A golden tribute | Sports Daily Newsletter

While the players on the U.S. hockey team captured the gold medal at the Olympics for the first time in 46 years, they took time to honor someone who should have been with them: South Jersey’s Johnny Gaudreau.

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves Sunday in the 2-1 overtime victory against Canada to bring the Milan-Cortina Games to a thrilling climax. Then the players paid tribute to Gaudreau, a regular on the U.S. team who was killed, along with his brother Matthew, by an alleged drunk driver in August 2024.

Amid the celebration, U.S. captain Auston Matthews and close friends Matthew Tkachuk and Zach Werenski skated around the ice holding up Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 Team USA jersey. The American players later brought two of the late NHL star’s children, Noa and Johnny Jr., onto the ice to sit in for the team picture alongside their father’s jersey.

“I was so proud they remembered him for how great he was,” said Bob Nark, Gaudreau’s chemistry teacher at Gloucester Catholic High. “Today brought back a lot of memories, seeing them march his jersey around the ice.”

It was a touching end to a compelling Olympic Games, Mike Sielski writes: That entire postgame sequence sent a quiver across a region that the Gaudreau family turned into a hockey hotbed years ago. Guy Gaudreau, Johnny’s father, had helped to form the program at Gloucester Catholic, forging it into a powerhouse before Matt eventually coached there, too. All the while, Johnny was the example that every youth coach could hold up to every youngster who was wobbling on skates but dreaming big dreams.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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On his first at-bat of spring training, Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home run to right field off Pirates righty Braxton Ashcraft, clocked at an exit velocity of 108.7 mph off the bat.

“Just trying to simplify, first at-bat, and just happened to get a good piece of it,” Schwarber said. When he gets a good piece of the ball, it usually sails out of the park. All news was not good in the Phillies’ first home game of the spring, though. Shortstop prospect Aidan Miller sat out again, and Lochlahn March has the details.

Before the game in Clearwater, Fla., many Phillies players were glued to the big screen at BayCare Ballpark, watching the gold medal hockey game. Schwarber and Bryce Harper are hoping MLB players will get to experience the Olympics themselves when baseball returns to the Games in 2028.

A troubling road loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday left the Sixers with their fourth straight defeat. Sure, Joel Embiid was out of the lineup once again, but the team could not compensate for his loss and showed little fight, according to veteran Kelly Oubre Jr.

“I don’t think anything’s funny right now. I don’t think anything is fun,” said Oubre, who scored 25 points in the loss. “I just hope that we get mad. I think we’ll play better if we’re mad. We’ll play better if we’re desperate.”

The Sixers said on Sunday that rookie Johni Broome suffered a torn meniscus in his knee in a game with the Delaware Blue Coats.

The Sixers managed to bounce back nicely on Sunday with a 135-108 win over the Timberwolves, which included a highlight-reel dunk from guard Tyrese Maxey.

The Public and Catholic Leagues crowned their champions in boys’ and girls’ basketball on Sunday. Imhotep Charter’s boys have made this a habit. Zaahir Muhammad-Gray scored 15 points as the Panthers captured their sixth PPL title in a row with a 39-35 victory over West Philadelphia at La Salle’s John E. Glaser Arena.

On the girls’ side, 22 points from Nasiaah Russell helped Audenried earn its fourth straight crown in a 64-50 win over Imhotep.

Repeat champions were the story of the day. In the Catholic League boys’ final at the Palestra, Father Judge won its second straight crown by beating Neumann Goretti.

Sisters Alexis, Kayla, and Kelsey Eberz combined to score 29 points for Archbishop Carroll, which topped Cardinal O’Hara for the Catholic League championship.

Arguably the most legendary 76er of all, Julius Erving turned 76 years old on Sunday. “I want to put my focus on keeping the carrot out in front,” the Hall of Famer says, “and tomorrow being the best day of my life.”

In an excerpt from his book, Magic in the Air: The Myth, the Mystery, and the Soul of the Slam Dunk, Mike Sielski explores Erving’s heyday: the 1976 ABA slam dunk contest.

Feb. 23, 2005: The Sixers traded for All-Star forward Chris Webber and two reserves, sending Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson to the Sacramento Kings. Webber was a disappointment with the Sixers, averaging 17.9 points before he was waived in 2007.

You never know how Jeffrey Lurie sees his team, but, after two Super Bowl trips and two post-Super Bowl disasters, it feels more than ever like there’s a one-year window in which Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts can save their jobs in Philadelphia. Their chances got a lot better Thursday.

That’s when The Inquirer reported that right tackle Lane Johnson, arguably the greatest Eagle ever and inarguably the greatest Eagles offensive lineman, would return for a 14th season. Left guard Landon Dickerson, a three-time Pro Bowl player, will return as well.

Replacing either of them would have been difficult. Replacing both would have been catastrophic. More from Marcus Hayes.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Marcus Hayes, Gustav Elvin, Stephen Wyno, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, Gina Mizell, Ryan Mack, Colin Schofield, Dylan Johnson, Owen Hewitt, Jeff Neiburg, Katie Lewis, Jackie Spiegel, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Happy Monday and good luck shoveling or slow blowing! I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim