Sports Express | October 22, 2026 — Forge FC Win Canadian Championship on Penalties, a First for the CPL

1. Forge FC Beat CF Montreal on Penalties to Become First CPL Side to Win Canadian Championship

Source: Sportsnet

Forge FC beat CF Montreal 4-2 in a penalty shootout at Stade Saputo on Wednesday night to win the Canadian Championship, becoming the first Canadian Premier League club to lift the trophy. The teams were level at 1-1 after extra time, and goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud saved three spot kicks before Manjrekar James converted the winner.

Antoine Batisse had given Forge the lead in regulation and Daniel Rios equalized for Montreal. In the shootout, Tristan Borges, Ben Paton and Daniel Nimick scored for Forge, while Matty Longstaff and Daniel Perreira converted for Montreal and Prince Owusu and Gennadiy Synchuk missed.

In the 21st minute James brought down Owusu in the box, but Bertaud saved the penalty. Brayan Vera was later sent off for a second yellow card for simulation. It was the third straight year Forge eliminated Montreal from the competition, and the win earns Forge a place in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

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2. Tkachuk Booed Throughout Return to Ottawa as Senators Beat Panthers 5-1

Source: CBC

Former Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was met with boos and chants every time he stepped on the ice at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday night. The 27-year-old requested a trade earlier this year to join the Florida Panthers alongside his older brother, a move that was unpopular with many fans.

"He's a traitor, there's not much else to say," fan Jack Kelso said. "He promised he'd give us the [Stanley Cup], but he left." Some fans replaced his name on jerseys with that of new captain Thomas Chabot, and others threw jerseys onto the ice. Tkachuk has said on his podcast that he would donate thrown jerseys to the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa.

Tkachuk scored the opening goal on the power play midway through the first period, but the Senators won 5-1. Afterwards he said he holds no hard feelings and that "it was nice to be in front of this passionate fan base." Coach Travis Green called it "as close to a playoff game as you're gonna get." Tkachuk, drafted fourth overall in 2018, spent eight seasons in Ottawa and returns on March 18.

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3. Leonard Scores 23 in Return as Raptors Rout Bulls 135-92

Source: Sportsnet

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in his first regular-season game back with the Raptors, and Toronto opened its season with a 135-92 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, leading by as many as 48 points.

Leonard was inefficient, going 5 for 17 from the field and 2 for 6 from three. With Toronto up by as many as 29 in the first half, the starters sat for most of the fourth quarter and Leonard played 24 minutes. Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley also scored 23 points; Barnes added six rebounds and five assists, and Quickley had seven assists.

Chicago shot 27 for 85 from the field, 4 for 36 from three and 34 for 47 from the line. Jalen Smith and former Raptor Norm Powell scored 15 apiece. Toronto led 43-23 after the first quarter and opened the second with a 9-0 run. The Raptors visit Washington on Friday; the Bulls visit Milwaukee.

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4. Dream Rout Valkyries 97-71, Two Wins From First WNBA Title

Source: Bleacher Report

The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night. Angel Reese recorded another double-double as Atlanta moved two wins away from a WNBA championship.

The Dream started 8-1 and outscored Golden State 51-31 in the second half. Atlanta finished with 26 assists, shot 9 of 22 from three (41 percent), forced 15 turnovers and went 29 times to the free-throw line for 20 points. Reese made both of her three-point attempts.

Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

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5. Angels Fire Manager Kurt Suzuki After 100-Loss Season

Source: NBC Sports (AP)

The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Kurt Suzuki on Wednesday, declining his contract option after he lost 100 games in his only season. Baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak said the club would open a search for a new manager in 2027 and has offered Suzuki a role as a special assistant.

The Angels went 62-100, the first 100-loss season in franchise history, and finished last in the AL West. "Kurt has earned tremendous respect in our clubhouse," Mozeliak said in a statement. "I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his true abilities as a manager." He said the decision was made in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which reached a deal on Sept. 1 to buy controlling ownership from Arte Moreno.

Suzuki had never managed at any level before taking the job and ended a 16-year playing career as a catcher with the Angels in 2021-22. His replacement will be the seventh manager, including interims, in nine seasons. The Angels have had 11 consecutive losing seasons and 12 straight non-playoff seasons.

