By JAMIE BULLEN, LIVE COVERAGE EDITOR and AMELIA WYNNE, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER and BETHAN EDWARDS, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER
Updated:
One of Britain’s rising stars tonight shocked Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet by being crowned the BAFTA best actor while Jessie Buckley won top prize in the female category.
I Swear’s Robert Aramayo, 33, from Hull, appeared in a state of disbelief as he won the main acting honour just moments after he received the rising star BAFTA.
One Battle After Another has scooped multiple BAFTA awards tonight in a major boost ahead of the Oscars next month.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson won best director and adapted screenplay while the Leonardo DiCaprio film also found success in the best editing and cinematography categories.
Sean Penn was also awarded best supporting actor with British star Wunmi Mosaku winning the female award for her role in Vampire hit Sinners.
Described as a bellwether ahead of next month’s Academy Awards , One Battle After Another led the nominations with 14 nods, with Sinners, Hamnet and Marty Supreme following close behind.
Hamnet, helmed by Chloe Zhao, has broken the record for the most nominations for a female-directed film in BAFTA history, with 11.
The BAFTA Film Awards is hosted by Alan Cumming at the Royal Festival Hall on February 22 and will air on BBC One at 7pm.
Follow live updates from the BAFTAs below
Jessie Buckley wins Best Actress
Hamnet star Jessie Buckley has been crowned Best Actress at this year’s BAFTAs.
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Robert Aramayo wins Best Actor
I Swear star Robert Aramayo has won the Best Actor BAFTA just minutes after receiving the Rising Star prize on an unforgettable night for the 33-year-old from Hull.
Robert says in speech ‘I absolutely can’t believe this. I honestly can’t believe that I have won this award’.
WINNER – Robert Aramayo – I Swear
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Dame Donna Langley awarded BAFTA fellowship
Prince William has bestowed the BAFTA fellowship – the highest award offered by BAFTA – to Dame Donna Langley.
Dame Donna is the chief content officer of NBCUniversal.
William comments on ‘her determination’ and ‘commitment’ and describes her as ‘a shining light’ to all those starting out in the creative industries.
Paul Thomas Anderson wins Best Director
It’s definitely been his night.
Paul Thomas Anderson has added the best director award to the shedload picked up by One Battle After Another.
Will surely be the bookies’ strong favourites heading into the Oscars.
Presented the award by Kate Hudson, Anderson gives special thanks to Leo DiCaprio during the speech, telling the crowd: ‘Leo asks you all the right questions’.
He dedicated his award to his assistant director, Adam Somner, who died in November 2024 after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and to whom the film is also dedicated.
WINNER – Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Yorgos Lanthimos – Bugonia
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Robert Aramayo wins BAFTA Rising Star Award
I Swear star Robert Aramayo has won the BAFTA Rising Star award.
Taking to the stage after being presented the honour by Aimee Lou Wood and David Jonsson, he says he’s not written a speech and thanks his two families – his actual one and his ‘I Swear’ one.
Referring to Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson, on whom I Swear is based, he said:
John Davidson is the most remarkable person I’ve ever met and he believes there is so much more we need to learn about Tourette’s. In the words of the film, they need support and understanding.
WINNER – Robert Aramayo
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Archie Madekwe
Posy Sterling
BAFTA honours late film stars including Val Kilmer and Robert Redford
BAFTA has paid tribute to all those in the film industry who have died recently in the awards In Memoriam section
Jessie Ware is performing The Way We Were during the segment as a montage pays tribute to figures from across the film world
Names shown on screen included Diane Keaton, Terence Stamp, Catherine O’Hara, Gene Hackman, Pauline Collins, Brigitte Bardot, Udo Kier, Graham Greene, Val Kilmer and Robert Redford.
Hamnet wins Outstanding British Film
Hamnet has won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film in a crowded category of 10 nominations.
It marks the first award of the night for the film directed by Chloe Zhao, who had broken the record for the most nominations for a female-directed film in BAFTA history, with 11.
Producer Sam Mendes accepts the award and describes the film as ‘an act of faith’.
WINNER – Hamnet
28 Years Later
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Die My Love
H Is for Hawk
I Swear
Mr Burton
Pillion
Steve
Sentimental Value wins Best Film Not in the English Language
The BAFTA award for Best Film Not in the English Language has gone to Sentimental Value.
The Norwegian film tells the story of two sisters who reunite with their estranged father, a Hollywood director.
