 8.25 earned run average in 20 games with Colorado. 

Heat Drop Kings

     The Miami Heat downed the Sacramento Kings 130-117 on Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center. The Heat continued their five-game road swing. The Kings have the second-worst record in the Western Conference. 

     Miami(23-21) had a 32-25 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Heat extended their lead to stay ahead 77-64 at halftime. 

     Sacramento(12-32) inched closer and were behind 100-89 after three quarters. The Kings could not dent into the lead during the final quarter. 

     Bam Adebayo compiled a game-high 25 points along with seven rebounds for Miami. Norman Powell scored 22 points and Andrew Wiggins pumped in 19 points. 

     DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 23 points in the defeat. Russell Westbrook had 22 points and seven assists while Zack LeVine put in 18 points. 

Anthony Veneziano Moves To Asia

      Former Miami Marlins pitcher Anthony Veneziano is heading to South Korea. He has agreed to a one-year contract with SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization worth $750,000. 

     Veneziano was with the Miami Marlins in 2024 and 2025. He ended up 1-1 with a 4.18 earned run average in 34 games with the Fish. 

Warriors Waste Heat

     The Golden State Warriors outpowered the Miami Heat 135-112 at Chase Center on Monday night. The Heat began a five-game road trip. 

     Golden State(25-19) had a 36-34 advantage after one quarter. Miami(22-21) stayed in striking distance and were down 70-66 at halftime. 

     The Warriors remained in front 104-93 at the end of the third quarter. They went on a 15-0 run in the middle of the final quarter to make it 127-103 with 3:53 left. 

     Norman Powell finished with 21 points while Andrew Wiggins dropped in 18 points for Miami. Kel'el Ware came off the bench with 15 points. 

     Former Heat player Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury and had 17 points in 21 minutes of play. Stephen Curry ended up with a double-double of 19 points and 11 assists for Golden State. 

Dolphins Hiring Jeff Hafley

      The Miami Dolphins are about to hire Jeff Hafley as their new head coach. He spent the last two seasons as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator. Hafley was the head coach of Boston College from 2020 to 2023.

      He replaces Mike McDaniel as the Dolphins head coach. Hafley has agreed to a five-year contract with the Fins. 

Hurricanes Lose CFP National Championship

     The 10th seeded University of Miami Hurricanes lost to the first seeded University of Indiana Hoosiers 27-21 in the CFP National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday night. The Hurricanes attempted to capture their sixth national title in school history. The Hoosiers won their first national championship in college football. 

     Indiana(16-0) got in front 3-0 with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter. IU kicker Nico Radicic booted a 34-yard field goal.

     The Hoosiers made it 10-0 with 6:13 left in the second quarter. Running back Riley Nowakowski plunged up the middle from one yard away.

     Miami(13-3) closed it to 10-7 on their first possession of second half. Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. sprinted in on a 57-yard touchdown run down the right side at the 11:06 mark of the third quarter.

      It became 17-7 for Indiana with 5:04 to go in the third. The Canes had their punt blocked and it was recovered in the end zone for a score.

      In the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes cut it to 17-14 at 14:57. Fletcher rushed up the middle from three yards out.

      Indiana expanded their lead to 24-14 at the 9:18 mark of the final quarter. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza kept the ball on a 4th-and-5 play and raced in through the middle of the field from 12 yards away.

      The Canes scored to make it 24-21 with 6:37 left in the fourth. Wide receiver Malachi Toney took an inside handoff and dashed down the right hash marks from 22 yards out.

      The Hoosiers extended their lead to 27-21 with 1:42 remaining in the fourth. Radicic was able to kick a 35-yard field goal.

      Miami had one more opportunity to take the lead on their final possession. Quarterback Carson Beck threw an interception to the left sideline that was caught by defensive back Jamari Sharpe at the Hoosiers six-yard line with 44 seconds to go in the game. 

Sharks Bite Panthers In Tkachuk Season Debut

     The Florida Panthers were defeated by the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Monday night at Amerant Bank Arena. It was the Panthers only home game during a 10-game stretch over a three-week period

     Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk made his regular season debut with the team tonight. He had not participated in a contest since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final last June when the Cats captured their second straight Stanley Cup title. 

     There was no scoring by either team in the first period. San Jose(25-20-3) took a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into the second period on the 14th goal of the season by Will Smith.

     The Sharks increased it to 2-0 at the 2:41 mark of the second. Vincent Desharnais got his first tally of the year.

      It became 3-0 for San Jose at 6:12 of the frame. Mario Ferraro collected his fourth goal of the campaign.

