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In Brief: NHL postpones Kings’ game

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires still burning across the greater Los Angeles area.

The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena.

The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena on Thursday night.

The NFL is also monitoring the potential impact of the fires on the two Los Angeles teams’ playoff preparations and the Rams’ wild-card postseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night at SoFi Stadium.

OUTDOOR HOCKEY IN FLORIDA

MIAMI (AP) — Hockey. Outdoors. In Florida. Next season, the NHL is making it happen twice.

The NHL announced Wednesday that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will play host to the New York Rangers at loanDepot Park in Miami on Jan. 2, 2026, in the Winter Classic, with the Tampa Bay Lightning playing host to the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026, in a Stadium Series game.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says “Stanley Cups, strings of sellouts and the exponential growth of youth and high school hockey throughout the state have demonstrated that Florida is a hockey hotbed.”

BRIAN MATUSZ DIES AT 37

BALTIMORE (AP) — Former major league left-hander Brian Matusz has died.

He was 37.

Matusz spent eight seasons in the majors, mostly with the Baltimore Orioles as they returned to prominence a decade ago.

The Orioles and the University of San Diego announced the death, with USD saying it received word from Matusz’s family.

They did not announce a cause of death.

The Orioles drafted Matusz with the fourth overall pick in 2008.

He made his major league debut in 2009 and was a starter until shifting to the bullpen in 2012. That was the season Baltimore earned a wild card for its first playoff appearance in 15 years.

NIEMANN GETS MASTERS INVITE

By The Associated Press

Joaquin Niemann is headed back to the Masters. He’s still the only LIV Golf player to get a special invitation from Augusta National. The club also has invited Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark.

That means twins will be playing in the Masters together for the first time.

Rasmus Hojgaard qualified by being among the top 50 in the world at the end of last year.

Niemann received an invitation last year by playing outside LIV Golf and winning in Australia.

He did the same this year and had another good finish. He won the Saudi International on the Asian Tour.

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