ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues signed University of Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud to a three-year contract Friday. He's expected to join the team for practice Monday.

The 20-year-old Snuggerud was selected by the Blues at No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2022 draft. The signing comes a day after the Gophers were ousted from the NCAA tournament with a 5-4 overtime loss to Massachusetts in the regional semifinals.

Snuggerud scored twice against UMass, finishing his junior season with a team-high 24 goals and 27 assists in 40 games. A top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, he had 66 goals and 69 assists in 119 games for Minnesota. He helped lead the United States to world junior title in 2024, scoring five goals in six games.

His father, Dave Snuggerud, also starred for the Gophers. He played four seasons in the NHL.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Brad Marchand scooped up a couple of the toy plastic rats that Florida Panthers fans throw on the ice to celebrate wins, skating off with them as souvenirs from his first game with the club.

Seemed fitting. He set up the goal that made them fly.

Marchand's perfect pass to Sam Bennett set up an overtime goal, an assist that capped a 2-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club in his debut with the Panthers. He has been with Florida for three weeks since being traded by Boston but hadn't played until now while recovering from an upper-body injury.

"Every day that goes by, feeling much more comfortable and much more a part of the group," Marchand said. "And when you play and you're in everything day to day, it definitely helps that happen quicker. So, yeah, I'm excited to continue to build with the group here."

Marchand was greeted by plenty of fans around the ice during warmups and even flicked a puck into the stands to give them a keepsake. He got the loudest reception of any of Florida's skaters when the game-opening unit was announced.

It was the first time in 1,091 NHL games -- 1,248 when adding in playoff contests -- that Marchand took the ice in something other than a Bruins sweater. Marchand was on Florida's second line with Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich -- who grew up in New England watching Marchand play for the Bruins.

"It's been a lot of fun," Samoskevich said of playing with Marchand. "He's such a good player. So silky. I feel like when he has the puck, he sees you -- he's got eyes in the back of his head. It's a lot of fun. Excited for the future with him. He's such a good guy off the ice, too."

Marchand set up the winner -- Bennett's second goal of the night -- from behind the net, waiting for his new linemate and former adversary to get to the right spot in the slot. Bennett flicked the puck to his backhand, and just like that, Florida was 1-0-0 in the Marchand era.

"Seems like they played together the whole season," Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said.

Marchand had 21 goals and 26 assists in 61 games with the Bruins this season, and Panthers coach Paul Maurice said when the deal was done that Marchand, he believes, helps fill what Florida will need in its playoff run and its quest to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup.

"He's had an incredible career," Maurice said. "He's a Stanley Cup champion, 1,000 games, 1,000 penalty minutes, lots of points. I don't want to see it all in one game. ... You know how tenacious this guy is, how physical he is, how hard he plays. Then you get him in practice and you're like, 'Oh my God, he's got hands on him.' And you start to realize how good the skill level is there."

It might have been strange at first, with the former captain of the Bruins wearing Florida colors after those teams had tough playoff battles -- both won by the Panthers -- in 2023 and 2024. But by all accounts, Marchand has fit perfectly into the Florida mix.

"He brings a lot of energy to the locker room, a lot of compete on the ice," said Panthers defenseman Gus Forsling, who got the second assist on Bennett's winner. "A huge veteran that's going to be big for us."

Marchand said it wasn't unusual to put on a red sweater instead of one in Bruins colors. His new world, he said, hit him when he went onto the ice for warmups.

"It was odd when I stepped on the ice," Marchand said. "That was the first time it kind of hit me. Going out there and being cheered by Panthers fans was a lot different. But it's a great feeling. It's not often that you get to be part of a group like this. And I've been on a lot of teams throughout the years. And you know when you have something special. You know when you walk into a special room. And that's what they have here and it's what you want to be part of."

Now, back to those rats.

Marchand -- who has been showered with them more than once after Florida got home wins over his Bruins -- had no idea what they signify in Panthers history. He just picked them up because his kids asked about them. He wondered if they're some sort of tribute to injured Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.

A little souvenir from his Cats debut pic.twitter.com/7hgqU5xpaX

Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 29, 2025

That is not the case.

The rats go back to the 1995-96 season, when Florida's Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room with his stick before opening night and then scored two goals in that game. "Rat trick" was the phrase coined that night, and the rats have been part of Florida lore ever since.

And now, he's part of that history.

"It's just nice to get out there and feel like you're part of it," Marchand said.

A jury has ruled in favor of former Portland Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson in his medical malpractice lawsuit against team doctor, Dr. Richard H. Edelson, awarding the former New Zealand international over $20 million.

Gleeson, 34, had undergone surgery back in 2018 to treat stress fractures in both legs, but both legs became infected, and it was alleged that the plates inserted into Gleeson's legs hadn't been properly sterilized. Gleeson was forced to undergo 14 total surgeries that ended his career. He is now unable to walk without pain.

"It's been a very hard six-and-a-half years, some weeks are better than others, some days are better than others," Gleeson said over a Zoom call after the verdict. "But it's been very difficult."

He added, "I think now moving forward from this case, I just want to be an advocate that when you're put under anesthesia from a doctor, you expect them to follow these guidelines and these policies. It doesn't matter if you're an MLS player, it doesn't matter if you're an NFL player, it doesn't matter if you work a desk job. When you sign that consent form, you're signing that they're going to do everything in their power to keep you safe. This doctor did not do that."

John Pollino, Edelson's attorney, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment or if he planned to appeal.

The verdict, delivered in Oregon Circuit Court for Multnomah County, is the culmination of a four-and-a-half-year legal process that saw Gleeson settle his claims with another doctor, Dr. Jonathan Greenleaf, as well as the facility where the surgery was performed, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center. The suit was dismissed against another defendant, Oregon Sports Medicine Associates. The Timbers were never named in the suit.

The three-week trial witnessed emotional testimony from Gleeson as he recounted what had transpired, including both physical and mental trauma he endured. Former teammates Nat Borchers, Jack Jewsbury and Darlington Nagbe all testified on Gleeson's behalf. Former Timbers GM Gavin Wilkinson was a defense witness.

The defense maintained that the sterilization technique used, called Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS), was sufficient, that infection is a common risk of surgery, and that Gleeson's complications were no fault of Edelson's.

"This has been something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, not that I have too many of those," said Gleeson.

"It's been a lot of physical pain. It's been a lot of emotional pain, and those have come in different stages. You have surgeries, you feel better, then you have other surgeries. I would say that this has been something that's quite consumed my life for the last six and a half years since that initial surgery. I left the training field one day, not knowing that that would be the last time I would ever be a professional soccer player."

The jury found in favor of Gleeson on all four questions of negligence by Dr. Edelson and his use of IUSS, with the jury voting 12-0 on two of the questions, and 11-1 on the other two. In terms of damages, the jury awarded Gleeson $413,533.18 for past medical expenses with a 12-0 vote, 387,500 for future medical expenses with an 11-1 vote, $2 million for past lost wages with a 12-0 vote, $2.145 million for future impaired earning capacity with a 9-3 vote, and $15.675 million for non-economic damages with a 12-0 vote.

After the verdict was read, the defense noted that the award for future medical expenses is capped at $200,000. While an appeal seems likely, for now, the bulk of the damages award remains intact, and even with that reduction totals $20.4 million.

In the original court filing, a copy of which has been obtained by ESPN, the suit alleged in part that the defendants were negligent in that the plates weren't properly sterilized prior to surgery. It also contended that there was a "breach of sterility" at Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center that wasn't disclosed to Gleeson. It also alleged that the doctors selected "aggressive and risky procedures" for Gleeson without trying more conservative therapies first. Lastly, it asserted that there was "no clear orthopedic necessity to implant the devices."