Accepting the award, director Joachim Trier (pictured) says the award is the first time a film from Norway has won a BAFTA.
WINNER – Sentimental Value
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Sirāt
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Meanwhile, Frankenstein won the Bafta for best costume.
One Battle After Another wins Best Adapted Screenplay
Benicio del Toro, Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio
A good night for One Battle After Another just got even better as director Paul Thomas Anderson wins the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
It’s a huge boost for the film as it heads to the Oscars next month.
Meanwhile, motor-racing film F1 took home the award for best sound, while Sinners won best original score.
WINNER – Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Tom Basden and Tim Key – The Ballad of Wallis Island
Harry Lighton – Pillion
Will Tracy – Bugonia
Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet
One Battle After Another wins Best Cinematography
It’s proving to be a successful night for One Battle After Another as Paul Thomas Anderson’s film wins a third award for Best Cinematography.
And it could get even better with Leonardo DiCaprio up for best actor.
WINNER – One Battle After Another
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Train Dreams
Zootropolis 2 wins Best Animated film
Zootropolis 2 has won Best Animated film as we reach the climax of tonight’s awards.
Co-writer Jared Bush (pictured right) spoke about the need to tell stories that champion our differences because the “world needs these stories right now”.
WINNER – Zootropolis 2
Elio
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
One Battle After Another wins Best Editing
One Battle After Another has notched up another win in the Best Editing category.
It follows Sean Penn winning best supporting actor.
WINNER – One Battle After Another
F1
A House of Dynamite
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Meanwhile, I Swear, about Scottish Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson, won the Best Casting prize.
WINNER – I Swear
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
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Rising British star Robert Aramayo shocks DiCaprio and Chalamet to win best actor as One Battle After Another is named top film: Live updates
Australia’s best-ever Winter Olympics comes to an end in Verona, where the Milano Cortina organisers will hand over to France who host the 2030 Games. Follow all the action.
“JUST BRING BACK MY MAYAAAAAAAA,” I sobbed into the phone to my then-boyfriend of two years, Tom.
He had just left our East London apartment for a two-hour journey to the specialty vet hospital, where our 13-year-old paralysed chiweenie waited to be picked up. Housebound with Covid, I waited impatiently for him to return with the love of my life.
Tom knew that Maya had always been my soulmate. She had been at my side since I was 19 and going to college in Greenwich Village. She gently snorted in my bag as I snuck past security into my film class, where a treat from my professor awaited her. Bouncy and bright, Maya romped through the city with me, often drawing adoration from passersby for her cuteness.
We were inseparable. I would wake to the surge of traffic or the rumble of street construction below, Maya nuzzled into my dark hair. Up we went to the coffee shop’s takeout window, where, surprise, surprise, more treats were ready for her taking. On the subway, to friends’ houses, on road trips across state lines, and on flights home to sunny, smoggy Los Angeles, Maya came along every step of the way.
During Hurricane Sandy, it was Maya and me against the world. No power, no running water. Maya and I traipsed along the Westside Highway at twilight, a Blessed Virgin Mary candle ablaze as a torch, walking past what felt like a post-apocalyptic downtown.
Maya even moved across the pond with me to London when I turned 30 – a reset after a five-year relationship abruptly ended.
She first moved in with my mum, who FaceTimed me at least four times a day while I spent the longest three months of my life waiting for her to arrive.
When she finally did, I felt whole, like I could exhale and lean into my new London chapter.
A few months later, Maya, almost 12, lost mobility in her back legs. I placed her in a leather duffel bag (unzipped, of course), threw in some blankets and rushed into the November night to the same specialty vet hospital, which would become our refuge for the next three years.
Still in my yoga pants and sweatshirt from that afternoon, the only thing I could think about was getting Maya better. I kept reassuring her, “It’s OK, it’s going to be OK,” even though I was ultimately reassuring myself. Stroking her soft face and trying to keep the tears back, I knew our lives would never be the same.
“Intervertebral disc disease,” the neurologist said. “She needs a spinal fusion immediately.” With only a 50% chance of regaining movement in her hind legs, I began to prepare for whatever came next.
Maya glowed in her new neon pink set of wheels. She zipped along the Hackney Canals with even more flair than before, drawing even more smiles in her new form than she had on four legs.
It was during this period that I met Tom. We both swiped right, and I planned for him to meet Maya on our third date. By then, I had accumulated a handful of dog sitters for her. While she could be home alone for up to four hours, for special nights out, I needed backup.
