Alex Iniguez

National Spelling Bee results showing Dallas-area teen as winner

NHL conference final result showing Dallas losing the series to Edmonton

Win some, lose some, chin up Dallas

Jakub Dobeš has an unbelievable origin story. His playoff performance with the Canadiens is just the latest chapter. www.nytimes.com/athletic/611...

Matthew Tkachuk, the league’s best villain, is ready to play the part in 2025 NHL Playoffs Tkachuk is a certified pest, and hockey is better for it.

The NHL's best villain (likely) enters the playoff fray tonight

www.nytimes.com/athletic/629...

Why Alex Ovechkin's 'amazing journey' to goal No. 895 meant so much to so many

Alex Ovechkin is a 39-year-old man who broke his leg on Nov. 18. He was 27 goals away. Today should not have happened.

“Yeah,” Spencer Carbery said, “you can’t rationalize that part of it.”

From Long Island:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/626...

Ovi breaks Gretzky’s record

Alexander the Great and the Fates, by Bernardino Mei, 1667, 📸 by Sarah Stier

THE GREAT EIGHT PASSES THE GREAT ONE 💥

Move over, Wayne Gretzky. Alex Ovechkin stands alone atop the NHL's all-time goal scoring list.

Your first period Capitals-Islanders thoughts Christopher L.: WHOA! LOOK AT ALL THOSE CAPS FANS AT UBS ARENA!Andywpg: It would be cool if he Ovie broke the record at home. Hope whichever goalie gets scored has a plan for how they will look in the...

Andrew L., @theathletic.bsky.social commenter: "Wanted to watch Ovie break the record live, but the fam wants to get corned beef sandwich lunch today. And, I mean… have you ever had a real good overstuffed corned beef sandwich? Thank goodness for my DVR." 🥪

www.nytimes.com/athletic/liv...

YouTube video by xkingshroomx Boo the IRS

Tax season www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IQl...

Legendary Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange dies at 76 Lange last called a Penguins game in 2021, when his considerable health issues forced him to step down from the radio booth.

Tough news for Penguins fans — Mike Lange has died at 76.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/614...

YouTube video by The Athletic Time for a Game Break | The Athletic

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuQz...

Gif of the gameplay for Connections: Sports Edition

The real big game is here.

Connections: Sports Edition, a spin-off of @nytimes.com Connections, is now in the @theathletic.bsky.social app.

Can you find the common thread? Test your knowledge

www.nytimes.com/athletic/con...

Broken Catchphrase game from the '90s

Fucked-up Catchphrase game reads BIRCH BARK CANOE

Fucked-up Catchphrase game reads CHEESEBURG

My favorite holiday tradition is playing the fucked-up Catchphrase at my mom's house. #CHEESEBURG

Graffiti on the ground that reads PURE MINDLESS VANDALISM

@pittsburghgraffiti.bsky.social Graham Street footbridge over the busway, Shadyside, 2013

At The Athletic, we tell the sports stories that matter.

And these are the pieces you connected with most in 2024.

Presenting, The Athletic Wrapped 🧵

NYT Cooking recipe for Whatever You Want Soup

They're not even trying anymore

Gotta just trust me on this one

NYT Cooking pumpkin and sesame pie

Pie

Play Connections: Sports Edition, our newest word game Group sports terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.

Like Connections? Like sports?

Did you know there's a Connections: Sports Edition?

Hard to believe we're already at puzzle No. 61 — would love for you to give our game a try @theathletic.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/athletic/con...

Cheers!

Nice one!

Very fair. I recommend an app shortcut on your phone's home screen to the Connections: SE page for now

Appreciate it Big Mike!

Play Connections: Sports Edition, our newest word game Group sports terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.

Very fair. It's still in beta so that's some of the reasoning. I created an app shortcut that's a link to www.nytimes.com/athletic/con... on my phone's home screen, which has been helpful

Well you're just a sweetheart

Thanks for the feedback - it'd be fun to have a toggle to allow unlimited guesses

Play Connections: Sports Edition, our newest word game Group sports terms that share a common thread. A new puzzle is available each day.

Do you play Connections: Sports Edition? Do you even know it exists? If you do, I'd love your feedback. Just be kind to @markcooperjr.bsky.social, the brilliant puzzle maker behind the game.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I encourage you to play: www.nytimes.com/athletic/con...

Toronto Raptors City Edition T-shirt with the Raptor doing a sick Vince Carter dunk

I Think You Should Leave Dan Flashes "I Want That One So Bad" gif

How a minor-league equipment manager became a beloved ‘heart-and-soul’ piece of the Red Wings Red Wings players view Brad Thompson as an essential part of their experience in Grand Rapids and often beyond.

Leave it to @mbultman.bsky.social to make me care this much about an equipment manager #redwings

www.nytimes.com/athletic/592...

A photo illustration for a story about the Seattle SuperSonics' potential return to the city. The illustration features memories from the Sonics' first stint.

“We are ready.”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/583...

ComEd lured TikTok historian out of safe union job, then fired him. Popular Chicago historian Shermann Dilla Thomas had a six-figure day job at ComEd; then he took the CEO's suggestion and ended up canned.

Sucka s—t

chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...