SPOKANE, WASH. -- Fifth-year LSU senior Aneesah Morrow did not want Friday to be the final game of her standout NCAA career. Neither did her teammates.

On a night where leading scorer Flau'Jae Johnson was limited to three points on 1-of-8 shooting and finished the game experiencing double vision on the sideline after a fall, Morrow carried the Tigers for much of the way. The third member of LSU's big three, Mikaylah Williams, then took over down the stretch as the Tigers rallied from a three-point deficit in the final two minutes to beat NC State 80-73 and advance to the Elite Eight for a third consecutive year.

"[Morrow] got in the huddle and told us that this was not going to be her last game," Williams said. "So that's just me playing and not wanting it to be my last game, not wanting it to be her last game, so I think that's just a little bit of heart and a little bit of luck that them shots finally started to fall at the end of the game."

Matching up against an inexperienced Wolfpack frontcourt that LSU had dominated in an 82-65 November non-conference win in the Bahamas, Morrow was a force in the paint. With 30 points and 19 rebounds, she became the first player with at least 30 points and 15 boards in the Sweet 16 or later since Stanford's Nneka Ogwumike in the 2010 Final Four, according to ESPN Research.

"I was actually disappointed she didn't have 20 rebounds," Tigers coach Kim Mulkey quipped afterward.

"We just didn't have an answer for her," NC State coach Wes Moore said. "We were trying to get around and front her some, we were trying to double her some. But the problem was a lot of it was off offensive rebounds and just being aggressive down there. Like I said, she had 19 rebounds, 30 points. I mean, there's your game right there."

Yet despite Morrow's huge effort, LSU trailed for much of the final period. The Wolfpack led 66-62 when Johnson left the game for good with 5:04 remaining after falling while chasing down NC State guard Zoe Brooks in the open court.

Johnson, who had experienced the worst shooting half of her college career (0-for-5) before making her first and only field goal of the game in the third quarter, was unable to return. Mulkey was uncertain what happened.

"I just know I was getting ready to put her back in the game," Mulkey said. "I turned around, and they said they won't let her go back in the game because she's seeing double, like double vision a little bit."

Mulkey said she wasn't concerned about Johnson's status for Sunday's Spokane Regional 1 final against the winner of Friday night's game between UCLA and Ole Miss. To get there, however, the Tigers needed to come back against an experienced foe that reached the Final Four last year. That's where Morrow added motivation to her impressive stat line.

"Nobody likes to lose," Morrow said, "so I talked to my teammates in the huddle, and I told them we got to take our matchups personally. We have to be able to dominate and we have to be able to make defensive stops and we did that toward the end of the game."

In particular, LSU stepped up its defense on Brooks, who led the Wolfpack with 21 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. With NC State up one, Kailyn Gilbert blocked Brooks' shot and teammate Shayeann Day-Wilson saved the ball from going out of bounds. At the other end, Williams used a hesitation move to score at the rim and give the Tigers the lead for good -- two of her 10 points over the last 4:09 of the game.

"I'm not even going to lie," Gilbert said. "Like, she was cooking me, so ... yeah, she had me beat on that play, and I just saw that she brought the ball in front of me a little bit, so I went up and got it and then shot, chased it down, and pushed the ball up."

On the following possession, Brooks was blocked again by LSU's Sa'Myah Smith, who made two free throws to extend the lead. The Wolfpack would not score again as the Tigers finished the game on a 10-0 run.

The loss ended the NC State careers of the three starters from last year's Final Four team: guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers and forward Madison Hayes. Hayes and James reached the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight twice, and last year's Final Four appearance was the Wolfpack's first since 1998.

"Couldn't be prouder of them," Moore said. "Love them. We're going to miss them. We're still trying to get an attorney and see if we can get fifth years for them."

