Ireland wing Calvin Nash believes competition for places has been key to the side's strong start to the Six Nations.

Simon Easterby's side are top of the table with 10 points from 10 available after bonus-point wins over England and Scotland.

The Munster man scored his third Test try in Murrayfield as Ireland secured a 32-18 victory on Sunday.

He had sat out the win over England in round one of this year's competition, but came into the starting side to play Scotland after Mack Hansen was ruled out through injury.

The 27-year-old started every game of the championship last season, as well as both summer Tests in South Africa, but did not play a minute of four games in November.

"Being out of the squad is tough, especially when you're close and training the whole time with them," he said.

"Probably the start of the Six Nations as well, I wanted to put my best foot forward and try to get in and obviously there's a bit more disappointment not getting selected.

"But I think with this team, as long as the competition is pushing everyone forward and the team is going in the right direction, I can slot in or anyone can slot in. It's probably a good sign of the squad."

Nash scored twice in his province's Investec Champions Cup win before the Six Nations and was "confident" he could make an impact against Scotland despite only learning he would start late in the week.

"It's not my first game with the lads and the only thing you have to be over, really, is the moves. Other than that it's just about playing rugby in the system, you just slot in," he added.

"We all know the moves and that's your job. At the end of the day I knew I was travelling and if there was one injury I could have been in, so it's my job to just know everything and slot in.

"I've been confident in my ability being on the pitch, and I suppose the lead up to this camp has given me massive confidence as well. I've just been backing myself a bit more."

MONTREAL -- The World Cup of Hockey is returning beginning in February 2028, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Wednesday in a joint news conference with NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh.

Both sides reiterated that they are committed to sending NHL players to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, meaning hockey will return to a cadence of best-on-best international competition every two years -- with Bettman calling this month's 4 Nations Face-Off between the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden "a sampler."

NHL players have not competed in an Olympic Games since 2014. The last World Cup of Hockey was in 2016. Since then, many of the league's top stars, including Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, have advocated for the opportunity to represent their countries in the prime of their careers.

"We couldn't be more excited about making a reality: Olympics, World Cups, Olympics, World Cups on a regular schedule of the best hockey players in the world representing their countries," Bettman said. "We know the full blown World Cup is going to be sensational."

Bettman said the league will begin accepting bids on host locations for World Cup of Hockey 2028 soon, and opened the door for European cities to make pitches.

The tournament's format has yet to be determined, but Bettman anticipates at least eight teams. Unlike the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, there will not be "melded teams" such as Team Europe or a U-23 Team North America, but rather each team will consist of players from one country.

The IIHF is not involved in the tournament, Bettman confirmed, meaning it will be an NHL player-only event and federations cannot tap players competing in European leagues.

The biggest remaining question is whether Russia will be able to field a team. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the country has been banned from international play in all age categories by the IIHF. Earlier this month, the NHL and IIHF extended that ban through 2025-26, citing security concerns.

The NHL made a similar ruling for the 4 Nations Face-Off, excluding a Russia team that would have fielded some of the league's top stars such as Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin.

Walsh said Russian players have told him they are passionate about returning to the world stage. He also said he has not heard of any other players who said they would not participate in an event if Russia were involved.

"I'd love to see our Russian players playing in these tournaments. Again, they're incredible hockey players," Walsh said. "The issues are political and it is not political as far as the NHLPA, it's the world politics that we have to get through and I'm hoping that as we get closer to the Olympics, as we get closer to the World Cup, we will start seeing the Russian athletes back in the competition."

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN earlier this season that on the issue of Russia, the NHL often follows the lead and stays aligned with other international governing bodies. When asked what it would take for Russia to be involved in future events, Daly said: "I think the current status quo has to change and it has to change in a material way."

The joint World Cup of Hockey announcement was yet another mark of an improved relationship between the NHL and NHLPA, which will soon begin formal negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The current CBA expires in September 2026, but Bettman said he remains "more than optimistic" that there are not major issues to iron out, and that a new agreement could be announced as soon as this summer.