Maya was still figuring out her new self and was scooting all over the apartment in her white puffy diapers. As soon as I brought Tom up to meet her, Maya had an accident all over a floor pillow. Embarrassed, I began to apologise.
“It is not a bother,” he laughed as he picked her up. “Come on, you. Let’s get you cleaned up,” he cooed as he reached for the kitchen roll.
It was at that moment that I knew Tom was here to stay. During lockdown, he would drive from the other side of London and spend the entire weekend with us, giving Maya baths, making a duvet fort for her so we could watch The Twilight Zone, and going for long walks with Maya rolling beside us. He would even adorn her with origami crowns. My plus-one became a plus-two.
Photo Courtesy Of Jordan Ashley
Tom and Maya in our yard in London, December 2020.
On our first family holiday in summer 2020, we rented a cottage in the Cotswolds, where Maya rolled in green fields sprinkled with cows grazing. When she grew tired and needed a rest, Tom would scoop her up in his arms, like a bride being carried over the threshold, and blow on her face to cool her down.
When the three of us finally moved in together, our priority was securing a ground-floor apartment so Maya could come and go with ease. Our entire existence centered on Maya. It was never just Tom and me, but rather the three of us, moving as an imperfect unit into this new, cohesive life together.
As our love deepened, Maya’s age began to catch up with her. Despite being the ultimate roller girl, more health issues began to pile on: hyperparathyroidism, myoclonic seizures, pancreatitis and blindness. During this time, she would be up all night, distressed, howling and crying.
We took turns, surviving on three hours of sleep, our collective mental health wearing down, yet we persevered. On these late nights, I would turn on sound bath playlists, sing to her and do everything in my power to keep her settled on the futon we had set up in the living room. We would not give up on our Maya.
In January 2024, we celebrated her 16th birthday together. Our only measure of time was her comfort. As long as she was still eating, still bright-eyed and not in pain, we kept going. She had traded in her wheels for a stroller, and we pushed her everywhere, her head poking out to take in the breeze.
Maya was on a cocktail of medication, and our lives revolved around the rituals of caring for her – giving her syringes of medicine, hiding pills in peanut butter, cooking for her. She was a metronome, and our lives played to her rhythm.
Maya flew home with me that spring. By now, she could not be left alone, so it was easier to travel with her to ensure round-the-clock care. During this time, I felt Maya’s clock was running out.
Photo Courtesy Of Jordan Ashley
Maya’s 15th birthday party in London, February 2024.
I knew an engagement was just around the corner. I had found the ring in his sock drawer, and I kept saying how important it was to me to have Maya at our wedding. She would be the bouquet, as I dreamed of carrying her down the aisle.
Tom would not be marrying just me; he would also be making a vow to her.
Within 48 hours of returning to the UK, Maya was rushed to the emergency vet because she could no longer breathe on her own. We began Googling videos on how to build an oxygen chamber at home from a plastic storage container. Tom found all the parts we would need and was ready to pick up the oxygen tank when the call came. It was time.
We sat with her on our laps for five hours, crying as we looked through all the photos of our many adventures over the years: Maya gliding in Williamsburg, a soggy Tom holding an even soggier Maya after a lake dip, Maya in her skulls and crossbones sweater, us singing happy birthday to her. And then my worst fear finally happened. Her spirit had grown too big for her now very tired body.
I was devastated. I don’t remember getting into the car or Tom driving us home. He held my hand and, through his own tears, led me into our now very empty apartment. Even though he was tucking me into bed and telling me to try to rest, I felt truly alone for the first time in 16-and-a-half years.
The engagement came six weeks later, while I was waiting for a taxi to Heathrow to fly back to New York. It would be the first time I would be in the city without her. Maya’s vet gave me an envelope of bluebells to plant in her honour. On that solo trip back to NYC, I walked down Sixth Avenue, turned left onto 13th Street, and stood in front of the apartment where Maya and I first became inseparable.
Photo Courtesy Of Jordan Ashley
Maya’s representation at the author’s wedding in the Cotswolds, July 2025.
Maya had always been my constant, my heartbeat outside my body. Losing her was like losing a piece of myself, the glue that held my world together. Kneeling, I spread some dirt beneath a tree and scattered the seeds.
Across the ocean, I knew my person was waiting for me. His love for Maya over those four years was one of the greatest acts of devotion I had ever witnessed. Our love for her and the shared grief of her absence would now be a journey Tom and I would navigate – together.
