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Wednesday, February 18, 2026

From the sports desk: Three overtimes, three thrilling men’s hockey finishes

February 18, 2026
From the sports desk: Three overtimes, three thrilling men's hockey finishes

Hello from Milan and Cortina, where we're heading toward the homestretch of these Winter Games. Today in the quarterfinals of the men's hockey tournament, three of the four games went into overtime. In the day's final game,Quinn Hughesripped the game-winning goal that gaveTeam USA a 2-1 win over Sweden.

NBC Universal Image: IHOCKEY-OLY-2026-MILANO CORTINA-MEN-USA-SWE (Alexander Nemenov / AFP - Getty Images)

Our correspondents have it all covered below and atNBC News. Catch it all streaming onPeacock.

Live from Milan Cortina

Ice Hockey - Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Day 12 (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

The quarterfinal round of the Olympic men's hockey tournament today could not have been closer. After Slovakia blasted Germany 6-2, the next three games went to overtime.

First, Team Canada barely survived against Czechia, asJordan Binnington, the often criticized Canadian goalie, made a few key saves down the stretch in a 4-3 win. Then Finland, the reigning Olympic champs, mounted a late comeback to topple Switzerland 3-2 in overtime.

But the nightcap was just as thrilling. The Americans were holding onto a one-goal lead for much of the game, until Sweden'sMika Zibanejadscored with less than two minutes left in regulation. By then, hockey fans were familiar withthe overtime rules: a sudden-death, 10-minute period, played 3-on-3.

A few minutes into overtime,Quinn Hughesfound an opening and unleashed a wicked shot that hit the post and banked into the net. The rest of Team USA mobbed him in celebration.

Now the USA will play Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday, and Canada will play Finland for a trip to the gold medal game.

Earlier in the day,Mikaela Shiffrinhad authored her own triumphant moment. For all of her dominance across Alpine skiing, in recent years Shiffrin had faltered on the sport's biggest stage.

She missed out on medals in her last eight Olympic events: six at the 2022 Beijing Games and two at the Milan Cortina Games. Her last chance to medal in Italy came today in the slalom, her strongest event.

Shiffrin proved to be up for the challenge. She raced to first place and a combined time of 1:39.1 — 1.5 seconds ahead of silver, and 1.71 seconds ahead of bronze.

It was the largest margin of victory in any Olympic Alpine skiing event since 1998.

"The skiing is what I cared about and of course, medal and (win) gold, I mean, that's a dream come true," Shiffrin told NBC. "But at some point this week, I just said, like, 'Stop dreaming, just ski.' … And I'm so happy to be able to do the right thing in the right moment." (For more on Shiffrin, readTim Layden'sdispatch for NBC Olympicsand theseeight stats on how she made history.)

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Image: USA's gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin (Marco Bertorella / AFP - Getty Images)

Medal Count

Norway has taken a commanding lead in themedal race, thanks to athletes likeJohannes Hoesflot Klaebo, the Norwegian cross-country skier who won another gold medal today in the men's team sprint. He has now won five gold medals at these Games and has joined American swimmerMichael Phelpsas the only Olympians ever to have won 10 or more gold medals.

Klaebo could win a sixth gold medal, in the 50-kilometer mass start on Saturday.

The medal count through Wednesday, Feb. 18th.

Athlete Spotlight

Ahead of tomorrow's U.S.A.-Canada gold medal hockey game,Hilary Knightproposed to her longtime girlfriend,American speedskater and fellow OlympianBrittany Bowe.

Knight and Bowe had gotten to know each other at the 2022 Beijing Games, which still had heavy pandemic restrictions. "To have that human connection, even walking outside at a distance, it was really cool," Knighttold Olympics.com.

On anInstagram postannouncing the engagement, Knight wrote, "Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever."

Tomorrow, Knight and Team USA will face Canada for the fifth consecutive time in the gold medal game. In the previous four Olympic finals, the Americans only won once, in 2018.

Olympians Hilary Knight and Brittany Bowe engaged at Milan Cortina Games (Hilary Knight via Instagram)

What is Skimo?

A new Olympic sport will make its debut tomorrow — a brutal, high-altitude sport that's called ski mountaineering. Or skimo, for short.

In skimo, skiers scamper uphill wearing carpet-like skins on their skis or just their stiff boots, then barrel back down an ungroomed course.

Three skimo events will be held in Bormio, Italy: men's sprint, women's sprint, and a mixed relay with a competitor of each gender.

The United States will compete in the relay, which starts with a section of skinning — essentially racing uphill with a free heel and climbing skins glued to the skis. Then the athletes rip off the skins and ski a short downhill portion before returning to climbing, this time with a combination of skinning and bootpacking (dashing uphill in their ski boots, with skis secured to a backpack). Finally, they descend to the base of the hill.

