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JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Gio Vaccaro celebrates with family and friends during a party at Caboto Centre after he was picked first overall in the CFL draft Tuesday.

Winnipeg’s Vaccaro first Bison to be drafted first overall

Taylor Allen 4 minute read Yesterday at 10:28 PM CDT

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Over 250 people inside the Caboto Centre fell silent as Giordano Vaccaro’s phone started to ring.

Family, friends and members of the local football community sat on pins and needles, waiting to see who would be on the other end of a life-changing call to the Winnipeg offensive lineman.

As many had anticipated — and hoped — it was the team holding the first overall pick: the Ottawa Redblacks.

“You ready to be a Redblack?” asked Ottawa head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie over FaceTime.

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More changes on the way for 2027 CFL season, including new playoff format

Taylor Allen 4 minute read Preview

More changes on the way for 2027 CFL season, including new playoff format

Taylor Allen 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:40 PM CDT

The CFL announced on Tuesday that they are making major changes to the playoff format that will see eight playoff games played across three rounds leading up to championship Sunday. Eight of the nine teams will also qualify for post-season action.

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Yesterday at 5:40 PM CDT
SAMMY KOGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The CFL announced a revamp of next year’s season schedule on Tuesday, with the 2027 season set to start on Victoria Day and the Grey Cup game shifting to the first Sunday in November.

Ottawa Redblacks take Purdue offensive lineman Vaccaro first overall in CFL draft

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Ottawa Redblacks take Purdue offensive lineman Vaccaro first overall in CFL draft

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:08 PM CDT

TORONTO - He came into the CFL draft as the projected first overall pick and Giordano Vaccaro lived up to that billing Tuesday night.

The Ottawa Redblacks used the No. 1 selection to take the six-foot-two, 307-pound Purdue offensive lineman. Vaccaro, of Winnipeg, appeared in all 12 games with the Boilermakers last season, seeing action on offence and special teams.

Vaccaro spent his first three collegiate campaigns at the University of Manitoba, cracking the Bisons' starting lineup as an 18-year-old freshman. Twice he was an all-Canadian (2023, '24) and in 2024 was U Sports football's top down lineman before transferring to Purdue.

"He has impressed us at every step of this process, from what he’s put on tape to getting to know him as a person and talking with his coaches at Purdue and the University of Manitoba," Ryan Dinwiddie, Ottawa's head coach/GM, said of Vaccaro. "We can’t wait to get him in the building and on the field next week and we’re excited to welcome Giordano and his family to the nation’s capital.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:08 PM CDT
Canadian offensive lineman Giordano Vaccaro poses in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Levi Blustein, CFL.ca (Mandatory Credit)

Jets mailbag: Serious off-season decisions for the hometown club to get back to the post-season

Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe 15 minute read Preview

Jets mailbag: Serious off-season decisions for the hometown club to get back to the post-season

Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe 15 minute read Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT

Your April 2026 Winnipeg Jets questions answered.

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Yesterday at 12:00 PM CDT
Fred Greenslade / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The season may be finished, but the questions are only just beginning for the Winnipeg Jets.

All aboard the Gus Bus: Moose Game 2 hero heating up in the post-season

Ken Wiebe 5 minute read Preview

All aboard the Gus Bus: Moose Game 2 hero heating up in the post-season

Ken Wiebe 5 minute read Updated: 4:38 PM CDT

A cursory look at his Hockey DB page suggests that the development of the Gus Bus might have stalled this season.

After all, it was the first time in six seasons that David Gustafsson didn’t get into a single game for the Winnipeg Jets, the team that chose him in the second round (60th overall) of the 2018 draft.

After the shock of being sent down unexpectedly, Gustafsson found himself at a fork in the road as it pertains to his professional hockey career.

The Swedish centre could either spend his time lamenting what could have been or adopting a woe-is-me attitude about his lot in life — or he could embrace the role that helped him get to the NHL in the first place with the Manitoba Moose.

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Updated: 4:38 PM CDT
Melissa Majchrzak / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES With 160 NHL games under David Gustafsson’s belt — including 11 Stanley Cup playoff games — the centre has taken on a mentorship role with the Manitoba Moose.

Knicks and Celtics are chasing road clinchers as the Nuggets fight to force a Game 7

Maura Carey, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Knicks and Celtics are chasing road clinchers as the Nuggets fight to force a Game 7

Maura Carey, The Associated Press 5 minute read 4:12 PM CDT

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics aim to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs with road victories while the Denver Nuggets look to force a Game 7 against the injured Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Back-to-back losses have the Atlanta Hawks looking into their arsenal of defensive schemes and bench rotations as they search for an answer to defending a high-powered Knicks offense. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a triple-double on Saturday night as Atlanta sealed off Jalen Brunson. The roles were reversed on Tuesday night when a freed-up Brunson scored 39 points.

“Everyone's going to make adjustments," Towns said. “So just being prepared for whatever the defense throws at us and being able to react accordingly.”

Defensively, the Knicks have found a solution for CJ McCollum, who stole Games 2 and 3 with clutch offensive performances. The Hawks' top scorers, Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, have struggled to replicate their regular-season success.

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4:12 PM CDT
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) talks to a teammate during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Atlanta Hawks, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Habs mulling options for next playoff watch party after fences removed for safety

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Habs mulling options for next playoff watch party after fences removed for safety

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 3:51 PM CDT

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens say they are considering their options for a Game 6 outdoor watch party after barricades fencing off a previous event were removed for safety reasons.

