Latest news with #SamNavarro-Imagn
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
F1 American Explosion: Another Record Falls in Canada, Proving the Hype is Real
There are a growing number of F1 fanatics in the United States, with more and more of you climbing on board each week. If you've been following the Formula 1 season, you know the buzz around its growth in the U.S. is palpable. Well, guess what? The latest television viewership numbers from the Canadian Grand Prix are in, and they're not just good – they're record-breaking, adding yet another bullet point to the undeniable story of F1's booming popularity stateside. Advertisement Related: Final F1 movie trailer ignites anticipation ahead of June release Canadian Grand Prix sets new record for viewers in the U.S. Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images The recent race in Montreal, broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, June 15, pulled in an astonishing 1.9 million viewers for the race-only portion. That's not just a significant number, it's the largest audience ever for the Canadian Grand Prix on U.S. television, even surpassing last year's record of 1.8 million. And for those tracking the future of the sport, the demographic numbers are equally encouraging, with 854,000 viewers in the crucial 18-49 age bracket tuning in. Even Saturday's qualifying session on ESPN2 snagged a respectable 593,000 viewers. This success wasn't a fluke. The favorable North American time slot, kicking off at 2 PM Eastern Daylight Time, meant many U.S. fans could watch the high-octane action in prime daylight hours, without setting early alarms or staying up late. This accessible timing, combined with the exciting on-track action, clearly resonated with American audiences. Advertisement Related: F1 Growth Surge: How women are driving the sport forward F1 growth in the U.S. continues to soar Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images This isn't an isolated incident. Out of nine F1 races so far this season, all but one have seen year-over-year viewership increases, and five of them – Australia, China, Monaco, Spain, and Canada – have set event records. The Monaco Grand Prix alone drew the third-largest live audience ever for a Formula 1 race on U.S. television. Overall, F1 races are now averaging a robust 1.3 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC, a solid 6% jump year-over-year for the season-to-date. The younger 18-49 demographic is seeing even steeper growth, up 13% over the season-to-date average. Advertisement The momentum is undeniable. With the Austrian Grand Prix up next on June 29, F1 continues to cement its place as a major player in the American sports landscape. Related: F1 vs. IndyCar: Key differences explained ahead of Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix Related Headlines
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Best players available in NHL free agency after Maple Leafs re-sign John Tavares
Even though the New York Rangers aren't expected to wade into the deep end of the free-agent pool, they'll be eagerly looking at everyone who becomes available when NHL free agency begins at noon ET on Tuesday. The Toronto Maple Leafs took one of the bigger chips off the board on Friday when they re-signed center John Tavares to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $4.38 million. Tarvares' return keeps one of Toronto's two key unrestricted free agents with the Leafs, but the other one looks like he'll be somewhere else next season. Forward Mitch Marner is at the top of the list of potential UFAs who can sign with any team. Advertisement The Rangers, who have about $12.2 million in cap space and need to sign unrestricted free agent forward Will Cuylle, will likely do more looking than shopping unless they make a trade to free up more money. Defenseman K'Andre Miller has been mentioned as a trade possibility. Here are 10 of the top players who will hit unrestricted free agency, barring a late signing or two. Related: Why Rangers draft history since 2000 not pretty without 1st-round pick Mitch Marner, RW (Toronto Maple Leafs) Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images The 28-year-old right wing is the top free agent on the board after posting career highs in assists (75) and points (102) this past season, finishing fifth in the League scoring race. The two-time NHL First-Team All-Star is a better playmaker than goal scorer. He's expected to command at least $12 million per season on as long a contract as he wants. The Maple Leafs haven't made much of a push to sign him, and his market could be slightly limited because teams like the Rangers probably don't have the cap space. Whoever signs him will be getting one of the League's top players in the prime of his career. Sam Bennett, C (Florida Panthers) Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Bennett led all postseason scorers with 15 goals and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after the Florida Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup championship. He's also coming off a career-best 51-point season, including 25 goals. He's still headed for free agency — but expect the Panthers to make a push to sign him before Tuesday as general manager Bill Zito tries to keep the band together for another Cup run. Brad Marchand, LW (Florida Panthers) Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Money or a perfect fit? That's the question facing Marchand as he decides on his next career move. The longtime Boston Bruins forward came to Florida just