When to Watch?

If you were planning to call out of work sick to watch the Olympics, Thursday is the day to do so. We have curling semifinal action, finals in both women's and men's skimo, the bronze and gold medal games in women's hockey, andJordan Stolzgoing for another gold in speedskating.

On top of all that? The final figure skating medal of the Olympics will be given in the women's single event, with AmericanAlysaLiuin contention for a medal.

All times are in Eastern, and an asterisk signifies a medal event:

Thursday, Feb. 19

  • 3:05 a.m.: Curling, men's round robin (Sweden vs. Czechia, Italy vs. Switzerland, China vs. Germany, Norway vs. Canada)

  • 3:10 a.m.: Nordic combined, team sprint trial round

  • 3:50 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, women's sprint heats

  • 4 a.m.: Nordic combined, team sprint competition round

  • 4:30 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men's freeski halfpipe qualifying run 1

  • 4:30 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, men's sprint heats

  • 5:27 a.m.: Freestyle skiing, men's freeski halfpipe qualifying run 2

  • 6:55 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, women's sprint semifinals

  • 7:25 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, men's sprint semifinals

  • 7:55 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, women's sprint finals*

  • 8 a.m.: Nordic combined, team sprint cross-country*

  • 8:05 a.m.: Curling, women's round robin (Switzerland vs. USA, Canada vs. Korea, Japan vs. China, Great Britain vs. Italy)

  • 8:15 a.m.: Ski mountaineering, men's sprint finals*

  • 8:40 a.m.: Women's hockey, bronze medal game, Switzerland vs. Sweden*

  • 10:30 a.m.: Speedskating, men's 1,500-meter*

  • 1 p.m.: Figure skating, women's singles, free skate*

  • 1:05 p.m.: Curling, men's semifinals

  • 1:05 p.m.: Curling, men's semifinals

  • 1:10 p.m.: Women's hockey, gold medal game, USA vs. Canada*

  • 1:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing, women's freeski halfpipe

That's it for now! We'll be back tomorrow.

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Rockets' Kevin Durant mum on latest burner account accusations: 'I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense'

February 18, 2026
Rockets' Kevin Durant mum on latest burner account accusations: 'I'm not here to get into Twitter nonsense'

Kevin Durant has found himself at the center of more "burner" account accusations, the latest of which swirled on social media while the Houston Rockets standout played in his 16th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

Yahoo Sports

The 37-year-old is alleged to be behind direct messages from an anonymous account that criticized players and coaches he's accompanied during a career that's seen him win two titles and one league MVP award.

"I know you gotta ask these questions, but I'm not here to get into Twitter nonsense,"Durant told reporters after Houston's practice on Wednesday. "I'm just here to focus on the season, keep it pushing. But I get you have to ask those questions."

Durant added:

"My teammates know what it is. We've been locked in the whole season. ... We had a great practice today, looking forward to this road trip."

At the moment, there's no evidence actually linking these critical comments to Durant. Still,social media ran rampant with the theory, circulating screenshots of an anonymous user who, among other things, blamed Rockets All-Star center Alperen Şengün for his defense, said that they couldn't trust forward Jabari Smith Jr. to make a shot or get a stop and took a dig at former Phoenix Suns star teammate Devin Booker.

Durant is quick to quip, confront and discuss with everyday social media users from his own verified X account,which has more than 19 million followers. He isn't afraid to stir the pot online or engage with casual fans. Many love him for that kind of engagement, which he willingly offers and most NBA stars avoid.

Durant was asked at this year's All-Star Weekend media availability on Saturday if he'd rather give up video games or Twitter, now known as X, for the rest of his life.

"I'm gonna go Twitter,"Durant said before continuing jokingly, "because they don't deserve to hear this God-level-like talk I'm giving to them. They take it for granted."

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But Durant has used burner accounts before.

In 2017, Durant posted in the third-person from his personal account, throwing shade on the Oklahoma City Thunder and then-head coach Billy Donovan while explaining his decision from the previous year to leave the franchise that drafted him for the Golden State Warriors, a Western Conference foe and the league's crown jewel at the time.

Durant owned his mistake and apologized for itin the aftermath of the social media storm he caused.

In 2019,according to The Athletic, Durant said in an interview on ESPN's "The Boardroom" that he used anonymous accounts as a way to speak out and dodge the notoriety that's often impossible to hide from as an NBA player.

Durant is playing in his 18th NBA season. He's spent 19 total years in the league, representing five franchises.

Now with the Rockets, he's still among the best in the sport. He's shooting above 50% from the field and north of 40% from 3. His 25.8 points per game are tops on the team.

