LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: On Coach K Court, the X-Women took down the visiting Dalhousie Tigers 79-58. Friday’s game was the X-Women’s annual U SPORTS Shoot for a Cure game for breast cancer awareness and research. Fans interested in supporting the campaign can support the cause with a financial donation online at goxgo.ca/shootforthecure.
The X-Men poured in 52 points in the second half to pull off a 90-76 come from behind win over the visiting Tigers. With five consecutive wins, the 10-3 X-Men move into the top spot in the AUS, as second place Acadia fell to Memorial earlier in the evening.
The teams are back on Coach K Court this evening, this time hosting the Saint Mary’s Huskies: the women tip off at 6, followed by the men at 8.
Amy Dvernichuk’s third-period goal proved to be the difference as the St. Thomas Tommies held off the No. 4 nationally ranked X-Women 2–1 at the Grant Harvey Centre. Toby Graham scored for the X-Women, who remain in Fredericton to face the UNB REDS at 7 pm.
Hockey: X-Men vs Moncton @ 7 pm.
Junior B: The Strait Pirates edged out the Junior Miners 7-6 in a high-scoring affair in Port Hawkesbury. Today: PC Scotians @ Eskasoni 4 pm, Strait Pirates @ Bulldogs 7 pm.
Seniors League: East Hants Penguins beat the Pictou County Pipers 5-1 at the Wellness Centre, while the Blackstone Knights defeated the Miners 8-3 at the Al MacInnis Sports Centre. Three games tonight: Bulldogs v Truro Bearcats 7:30, Pipers v Penguins 8 pm, Blackstone Knights v County Islanders 8:15 pm.
Rural League: St Croix 8 Pleastantdale 0, Outlaws 6 Heatherton 2
Maritime League: Pictou County Weeks Crushers vs Summerside Western Capitals 7 pm.
U15: Whalers @ Wearwell Bombers 2 pm, Novas v Rangers 3 pm.
U18 Major: Steele Subaru @ Weeks Majors 6 pm, Hunters @ West Islanders 6 pm.
High School Hockey: On Friday, a split decision in Trenton between the Hants East Tigers and the North Nova Gryphons: the North Nova Girls shut out the Tigers 4-0, while the East Hants Boys defeated the Gryphons 5-1. Tonight, the CEC Cougars take on the Northumberland Boys in Westville at 6:30 pm.
Maritime Major Girls U18 League: Surge @ Selects in Hector Arena 4 pm, Stars @ Lynx in Membertou 5 pm.
The U11 AA Antigonish Bulldogs are hosting the Leroy MacDonald Memorial Hockey Tournament this weekend. The Bulldogs play twice today at the Antigonish Arena: at 9:30 am vs Pictou Crushers Red, and 3:30 pm against the Truro Bearcats. Round robin play continues through the day, with playoffs and finals Sunday.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Ryan O’Reilly scored three goals for his seventh career hat trick and added an assist as the Nashville Predators beat Colorado 7-3, handing the Avalanche their first home loss in regulation this season. Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists for Nashville. It was O’Reilly’s first hat trick since January 4th of last year versus Calgary, and his second against his former team.
Jordan Kyrou scored the only goal in a shootout and the St. Louis Blues beat Tampa Bay 3-2 to snap the Lightning’s franchise record-tying 11-game winning streak. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov had a chance to extend the shootout but was stopped by Joel Hofer, who made 34 saves in regulation and overtime before delivering three more in the tiebreaker. It was the Blues’ first win in overtime or a shootout this season. They had been 0-and-8.
Nikolaj Ehlers had three goals for his sixth career hat trick and first with Carolina, and the Hurricanes scored six times in the third period to cruise past the Florida Panthers 9-1. Ehlers, who signed with Carolina in the off-season after playing 10 years with Winnipeg, also had an assist. Taylor Hall had two goals and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists.
Kevin Durant scored 39 points and made a season-best six three-pointers to lead the Houston Rockets to a 110-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Alperen Sengun added 25 points with 14 rebounds to help the Rockets bounce back after a blowout loss to Oklahoma City Thursday night.
Domantas Sabonis scored 13 points in his return from a knee injury, Russell Westbrook had 26, and the Sacramento Kings beat the Washington Wizards 128-115 for their fourth straight victory. Sabonis returned after missing 27 games because of a partially torn meniscus in his left knee.
Canada’s Victoria Mboko fell just short of earning her first title of the 2026 season. The 19-year-old from Toronto fell 6-3, 6-1 to third-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva in the Adelaide International women’s tennis final on Saturday local time. Mboko is set to play in the opening round of the Australian Open against Australia’s Emerson Jones on Monday local time. Mboko enters the Grand Slam event as the No. 17 seed.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Carolina 9 Florida 1
Detroit 4 San Jose 2
St. Louis 3 Tampa Bay 2 (SO)
Nashville 7 Colorado 3
Anaheim 3 Los Angeles 2 (SO)
PWHL
Minnesota 3 New York 2 (OT)
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Newfoundland 8 Rimouski 4
Chicoutimi 5 Charlottetown 2
Quebec 3 Baie-Comeau 0
Shawinigan 4 Sherbrooke 1
Rouyn-Noranda 2 Val-d’Or 1
Drummondville 9 Victoriaville 5
NBA
L.A. Clippers 121 Toronto 117 (OT)
Cleveland 117 Philadelphia 115
Indiana 127 New Orleans 119
Brooklyn 112 Chicago 109
Houston 110 Minnesota 105
Sacramento 128 Washington 115
Saturday Games (All times Eastern)
NHL
Minnesota at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
N.Y. Islanders at Calgary, 3 p.m.
Seattle at Utah, 5 p.m.
Montreal at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Carolina at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Florida at Washington, 7 p.m.
Boston at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
Nashville at Vegas, 10 p.m.
PWHL
Vancouver at Toronto, 3 p.m.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Saint John at Blainville-Boisbriand, 4 p.m.
Baie-Comeau at Québec, 4 p.m.
Charlottetown at Halifax, 6 p.m.
Chicoutimi at Moncton, 6 p.m.
NFL Divisional Playoffs
Buffalo at Denver, 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco at Seattle, 8 p.m.
NBA
Utah at Dallas, 5 p.m.
Boston at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Indiana at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at San Antonio, 8 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Miami, 8 p.m.
Charlotte at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.
Washington at Denver, 9 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Portland, 10 p.m.