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6. Maryland Parting Ways With Coach Mike Locksley

Source: FootballScoop

Maryland dismissed head coach Mike Locksley as the bye week arrived, according to multiple reports, with ESPN first with the news. The move came four days after a 37-30 homecoming loss to Rutgers dropped the Terrapins to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten.

Maryland led 23-13 at halftime and then gave up 24 straight points. It was the fifth straight loss for the Terps, who have allowed an average of 43.8 points per game during the skid and have been outscored 92-13 in the second half of their four Big Ten games, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Locksley finished 39-54 at Maryland, including a 1-5 interim stint in 2015. His contract calls for him to be paid $9.75 million with no offset or mitigation language. ESPN reported that longtime assistant Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will serve as interim head coach. Maryland is off this week and hosts Illinois on Oct. 31.

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7. Bob Huggins Living With 'Progressive Cognitive Condition'

Source: CBS Sports

The family of Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins said in a statement Wednesday that the former Cincinnati, Kansas State and West Virginia coach is living with a "progressive cognitive condition" that has begun to affect his memory and daily life.

Huggins, 73, is set to be inducted into the University of Cincinnati's James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame this week. The family said it had kept the matter private for several months and believed this was the right time to share it with those who supported him.

Huggins coached Cincinnati from 1989 to 2005 and won 399 games, the most in program history. After one season at Kansas State in 2006 he moved to West Virginia for 16 seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2010. He won 934 games over four decades, including 345 with the Mountaineers, and left West Virginia in 2023 after an arrest for driving under the influence.

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8. Former Chiefs Defensive End Allen Bailey Dies at 37

Source: KMBC

The Kansas City Chiefs confirmed at a news conference Wednesday that former defensive end Allen Bailey, who played for the team from 2011 through 2018, has died at the age of 37. Coach Andy Reid announced the news.

"Sad news, the passing of Allen Bailey. Our hearts go out to his family. Prayers are with them. Way too young, obviously," Reid said. "One of my favorite players. Great kid." The team did not release a cause of death; Bailey's brother told TMZ the family believes he died of natural causes.

Bailey was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round, 86th overall, in 2011. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 and was released in February 2021. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes called him a glue guy: "He makes plays, but not necessarily the superstar, but the guy that kind of makes everything go."

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9. China Edge U.S. by 0.233 for Women's Team Gymnastics World Title

Source: NBC Sports

China won the women's team title at the World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, holding off the United States by 0.233 of a point. It is the first time in 16 years that a nation other than the U.S. has won the world women's team title, and China's first global team title since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"It represents 20 years of work and progress for us," Zhang Qingying said, according to World Gymnastics. Japan took bronze, its first Olympic or world women's team medal in 60 years. The U.S. had won the previous seven world team titles since 2011, each by at least two points.

The U.S. team of Skye Blakely, Charleigh Bullock, Dulcy Caylor, Reese Esponda and Claire Pease trailed by eight tenths of a point going into the last routine. Esponda scored slightly lower on floor than in qualifying while China's Qiu Qiyuan scored slightly higher to clinch the title. Hezly Rivera withdrew the day before qualifying because of left ankle pain.

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10. Brewers Offer Fix for 'Timeless Ticket' Holders After World Series Seat Complaints

Source: Bleacher Report

The Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday offered a new promotion for fans unhappy with the seats they received for World Series games after redeeming a decade-old ticket promotion. Fans who already redeemed their Timeless Ticket for a World Series game will keep that ticket and can redeem the Timeless Ticket again at a future game.

In 2015 the Brewers told fans they could pay $1,000 for a Timeless Ticket, reportedly promising the "best available seat" at any future game. Some fans said they were offered 400-level or standing-room-only seats for the Fall Classic.

"We heard feedback from some Timeless Ticket holders regarding the ticket redemption process and seating locations offered," the team's email read. Team president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said the club "erred in our internal communications on the logistics of fulfilling the requests" and "did not live up to the spirit of the program." The Brewers swept the Dodgers in the NLCS for their first World Series trip since 1982 and host Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

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