Sports Express | October 30, 2026 — Court lifts Russia hockey ban as Brewers celebrate first title

1. Sports court lifts Russia ban, opening door to hockey worlds

Source: WSLS (AP)

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Friday that Russian teams must be allowed to play International Ice Hockey Federation events, including the world championships. CAS overturned IIHF decisions that excluded Russia from 2026-27 season events, among them the men's and women's world championships.

In a brief statement, CAS cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the IIHF's security concerns. It said the ruling did not address whether Russia must play without national symbols as neutral athletes, nor other "organizational consequences." The IIHF said it was disappointed and maintained its decisions "were necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions."

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov wrote on Telegram that CAS had "recognized the demands of the Russian Hockey Federation on key points as justified." Russia has been barred from IIHF world championships since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and missed this year's Olympic hockey tournaments. The ruling is an immediate challenge for new IIHF president Franz Reindl, whose country, Germany, hosts next year's men's world championship, where Ukraine has also qualified.

The first tournament Russia could return to is the men's world junior championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Canada, starting Dec. 26. The women's world championship in Canada next year and the 2027 under-18 world championships in Minnesota and the Czech Republic are also covered. Russia and the Soviet Union have 27 men's world titles, second only to Canada's 28; Russia last won gold in 2014.

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2. Brewers' first title was built on 11 wins and the small plays inside them

Source: FOX Sports

Milwaukee won its first World Series title, and FOX Sports' Rowan Kavner looked past the obvious moments: Jackson Chourio's walk-off against Mason Miller, back-to-back homers from Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell off Blake Snell, four-run deficits erased and an eight-run, two-out onslaught at Tropicana Field. The difference, he argues, were the small plays inside each of the Brewers' 11 postseason wins.

In NLDS Game 1 against the Padres, with Jacob Misiorowski lasting only four innings, Ty France drove a ball deep to left with one on and one out in the ninth. It struck a roof cable at American Family Field and stayed in play; Chourio made the catch and Milwaukee held on 3-2. In Game 2, Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth bobbled a soft grounder and threw it away, and two innings later Chourio walked off Miller.

In Game 4 at Petco Park, before 47,712 fans, Manny Machado hit a 406-foot fly ball at 106.7 mph in the eighth and Mitchell came out of a tussle with Padres fans in the first row with the ball. In the NLCS opener, rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt and Brice Turang turned a bases-loaded double play to keep Misiorowski's pitch count manageable.

In Game 4 of the NLCS, Chourio tracked down Kiké Hernández's 107.9 mph liner, keeping Shohei Ohtani in the on-deck circle and sending Milwaukee to its first World Series since 1982. In the World Series against the Rays, catcher William Contreras threw out Victor Mesa Jr. trying to steal third.

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3. Packers hold off Panthers 27-19 as Love throws three touchdowns

Source: Sky Sports

Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes, Josh Jacobs scored twice and the Green Bay Packers withstood three turnovers and a late Carolina comeback to win 27-19 at Lambeau Field on Thursday night. Love went 30 of 41 for 288 yards with touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft, Matthew Golden and Jacobs, plus an interception. Jacobs rushed for only 39 yards on 21 carries but scored on a 4-yard catch and a 1-yard run, and Green Bay sacked Bryce Young six times.

Green Bay has not allowed any of its past five opponents to top 20 points. "This defense is really special," safety Javon Bullard said. Trailing 27-10 in the third quarter, Carolina cut the lead to 27-19 on Young's 26-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker on fourth-and-3 with 5:37 remaining, but the two-point conversion failed. The Panthers turned the ball over on downs at midfield with 2:41 left, and after one last drive from their own 20 with 22 seconds and no timeouts, Dani Dennis-Sutton's sack ended it.

Christian Watson returned for Green Bay after hurting his chest on a 53-yard catch in the second quarter and being taken to hospital; a CT scan showed no internal bleeding, and Watson said he broke a rib. He caught eight passes for 113 yards. Panthers cornerback Will Lee injured a hamstring on the same play and was carted off. The Packers are 5-3 but still bottom of the NFC North; Carolina tops the NFC South with a losing record.

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4. Zverev to take No. 1 ranking, ending Sinner-Alcaraz grip

Source: BBC

Alexander Zverev will replace Jannik Sinner as men's world No. 1 on Monday after reaching the quarter-finals in Vienna with a 6-4 7-5 win over Tallon Griekspoor at the Erste Bank Open. The 29-year-old is the second German to top the men's rankings after Boris Becker in 1991, and the second-oldest man to get there for the first time.

He won the French Open and US Open this year, taking two Grand Slam titles and 64 of his 80 matches. He secured the year-end No. 1 when Carlos Alcaraz lost in Shanghai on 12 October, and is the first man other than Sinner or Alcaraz to hold the top spot since Novak Djokovic in June 2024. "It's been a wait but sometimes you have to wait for the best things in life," Zverev said. "I'm super happy, super thrilled - I have no words for this year."

