LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brayden McNabb showed up for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final with at least two dozen stitches in his face that forced the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman to wear a caged helmet for the first time since his youth hockey days in Davidson, Saskatchewan.
“It’s part of hockey,” McNabb said. “You get through it.”
After the Golden Knights took a 2-1 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-4, double-overtime victory on Saturday night, Vegas coach John Tortorella was a bit less measured in describing the 35-year-old McNabb.
“When you get this far in the playoffs, it’s not so much sometimes the end result, it’s just attrition and all that goes in (with) what these athletes have to do to play as many games as we’ve played so far,” Tortorella said. “Those are the things you remember. I’ve been fortunate to be in a few playoffs along the way and see some of this. I haven’t seen something like this.
“I heard the players yelling ‘warrior,’” Tortorella said. “He’s more than that. I’m just blown away, how he’s gone about his business.”
McNabb took an 87 mph puck to the face in Game 2 on Thursday night at Carolina, and was taken to a hospital before the game ended.
Two days later, with a flight home in between, McNabb was back on the ice for warmups. Wearing that caged helmet with “mid-20s, maybe 30” stitches holding his wounds together, McNabb logged nearly 36 minutes of ice time, delivered an arena-rocking hip check to Carolina star Taylor Hall, and finished with two assists, including one on Shea Theodore’s game-winner.
“A little tough, but I was able to get through it,” McNabb said. “Felt pretty good for the most part. The cage was different, getting used to that was a little bit (different), but for the most part felt OK, especially felt better as the game went on.”
McNabb's grit has become familiar to Golden Knights fans. He's been with the franchise since its inaugural season in 2017-18 and has played in a franchise-record 647 games. He also leads the Golden Knights in blocked shots with 1,416, which is the most among NHL skaters since 2017-18.
“It’s got to be near the top,” Theodore said when asked how McNabb's performance Saturday night ranked during their nine years together in Vegas. “The stuff he went through from last game and everything. I mean, it’s incredible for him to kind of bounce back like that and be able to come in today, get ready to play, and I thought he played unbelievable.
“He’s just so impressive out there.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb is seen with a cage on his helmet during the first period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Nelly Korda is deep in one of the most dominant seasons in recent golf history, her first U.S. Women's Open title still hung on the rim of the 18th hole at Riviera for one heart-stopping moment.
Her 2 1/2-foot putt to win caught the left edge, and it toured half the circumference of the hole while the gallery watched in disbelief. When it finally fell amid an outburst of gasps and roars, Korda put her hand over her open mouth before she laughed at the absurdity of her sport.
“It's even sweeter, especially with that ice cream swirl on the last hole,” the world's top-ranked player said.
This trophy was the cool treat Korda wanted more than anything: She won the 81st U.S. Women's Open on Sunday for her second consecutive major victory, holding off Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot.
The 27-year-old Korda claimed her fourth major overall with a steady 2-under 69 in the final round — but only after her second putt on the 18th came perilously close to a spin-out that would have forced a three-way playoff. When it dropped, Korda had her fourth LPGA Tour victory already from a season in which she also has three second-place finishes in just eight starts.
She finished at 8-under 276 and celebrated with a tear-streaked face after sharing the lead with multiple competitors throughout the windy finale of the first Women's Open ever held at this venerated 100-year-old country club in Pacific Palisades.
This victory was nothing like Korda's major win at The Chevron Championship in April, when she streaked away from the field. Korda was seven shots off the lead after the opening round before fighting her way back to a third-round co-lead, and she never separated from Sunday's competitive pack at Riviera — but she was the only one among the top seven finishers without a bogey on the back nine.
“I didn’t feel my best on the back nine,” Korda said. “I had a lot of emotions swirling in my stomach, (but) it’s a dream come true. I’ve dreamt about this moment since I was a little girl.”
Korda said she'll remember her 9-foot birdie putt on the 17th meant much longer than her frightening final shot because it broke her out of a four-way tie for the lead with Lopez, the hard-charging Hull and three-time major champion In Gee Chun.
“I don’t really throw out fist pumps too often, but I did this weekend,” Korda said. “I threw out a double fist-pump on that (17th) hole, because I knew what it meant.”
The champion made just three birdies and a bogey Sunday, playing steadily and comfortably with her improved competitive mentality. Korda has stressed positivity and steadiness after her inexplicably winless 2025.
And after the hair-raising finish, Korda claimed the $2.5 million winner’s share of this Open’s record $12.5 million purse.
“This week was definitely a grind,” Korda said. “I don’t even feel like I had my B game. I was just grinding out there, and that’s what I guess major championships are all about, right? It doesn’t matter if you have your B or C game. You have to be there mentally.”
Korda arrived at Riviera as the favorite, but the entire Open was a challenge she met splendidly.
After a rough opening-round 73 during which she changed out of a pair of Nike shoes given to her by LeBron James, she took the extraordinary step of altering her grip — per the suggestion of her big sister, Jessica — and coolly put together back-to-back 67s to take a share of the lead into the final round.
The leaderboard only separated late Sunday after seven players began within two strokes of the lead.
Korda fended off excellent final rounds from England's Hull and Mexico's Lopez, who both narrowly missed out on their first major victories. Hull finished second at a major for the fifth time in her career.
Chun finished two shots back at 6-under 278, while third-round co-leader Sei Young Kim carded a 1-over 72 to finish at 279.
Hull played her first two rounds at 3 over, squeezing under the cut by one stroke and beginning Sunday three shots back, but she charged into the lead before the wind picked up off the Pacific. Starting three groups ahead of the leaders and hunting flagsticks all day, Hull finished the final two rounds at 10 under with a 65-67.
“It was quite windy and I hit the ball fantastic, so fair play to Nelly Korda for back-to-back wins,” Hull said. “But I just love playing in the majors. I pretty much only get up for the major. It’s really weird, I just love playing in majors. Like if it’s a normal week-to-week, I struggle sometimes getting the motivation, but when it comes to major week, I just love it.”
Hull’s bogey on the 14th left Lopez, Chun, Kim and Korda all tied for the lead at 7 under. While Kim and Lopez fell back with bogeys, Korda added to a string of nine consecutive pars. But after Hull made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 17th to regain a share of the lead, Korda barely missed a 22-foot birdie putt on the 16th.
Hull ended with a 9 1/2-foot par putt for her 67. A few minutes later, Lopez made her 15-foot putt to join the pack of leaders, but Korda pulled ahead moments later with her gutsy birdie on the 17th.
Korda dropped her approach shot squarely on the 18th green and two-putted to a victory that immediately made her think about how far she has traveled since her first U.S. Open as a precocious teen at Sebonack in 2013.
“Obviously, I’ve had doubts,” Korda said. “Even mid-round I was like, ‘Well, will I ever win it?’ You always have those doubts, but I think you’re just a human being if you have them. ... I don’t know if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, but I just think I’m just extremely proud of my fight this week, and (fulfilling) the dream of that little girl.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/golf
Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda celebrates after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda holds up the trophy after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda hits on the third hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda hits on the third hole during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda walks on the eighth green during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Nelly Korda reacts after winning the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament Sunday, June 7, 2026, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
