Sporting Events You Won't Want to Miss This Spring

If you’ve never watched playoff hockey, imagine regular hockey but someone hit fast-forward and then spilled adrenaline on the remote. Beards grow thicker than a 1977 rock band’s album cover, and tempers flare like someone just stole the last donut. It’s chaotic, physical and weirdly beautiful, with brackets busting faster than your March Madness hopes. The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are the current favorites to take home the Cup, skating with a swagger that says, “We brought the grit, hope you packed aspirin.”

The NBA playoffs can turn even the most casual viewer into a couch coach with deep opinions on zone defense and pick-and-roll coverage. This is where superstars elevate their games to heights that would make Michael Jordan nod in approval (well, maybe). The intensity cranks up to 11 when players start diving for loose balls like they're auditioning for a 90s action movie stunt role. The Boston Celtics are deep, dangerous and hungrier for banner #18 than your Uncle Bob at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The PGA Championship transforms normally stoic golfers into emotional wrecks, shattering that perfect poker face faster than you can say "three-foot putt." The best golfers in the world descend on Quail Hollow for four days of polite clapping, brutal bunkers and tight polo shirts. Scottie Scheffler, the human highlight reel in khakis, comes in as the favorite. But golf is fickle…one bad swing and you're suddenly yelling at your 9-iron like it ratted you out to Mom for being 10 minutes late past your curfew.

If you thought the PGA Championship was pressure-filled, you haven’t seen anything yet. Par is sacred, bogeys are blessings and Oakmont Country Club doesn’t play nice. This course has crushed egos bigger than its fairways. The field will consist of 156 competitors with Jon Rahm coming in as the favorite to take it all, assuming his driver behaves and the course doesn’t chew him up and spit him into the rough.

The French Open is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the only major played on red clay. Roland-Garros turns players into sliding, grunting gladiators who leave it all (and half their socks) on the court. Whether it's watching Novak Djokovic chasing history or young upstarts smashing rackets and living up to stereotypes, there's always enough drama to give The Real Housewives of everything a run for its money. Iga Świątek and Carlos Alcaraz are the ones to watch with each owning the clay like they signed the deed.

The Indy 500 is what happens when you mix 230 mph speed, milk and Memorial Day flair. It’s loud, fast and nostalgic in all the right ways. Thirty-three drivers line up for glory while you sit back with snacks, wondering how they don't blink. Two-time winner, Josef Newgarden, returns to defend his crown, but top contender Alex Palou is revving up to steal the spotlight and maybe the milk.

Has your NHL team been knocked out of the playoffs? No problem, international hockey’s got your back. The IIHF World Championship in Sweden and Denmark is a chance to watch future NHL stars alongside established veterans playing for national pride instead of multimillion-dollar contracts. Canada is looking like the team to beat again this year, bringing intensity that makes regular season hockey look like a friendly game of checkers.

Baseball in spring is like a slow-burn rom-com, with the occasional bench-clearing brawl. The Detroit Tigers are shockingly good, the Mets are finally acting like they mean business, and the Dodgers... well, they’ve got Shohei Ohtani, which is basically cheating. Ohtani is pitching, hitting and rewriting record books before lunch. So grab some peanuts and settle in because this season could be throwing in a few good plot twists.

The UEFA Champions League Final is part elite soccer match, part dramatic opera with shin guards. Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are the heavyweights each with more talent than your fantasy team’s wildest dreams. It’s the perfect excuse to day-drink at a sports bar while pretending to understand the offside rule.

The WNBA is back, and it's serving fundamentals with a side of ferocity. The Las Vegas Aces, powered by A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, are locked and loaded for another title run, with Wilson the reigning MVP and Clark coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign. The crossovers are deadly, the defense is tight and the energy is unreal. If you love basketball that’s all business and no ego, welcome to your new favorite league.