"All international competition that we do with NHL players is a joint collaboration and partnership with the Players Association," Bettman said. "We now have a partner since Marty has been at the Players Association that has put us in a position collectively to execute these types of events, make these decisions for the long term. That hasn't always been the case."

MONTREAL -- Sidney Crosby got a sellout crowd roaring with a no-look pass to Nathan MacKinnon for a slam dunk power-play goal in the first minute. Then he sent Canada fans home happy by assisting on Mitch Marner's overtime winner.

Sid's not a kid anymore, but he showed he's still got it at 37, getting three assists to beat Sweden 4-3 on Wednesday night in a thrilling opener of the 4 Nations Face-Off. It was just the latest masterclass by Crosby, a two-time Olympic champion who brought his best to the return of elite international competition featuring the NHL's top players.

"It's no coincidence is record of when he's wearing a Canadian jersey," coach Jon Cooper said. "It's not a fluke. He will go down as the greatest player to ever represent his country. If not, he's going to be on the Mount Rushmore, for sure, of people that have thrown the Canadian jersey on."

Fans who chanted the name of Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux during a pregame ceremony shifted to "Crosby! Crosby!" throughout the night and after he set up Marner's goal 6:06 into 3-on-3 OT.

"As someone who loves to play in environments like that, I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan, and to have an ovation like that here was really special and something I'll always remember," Crosby said.

Crosby and Connor McDavid were among the top skaters on the ice throughout. McDavid picked up the secondary assist on MacKinnon's goal and was buzzing all over around Swedish defenders.

Brad Marchand also scored for Canada to incite cheers at the home arena of the Canadiens, where the Boston Bruins captain is far more used to being the villain. Of course there were a few boos when his name was announced, too, to keep with tradition.

And Marner, also usually not loved in Montreal because he plays for the rival Toronto Maple Leafs, got to bask in cheers -- and the fact that his childhood idol set up the biggest goal of his career.

"You tell 13-year-old Mitch that he scored an overtime goal assisted by Sidney Crosby, the guy he looked up to since day one, it's pretty crazy," Marner said. "I really just tried to enjoy the moment after. The building was rocking, and it was nice to have them cheering for me instead of against me."

Canada at times controlled the play, but goaltender Jordan Binnington struggled at times. Binnington, who had 23 saves, was beaten clean in the second by Jonas Brodin and in the third by Adrian Kempe. He was less at fault on the tying goal to Joel Eriksson Ek with 11 minutes left in regulation and made a spectacular sliding save to deny Mika Zibanejad early in overtime.

Sweden got some big saves in net from Filip Gustavsson, who stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced and denied MacKinnon four times in OT in a hard-luck loss for the Swedes.

"In overtime there, he had some really good saves, even the whole game," Brodin said. "He's an unbelievable goalie and happy for him. He was great for us."

Winning the first of three round-robin games did come at a cost for Canada, which lost defenseman Shea Theodore to a right wrist or forearm injury in the second period. Cooper said Theodore is out for the rest of the tournament, and Travis Sanheim figures to slot in after being a healthy scratch against Sweden.

That Canada was able to play the remainder of a game that lasted over 65 minutes down to five D-men was a testament to the others at the position.

"In a game like that at that pace, having five defensemen up and down the ice, I can't say enough about what those guys did right till the end," Binnington said. "It's really tough to see Shea go down like that, but it happened and sometimes things happen like that and it's how you handle it."

The United States faces Finland in each team's first 4 Nations game on Thursday night.

MONTREAL -- Canada defenseman Shea Theodore is out for the rest of the 4 Nations Face-Off because of injury, coach Jon Cooper said after his team beat Sweden 4-3 in overtime in the first game of the NHL-run tournament, calling it a big blow.

Theodore injured his right wrist or forearm when he got crunched into the glass on a hit by Sweden's Adrian Kempe in the second period Wednesday night. Theodore immediately winced in pain, got medical attention on the bench and then went down the tunnel to get X-rays.

