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After two surgeries, San Jose Sharks prospect is again all smiles. What’s next for the 20-year-old?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

Defenseman Gannon Laroque could be excused for having a little extra enthusiasm this week as he and other San Jose Sharks prospects got ready for the six-team Rookie Faceoff in Las Vegas.After all, it had been about nine months since he last played a game.“My smile is probably the biggest you’ve ever seen,” Laroque said Friday after he had a goal and an assist in the Sharks team’s 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. “It was fun to be out there again.”Laroque, a fourth-round draft pick by the Sharks in 2021, is coming off a challenging 2022-2023 season in which he had two surgeries – followed by two grueling rehabs — with just four games played for the WHL’s Victoria Royals.After he was drafted, Laroque enjoyed a breakout season with the Royals with 52 points in 63 games. A right-shot defenseman, Laroque was suddenly considered one of the organization’s top prospects — certainly, he was the most improved — and the Sharks announced on June 1, 2022, that they ha...

Police: 3 arrested after attempting fraudulent $21K purchase from Tysons’ Louis Vuitton store

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

Three New Yorkers were arrested Thursday after allegedly attempting to use a stolen credit card for a $21,000 Louis Vuitton store purchase at the Tysons Corner Center mall, according to a news release from Fairfax County police.According to police, store employees contacted the mall’s Tysons Urban Team — a special unit assigned to cover the mall — about the attempted purchase shortly before 4 p.m.Officers surveilled the two men accused of making the purchase — later identified as 28-year-old Jamine Decambra of Brooklyn, New York and 33-year-old Darnel Eric Davis of Astoria, New York — as they left the store and entered a rental car. Inside the car was a third person, 37-year-old Marcia Jenelle Lewis of Jamaica, New York.Police conducted a traffic stop and reported findings of 36 fictitious driver’s licenses, 32 stolen credit cards, a U.S. Postal Services mail carrier uniform and arrow key, stolen articles of mail and “other evidence of theft and fraud” in the car, ...

The Cleveland Browns can put the Pittsburgh Steelers in an early hole with a win on Monday night

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

CLEVELAND (1-0) at PITTSBURGH (0-1)Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ABC FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Browns by 2 1/2.SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 80-62-1.LAST MEETING: Steelers beat Browns 28-14 on Jan. 8, 2023, in Pittsburgh.LAST WEEK: Browns beat Bengals 24-3; Steelers lost to 49ers 30-7.AGAINST THE SPREAD: Browns: 1-0; Steelers 0-1.BROWNS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (2), PASS (24), SCORING (10)BROWNS DEFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (9), PASS (2), SCORING (1)STEELERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (31), PASS (15), SCORING (30)STEELERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (30), PASS (21), SCORING (26)TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Browns minus-2; Steelers minus-1.BROWNS PLAYER TO WATCH: Rookie T Dawand Jones. With Jack Conklin lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in the opener, the massive Jones, a fourth-round pick from Ohio State, moves into the starting lineup earlier than expected. The 6-foot-8, 375-pounder more than held his own against the Bengals, but could now find himself facing Steelers LB T.J. W...

Wales weathers energetic underdog Portugal to win 28-8 at Rugby World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

NICE, France (AP) — Wales scored a bonus-point fourth try in the last play of the game to beat Portugal 28-8 without ever completely subduing the feisty underdog playing its first Rugby World Cup game in 16 years on Saturday.No. 8 Taulupe Faletau came off the back of the scrum and rumbled through three poor Portugal tackles for the final try in the 83rd minute, which ensured Wales came away with maximum points even if it didn’t dominate the Pool C game the way it expected.Louis Rees Zammit opened the try count for the Welsh in the ninth minute, and celebrated his kick-and-chase score on the right wing with a version of Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous siuuu! leap and land — a cheeky take on Portugal’s most famous sports star.Hooker and captain Dewi Lake drove over after taking a tap penalty but that second Wales try only came right at the end of the half.Jac Morgan, called into the team late to replace Tommy Reffell at openside flank, got Wales’ third early in the ...

