Coyotes players reportedly were informed on Friday that the team is relocating to UtahGetty Images

There is a “real desire” from the NHL to announce the Coyotes’ move to Salt Lake City “on Thursday or Friday” before the NHL playoffs begin. However, the “desire and ability to do it are two different things.” The next few days are “critical to either closing (the relocation) or getting everybody into a position where they’re comfortable enough to do it and legally protected enough to do it even if it’s not fully closed” (“HNIC,” Sportsnet, 4/13).

Sources said that Coyotes players “were informed Friday that the team is relocating to Utah.” Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong “met with the players ahead of their game” against the Oilers. Coyotes players and staff members “will be invited to visit Salt Lake City after their season finale to check out the city and facilities.” The plan is for the team to "play at the Delta Center," which is owned by Jazz owner Ryan Smith. However, sources said that the NHL has "made it clear to the Smiths that a hockey-specific upgrade is needed at the Delta Center in order to become the team's permanent home” (ESPN.com, 4/12).

The Phoenix mayor's office on Saturday “released two letters sent by the Coyotes,” one from April 10 "asking for a meeting with the mayor about a proposed arena and entertainment district in northeast Phoenix." That raises "additional speculation about whether, if the current franchise is moving, Arizona might get a new team in the future.” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego's spokesperson Arielle Devorah said that the mayor's office had "not received any meeting requests" before Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo's first letter but "reached out after receiving it to set up the meeting.” Earlier Saturday, the team posted a statement from Meruelo on X saying, in part: "We are focused on a myriad of issues that are unresolved, and therefore we are unable to make any official public comments at this time. However, you have my commitment that I am going to speak on all of these issues and publicly address all of your concerns as promptly as possible” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/13).

Ticket prices for the Coyotes game against the Oilers on Wednesday, the team's regular season finale at Arizona State's Mullett Arena, are "surging in cost amid the rumors and speculation" of a potential relocation to Salt Lake City. People want to "be there for the franchise's possible last game in Arizona," and that is "driving up the cost of tickets, even for the most inexpensive seats in the arena." As of Friday evening, the least expensive tickets for the game were listed for $284 on resale sites, with "most going for much more" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/12).

UFC 300 had a sellout crowd of 20,067 and the promotion and had its third-highest gate at $16.5MGetty Images

UFC 300 on Saturday was the “single greatest night of professional fighting” with a lineup that featured 13 current or former champions. The event was “better than good,” it “was special.” Max Holloway fought Justin Gaethje for the BMF title and "landed that clean right hand" that had Gaethje “slumped to the floor.” The crowd roar “nearly tore a hole in the roof of the building.” It was “one of the greatest, most dramatic finishes ever seen in an MMA fight.” The UFC set out to make a “centennial event that would outpace the two previous ones.” While it "didn't produce any blockbuster names for the main event, it was able to rely on the depth of the roster to provide the magic in the aggregate” (YAHOO SPORTS, 4/14). UFC 300 had a sellout crowd of 20,067 and the promotion -- which had its third-highest gate at $16.5M -- awarded Holloway a $600,000 bonus for his performance. As would be expected from a milestone card number, this was a “strong lineup” that included 11 fighters who have "headlined UFC pay-per-view events" (AP, 4/14).

UFC 300 also saw the "much-anticipated announcement" about the return of Conor McGregor. McGregor’s return to competition for the "first time in nearly three years" will be contested at 170 pounds during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. UFC President Dana White had said as recently as Friday night that there was “nothing to announce about McGregor’s rumored return to the cage,” dismissing the rumors as “pure internet speculation” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/13).

The NBA’s playoff race is “headed for multiple photo finishes on the final day of the season" today, with 15 of the 20 seeds in the expanded playoff bracket, which includes a four-team play-in tournament in each conference, “yet to be decided.” Only two playoff-bound teams -- the Clippers and Mavericks -- “know whom they will be playing in the first round of the playoffs.” Aside from those two teams, the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Celtics are the “only team that has secured one of 12 guaranteed playoff spots that knows its seed.” The Bulls are “locked in as the No. 9 seed” and the Hawks are “set as the No. 10 seed for the East’s play-in tournament.” Otherwise, everything is "up for grabs” today. Despite the “seeding chaos, none of the 20 teams eligible for the postseason is at risk of being eliminated” (WASHINGTON POST, 4/14).