While fourth in the West, the 33-20 Rockets will need a strong push to grab the No. 2 seed like they did ahead of last year's playoffs.

Durant is trying to tune out the noise, even if it's once again loud and scrutinizing his social-media presence.

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Seahawks announce franchise is up for sale less than a month after winning Super Bowl 60

February 18, 2026
Seahawks announce franchise is up for sale less than a month after winning Super Bowl 60

Less than a month afterwinning Super Bowl 60, the Seattle Seahawks are going up for sale. The franchise announced it had begun a "formal sale process" Wednesday in the hopes of selling the franchise in the coming months.

Yahoo Sports

The team announced the move on social media, saying it was "consistent with [former owner Paul] Allen's directive" after his death.

Allen's foray into sports ownership began in 1988, when he purchased the Portland Trail Blazers. He entered the NFL world in 1997, buying the Seahawks.

In 2009, Allen was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.He died in 2018due to complications from the cancer. Since Allen's death, the Seahawks have been owned by his estate, which is headed by his sister, Jody Allen.

As part of Allen's will, he dictated that his sports holdings should be sold following his death, with the proceeds going toward philanthropic efforts. In addition to that, the NFL does not allow a trust to serve as a team owner. NFL teams must be owned by individuals.

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The Trail Blazers followed through on Allen's directive, goingup for sale in May.The team was sold a few months later,going for over $4 billion.

Because of that, it was only a matter of time before the Seahawks also went up for sale. But not before a little infighting between the franchise and the NFL. In January, reports emerged suggesting the Seahawks would be put up for sale after the Super Bowl. Allen's estate refuted those reports, saying theteam was not for sale.

The NFL took issue with that, reportedlyfining the team $5 millionfor refusing to adhere to league rules.

A sale could come together relatively soon. The Seahawks hired Allen & Company, an investment bank, to help lead the sale process. Allen & Company was also hired by Allen's estate when it was looking to sell the Trail Blazers, and that deal came together after just a few months.

The Seahawks stand to be sold for a higher price than the Trail Blazers. In August, Sportico estimatedSeahawks' value at $6.59 billion. It's unclear how much the team's price has risen following its impressive run to a Super Bowl title this season.

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Video shows terrifying moment man tries to snatch child at supermarket

February 18, 2026
Video shows terrifying moment man tries to snatch child at supermarket

It's every parent's biggest fear. A shocking video shows a man attempting to snatch a child away from her mother at a northern Italian supermarket.

USA TODAY

The incident occurred at Esselunga mall in Bergamo on Saturday, Feb. 14, Storyful reported.

Surveillance footageshared by the Italian State Policecaptured the alleged attacker grabbing the girl before trying to flee, resulting in a violent physical confrontation between the man, the child's parents and other witnesses on the scene.

"The woman's resistance prevented the worst from happening until her father, the security guards, and the bystanders stopped the attacker until the police arrived," police said in the press release translated to English.

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Watch video of the attempted kidnapping

Children dressed as pandas perform during a night parade celebrating the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Horse, in Hong Kong, China, February 17, 2026. People watch as a performer blows fire during Lunar New Year celebrations at Chinatown in Binondo, Manila, Philippines, February 17, 2026. People attend Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations during the 28th annual Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Chinatown on February 17, 2026 in New York City. Hundreds of people turned out to watch the festivities, which this year mark the Year of the Horse, which symbolizes energy, independence, and transformative change. Worshippers lights their incense sticks on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Horse, at the Taoist temple of Sin Sze Si Ya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia February 17, 2026. A performer blows fire during Lunar New Year celebrations at Chinatown in Binondo, Manila, Philippines, February 17, 2026. Offerings to Buddha consist of fruits, flowers and food for the first day of Lunar New Year at the Thousand Buddha Temple in Quincy Point on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. The service was led by Temple Master Kuan Xian Shi, who is 95 and has been at the temple since its founding in 1995. The faithful gathered to pray on the first day of Lunar New Year at the Thousand Buddha Temple in Quincy Point on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. The service was led by Temple Master Kuan Xian Shi, who is 95 and has been at the temple since its founding in 1995. People attend Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations during the 28th annual Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Chinatown on February 17, 2026 in New York City. Hundreds of people turned out to watch the festivities, which this year mark the Year of the Horse, which symbolizes energy, independence, and transformative change. People celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year, marking the Year of the Horse in New York's Chinatown on February 17, 2026 in New York City. People perform dragon dance as Panama marks the Lunar New Year with celebrations in Panama City's Chinatown, ushering in the Year of the Fire Horse through traditional festivities aimed at preserving cultural heritage, in Panama City, Panama, February 17, 2026. People pray at a Chinese temple on the first day of the Lunar New Year, in Bangkok, Thailand, February 17, 2026. Residents set off fireworks on the first day of the Lunar New Year Festival in San Francisco's Chinatown district, California, February 16, 2026. People pray at a Chinese temple on the first day of the Lunar New Year, in Bangkok, Thailand, February 17, 2026. A part of a costume, during the lion dance on the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Horse at the Dongyue Temple in Beijing, China, February 17, 2026. People visit Chinatown during Lunar New Year celebrations in Binondo, Manila, Philippines, February 17, 2026. People visit Chinatown during Lunar New Year celebrations in Binondo, Manila, Philippines, February 17, 2026. Worshippers watch the lion dance performance on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Horse, near the Taoist Guan Di Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia February 17, 2026. People attend Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations during the 28th annual Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Chinatown on February 17, 2026 in New York City. Hundreds of people turned out to watch the festivities, which this year mark the Year of the Horse, which symbolizes energy, independence, and transformative change.

