by Jada Radford | Oct 24 2026 The Abbotsford Canucks rallied in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals to extend their win streak as they beat the Calgary Wranglers 3-1 in the first game of a two-game weekend set on Oct. 24. Photo from Calgary Wranglers Instagram The Abbotsford Canucks welcomed the Calgary Wranglers to Rogers Forum for a ‘Canucktoberfest’ themed match. The last matches between these teams fell in favor of the Wranglers earlier this month, with Calgary winning both meetings, taking 4-2 decisions Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 in Calgary. The Canucks entered hoping to extend their win streak to four games, and the Wranglers hoped to end their six-game road trip with two more wins. Calgary opened the game with possession of the puck, getting the first shot on goal of the game, and putting pressure on Abbotsford’s defense. The first period was defined by strong moments for both teams, however it ended scoreless. In the end, Abbotsford outshot Calgary 11-6 in the first; this period saw a couple of close shots by Abbotsford, but they were stopped by Calgary’s goaltender #35 Arsenii Sergeev to keep the Canucks scoreless. Calgary took a 1-0 lead in the second period, as a roughing penalty to Abbotsford’s #34 Cole Clayton at 0:40 allowed Calgary captain #6 Rory Kerins to score on the power play at 2:31, his fifth of the season. The star of the second period, and second star of the game, was Abbotsford goaltender #60 Nikita Tolopilo, facing eleven shots in the period. Calgary goaltender Sergeev faced six shots this period as he turned aside Abbotsford’s chances to keep the Wranglers in front. Abbotsford entered the final period with a vengeance, as #45 Sawyer Mynio scored his first goal of the season less than three minutes into the period. The Wranglers tried to make a push to tie up the game, but with penalties stacking up this period, Abbotsford’s #39 Ty Mueller was able to take advantage of a power play on #45 Sam Morton’s tripping minor at 11:40 to net his fifth of the season at 12:52, and put the Canucks ahead. In the end, Abbotsford's #34 Clayton netted the final goal of the game at 16:49 and sealed the victory for the Canucks. The Wranglers hope to even the back-to-back Oct. 25 to end their trip in Abbotsford. Photo from Abbotsford Canucks Instagram Game Notes: Tolopilo made 21 saves on 22 shots, Sergeev made 24 on 27, and Abbotsford outshot Calgary 27-22. Ben Berard was the first star, with the primary assist on Mueller’s winner. Each team went 1 for its power plays (Abbotsford 1-for-3, Calgary 1-for-4). Abbotsford improves to 4-2-0-1 and Calgary drops to 5-4-0-0. Attendance was 4,368.

By Holly Arend | October 25 2026 Photo from Winnipeg Jets Social Media The Winnipeg Jets had their chances to make Sunday’s Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic a different story. They outshot the Montreal Canadiens 34-21, pushed back in the third period and found a late goal to give the crowd at Princess Auto Stadium something to cheer for. But two goals in the second period proved to be the difference in a 2-1 loss in front of 32,342 fans. For much of the afternoon, Winnipeg had trouble turning its opportunities into goals. Montreal goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped 33 of 34 shots, helping the Canadiens hold off a Jets team that outshot them 13-6 in the third period. The first period ended scoreless, but Montreal found its opening early in the second. Lane Hutson put the Canadiens ahead at 7:19 with a wrist shot, assisted by Noah Dobson and Cole Caufield. Less than four minutes later, Kaiden Guhle doubled the lead at 11:04, with Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský picking up the assists. Winnipeg had opportunities to respond, including on four power plays, but finished the game 0-for-4. Head coach Scott Arniel said the team needs contributions from more than its top line if it wants to turn those chances into goals. “Offense has to come from all five guys,” Arniel said. That means getting to the net, creating traffic and finding ways to score on rebounds and deflections. Arniel emphasized that the Jets cannot rely on clean looks alone. Against goaltenders as good as the ones in the NHL, sometimes a goal comes from getting inside and making a play in a crowded area rather than trying to create the perfect opportunity. Winnipeg kept pushing in the third, and Isak Rosén gave the Jets a chance to make things interesting. At 15:24, Rosén scored his first goal of the season, with Gabriel Vilardi and Haydn Fleury earning the assists. The goal brought Winnipeg within one, but the Jets could not find the equalizer before time ran out. For Rosén, the goal was a welcome result after working to create chances and contribute away from the puck. Adam Lowry said the young forward had been doing several things well, even when those efforts had not shown up on the scoresheet. “I'm really happy to see that first one,” Lowry said. The goal gave the Jets a late push, but it also reflected the kind of secondary scoring Arniel has been looking for. With opponents paying close attention to Winnipeg's top players, contributions from throughout the lineup can make a difference. “I thought the third we did a really good job forcing turnovers with those opportunities, being aggressive, and really generating some chances,” Lowry said. “That's the way we need to play for the full 60.” The loss was not the only adjustment Winnipeg was navigating. Dawson Mercer made his Jets debut after arriving in the blockbuster trade with New Jersey that involved franchise goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. With limited time to get comfortable with a new team and system, Mercer had to learn on the fly. “Definitely weird situation being thrown into, but honestly a pretty special one that I'll definitely cherish,” Mercer said. “Obviously, that becomes not what we wanted, but overall nice to get going with the guys right away and then build on it from here.” Mercer had some familiarity to lean on in Lowry, whom he played with at the World Championships a few years ago. Lowry reached out around the time of the trade, helping make an unfamiliar situation feel a little less so. The outdoor setting offered another first impression. Mercer said the pregame introductions caught him off guard, while the flyover became one of the moments he would remember from the day. Having previously experienced Winnipeg as an opposing player, he knew the city cared about hockey. The Heritage Classic gave him a different view of that passion. “They got a lot to live up to now at the next home game, so I'm expecting a lot,” Mercer said of the fans. The atmosphere was a highlight for Arniel, too. The alternating cheers for the Canadiens and Jets, the families in attendance and the excitement surrounding the flyover made the outdoor game memorable. For players experiencing it for the first time, it was a chance to be part of something different from a typical regular-season afternoon. Still, the result left Winnipeg looking for answers on the ice. The Jets generated enough chances to make a game of it, particularly late, but Montreal capitalized on its opportunities in the second period and Fowler kept the lead intact. Rosén's goal gave the home crowd a reason to believe a comeback was possible. The equalizer never came, and the Canadiens left Winnipeg with a 2-1 win. For the Jets, the challenge now is to carry the urgency they showed late in the third into a full game, while finding more ways to get contributions across the lineup. Winnipeg Jets Game Notes The Jets fell 2-1 to the Montreal Canadiens in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25. Winnipeg outshot Montreal 34-21, including a 13-6 advantage in the third period. Isak Rosén scored his first goal of the season at 15:24 of the third period, with assists from Gabriel Vilardi and Haydn Fleury. The Jets went 0-for-4 on the power play. Winnipeg was unable to overcome Montreal’s two second-period goals, scored by Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle. Dawson Mercer made his Jets debut following the blockbuster trade with the New Jersey Devils. Head coach Scott Arniel emphasized the need for scoring contributions throughout the lineup. Adam Lowry highlighted the importance of carrying the team’s third-period urgency into a full 60 minutes.

