NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Detroit Red Wings 0
Hurricanes 3, Red Wings 0 – Hurricanes open with 3-0 win over rebuilding Red Wings
Nino Niederreiter scored early and Petr Mrazek had to make just 14 saves for a shutout, helping the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 in the season opener for both teams. Detroit goalie Thomas Greiss stopped 40 shots to give his offensively challenged team a chance for two-plus periods. The Red Wings played for the first time since they lost to Carolina at home on March 10, 2020. Carolina’s layoff was less than half as long because it swept the New York Rangers in the playoffs after the pause before being eliminated by Boston.
Tonight
Chicago at Tampa Bay, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
Carolina at Detroit, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday
Chicago at Florida, 7:00 p.m.
NHL – Blackhawks place Jonathan Toews on long-term injured reserve
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will miss at least 10 games after the team placed him on long-term injured reserve. The 32-year-old Toews has an unspecified illness. He has said it leaves him feeling “drained and lethargic.” There has been no word from Toews or the team on the cause. And there is no timetable for his return. The Blackhawks have also moved forward Kirby Dach to long-term IR because of a wrist injury that could sideline him for the entire season. Chicago opened the season with a loss to Tampa Bay. The two play again Friday night.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Indiana Pacers 111, Portland Trailblazers 87
Pacers 111, Blazers 87 – Sabonis has 23 pts, 15 boards as Pacers down Blazers 111-87
Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers past the Portland Trail Blazers 111-87. Malcolm Brogdon added 25 points and seven assists for the Pacers, who improved to 4-1 on the road this season and snapped an 11-game losing streak in Portland. Indiana led by 25 in the second quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way. CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard each scored 22 for the Blazers. The loss was costly: During the third quarter, center Jusuf Nurkic left the court holding his right wrist and the Trail Blazers later announced he had sustained a fracture.
Tonight
Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:00 p.m.
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons, PPD
Saturday
Detroit at Miami, 8:00 p.m.
Indiana at Phoenix, PPD
Sunday
Chicago at Dallas, 3:00 p.m.
Indiana at LA Clippers, 10:00 p.m.
NFL – National Football League – Divisional Playoffs
All Games on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM
Saturday
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers, 4:35 p.m.
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m.
Sunday
Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 3:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 6:40 p.m.
NFL – Lions agree to deal with Rams executive Brad Holmes as GM
The Detroit Lions agreed to terms with Brad Holmes to be their general manager. Holmes led the Rams’ college scouting department for eight years and started his 18-year career with them as a public relations intern in 2003. Holmes had a second interview in Detroit on Wednesday and was impressive enough to land the job. Lions principal owner and chairman Sheila Ford Hamp said it was evident early in the interview process that Holmes is a leader who is ready for the opportunity. Holmes played defensive tackle and was a captain at North Carolina A&T where he graduated in 2002 with a degree in journalism and mass communications.
NFL – Jets hire 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as coach
The New York Jets reached an agreement in principle with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to hire him as their head coach. Saleh replaces Adam Gase who was fired on Jan. 3 after going 9-23 in two seasons. The 41-year-old Saleh emerged as a favorite for the Jets job when he was brought in for a second and this time in-person interview Tuesday night. Those discussions extended into Wednesday. Saleh is recognized as an energetic leader who is well liked by his players and had been the 49ers’ defensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan since 2017.
NFL – Urban Hire: Meyer returns to sidelines with NFL’s Jaguars
Urban Meyer has agreed to become head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He leaves the broadcast booth and returns to the sidelines after a two-year absence that followed a health scare. The 56-year-old Meyer was team owner Shad Khan’s top target. Khan waited nearly a week to get it done. They met last Friday on Khan’s yacht in Miami, again Wednesday and one final time at the facility Thursday. Meyer has won three college national championships with a staggering winning percentage of more than 85%. Hiring the longtime college coach with three national championships signifies a new direction for a franchise that has lost 105 of 144 games since Khan took over in 2012.
