Sports Express | September 30, 2026 — Canadiens Edge Maple Leafs 3-2 in Season Opener

1. Canadiens Edge Maple Leafs 3-2 in Season Opener as Dobes Makes 26 Saves

Source: Sportsnet

The Montreal Canadiens opened their season with a 3-2 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, as goaltender Jakub Dobes made 26 saves and charged out of his crease to stop Auston Matthews late to seal the victory. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis called Dobes “excellent” after the game.

Josh Anderson tied the game 1-1 — his 17th regular-season goal in his 42nd career game against Toronto — before Zachary Bolduc finished a nice play from Mike Matheson to put Montreal up 2-1. Alexandre Carrier's goal at 13:12 of the third period looked to have sealed it, but William Nylander pulled the Leafs back within a goal with 4:14 to play.

Dobes carried his strong pre-season form into the opener after an outstanding playoff run last season. With a fraction of a second left, he even yanked John Tavares' stick from his hands, drawing a shove from the Leafs forward — an edge teammate Carrier described as part of Dobes' competitive mindset.

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2. Oilers' Bouchard Records First Season-Opener Hat Trick by a Defenceman Since 1980

Source: Sportsnet

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard notched a hat trick in Tuesday's season opener against the visiting Vancouver Canucks — the first hat trick by any NHL defenceman in a season opener since Mark Howe did it with the Hartford Whalers in 1980.

Bouchard capped the hat trick midway through the third period, cutting Vancouver's lead to 5-4 and causing a short break as arena staff picked up the hats thrown by fans. He then added his second assist of the night on Vasily Podkolzin's tying goal with 43 seconds left, becoming the first defenceman in NHL history to record five points in a season opener.

The Oakville, Ont., native is coming off a career-best offensive season: 21 goals and 74 assists for 95 points in 82 games.

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3. Thomas Chabot Named Ottawa Senators Captain

Source: CBC

The Ottawa Senators named Thomas Chabot as captain for the 2026-27 season on Tuesday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre. Chabot, who turns 30 in January, has played parts of 10 seasons with Ottawa; his 569 games played are most on the team and 11th in franchise history, while his 335 points rank 13th all-time and third among defencemen.

“It's a huge honour.… I care about this city and this team and take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey every single night,” said Chabot, a native of Sainte-Marie, Que., south of Quebec City. General manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios noted Chabot is the team's first francophone captain. The announcement came just a few days after Chabot's wife gave birth to a baby girl.

Chabot had been an alternate captain and was the team's first-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft. Previous captain Brady Tkachuk held the role for five seasons before being traded to Florida in the off-season after requesting a move. Head coach Travis Green said Claude Giroux, Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson will serve as alternate captains this season.

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4. Alouettes Acquire Julian Howsare from Tiger-Cats

Source: 3DownNation

The Montreal Alouettes acquired defensive lineman Julian Howsare from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Tuesday, a move 3DownNation reported and both teams later confirmed. Hamilton received a fifth-round pick in the 2027 CFL Draft, while Howsare was sent to Montreal along with a seventh-round pick in the 2027 CFL Draft. The CFL trade deadline is set for Wednesday at 4:59 p.m. EDT.

Howsare, 34, a native of Altoona, Pa., has recorded 32 defensive tackles, one tackle for loss, four sacks and three pass knockdowns over 15 games this season. “We just acquired an all-star player who is capable of giving opposing offences a hard time,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said in a statement. In 2025 Howsare had a career year, being named All-CFL and the East Division's nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Howsare is among the CFL's highest-paid defensive linemen, still owed a little over $15,000 on a deal worth $170,000 in hard money plus up to $12,500 in awards incentives. Over 133 career regular-season CFL games with the Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders, he has tallied 271 defensive tackles and 49 sacks. The Alouettes (11-3) host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) on Saturday, Oct. 3.

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5. Parents of Hospitalized Arizona State Hockey Player Call for Coaches to Be Placed on Leave

Source: NBC News

The parents of an Arizona State University hockey player who collapsed during a summer team workout and remains hospitalized are calling for the coaches involved to be placed on leave. John and Christina Mayich made the request to ASU's president in a letter sent through their lawyer on Tuesday, asking that the coaches who ran the Aug. 20 workout be placed on leave “while an independent investigation gets to the truth.” Matthew Mayich, 21, collapsed during the outdoor workout just five days into his start with the team and suffered external heatstroke from which he is unlikely to recover, family attorney Rob Carey has said.

Seven players also sent their own letter on Monday to ASU President Michael Crow, disputing several findings in ASU's initial internal report and calling for the coaches to be placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation. The players said they fear retaliation because the coaches “decide our playing time, scholarship levels, and roster status.” The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

According to the NHL, Mayich is from Hamilton, Ontario, and was drafted by the St. Louis Blues. He had been in Arizona for only eight days and involved in the hockey program for five. The workout took place on the morning of Aug. 20, when the afternoon high was 104 degrees and the early morning low was 74, according to National Weather Service data. An ASU report released Sept. 21 found that an athletic trainer assessed Mayich's condition, told him to stay down, applied iced towels and cool water, called 911 and directed student-athletes to help move him to a shaded area; the players disputed that account in their letter.