Written by Christina Winnegar | October 26, 2026 Photo from Montreal Canadiens Instagram The Montreal Canadiens’ Heritage Classic day started well before puck drop. At the Scotiabank National Hockey League (NHL) PreGame fan festival, fans could attempt hockey challenges, take photos and explore more than 20 partner activations. Canadian Tire’s The Pond featured goalie skills and custom hockey ornaments; Sport Chek hosted a hardest-shot challenge; Safeway brought its Mobile Food Experience trailer for samples and giveaways; it also included the Tim Hortons activation featuring a familiar face behind the counter: Former Winnipeg Jets Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Photo from Montreal Canadiens Instagram Montreal brought a theme of its own to the red carpet following the hosting Winnipeg Jets' debut. The Canadiens arrived dressed at Princess Auto Stadium, home of the Canadian Football League (CFL) Winnipeg Blue Bombers, as brewery workers in coveralls and hard hats, a nod to the Molson family and team president Geoff Molson. The game was Montreal’s fifth outdoor appearance overall and its third Heritage Classic. The Canadiens entered with a 2-2 record in outdoor games; the win moved them to 3-2. Their other outdoor appearances included the 2016 Winter Classic and the 2017 NHL 100 Classic. Goaltender Jacob Fowler made history in net, becoming the youngest goalie in NHL history to start an outdoor game at just 21 years and 335 days old. The opening period ended scoreless. Montreal was outshot 10-8, and Fowler stopped all 10 shots he faced. #15 Alex Newhook had a short-handed breakaway attempt turned aside by Jets’ Stuart Skinner at 17:15. #45 Alexandre Carrier was called for interference at 16:14. Montreal scored twice to take a 2-0 lead. #48 Lane Hutson opened the scoring at 7:19, assisted by #53 Noah Dobson and #13 Cole Caufield. #21 Kaiden Guhle added the second goal at 11:04, with assists from #13 Cole Caufield and #20 Jurag Slafkovský. Huston’s goal was his third of the season and Guhle’s was his second. #15 Alex Newhook was called for high-sticking at 12:53. The Canadiens had seven shots to Winnipeg’s 11 but managed to keep the Jets scoreless with their penalty kill, concluding the second with a 2-goal lead. #27 Isak Rosén scored at 15:24 to put Winnipeg on the board, but Montreal held on for the 2-1 win. The Canadiens were outshot 13-6 in the period. #15 Alex Newhook was called for tripping at 5:08, and #17 Josh Anderson took a tripping penalty at 18:28. Photo from Montreal Canadiens Instagram After the game, I asked Slafkovský what made the win with this group so special. He pointed to the team’s closeness and having family there, “This team is one big family, and we all enjoy, you know, all having our families here, like I said – just a great experience, being out here, you know, playing outdoors; it’s what you dream of when you’re a little kid.” I asked Caufield the same question. He credited the team’s all-around effort, including Fowler’s performance and the penalty kill: “I think it was a big group effort tonight. Obviously, [Jacob] Fowler was really good back there. But [the penalty] kill was unreal. You know, and the defenseman get on the board too, helps a lot. So, up and down the lineup, I thought it was great.” Asked what memory he would take away from the weekend, Caufield said: “First outdoor game, so I think just honestly, it was just fun to be out here and play. It was a different experience, and, you know, one that I think everybody wants to do again.” Game notes: Final score: Canadiens 2, Jets 1. Montreal goals: Lane Hutson (3), Kaiden Guhle (2). Cole Caufield had two assists, Noah Dobson and Juraj Slafkovský each had one. Jacob Fowler: 33 saves on 34 shots (.971 save percentage). Shots: Montreal 21, Winnipeg 34. Special teams: Canadiens penalty kill went 4-for-4, and Montreal had no power-play opportunities. Attendance: 32,342 at Princess Auto Stadium.

Gallery by Isatuu Lamarana | October 18 2026 AFC Toronto vs. Calgary Wild FC at BMO Field, shot by Isatuu Lamarana

Written by Ezzah Rafique | Oct. 18, 2026 Photos provided by @secondshiftshow produced by @beautyinbalance.co & @alisha_g9 Alisha Gupta knows what it means to work two shifts. By day, she is an AI go-to-market strategy consultant. After hours, she is a dancer, a keynote speaker and the founder of Beauty in Balance, a national collective for multi-hyphenate creatives with a mission to make creativity profitable. That double life is the idea behind The Second Shift, a runway show Gupta created to honor the creatives who clock in to their craft after their "main shift" ends. After making its debut as Chicago Fashion Week's first-ever South Asian runway, the show came to New York Fashion Week (NYFW) on Sept. 17 at 100 Sutton Studios in Brooklyn, blending dance, music and modeling into one nonstop showcase. “Our runways, both at Chicago Fashion Week and NYFW, honor creatives working on their craft ‘after hours.’ The Second Shift is literally that - your creative shift that clocks in after your ‘main shift.’ For many creatives, they have a first job that grounds them. The idea behind The Second Shift is highlighting their passions that deserve a spotlight because of the amount of effort and time that goes into pouring into yourself creatively,” she said. Gupta spoke with HAZZE MEDIA about the meaning behind the name, how she paired artists with designers, what representation looks like on the runway and where The Second Shift goes next. Building Beauty in Balance Gupta said entrepreneurship runs in her family. Growing up, dinner-table conversations often turned to new ideas, innovation and industry trends. Before Beauty in Balance, she spent three years running an international podcast series, "What Cause Inspires You," interviewing students across the globe about their impact stories. After graduating from college a semester early, Gupta had about nine months before starting her full-time job at Accenture. She spent that time on an international dance tour, teaching BollyFusion workshops in nine cities, starting in India. "It was there that I realized so many others were treating their passions as a side hobby and were nervous about losing touch with their creativity," Gupta said. Beauty in Balance, however, began without a business plan. She started the company two years ago to bring awareness to a struggle she faced herself: balancing dance, speaking and entrepreneurship with a full-time career. “Beauty in Balance grew from a need to open conversation about how to be a multi-hyphenate, what balance looks like, where to find resources, etc. But today, we are so much more. We live in 3 pillars: community, programming, and brand partnerships,” she said. For Gupta, the term "multi-hyphenate" is broad by design. "A multi-hyphenate creative is anyone balancing a profession with a creative passion or multiple creative passions, whether that looks like a 9-to-5 alongside dance, med school and DJing, or starting a fashion line and pursuing acting," she said. The Story Behind The Second Shift Gupta said the origin of The Second Shift is "actually funny." When the Chicago Fashion Coalition approached her to host Chicago Fashion Week's first South Asian runway, she almost said no, since Beauty in Balance is not exclusively a South Asian community. "This was truly a historic moment I wanted to be a part of, so I took on the challenge but made sure the theme of the runway [was] still tied back to Beauty in Balance's mission," Gupta said. "That's how the idea of The Second Shift came to be." The name speaks directly to the people it celebrates. "The Second Shift is literally that: your creative shift that clocks in after your 'main shift,'" Gupta said. "For many creatives, they have a first job that grounds them. The idea behind The Second Shift is highlighting their passions that deserve a spotlight because of the amount of effort and time that goes into pouring into yourself creatively." Where Movement Meets Design Beyond highlighting multi-hyphenate creatives, Gupta said The Second Shift sets itself apart by not being a traditional runway. The show pairs performers with designers so that each act tells its own story, moving through dance, music and modeling. That meant casting started with stories, not names. “The show combines dance, music, and modeling, and pairs artists with designers so that each act tells its own story. That meant our casting process started with the stories, not the names. For about six weeks, we were in conversation with artists and designers at the same time, and in my head I was constantly matching them, making sure each pairing told a story that felt true to both sides," she said. Kahani Swim was one example. The brand wanted to show that its swimwear is something people can breathe, live and move in, so Gupta paired it with the show's dancers. She also needed the dancers to feel aligned with the brand and comfortable performing in swimwear, which turned the pairing into a three-way conversation. "What came out of it was a story about South Asian design reaching beyond the traditional Indian clothing people expect: our prints living everywhere, in daily life and in movement," Gupta said. "It's where movement meets design." The same approach extended to vendors and crew. Every pick, she said, had to be mission-aligned: multi-hyphenates building their craft after hours. Inside the Three Acts at The Second Shift during NYFW The New York show unfolded in three acts, each built around its own pairing of art and fashion. Act 1, "Movement Meets Design," opened the night with Kahani Swim and dancers Anjali Akula, Haarika Somarouthu, Saanchi Shah, Shivali Tandon and Shreya Patel, performing choreography by Ramita Ravi. Act 2, "Sound Meets Story," brought together Jeena by AK, founded by Akhila Konuru, and ROHN Projects, led by Raj Modi, with Naadi, Shevya Awasthi and Nory. Act 3, "Celebrating Skin & Culture," featured Fiya Designs by Jefi Varghese and Bykhili by Akhila Nanduri, with Jeyźa Kaelani closing the show as the showstopper. For Gupta, South Asian representation is about more than culture. It is about identity, heritage and the stories of those who came before. Unlike the Chicago show, where South Asian design was the focus, the New York edition was not a South Asian-only show. Most of the featured artists and designers were South Asian, but Gupta said she wanted to present them as artists in their craft first. "So often we assume something has to be labeled 'South Asian' in order to represent South Asian culture," she said. "I wanted to call them what they are, artists and designers, and let their designs, their identity and their work speak for themselves." Taking a Sign: Choosing New York Gupta said she never intended to bring The Second Shift to NYFW this year. She had always wanted the show to travel beyond Chicago, and her original plan was Los Angeles, where she felt art, culture, design and fashion tend to live in silos. She was already mid-planning there. New York gave her pause. The city is saturated, she said, Fashion Week is packed with events and "you have to earn your spot there." Then 100 Sutton reached