The drama the play-in games have "provided in the NBA has been excellent,” and this season is “likely going to be the best play-in tournament yet.” With one day remaining in the NBA’s regular season, the Lakers, Warriors and Heat will "all be in the play-in tournament.” The ratings are “going to be big, and the NBA is going to own the sports news cycle for three nights” (DENVER POST, 4/13).

Celtics play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman today will call his “final regular-season game” when the team plays the Wizards. While Gorman will call all of the Celtics’ first-round playoff games, today’s broadcast and game presentation at TD Garden “will be filled with this-is-your-Celtics-life tributes.” Gorman, who has called Celtics games on TV for 43 seasons, knows he “will be emotional when the tributes begin” (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/13). The Celtics will honor Gorman at halftime of today's game and the celebration will include a "video montage, speeches from Celtics ownership, an interview with Brian Scalabrine, and more." Celtics players will wear "Gorman-branded shooting shirts.” Family, friends, and celebrities will “leave video messages, signs will be on display throughout TD Garden, and special guests will join the broadcast.” Pregame and postgame shows will feature special guests (BOSTON.com, 4/6).

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Friday signed a "proclamation officially declaring April 14 as Mike Gorman Day in the City of Boston." This proclamation is a “step by the City to recognize Gorman’s positive contributions, legacy and service to Boston” after 43 years of calling Celtics games (NBC SPORTS BOSTON, 4/12).

PGA Tour player Jason Day's Malbon Golf scripting on Friday drew wide reaction to the vest featuring a giant MALBON CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF logoGetty Images

PGA Tour player Jason Day on Saturday after his third round at the Masters confirmed that Augusta National officials “asked him to remove” the Malbon Golf vest he wore during play on Friday. The Malbon Golf vest was “white with large blue and red lettering that read: Malbon Championship Golf.” It also had, "in red lettering, No. 313." Day wore a “white golf shirt the rest of the round" and referred to the vest as “busy.” Day said, “You do that because it’s all about the tournament here, and I understand that. I respect the tournament” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/13). Day finished his first round early Friday morning before beginning his second round, and "between the rounds he took off his vest." Day “didn’t make a big deal out of taking it off, nor did he ask why he needed to" (GOLFWEEK, 4/13).

MLB is expected to “quickly interview, and clear” Dodgers P/DH Shohei Ohtani of "any wrongdoing" in the gambling scandal involving his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara once the federal government’s investigation is complete. Mizuhara faces a “potential lifetime ban from the sport.” Mizuhara, who allegedly stole $16M from Ohtani’s bank account to cover gambling losses, “surrendered to authorities and was ordered not to contact Ohtani” while immediately undergoing gambling addiction treatment (USA TODAY, 4/14). Ohtani said that he was “ready to return to just focusing on baseball.” Ohtani in Japanese said, “I’m very grateful for the Department of Justice’s investigation. For me personally, this marks a break from this, and I’d like to focus on baseball.” Ohtani’s comments on Friday were the “first he has made publicly regarding the allegations” against Mizuhara since a news conference late last month (L.A. TIMES, 4/12).

Top WNBA prospect Caitlin Clark made an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" during the "Weekend Update" segment where she "roasted" co-host Michael Che. Clark appeared at the Weekend Update desk smiling to “thunderous applause and cheers” after Che made a joke about the Univ. of Iowa “retiring her jersey for an apron." Clark said, “You make a lot of jokes about women’s sports, don’t you, Michael?” Che responded that he “wouldn’t classify them as ‘a lot’ but that they’re not ‘irregular.’" In response to the “many jabs Che has thrown at women’s basketball,” Clark showed up with a “collection of jokes, all her own, that Che would then read.” Che, with a "smirk and hesitation, delivered, with Clark smiling nearby," Che: “The Indiana Fever have the first pick in this Monday’s draft. A reminder that the Indiana Fever is a WNBA team, and not what Michael Che gave to dozens of women at Purdue University” (VARIETY, 4/13).