On the other side, Morrow -- who posted her 64th career game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, surpassing Iowa's Megan Gustafson for the most such performances in the past 25 years according to ESPN Research -- gets to play again on Sunday, when LSU will try to reach a second Final Four in the past three years and Morrow's first since transferring from DePaul following the 2023 national title.

"I think there's five [players] in our locker room that have never been to a Sweet 16, so they certainly haven't been to an Elite Eight," Mulkey said. "That's what excites you as a coach, is having players experience something for the first time. And you don't take it for granted. You just don't."

We're down to the final 11 games of March Madness, with four Sweet 16 matchups on the docket Friday night.

Michigan State and Tennessee have punched their tickets to the Elite Eight. Now the Auburn Tigers and Houston Cougars will look to join fellow No. 1 seeds Duke and Florida in the Elite Eight.

Follow along as we track all the action from each of the games, including color from our reporters on-site in Atlanta and Indianapolis.

Jump to: Results and analysis | Live tracker

Sweet 16 live tracker

Friday results, analysis

(3) Kentucky vs.
(2) Tennessee

Final: Tennessee defeated Kentucky 78-65

How Tennessee won: Tennessee jumped out to a double-digit lead within the first eight minutes and didn't look back, extending the advantage to as many as 19 points and never letting the game get within single digits in the second half. It was a complete effort for the Volunteers, who held a 34-24 edge on the glass while shooting 50.9% from the field to punch their ticket to their second straight Elite Eight. Zakai Zeigler led the Vols with 18 points, adding four assists to claim the SEC record for most in a single season. Chaz Lanier also finished in double figures with 17 points, while Jordan Gainey added 16 off the bench. -- ESPN Staff

(6) Ole Miss vs.
(2) Michigan State

Final: Michigan State defeated Ole Miss 73-70

How Michigan State won: Before Friday's matchup against Ole Miss, Tom Izzo said this Spartans team is one of the most "connected" Michigan State squads he has ever coached. That chemistry proved to be vital for the Spartans in overcoming a double-digit deficit against the Rebels.

Just after Jaden Akins scored on a go-ahead layup late, Tre Holloman cut off Ole Miss star Sean Pedulla on a shot that would have tied the game. Jase Richardson made big plays. Coen Carr's second-half dunk electrified the Spartans fans at State Farm Arena, too. It wasn't always pretty (Michigan State missed 11 of its first 17 field goal attempts), but that's how these blue-collar Spartans (36-30 advantage in points in the paint) prefer to win -- and why they are on their way to the Elite Eight for the 11th time under Izzo. -- Myron Medcalf

HOUSTON -- It didn't take long for Juan Soto to launch his first home run in a New York Mets uniform.

The superstar right fielder, playing in his second game with his new club Friday night, blasted a solo shot in the third inning against the Houston Astros. Soto turned on a 96 mph cutter up and in from right-hander Hunter Brown to give the Mets a 3-0 lead in an eventual 3-1 win at Daikin Park. The ball traveled 390 feet to right field at 107.3 mph, bouncing off the second deck's facade.

Soto, who has been booed before each of his at-bats in this series, struck out in his previous two at-bats, going back to the Mets' season-opening loss Thursday, when he went down swinging as the game-tying run to end the game.

He exacted some revenge Friday with his first home run since signing his 15-year, $765 million contract after clubbing a career-high 41 homers in his lone season with the New York Yankees.

LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings in a ceremony Friday night.

"There's just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players," manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles hosted the Detroit Tigers.

A choir in the left field pavilion sang "We Are the Champions" to open the ceremony hosted by actor Anthony Anderson.

"Nobody was like us last year and I have a feeling that nobody will be like us this year," said Anderson, a Dodgers fan.

The Big Three Champs. pic.twitter.com/sD15j4mrAd

Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 29, 2025

Ohtani, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman and Roberts received some of the loudest cheers walking a blue carpet to a circular stage between home plate and the mound.

Ohtani waved to the fans. When it was Freeman's turn, they chanted "Freddie! Freddie!"