before the NHL Trade Deadline in March, used the remainder of the regular season to get healthy and excelled on the Panthers third line in the playoffs, putting up 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists), including six goals in the Final. At 37, he'll be looking for one last payday but might be better off taking a little less money and staying put. Aaron Ekblad, D (Florida Panthers) Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Ekblad is a career Panther; Florida took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He's a solid first-pair right-shot defenseman who could command upwards of $7 million on the open market. But Zito showed last year when the Panthers let Brandon Montour walk in free agency after excelling during the first Cup run that he was willing to make tough decisions. Ekblad might also be willing to take less to stay. Vladislav Gavrikov, D (Los Angeles Kings) Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images The Rangers have been linked to Gavrikov, who's coming off an excellent season with the Los Angeles Kings and would fill a big hole on the left side of New York's No. 1 defense pairing. But Los Angeles would like to keep him if the money works – the reported asking price is seven years at $8 million per. He averaged 23 minutes a game in 2024-25, had a career-high 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) and finished plus-26, by far the best mark of his career. Brock Boeser, LW (Vancouver Canucks) Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports The Rangers and most of the rest of the NHL could use a player like Boeser, a six-time 20-goal scorer who had 40 in 2023-24. Vancouver did try to trade him during this past season as free agency approached but felt making the playoffs was a better plan, though they failed to do so anyway. Published reports say Boeser, who's coming off a three-year contract with an AAV of $6.65 million, could be in line for a six-year deal worth more than $8 million. His scoring touch could help the Rangers, but not at that price. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW (Winnipeg Jets) Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Ehlers is coming off his eighth 20-goal season, and his 63 points were one short of his career high. At age 29, he should still have several productive years remaining. The Jets are hoping the recent addition of center Jonathan Toews might induce Ehlers to re-up with the team that won the Presidents' Trophy as regular-season champion. The Jets still have to extend top-line left wing Kyle Connor, so Ehlers could wind up playing elsewhere in 2025-26. Ivan Provorov, D (Columbus Blue Jackets) Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images If the Rangers can't land Gavrikov, Provorov could be an acceptable substitute – with the added benefit of weakening a division rival. He's coming off a solid 33-point season (seven goals, 26 assists), finished plus-11 and averaged 23:21 of ice time while playing all 82 games for the third straight season. The 28-year-old Russian figures to get a lot of interest if the Columbus Blue Jackets don't re-sign him first. Patrick Kane, RW (Detroit Red Wings) Geoff Burke-Imagn Images A healthy Kane is still a productive Kane, and he showed in Detroit last season that he's far removed from the injury-plagued player Rangers fans saw at the tail end of 2022-23. Kane's 59 points were the most he's had since 2021-22, and even at 36 he can provide a jolt to any struggling power play. He has serious defensive limitations but could be a good fit for any team that can play him in sheltered minutes and offer lots of power-play time – something the Rangers might be able to do with Chris Kreider gone to the Anaheim Ducks. Jake Allen, G (New Jersey Devils) Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images The goalie market is a thin one, so the Rangers are more than happy to have Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick manning the crease for the third straight season. Allen isn't going to carry a No. 1 load, but he's a dependable second banana who can step into the top job if the starter goes down (as Jacob Markstrom did last season for the Devils). His 13-16-1 record this past season was belied by a 2.66 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. Advertisement Related Headlines
The Star
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Ice hockey-Canada's Stanley Cup dry spell stretches to 32 years as Edmonton flops in Finals
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The Edmonton Oilers look on from the bench in the final minutes of game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images NEW YORK (Reuters) -The Florida Panthers extended Canada's agonizing Stanley Cup drought to 32 years with a 5-1 win over Edmonton in Game Six on Tuesday, a second straight Finals defeat for the Oilers which left their fans devastated and players searching for answers. It was the eighth time a Canadian team reached the Finals but fell short since the Montreal Canadiens won the NHL championship in 1993. It was also the second Finals in a row that the Panthers beat the Oilers, who became the first team to lose back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals since the Boston Bruins in 1977-1978. Oilers captain Connor McDavid, arguably the best player in the league, said his team had given everything in the best-of-seven series. "Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in," he added. "They're a heck of a team. They're Stanley Cup champions back-to-back for a reason. "Never