Jordan Ashley, Ph.D., is a writer and the founder and executive director of Souljourn Yoga Foundation, a nonprofit creating transformational yoga retreats that support girls’ education worldwide. Learn more at souljournyoga.com.
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Manchester City and Arsenal are locked in a Premier League title race battle and both teams face some important fixtures across the next couple of weeks
Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter and Kieran King Football Writer
18:38, 22 Feb 2026Updated 18:38, 22 Feb 2026
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes were dealt a huge blow on Sunday, as Arsenal restored their five-point lead by beating Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby.
City had reduced the gap with a 2-1 win against Newcastle United on Saturday and that put the pressure back on the Gunners to respond as they made the short trip to arch rivals Spurs.
But, despite a mini-scare in the first-half, Mikel Arteta’s side responded in brutal fashion. Eberechi Eze opened the scoring for the Gunners 31 minutes into the outing, before Randal Kolo Muani issued an instant response to level matters.
Viktor Gyokeres then gave Arsenal the lead once more as the second-half resumed, with Kolo Muani once again finding the back of David Raya’s net. However, the Frenchman’s second strike was ultimately ruled out due to a foul on Gabriel in the build-up.
Eze bagged his second of the afternoon 61 minutes into the match, before Gyokeres secured a brace of his own in the game’s final stages. As a result of the 4-1 win, Arsenal now sit five points clear of City in the Premier League standings, albeit, Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues have a game in hand on the Gunners to help close the gap once more.
With that in mind, here are Arsenal’s next five fixtures compared to Manchester City’s…
Arsenal (1st – 61 points)
Chelsea (H) – Sunday, March 1 (4:30pm) – Premier League
Brighton (A) – Wednesday, March 4 (7:30pm) – Premier League
Mansfield Town (A) – Saturday, March 7 (12:15pm) – FA Cup
Everton (H) – Sunday, March 15 (2pm) – Premier League
Manchester City – Sunday, March 22 (4:30pm) – Carabao Cup
Manchester City (2nd – 56 points)
Leeds United (A) – Saturday, February 28 (5:30pm) – Premier League
Nottingham Forest (H) – Wednesday, March 4 (7:30pm) – Premier League
Newcastle United (A) – Saturday, March 7 (8pm) – FA Cup
West Ham (A) – Saturday, March 14 (12:30pm) – Premier League
Arsenal (A) – Sunday, March 22 (4:30pm) – Carabao Cup
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My cat is a rescue but has settled in quite easily, I’ve had him since October 2024 and is very cuddly and is only aggressive when he doesn’t like what you are doing or just light scratches for food. The kitten that I’m looking at is pretty young and it’s said that it is good with other cats and dogs. I guess I’m worried that they wont get along and I would hate to have them not like the environment or the younger one to be attacked by my older cat.
Shortly after winning America’s first gold medal in men’s hockey in 46 years, members of Team USA honored Johnny Gaudreau, a former Team USA member who tragically died in August of 2024.
Zach Werenski, who played alongside Gaudreau during his final NHL seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, held up Gaudreau’s Team USA jersey along with team captain Auston Matthews and assistant captain Matthew Tkachuk shortly after he fed Jack Hughes for the game-winning goal against Canada.
The gesture occurred with members of Gaudreau’s family looking on in the stands.
After receiving their gold medals, Werenski and Dylan Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple world championships, brought Gaudreau’s young children out to the ice for a team photo.
“It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” Larkin said of Gaudreau prior to the gold medal game. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
Getty Images
Johnny and his younger brother Matthew Gaudreau were killed after being stuck being an alleged drunk driver while cycling in New Jersey. Like his older brother, Matthew Gaudreau was also an accomplished hockey who played professionally in the AHL and ECHL before becoming a coach.
A seven-time NHL All-Star, Johnny Gaudreau was a six-time All-Star for the Calgary Flames. He was the 2017 recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is given annually to an NHL player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
In 2022, Gaudreau shocked most of the hockey world by deciding to sign with the Blue Jackets as a free agent. He was named to his seventh and ultimately final All-Star team during his first season in Columbus, who has continued to honor his legacy following his untimely death.
Gaudreau helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF Junior World Championships. He most recently played on Team USA during the 2024 IIHF World Championship. He never got a chance to play in the Olympics, though, as the NHL did not participate in the previous two Olympics.