"What a kid, and he only got to play six minutes," Cooper said. "It's heartbreaking for the kid. And he was the first one there at the door high-fiving everybody when we came off. It's a tough one to swallow because you just know how much it means."

It's not clear how long Theodore, who plays for the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL, might be out. Cooper would not reveal the injury.

"I guess in hindsight he got to touch the ice and get some time in there," Cooper said. "But for us it was tough because you talk about the speed in that game, and we had to fight through the last 50 minutes with five defensemen. That's a grind."

With Theodore out and a game that went long into 3-on-3 OT, Cale Makar skated more than 28 minutes and defense partner Devon Toews just under 26.

"In a game like that at that pace, having five defensemen up and down the ice, I can't say enough about what those guys did right till the end," goaltender Jordan Binnington said. "It's really tough to see Shea go down like that, but it happened and sometimes things happen like that and it's how you handle it."

Kempe, who also scored for Sweden, was not aware his hit injured Theodore.

"I didn't know, actually, either until the intermission when they came in and told me," Kempe said. "I can't even remember the hit to be honest, so I'm going to have to go back and look."

Philadelphia's Travis Sanheim figures to slot in for Theodore after being a healthy scratch against Sweden. He is the only other defenseman on the roster because each team was able to bring only seven.

The opening game of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off was quite a bit closer than the Canadian fans in Montreal might have liked, but their side earned a victory over Sweden, 4-3 in overtime.

A victorious Canada earned two points for its OT win, while Sweden got one. Sweden's next matchup is against Finland on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+), and Canada will next play Saturday against the United States (8 p.m., ABC/ESPN+/Disney+).

But before closing the books on this game, let's grade both teams, identify our biggest takeaways, and look ahead to the key players to watch and biggest questions for each team's next game.

Grading the teams

Canada: B

It's hard to give Canada anything less than a 'B' grade here, even if they might have earned something lower. Squandering a 2-0 first-period lead and a 3-1 third-period lead to wind up in overtime meant Canada couldn't earn a three-point regulation win over Sweden. But they did earn two points for an overtime win thanks to Mitch Marner's efforts at 6:06 of a frantic extra session -- cashing in on Sidney Crosby's third primary assist of the game.

So it's a 'B' on a curve. They won the game. They did so playing five defensemen for over two periods, thanks to an injury to Shea Theodore. At times they looked like an unstoppable hockey machine that could score at will and limit an opponent's chances to nil. At other times, they looked like a group of star players who had limited practice time together and occasionally tried to do too much on their own.

But victory was theirs, heading into Saturday night's showdown with the U.S. The sweetest part: that Crosby, whose status for the tournament was uncertain after sitting out the Pittsburgh Penguins' past two games, was the best player on the ice. (With Mario Lemieux in the house watching, no less.) -- Greg Wyshynski

Sweden: B-

Was the takeaway from Sweden's first game the fact it fell behind by two goals before the first period ended? Or is it more about the fact that it overcame a two-goal deficit to send the game to overtime -- and nearly won it on a few chances?

The first-period deficit was somewhat rectified by a far more cohesive second period that saw Sweden cut the lead to 2-1. But that's when Sweden relied on its collective. There was Rasmus Dahlin clearing the puck out of the crease. Victor Hedman was among those actively using their sticks in the passing lane, while others such as Viktor Arvidsson were delivering checks. Joel Eriksson Ek was nearly the hero, scoring the tying goal while drawing Sweden's first penalty.

It was the sort of overall performance that reinforces why Sweden could be a problem in this tournament. But falling behind early also spoke to how Sweden's opening game could have been different if those problems could have been avoided. -- Ryan S. Clark

What we learned

Canada's PP1 is the scariest thing in hockey

While the 4 Nations Face-Off replaced the NHL All-Star Game this season, Canada's top power-play unit is a suitable stand-in for superstars making magic together.

Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Sam Reinhart ... that's like a human cheat code. They were as unstoppable as advertised in the first minute of the tournament, after William Nylander took a high-sticking penalty at 44 seconds. Makar kept the puck at the blue line, leading to McDavid and Crosby briefly playing catch near the boards. Crosby sent a blistering backhand pass through the crease to an open MacKinnon who buried his chance for the 1-0 lead.

When asked how he'd stop that quintet, Brad Marchand joked: "I would probably put three goalies in the net and just let them try to do the job." Even that might not have prevented the goal. -- Wyshynski

What if Sweden didn't have a slow start?

Instead of losing in overtime, perhaps Sweden is the one walking away winning its opening game. Either way, it's one of the questions that the Tre kronor will be left ruminating about entering its Saturday showdown against Finland.

But think back to how this game started: It's one thing to take a penalty within the first minute. But surrendering a goal within the first 20 seconds of the power play -- then giving up a second goal before you even record your first shot? And not getting off your first shot until 4:45 remained in the first period? This was far from the start Sweden sought. In fact, Canada had a 60% shot share in the first period, reinforcing how much it controlled possession.

Falling into that two-goal deficit also underscored why Sweden needed to rely on its collective, which it did. Sweden had three goal scorers, while Filip Gustavsson kept extending the game until Marner's overtime winner. But there were still challenges -- such as how Sweden had a hard time consistently generating high-danger scoring chances, or how it didn't draw a penalty until the third period.

Sweden showed it can come back after falling behind. But how will that work if it falls into another early hole Saturday against Finland? Can it find a breakthrough against Juuse Saros? And what would that look like against the United States on Monday knowing Sweden would be trying to find an opening against reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck? -- Clark

Is there a Canadian goalie controversy?

Canada coach Jon Cooper anointed St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington as his opening game starter over Adin Hill (Vegas) and Sam Montembeault (Montreal), and watched him give up three goals on 23 shots with varying degrees of fault.

Sweden's first goal wasn't completely on Binnington, as Jonas Brodin scored on a moving screen by Rickard Rakell. Adrian Kempe's goal was a manageable shot from the slot. Eriksson Ek's goal was the product of a great Jesper Bratt pass, but Binnington did him a favor by swimming in his crease. Binnington's best period was overtime, with a couple of game-saving stops before Marner's goal.

"This kid has played in some huge moments, some big games, he's a competitor," Cooper said when he named Binnington the starter. "These other guys will be ready to go if anything happens."

So did enough happen against Sweden for Cooper to give the crease to Hill -- a Stanley Cup winner for the Golden Knights -- or Montembeault on Saturday night against Team USA? That's a mystery. What's clear is that concerns about goaltending being the formidable Team Canada's Achilles' heel have not been assuaged. -- Wyshynski

Sweden's third goal could unlock something

Getting a tying goal was clearly crucial. But the way Lucas Raymond and Bratt combined to set up Eriksson Ek's goal in the third period was unlike any other goal that Sweden scored to that point.

Canada's defensive structure was predicated on forcing Sweden into taking longer-distance shots as a way to make it easier for Binnington to track the puck. And while Sweden scored two goals from distance thanks to Brodin and Kempe, it struggled to find high-danger scoring chances at the net front that Canada created at various points throughout the game.

Eriksson Ek won the faceoff in Canada's zone and then had the wherewithal to get to the net front that allowed him a chance to either screen Binnington or have what would be one of the easier scoring chances of the game. He found the latter and it gave Sweden a path toward finding more of those opportunities. This tactic could prove useful over the next several days. -- Clark

Players to watch

Connor McDavid
C, Canada

The most talented player in the world had a secondary assist on MacKinnon's power-play goal, but nothing else to speak of against Sweden. He had one shot on goal and didn't generate any in overtime, where MacKinnon (four shots) seemed to do what McDavid usually does.

Since entering the NHL, McDavid is tied with Crosby for the third-most 3-on-3 overtime goals during that span. Canada obviously won't mind if McDavid needed a game to get his bearings before unleashing the fury on Team USA. Maybe he was like the rest of us and was too mesmerized by a 37-year-old Crosby dominating the game to focus on himself. -- Wyshynski

Filip Gustavsson
G, Sweden

There's an argument to be had for Eriksson Ek considering he scored the tying goal and drew Sweden's lone penalty. But what Gustavsson did in regulation allowed Sweden to survive giving up high-danger scoring chances at a rate of 2-to-1, according to Natural Stat Trick.