     Florida(25-20-3) cut it to 3-1 just 42 seconds into the third period. Aaron Ekblad passed from the right corner. Eetu Luostarinen released a wrist shot from the right point for his fifth goal of the season.

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 2:55 to go. The Sharks picked up an empty-net goal by Barclay Goodrow with 2:20 left in the third. 

Locals In CFP National Championship Game

     The CFP National Championship game will be played tomorrow night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers. Several players in the contest have a local high school connection to South Florida. 

     Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal played high school football with the Columbus Explorers and college football at the University of Miami. Canes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and wide receiver Malachi Toney were with the American Heritage Patriots. 

     Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza spent time with the Columbus Explorers. He faced current Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck one time when the Explorers lost to Mandarin Mustangs for the 2018 FHSAA Class 8A state championship in Orlando. Beck started for the Mustangs in that game while Mendoza was the Explorers backup quarterback and never played one snap. 

     Miami wide receiver Joshisa Trader spent time with the Chaminade-Madonna Lions while defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr. was with the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs. The Hurricanes have representatives from the Miami Central Rockets that includes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., defensive lineman Armondo Blount, defensive back Amari Wallace and linebacker Wesley Bissainthe. The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders have running back Jordan Lyle, defensive back Ryan Mack and defensive back Isaiah Taylor on the Miami Hurricanes team. 

Panthers Ease By Captials

     The Florida Panthers hurried by the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Saturday night at Capital One Center. The Panthers concluded a six-game road swing. 

     Florida (25-19-3) leaped to a 1-0 lead with 6:37 left in the first period. A.J. Greer scored his 10th goal of the campaign on a snap shot from the top of the crease past Logan Thompson.

     Washington(24-19-6) took the lead 2-1 in the first half of the second period. Jakob Chychrun got his 16th goal at 2:04 and 17th goal at 10:04 of the frame against Florida goalie Daniil Tarasov. 

     The Panthers would reclaim the lead 3-2 later in the period. Sam Bennett placed in a wrist shot from the crease area for his 17th goal this season with 8:20 left in the second. Uvis Balinskis rifled a slap shot from above the right circle with 4:44 remaining for his third goal this year and his second tally in the past two contests. 

     The Caps pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with 1:35 to go. Anton Lundell fired the puck into an empty net from his own blue line to give the Panthers a 4-2 advantage with 1:20 remaining in the third. The Capitals pulled their goalie again with 45 seconds left. Carter Verhaeghe snapped a shot from the top left circle for an empty-net tally with 32.9 seconds remaining and Florida led 5-2. 

Heat Shock Thunder

     The Oklahoma City Thunder were surprised by the Miami Heat 122-120 at Kaseya Center on Saturday night. Both clubs met for the second time in six days. 

     The Heat finished off a three-game homestand. The Thunder are the defending NBA champions and have the best record in the league this season.  

     Oklahoma City(35-8) scooted out to a 37-30 lead by the end of the opening quarter. Miami(22-20) closed it to 65-60 at halftime. 

     Both teams were tied 95-95 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Heat outscored the Thunder 5-0 in the final minute of the fourth quarter and was capped off by an Andrew Wiggins three-point shot with 31.7 seconds remaining.

     Bam Adebayo led the Heat with a double-double of 30 points and 12 rebounds. Norman Powell scored 19 points, Pelle Larsson contributed 16 points and Wiggins had 15 points. 

     Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 39 points for the Thunder and Aaron Wiggins ended up with 18 points. Chet Holmgren compiled 14 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. 

Din Thomas On Paramount+

     Former West Palm Beach sports talk host Din Thomas will continue to be a part of UFC fight telecasts. Paramount+ took over from ESPN and became the new television rightsholders of UFC broadcasts this month. 

     He was once a co-host of Josh Cohen and The Hometeam on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM along with Kristina Constanza and Cohen. Thomas remained with the program until April 2024. 

Panthers Extend Uvis Balinskis

     The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Uvis Balinskis to a two-year extension. The new contract is worth $1.75 million. 

     Balinskis has played for the past three seasons with Florida and contributed to them winning two straight Stanley Cup titles. He has six goals and 23 assists for 29 points in 138 games with the Panthers.

Marlins Pick Up Osvaldo Biso

     The Miami Marlins has claimed pitcher Osvaldo Biso off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the third time he was claimed off waivers during the offseason. He was claimed by the Rays from the Atlanta Braves and they claimed him from the Athletics. 