Bears say RG Nate Davis doubtful for Tampa Bay game, rule out nickel back Josh Blackwell

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears listed right guard Nate Davis as doubtful and ruled out nickel back Josh Blackwell for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay.The Bears added Davis to the status report Saturday for personal reasons, likely leaving the line without another starter. Left guard Teven Jenkins opened the season on injured reserve.Blackwell suffered a hamstring injury in a season-opening loss to Green Bay. He would have filled in for Kyler Gordon, who broke his right hand in that game.The Bears announced Friday that defensive coordinator Alan Williams will miss the game for personal reasons. Coach Matt Eberflus, a former defensive coordinator with Indianapolis, will call plays in his place.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLSource

Slipper’s versatility and resilience gets him to fourth Rugby World Cup for Australia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) — James Slipper wanted to retire from rugby at age 30.He’s 34 and set to anchor Australia’s front row in the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.“I’ve gone a bit over time,” he said.What’s happened is he’s maximizing a second chance he received in his 30th year, 2019.Back then, Slipper had suffered depression for a year while coming to grips with his mother’s terminal cancer. He tested positive for cocaine twice but Rugby Australia took them in context and was lenient with the punishment while giving him specialist mental health help. He didn’t play for the Wallabies in 2017 and 2018 and left the Queensland Reds in 2019 to try and restart his career with the ACT Brumbies.He helped the Brumbies reach the Super Rugby semifinals, and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika picked him to resume his test career against South Africa at Ellis Park just two months before the World Cup in Japan. Slipper was a mainstay in the front row again.T...

Verstappen’s winning run in F1 is in doubt after qualifying 11th in Singapore with Sainz on pole

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

SINGAPORE (AP) — Max Verstappen’s historic run of 10 Formula One wins in a row looks set to end after he qualified down in 11th place on Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix.Carlos Sainz Jr. took pole for the race for Ferrari on Sunday ahead of George Russell of Mercedes and the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc as Verstappen’s Red Bull team had its worst qualifying results of the season.“It’s the best opportunity since the beginning of the season, for sure” for other teams to stop a Red Bull sweep of winning every race in 2023, Leclerc said.Verstappen, the runaway championship leader after his record-breaking 10th straight win at the Italian Grand Prix, was eliminated by .007 seconds in the second session by rookie Liam Lawson of sister team AlphaTauri. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was 13th after a spin. The two drivers have won every race this season between them.Verstappen told his team over the radio that it was an “absolutely shocking experience.”...

Browns WR Amari Cooper leaves practice with groin injury, questionable for Steelers on Monday night

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns top wide receiver Amari Cooper had to leave Saturday’s practice early with a groin injury and is listed as questionable for Monday night’s game at Pittsburgh.Coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t have much information on Cooper, who underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury during the offseason. Cooper was on the field during the portion of practice open to the media.“We’ll see how he does over the next 48 hours,” Stefanski said.Cooper led the Browns with 78 catches for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns last season, his first in Cleveland after four with the Cowboys and four with the Raiders. He played the final weeks despite the core muscle injury.Cooper briefly came into the locker room following practice but didn’t talk to reporters before leaving.The 29-year-old Cooper is a major part of Cleveland’s offensive attack and not having him in Pittsburgh would be a huge blow to the Browns (1-0), who are coming off a 24-3 wi...

GOP Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is acquitted of 16 impeachment charges following years of corruption allegations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — GOP Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is acquitted of 16 impeachment charges following years of corruption allegations.Source

Angels star Shoehei Ohtani out for rest of season because of oblique injury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:38:17 GMT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani will miss the rest of the season because of an oblique injury, the team announced.Ohtani was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday. He has not played since Sept. 3 because of the oblique injury and his season as a pitcher ended Aug. 23 because of a torn elbow ligament.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBSource