Florida Sports Wire

 NEW YORK  –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 29, the fourth week of the 2024 season. With three games remaining in Week 4, nine games were decided by one score (eight points or less) – including two that featured the game-winning score in the final minute of regulation – and 10 games were within one score (eight points or less) in the fourth quarter. There have been 39 games decided by eight points or fewer, 38 games decided by seven points or fewer and 32 games decided by six points or fewer, all the most such games through Week 4 of a season in NFL history. The Minnesota Vikings defeated Green Bay, 31-29, to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2016 while the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 17-10, to advance to 4-0 for the first time since 2020. Two teams – Buffalo (on Sunday night at Baltimore) and Seattle (at Detroit on Monday night, 8:15 p.m. ET, ABC) – can also...

SUNRISE  – Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the Panthers Roster has been reduced to 42 players.   Florida’s roster consists of 25 forwards, 12 defensemen and five goaltenders. Click  HERE  to download the full Panthers Training Camp roster.   Forwards John Leonard, Aidan McDonough and Ben Steeves and defensemen Marek Alscher, Michael Benning, Evan Nause and Zachary Uens have been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).   Forwards Hunter St. Martin and Gracyn Sawchyn have been returned to their respective junior clubs.   Select Florida Panthers training camp practices at Baptist Health IcePlex will be free and open to the public throughout the year. Fans can check the Panthers open practice schedule at  FTLWarMemorial.com/Hockey/Panthers-Open-Practices . The open practice schedule is subject...

 ORLANDO – The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, announced forward Kelly Bent (Texas), forward Carson Focht (Syracuse), forward Alex Frye (Belleville), forward Jesse Jacques (Belleville), forward Spencer Kersten (Belleville) and defenseman Robbie Stucker (Belleville) have been invited to partake in various American Hockey League (AHL) training camps beginning Monday. Bent, 29, will partake in the Texas Stars training camp, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Bent returns for his second season in purple and orange after leading the Solar Bears and recording a career-high in penalty minutes during the 2023-24 season with 174. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound forward appeared in 62 games last season with Orlando and Wichita, posting seven points (6g-1a).  Bent has appeared in 137 ECHL games over four seasons with Kansas City, Allen, Wichita and Orlando, scoring 15 points (9g-6a) and recording 428 penalty minutes. Focht, 24, will...

  AUGUSTA, Ga. – Flagler College sophomore  Henley Grunst  was selected as the Peach Belt Conference's Goalkeeper of the Week, according to a release this afternoon by conference officials. Grunst recorded her first shutout of the season in a 2-0 win at Georgia College & State University. The Anderson, South Carolina native tallied four saves. Grunst is third in the PBC in saves per game (5.2). Flagler visits Georgia Southwestern State University on Saturday (Oct. 5) at 5 p.m. in Americus.

 By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire After Monday night’s debacle in Buffalo, the Jaguars’ season already is at a crossroads. Their lack of urgency missing from Week One is lingering, and head coach Doug Pederson’s seat is very warm. The overall sense of confidence that began the season sizzled in the opening-game Miami sun. They will enter Houston Sunday with a 0-3 record with their postseason chances being an unsafe bet. Still, until Houston shows it can be a consistent winner, the AFC South is still up for grabs. The Texans may have taken a step back after the Vikings ravaged them last week. This week, they encountered another major blow when they learned tackling machine Foyesade Oluokun will be sidelined for an indefinite period. Heading into Texas, linebacker Devin Lloyd also is listed as questionable as well as wide receiver Gabe Davis, and safety Darnell Savage and corner Jarrian Jones in the secondary. Evan Engram was lost with a hamstring in the home opener. Owner Shan K...

 Special from NFL Communications Seven From Sunday - Week 3 NEW YORK  –– A look at  seven statistical highlights  from games played during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 22, the third week of the 2024 season. Six teams – the  Baltimore Ravens ,  Carolina Panthers ,  Denver Broncos ,  Indianapolis Colts ,  Los Angeles Rams  and  New York Giants  – earned their first win of the season in Week 3. With three games remaining in Week 3, 29 teams have at least one win, with Jacksonville (at Buffalo) and Cincinnati (vs. Washington) looking for their first win of the season on Monday night. Three teams – the  Minnesota Vikings ,  Pittsburgh Steelers  and  Seattle Seahawks  – improved to 3-0. The Kansas City Chiefs (on  Sunday Night Football  at Atlanta) and Buffalo Bills (on Monday against Jacksonville) can also begin the season 3-0. Seattle head coach  Mike Macdonald  ...

TAMPA BAY  – The Tampa Bay Lightning have named defenseman Victor Hedman the 11 th  captain in franchise history, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. The two alternate captains will be forward Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Ryan McDonagh.   “We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11 th  captain in franchise history,” said BriseBois. “Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL. Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”   Among all defensemen in Lightning franchise history, Hedman, 33, ranks first for games played wi...