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2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games

Jack Hughes’ Toothless Goal & Hilary Knight Honored on Fallon’s Show

by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor March 3, 2026

written by Julia Evans – Entertainment Editor

Novel YORK — Jimmy Fallon poked fun at Jack Hughes’s resilience, referencing a tooth knocked loose during the Olympic gold medal game, as the U.S. Men’s and women’s hockey teams continued their celebratory media tour. Hughes, along with teammate Quinn Hughes and women’s team star Hilary Knight, appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Monday night, just two days after a cameo on “Saturday Night Live.”

The appearance followed a whirlwind few weeks for the athletes, culminating in gold medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Knight, a five-time Olympian, recounted to Fallon that appearing on “SNL” was more nerve-wracking than competing for Olympic gold. “Uh, SNL,” she responded immediately when asked, drawing laughter from the audience.

Fallon highlighted Knight’s long-held Olympic ambition, recalling her childhood declaration to her mother at age five that she wanted to play Olympic hockey. “I’m just dialed like that,” Knight said. “We didn’t even have women’s hockey in the Olympics at the time. I just must have seen it on TV and was like: ‘That’s what I’m doing. I want to play hockey.’”

The show likewise featured a reading of a letter Jack Hughes wrote to his younger self before being selected first overall in the 2019 NHL draft. The letter included a hopeful prediction: “Maybe we all represented the United States at the Olympics. Maybe we won a gold medal or gold medals together. What an honor that would be.” The three athletes then shared a fist bump as the studio audience, including Jack and Quinn Hughes’s younger brother, Luke Hughes, applauded.

The Hughes brothers recounted a lighthearted moment from the athletes’ village, detailing their attempt to rearrange their dorm room beds. They also revisited the incident during the gold medal game when Jack Hughes was high-sticked by Canada’s Sam Bennett. Quinn Hughes, according to Jack, initially downplayed the injury. “Quinn, he was the first guy closest to me and I remember him coming up to me at the TV timeout, and he was like: ‘It’s not that bad. It’s only chipped,’” Jack Hughes said, recalling the moment with four minutes remaining in the game.

Jack Hughes assured Fallon that the gap-toothed smile wouldn’t last, even after the dramatic finish to the Olympic final. Fallon described the situation as “the most hockey thing I could even think of ever happening in the world.”

The conversation also touched on Knight’s personal life, including her recent engagement to U.S. Speedskater Brittany Bowe. Fallon playfully questioned her choice of proposing on a grate rather than the nearby grass, and Knight admitted to enjoying “high-pressure situations.”

Knight, who has stated this was her final Olympic appearance, played through a torn medial collateral ligament in her knee, a fact she revealed earlier Monday on “CBS Mornings.” “I’m not walking around the best, and I’m missing a few games for the (PWHL’s) Seattle Torrent,” Knight said on CBS. “To be able to play through injury was definitely a mental sort of gymnastic challenge for myself and also physical, but we’ve got some amazing support staff that did their best to acquire me out there and perform at my best — as best as I could.” She scored the tying goal in the final against Canada with just over two minutes left in regulation.

Knight, along with teammate Kendall Coye Schofield, and Canada’s Erin Ambrose were all placed on long-term injured reserve by their respective PWHL teams upon their return to the season.

March 3, 2026 0 comments

Sport

Lindsey Vonn: Skier Nearly Lost Leg in Olympic Crash – Details

by Alex Carter - Sports Editor February 23, 2026

written by Alex Carter - Sports Editor

VAIL, Colo. (AP) — American ski racer Lindsey Vonn revealed Monday that a crash during the women’s downhill at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics nearly resulted in the amputation of her left leg.

Vonn, 41, shared details of the harrowing incident and subsequent medical intervention in an Instagram post, explaining that her injuries extended far beyond the initially reported complex tibia fracture sustained on February 8th after clipping a gate and losing control.

The crash led to a severe case of compartment syndrome, a condition where excessive pressure builds up within a muscle, restricting blood flow and potentially causing permanent damage if not addressed promptly. “When you have so much trauma to one area of your body so that there’s too much blood and it gets stuck and it basically crushes everything,” Vonn explained in her post.

Vonn credited Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with both Vonn and Team USA, with performing a life-saving fasciotomy – a surgical procedure to relieve pressure – that ultimately saved her leg. “He filleted it open (and) let it breathe, and he saved me,” she wrote.

Remarkably, Vonn noted that Dr. Hackett was even present at the Olympics due to her competing despite tearing the ACL in her left knee shortly before the games began. “If I hadn’t have done that, Tom wouldn’t have been there (and he) wouldn’t have been able to save my leg,” she said.

In addition to the leg injury, Vonn also broke her right ankle in the same crash. She described the ordeal as “quite the journey and by far the most extreme and painful and challenging injury I’ve ever faced in my entire life times 100.”

