Sports
Elliott: The heat is squarely on Rob Blake after he fired Todd McLellan as Kings coach
Kings general manager Rob Blake said his desire to hear a new voice and see renewed energy within the team led him to fire coach Todd McLellan and elevate assistant Jim Hiller to the head coaching job for the rest of what has been an erratic and disappointing season.
If firing a coach who received strong support from key players last week doesn’t jolt the Kings out of a slump in which they’ve won three of their last 17 games and plummeted to a wild-card playoff position, the next voice Blake hears will come from his bosses and it will tell him he should find another job. And it would be deserved.
“I fully understand the repercussions if this team does not win or have success,” Blake said at a news conference Monday, his first public comments since he fired McLellan last Friday.
“This was done in an effort to correct the way we have played of late,” Blake said, adding that he hadn’t been pressured from above and had made the decision to fire McLellan on his own. “Our offense, our defense, our overall game, individuals, and the team have not been up to a level of our desired needs.”
Blake was short on specifics regarding what he hopes Hiller will do or will say with that fresh, new voice to turn around the Kings, whose 23-15-10 record includes a dismal 8-9-6 record at home.
Their strong start, which featured an NHL-record 11-game road winning streak from the beginning of the season, fizzled into a parade of close losses, defensive blunders, missed scoring chances, and badly timed penalties. Blake said he still believes in the team he assembled — including underachieving, $68-million center Pierre-Luc Dubois — but he pretty much has to say that because he can’t change the roster as easily as he could fire the coach.
Blake repeatedly said Hiller will change things. Precisely what that means will remain a mystery until the Kings return from their All-Star break and bye week and resume practice on Thursday at 2 p.m. Hiller’s first game behind the bench will be Saturday at Crypto.com Arena against the Edmonton Oilers, who changed coaches early this season and took a 16-game winning streak into their break. Injured winger Viktor Arvidsson is expected to join the Kings at practice but is a ways from playing.
“He’s a different person,” Blake said of Hiller. “It’s a different person in charge. So meetings are different. Meeting times are different. Approaches to the game. Every single thing will be different when a new person steps in.”
Blake said he didn’t look outside the organization for an experienced NHL coach because he felt comfortable with Hiller, who played 40 games for the Kings in the 1992-93 season (with Blake as a teammate) before Hiller was traded to Detroit in the deal that brought Jimmy Carson and Gary Shuchuk to Los Angeles. Blake did say he was seeking an assistant to add to Hiller’s staff for another outside voice.
Jim Hiller, shown in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 7, 2023, will be the Kings’ head coach when they resume play Saturday at home against Edmonton.
(Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
“Familiarity with the team, being around them here for the last year and a half and understanding his perspective and ability to communicate with players and different things. There’s a lot to Jim,” Blake said. “He’s also been a head coach in the juniors for a long time, so he was running a lot more than the bench in those days and he’s been an assistant under some very good head coaches and been in the league a long time.”
A different tone or manner in meetings might not be enough to correct what Blake called a “disconnect” in the team’s play. If Hiller can awaken Dubois, who has 10 goals and 20 points in 48 games, he should be nominated for coach of the year honors.
Blake didn’t single out Dubois for criticism, because that would be acknowledging he made a huge mistake in acquiring a player who has twice wanted a change of scenery and has yet to make an impact after getting to pick his third destination.
“This is the team we built to make the playoffs,” Blake said. “Individually, there are numerous players here — and I’m going to break it down from [the first] 24 games to the last 24 games that have not been up to their potential. Him included. But the team overall needs to be better, too.”
Hiller has been a good power-play strategist through eight seasons as an assistant coach with Detroit, Toronto, and the New York Islanders. The Kings’ power play last season, his first on McLellan’s staff, ranked fourth in the NHL with a 25.3% success rate. This season, their conversion rate had fallen to 18.0%, which ranked 17th through Sunday’s games. Blake said that must improve, along with their defense. And offense. And everything else.
All of which means Hiller must work through a lot of challenges. “We are win-loss. That’s exactly where our team is,” Blake said. “Everything we dictate from this point and from this going forward is based off of wins and losses.”
Without enough wins, the next voice Blake hears won’t bring him good news.
Sports
Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.
However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.
The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)
Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.
“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”
ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVE TO FACE IN TERRIFYING SCENE
Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.
“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.
They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.
A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.
“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.
Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.
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Sports
NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel
NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic days after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel interacting at an Arizona resort.
The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos in the Post’s Page Six, Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married to other people — gave statements denying anything inappropriate was happening between them.
The article also included a statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, who expressed full support of Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reported days later that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation into the matter.
Russini submitted her letter of resignation to Ginsberg on Tuesday, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.
“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”
The New York Times confirmed Russini’s resignation but declined to comment further for this article.
Page Six wrote Tuesday that it received a statement from Ginsberg following Russini’s resignation.
“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”
But as “additional information emerged,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.” Ginsberg’s statement did not elaborate on the “new questions.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Page Six.
Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots linebacker and was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 before returning to New England as head coach last season.
In Page Six’s initial article last week, Russini said the photos of her and Vrabel “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” Vrabel said in the same article: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene
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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.
“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.
Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.
“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”
AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”
Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.
“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”
Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.
Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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