Guillaume Ouimet, Canadiens communications co-ordinator, confirmed that a fence was removed after Friday's Game 3 event to "optimize security during the watch parties."

"The plans for Game 6 are not confirmed yet but many options are currently being considered," he wrote Tuesday afternoon in an email.

The team, which is playing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the NHL playoffs, had announced that it would host watch parties on the street outside the Bell Centre during home games for a limited number of ticket holders.

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Updated: 3:51 PM CDT
Fans cheer as the Montreal Canadiens take the ice for warm up prior to their NHL playoff hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Montreal on Sunday, April 26, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

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Joshua Frey-Sam:

Track runner Davis sporting Maple Leaf again alongside Canadian greats

ZACHARY PETERS PHOTO Manitoba Bisons’ Tyrell Davis is the reigning men’s 60-metre national champ. He said being on the national team alongside the likes of Canadian track greats is a “surreal” feeling.

Ken Wiebe:

DiVincentiis steps up in Moose playoff victories

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS The Manitoba Moose host the visiting Milwaukee Admirals in a best-of-three play-in series in the American Hockey League Calder Cup playoffs at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Man., Friday, April 24, 2026. Pictured: Manitoba Moose goaltender Domenic Divincentiis (No. 50) deflects the puck off his blocker during first period action.

Taylor Allen:

Recognition five decades later for Manitobans who helped usher Canada onto Olympic stage

THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Team Canada’s Audrey Vandervelden, left, and teammate Betty Baxter during 1976 Olympic games in Montreal against Peru.

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Spring temperatures welcome as most golf courses set to fully open by Saturday

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The city announced Wednesday morning that Windsor Park Golf Course, along with the three other city-owned links (Kildonan Park, Crescent Drive and Canoe Club) will open to the public on Saturday, April 24, for the season.

Joshua Frey-Sam:

Kornberger, Asagwara, Posthumus get call to the Basketball Hall

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Winnipeg Sea Bears take to the hard court against the visiting Vancouver Bandits in Canadian Elite Basketball League action at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Man., Saturday, May 27, 2023. Winnipeg defeated Vancouver 90-85. Pictured: Forward Chad Posthumus makes his debut as a Winnipeg Sea Bears player.

Mike McIntyre:

Jets GM appears unconcerned about job security despite club’s nosedive of a season

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had little explanation Monday over the club’s season that can fairly be described as somewhere between disappointing and disastrous.

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Cole Young has 3 late RBIs to help the Mariners rally past the Twins 5-3 and win the series

Dave Campbell, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Cole Young has 3 late RBIs to help the Mariners rally past the Twins 5-3 and win the series

Dave Campbell, The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 4:33 PM CDT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Cole Young had three late-inning RBIs for the Seattle Mariners, including the go-ahead two-run single in the ninth that fueled a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

Young reached for an outside pitch he slapped in front of the mound and just past the glove of Eric Orze (0-1), who watched the ball scoot past a diving second baseman Luke Keaschall with the infield drawn in. Orze retired only one of five batters he faced in the three-run inning for the Mariners.

Andrés Muñoz pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save in seven attempts as the Mariners won for the eighth time in 11 games. The 22-year-old Young, who also delivered a tying double with two outs in the seventh, is batting .383 with 10 RBIs in 47 at-bats over his last 13 games.

Seattle (16-16) improved to .500 for the first time since April 3.

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Updated: 4:33 PM CDT
Seattle Mariners J.P. Crawford trots home after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)

Yankees get first look at 22-year-old pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez in his big league debut

Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Yankees get first look at 22-year-old pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez in his big league debut

Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press 3 minute read 3:57 PM CDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Elmer Rodriguez got his first big league strikeout on what became a strange double play and escaped the first bases-loaded jam in the right-hander's debut for the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old, among the Yankees' top prospects, pitched into the fifth inning, when the Texas Rangers loaded the bases with no outs and Josh Jung hit a two-run single that chased him after 80 pitches.

“He's ready for this. He's earned this. Regardless of results today, he’s capable of going out there and getting big-league hitters out,” New York manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “He’s got the stuff. I think this is a kid that is going to have a long career as a starting pitcher in this league.”

Rodriguez took right-hander Luis Gil’s spot in the rotation after the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year was optioned to Triple-A following a 7-4 loss to the Astros on Sunday. That is a tweak at the back end of the rotation while Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole rehab from injuries.

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3:57 PM CDT
New York Yankees starting pitcher Elmer Rodriguez makes his major league debut as he throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Nathan Eovaldi pitches 7 innings in Rangers’ in 3-0 win over Yankees to avoid series sweep

Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Nathan Eovaldi pitches 7 innings in Rangers’ in 3-0 win over Yankees to avoid series sweep

Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press 2 minute read 4:27 PM CDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings, hot-hitting Josh Jung had a two-run single and the Texas Rangers beat the AL-best New York Yankees 3-0 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Jung's grounder through the left side of the infield with the bases loaded in the fifth inning put Texas up 2-0 and chased Elmer Rodriguez (0-1), a top Yankees prospect making his big league debut. Jung has hit .381 (32 of 84) with 17 RBIs over 24 games in April.

Sam Haggerty added an RBI single in the seventh for Texas. He had entered as a pinch-runner in the fifth after leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo experienced right hamstring tightness when running the bases.

Eovaldi (3-4), who gave up four homers against the Athletics in his previous start on Friday, struck out seven and walked one against the Yankees. He threw 70 of 102 pitches for strikes against the team that entered the game with a majors-best 48 homers.

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4:27 PM CDT
Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws to the New York Yankees in the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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