“He wanted to be on this team,” his father, Guy Gaudreau, said during the third period of the America’s win over Slovakia. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”
Members of the Gaudreau family made the trip to Italy after being invited by Team USA.
“Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,'” said Gaudreau’s mother, Jane. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”
Their presence was certainly felt by Team USA.
“It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said prior to Sunday’s game. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Gaudreau served as inspiration throughout the Olympics for Team USA. His uniform was on the locker room throughout the Olympics, and it was on the ice on Sunday when the Americans made history by winning the gold medal for only the third time.
“He was one of America’s very best,” said Team USA coach Mike Sullivan. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players to this very day.”
The face of American hockey has a bloody lip, missing teeth and disheveled hair.
Jack Hughes represents the best of us. Grit, toughness, pride, the willingness to sacrifice for others, no matter how messy or irrational.
Forty-six years to the day of The Miracle on Ice, the Americans transformed hockey into a three-hour anthem in Italy.
No politics, no posturing, no whining, just winning.
U-S-A! 2, Canada 1.
Former captain Mike Mike Eruzione was right. This was their team. This was their time. We will never forget 1980. But we no longer have to live in the past. Or have a Netflix account.
The golden glow is back, returned by a spirited group of muckers, grinders and a breathtaking goalie.
“It’s all about our country. I love the USA. I love my teammates. I am so proud of the Americans today. Unbelievable game by (Connor) Hellebuyck. He was our best player by a mile,” Hughes said on the NBC broadcast. “The USA Hockey brotherhood means so much. We are such a team. The brotherhood is so strong.”
The Americans followed a script that creates goosebumps.
They were underdogs, facing a Canadian team that boasted a battery of future Hall of Famers, including the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Their roster was questioned, built in the image of Ford rather than Ferrari. Team USA general manager Bill Guerin wanted brawn and size, preferring players capable of preventing Canadian goals more than scoring them.
They were inspired, hanging the No 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau in their locker room. Johnny and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver in 2024. The Gaudreau family traveled to Milan on Friday, and watched from the stands at Santagiulia Arena, eyes watering as former NHL teammates honored his memory.
United States players pose for pictures with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau (13) with his daughter Noa and son Johnny after their win over Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
We all agree the Canadians probably beat the Americans in a best-of-seven series. But in one game, with all the pressure on the opponent, the U.S. relied on togetherness, leaned on chemistry built in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
It is the beauty of the sport. The numbers can be lopsided. But it only takes one shift, one shot to change the outcome.
It came at the 1:41 mark of overtime. In the required 3-on-3 format — a game like this deserved an even strength ending — Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and delivered the golden goal, sneaking it past Jordan Binnington.
I screamed at the TV as many did across the country at breakfast watch parties. It was a primal outburst of appreciation and admiration.
Canada had won every Olympics featuring NHL players. Their best was always better than everyone else. In 2010 in Vancouver, in 2014 in Sochi and at the 4 Nations last year.
And they were the best team on the ice for two periods, even without injured captain Sidney Crosby.
But they were playing with no elasticity, with the weight of a country that views hockey gold like the United States views Olympic basketball championships — as a birthright.
The Americans’ plan was simple, if not unrealistic. Get ahead early, and survive the onslaught.
Matt Boldy scored six minutes in. In a frenetic pace that even hardened commentators had never seen, Boldy chased down a bouncing puck and knifed between the Avs’ Makar and Devon Toews to score. It was the type of goal you see to win games, not start them, a testament to the magnitude of the matchup.
United States’ Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
How did he keep it on his stick and find the back of the net?
“I don’t know,” Boldy admitted.
The final two periods also defied explanation.
The Canadians tilted the ice, and took aim at Hellebuyck. They outshot the Americans 33-18 over the last 40 minutes in regulation. Only one squirted through, Makar’s laser from top of the right faceoff circle.
MacKinnon had chances, his rockets stoned or too wide. Connor McDavid raced free midway through the second period, failed to shift down and managed only a nudge into Hellebuyck’s pads. Macklin Celebrini, the future of the NHL, was left wanting on a breakaway.
But the one everyone will be talking about forever was Hellebuyck’s denial of Toews.All alone just outside the crease, Toews had the puck with an open net. He swatted it and somehow a falling, bending, twitching Hellebuyck raised his stick for the deflection.
United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada’s Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
This is when momentum became a movement. The Americans understood it. Hellebuyck was holding onto the rope. He needed someone, anyone, to tug with him.