out to host. "I'm a big believer that when the universe gives you a sign, you take it," Gupta said. "It felt like the universe [was] saying, 'You can do this,' so we decided to test the waters." The show took place after the main Fashion Week events, and the team branded it as more than a runway, so guests knew they were walking into an immersive experience with designers, artists and vendors. "It was different from any other New York Fashion Week show I saw this year, and that was our edge," Gupta said. A Lean Team With a Big Vision The Second Shift was produced by a three-person team: Gupta; Divya, the show's creative designer, who handled program design, helped source designers and kept the creative ideas flowing; and Sania, who supported the newsletter and content writing. That meant most operations fell on Gupta, which she said she loves. She wants a touchpoint with every person involved, from cast and crew to talent still in early conversations. "I'll hop on a 15-minute call with anyone, because I want them to hear the vision in my own voice and feel how passionate I am about it," she said. She responds to every email and, at one point, was reading 20 to 30 direct messages a day from people who wanted to get involved. So, staying on schedule became a challenge to overcome. "When you partner with that many creatives, you learn fast that everyone means well," Gupta said. "The real question is whether a partnership is mutually beneficial, and the key is not taking things personally when it isn't." What's Next for The Second Shift Gupta hopes to take the show to other cities during their fashion weeks, including Milan, London, Paris and possibly Los Angeles, where she said she has received many requests. But she sees The Second Shift as bigger than a runway. "It's a movement, and I want it to show up in any industry, not just fashion. It could live in sports, marketing or tech," Gupta said. "My goal is to grow it globally, across every space, until you see The Second Shift everywhere. That's the plan." For the creatives balancing a first shift that grounds them and a second that sets them free, that plan is already underway. To stay up to date, sign up for the Beauty in Balance newsletter at beautyinbalancecollective.com. Designers, models, dancers, musicians and creatives interested in future shows can join The Second Shift's talent registry. Follow along on Instagram at @beautyinbalance.co and @secondshiftshow. The Second Shift Crew @secondshiftshow by @beautyinbalance.co & @alisha_g9 Mad Light Productions (Photo/Video) — @madlight.productions Euda Productions (Photo/Video) — @eudaprods Ranen (Photo/Video) — @seattletookthis DJ Axar (DJ) — @dj_axar Tarun Rao (Sound Producer) — @tarunr25 Juhie Faheem (Hair/Makeup) — @juhie_f Julie Saha (Hair/Makeup) — @jewelehahahair SFA Khalid (Hair/Makeup) — @sks_salon Act 1 – Movement Meets Design Kahani — @kahaniswim Ramita Ravi (choreographer) — @ramita.ravi Anjali Akula — @anjali.akula Haarika Somarouthu — @hark_soo Saanchi Shah — @saanchii_shah Shivali Tandon — @shivisweetheart Shreya Patel — @__shreyapatel Act 2 – Sound Meets Story Jeena by AK (Akhila Konuru) — @jeenabyak ROHN Projects (Raj Modi) — @rohn.projects Naadi — @naadimusic Shevya Awasthi — @shevthehev Nory — @noryaronfeld Act 3 – Celebrating Skin & Culture Fiya Designs (Jefi Varghese) — @fiyadesignsbyjefi Bykhili (Akhila Nanduri) — @bykhili Jeyźa Kaelani (showstopper) — @jeyzakaelani

Written by Ezzah Rafique | Photos by Kai Staton-Green October 16, 2026 Jason Li, Founder of Charcoal Clothing For the founder of Charcoal Clothing, growth is about more than entering new markets. It is about giving his team room to create, learning from each collection and making the customer experience better at every step. Jason Li did not start Charcoal Clothing with a design degree or a traditional retail background. What drew him to fashion was the challenge of building something that had to look and feel right while also working as a business. “I didn't come from fashion. No design school or retail pedigree. I've always been obsessed with how things look and feel, and a refusal to do things at half standard whatever it is. I think what drew me to the industry was how pieces make people feel. I never took notice until I was around it more. I wanted to understand it properly, so eventually started a wholesale business supplying to other fashion retailers. For a couple of years I had a front row seat to how they grew, what worked and what didn't. The longer I watched my clients doing what they were doing, the more I knew I didn't want to just supply the moment, I wanted to create pieces that made it and be directly part of it. That was the catalyst to move into retail and DTC (direct to consumer). Again, I took a considerable amount of time learning and understanding how retail works and what customers wanted before building the vertical pipeline in 2022 and launching our own exclusive ranges and products,” he said. A Deeper Look into Charcoal Clothing Li started Charcoal Clothing in 2016 while stocking other labels in their first store. Over the course of six years, Charcoal clothing developed into its own brand by 2022. Although Li did not come to fashion with a design degree or a traditional retail background, he was drawn to an industry where creative ideas and business realities have to work together. Li describes those early years as a time for learning about retail and understanding what it would take to build a brand of its own. In 2022, the company began developing a vertical production pipeline and producing exclusive pieces, a shift that gave the team more control over quality, fit and feel. Kace Jacket (Textured Denim) by Charcoal Clothing “We spent 6 years watching what women actually chose, what she picked up, what she tried on, what almost worked but didn't. A lot of labels start with a vision and look for a customer. My focus has always been the customer first… We grew [slowly but intently] to 8 eights stores, then consolidated back to 6, because better mattered more. As we keep evolving, that still holds true - better matters more. We brought production in-house in 2022, which gave us control over quality, fit and speed that most brands our size back then didn't have,” he said, reflecting on the growth of Charcoal Clothing. Charcoal Clothing focuses on creating pieces for women to feel good in, to wear repeatedly across the different occasions and moments in their lives. A dress worn to a dinner could be the one a woman reaches for again before a date. A top styled for an event could feel just as right somewhere entirely different. For Li, that second or third wear matters as much as the first. That goal shapes how the brand thinks about its designs, campaigns and the experience of shopping for clothes. “The idea was never to make clothes that announce themselves. It was to make the piece where once [a customer] puts it on, she doesn't have to think about it again. The fit is handled, the quality, and how she looks is unquestionably amazing. Whatever she's walking into, that part is hers. We take the part that should be our problem so she gets the part that matters,” said Li. Scaling Charcoal Clothing also meant learning a different pace of business. Buying stock that could be sold quickly gave way to a design process that could take about six months from concept to release. Each drop became a chance to see what worked and what needed to improve. “The biggest thing you learn from a journey like this and building a brand in this space is persistence beats expertise,” Li said. Collaboration is Key Li does not present himself as the sole creative force behind Charcoal Clothing. He describes a collaborative process involving the designer, campaign manager, social team and others who help bring a collection to life. While sharing the backstory and growth of Charcoal Clothing, Li dedicated the progression of the brand to the collaborative nature of his team. He emphasizes how crucial his team, and the other members of the brand, were to the development of Charcoal Clothing that enables the whole team to align on clear values and goals. “The other decision I made early was to build this so it didn't depend entirely on me. I think a lot of fashion labels hinge on one person's taste. I wanted a team that owned the creative, not a founder that dictated it… Growing a team forces you to get clear. Things that feel obvious after years in your own head aren't obvious to anyone else. You must define what great looks like, what growth looks like, then actually hand it over,” he said. Mist Top & Maxi Skirt (Cocoa) by Charcoal Clothing A campaign might begin with a piece of clothing and a set of questions: Where could a customer wear it? What would she be doing? How should it make her feel? The team builds from there, developing concepts inspired by moments in women’s lives. “I think the biggest [consideration as a CEO] is structural, and it's about me, or rather, how much isn't about me. Traditionally a fashion label hinges on the founder's singular vision, everything flows from one person's interpretation. We've deliberately built Charcoal the other way. A lot of what would normally sit under the founder's control is handed to the team. The learning curves may be steep, but the brand becomes bigger than one person's taste,” said Li. Many members of the team, he added, had little or no experience in their current roles before joining the brand. Seeing them learn and improve their craft has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a founder. His dedication to provide his team the tools and support to do their work, while making sure the team stays aligned as the company grows, is commendable. Clothes Worth Reaching for Again For Charcoal Clothing, making a piece that looks good once is not enough. Li wants customers to find clothes they can return to, style in different ways and wear through more than one chapter of their lives. He pointed to an expectation he dislikes in fashion: the idea that after someone has worn a dress once, she may not wear it again. Charcoal Clothing’s aim is the opposite. Li wants a customer to reach for that dress a third or fourth time because they feel confident in it. That is why he sees loyalty as something larger than a program or a repeat purchase. It is built into how a garment fits, how it feels and whether it remains a choice someone is excited to make. A piece might be worn to an event, a date or an interview. The occasion changes, but the goal stays the same: The person wearing it should feel confident in any moment. Li applies that thinking to the entire customer journey, from the way someone discovers the brand and navigates its website to unboxing an order and wearing the clothes. Charcoal Clothing beautifully mastered the art of envisioning their designs in modern-day scenarios. Through the release of the campaign “issues,” the brand creates seasonal collections showcasing how their new releases can be styled for any and every occasion including travel, parties, corporate events, or on a daily basis. Charcoal Clothing's October 2026 Issue | Source: https://charcoalclothing.com/pages/oct-issue-lookbook “The customer experiences everything as one thing: the fit, the ux on the site and app, the delivery process, unboxing, the person serving her at the store, how she feels when she's trying on our piece etc. You can't be excellent at [four] of these and then average in the fifth,” he said, “The question has always been about what [the customer will] feel when [they] wear it. And that is something we try to convey. If the imagery is beautiful and she can't picture herself in the piece, we've made art, not a campaign.” Growing with the Customer in Mind That approach has also influenced how Charcoal Clothing expanded into the United States. Li said he wanted the right infrastructure in place before entering the market, rather than asking American customers to wait for every order to ship from Australia. The brand now uses a third-party logistics provider in the Houston-Dallas area. When I received pieces from Charcoal Clothing, they arrived in about three days, much sooner than I had expected. I was, in the best way possible, shocked to see the package at my door a week before my trip to New York Fashion Week, especially considering that most brands take up to 5-7 business days to ship. Li sees that speed as part of serving customers well, not simply a shipping advantage. Kace Jacket (Navy Blue Denim) & Landon Pants (Off White) “I don't want to take Charcoal in a market until I'm confident the infrastructure and product can carry it in that market. We've put inventory on the ground in Houston so the delivery experience feels local. Scal[ing] is only worth it if the promise survives it,” Li said. He is equally interested in hearing what could be better. As a founder, I noticed how invested he was when our conversation veered towards the quality and satisfaction of the fit, material, and shipping of the products. Li wants women to wear Charcoal Clothing again and again, and that requires paying attention when something does not work as expected. As the brand grows, he says the team is still learning how to improve its products and better serve its customers. “Ultimately, customer loyalty is not something you can buy, manufacture, or ask for. It's earned. Our focus is doing everything we can to make our customers feel great at every touchpoint, understanding and adapting to what they want, ensuring we provide an experience that surpasses expectations,” he said. Charcoal Clothing: What’s Next? Through the duration of my time in New York City during New York Fashion Week, I knew that the styles that Charcoal Clothing provided me were ones that I could mix and match for any occasion. From attending runway shows, covering the Digital Marketing World Forum conference, taking photos at presentations, or meeting my friends for dinner in the city, every outfit I wore made me feel confident. From the quality to the design, Charcoal Clothing is a brand that is sure to make waves as they continue to grow and create beautiful pieces that are sure to fit any style, and reworn over and over again. What's Next for Charcoal Clothing? Over time, Li attributes persistence to the growth of Charcoal Clothing. From starting opening the first store in 2016 while stocking labels to now entering the U.S. market as their own brand, Charcoal Clothing refuses to pause. “[The] biggest [lesson learned] is persistence beats experience. Refusing to stop is the genuine competitive advantage… As mentioned before, in 2016, when I opened the first store we were just stocking other labels. We grew that retail business for six years and I feel Charcoal only became a brand in 2022. The vision grew out of the customer, not the other way around,” he shared. Susanne Maxi Skirt (Side Street) The aim is not just to be part of someone’s first impression at an event. It is to make something their customers will be happy to pull from their closet the next time, too. Now, Charcoal Clothing is focused on creating experiences to further develop their world. “Today, the vision doesn't sit inside clothing. Near term, it looks like our Melbourne flagship store on High st opening in November, and building the U.S. properly. Longer term, I think of it as the Charcoal world - our brand expressed through spaces and experiences, not only the product. We're patient [with] our craft, impatient with our growth,” Li said. Check out Charcoal Clothing today at https://charcoalclothing.com/ or on social media @charcoal_clothing Shop My NYFW Looks Below: Wren Jeans (Dark Denim): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/wren-jeans-dark-denim Kace Jacket (Textured Denim): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/kace-jacket-textured-denim Mist Top (Cocoa): https://charcoalclothing.com/collections/sets/products/mist-top-cocoa Mist Maxi Skirt (Cocoa): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/mist-maxi-skirt-cocoa Susanne Maxi Skirt (Side Street): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/susanne-maxi-skirt-side-street Landon Pants (Off White): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/landon-pants-off-white Storm Jacket (Chocolate): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/storm-jacket-chocolate Flavia Blazer Top (Cream): https://charcoalclothing.com/products/flavia-blazer-top-cream

Interview by Christina Winnegar | October 16, 2026 The voice on the other end of the phone delivered a fate that felt full circle. In Las Vegas, Nevada, Ikem Ekwonu was answering the call that would bring him home to Charlotte, North Carolina. His mother, Amaka, held him while he spoke to David Tepper, owner of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL), unwilling to let go as her son learned that the team he had grown up watching would become the one he would play for. “Man, I’m coming home. I’m in the NFL,” he remembered thinking. Around him were the people who had helped make that moment possible. His entire family had come to the draft with him, along with coaches from Providence Day School and North Carolina State University (NC State), and people who had known him when reaching the league was still a distant goal. They had seen the years of preparation that led up to the phone call. Now they were in the room to witness where those years of dedication had delivered him. For months, Ekwonu had been preparing to find out his future. He'd worked out and interviewed, visited teams whose interest gave him options to consider without telling him where he would land, except for one. He had been with most organizations selecting in the top 10 of the first round. Carolina had a promise he could hold onto. If he were still there when the clock ran for the 6th pick, they would take him. The first five selections passed, and the promise came calling. On April 28, 2022, the Carolina Panthers selected Ekwonu sixth overall. After three seasons at NC State, his next chapter would unfold in the very city where his football journey began. Charlotte had been home before there was a college decision to make or a draft position to anticipate. It was where he first wanted to play running back, where coaches had begun recognizing the potential he held for what could become of him. After years of imagining a life in the NFL, he would begin that life somewhere he already belonged. His parents had been part of the story long before anyone could predict its direction. In a recorded family message from the Carolina Panthers, marking his entry into the NFL, his father, Tagbo, reflected on raising a child without a script. He and Amaka had tried to teach their son to work hard and treat people equally. He believed Ekwonu would succeed in football. He wanted him to remember his upbringing and the people who had supported him. Amaka began with the familiarity of a mother speaking to her child: “Hi, sweetie.” She had believed in him from the beginning. On draft night, that very pride came through the phone while Ekwonu spoke to his new team. His thoughts were reaching toward what waited ahead. Soon, he would be lining up against the players he had watched on the very field at Bank of America Stadium, preparing for competition that made the opportunity feel real in a different way. “I feel like the biggest emotion was that I was so excited,” Ekwonu said. The people who had helped him reach this point were beside him, and the team he had grown up watching was welcoming him home. Before there was a professional career to celebrate, there had been a child learning how to use his abilities, surrounded by people willing to help him discover them. At home, earning the opportunity to play began in the classroom. Ekwonu grew up with parents who understood the cost of sports from experience. His mother competed in short-distance track events. His father played basketball in Nigeria before coming to the United States. Their children had the athleticism to compete, but education remained the priority in the Ekwonu household. Good grades allowed him to keep applying himself outside of the classroom. Before coaches were scouting what he may become, there were assignments to finish and expectations to meet. Athletics could occupy his afternoons as long as school received the attention it deserved. “I feel like for them [his parents], the discipline aspect of it really came more from doing well in school, and that skill set, that discipline, and that mindset just kind of carried over into sports,” he said. The habit began before his future was offered. His parents were teaching him to take care of what was already a responsibility, to understand that having an ability came with work beyond the places where people could see it. They also gave him room for self-discovery. Growing up, Ekwonu played soccer and basketball with his twin brother, Osita. He wrestled and ran in the 4x100-meter relay. Each activity provided somewhere else to compete, another group to join, and another part of himself to explore with the expectation of being well-rounded. At Providence Day, he was also learning what it meant to carry a name that already carried weight to others. His older brother, Chike, and sister, Adaora, had attended before he and his twin brother, Osita, arrived on campus. They had built relationships with the school and left accomplishments for their younger brothers to model after. Before Providence Day knew him as Ickey, they knew him as Chike’s little brother. Years later, in his Hall of Fame induction speech, Ekwonu would return to what that experience had taught him. His siblings had shown that a reputation could reach beyond the person who earned it. Their example gave him something to aspire to, and their family name carried expectations that he, too, would eventually help shape. When he entered Providence Day, he had people to follow. By the time he returned to be honored, the next generation would have him. As a sophomore, he was still figuring out where he belonged on the field. At around 250 pounds, Ekwonu believed he could lose some weight and become a tight end. He brought the idea to his head coach, Adam Hastings, at the time. Coach Hastings laughed and told him he would play offensive line. Years later, Ekwonu recalled that conversation during his induction speech. He had