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6. Micah Richards 'Devastated' by Premier League's Guilty Verdict on Man City

Source: BBC

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards says he felt “absolutely devastated” after reading the Premier League's “damning” guilty verdict on the club's financial charges. An independent commission found that City arranged “sham contracts” with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m. The league confirmed City were found guilty of all charges related to breaches of financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and all but one in relation to failure to co-operate with the investigation. The club continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until 2 October to submit an appeal.

“The reports were troubling.… I saw the words which were used by the Premier League in 'sham contracts' and I felt absolutely devastated,” said Richards, 38, on The Rest is Football podcast. He recalled that the family he lodged with during his academy days are long-term City supporters, and that his former landlord called him “literally in tears.” During that nine-year period City won the Premier League three times, with Richards part of their title-winning squad in 2011-12.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement on Saturday that the club is still confident of proving its innocence, while on Tuesday chief executive Ferran Soriano said in a video message that “irrefutable evidence” had been “ignored” by the commission. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports News the titles “should be taken off their list,” adding that the players “will almost feel like a lot of their career is going to have an asterisk.”

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7. Caitlin Clark's 27 Points, 15 Assists Help Fever Even Series as A'ja Wilson Confronts Fan

Source: The Guardian

Caitlin Clark scored 27 points and had 15 assists to help keep the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever's postseason alive with a 99-89 win over the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, evening the best-of-three series at 1-1. Clark became the first player in league history to produce a points-assists double-double in the first half of a playoff game (14 points, 11 assists). Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points as the crowd chanted “M-V-P.” Game 3 will be played Thursday at Las Vegas.

The fourth quarter featured an incident between a fan and four-time league MVP A'ja Wilson after Sophie Cunningham drew a foul. The two appeared to point and shout at one another; two teammates, an assistant coach and security intervened. Wilson was assessed a technical foul for stepping off the court but was not ejected, and the man was escorted out but allowed to return because the Fever said he did not violate the fan code of conduct policy. “If I see a man come at me, taking steps towards me and pointing at me … that is unacceptable,” Wilson said after the game.

Aces coach Becky Hammon said: “I've never seen A'ja Wilson go like that, so whatever was done I can tell you she felt very disrespected in that moment.” The incident seemed to motivate Las Vegas, who got as close as 92-87 after Clark fouled out with 2:45 to play, but the Fever hung on.

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8. Steelers' Jalen Ramsey Says He Has a Broken Wrist

Source: NBC Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey told reporters on Tuesday that his wrist is broken. In advance of Thursday night's game at Cleveland, Ramsey was listed as limited in practice on Monday and Tuesday with a wrist injury, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. He has a brace or cast on his wrist.

“It's just going to be about seeing if I'm able to protect it and also still be myself in a good enough capacity where I feel like if I go out there, I won't be letting any of my teammates down,” Ramsey said. The eight-time Pro Bowler has played every snap through the Steelers' first three games of the 2026 season.

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9. RFK Racing and Brad Keselowski to Split at End of 2026 Season

Source: Motorsport.com

RFK Racing and Brad Keselowski are splitting at the end of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season in shocking news. Keselowski is a co-owner of the organization, but reports indicate he will give up his ownership piece as well. RFK said it “intend[s] to collaboratively and mutually work through the appropriate next steps regarding his existing ownership interest in the organization, and the team supports his desire to explore his career opportunities elsewhere.”

Keselowski spent most of his career with Team Penske before joining RFK as a driver and part-owner in 2022. RFK Racing president Chip Bowers said the team is “big fans of Brad as a person, driver, and colleague,” adding that “he was not simply driving the No. 6 car but investing himself in the future of the team.” The team said the search for a new head of competition — a position held by Keselowski — will begin immediately, and that it will continue under the ownership of Roush Enterprises and Fenway Sports Group.

In his own statement, the 42-year-old Keselowski made clear this is not a retirement announcement and that he intends to continue racing. He is one of the most senior drivers in NASCAR today, with over 600 Cup starts dating back to 2008 and 36 Cup wins, including the 2018 Brickyard 400 and Southern 500 and the 2020 Coca-Cola 600. He is also the 2010 NASCAR O'Reilly Series champion, with 76 wins across all three national divisions.

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10. Phillies' Luis Arraez Out for NL Wild Card Series with Ankle Injury

Source: MLB.com

Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Monday at Truist Park that Luis Arraez will not play in the NL Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves. Arraez, who sprained his left ankle on Thursday, had not played since the injury and had not even swung a bat. When the Phillies celebrated clinching a wild-card spot on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, he wore a boot wrapped in plastic on his left foot. Triple-A Lehigh Valley utility player Otto Kemp will take Arraez's place on the roster.

The Phillies officially announced their Wild Card Series roster on Tuesday morning, the main surprise being left-hander Tanner Banks making the 26-man roster while left-hander Brooks Raley did not. Raley, acquired by Dave Dombrowski before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, went 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA in 16 appearances with Philadelphia; Banks went 0-4 with a 6.19 ERA in 32 appearances but had a 2.45 ERA in four outings after returning from a left forearm injury this month. Mattingly said they chose Banks because he can provide more length.

Arraez hit .278 with a .678 OPS since joining the Phillies but provided stability in the cleanup spot. “We still get improvement every day, but not enough,” Mattingly said. Asked Sunday if he could hit in an emergency, Arraez shook his head no: “I don't want to be [a] hero.”

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