NFL – NFL wild-card games show potential for alternate broadcasts
Brian Robbins directed “Varsity Blues” and was the producer of “Coach Carter,” but both of those might have been eclipsed last Sunday with Nickelodeon’s successful kids-oriented broadcast of an NFL playoff game. Even a couple days after last Sunday’s game, the president of Nickelodeon as well as everyone associated with the broadcast are still receiving accolades. CBS and Nickelodeon weren’t the only ones to use multiple networks during Sunday’s playoff games. ESPN deployed its MegaCast treatment for an NFL postseason game for the first time and NBC used the Peacock streaming service that included a dedicated postgame show.
NFL – NFL amends draft eligibility due to pandemic impact
The NFL has clarified its eligibility requirements for the draft to allow college players who would’ve played a fourth season during the pandemic-altered 2020 season to be eligible. The league said in a memo sent to teams that was obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday that the 2020 college football season will be considered a season of participation for all college football student-athletes, including players who opted out, received a red-shirt, were academically ineligible or attended schools that canceled or postponed their seasons.
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
Eastern Michigan 67, Calvin College 56
Michigan State at (5) Iowa, PPD
Saturday
(7) Michigan at (23) Minnesota, 2:00 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 1:30
Miami (OH) at Western Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
Boston College at Norte Dame, 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday
Indiana at Michigan State, PPD
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(13) Michigan 69, Wisconsin 40
Notre Dame 79, Wake Forest 72
Michigan State at Illinois, PPD
Wolverines 69, Badgers 40 – No. 13 Michigan women beat Wisconsin 69-40
Maddie Nolan made a career-high five 3-pointers and scored a career-high 21 points to help No. 13 Michigan beat Wisconsin 69-40. Akienreh Johnson had 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Wolverines. Naz Hillmon was third in the nation in scoring entering the game, averaging 25.7 points. Michigan is the only Division I school remaining with undefeated records in both men’s and women’s basketball.
Saturday
Akron at Eastern Michigan, 12:00 p.m.
Ohio at Central Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Western Michigan at Kent State, 2:00 p.m.
Michigan State at Illinois, PPD
Sunday
Boston College at Notre Dame, 12:00 p.m.
MLB – Epstein hired as MLB consultant to evaluate rules changes
Former Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox executive Theo Epstein has been hired by Major League Baseball as a consultant for on-field matters and will evaluate possible rule changes. Epstein will work with baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, the owners’ competition committee and analytics experts. MLB is considering possible rules changes such as expanding the designated hitter to the National League. Manfred would like to speed to pace of play, which rose to a record average of 3 hours, 5 minutes, 35 seconds for nine-inning games last season.
WNBA – Chicago Sky give 4-year extension to GM and coach James Wade
The Chicago Sky signed general manager and coach James Wade to a a four-year contract extension. Wade is now under contract with the Sky through the 2025 season. Wade has gone 32-24 in his two seasons with the Sky, the highest winning percentage in franchise history. The Sky have made the playoffs in both of Wade’s seasons.
WNBA – Raiders owner Mark Davis buying WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces
Mark Davis is expanding his sports empire in Las Vegas, buying the Aces from MGM Resorts International. The Raiders owner purchased the WNBA team Thursday pending approval from the league’s board of governors. The Aces moved to Las Vegas from San Antonio in 2017 and have been successful on the court. Las Vegas had the league’s best record last season before losing to Seattle in the WNBA Finals.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Football – State Semifinals
Tonight
Division 8
Centreville 1, Clarkson Everest Collegiate 0 (Centreville wins by forfeit)
Centreville will face either Ubly or Johannesburg-Lewiston for the State Title, Friday at 10 am at Ford Field
Saturday
Division 4
Cadillac (7-2) at Edwardsburg (9-0), 1:00 p.m.
Division 6
Constantine (9-1) at Clinton (9-1), 1:00 p.m.
Division 7
Schoolcraft (9-1) at New Lothrop (9-0), 1:00 p.m. at Fenton
