Are we getting ahead of ourselves?
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Hello there!
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— Ottawa Senators Vice President of Marketing Peter Shier on the team’s sold-out Heated Rivalry jerseys featuring “Hollander” and “Rozanov” on the back. Why Ottawa? Well, we can’t tell you without a spoiler alert.
- Net profits from these special jerseys benefit Ottawa Pride Hockey, a local organization that promotes a safe space for all on the ice. Love to see it.
Australian Open
🎾 Let’s go down to the tennis court
The GIST: The only thing hotter than the temps Down Under is the on-court action — the Australian Open semis are officially set, complete with lots of chalk and a handful of surprises.
🎉 World No. 6 Jessica Pegula through to first career Aussie Open semi: The American took down her fellow countrywoman last night, topping No. 4 Amanda Anisimova to advance to the final four. Her prize? A semis showdown vs. No. 5 Elena Rybakina, who knocked out No. 2 Iga Świątek in straight sets.
- Joining them in the semis is No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who will play No. 12 Elina Svitolina after the latter’s quick QF win over No. 3 Coco Gauff yesterday.
- Now eliminated, Gauff is sparking conversations about player privacy after she smashed her racket following that match when she thought she was out of view of the cameras.
💪 No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz just keeps winning: The Spaniard made light work of No. 6 Alex de Minaur in yesterday’s QF, defeating the Australian in straight sets to the dismay of the home crowd. Looking as dominant as ever, Alcaraz now needs just two more match dubs to win the Aussie Open and become the youngest man to secure a career Grand Slam. Could history be in the making?
- The 22-year-old will face No. 3 Alexander Zverev in tomorrow’s semi. On the other side of the bracket, it’s No. 4 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who emerged victorious over No. 8 Ben Shelton overnight.
- If you think you’ve seen this film before, you’re right — Sinner topped Djokovic in both the Wimbledon and French Open semis last year. Old foes make for great matches.
TOGETHER WITH Scotiabank
🏒 Exclusive PWHL perks you can bank on
What’s better than going to a PWHL game? Getting rewarded for it, of course. Scotiabank has been a long-time supporter of women’s hockey and is now offering exclusive Scotia Perks for clients and PWHL fans. We’re talking:
👕 Merch discounts,
🌬️ Chance to ride the Zamboni at intermission
💅 And even seat upgrades.
Scotia Perks created an unforgettable hockey moment on Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada this year, dedicating an entire section of Scotiabank Arena for 500 girls from youth hockey teams across the GTA, their families, and their coaches to watch the Toronto Sceptres and Vancouver Goldeneyes face off at the Battle on Bay Street. Hockey, meet girlhood.
The TL;DR? Scotia Perks takes a regular game day experience and makes it unforgettable. Learn more about how Scotia Perks gets you closer to the game by checking out Scotia Perks.
LPGA
⛳ The grass is always greener
The GIST: The fairways are trimmed, and the greens are rolled — golf’s best are ready for the Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) Tournament of Champions, the LPGA’s first event of the season. Let’s spill the tee before the Tour’s 76th edition begins tomorrow.
📌 The main events: The LPGA has five majors — April’s Chevron Championship, June’s U.S. Women’s Open and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (with matching $12M purses), and July’s Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open, aka the Women’s British Open. The majors highlight a 33-tournament schedule that’ll dole out $132M in prize money this year. *golf clap*
👏 Parity on the green: Last season brought unprecedented parity with a record-setting 29 different winners over the Tour’s 35 events. World No. 1 and reigning Rolex Player of the Year Jeeno Thitikul was one of just two players (alongside No. 4 Miyū Yamashita) to secure multiple tourney wins — but the 22-year-old is still majorless…for now.
👀 Players to watch: No. 2 Nelly Korda is dressing for revenge (and taking names). After posting an impressive seven victories in 2024, Korda didn’t win a single title last season despite playing great golf — the 27-year-old had the Tour’s second-best scoring average.
- Other gals to keep an eye on? No. 3 Minjee Lee and No. 6 Lydia Ko, who are both just one major away from completing the career grand slam, and No. 11 Lottie Woad after the 22-year-old’s stellar rookie 2025 season. Fore!
Together With Snyder's of Hanover
🦬🔥 It’s finally buffalo flavored everything season, the time of year when licking your sticky, orange fingers is encouraged. Gameday requires big, bold flavours — how about buying a bag of Snyder’s of Hanover’s Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel Pieces?
🏈 New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick not a first-ballot Hall of Famer
Love him or hate him, yesterday’s news prompted outrage from the football community. Players and fans alike were left flabbergasted after the eight-time Super Bowl champ did not receive at least 80% of votes from the 50-person HOF committee. Belichick was not immune from controversy during his two-decade-plus tenure with the Pats, but he’s widely viewed as the greatest coach in NFL history.
🦬 Buffalo Bills tap offensive coordinator Joe Brady to fill head coach (HC) vacancy
The Bills didn’t have to go far to find the franchise’s 21st HC, but it’s a peculiar choice. The team controversially fired former HC Sean McDermott — who helped end Buffalo’s 17-year playoff drought in 2017 — after the Bills’ Divisional Round loss earlier this month. Wanting a new voice in the locker room is valid, but promoting in-house isn’t the shake up many were expecting.
🎓🏀 SEC boasts record 10 women’s basketball teams in AP Top 25
To the surprise of absolutely no one, undefeated UConn of the Big East still owns the No. 1 spot, but the SEC is stealing some of that spotlight: Five of their record-setting 10 AP Top 25 teams landed in the top 10, led by No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, and No. 5 Vanderbilt.
- As for the men, unbeaten No. 1 Arizona is the unanimous top team. As the Wildcats continue to stack wins, the Big Ten is living up to its powerhouse pedigree with No. 3 Michigan topping previously undefeated No. 5 Nebraska 75–72 last night.
🏒 Four PWHL games highlight final night before Olympic break
Time flies when lamps are being lit. Tonight’s four-game slate includes a spicy showdown between the league-best Boston Fleet and surging NY Sirens, but every game matters, especially with just five points separating the top four teams.
🦖 Toronto Raptors proving themselves as legitimate title contenders
Are we getting ahead of ourselves? Maybe, but Toronto’s recent road trip has left visions of the Larry O’Brien Trophy dancing in our heads. The Raps went an impressive 4-1 over those five away games, including a 103–101 Sunday win vs. the defending champ Oklahoma City Thunder. Now third in the Eastern Conference, the Dinos host the NY Knicks tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Question of the Day
As Carlitos continues his quest for history, we want to know: Do you think Alcaraz will complete the career Grand Slam this time around?
Today’s email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Grace DePaull, and Charlotte Mackenzie. Editing by Katie Kehoe Foster. Fact-checking by Elisha Gunaratnam and Mikaela Perez. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Elisha Gunaratnam. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.