But where it became even more evident was how the Minnesota Wild goaltender repeatedly stopped shots from some of the game's most dangerous players -- such as MacKinnon on multiple occasions in overtime -- before Marner's winning goal. -- Clark

Big questions for the next game

What will Canada do without Shea Theodore?

Becoming well-versed in 4 Nations injury replacement policy was the last thing Canadian fans wanted to do during the tournament opener. But now they know there's no reinforcements other than who's already on the roster with Theodore out for the rest of the event, according to Cooper.

The Vegas Golden Knights defender injured his hand while bracing himself on a hit by Kempe. He left during the second period and did not return for the third. Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim is the only blue-line reserve for Team Canada.

Tournament rules state that a team has to fall below 18 healthy skaters to bring in one not currently on the roster as a replacement. So it'll be Sanheim on Saturday night vs. Team USA. And if they lose another defenseman ... well, you snubbed Canadians might want to keep the phone near you on the beach. -- Wyshynski

Which version of Sweden will show up against Finland?

Will we see the version of Sweden that fell into an early deficit and had to slowly piece its way back into tying the score? Or the version that found ways to control possession and score goals despite playing against a defensive structure that was designed to force shots from distance?

Take away Mark Stone's goal, and the way Sweden performed in that middle period provides insight into why this is an intriguing team. Relying on its two-way ability to support Gustavsson -- with the premise it could lead to goals -- played into the strategy on how Sweden could win games.

Overcoming a two-goal deficit and forcing overtime against what's considered to be the tournament favorite further proves that Sweden is dangerous. But that's only if Sweden can find a way to replicate what it did from the second period on against two teams in Finland and the U.S. who have two of the premier goalies in the world. -- Clark

FC Dallas acquired Argentine midfielder Luciano Acosta from FC Cincinnati for at least $5 million Wednesday in one of the biggest official cash-for-player swaps to date in MLS.

The 2023 MLS MVP is Cincinnati's franchise leader with 54 goals and 72 assists after joining the club in 2021.

Acosta was a key to Cincinnati's turnaround after the club finished last its first three seasons. Cincinnati reached the playoffs for the first time in 2022 and a year later won the Supporter's Shield for the league's best record in Acosta's MVP season.

Cincinnati is looking to replace Acosta by acquiring Evander from the Portland Timbers, sources told ESPN.

The $5 million deal has up to an additional $1 million in performance-based incentives.

MLS introduced cash-for-player trades last month, allowing teams to sign players using cash on hand rather than General Allocation Money or assets such as draft picks and international roster spots.

The 30-year-old Acosta is a two-time MLS All-Star team captain and one of six players in league history with three or more seasons of at least 10 goals and 10 assists. Acosta recorded 17 goals and 14 assists in 2023.

"This is a landmark signing for FC Dallas and a statement of our commitment to building a championship-caliber team," FC Dallas president Dan Hunt said. "Bringing in a player of Lucho's caliber - an MVP and proven leader - demonstrates our ambition and desire to compete at the highest level."

FC Dallas has a first-year coach in Eric Quill after Nico Estevez was fired in June when the club was 3-8-5. Dallas finished 11-15-8 and missed the playoffs.

Before joining Cincinnati, Acosta played for Atlas FC in Liga MX from 2019 to 2021. He was with D.C. United on loan in 2016, a move made permanent by the MLS club after the season. Acosta helped United reach the playoffs three times in four seasons and had 10 goals and 17 assists in 2018.

FC Dallas plays at Cincinnati on May 28.

"Lucho has been a tremendous player for this club," Cincinnati general manager Chris Albright said.

"He has played a huge role in the story and success of FC Cincinnati. We will look to quickly add to our group with a player of elite talent and strong character."