At the NHK Figure Skating Trophy, live Peacock Starting Thursday night, three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto and Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama lead the fields at their home Grand Prix in Japan.
Sakamoto is looking to secure a place in the Grand Prix final, which he will likely achieve by finishing in the top three. Sakamoto was second in her previous Grand Prix three weeks ago with the second best score in the world this season in all competitions.
The six-woman final is shaping up to be a mini preview of Milan’s Cortina Olympic competition, potentially featuring Sakamoto, plus the Americans who won last season’s two biggest events: 2025 world champion Alysa Liu and 2024 Grand Prix Final champion Amber Glenn. – in a good position to qualify.
Peacock broadcasts live coverage of all NHK Trophy programs in Japan.
In the NHK men’s event, Kagiyama makes his debut in the Grand Prix season. Kagiyama is Ilia Malinin’s closest (but distant) challenger heading into the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Malinin, whose next competition will be the Grand Prix final, has the three best scores in the world this season (333.81, 321.00 and 306.65), followed by Kagiyama (285.91).
Women’s Hockey Rivalry Series between United States and Canada resumes
The United States and Canada, which have combined to win all seven gold medals since women’s hockey debuted at the Olympics in 1998, play their first two of four meetings in the lead-up to the Milan Cortina Games.
NHL Network airs Thursday’s game in Cleveland (7 p.m. ET) and Saturday’s game in Buffalo (6 p.m. ET).
The United States won the last two matches against Canada, both at the World Championships last April: 2-1 in pool play, then 4-3 in overtime in the gold medal match.
Thursday’s game will have special meaning for Laila Edwards since it is eight miles from her hometown.
In 2023, Edwards became the first black woman to play for the senior national team (and was mentioned on the podcast from fellow Cleveland Heights natives Jason and Travis Kelce). In 2024, he made his debut at the World Championship and was MVP of the tournament. Last fall, he moved from forward to defense.
Laila Edwards wanted to move to the blue line of the United States women’s hockey team.