     Biso has played three seasons in the majors. He was with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, the Oakland A's in 2024 and the Athletics in 2025. Biso has a 9-13 career record with a 5.07 earned run average. 

Hurricanes Stomp Panthers

     The Carolina Panthers walloped the Florida Panthers 9-1 at Lenovo Center on Friday night. The Panthers will conclude a six-game road trip tomorrow night in Washington D.C. 

     The Cats visited the White House yesterday to see the President of the United States because they captured the Stanley Cup last season. The Hurricanes are first in the Metropolitan Division. 

     Carolina(29-15-4) was able to get a 1-0 lead with 1:25 remaining in the first period. Nikolaj Ellers released a forehand shot from the top of the crease for his 12th goal this season. 

     Florida(24-19-3) evened it up 1-1 at the 1:19 mark of the second period. Sandis Vilmanis carried the puck through the neutral zone and made a square pass at the Hurricanes blue line. Mackie Samoskevich pushed it from the top left circle and Uvis Balinskis blasted a one-time slap shot from the high slot for his second goal of the year. Vilmanis collected his first NHL point of his career on the play. 

     The Canes picked up two goals later in the second for a 3-1 advantage. Mark Jankowski scored with 6:50 to go and Alexander Nikishin scored with 3:32 left during a power play. 

      The Hurricanes blitzed the Panthers with six goals in the final period. Ellers added two more goals and got the hat trick to give them a 7-1 lead with 6:57 remaining. 

Florida Panthers At The White House Again

      The two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions the Florida Panthers visited the White House on Thursday to see  the President of the United States Donald Trump. The Panthers showed up previously in February 2025 after they captured their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.

      It has been a tradition over the last several decades for the defending Stanley Cup champions to see the United States President. Florida will travel to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and return to Washington D.C. to face the Capitals on Saturday.

Celtics Come Back On Heat

     The Boston Celtics overcame the Miami Heat 119-114 on Thursday night at Kaseya Center. The Heat, who reached the midway point of the 2025-26 season, are in the middle of their three-game homestand. 

     Miami(21-20) raced out to a 36-25 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Heat were up 64-54 at halftime. 

     Boston(25-15) tried to make a move and were down 93-83 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Celtics went on a 18-7 spurt at the beginning of the fourth quarter to go ahead 101-100 with 5:21 remaining. 

     Norman Powell pumped in a team-high 24 points for Miami. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo added 22 points each. Andrew Wiggins finished off with 16 points and eight rebounds. 

     Anfernee Simons chalked up a game-high 39 points for the C's and 18 points in the final quarter. Jaylen Brown compiled 27 points along with seven rebounds. Sam Hauser dropped in 17 points in the Celtics victory. 

Shaun Anderson Staying With Angels

     Shaun Anderson will remain with the Los Angeles Angels. He has signed a minor league contract with that organization. 

     Anderson spent a part of the 2024 season with the Miami Marlins. He finished with a 0-2 record and a 9.00 earned run average in four games with them. 

Vidal Brujan Lands With Twins

     Vidal Brujan has been claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins. He split his time in 2025 between the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. 

     Brujan was on the Miami Marlins squad in 2024. He finished with two home runs, 16 runs batted in and a .222 batting average in 102 contests with the team. 

Jose Urena Heading To Japan

     Former Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Urena is leaving Major League Baseball. He is signing a one-year contract with the Rakuten Eagles of the Nippon Professional League. 

     Urena has played for 11 different clubs in his MLB career. It includes playing with five different teams during the 2025 season. 

     He started his Major League Baseball career with the Fish playing his first six seasons with the team from 2015 until 2020. Urena had a 32-46 record and a 4.60 earned run average with the Marlins. 

Ryan Weathers Traded By Marlins

     The Miami Marlins have traded starting pitcher Ryan Weathers to the New York Yankees. Miami received back outfielder Dillon James, outfielder Brendan Jones, infielder Dylan Jasso and infielder Juan Matheus. 

     Weathers was acquired by the Fish from the San Diego Padres for Garrett Cooper in August 3. He was with Miami for three seasons from 2023 to 2025 and had a 7-10 record with a 4.11 earned run average in 27 games.

     He was a second-generation pitcher in the Marlins organization. His father David Weathers had two stints with the club and played for the team from 1993 until 1996 and in 2004. 

Gerard Gallant Leaves KHL

     Gerard Gallant has left his position as head coach of the Shanghai Dragons of the Kontinental Hockey League. He had a 13-17-0 record during his only season at the post. 