Clark returned to the "SNL" stage for the goodbyes given by host Ryan Gosling, but she "wasn't alone: Iowa teammates Jada Gyamfi, Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin also joined her" (USA TODAY, 4/14).

Xcel Energy Center played host to the 2024 NCAA men's Frozen Four this weekend which saw the Univ. of Denver defeat Boston College 2-0Getty Images

Xcel Energy Center played host to the 2024 NCAA men's Frozen Four for the fourth time this weekend and Univ. of Minnesota Senior Associate AD Tom McGinnis, who oversees the hockey programs, said that the school and Visit St. Paul "plan to put in bids for future Frozen Fours.” Minnesota did "not bid on the next two that will be awarded" -- 2027 and '28 -- but “plan to seek a Frozen Four in the following cycle.” McGinnis said that he “expects the next bid cycle to cover 2029 to possibly 2031 and will open in the next couple of years.” There has been "talk of changing the NCAA regional format,” which does "not allow for regionals to be played on campus sites.” But if that changes, McGinnis said that UM “would be interested” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/13).

The Univ. of Denver shut down No. 1 ranked Boston College in the 2024 NCAA championship game for a 2-0 victory on course for their 10th title, putting the school "alone at the top of the sport" (DENVER POST, 4/13).

Late Rays broadcaster Dave Wills, 13 months after he died unexpectedly at 58, will "receive the franchise’s biggest honor: induction" into the team HOF. Radio announcer and Wills' partner Andy Freed will "emcee the ceremony” prior to the scheduled 1:40pm ET game against the Giants. Liz Wills, Dave’s wife, will "narrate a video" and Michelle Wills, their daughter, will "address the crowd, which will include many relatives and friends." Rays owner Stuart Sternberg will "speak for the team." Wills, who spent 18 years in the Rays radio booth, "will be the fourth inductee,” joining senior advisor Don Zimmer and former MLBers Wade Boggs and Carl Crawford (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/13).

The 76ers on Friday unveiled a sculpture of Basketball HOFer Allen Iverson’s "iconic crossover on the 76ers’ 'Legends Walk'" at their practice facility. Iverson's sculpture "was the 10th installed” on the Legends Walk. The Sixers will honor Iverson today during the regular-season finale against the Nets at the Wells Fargo Center (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/12). When the statue was unveiled to the public, “most people had just one thought -- why is it so small?” Despite the “fan uproar over the tiny statue,” all of the statues outside the Sixers practice facility “are of a similar small size” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/12).

Welsh soccer club Wrexham on Saturday earned its "second consecutive promotion, this time to League One" -- English soccer's third tier -- following a 6-0 win over Forest Green Rovers. Following the final whistle, fans of the club, owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, “rushed the field to celebrate their return to the division for the first time in 19 years.” The popularity of Wrexham has risen in recent years “partly as a result of the success" of the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham,” which will be "heading into its third season next month" (CNN.com, 4/14).

ESPN Films has greenlit an upcoming 30 for 30 documentary to be “centered around the extraordinary life” of late broadcaster Stuart Scott. Scott “shattered preconceived notions of how on-air figures were expected to look, talk, act, and think" -- and in the process, "helped bring hip-hop and Black culture into the sports media mainstream.” The documentary, currently in production, chronicles Scott’s “rise to fame at ESPN, his impact on media and culture, and the personal pain of divorce and the battle with cancer that would take his life at age 49." The film features a “vast collection of family photos and archival videos, along with the voices of Scott’s daughters Taelor and Syndi." The film will be directed by Andre Gaines and executive produced by ESPN Films, Run & Shoot Filmworks, and Cinemation Studios (DEADLINE, 4/12).

T'Wolves minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were "sitting across from the Wolves bench" at Target Center for Friday's game against the Hawks for the "first time since their public spat over the future of the team began with controlling owner Glen Taylor late last month." Taylor, meanwhile, was in his "usual seat near the Wolves bench" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/12).

