Sports
Tkachuk back at Panthers practice after surgery
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk was back on the ice with the Florida Panthers on Sunday, appearing at practice for the first time this season and more than four months after he had surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.
Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Panthers clinched their second consecutive title by again topping the Edmonton Oilers. He went through the summer trying to rehab but eventually decided that he needed the surgery.
“He looks awesome,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “Good to see him back out there. He brought us some energy today, that’s for sure.”
Tkachuk was wearing a yellow noncontact jersey, an indication that he’s not yet ready for game action. Florida plays host to Washington on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday, then will be the home team for the NHL Winter Classic at the Miami Marlins‘ ballpark against the New York Rangers on Friday.
The Panthers are scheduled to practice at the ballpark on Thursday, but there’s no guarantee that Tkachuk will play Friday.
“There’s a whole bunch of things he’s got to get through. The question is, is there enough time,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “He might be healthy enough or close to enough that he could play, but we’re not guessing on this. … As much as we like the spectacle of it and we’d love for him to be a part of it — it would be great for the game to see him out there — the Florida Panthers need him healthy for the rest of the year.”
After the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk revealed that he had sustained the injuries while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tkachuk had 23 points — eight goals and 15 assists — in 23 playoff games, including seven points in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers have been without a slew of key players all season, including captain Aleksander Barkov. They entered Sunday tied for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, only five points out of the lead in the Atlantic Division.
Florida has gone through this season with the expectation that Tkachuk would be back on a “December-ish” timeline. He has said he wants to play in the Winter Classic, the Panthers’ first outdoor game, and for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
“We will enjoy the talent upgrade,” Maurice said. “He’s a great player. But it’s the personality more. He’s chirping on the ice, right? He’s giving it to guys. They’re laughing. He’s bringing a little joy to everyone. He’s funny on the bench. He has an incredible emotional IQ in terms of the game of hockey. When nothing needs to happen, he doesn’t do anything. When something needs to happen, he figures out the right way.”
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New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young made an incredible play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward dropped back to pass in the second quarter, but the Saints’ pass rush quickly descended on him. Ward tried to make a move around one defender but didn’t see Young in his blind spot.
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New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) returns his strip for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Young ripped the ball out of Ward’s hands and took the ball to the end zone for a Saints touchdown. It helped cut their deficit to 13-10.
Young, the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, joined the Saints after the 2023 season. He only had one fumble return for a touchdown in his career — his rookie season when he was with the Washington Commanders. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
He came into the game with seven sacks, three pass breakups and 28 tackles.
New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) celebrates his strip and touchdown return with cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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Young’s play would be the lone highlight for the Saints’ defense in the first half. Tennessee took a 20-10 lead into the locker room after Ward bounced back with a touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor before the break.
New Orleans has struggled for most of the season, but the defense was supposed to be something to take pride in. The Saints entered the game eighth in yards allowed and 14th in points allowed.
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So far, that kind of defense hadn’t shown up in Nashville.
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Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper piled onto the Kansas City Chiefs’ dismal season on Saturday night.
The Broncos clinched the AFC West title for the first time since 2015 after the Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Houston Texans. The Chiefs have been on top of the division since 2016 with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes leading the charge.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) throws a pass as he is hit by Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) and Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 25, 2025 (Denny Medley/Imagn Images)
Cooper made his feelings about the Chiefs clear with explicit posts directed at the franchise.
“F— the Chiefs,” he wrote on X. “B—h made a– pansies.”
Cooper has been a bright spot for the Broncos’ defense over the last three seasons. He hasn’t missed a game since 2022. This year, he has eight sacks and 49 total tackles in 16 games. He’s a big reason why Denver’s defense has been one of the best throughout the season.
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Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper (0) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 5, 2025 (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
The Broncos are third in points allowed and yards allowed this season.
Denver defeated Kansas City on Thursday night to move to 13-3 on the season.
It was the first time the Broncos had hit the 13-win mark in a single season since 2013. In that season, the John Fox-led squad made the Super Bowl but lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
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The Broncos are hoping to replicate the 2015 season rather than 2013 with their impending playoff run this year.
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Sports
Olympic hopeful Jutta Leerdam, Jake Paul’s fiancée, bounces back after crushing fall during trials
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Dutch women’s speed skating hopeful Jutta Leerdam bounced back on Sunday in the 500-meter race as she hoped to make the Olympic team for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
Leerdam finished in second place behind Femke Kok in the race. Kok, who set the women’s 500-meter world record in November, had a time of 36.873. Leerdam finished with a time of 37.242.
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Jutta Leerdam participates in the Staatsloterij Olympic Qualification Tournament at THIALF in Heerenveen, Netherlands, on Dec. 26, 2025. (Caroline van Leusden/EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It was a much better than Friday’s result.
Leerdam, who is the fiancée of boxer Jake Paul, crashed and fell on the ice during the 1,000-meter event. She was seen in tears as she skated off the ice.
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Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands looks dejected competing on the Women’s 500m on Day 1 of the Dutch Speed Skating Olympic Qualifiers at Thialf on Dec. 26, 2025 in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (Henk Jan Dijks/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
“I’m skating so well in practice. What those girls are skating here, I could have easily skated today,” she said, via Olympics.com. “I’ve skated 1:14 here 25 times, and I feel even better now than I have in the past two years. I’m really hitting it.”
There’s still hope for Leerdam to qualify for the Olympics as the national committee will ultimately make the determination as to whether Leerdam will mae the cut.
Leerdam won a silver medal in the 2022 Beijing Games in the 1,000-meter race. She finished just behind Japan’s Miho Takagi, who set an Olympic record time.
Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands receives the gold medal for the women’s 1000m during the ISU Speed Skating World Cup at Utah Olympic Oval on Nov. 14, 2025. (Peter Creveling/Imagn Images)
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She skipped the 2025 ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Hamar, Norway, to focus on Olympic trials.
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