     Gallant was once the Florida Panthers head coach for three seasons from 2014-15 to 2016-17. He finished with a 96-65-25 record while at the helm with the Panthers. 

Heat Overcome Suns

     The Miami Heat came back on the Phoenix Suns 127-121 at Kaseya Center on Tuesday. The Heat began a three-game homestand.

     Miami(21-19) had a 36-28 lead at the conclusion of the opening quarter. The Heat expanded their lead to 71-54 by halftime. 

     Phoenix(24-16) dominated the third quarter outscoring their opponent 38-21 in the frame and tied it up 92-92. Miami went on a 17-4 run late in the fourth quarter and were victorious. 

     Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 13 points during the final quarter. He finished up with 29 points and nine rebounds. Norman Powell dropped in 27 points and Tyler Herro scored 23 points. Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 16 points along with eight assists. 

     Devin Booker fell short of a triple-double with 24 points, nine assists and nine rebounds for the Suns. Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen added 25 points each while Mark Williams chalked up 18 points and 14 rebounds. 

Senators Sign James Reimer

     One-time Florida Panthers goalie James Reimer has signed a contract with the Ottawa Senators. The one-year deal is worth $850,000. 

      Reimer was with the Panthers for three seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19. He had a 53-42-16 record and a 2.85 goals-against-average in 123 games with Florida. 

Panthers Point Sabres

     The Florida Panthers breezed by the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 at KeyBank Center on Monday night. The Panthers will be off until Friday in Carolina. 

      Former Panthers assistant coach and current Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff coached in his 1,900th NHL game. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice reached his 1,975th NHL contest behind the bench tonight. 

      Florida(24-16-3) rocketed out to a 1-0 lead on the man advantage at the 2:35 mark. Carter Verhaeghe passed the puck from the low left circle. Uvis Balinskis shot it from the top of the zone and Sam Reinhart deflected it in from the top of the crease by Colten Ellis for his 24th goal of the season. 

      Buffalo(24-16-4) tied it up 1-1 at 10:19 of the opening frame. Zach Metsa angled a pass from the top of the zone and Ryan McLeod connected a cross-ice pass from the right point. Jacob Bryson placed in a snap shot from left point by Sergei Bobrovsky for his second tally of the year. 

      The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 4:49 remaining in the first. Verhaeghe forwarded an outlet pass from his own zone. Sam Bennett carried the puck through the neutral zone and passed to his right. A.J. Greer chalked up his eighth goal this year when he snapped a shot from the top right circle. 

      The Sabres evened it up 2-2 with 2:03 left in the second period. Josh Doan handed the puck off to 

Tage Thompson on the left point and Thompson released a shot from the left wing which was saved. 

Zach Benson poked the puck in from the right side of the crease for his fifth goal of the campaign. 

      In the third period, the Cats pulled ahead 3-2 with 8:53 to go. Gustav Forsling ripped a shot from the blue line which was stopped. Eetu Luostarinen touched the puck in the crease area and Anton Lundell swept it into the cage from the right goal line for his 14th goal in 2025-26. 

      Buffalo pulled their goalie for an extra attacker and it did not work. Greer picked up his second tally of the contest and ninth goal this season with an empty-net goal from center ice to give Florida a 4-2 lead with 1:14 remaining in the third. 

      The Sabres did close it to 4-3 with 13.6 seconds left in the period. Alex Tuch backhanded the puck  from the left goal line and banked it off the back of Bobrovsky for his 15th goal of the season. 

Thunder Expose Heat

      The reigning NBA champions the Oklahoma City Thunder cracked the Miami Heat 124-112 on Sunday night. The Heat finished off their road trip and will host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. 

      Miami(20-19) eased out to a 34-32 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Heat stayed ahead 59-54 by halftime. 

      Oklahoma City(33-7) stormed by and led 93-85 at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Thunder kept the momentum throughout the final quarter. 

      Andrew Wiggins pumped in a club-high 23 points for the Heat. Davion Mitchell ended up with a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists. Tyler Herro was able to drop in 19 points in the defeat. 

      Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 29 points along with eight assists for the Thunder. Jalen Williams contributed with 18 points. 

Rangers Cut Anthony Veneziano

     The Texas Rangers have released relief pitcher Anthony Veneziano. He signed with the club back on December 18. 

     Veneziano split his time in 2025 with the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a 4.18 earned run average in 34 games over two seasons with the Marlins. 

Red Sox Add Seth Martinez

     The Boston Red Sox have inked relief pitcher Seth Martinez to a minor league contract. He will be invited to their spring training camp. 