The stars were greeted with hugs from owner Mark Walter, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, president and CEO Stan Kasten and general manager Brandon Gomes, who presented the coaching staff and players with blue boxes.

An injured Kershaw didn't pitch in the postseason last year, which culminated in the Dodgers' five-game victory over the rival New York Yankees in the World Series. Ohtani's Japanese countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Austin Barnes were busy warming up in the bullpen and had a clubhouse manager accept their rings.

The Dodgers unveiled their World Series championship flag in center field and a championship emblem on the right-field suite level before a 5-4 win over the Tigers in Thursday's home opener.

"This is the final piece," Roberts said. "Just to kind of have the fans here to kind of enjoy this with us and close the book on 2024."

Roberts had not seen the ring ahead of time.

"It's a symbol for me," he said, adding that he doesn't wear rings other than a wedding band.

Roberts said he keeps his World Series rings from 2004 (as a player with Boston) and 2020 (as manager with the Dodgers) in a home safe.

It's all in the details. pic.twitter.com/FskW3IsNDG

Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 29, 2025

The handcrafted rings by Jostens contain 14-karat yellow gold, diamonds and genuine sapphires.

Inside the box's lid, a video plays highlights of the World Series. Using a specialized hinge mechanism, the top of the ring opens to reveal Dodger Stadium displayed in detail and features the Commissioner's Trophy with one diamond to mark the victory. Eight diamonds represent each of the team's World Series titles and the years 1883 and 2024 mark the franchise's 142 seasons.

The left side of the ring top interior includes a piece from the bases used in the World Series. Encircling the base are 34 sapphires honoring the Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died days before the World Series began.

In a personal touch, players' signatures are on the interior palm of the ring.

Former Dodger Jack Flaherty started for the Tigers on Friday night, so he'll receive his ring Saturday.

"We can go beat him up today and give him the ring tomorrow," Roberts joked.

Flaherty, a native of nearby Burbank, California, started Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series, both at Dodger Stadium, where he attended games as a kid. He joined the Dodgers at last year's trade deadline and provided stability to a starting rotation rocked by injuries.

"He was the right person at the right time for our club," Roberts said. "He delivered."

Utilityman Kiké Hernández got out of his sick bed to participate in the ceremony after missing the home opener a day earlier.

"He's feeling much better," Roberts said.

The team gathered behind the mound waiting for everyone to cross the stage and then posed for photos, smiling and admiring the bling on their fingers. A brass band broke into "Not Like Us."

"I hope it fits," Roberts said. "If it ends up on my pinkie, we'll be in trouble."

Russian Daria Kasatkina will switch allegiance to Australia after her application for permanent residency was accepted.

The 27-year-old, who has criticised Russia's LGBTQ+ rules and opposed the war in Ukraine, has been living in Dubai and has not returned to Russia in two and a half years.

Last month she denied suggestions she had switched to Spanish nationality after a mix-up with the flag used next to her name at a WTA Tour draw ceremony.

The world number 12, who has won eight singles titles, wrote on social media: "Australia is a place I love, is incredibly welcoming and a place where I feel totally at home.

"I love being in Melbourne and look forward to making my home there.

"As part of this, I am proud to announce that I will be representing my new homeland, Australia, in my professional tennis career from this point onwards.

"Obviously, there are parts of this decision that have not been easy. I want to express my thanks and gratitude to my family, coaches and everyone who has supported me throughout my tennis journey to date."

Kasatkina revealed she is gay in a video interview in 2022 and left Russia, which has strict laws on LGBTQ+ rights.

After also criticising the war in Ukraine in the interview, a Russian politician unsuccessfully called for her to be listed as a 'foreign agent' - someone acting against Russian interests.

Last year, she said she was expecting "consequences" following her actions.

Her statement on Friday added: "I will always have respect and fond appreciation for my roots, but I am thrilled to start this new chapter in my career and my life under the Australian flag. Thank you all for your understanding and continued support."