The Arizona Coyotes are known for bold fashion statements, from their multicolored Kachina logo to using desert sienna as the template for their recent Reverse Retro jersey.
Their latest foray into courageous couture: a special edition “Desert Night” jersey created by Rhuigi Villaseñor, the founder and creative director of Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Rhude.
The team is releasing the jersey to the public on Wednesday and will wear it for the first time on Sunday against the Vegas Golden Knights at Mullett Arena.
“This concept of design meets sports is a growing idea, you know?” said Villaseñor, who was hired as the Coyotes’ creative strategist and global fashion designer in October.
“This will become the fire igniter to the culture. One of the things we bonded over was bringing culture into the sport. We’re all in one ecosystem, not a separate one. For me, it’s about being the team that helps make hockey a thing in street culture.”
The burgundy jersey features the word “Arizona” in sand-colored cursive writing across the chest. There’s a star located above the letter “I” on the wordmark, symbolizing both the desert nights when coyotes hunt and the Arizona state flag. There’s Kachina-style etching on the bottom of the jersey and the sleeves. Inside the collar are small geckos, a tribute to the gecko shoulder patch from the Coyotes’ original green third jersey.
The Coyotes will wear pants with a sand-colored cactus on them, along with burgundy helmets and gloves.
In an inspired twist on tradition, the team’s captain will wear a half-moon “C” patch, while the alternate captains will be identified with a patch that creates an “A” with two cacti hugging each other.
Some NHL teams have started to partner with fashion brands to create special looks for their gear. Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs partnered with Drew House, Justin Bieber’s design label, to create and wear reversible jerseys.
“We’re seeing an influx of sports in fashion right now, and we really wanted to be at the forefront of that, pushing the boundaries,” said Alex Meruelo Jr., the Coyotes’ chief brand officer.
This isn’t the first sports crossover for Villaseñor, who is also the creative director of Swiss-based Bally. Rhude had a successful collaboration with F1 and McLaren in 2021 that “reimagines the sport and modern luxury into an innovative and progressive collection,” he said.
Villaseñor said he’s seen other brands creating hockey jerseys, so it was time for the NHL to lean into creating jerseys that could cross over to a wider audience.
Creating an NHL jersey offered some singular challenges. Functionality isn’t always at the forefront of fashion, but it needs to be when designing game-worn gear.
Villaseñor said they tried to create a hockey jersey at Rhude, something that was more of a runway look. At first, he didn’t realize all the venting needed for a game jersey, nor did he account for the extra space required for pads.
“I thought I was coming in to design shapes and create a logo. But it’s really interesting to see the complexity of a jersey and all the things that go beyond what we usually see, which is a silhouette and color,” he said.
“With anything in life, when you have a goal, you work with that goal and then add in all the ingredients. In this case, the goal was to create an iconic jersey and one that feels like it’s part of the heritage of the Coyotes. The added parts to it are the complexities.”
Another difference between designing for the runway and for the ice: distance.
“You have to take a step back and realize that when we watch a game, we’re not five inches away from the player. These are minor tweaks that we have to do. But in the end, it’s about making a dope jersey. It was exciting,” he said.
Villaseñor said that considering, and in some ways honoring, the Coyotes’ previous looks was also part of the process.
“When I looked at the heritage of the jerseys, I really looked at the cool things that were used. I wanted to use the iconic parts of the jersey,” he said.
His favorite part of the sweater is the desert topography that it evokes. “It’s the signifier. Making sure that this becomes the Arizona Coyotes uniform, but that it also becomes the uniform of the state, right?” he said.
The Coyotes will wear the “Desert Night” jersey 14 times this season at Mullett Arena. It’s their temporary home on the campus of Arizona State University as they wait for construction of a new arena in Tempe to be greenlit by voters this spring. Meruelo said adding a special edition sweater to the mix is part of an overall feeling of rebirth for the franchise.