Hughes, 24, arrived straight out of central casting.
He was a former No. 1 overall pick, who spent the early part of his career burdened by expectations. He has only reached the playoffs once with the New Jersey Devils.
But he was from a family of patriots.
His brother Quinn scored the overtime winner when USA defeated Sweden in the quarterfinals. Their mother Ellen Weinberg-Hughes worked as a consultant for the women’s gold medal team.
And here was Jack in the spotlight.
He was ready, even if he needed makeup. In the third period, Hughes lost his smile when Sam Bennett clipped him with a high stick.
Moments later, Hughes provided the explanation point to this surreal performance.
The boys are back. The birds are free. And for one beautiful morning, we felt like a unified country.
“We did it for the people back home, for all the love and support we got,” Hughes said. “You dream of this. A lot of talk for us was breaking the drought. And we thought this was the group that could do it. We are gold medalists. We are the champions. Tonight, we are the best in the world.”
What if Nathan MacKinnon pauses for a beat on the backdoor, and puts home a shot that he finishes 90 per cent of the time in the NHL?
What if Devon Toews gets less stick on his shot from the crease — the one taken one foot from the goal line and behind Connor Hellebuyck. Maybe it slides under that paddle?
What if Connor McDavid scores on his breakaway, or Macklin Celebrini on his, or Sidney Crosby plays, or, or, or.
What if, what if, what if.
Alas, in the reality we live in here, those things didn’t happen, and the Americans hung on, got it to overtime and converted on a broken play.
It was a game the Canadians dominated, and “deserved,” but the what ifs didn’t fall their way.
Ten thoughts on a great hockey game, coming up:
1. Canada’s missed chances
Pressure is a very real and impactful force in sports, isn’t it? When you’re desperate, and the opposing D has been closing fast on every opportunity, of course the tendency is to rush what feels like a clean look.
For MacKinnon, it’s just that soul-crushing want that he plays with. He wants it so bad, that when got a pass on the backdoor with net to shoot at, he got a little quick on the release.
For McDavid’s uncommonly inartful breakaway attempt, or Celebrini missing his spot on his, or a half-dozen other moments, it just felt like the Canadians rushed the chances they did get, which just about never happens in the NHL with these guys.
Even in the playoffs, they know they’ve got a best-of-seven series for things to settle down, so moments rarely feel so desperate. But the stakes were real, and they seemed to have an effect.
2. The redemption of Connor Hellebuyck
It’s probably crazy to have come this far without mentioning the Americans’ goaltender, who was their MVP, their all-star, their saviour, their capital-G Guy. He stopped 41 of 42 shots overall, 22 of 23 from the slot, and was just outstanding. He looked huge, held rebounds and battled in scrambles. He even got an assist on the OT winner.
For a guy who was slowly accruing a reputation as someone who “couldn’t get it done” with the pressure on (Jets playoffs or 4 Nations Face-Off), his numbers in those moments were actually stellar, posting a .925 over three elimination games.
Well, they’re even better now.
He kept this thing close enough for the U.S. to hang around and find one late. Impressive showing.
3. Jack Hughes’ rollercoaster
In the final 10 minutes of the game, Jack Hughes:
*Ate a high stick from Sam Bennett, lost teeth and could’ve been the American hero as he ended up right back out there on the four-minute power play.
*Gave a high stick putting Canada on a late power play, and could’ve been the goat (not the good kind).
*Scored the OT winner, and will now be referred to by some as the GOAT (all caps is the good kind).
Outside that flurry of chaos I didn’t think he had been overly impactful, as he only played about 13 minutes, but he found himself in the thick of things. And for his efforts, he earned this awesome picture:
4. Canada carried the play
Tough not to leave that game feeling if this were a best-of-seven series — and lord I wish it were — the Canadians would come out on top. It just felt like their top dogs were pushing, asking questions of the D, and it was just one of those games where it didn’t go for them.
McDavid, MacKinnon and Celebrini combined for 14 shots, Devon Toews and Makar another eight, and I just don’t think those five put up 22 shots and only score once very often.
5. Auston Matthews and some American flowers
Among the guys who it’s said “you can’t win with” is Auston Matthews. But as noted by Kevin Papetti here, he put together three points in the past two U.S.-Canada finals (including 4 Nations), and his line played as much or more than any forward not named Jack Eichel at the Olympics. His defensive efforts in the first period alone were impactful, and for that matter, all of the Americans were sharp on that side of the puck early.