Vonn underwent multiple surgeries during a week-long hospital stay in Treviso, Italy, receiving a blood transfusion to address significant blood loss and raise her hemoglobin levels. She expressed gratitude to both Dr. Hackett and the Italian medical team for their efforts to repair her leg, which she described as being “in pieces” following the accident.

Currently confined to a wheelchair and described as “very much immobile,” Vonn is now focused on rehabilitation, with the goal of eventually transitioning to crutches. She anticipates approximately one year for the bones in her left leg to heal before doctors can address the torn ACL, which was not directly involved in the initial crash.

“It’s going to be a long road,” Vonn acknowledged. “I always fight and we keep going.” Despite the severity of her injuries, Vonn stated she has “no regrets” about her decision to return to competition after a six-year retirement or to ski at the Olympics despite the pre-existing knee injury.

“I wish it had ended differently, but I’d rather go down swinging than not try at all,” she said, adding that her performance this year was “incredible and so worth everything.” Vonn likened the injuries to “one blip on the radar.”

Her father, Alan Kildow, had previously expressed a desire for her to retire following the accident, according to the Associated Press. Vonn concluded by stating, “Life is life and we have to take the punches that come. Going to do the best I can with this one. It really knocked me down. But I’m like Rocky. I’ll just keep getting back up.”

February 23, 2026 0 comments

World

US & Canada Dominate Olympic Hockey: Quarterfinal Matchups Set

by Lucas Fernandez – World Editor February 16, 2026

written by Lucas Fernandez – World Editor

MILAN (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk’s verbal jab at Leon Draisaitl during Sunday night’s USA-Germany Olympic hockey game has quickly become a talking point, overshadowing the Americans’ dominant 5-1 victory and their subsequent claim to the second seed in the knockout round. The exchange, captured by a hot microphone, saw Tkachuk repeatedly taunt Draisaitl with the phrase, “Always the bridesmaid, eh Leon? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”

The barb, referencing the Florida Panthers’ consecutive Stanley Cup Final victories over Draisaitl’s Edmonton Oilers in 2024 and 2025, landed during the second period as the two teams were heading to the bench. Tkachuk’s brother, Brady, stood nearby as he delivered the line, according to multiple reports. The moment quickly circulated on social media, with a clip posted by 10,000 Takes garnering significant attention.

“It’s always a challenge,” Tkachuk said after the game, as reported by Bleacher Report, when asked about playing against Draisaitl. “Our teams have some history. And (it’s) always fun playing him.” He also acknowledged that such exchanges aren’t typical between the two players, but Sunday’s game presented a unique opportunity. “I wouldn’t say so,” Tkachuk said. “Some guys, you’ve got to play harder than most physically, and maybe after the whistle sometimes, too.”

The U.S. Victory, fueled by two goals and an assist from captain Auston Matthews and 23 saves from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, secured their position as the second seed in the tournament. The Americans finished group play unbeaten. Canada, after a resounding 10-2 win over France, claimed the top seed, meaning the two North American rivals won’t meet until a potential gold medal game.

Despite Canada’s dominant performance, the U.S. Team maintained they weren’t focused on chasing the top seed. “We never talked once about the top seed at all,” Tkachuk insisted. “None of that seeding stuff. All that handles itself.”

The U.S. Will now face the winner of Tuesday’s qualification round game between Sweden and Latvia in the quarterfinals. Sweden, despite winning two of its three preliminary round games, was relegated to seventh seed due to a goal differential tiebreaker. Defenseman Zach Werenski acknowledged the challenge Sweden presents, describing them as a “super-skilled team” with “a lot of talent.”

Elsewhere, Switzerland secured an easier path to the quarterfinals by defeating Czechia 4-3 in overtime, a victory particularly poignant given the absence of injured winger Kevin Fiala. Captain Roman Josi scored the opening goal for Switzerland, and Dean Kukan netted the overtime winner. Fiala, recovering from a lower leg injury, sent a video message to his teammates from the hospital, expressing his continued support.

In another contest, Denmark earned its first victory of the tournament with a 4-2 win over Latvia, largely thanks to a stellar 33-save performance by longtime NHL goaltender Frederik Andersen. The win positioned Denmark ahead of Latvia in the seeding, sending Latvia to face Sweden in the qualification round.

Canada’s victory over France was marked by both offensive firepower and a display of team loyalty. Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid each contributed a goal and two assists, whereas Tom Wilson engaged in a fight after a hit on Nathan MacKinnon, earning a game misconduct but garnering praise from teammates for standing up for a colleague. Macklin Celebrini, Canada’s youngest player, also impressed with two goals, including a penalty shot.

February 16, 2026 0 comments