“It’s almost like we’re an expansion team at this point with everything going on. It’s really cool being able to create what we really see the brand and what we want it to become and engage with all those fans in waiting,” he said. “We’ve made a sizable investment in this and we feel like it’s part of the future. Ideally we want to create a Coyotes universe and service our fans in every way possible.”
Villaseñor has a key role in that audience expansion. His family moved from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to Los Angeles when he was 11 years old. He marinated in hip-hop culture and was inspired by it. He still remembers when NHL jerseys were a ubiquitous part of streetwear. He believes they can get there again.
“It was there, when you look at the 2000s and the 1990s, at music and movies and commercials and all of that,” he said. “Hockey’s still embedded in the culture. But sometimes things fall into cracks and new things come to life. But just like other sports have had resurgences and have become cool, hockey will enjoy that in an evolved way.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — White Abarrio won the $3 million Pegasus World Cup with a dominant performance at Gulfstream on Saturday.
He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.05 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who earned his third career Pegasus victory.
Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, White Abarrio paid $7.60, $3.80 and $3.
Locked returned $3.20 and $2.40, while Skippylongstocking paid $4.40.
White Abarrio hit the apex of his career in 2023, when he won the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic as well as the Whitney at Saratoga for trainer Rick Dutrow. The horse won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream in 2022.
The horse had been transferred when his Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was barred from racing at Churchill Downs and in New York after two of his horses died suddenly 48 hours apart in races at Churchill in the weeks leading up to the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
White Abarrio’s owners wanted to run him in the Met Mile at Belmont, so they chose the New York-based Dutrow to oversee him. The horse went back to Joseph’s barn in June 2024.
“Today he was spectacular,” a teary-eyed Joseph said. “I’m just thankful.”
In the $1 million Pegasus Turf, Spirit of St Louis edged Integration by a neck.
The 6-year-old gelding ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:44.50, just off the track record of 1:44.45 set by last year’s winner Warm Heart. He paid $17.80 to win at 7-1 odds.
Spirit of St Louis was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Chad Brown, who won the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding trainer earlier in the week.
Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
FRISCO, Texas — Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders said Saturday he is unsure if he will throw at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis next month.
Sanders is attending the East-West Shrine Bowl but will not participate in practice or in the game Thursday. He was at the West team’s first practice at the University of North Texas on Saturday morning but stood on the field, watching the other prospects.
While Sanders won’t conduct any on-field work at the Shrine Bowl, he reiterated his belief that he’s worthy of being the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft. He has been training in the Dallas area with former Miami‘s Cam Ward, another top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft.
“We changed the program at Jackson [State University],” Sanders said. “We went to Colorado, changed the program. And we did everything people didn’t think we were able to do. So, that’s why I know I’m the most guaranteed risk you can take.”
Sanders met with multiple teams Friday, including the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, who hold the first three picks in the draft, respectively. The Titans met with Sanders for 45 minutes.
“I like that I’m able to get in the forefront of everything and they’re able to understand me and ask me whatever questions they want,” Sanders said. “I’m not ducking. I ain’t hiding. I’m right here, live in the flesh and able to answer whatever questions are out there.”
While Sanders is confident in his worthiness as the first overall pick, he said he would be “thankful for whatever situation and whoever drafts me. I know I’ll be able to change their program.”
Asked what he will bring to a team, Sanders smiled and said, “A lot of wins.”
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
NEW YORK — The New York Mets held their first winter event for fans in five years at Citi Field on Saturday, and there was one notable absence. Pete Alonso wasn’t in attendance because, for the first time since the 2016 draft, he isn’t a member of the Mets’ organization.
The homegrown star first baseman remains a free agent and, though a reunion remains possible, he might have played his last game as a Met.
Owner Steve Cohen bluntly said as much Saturday after taking the stage for a fireside chat with fans to chants of “We want Pete!”
“Personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation,” Cohen explained. “I mean, [Juan Soto’s negotiation] was tough. This is worse. A lot of it is, we’ve made a significant offer. I don’t like the structures that are being presented back to us. I think it’s highly asymmetric against us and I feel strongly about it.”
Alonso, along with third baseman Alex Bregman, is one of the two best position players left on the free agent market. The first baseman, who is represented by Scott Boras, originally sought a long-term deal, but he is open to returning to the Mets on a three-year contract and the Mets have been open to such a deal, according to a source. The obstacle has been money.
“I will never say no,” Cohen said. “There’s always the possibility. But the reality is we’re moving forward and we continue to bring in players. As we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have and that’s where we are.
“I’m being brutally honest. I don’t like the negotiations. I don’t like what’s being presented to us. Maybe that changes. I’ll always stay flexible. But if it stays this way, I think we’re going to have to get used to the fact that we may have to go forward with the existing players that we have.”
The Mets recently re-signed outfielder/designated hitter Jesse Winker to a one-year, $7.5 million contract and added left-handed reliever A.J. Minter on a two-year, $22 million deal. They’ve also signed Soto (15 years, $765 million), Sean Manaea (three years, $75 million), Clay Holmes (three years, $38 million), and Frankie Montas (two years, $34 million), among other moves, this winter.
Preparing for life without Alonso, the Mets recently instructed third basemen Mark Vientos and Brett Baty to work out at first base. Vientos and Baty both confirmed the organization’s request Saturday.
“We all love Pete, and we’ve said that many times,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “And I think, as we’ve gone through this process, we’ve continued to express that. We also understand that this is a business and Pete, as a free agent, deserves the right and has the right and earned the privilege, really, to see what’s out there. We also feel really good about the young players who are coming through our system who have the ability to play at the major-league level.”
Vientos, 25, enjoyed a breakout season as one of the best hitters in the National League after solidifying himself as the Mets’ every-day third baseman in May and helping fuel the team’s run to the NL Championship Series. Baty, a former top prospect, was the club’s opening day third baseman last season. He struggled after a hot start before he was demoted to Triple-A and didn’t return to the majors.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza also named veterans Jared Young and Joey Meneses, both of whom signed this winter, as other options at first base if Alonso doesn’t return.
“Pete’s been here since I’ve been here,” said Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who has starred for the franchise since 2021. “He was here before me. So, yeah, it would be different if he goes somewhere else. Yeah, it would be different. But I think he should take his time. I think he should make the best decision for himself and not feel that he’s rushed.”
Alonso, 30, became a fan favorite while becoming a franchise cornerstone over his six seasons in Queens. He’s hit 226 home runs since making his major-league debut — the second-highest total in baseball behind only Aaron Judge. His 53 home runs in 2019 set a rookie record. He’s been a reliable everyday presence; he’s never missed more than nine games in a season and played in all 178 games, postseason included, in 2024. He’s made four All-Star teams and won the Home Run Derby twice.
But he rates as a poor defender and baserunner whose offensive production has declined over the last three seasons, creating a free-agent market that hasn’t been as fruitful as projected when he declined a seven-year, $158 million contract extension in 2023.
“Listen, he’s a special player,” Hall of Famer and former Mets catcher Mike Piazza said Saturday. “Guys that can hit 40 home runs are not walking on the street. So when he’s really in his game, he’s a special player. I hope, from a personal standpoint, I hope they work something out.”
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, the longest-tenured player on the roster after debuting in 2016, signed an eight-year, $162 million contract to remain with the Mets two offseasons ago. Like Alonso, Boras is his agent. Unlike Alonso, he reached a resolution in December, not with spring training around the corner.
“I would love to see Pete back with us, but I also understand that I don’t make those decisions,” Nimmo said. “And that’s between Pete and our front office and David [Stearns] and Steve [Cohen]. And from what I understand, there’s been a lot of talks between them. I’m still hopeful that we’ll sign him.”