A crowd of 72,610 filled GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Saturday night to watch Sporting KC play Inter Miami. The crowd set a "record for the most people to attend a soccer game in Kansas City and in the state of Missouri" (K.C. STAR, 4/14).

Bruins GM Don Sweeney was named to the same post for Team Canada for next year’s NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and Assistant GM for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/12).

Basketball HOFers Sheryl Swoopes and Nancy Lieberman will join the Dallas Wings’ 2024 broadcast crew as analysts on Bally Sports Southwest. They join play-by-play voice Ron Thulin, Fran Harris and sideline reporter ShaVonne Herndon (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/12).

UAB has extended its exclusive relationship with Learfield, which will continue to manage multimedia and sponsorship rights for UAB Athletics, in a new 10-year agreement (UAB).

NJ/NY Gotham FC and MSG Networks renewed their local broadcast partnership, with expanded coverage of the 2024 regular season. Nine total games including four home and, for the first time, five away games will be available on MSG Networks’ platforms, including MSG+, MSG’s direct-to-consumer streaming service (MSG Networks).

"There's going to be some meritocracy versus more of a social approach to revenue distribution. You'll eventually see that within leagues. You'll eventually see that across sports, maybe other than football. An eat what you kill, in some respects, that mentality" -- Nebraska AD Troy Dannen, on his expectation that revenue distribution in college sports will become more performance-based over time (ESPN.com, 4/12).

“We’re giving players a platform, and even if a player doesn’t really want to dive in, we can let people know what the player is doing through. There are a couple of different instances where I wish I had a platform to really share" -- Former MLBer and MoonBall Media co-founder Eric Hosmer, on addressing sensitive topics and letting players feeling comfortable to be themselves (USA TODAY, 4/14).

The N.Y. TIMES goes with, "The Most Famous Golfer at the Masters Is Black. Why Aren’t There More Players Like Him?" When the Masters commenced on Thursday, featuring 89 competitors, there was "exactly one Black golfer in the field: the one we all know, Tiger Woods." Beyond that, the field for the 88th Masters "didn’t look all that different from the previous 87." In 2014 the PGA identified diversity and inclusion as “foundational principles” but, "in practical terms, that has meant little more than the occasional golf camp or clinic at a public course in a Black neighborhood." The PGA recently partnered with the Advocates Professional Golf Association, which was founded in 2010 to "diversify the game, and together they will host 18 tournaments this year." But the PGA "must do more to lead the way in action and by example, promoting inclusion at every level." The 2022 Masters featured just three Black players, which was a "record high for the tournament," but there were no Black golfers last year in the U.S. Open.

Also:

• Jim Lampley, the longtime voice of boxing on HBO, is still finding ways to talk about the Sweet Science.
• $17,000 to watch the Masters? How sports entice deep-pocketed fans.
• Charlie Manuel is investing his money into youth baseball and is looking for more than a profit.
• Dave Maloney is giving the Rangers a voice.

Class of 2024 has arrived in NYC 🙌

Hooked the draftees up with some gifts and love ahead of the WNBA Draft presented by @statefarm pic.twitter.com/5PuTns1hCU

— WNBA (@WNBA) April 13, 2024

Fútbol’s finest 🤝 football’s finest.

Leo Messi links up with Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium. pic.twitter.com/jn7gLERIDl

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 14, 2024

The #FCSChampionship is moving to Monday night❗️

📅 January 6, 2025
📺 ESPN
📍 Frisco, Texas
🏟️ Toyota Stadium #FCS pic.twitter.com/4803ttGz9o

— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) April 13, 2024

A hot dog eating competition involving Joey Chestnut broke out at the Ole Miss Spring Game😂

pic.twitter.com/LaexATrboF

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 13, 2024

Jason Sudeikis presented Caitlin Clark with an AFC Richmond jersey at the Wooden Award ceremony. Fandom for both sports colliding 👏 pic.twitter.com/jKDY7Uqmit

— The Women's Game (@WomensGameMIB) April 13, 2024