     Martinez had a short stint with the Miami Marlins last season. He made six relief appearances and had a 5.40 earned run average in 2025. 

Ryne Stanek Heads To Cardinals

     One-time Miami Marlins relief pitcher Ryne Stanek has agreed to join the St. Louis Cardinals. It is expected to be a one-year deal. 

     Stanek was with the Marlins for two seasons in 2019 and 2020. He had a 0-2 with a 6.03 earned run average in 31 contests while with Miami. 

Panthers Knock Off Senators

      The Florida Panthers canned the Ottawa Senators 3-2 at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night. The Panthers continued their six-game road swing as they began the second half of their regular season. Sandis Vilmanis made his NHL  debut with Florida. 

       Ottawa(20-16-5) got out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:03 mark of the opening period. Fabian Zetterlund took a wrist shot from the low right circle that went off a defender and by Sergei Bobrovsky for his 11th goal this season.

       Florida(23-16-3) evened it up 1-1 on the power play with 8:26 left in the first. Evan Rodrigues released a forehand shot from the high slot for his ninth goal of the campaign. Aaron Ekblad was credited with the only assist on the play.

       In the second period, the Panthers moved ahead 2-1 with 6:47 remaining on another power-play goal. Carter Verhaeghe scored his 13th goal in 2025-26 on a wrist shot from above the top left circle.

       It became 3-1 for the Cats at 3:48 of the third period. Gustav Forsling blasted a slap shot from the top left circle for his second goal of the year.

       The Senators pulled their goalie for an extra skater with 2:20 to go. They scored with 1:42 remaining in the third to make it 3-2 on a goal by Claude Giroux from the left wing.

Heat Routed By Pacers

     The Miami Heat were pounded by the Indiana Pacers 123-99 on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Heat had their prior game on Thursday in Chicago postponed due to condensation on the court. The Pacers have the worst record in the NBA.

      Indiana(8-31) rushed out to a 16-7 lead to begin the contest and led 36-18 after one quarter. The Pacers held a 61-45 advantage at halftime.

      Miami(20-18) fell more behind 99-72 by the end of the third quarter. Reserve players were brought in during the final quarter.

      Tyler Herro led the Heat with a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 16 points while Bam Adebayo had 13 points along with nine rebounds. 

      Andrew Nembhard fell short of a double-double with 29 points and nine assists. Pascal Siakam ended up with 11 points and seven rebounds. 

Dolphins Hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan As General Manager

     The Miami Dolphins are hiring Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager. He takes over for Chris Grier, who was released by the Fins during the 2025 season. 

     Sullivan comes from the Green Bay Packers organization. He was in Packers football operations for the past two decades. 

Miami Marlins Exit FanDuel Sports Network

     The Miami Marlins have ended their relationship with FanDuel Sports Network and their parent company Main Street Sports. The Marlins will no longer air their contests on the regional television channel FanDuel Sports Network Florida. 

     The club and Major League Baseball will look at other options to telecast their games for the 2026 season. The Marlins games aired on FanDuel Sports Network Florida for only one season in 2025. The team was under the prior corporate umbrella of Diamond Sports Group and Bally Sports Florida for their baseball telecasts from 2021 to 2024. 

Dolphins Fire Mike McDaniel

     The Miami Dolphins have let go head coach Mike McDaniel. The organization will begin a search for a new head coach. 

     McDaniel was hired by the Dolphins prior to the 2022 season. He finished up with a 35-33 record in four years with the team. 

Hurricanes Top Ole Miss In CFP Semifinal

     The 10th seeded University of Miami Hurricanes defeated the sixth seeded Ole Miss University Rebels 31-27 in the CFP Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona on Thursday night. The Hurricanes advanced to the CFP National Championship game to be held on their home field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on January 19. 

     The Canes will attempt to capture their sixth football national championship in school history in 11 days. They have not played for the national championship title since the 2002 season in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State. 

     Miami(13-2) inched out to a 3-0 advantage at 6:22 of the first quarter. Carter Davis was able to boot a 38-yard field goal. 

     Ole Miss(13-2) took a 7-0 lead just 10 seconds into the second quarter. Kewan Macy raced down the field on a 73-yard touchdown run to finish off a two-play, 80-yard drive. 

     The Hurricanes regained the lead 10-7 with 7:09 left in the second quarter. CharMar Brown bounced through the right side of the line from four yards away. 

     The Rebels were able to tie it up 10-10 with 4:38 to go in the quarter. Lucas Carneiro kicked a 42-yard field goal. 

