Devils Hire Sunny Mehta

     The New Jersey Devils have hired Sunny Mehta as their new general manager. He replaces former Florida Panthers player Tom Fitzgerald in that post. 

     Mehta has spent the past six seasons with the Florida Panthers. He has been the assistant general manager and director of analytics with the club since 2023. The Panthers captured two Stanley Cup titles and three Eastern Conference championships during his tenure. 

     It will be his second stint with the Devils organization. He worked as the director of hockey analytics from 2014 until 2018. 

Luke Williams Becomes Free Agent

     Atlanta Braves outfielder Luke Williams has refused an assignment to the minors. He will now become a free agent. 

     Williams once played for the Miami Marlins in 2022. He compiled one home run, three runs batted in and a .235 batting average in 71 contests with the Fish. 

Damon Jones Pleading Guilty

     One-time Miami Heat guard Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty to illegal gambling on April 28 in a Brooklyn federal court. It is unknown as of now if he will receive a jail sentence.

     Jones played for the Heat during the 2004-05 season alongside Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and Udonis Haslem. The club reached to the Eastern Conference Finals that season. They were upset and lost a seven-game series to the Detroit Pistons. 

Panthers Waive Noah Gregor & Nolan Foote

     The Florida Panthers have put two players on the waiver wire. They are forwards Noah Gregor and Nolan Foote. Both had to be placed on waivers before they can be seen to minors and play for the Panthers AHL franchise Charlotte prior to the start of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

     Gregor joined the Panthers for the 2025-26 campaign and had nine points in 37 games. Foote had one goal and one point in 12 contests with the Panthers this season. 

Marc James Exits KJR-FM

     Former South Florida radio sportscaster Marc James has been let go by KJR-FM in Seattle due to budget cuts. He was the midday host at that station since February 2025. 

     James previously went by the name Marc Benarzyk and started his broadcasting career in Springfield, Massachusetts as a radio on-air talent. He joined 1400 The Fan WFLL-AM in Fort Lauderdale in April 2004 as a midday host. James was later shifted to afternoon host and then moved to morning host in early 2006. He was released by that organization in May 2006. 

     He co-hosted a nationally syndicated talk show on Sports Byline USA with Jim Grieshaber and co-hosted an afternoon sports show on Sirius Radio. James then landed at WHBQ-AM in Memphis as a midday co-host. 

     James. a University of Miami grad, moved to Tampa in April 2008 where he hosted an afternoon program on WHBO-AM until August 2010. He joined WFNZ-AM in Charlotte in early 2011 and co-hosted an afternoon show with Taylor Zanzour. James became the solo afternoon host, after Zanzour left for SiriusXM Radio, from December 2013 to May 2014. 

     He shifted to Atlanta and became the afternoon co-host on WZGC-FM in June 2014. James was eventually elevated to morning host and stayed there until September 2015. 

     James went into television and joined NESN as a sports anchor in May 2017. He began as a fill-in co-host on WEEI-FM in early 2018 and was named as a Saturday midday co-host in September 2018. James returned to Tampa in 2020 and worked as a sports host and sports reporter at WWBA-AM until early 2025. 

Panthers Win Season Finale

     The Florida Panthers played their regular season finale at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night and rose above the Detroit Red Wings 8-1. The contest finished the Panthers 2025-26 season where they entered as the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions. The Cats will not make the postseason for the first time since 2018-19. 

     Detroit Red Wings radio analyst Paul Woods announced his final NHL game of his 41-year professional broadcasting career. He joined the Red Wings as their radio analyst prior to the 1985-86 campaign. 

     Florida(40-38-4), who are the defending three-time Eastern Conference champions, took a 1-0 lead at the 4:57 mark of the first period. Vinnie Hinostroza snapped a shot from the right wing past John Gibson for his sixth goal this year. Wilmer Skoog collected his first NHL assist and first NHL point of his career on the play. 

     In the second period, the Cats increased it to 2-0 at 5:37. Luke Kunin picked up his third goal of the campaign on a snap shot from the inner right circle. 

     The Panthers converted with the man advantage at 8:56 of the second for a 3-0 lead. A.J. Greer scored his 17th goal of the season on a wraparound shot. 

     It would become 4-0 for Florida at 9:39 of the frame. Mike Benning collected his first NHL goal of his career on a forehand shot from the high slot. It went off the back wall and bounced off the back of Gibson before falling into the cage. 

     The Panthers made it a five-goal margin 5-0 with 7:19 remaining in the second. Benning chalked chalked up his second tally of the game when he snapped a shot from the low right circle. 

     Detroit(41-31-10), who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the league-leading 10th consecutive season, broke the shutout with 3:48 left in the period. Justin Faulk added his 16th goal this season on a wrist shot. 

     The Cats added on to their lead during the third period with three goals and made it 8-1. Cole Schwindt scored his fifth goal on a deflected goal from the top of the crease at 8:56. Cole Reinhardt picked up his ninth goal of the year at 9:37 on a snap shot from the crease area. Kunin placed in his second goal of the contest with 1:48 to go in the third on a forehand shot. 

Braves Handle Marlins

     The Atlanta Braves scooted by the Miami Marlins 6-3 at Truist Park on Wednesday night. The Marlins completed a six-game road trip.

     It was Jackie Robinson Day throughout Major League Baseball. All players, managers and coaches wore the number 42 on their jerseys and their caps. 

     Atlanta(12-7) jumped to a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the second. Ozzie Albies smacked a solo homer to right field on the first pitch. Three batters later, Mauricio Dubon drove in Mike Yastrzemski with a base hit into left field. 

     It became 3-0 for the Bravos in the sixth inning. Austin Riley lifted a solo home run to left-center field on a 0-0 count. 

     The Braves pushed their lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the seventh. Drake Baldwin singled through the right side and Ronald Acuna Jr. scored. Matt Olson followed with a two-run homer to right field on the first pitch scoring Baldwin. 

     Miami(9-10) got on the scoreboard to break the shutout in the top of the eighth and made it 6-3. Liam Hicks blasted a two-run homer to right field on the first pitch with Otto Lopez on base. Connor Norby would later score on a fielding error by Dubon on a double-play attempt.