really able to generate any momentum up the ice. We kept trying the same thing over and over again, banging our heads against the wall," he told reporters. "Still a lot of confidence and belief. I don't think people thought we were going to make it this far - we obviously believed. Came up just short again," added McDavid, who last year won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. From "the Great One" Wayne Gretzky to Mark "the Moose" Messier and "Mr. Hockey" himself, Gordie Howe, the proud sons of the Great White North have created ice hockey lore to last generations. The Canadian men's and women's teams have won 14 Olympic gold medals between them, yet the country's NHL sides continually fail to get their hands on the trophy. The Oilers had home advantage in the series despite an injury-plagued season but that mattered little to the Panthers, who won seven of their last eight games on the road. Goaltender Stuart Skinner, who got the nod over Calvin Pickard for Game Six, said the Oilers had to find out what went wrong. "We need to learn from this right away, right now. Letting it happen two times in a row is devastating," he said. Prime Minister Mark Carney struck an optimistic tone on social media, as he rallied his compatriots to keep faith. "Proud of the Oilers' grit. Proud of the guys for getting us to this moment. Heads high," Carney wrote. "Next year." (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Ice hockey-Matthews headlines US team as NHL stars return to Olympics
FILE PHOTO: May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) shoots and scores against the Florida Panthers during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS NEW YORK - Auston Matthews will lead the American charge at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games next year, as USA Hockey named the first six players to their roster on Monday with NHL stars able to compete on the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014. Players from the top-flight North American league were expected to compete at the 2022 Beijing Games but NHL executives elected not to send players weeks before the Olympics began due to schedule disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Hockey League said it would release its talent this time around, clearing the way for the sport's biggest stars to take the Olympic stage. Matthews, the most prolific scorer in the league since joining in 2016, will ditch his Toronto Maple Leafs blue for the stars and stripes, while Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk will play alongside brother Matthew Tkachuk, whose Florida Panthers are one win away from a second straight Stanley Cup. The Vancouver Canucks captain and ruthless defenceman Quinn Hughes was also named to the U.S. first six, along with the Boston Bruins' Charlie McAvoy and the Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel. "We've seen the unprecedented success of our U.S. teams on the international stage this past season and we need to keep our foot on the gas," the U.S. Olympic men's team general manager Bill Guerin said in a statement. "The players we've named today represent excellence. They're committed to the mission in front of us and excited about the opportunity to represent our country in the Olympics." The United States is set to name the rest of the team in early January for the Olympic ice hockey tournament that begins on February 11 in Milan. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
16-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Ice hockey-Matthews headlines US team as NHL stars return to Olympics
FILE PHOTO: May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) shoots and scores against the Florida Panthers during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) -Auston Matthews will lead the American charge at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games next year, as USA Hockey named the first six players to their roster on Monday with NHL stars able to compete on the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014. Players from the top-flight North American league were expected to compete at the 2022 Beijing Games but NHL executives elected not to send players weeks before the Olympics began due to schedule disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Hockey League said it would release its talent this time around, clearing the way for the sport's biggest stars to take the Olympic stage. Matthews, the most prolific scorer in the league since joining in 2016, will ditch his Toronto Maple Leafs blue for the stars and stripes, while Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk will play alongside brother Matthew Tkachuk, whose Florida Panthers are one win away from a second straight Stanley Cup. The Vancouver Canucks captain and ruthless defenceman Quinn Hughes was also named to the U.S. first six, along with the Boston Bruins' Charlie McAvoy and the Vegas Golden Knights' Jack Eichel. "We've seen the unprecedented success of our U.S. teams on the international stage this past season and we need to keep our foot on the gas," the U.S. Olympic men's team general manager Bill Guerin said in a statement. "The players we've named today represent excellence. They're committed to the mission in front of us and excited about the opportunity to represent our country in the Olympics." The United States is set to name the rest of the team in early January for the Olympic ice hockey tournament that begins on February 11 in Milan. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