     The Canes moved ahead 17-10 with 2:18 left in the second. Carson Beck connected a 52-yard touchdown pass to Keelan Marion behind the secondary in the middle of the field.

     It became 17-13 for The U with 11 seconds remaining in the first half. Carneiro converted again with a long 58-yard field goal. 

     In the third quarter, Ole Miss cut the deficit to 17-16 with 22 seconds left. Carneiro booted a 54-yard field goal off the left upright. The Rebels reclaimed the lead 19-17 at the 7:00 mark of the fourth quarter on a Carneiro 21-yard field goal. 

     Miami made it 24-19 with 5:04 remaining in the fourth. Beck tossed a swing pass to Malachi Toney on the left hash marks. He shifted to the middle and scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass to complete a four-play, 75-yard possession. 

     The Rebels marched down the field to take a 27-24 lead with 3:13 to go in the final quarter. Trinidad Chambliss connected a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae'Quan Wright on the right sideline. Chambliss then rifled a pass to Caleb Odom on the right side of the end zone for a two-point conversion. 

     The Hurricanes made it 31-27 with 18 seconds left in the fourth. Beck scrambled out of the pocket and sprinted to the left side from three yards out to finish off a 15-play, 75-yard drive. 

Heat & Bulls Game Postponed

     The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls game at United Center on Thursday night was cancelled. The game was delayed for over one hour and 20 minutes due to condensation on the court. 

     This contest will be rescheduled and played between both teams later in the regular season. Miami(20-17) will visit the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. 

Texier Hat Trick & Canadiens Chop Panthers

     Alexandre Texier collected a hat trick as the Montreal Canadiens handled the Florida Panthers 6-2 at Molson Centre on Thursday night. The Panthers are in the middle of a six-game road trip. The Canadiens jumped to first place in the Atlantic Division. 

     The Habs leaped out to a 1-0 advantage at the 2:59 mark of the first period. Oliver Kapanen won the faceoff in the right circle and Mike Matheson backhanded a pass from the right point. Noah Dobson blasted a one-time slap shot from the top of the zone past Sergei Bobrovsky for his eighth goal this season. 

     Montreal(25-13-5) increased their lead to 2-0 with 2:25 remaining in the first period. Juraj Slafkovsky kicked the puck from the end wall and Kapanen swatted the puck in on a backhand shot for his 15th goal of the season. 

     Florida(22-18-3) cut the deficit to 2-1 at 5:33 of the second period. Sam Montembeault sent a blind outlet pass to his right from behind the cage. Sam Bennett intercepted and then snapped a shot from the low left circle for his 15th goal in 2025-26. 

     The Canadiens extended their lead 3-1 with 6:19 to go in the second. Nick Suzuki backhanded a cross-ice pass from the right point. Alexandre Carrier took a shot from the top left circle and Texier redirected the puck with a backhand tap from the top of the crease for his fifth goal in the season. 

     In the third period, the Habs extended it to 4-1 at 7:26. Matheson passed ahead from his own zone. Texier came into the Cats zone on a 2-on-1 breakaway. had his square pass stopped and then he snapped a shot from the left of the crease. It was his second tally of the contest and sixth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers closed it to 4-2 with 8:38 remaining in the third. Evan Rodrigues brought the puck into the Canadiens zone and snapped a shot from left circle which was saved. Bennett steered in a forehand shot from the right of the crease for second goal of the game and 16th goal this season. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie for an extra skater with three minutes to go. Slafkovsky was awarded an empty-net goal when he had his stick broken by Carter Verhaeghe on a clear breakaway with 2:01 left in the third. 

     Texier picked up a hat trick to give Montreal a 6-2 lead with 49.8 seconds remaining in the contest. Joe Veleno shot the puck from the top of the zone and it was saved. It bounced off Sammy Blais in the low slot and Texier batted the puck in from the right of the crease for his third goal of the game. 

Marlins Trade Edward Cabrera

     The Miami Marlins have traded starting pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs. Miami receives back outfielder Owen Caissie, middle infielder Cristian Hernandez and infielder Edgardo De Leon. 

     Cabrera spent his entire five-season MLB career with the Marlins. He finished with a 25-29 record and a 4.07 earned run average in 89 games for Miami. 

Christian Roa Off To Astros

     Christian Roa has inked a deal with the Houston Astros. It is a minor league contract where he will be invited to spring training camp. 

      Roa was picked up off waivers by the Miami Marlins in November 2024. He did make his Major League Baseball debut with two pitching appearances in 2025. 

Panthers On Team Latvia

     Team Latvia announced their roster for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The men's ice tournament will happen next month.