The more big moments guys like Matthews find success in, the better they’ll be in the future.
But the most flower-worthy moment of the whole game was the Americans bringing out Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey, and including his kids in the team picture. Seeing his mom and dad in those moments was devastating. Special, meaningful, so sad, so sweet. It’s all just too much.
Big picture on the U.S.: it battled hard and had talent for days. Don’t love that Canada has to deal with that D-corps for the next eight years or so.
6) Canada’s 5-on-3 was a mess of self-sabotage
I didn’t think MacKinnon had his finest game. He was a little hesitant on the 3-on-3 defensive effort and we know about the missed net, but maybe the most egregious play was on the 5-on-3.
It’s the second period and Canadians still haven’t scored. Their power play at 5-on-4 has been borderline unstoppable at the Games. They get the puck with well over a minute in the offensive zone, and as soon as they start to set up and Makar makes the very first pass to him — before guys are even really in their spots yet — he absolutely heats up a one-timer but misses the net entirely, which wraps it around the boards and out of the zone. Now they’ve gotta get set up again, and they’re eating up the clock.
You’ve got two extra guys out there — the best in the world — and you’ve gotta look for a quality scoring chance, not just some unscreened one-T from distance. Yuck.
7) Three-on-three overtime at the Olympics was an abomination
I said this from the beginning of the Olympics until the final moment. Even if Canada scored the winner in three-on-three OT to win gold, I’d still call it a travesty. We’re trying to figure out who’s the best hockey team. Why on god’s green earth would anyone involved in structuring this event agree to a format that is an entirely different sport than hockey? Hey that four-man bobsleigh event was a thrilling tie, let’s do two-man bobsleigh to determine the winner.
It’s not the same thing!
Three-on-three is possession, and regroups, and face-off-get-off for some centres. It’s just not how hockey teams are built to play.
Does it take anything away from the U.S. winning gold? No, I’m not going to do that. But it stunk from the jump, and it needs to be fixed for 2030.
You are free to quibble about the two goals the U.S. scored, but they weren’t terrible, and if you’re gonna quibble, you also better heap praise on Binnington for the glove save he made in overtime and a half-dozen other high quality stops.
He did more than enough for Canada to win gold, played to his reputation, and can hold his head up high.
Now, if in two years at the World Cup we’re still relying on him — the guy who’s been arguably the NHL’s worst goalie this season — based purely on his “vibes,” we’re in real trouble. But he did what he was picked to do this time around, and he should be proud.
9) When you lose, people question the roster
One thing about high-stakes international competition: nobody cheats for offence in these games, or not nearly as much anyway. That means the risk of having offence-first guys is pretty low, which is to say as Canada is trying to find one more goal, I would’ve liked to have seen Connor Bedard come over the boards. I’d have been thrilled to see Matthew Schaefer create one more look, or Evan Bouchard. Mark Scheifele is pretty good at getting pucks into the net.
As we look towards the next international competition in two years, it’s reasonable to tweak our scales toward taking more offence, and trusting Jon Cooper to get them to defend, too.
Still, the Canadian D did the thing it set out to do — it kept the U.S. off the board, kept their total down. The defencemen just needed one more from the forwards.
OK, Americans, look over there, fireworks! (Psst, Canadians, this one is just for you, quick while they’re not looking.)
10) …Sid makes that one more play for Canada somewhere in that game, right?
It’s Sid. Of course he does.
I don’t know how hurt the Canadian captain was, but he wanted to do the right thing and not play if he felt they could dress a healthy player who could do more. It was the unselfish (and ultimately Canadian) thing to do, but Cooper barely used Sam Reinhart anyway, and so now I kinda wish they’d just gone for it.
In the 4 Nations you could only dress 12 forwards, and there, I think not playing would’ve 100 per cent been the right call. In the Olympics, where you can dress 13 (also a dumb rule that should be changed), I’d have been fine with him on the bench, getting a few shifts in a few spots. He’s Sidney Crosby, man, surely on one leg he’d have had his Kirk Gibson moment… right?
In the end, congratulations to the U.S. team. If you really love hockey here in Canada — and since you’re reading this, I know you do — it’s not a bad thing for the game to be important south of the border, and this only helps that.
If this is going to be a real rivalry now (and it is, and has been for a bit), Canada is gonna be OK. Some pre-game perspective here from Thomas Drance, which I liked:
Hope everyone had fun, it’s a heartbreaker, but hey: international hockey is back, and we’ll get to do it all again in two years’ time. Let the roster mock-ups begin.