See Lunar New Year celebrations around the world full of color, tradition

Man arrested, charged following attempted kidnapping

A kidnapping attempt at an Italian grocery store ended when bystanders rushed in to help a mother protect her baby during a violent struggle.

According to the Italian State Police, the victim was transported to the hospital and was determined to have a fractured femur.

More news:Gisèle Pelicot's rape trial captivated world. Her memoir tells the story.

The unidentified man was arrested. Following an investigation, he was charged "with attempted aggravated kidnapping, as it was committed against a minor, and aggravated bodily harm," the news release from Italian police stated.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Man tries to snatch child in attempted kidnapping at supermarket

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Authorities are using deep-sea tech to try find the sunken fishing boat off Massachusetts

February 18, 2026
Authorities are using deep-sea tech to try find the sunken fishing boat off Massachusetts

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A coalition of authorities is deploying technology to try to locate the wreck of a fishing boat that sank last month off Massachusetts, killing all seven aboard. But winter weather and sea conditions have thus far slowed their efforts.

Associated Press Gryphon Orfanos, who in the past worked on the fishing vessel U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Boston, Captain of the Port and Commander Jamie Frederick, right, speaks during a news conference about the commercial fishing vessel, the Lily Jean, that sank off Gloucester, as Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey listens, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Gloucester, Mass. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi) Christine Porper of Gloucester, Mass. pauses at the fisherman's memorial near the homeport of a fishing boat that went missing with seven onboard, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Gloucester, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Missing Fishing Boat

The 72-foot (22-meter) vessel Lily Jeanwas returning to portearly Jan. 30 to repair fishing gear when it sank in frigid Atlantic waters off the historic fishing port of Gloucester. Multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Massachusetts Environmental Police, are cooperating to try to find the wreck of the ship and potentially recover the bodies of the deceased, officials said Wednesday.

The Lily Jean sank in waters that were more than 300 feet deep and very inhospitable in winter. Environmental police have deployed side-scan sonar to try to gather data and detect anomalies on the ocean floor, officials said. They said they also hope to be able to send a remotely operated vehicle to the site to gather photos and video, but seas have thus far made that challenging.

Officials will provide updates to the community that is still grieving the loss of the victims, said Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Republican of Gloucester.

"One of the most haunting things about grief or loss at sea is the not knowing," Tarr said during a news conference on Wednesday. "Answering those questions requires a tremendous amount of effort."

The Coast Guard initially launched a search and rescue mission after receiving an alert from the vessel about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off Cape Ann. Searchers found a debris field near where the alert was sent along with a body in the water and an empty life raft, the Coast Guard said. The search wassuspendedthe following day, and the community has rallied around the families of the victims since.

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Gloucester is America's oldest seaport and is well known for its close-knit fishing community. The book and movie "The Perfect Storm" were inspired by the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea in 1991.

Coast Guard officials identified the victims of the sinking of the Lily Jean as captain Accursio "Gus" Sanfilippo and crew members Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short and Sean Therrien. Also aboard was Jada Samitt, a fisheries observer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Ricky Beal, brother of Paul Beal Sr., said during Wednesday's news conference that he is hopeful the investigation will help families in the community better understand what happened. He also encouraged anyone following the investigation not to spread false information about it.

"As of now, hopefully in the future, the investigation will give us some light on what happened. But as of now, only God knows what happened that fateful morning," Beal said.

The Lily Jean, Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show "Nor'Easter Men." The captain is described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, out of Gloucester, in the Georges Bank. The crew is shown working in dangerous weather conditions for hours on end, spending as many as 10 days offshore catching haddock, lobster and flounder.

Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

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