     Two players from the Florida Panthers organization were selected. They were defenseman Uvis Balinskis and left wing Sandis Vilmanis. 

Maple Leafs Drop On Panthers

     The Toronto Maple Leafs knocked off the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Panthers begin a six-game road swing and will play nine of their next 10 contests on the road. 

     The Cats started their second half of the regular season. The Maple Leafs extended their home winning streak to six games. 

     Toronto(20-15-7) broke out to a 1-0 advantage with 24 seconds remaining in the first period. Nicolas Roy sent a diagonal pass from above the top right circle. Nicholas Robertson centered from below the low left circle and Easton Cowan put in a wrist shot from the right of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth tally of the year. 

     The Maple Leafs expanded their lead to 2-0 just 42 seconds into the second period. John Tavares pushed the puck from the right goal line and Troy Stetcher one-timed a slap shot from above the top right circle. It was redirected it by Matthew Knies from the top of the crease for his 12th goal of the campaign. 

     It became 3-0 for the Leafs at 4:01 of the second. Knies carried the puck from the left wing through the left circle and the low slot. He made a drop pass and Auston Matthews snapped a shot from the low slot for his 21st goal of the season. 

     In the third period, Florida(22-17-3) got on the scoreboard with 8:22 to go. Carter Verhaeghe shot the puck from the end wall and it banked off Joseph Woll into the cage for his 12th goal this season. It was Verhaeghe's 150th goal in a Panthers uniform. 

     The Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with over three minutes remaining. Bobby McMann would steer the puck into an empty net from the slot area for his 13th goal this year with 7.3 seconds left to give Toronto a 4-1 lead. 

Timberwolves Mangle Heat

     The Minnesota Timberwolves mashed the Miami Heat 122-94 at Target Center on Tuesday night. It was the second time in four days that both teams faced each other. 

     Miami(20-17) had a slight 29-27 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter. Minnesota(24-13) rallied back and led 61-54 at halftime. 

     The Timberwolves extended their lead to 93-77 at the end of the third quarter. The Heat could not make a dent into the deficit during the fourth quarter. 

     Norman Powell scored a club-high 21 points in the loss for Miami. Tyler Herro fell short of a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.

     All five Minnesota starters ended up in double-digit scoring. Anthony Edwards had a game-high 26 points while Jaden McDaniels added 19 points. 

Dave O'Brien Massachusetts Sportscaster Of The Year

     Dave O'Brien has been named the 2025 recipient of the Massachusetts Sportscaster of the Year Award by the National Sports Media Association. He is currently the television play-by-play announcer of the Boston Red Sox. 

     O'Brien once worked with the Florida Marlins. He was the radio play-by-play announcer and television play-by-play announcer of the team from their inaugural season in 1993 until 2001. 

Dave Hyde Florida Sportswriter Of The Year

     The National Sports Media Association has named Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel as the 2025 Florida Sportswriter of the Year. It is the fifth time that Hyde has received that honor. He last won the award in 2019 and 2020. 

     Hyde has a long reign with that newspaper. He began at that organization when it was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel in 1990. Hyde previously was a sportswriter with the Miami Herald from 1985 to 1990. 

Don Mattingly Joins Phillies

     The Philadelphia Phillies have hired Don Mattingly as their new bench coach. His son Preston Mattingly is the Phillies general manager. 

     Mattingly was the Miami Marlins manager from 2016 until 2022 and holds the most managerial wins in franchise history with 443. He was the Toronto Blue Jays bench coach for the past three seasons. 

Nationals Claim Joey Wiemer

     The Washington Nationals have claimed outfielder Joey Wiemer off waiver from the San Francisco Giants. He was purchased by the Giants from the Miami Marlins back in November.

     Wiemer played with the Marlins during the 2025 season. He had three home runs, 12 runs batted in and a .236 batting average in 27 contests. 

Jorge Alfaro Inks With Royals

     Jorge Alfaro has agreed to a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. He will be invited to their spring training camp.

     Alfaro was acquired by the  Miami Marlins from the Philadelphia Phillies for J.T. Realmuto in February 2019. He played three seasons with the Fish from 2019 to 2021 and helped the club to their first postseason appearance in 17 years during 2020. 

Dolphins NFL Draft Position

     The Miami Dolphins found their drafting position for the upcoming NFL Draft. It was decided following the playing of games on Sunday.

     The Dolphins finished the 2025 season with a 7-10 record. The Fins will have the 11th overall selection in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Panthers Down Avalanche

     The Florida Panthers dropped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday night. The Panthers reached the midway point of the 2025-26 season. 