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A man who went to hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot-related wound has been charged in connection with a shooting that left a woman seriously wounded on Friday, Winnipeg police say.
The woman, 32, and the man, 20, became involved in a verbal dispute at a hotel in the 300 block of Kennedy Street at 3:30 on Friday afternoon, police said in a release on Sunday, and the argument escalated until the man shot the woman in the upper body.
Officers including members of the tactical support team responded, but the man and the woman, who were unknown to one another prior to the incident, had left the area before police arrived, the release says.
Though seriously wounded, the woman made her way to hospital to seek treatment.
Police say the man sought medical treatment for a gunshot-related wound at a hospital at 7 p.m., and was identified as the man involved in the shooting. He was arrested in the 700 block of William Avenue near the Health Sciences Centre.
The man, who remains in custody, has been charged with aggravated assault, discharging a firearm with intent, pointing a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, police say.
In the wake of Emmanuel Clase having the audacity to go public with his desire to throw 0-2 fastballs in the dirt, the NBA has issues of its own when it comes to teams intentionally veering from the desired target.
Fortunately, I have a solution to the so-called problem.
In fact, I can resolve TWO of the league’s biggest issues at the same time, which makes my idea the best.
Seemingly everyone with a phone or a keyboard has a brilliant scheme on how to keep NBA teams from tanking. Most of them miss the mark for one basic reason:
The goal of the draft MUST continue to be to help bad teams. If your solution doesn’t aid in narrowing the talent gap between the league’s haves and its have-nots, then you need to try again.
Better yet, focus your save-the-world fixes for curling.
One problem up-and-comers have in the NBA is the salary cap. You can’t just go out and snatch up a bunch of big-time players without maxing out your credit card real fast.
Did you know that every team in the NBA except the Nets is over the misnomered cap? As a league, the 30 teams are legally cheating by a total of almost $1.3 billion this season.
Even the Dodgers must be envious.
So what you have are two types of teams trying to get better – the bad ones by coasting into a more desirable draft position, and the rich ones by playing games with the cap.
I’m left wondering: Which is really the top-of-the-list problem?
We can agree to disagree on that, and that’s OK, because my goal is to lessen the popularity of each.
Consider this:
Only teams under the salary cap on the day of the draft get to use their first-round pick.
Hand in hand, the draft lottery is restructured to include ALL teams, each with the same odds of earning the top slot.
This would eliminate any incentive to tank. At the same time, it would give teams a reason to start adhering to the spirit of the salary cap.
Here’s how this works:
When the Finals have crowned a champ in mid-June, all franchises are given two weeks to get their finances in order for the following season.
Then, on or around July 1, the draft lottery is held.
After the ping pong balls have landed, any team under the cap gets to keep its pick in the slot determined by the lottery.
But any team over the cap must either trade its slot or forfeit its first-rounder.
Think about it …
No more tanking and a shrinking in the disparity in payrolls.
Both are good things, right? And they could happen at the same time.
I know what some of you are thinking: If only the Nets are under the salary cap, why hold a lottery? Aren’t they assured of making the one and only first-round pick?
No, that’s not the case.
As noted, teams – even those over the cap – would be allowed to trade their lottery-created draft slots. But here’s the catch: Since it has no financial value, the pick could only be dealt for a future pick or picks, or in a package in which matching salaries are included.
In either case, it would almost surely be a team under the cap that acquired the draft slot. Because only they can use the pick that season.
So, again, no tanking, yet the desired result: A bad team gets better.
As for the Nets … as we stand today, the Grizzlies are in line to join them under the cap at the start of the NBA’s next fiscal year in July, while the Hornets and Jazz are close enough that a little roster creativity could get them in.
If this rule had been in place at the recent trade deadline, no doubt others would have maneuvered to get themselves into better financial shape.
By the end of next season, when the Lakers and Bulls already are scheduled to be under the cap, you’d likely have a lot more teams that qualify to make first-round picks. This following a season in which the financial gap has shrunk and bad teams have added the best young talent, creating greater parity to go with the lesser incentive to lose.
Problem(s) solved.
You want to take it another step? Do a lottery for the second round as well. Teams, say, $50 million over the cap (there are nine right now) are excluded, and there would be no incentive to lose games in order to get the best second-round picks.
Sorry, Emmanuel. With my pitch, you get a home run on 0-2.