accepted the guidance without knowing where it would lead. Someone who knew him could see a possibility he was still learning to recognize within himself. Once he settled into the offensive line, he found something that would keep drawing him further into the sport of football. Every assignment connected him to the players beside him. They needed him to do his job, and he needed them to do theirs. “We’re like a team within a team because we all have to work together. We all have to be on the same page. We all have to do our job, because if we don’t, it directly messes up the whole offensive line,” he said. That responsibility became part of what he loved most about the game. He had people counting on him, and he could see how much they were giving in return. Some of his clearest memories of that commitment came during training camp at Providence Day. During his freshman and sophomore years, the team traveled to Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. Ekwonu remembers getting off the bus and going straight into a three-hour practice. The next morning began with a 5:30 am workout, followed by more practices throughout the day. Their equipment fell in stride wherever they went. Duffel bags held the pads and helmets they carried between the dorms and the practice field, a walk he remembers as roughly half a mile long. Once practice ended, they carried everything back. During his first year, he found himself questioning internally how much he liked football. But he kept going. Around him were teammates working through an identical schedule. Everyone had another practice ahead. Everyone had to pick up their equipment and make the walk again, another day. The session had yet to begin, but they were already learning what they could expect from one another. Rest became something to fit between obligations. Air conditioning in the dorms could send them to sleep almost immediately. Staying awake in meetings required effort of its own. If a trip to the cafeteria left enough time, they could squeeze in a 20-minute nap before heading back out. Years later, Ekwonu still remembers those days as the hardest training camp of his life. However, he also remembers how much it brought the team together. “Even though it sucked, it was my favorite memory because that was really the catalyst that got everybody closer and ready for the season,” he recalled. By the time the team returned home, each player had seen the people beside them keep working through exhaustion and shared adversity, pushing through to overcome together. That experience stayed with the team when the season began. The following year, Ekwonu understood more of what to expect. The schedule was still difficult. This time, he knew what could come out of it. By his junior year, after two seasons of junior varsity football, he was playing exclusively on varsity. Providence Day reached a state championship game and lost. The sport was beginning to offer him a future. He was also enjoying the people who made the game meaningful. As recruiting intensified, another part of his preparation took attention. Ekwonu had watched college coaches visit Providence Day to speak with older players. He understood some of what recruiting looked like from a distance; however, going through it himself revealed how much time it could consume. Camps and school visits filled weekends, sometimes carrying his family across state lines. As more people began asking what he could become, his grades started slipping. His coach noticed. Ekwonu remembers the response clearly: “I’m not going to let you mess this up.” The opportunity was real, and his coach wanted him to understand what it would take to protect it. Football could take him somewhere, absolutely. But he still had responsibilities where he already was. “You need to stay on those academics because if you let one thing slip like that in your life, then everything is going to start slipping,” he recalled his coach telling him. The expectation was familiar. His coaches helped him navigate the recruiting process while holding him to the academic standards his parents had established. Soon, Ekwonu would graduate from the chapter at Providence Day for NC State, carrying the habits his parents and coaches had helped him develop into a level that would demand more of him. His first year at NC State quickly became a decorated one. Ekwonu started the final seven games of the 2019 season at left tackle, becoming the program’s first true freshman to start at offensive tackle since Rob Crisp in 2010. In his first year of college football, he earned the responsibility for protecting the quarterback’s blindside. His performance brought national recognition. The Football Writers Association of America named him to its Freshman All-American team, placing him among the country’s standout first-year players. Alongside that, Pro Football Focus also selected him to its All-Freshman Team and named him a second-team All-ACC choice, recognizing his play among conference players beyond his freshman class. At NC State, he shared the Jim Richter Offensive Lineman of the Year award and received the Philip Rivers Award for Rookie of the Year. He had finished his first season with honors, reflecting how much he had already contributed to the team. The expectations he brought from home remained part of that year. Ekwonu earned a 3.4 GPA and made the dean’s list. His Academic All-ACC selection recognized his work in the classroom alongside his accomplishments on the field. He entered his sophomore season with an established role and a willingness to learn more. In 2020, Ekwonu played both guard and tackle, adjusting to responsibilities at different positions along the offensive line. His performance earned second-team All-ACC recognition from The Associated Press at both positions. He also received third-team honors on the conference’s official team. The recognition reflected how effectively he could contribute wherever the line needed him. At tackle, he worked on the edge of the formation. Moving inside to guard required him to carry that preparation into a different space, with new assignments to understand. He led NC State with 50 pancake blocks, putting defenders on the ground as he finished his assignments. He also recorded a team-high 22 knockdowns. Within the program, he received the award for the top offensive lineman. For a second consecutive year, he earned Academic All-ACC recognition. The classroom remained part of his progress as his responsibilities on the field increased. By the time his junior season approached in 2021, his physical style had become part of his reputation on the field. The Athletic called him “the most feared lineman in the ACC.” Ekwonu was entering a year that had the potential to change the direction of his life. He had begun considering whether he might leave college early for the NFL. There was still a reason to play before he could make that decision, and the possibility gave each game a different weight. “Every game I kind of played like it was my last game on the field,” Ekwonu said. He prepared each week knowing that his time in an NC State uniform could be nearing its end. As the season continued, he became more confident that reaching the league was possible. The dream was becoming a decision he soon would face. The uncertainty stayed with him even as his performance brought greater recognition. Around him, the group's closeness reminded him of his teammates at Providence Day. Even as he thought about where football might take him, the people beside him gave him a reason to be present where his feet were. “I feel like for me, I’ve always loved the sport aspect of football, but I feel like the locker room and being part of a team like that – that’s something that drew me towards it as well,” he said. In 2021, Ekwonu earned unanimous first-team All-America recognition, becoming the third player in NC State history selected to the first team by all five organizations used to determine consensus status. He also won the ACC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded to the conference’s top blocker. Three seasons earlier, he arrived as a freshman trying to earn a role; now he was preparing to enter the NFL draft as one of the country’s most accomplished offensive linemen. On April 28, 2022, Ekwonu arrived at the NFL Draft in Las Vegas with his family and the support system that had guided him to reach that very moment. Following the combine, Carolina had promised to select him if he was available at No. 6. Then, during the red carpet interviews, a Houston Texans player offered a different prediction. Houston, he said, was going to take him third. Ekwonu shared the news with his father. “Dad, I think I’m about to go to Houston,” he recalled. For a moment, the next chapter seemed to be taking him away from home. A few hours later, the Panthers called, promising him the fate delivered. His mother held him as he answered, her crying audible through the phone. He was coming home. The interviews continued after his selection, keeping him from the celebration waiting for him. Amid the Nigerian food prepared for the occasion, Amaka set aside a plate for her son. Years later, Paul Burnam, Ekwonu’s coach, presenting his honor at Providence Day, would return to that exchange. When Amaka brought Ekwonu the food, Burnam saw the young boy she had raised, still being cared for by his mother. He described the moment during the ceremony as a memory that had stayed with him, a glimpse of the bond between them. Her son had reached his dream. She had made sure he would still have his mother's care when he arrived. Soon, he would return to Charlotte with his family, beginning an NFL career in the city that had raised him. The team he had watched as a child was waiting for him there. Coming home meant learning to see the Panthers from the field. Ekwonu had grown up watching the team from the stands. Now Panthers legends like Christian McCaffrey and former players whose jerseys he owned were coming through the building with the same need for hustle. Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly were close enough to ask questions, men he had first known through the games he watched. The distance between being a fan and being a player was narrowing with each conversation. “It was really cool being able to watch the team my whole life and then come back and be a part of it,” he said. Charlotte was familiar, yet the Ekwonu name was changing. Now he was gearing up to wear Carolina’s uniform in the very stadium where he once sat in the stands. His first game would pit him against former Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Throughout his first professional training camp, Ekwonu carried that matchup with him. Week 1 was approaching, and he knew who would be waiting on the other side. He had reached the league. Soon, he would have to do his job against one of its most decorated defenders. “All training camp, that’s what I was thinking about. Like, man, I gotta get ready,” he said. Then September 11, 2022 arrived. Running out of the tunnel brought the weight of the moment into focus. The fireworks marked his entrance onto the field, where he could see the fans filling the stadium, where he once was himself. He had grown up watching the Panthers take the field from the very same tunnel in Bank of America Stadium. Now he wore the colors and stepped into a game he had spent years imagining himself part of. “I mean, running out of the tunnel was crazy, just that feeling with all of the fireworks and being able to be on the field and see the fans and everything,” Ekwonu said. For years, he had watched players represent the Panthers' name. That very afternoon, children in the stands were watching him. There was excitement in the surroundings. There were nerves ahead of the game. Across from him would be Garrett, the opponent he had spent training camp preparing to face. Around him were veterans who needed him to play his part. Once the game began, he tried to settle into the work. “I was trying to settle into the game. After the first couple of drives, I was catching my breath,” he remembered. The opening drives gave him time to find his footing within the experience. He could begin to return to what he connected with most about the position, to the responsibility he had carried since high school. The surroundings were bigger, the noise was louder, but he still had a job to do. “The game hasn’t changed; it’s just a different level, but it’s still football,” Ekwonu said. That reminder gave him a familiar feeling to begin with. He had spent years learning how much the players alongside him depended on his ethic. At Providence Day, that understanding had helped him find a place on the offensive line. In his first NFL game, it remained part of how he settled himself. The growth continued after that first game. Panthers Offensive Tackle Taylor Moton helped Ekwonu understand how an experienced player replenished his body across the demands of a professional season. Recovery became part of the work between games. He could watch Moton’s approach and ask questions about technique, learning from a tackle whose responsibilities mirrored his own on the other side of the line. “He’s been a true vet; since I got into the league, he’s shown me how to take care of your body,” he said. He had reached a place where he could keep taking lessons from players who understood what the opportunity required of them. As he became more familiar with the league, he also found connections that reached beyond his own locker room. A Nigerian surname on another team’s depth chart could provide a sense of familiarity. Other players were carrying their heritage into the same profession, and he took pride in seeing them there. “It kind of makes it feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself,” Ekwonu said. His own name could offer that recognition to someone watching. He thought about young people who shared his culture and wondered whether there might be a place for them at the highest level. “Even if they had any sort of doubts [about] if they could make it or not, then I’m representation that you can, you can make it,” he said. The opportunity gave him a way to carry his family’s Nigerian roots into a world where others could see themselves in his story. He wanted that national-level visibility to encourage and inspire them. “I think it’s really cool being able to put my heritage and my culture on display for the world to see, and have a nice positive representation of Nigerians,” he said. By September 2026, his name would have another place to hold weight, to impact future generations. Providence Day School welcomed Ekwonu into its Charger Hall of Fame on September 26. He returned to a community as an NFL player, one whose teachers had known him as a boy still finding his place in the world, when that future was uncertain. The recognition had surprised him. “I didn’t even think it was even on my radar at all,” he said. He knew the honor mattered to his parents. The school’s plans to retire his jersey also gave him space to think about students who would arrive years after he had left. Some would know his name without knowing the memories tied to the spirit that carried joy down the hallways of Providence Day, When asked what he hoped those students would understand, Ekwonu thought about how he had tried to make people feel during his time. Even on a difficult day, he wanted to bring warmth to the lives of those around him. He enjoyed making people laugh. Being voted class clown reflected the energy he brought into the school and his desire to share the joy he felt. “I always wanted to be a pillar of light, of joy…I always wanted to uplift people,” he shared. Ekwonu hoped that someone encountering his name could find encouragement laced in it. “I just want them to be able to be hopeful…or just be able to smile,” he said. At the ceremony, those who had known him began to explain what they remembered. Coach Burnam described how Ekwonu helped those around him stay connected. His smile came up repeatedly in conversations with those who knew him. So did the genuine care behind his questions about what mattered to them. Before he took the stage, Ekwonu could hear that the warmth he hoped to leave behind had already become part of how he was remembered. He began his speech by thanking God for the life He provided. He thanked his family for the prayers and the support that had accompanied him throughout his journey, then acknowledged the faculty and staff who had given him room to be himself. “I stand on the shoulders of the people that have come before me or are lifting me,” he said during his Hall of Fame induction speech. Standing before them, he could trace the help that had brought him there. He returned to the conversation about becoming a tight end. Coach Hastings had seen an offensive lineman when Ekwonu was still imagining himself elsewhere on the field. Accepting that guidance had given him a position to grow into, years before he could know it would become his profession, a purpose. During his speech, he shared the memory as a lesson in trusting the people who wanted to help him. “When you’re a part of something greater than yourself, you can achieve more than you can ever imagine,” he said during his induction speech. The teams around him had made demanding seasons enjoyable. His family had set examples for him to follow, and teachers and coaches had remained involved as his future began to take shape. Standing before the community, Ekwonu could acknowledge how much their guidance had made his dream possible. The honor also returned him to a question from an earlier school assembly. A speaker discussing the prejudice he had faced repeatedly asked how people would be remembered. During his induction speech, Ekwonu recalled the question as he considered his own place in the school’s history. “How would you be remembered?” The younger brother had an example of his own legacy to leave, but now, his own name would remain. Ekwonu wanted his place in the school to carry something of his empathy and the joy he found there. The people gathered for his induction had already shown him that those qualities were part of what they remembered about him. The name his parents gave him at birth had accompanied every step between those moments. Before football became a career, it belonged to a child whose parents expected him to take education seriously. It followed him into the coach’s office, where he asked to become a tight end, then onto the offensive line where he learned how much his teammates depended on him. At NC State, it appeared alongside recognition earned through the work he continued in the classroom and on the field. In Las Vegas, the Panthers called his name into a future that brought him home. The meaning behind it came from his Nigerian heritage, his commitment to carrying his family’s honor, and the belief that the effort he put in would lead somewhere, even when he could not yet see where. In the family video recorded by the Panthers around his entry into the NFL, Amaka asked her son to remember his name and keep giving his best. That reminder still has a place in Ekwonu's approach to life. “If I just keep working and keep grinding at the problem, I’ll be able to figure it out,” he said. The path had required him to trust guidance unquestioningly before he understood its value. It made him keep preparing while decisions about his future remained unresolved. Each opportunity brought more work, including the one that placed him in the uniform of the team he had grown up watching. His name had remained true to the person who carried it. For students who come after him, those memories offer a way to understand the person behind the accomplishments. For someone who shares his Nigerian roots, his presence in the league can make an ambition feel possible. There is still a future to build. Preparation will continue after the ceremony, and the next challenge will ask something new of him. His family’s belief remains with that work, as it did before anyone knew where the game would take him. Ikemefuna carries the culture he comes from and the promise his parents placed within his name. From the school that helped him grow to the hometown team he now represents, his character has given that promise a life others can recognize. The name given to him at birth has become a story he continues to live with honor: “My effort will not be in vain.”

Gallery by Isatuu Lamarana | October 10 2026 Toronto FC vs CF Montreal photos captured by Isatuu Lamarna

By Josue Cambara | October 6, 2026 Mexico vs Chile by Josue Cambara Guillermo Ochoa, a Mexican National Team goalkeeper, was honored for his remarkable 22-year service. He became the first goalkeeper in World Cup history to participate in six editions of the tournament. In celebration of his illustrious career, event organizers presented a special thank-you gesture to fans, allowing them to bid farewell to a legendary figure in Mexican football.

by Hazze Sports | October 7 2026 Assets provided by NHL and Fanatics The Winnipeg Jets and Montréal Canadiens are taking a trip back in time for this year’s Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic. The NHL and Fanatics unveiled the special-edition uniforms Wednesday ahead of the Oct. 25 outdoor matchup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg. The Jets’ white uniform draws inspiration from the franchise’s classic look from the 1980s and 1990s, featuring felt and chain-stitched detailing, two-layer felt numbers and a new streaking jet graphic on the hem. The design complements the team’s current navy alternate jersey. For the Canadiens, the uniform pulls from several eras of the franchise’s storied jersey history. The design features the club’s traditional red and blue alongside vintage off-white, with “Les Habitants” appearing on the back collar for the first time. The classic CH crest has also been redrawn to reflect styles from the past. The Heritage Classic returns after a three-season absence. The matchup will mark the Jets’ third outdoor game and the Canadiens’ fifth, with Montréal making its first outdoor appearance since 2017. The special-edition jerseys and additional Heritage Classic merchandise are available now through Fanatics, NHL Shop and both teams’ retail channels.

Written and photographed by Ezzah Rafique | October 6, 2026 Amina Salahou started Les Adore in her college dorm room with a magazine and an idea: to create a place where young creatives could see themselves reflected in fashion. Since its 2023 launch, the platform has grown into a creative production network, bringing that vision beyond its pages and into rooms where designers and audiences can connect. This New York Fashion Week (NYFW), Les Adore’s runway show and brunch, TASSEL, featured four designers: Nokshi New York, Kymi, Cleah Jolie and Chunni. The lineup brought together distinct perspectives, from bridal pieces designed to be worn beyond the wedding day to statement looks incorporating Indian handbeading. The event paired fashion with meaningful conversation between Fernanda Ramirez and Sofi (The Odditty), moderated by Salahou, allowing designers to share their work and for Les Adore’s growing community to connect beyond the page. “Fashion never really felt like a choice; it’s more of a feeling,” said Salahou For Salahou, fashion began as a form of personal expression. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, she shared clothes with her sisters and experimented with different ways of dressing. During the pandemic, that curiosity expanded into makeup and styling, giving her another outlet to explore her creativity. Her decision to pursue fashion seriously was during college. “What pulled me into the industry more seriously was a hard moment in college. During my sophomore fall, I lost a close friend, and it made me realize I needed to stop waiting. That winter break, with New York Fashion Week coming up, I sent out cold emails and connected with people who are now mentors to me. It was painful, but it’s also the beauty of art and creativity; it’s always tied to emotion. I launched Les Adore the following fall to bring the inspiration and confidence I felt in the fashion scene back to my community,” Salahou shared. As a Harvard graduate who studied history of science with a secondary in computer science, Salahou officially launched Les Adore on International Day of the Girl Child (a global observance recognizing the power, potential, and achievements of girls worldwide while raising awareness of the unique challenges and gender inequalities they face) on Oct. 11, 2023. “The original idea actually started on Instagram. I had a friend in LA, Casey; we were like Instagram crush friends, and we started talking about taking the aesthetics we loved online, styling, fashion, being edgy, and turning it into something real. We tried to figure it out together and it didn’t fully work out, but the idea stayed with me. In the fall, I was in my room and I thought, you know what, I’m going to make a magazine,” said Salahou. With the first issue published a month after the launch of Les Adore, it explored the juxtaposition of girlhood. Les Adore has since produced six editorial issues and expanded into film and photography production, events, a long-form writing platform called “The Argent Club,” and a newsletter called “Slice of Life,” while also hosting pop-ups, parties and various events. Through those formats, the purpose has remained consistent: to bring creatives together and give their work a place to be seen and felt. “The biggest lesson was to stop waiting for permission. Once I stopped trying to fit into someone else’s version of Fashion Week and started creating my own, hosting events, building community, putting emerging creatives at the center, it became mine. I navigated it on my own terms by building Les Adore as the thing I wished existed when I first showed up,” she said when asked about navigating New York Fashion Week with Les Adore. Taking the community to New York: TASSLE during NYFW 2026 Les Adore brought their debut show and a conversation pit to NYFW on Sept. 13, intended to bring people together to create meaningful relationships and connections. “The vision behind moving into real-life experiences was to let people feel Les Adore instead of just reading it,” she said. Salahou said attendees at earlier Les Adore events had met friends, collaborators and even roommates. Those connections motivated her to create another gathering during Fashion Week, this time focusing on bringing visibility to emerging designers. Along with a runway, Salahou moderated a conversation pit for guests to hear from “A Better You” podcast host Fernanda Ramirez and “Am I Too Loud” host & digital creator Sofi as panelists. For Salahou, bringing people together extends beyond a single afternoon. She said attendees at previous Les Adore events built relationships from friends to collaborators and even roommates, which motivates her to keep creating those spaces. A Look Into The Emerging Designers at TASSEL The four-brand lineup offered different approaches to femininity, craftsmanship and occasion dressing. Nokshi New York, led by Sabrin Sultana, emphasizes craftsmanship and responsible production. The brand operates an in-house atelier in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and uses deadstock fabrics, with stated commitments to worker empowerment and supply chain transparency. Kymi, founded by best friends Kylie Rubin and Mimi Moritz, approaches dressing through playful details and nostalgic silhouettes. The brand describes its pieces as handmade in Los Angeles and draws inspiration from the founders’ mothers, placing friendship and individuality at the center of its identity. Alongside them, Cleah Jolie and Chunni brought collections rooted in personal stories, with design details that made those influences visible. A Deeper Look into Cleah Jolie & Chunni For Cleah Dyer, bridal fashion is an opportunity to connect celebration with individuality. Her brand, Cleah Jolie (CJ), balances sophistication and playfulness while considering how a wedding wardrobe can live beyond the ceremony. CJ focuses on creating an authentic way to be timeless and classic. “The dresses, skirts, and bodices are meant to be worn beyond the ceremony and receptions, making it so you can carry a piece of joy from that day into other celebratory events or gatherings,” Dyer told HAZZE MEDIA. “My goal is to listen to brides’ honest needs and interests to create pieces that make them feel beautiful. I want a dress to represent that I’ve understood their story, with my own running alongside it.” The designs presented at TASSEL began as Dyer’s Cornell University senior collection in March 2025. For the event, she showed reworked pieces developed with production groups to improve their craftsmanship. She described the collection as a transition from student work to an emerging brand. That evolution includes a modular approach to dressing. The Alyce Mini, a short dress styled with gloves and a bow at the back, used the same corset bodice as the Beth Gown, which featured a tied column skirt. Rather than treating each look as a separate outfit, Dyer designed components that could take on different forms. “The dresses, skirts, and bodices are meant to be worn beyond the ceremony and receptions, making it so you can carry a piece of joy from that day into other celebratory events or gatherings,” she said. Her favorite piece, the Savannah Rose Gown, reflects both her design process and the relationships surrounding it. The gown emerged while she was revising an earlier idea in college and was named after her best friend and college roommate. “When I was first designing [the Savannah Rose Gown] in college, I had a different idea in mind and as a way to fix it, the rose gown came to be. It’s the embodiment of… trying to connect my personal design aesthetic with feedback and white spaces identified by brides I've worked with in the past,” Dyer shares. Storytelling also informed the presentation. Dyer selected the runway music to convey the emotion she associates with the collection and the experience of building her brand alongside friends. She said several people later told her they had teared up while watching. “Being able to tell a story with my work and leave people feeling emotional both while physically in the gown and engaging with the brand is a key element of the CJ ethos,” she said. As Cleah Jolie develops, Dyer said her priorities include completing the 13-look collection and offering in-person appointments so brides can try on the pieces. For Chunni founders Esha Kaul and Nikhita Khosa, clothing has long been a way to stay connected to Indian culture while expressing their own tastes. Dedicated to slow fashion, their pieces are handcrafted by a team of artisans based in India using traditional craftsmanship methods and high-quality fabrics. “We support the livelihoods of our artisans in India whose hand embroidery and traditional craftsmanship methods are a dying art, and we use the highest quality fabrics and methods (no machine embroidery, for example),” they said. Kaul and Khosa come from finance and technology backgrounds, but fashion was a creative outlet well before they launched a business. Khosa grew up designing dresses for fun, while Kaul experimented with a sewing machine. Growing up in the United States, they saw an opportunity to bring elements of Indian clothing and craftsmanship into contemporary pieces. “Chunni is for every it-girl, everywhere… Indian fashion is known for its beading, color and intricate details, and we love bringing those elements into pieces that might otherwise feel simple, like a mini skirt,” they told HAZZE MEDIA. The handwork also tells a story about production. At TASSEL, Chunni presented the pink Anjali dress and orange two-piece Diya Set. Both looks featured the bold color and detailed beadwork central to the brand and designed to shine. According to Kaul and Khosa, the Diya Skirt required 50 hours of handbeading by their artisans in India. “The Anjali dress was the first piece we released when we launched our brand about a year ago [and] it went viral on social media… [becoming] our best-seller. We’ve seen our it-girls wear it for birthdays, European summers, galas and date nights, so seeing it on the runway felt like a full-circle moment and a reminder of how far the brand has come in such a short time,” Kaul and Khosa shared. Bringing Chunni to NYFW through TASSEL felt surreal to Kaul and Khosa, who see this event as a meaningful milestone. With their intricate beadwork and eye for detail, Chunni aims to be a go-to brand for girls who need an elevated look, a fun date night or party outfit, or even a statement piece on vacation. Chunni plans to introduce another collection in the next couple of months while creating more opportunities to connect with their community through in-person experiences. Chunni is available online or at Hauteline in New York’s Lower East Side. What Comes After TASSEL? For Salahou, producing TASSEL brought its own lessons. She learned to delegate, trust collaborators, and stay calm when plans changed. Building a welcoming event required the same collaboration she hoped guests would find. Salahou creates beautifully inclusive spaces for people who identify as women and for media that reflects a wider range of creative voices. “People didn’t just attend, they engaged, they gushed about the designers’ work, they took photos, they celebrated these creatives like they were already household names. That’s the whole point of Les Adore: reverence for creative talent before the industry catches on. Seeing that reverence live, from people who showed up with open hearts, told me we’re doing exactly what we set out to do,” Salahou said. When asked what she hoped someone would feel when attending a Les Adore event or opening an issue, Salahou’s answer was simple: inspired, included and fun. While attending TASSEL myself, I can confidently say that Salahou, the team behind Les Adore, and the designers successfully came together to create a warm and inviting space for everyone. Each person was open to networking, sharing stories, and pointing out their favorite moments from the event with each other. It felt like a true community. Her intention also speaks to what she believes may be missing from the Fashion Week landscape. While many events may feel closed off or exclusive, she aims to create a genuine entry point for young creatives without established industry connections. Through Les Adore, Salahou wants to build welcoming spaces for women and a platform that reflects the diversity of the people shaping fashion. “This time around, standing in the room and seeing Nokshi’s and Cleah Jolie’s work worn, celebrated, and photographed by an audience that genuinely cared, that was the payoff. I looked around at all these young creatives sparkling and networking and becoming friends, and I thought, this is exactly why I started this,” she said. “Les Adore is our answer to that gap: love the creatives, build the rooms, and keep the door open.” - Amina Salahou

Gallery By Holly Arend | October 2 2026 Providence Bruins vs Utica Comets by Holly Arend The Providence Bruins opened the 2026-27 AHL season at home on Oct. 2, falling 2-1 to the Utica Comets. Brendan Gaunce scored Providence's lone goal as the Bruins battled through their season opener in front of the home crowd. Providence Bruins vs Utica Comets by Holly Arend These photos are owned by Hazze Media and the AHL. They may not be redistributed, sold, or used for commercial purposes without explicit permission.

Gallery by Josue Cambara | October 1 2026 Club America & Cruz Azul at Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, California) photos captured by Josue Cambara

Interview by: Whitney Randall | September 30, 2026 Content warning: This article discusses suicide and may be distressing for some readers. Please take care while reading. Photos Provided by Brandon Saho “I got in my truck and I kissed my wife goodbye and my daughter goodbye.” Brandon Saho received that Instagram dm from a stranger who had reached a point where he planned to take his own life. He had gotten into his truck and was driving to a place where he planned to end his life when YouTube recommended an episode of Saho’s podcast, The Mental Game. He listened to one episode, then another, and then another. Eventually, he turned around and drove home. The next morning, he broke down to his wife and told her what had happened. Soon after, he started therapy. Saho never knew that his podcast would find someone in their darkest moment and save them from it. But the message showed him something he had begun to understand through the podcast: the conversations he was having could reach people he would never meet, often at moments when they needed them most. “That is when I realized that this could really help people and save lives and it's bigger than any conversation I'm having on the podcast,” Saho said. “ I know that for a fact like I will never get to meet everyone that this has helped and like the same thing for me, so many people inspired stories that inspire me to keep going and want to help other people.” Saho didn’t start his career planning to have those conversations. He dreamed of working for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network and becoming a sports reporter, spending his career telling other people's stories. As a reporter, he covered athletes and spent time around people competing at the highest levels, but while he was struggling with his own mental health, addiction and suicidal thoughts, something began to change. Some of the athletes he worked with were among the first people to reach out to him during some of his darkest moments. The people he had watched compete, the people others looked up to and the people who appeared to have everything together were struggling too. That realization became part of what inspired him to create The Mental Game. He wanted athletes, celebrities and other people with platforms to talk about the things that everyone goes through, because he had learned that the things people often keep hidden are the things that can make someone else feel less alone. “Everyone struggles. It doesn’t matter if you're in Hollywood and movies, if you're working on Wall Street, if you got other things going on in, you know, in your personal life, no matter how famous or not famous you are, we all struggle with the same exact things, and so what I've noticed is just people need to be heard.” Saho said. Whether he was speaking with someone famous or someone he had never heard of before, Saho found that the need was the same. People wanted to feel seen, heard and understood, and they wanted to know they were not the only ones struggling. He saw the same struggles exist across completely different lives and careers. Seeing that he was not alone had been important in his own journey, and he wanted other people to have known that same feeling. That feeling of being alone is something Saho understands personally. Growing up, he thought there was something wrong with him because he was emotional, especially as a boy. He had been taught the same lesson many young men hear: hold it in, rub some dirt on it and “be a man.” When Saho was suicidal, his father told him to “be a fucking man.” For a long time, he believed that showing emotion meant weakness, and sharing his own struggles felt strange because he had spent so much of his life telling other people's stories. Eventually, he began to see vulnerability differently. He wishes young men had been told that it was okay to shed a tear, talk about their feelings, be vulnerable with another man or tell a friend they love them. He now tells the people in his life that he loves them because, as he said, “cause you never know when it's going to be the last time you might see somebody, or how just saying those simple words can help people.” The more Saho has talked about his own experiences, the more he has realized how much of the stigma surrounding men's mental health comes from the idea that emotions need to be hidden. He said he did not understand the stigma around men's mental health when he first started this work, but the conversations have shown him how important it is for men to hear that vulnerability is not weakness. For Saho, being vulnerable is a way of connecting with other people and allowing them to know they are not alone. That realization also changed the way he viewed his relationship with his father. The conversation about being a man was not the end of their relationship, but it became something they could eventually talk about. Saho began asking his father about his own life, including losing his father at 24, his marriage and his experiences with alcoholism. His father began opening up more, and he began opening up more too. Their relationship became more vulnerable as they worked through things together. He also understands that not everyone will get the response they hope for when they finally decide to open up. The people closest to you may not know what to say, and sometimes difficult conversations can reveal that someone is not willing or able to help. “And that is where I share with people: please find someone who will listen. I promise they're out there,” he said. For him, the important thing is starting the conversation sooner instead of waiting until someone reaches a breaking point. Saho believes that kids should be learning about mental health right alongside math, English, and science because if you don't have your mental health, you have nothing. The sooner you start having these conversations, the sooner you can help each other. People who love and care about someone may not always know exactly what to say or how to help, but that does not mean the conversation should not happen. He saw that same idea in a treatment facility where he spent two weeks. The people around him came from different backgrounds and different stages of life. They were between 18 and 80 years old, and they were Black, White, Gay, Straight and from different jobs and walks of life. The group looked nothing alike, but Saho realized they shared something important: they did not want to live and they needed help staying alive. Instead of feeling like he was the only person experiencing those thoughts, he began to understand that he was one of many people who had struggled in similar ways. That experience became part of why he believes so strongly in relatability. Someone does not have to look like you, have the same job or have the same life story to understand what you are going through. Sometimes, simply seeing another person talk about something you thought you were the only one experiencing can be enough to make you realize you are not alone. For Saho, that was one of the most important lessons he took from being around other people who were struggling. That has become one of the biggest purposes behind The Mental Game. Saho has heard from people who said his suicide letter helped them ask for help. He has heard from people who said an episode with only a few views or downloads helped them have a conversation with their wife. He never planned on becoming someone who spoke at schools, companies, teams and conferences, but after being asked to speak at a school in his hometown of Cincinnati, he said he “fell a little bit in love with it.” In January 2024, he drove to 30 states in 30 days, speaking to people and creating spaces where they could share their stories, be vulnerable and ask for help. Photos Provided by Brandon Saho Sometimes people came because they knew he had worked with a favorite National Football League player or because they knew he had sat next to Oprah. Those moments were exciting, but they weren’t what Saho considered the best part of the job. The best part came when someone stayed afterward to have a conversation. He remembers a high school student who told him about abuse they were experiencing at home and eventually found the courage to tell a counselor and social worker. For him, that moment mattered more than any famous person he had interviewed because it showed what could happen when someone finally felt safe enough to say something out loud. Those conversations are also where he finds hope. He has had people approach him after speaking events, at basketball games in front of 10,000 people, at a plumber's convention and during teacher professional development days, all saying some version of the same thing: “I’ve never told anyone this before.” Some have told him they are suicidal. Others have needed someone to listen. Those moments break his heart, but they also give him hope because people are willing to ask for help when they feel like they are in a safe space. Saho cannot answer every message, email or social media DM he receives but when someone walks up to him in person, he makes a point of giving that person his full attention. He wants to give people the same opportunity to feel heard. His mother has also reminded him not to put so much pressure on himself to make every episode or video successful. He does not need every conversation to have thousands of views or downloads to know the work is making a difference. If one person hears something that helps them ask for help, that matters. For Saho, connecting with the next generation remains a deeply personal mission. He focuses intensely on reaching young adults between 14 and 24, a pivotal season filled with huge transitions, identity shifts, and the overwhelming search for belonging. Through initiatives like Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, and open locker room discussions, he has witnessed how peer support opens doors for real vulnerability. He strongly believes that encouraging students and student-athletes to lean on one another can help break the silence, reminding young men that holding their pain inside is never the answer. Photos Provided by Brandon Saho He hopes young men will feel comfortable telling another man they love them, talking about their feelings and asking for help when they need it. He believes relatability can make those conversations easier because people are more willing to listen when they recognize themselves in the person speaking. For Saho, the goal isn’t simply to tell young people that they should talk. It is to create spaces where they actually feel comfortable doing it. The conversations Saho has now are also building something he hopes will last beyond any single episode. He sees the collection of interviews as a bank of stories, potentially hundreds or even thousands of conversations where people have talked about their deepest and darkest struggles. He hopes those conversations can help someone long after the interview happened, even if he never knows that person found it. “I think that is a really special thing to think about, you know, I was talking with Grayson Murray and his management team about coming on the show, and we were going back and forth about wanting to do it in person rather than Zoom, which I'm 100% for. We hadn't talked in a few months, and he took his life on the Sunday of an event. I think about that, I don't know if I could have helped him, if I could have saved him. We weren't really friends, we were just talking about this interview, but I wish, I wish I could have done that interview before, because then maybe somebody else would have reached out to help him.” Saho acknowledged. Saho doesn’t know if he could have helped or saved Murray. While he doesn’t claim that one conversation would have changed what happened, he wishes they had been able to have that conversation sooner. That uncertainty is part of what makes Saho's work so personal. He knows he can’t predict what one conversation will mean to another person. He only knows that sometimes, it can mean everything. The stories he is collecting are not just about athletes, celebrities or people with impressive accomplishments. They are conversations about people who struggle, people who need to feel seen and people who sometimes need someone to remind them that they are not alone. He once dreamed about telling other people's stories on television. Now, he spends his time creating spaces where people can tell stories they might otherwise keep to themselves. He does not measure that impact by the number of downloads or the size of the crowd. He measures it by the person who finally asks for help. “Ask for help,” Saho said. “There’s nothing harder you will do than have the courage to ask for help. After that, everything is easier.” “Feelings are temporary,” he said. “They aren’t facts. They aren’t going to last forever.” For Saho, that is what he hopes people remember most. They do not have to figure everything out on their own. They just have to start the conversation.

Gallery by Christina Winnegar | September 29, 2026 The Carolina Hurricanes kicked off the 2026–27 hockey season against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Before puck drop, Carolina celebrated its 2026 Stanley Cup championship with a banner-raising ceremony. After a scoreless regulation, Panthers defenseman #42 Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime, securing a 1–0 win for Florida. These photos are owned by Hazze Media and the National Hockey League (NHL). They may not be redistributed, sold, or used for commercial purposes without explicit permission.