     Both teams have captured three Stanley Cup titles combined in the past four seasons. The Avalanche lost their third game in regulation this season. The Avs are on a pace for the best regular season record in NHL history.

     The Panthers will head off on a six-game road trip. The Cats will play nine of their next 10 games on the road. 

     Florida(22-16-3) moved out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:27 mark of the first period. Sam Bennett got his 14th goal of the season.

     Colorado(31-3-7) evened it up 1-1 with 8:09 left in the first. Artturi Lehkonen collected his 15th goal of the campaign.

      The Panthers regained the lead 2-1 with 1:48 remaining in the second period. Aaron Ekblad chalked up his third tally this year. There was no scoring by either team during the third period.

Heat Burn Pelicans

     The Miami Heat outhustled the New Orleans Pelicans 125-106 at Kaseya Center on Sunday. The Heat played at home for the second straight day. They have won five of their past six contests.

     Miami 20-16) had a 44-39 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Heat remained in front 70-68 at halftime.

     New Orleans(8-29) trailed 93-83 at the conclusion of the third quarter. Miami kept their double-digit lead during the final quarter.

      The Heat were led by Norman Powell with a game-high 34 points. Nikola Jovic was able to contribute 19 points. Troy Murray Iii scored 27 points for the Pelicans.

Dolphins Lose Season Finale

     The New England Patriots powered by the Miami Dolphins 38-10 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. It was the season finale for the Dolphins. The Patriots captured the AFC East Division title and ended the five-year reign by the Buffalo Bills in the division.

     New England(14-3)

     Miami(7-10)

Timberwolves Snap Heat

     The Minnesota Timberwolves ran by the Miami Heat 125-115 at Kaseya Center on Saturday night. Both teams will face each other twice in four days. They will meet again on Tuesday in Minnesota. 

     Miami(19-16), who had a four-game winning streak snapped, began the contest down 16-7. Minnesota(22-13) was ahead 27-25 after one quarter. The Timberwolves were able to stay in front 56-50 by halftime. 

     The Heat cut the lead slightly to 90-86 by the end of the third quarter. The Timberwolves went on a 25-8 run to start the fourth quarter and led by double digits. 

     Norman Powell ended up with a club-high 21 points for Miami. Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic both had 14 points each. Andrew Wiggins and Bam Adebayo finished with 12 points each. 

     Anthony Edwards pumped in a game-high 33 points for Minnesota. Julius Randle compiled a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. 

Jeremy Loper In Chattanooga

     Former South Florida radio host Jeremy Loper has found a new position. He will become the morning host at WSKZ-FM in Chattanooga on January 12. 

     Loper had a two reigns as an on-air personality on 103.1 The Buzz WPBZ-FM in West Palm Beach. He held roles as a weekend host, overnight host, afternoon host and music director from 1997 to 2002. Loper was a morning show co-host from 2008 to 2012. He was also a disc jockey at WZTA-FM in Miami between both stints. 

     After leaving Florida, he got into sports broadcasting and became a mixed martial arts podcast co-host on Fox Sports.com with Damon Martin and Matt Brown during the mid-2010s. Loper also was named an MMA play-by-play announcer on CBS Sports Network in July 2017.

     Loper became the morning co-host at WRKZ-FM in Columbus from April 2012 until August 2022. He then co-hosted the Loper&Randi.com podcast with his wife Randi Rasar beginning in December 2022. Loper was the morning host on WNRQ-FM in Nashville for several months in 2024. 

Troy Aikman Named Dolphins Consultant

     Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has named Troy Aikman as a consultant. He will be part of their search for a new general manager. 

     Aikman is currently a Monday Night Football game analyst on ESPN and he will continue that role. He contributed to the Dallas Cowboys winning three Super Bowl titles as a quarterback. 

Marlins Deal Eric Wagaman

     The Miami Marlins traded first baseman Eric Wagaman to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Kade Bragg. Wagaman was designated for assignment earlier this week. 

     The Marlins signed Wagaman as a free agent in December 2024. He had nine home runs, 53 runs batted in and a .250 batting average in 140 contests last year. 

Florida Panthers On Team USA

     Team USA has decided on the players who will participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The men's ice hockey tournament will be played in Italy next month. 

     Florida Panthers right wing Matthew Tkachuk and defensemen Seth Jones were selected by the squad. Tkachuk has not played in an NHL game so far this season. 

     One former Florida Panthers player was taken by the team. It was New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck.