USA and Canada need OT to advance past Olympic Quarterfinals

2026 Winter Olympics

Canada and U.S. need overtime to advance in men’s hockey
Canada and U.S. need overtime to advance in men’s hockey
Canada avoided what would have been a stunning quarterfinal exit in men’s hockey by rallying to beat Czechia 4-3 in overtime. Nick Suzuki tied it on a deflection with 3:27 left and Mitch Marner scored in OT. The United States also needed overtime before eventually topping Sweden 2-1. Quinn Hughes scored in OT to give the U.S. the win after giving up the tying goal to Mika Zibanejad with 91 seconds left in the third period. Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin deflected in Jack Hughes’ shot for the only U.S. goal in regulation.  Canada stayed in the tournament but has a major concern after losing Sidney Crosby to injury five minutes into the second period. Crosby’s right leg appeared to buckle bracing for contact from rugged Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas. In the other quarterfinal matches, Finland also won in overtime, 3-2 against Switzerland, while Slovakia beat Germany 6-2.

Shiffrin takes slalom gold
American superstar Mikaela Shiffrin has put in two dominant runs to win the women’s slalom by a massive 1.50 seconds. It ended a run of eight straight Olympic races without a medal for perhaps the greatest Alpine skier of all time. Canada and the United States needed overtime to beat Czechia and Sweden, respectively, and advance to the semifinals of the men’s hockey tournament. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s golden run continued as the Norwegian cross-country star secured his fifth gold at these Games and a record 10th overall by winning the men’s team sprint.

Klaebo extends golden run
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo’s golden run continued as the Norwegian cross-country star secured his fifth gold at these Games — and a record 10th overall — by winning the men’s team sprint. Klaebo beat back a challenge from the United States to improve on his own record tally, racing with Einar Hedegart to win in 18 minutes, 28.9 seconds. Americans Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher were 1.4 seconds behind for the silver, while Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino pleased the home crowd by taking bronze.

NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(18) Michigan State 104, Northwestern 68
Miami (OH) 65, Central Michigan 53
Bowling Green 67, Western Michigan 63

Last Night
Notre Dame at Wake Forest, 6:00 p.m.

MLB – Bruce Meyer elevated to players’ association interim executive director
Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the baseball players’ association, a day after Tony Clark’s forced resignation. It was a move for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargaining with team owners. Matt Nussbaum was promoted to interim deputy executive director from general counsel. The decisions were made by the Major League Baseball Players Association executive board during an online meeting. Both votes were unanimous. A 64-year-old veteran labor lawyer, Meyer joined the union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a 99-day lockout that led to a five-year agreement in March 2022.

NCAABB – Frustrated college basketball coaches aren’t holding back
Frustrated coaches in men’s and women’s college basketball haven’t been holding back in publicly criticizing their teams in recent weeks. That notably includes Vic Schaefer of the fourth-ranked Texas women and now-fired Kansas State men’s coach Jerome Tang. Schaefer had said his team had “no heart” after a recent loss at No. 5 Vanderbilt. But he praised the team’s response in a win against Tennessee days later. It’s a delicate dance for coaches in finding the balance between tough-love motivation and a softer-touch inspiration. Florida State men’s coach Luke Loucks said coaches have to “find ways to squeeze the orange."

AHL- American Hockey League
Last Night
Grand Rapids  Griffins 3, Cleveland Monsters 2

ECHL -ECHL Hockey League
Last Night
Kalamazoo Wings 6, Cincinnati Cyclones 4

MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Last Night
Boys Basketball
St. Joseph 67, Mattawan 61
Ben Varrie scored a game-high 31 points to lead St. Joseph to a 67–61 win over Mattawan. Varrie went 9-of-16 from the field and 13-of-19 at the free-throw line, consistently getting to the rim and converting in key moments. Gordon Hosbein added nine points with three three-pointers, and St. Joseph finished 18-of-29 at the stripe as a team. Mattawan was paced by Robert Campbell’s 13 points.

Lakeshore 53, Lakeshore 36
Buchanan 55, Three Rivers 33
Decatur 57, Hartford 47
Schoolcraft 68, Brandywine 63
Plainwell 61, Hopkins 58 – OT
South Haven 74, Otsego 68
Sturgis 49, Burr Oak 45     

Girls Basketball
Mattawan 49, St. Joseph 48 – OT
Niles 57, Lakeshore 51 – 3 OT
Niles defeated Lakeshore 57–51 in a triple-overtime game on February 18, 2026, after the teams were tied 45–45 at the end of regulation and again through two extra periods . Elynne Hoyt led Niles with 18 points and 18 rebounds, while the Vikings outscored the Lancers 6–0 in the third overtime to pull away. Lakeshore was paced by Selena Gustafson, who finished with a game-high 24 points, and Sydney Thomas added 17. Niles finished with a 49–35 rebounding advantage and went 17-of-27 at the free-throw line, which proved to be a key factor in the extended contest .

Decatur 36, Hartford 9
Sturgis 51, Bronson 14

Boys Wresting (Team Regionals)
Three Rivers 39, Lakeshore 33
A
Final – Three Rivers 49, Plainwell 14

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Countryside Academy at Covert, 6:00 p.m.
Coloma at Bridgman, 7:30 p.m.
Dowagiac at Kalamazoo Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Lawrence at White Pigeon, 7:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Dowagiac at Brandywine,  6:30 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Saugatuck, 5:30 p.m.
Hartford at Centreville, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at Comstock, 5:30 p.m.
Lawrence at White Pigeon, 5:30 p.m.

Boys Swimming and Diving
South Haven at St. Joseph, 6:00 p.m.