Zverev conceded he would "maybe not" be the best player in the world if both rivals were healthy and at the top of their game. He faces British No. 1 Arthur Fery next; Fery beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 5-7 6-4.

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5. Grizzlies' 5-0 start is only the second in franchise history

Source: Yahoo Sports

Memphis beat Portland 124-103 to move to 5-0, only the second 5-0 start in franchise history. The last one came in 2014-15, when the Grizzlies, led by Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph under coach Dave Joerger, opened 6-0 and finished 55-27, losing in the second round to the eventual champion Warriors.

Few expected this. Memphis was widely seen as rebuilding and many projected the team under .500 through five games. The Grizzlies moved on from Ja Morant, drafted Cam Boozer and installed Ty Jerome at point guard under coach Tuomas Iisalo. Jerome scored 45 in the opener and is averaging 25.8 points; Boozer had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists against Portland.

Memphis is one of only two unbeaten teams in the NBA. The piece credits a balanced attack and a paint presence built on Zach Edey and Boozer, but says the defense still has issues and it is too early to call them contenders.

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6. PWHL raises minimum salaries, expands rosters to 24

Source: CBC

The Professional Women's Hockey League and its players association have agreed to a series of changes, including higher minimum salaries and expanded rosters. Minimum annual base salaries will rise to $52,500 US by the 2030-31 season from $42,000 this campaign.

Each team will carry 24 full active roster spots starting this season, up from 23. Teams will not have reserve players after being allowed three reserve contracts in previous campaigns, and one-game standard player agreements are being introduced to handle unexpected roster situations.

Training camps open Nov. 18, with the regular season beginning Dec. 5.

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7. Canadiens complete perfect road trip without Suzuki

Source: Sportsnet

Montreal beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Thursday to complete a 4-0-0 road trip without captain Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov and Mike Matheson, and with a power play that barely functioned. "Just fall back on the collective game," coach Martin St. Louis said before the trip. "We're just going to keep going. It's a big piece, but we'll be ready."

Jacob Fowler made 46 saves in a shutout win at St. Louis on Tuesday, and Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson scored in the Heritage Classic against Winnipeg. The power play went 0-for-10 on the trip and fell to 30th in the league; the penalty kill went 12-for-12 through Chicago, Winnipeg and St. Louis before allowing one goal on four Dallas chances.

Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield each scored twice against the Stars and Phillip Danault added an empty-netter, while Jakub Dobes made key penalty-kill saves on Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. Montreal returns home 8-3-2 with the second-best points percentage in the Atlantic Division at .692.

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8. Dart stuns Badosa for second career WTA semi-final

Source: Yahoo Sports

Britain's Harriet Dart, 30, fought back from a set down to beat fifth seed Paula Badosa 3-6 6-2 6-4 in two hours 15 minutes at the Guangzhou Open, reaching the second WTA Tour semi-final of her career. Badosa, ranked 61st, was 54 places above her.

Dart came through qualifying and beat second seed Janice Tjen in the previous round. She faces either American Claire Liu or 16-year-old Chinese wildcard Sun Xinran on Saturday. "It's been a very long time since I've been in the business end of the tournament so I am really excited for that," she said. "Tennis is so stressful, so to have the opportunity to compete again on Saturday is a great opportunity for me."

Badosa took two medical timeouts in the heat, saved a match point at 5-3 in the decider and broke Dart, but was running on empty in her next service game, which Dart won to love.

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9. First MVP ladder: SGA's three-peat bid meets a battered Thunder

Source: Yahoo Sports

USA TODAY's Lorenzo Reyes published his first NBA MVP rankings of the season, and Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's run at a third straight award looks in peril. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in five games.

Injuries are the story. Three Thunder starters missed the Oct. 28 loss to the Mavericks; Jalen Williams (ankle) may miss the entire season, and Cason Wallace (torn labrum), Chet Holmgren (knee tendinitis) and Alex Caruso (ankle) appear likely to miss extended time. More defensive attention will come Gilgeous-Alexander's way, the piece argues, but if his numbers hold, the shorthanded context may strengthen his case.

Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards' knee issue is another complication, with players also chasing the 65-game eligibility threshold.

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10. Canada's three sliding sports to merge under one body

Source: CBC

Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada and Luge Canada announced an agreement on Thursday to amalgamate, with the goal of operating as one entity in the spring of 2027, bringing bobsleigh, skeleton and luge under a single administrative umbrella.

The move comes as national sport organizations are encouraged to merge and share services to be more financially sustainable. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission's final report this past spring said many organizations would need to amalgamate "to ensure their long-term stability and survival." "Canada's sport system is changing, and we would rather lead that change than wait for it," Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada CEO Kien Tran said.

The two organizations received nearly $3 million from Sport Canada in 2026-27, including more than $1.5 million this year to support the merger work. The new body's name has not been decided and the spring 2027 timeline is subject to board and membership approvals. The three sports have combined for 17 Olympic medals for Canada, none of them at the 2026 Games.

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