DENVER (AP) — Josh Manson treated his father to quite a show and joined him in the exclusive Gordie Howe hat trick club.
The Colorado Avalanche defenseman had two goals, two assists and a fight in an 8-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night with his father in attendance.
His dad, longtime NHL defenseman Dave Manson, also accomplished the feat during his playing career, which spanned 16 seasons.
“He’s seen me fight. He’s seen me score, but I don’t think he’s ever seen well, actually, nobody’s ever seen that before from me in the NHL,” Manson said. “It was a first for everybody, including myself.”
Manson got his night started with a first-period fight with Ottawa defenseman Tyler Kleven. Truth be known, Manson wasn't actively seeking to engage in a fight. Kleven had a clean hit on Manson's teammate, Ivan Ivan. but Manson wanted to ignite his team, which entered the game in a two-game slide.
“I presented myself there if he wanted,” explained Manson, who had the first two-goal game of his career. "I felt like it was a good time for our team. ... (Kleven) obliged.”
Soon after the penalty expired, Manson scored the first goal of the contest. He had an assist on Makar’s goal in the second period to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick.
“Wow, that was something,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I mean, he had a Gordie Howe hat trick early in the second period and then he just kept coming. He was involved in everything tonight.
“The physicality of the game, and what we normally evaluate him on, the defending and all that, was good. And then on the offensive side of it, he just had a fantastic night. He was a big part of our win tonight.”
Manson was a fight away from a double Gordie Howe hat trick. Or a goal away from his first regular hat trick.
"It’s a funny business," Manson said. “Some nights you feel great and you’re minus-three, and some nights you just feel OK things are going in for you.”
This game changed momentum in the second period with the Avalanche leading 3-1. The Senators appeared to score only to have the Avalanche successfully challenge for offside. Colorado seized the momentum and reeled off five straight goals to take all the drama out of the contest and improve to 18-0-2 at home.
Colorado tied a franchise record for goals in a period with six in the second.
“It's kind of one of those things," Manson said, “where you start rolling.”
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Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, third from left, is congratulated after scoring by, from left to right, defenseman Josh Manson, center Martin Necas and center Nathan MacKinnon in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, top, jumps on the back of Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk as they tangle by the net in the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
A transfer portal spiraling out of control prompted the new regulatory body for college sports to issue a memo to athletic directors Friday night saying it has “serious concerns” about some of the multimillion-dollar contracts being offered to players.
The “reminder” from the College Sports Commission came out about an hour before kickoff of the semifinal between Indiana and Oregon in a College Football Playoff that has shared headlines with news of players signing seven-figure deals to move or, in some cases, stay where they are.
The CSC reminded the ADs that, according to the rules, third-party deals to use players' name, image and likeness “are evaluated at the time of entry in NIL Go, not before, and each deal is evaluated on its own merits.”
"Without prejudging any particular deal, the CSC has serious concerns about some of the deal terms being contemplated and the consequences of those deals for the parties involved," the memo said.
Under terms of the House settlement that dictated the rules for NIL payments, schools can share revenue with their players directly from a pool of $20.5 million. Third-party deals, often arranged by businesses created to back the schools, are being used as workarounds this so-called salary cap.
The CSC, through its NIL Go portal, is supposed to evaluate those deals to make sure they are for a valid business purpose and fall within a fair range of compensation for the services being provided.
The CSC did not list examples of unapproved contracts, but college football has seen its share of seven-figure deals luring players to new schools since the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2.
One high-profile case involved Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who initially sought to enter the transfer portal and turn his back on a reported deal worth $4 million with the Huskies. Legal threats ensued and Williams changed course and stayed at Washington.
"Making promises of third-party NIL money now and figuring out how to honor those promises later leaves student-athletes vulnerable to deals not being cleared, promises not being able to be kept, and eligibility being placed at risk," the CSC letter said.
The commission listed two rules about contracts it evaluates, some of which have been termed “agency agreement” or “services agreement” in what look like attempts to bypass the rules.
—"The label on the contract does not change the analysis; if an entity is agreeing to pay a student-athlete for their NIL, the agreement must be reported to NIL Go within the reporting deadline."
—"An NIL agreement or payment with an associated entity or individual ... must include direct activation of the student-athlete’s NIL rights." This is a reference to the practice of “warehousing” NIL rights by paying first, then deciding how to use them later.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks on the field before the Peach Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal against Indiana, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
