Looking for Connections: Sports Edition hints for October 25, 2026? Puzzle #762 mixes sports knowledge with close attention to spelling. A familiar name can send you toward the wrong league, so test what all four tiles share before settling on a category.
Begin with the gentle clues, then move to the stronger group hints. Optional two-word reveals, complete answers and detailed explanations remain in separate closed panels so you can choose how much help to uncover.
Start with a gentle clue. Two-word hints, answers and explanations stay hidden until you open them.
Playing the regular word puzzle? Regular Connections guide — a different puzzle
Gentle Hints for Puzzle #762
Try one clue for the group you are working on. You do not need to read all four.
- Yellow
These full team nicknames avoid a familiar plural ending.
- Green
A repeated letter links these otherwise different sports references.
- Blue
These surnames connect across sports through a country.
- Purple
Each short word is the opening of something longer.
Stronger Group Hints
These clues narrow the theme without listing the four words. Stop here if a theme clicks.
- Yellow
Look for four hockey nicknames used without adding a final S.
- Green
Look inside each spelling for two adjacent Zs.
- Blue
Identify athletes associated with Canada; do not limit the group to one sport.
- Purple
Extend each tile into a Los Angeles-area team nickname, keeping its first four letters intact.
Two-Word Hints — Partial Answers
Still stuck on one color? Reveal two words that belong together in that group. This gives away part of the answer, so open only the color you need.
Yellow Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- WILD
- KRAKEN
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Green Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- JAZZ
- RIZZUTO
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Blue Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- MCINTOSH
- ORR
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Purple Reveal 2 words Hide words Spoiler
- LAKE
- GALA
These two belong together. Look for two more tiles that share their connection.
Connections Sports Answers for October 25, 2026
Ready to check your solution? Opening this panel reveals all four category names and all 16 words for #762.
Reveal all four answer groups for #762
Yellow
NHL TEAMS WITH SINGULAR NICKNAMES
- WILD
- KRAKEN
- MAMMOTH
- AVALANCHE
Green
CONTAINS A DOUBLE Z
- JAZZ
- RIZZUTO
- GRIZZLIES
- MIZZOU
Blue
FAMOUS CANADIAN ATHLETES
- MCINTOSH
- ORR
- NASH
- VOTTO
Purple
STARTS OF LOS ANGELES TEAM NAMES
- LAKE
- GALA
- CHAR
- CLIP
Why These Groups Work
This section explains each word and a possible wrong turn. It contains spoilers even if the answer panel above is closed.
Reveal the explanations and possible traps
Yellow
NHL TEAMS WITH SINGULAR NICKNAMES
These complete nicknames belong to Minnesota, Seattle, Utah and Colorado, respectively. The official category calls them singular nicknames: each is used as written, without a plural -s. The important combination is the hockey league and that naming form, rather than a shared kind of creature or natural event.
How each word fits
- WILD
-
Minnesota Wild is the team name. WILD is the complete nickname, so it needs neither another word nor a plural ending.
- KRAKEN
-
Seattle Kraken uses KRAKEN as its full nickname. Its creature association can distract from the more useful shared feature: the team name does not add a final S.
- MAMMOTH
-
Utah Mammoth is the NHL name shown in the league's team directory. Preserve the singular-looking form on the tile rather than changing it to MAMMOTHS.
- AVALANCHE
-
Colorado Avalanche completes the team name. It belongs with the other full hockey nicknames despite describing a very different thing from a creature.
Green
CONTAINS A DOUBLE Z
Each tile contains the consecutive letters ZZ: JA-ZZ, RI-ZZ-UTO, GRI-ZZ-LIES and MI-ZZ-OU. Their sports references span professional basketball, a baseball surname and a university nickname. Those identities explain why the words appear on a sports board; the shared spelling supplies the actual grouping rule.
How each word fits
- JAZZ
-
The Utah basketball nickname ends in ZZ. This is also the board's tempting extra example of a team nickname without a final S, but it is outside the NHL.
- RIZZUTO
-
Phil Rizzuto was a New York Yankees shortstop. His surname supplies the adjacent ZZ in the middle; being an athlete's name is a distraction from the rule.
- GRIZZLIES
-
The Memphis basketball nickname contains ZZ after GRI. The plural ending does not matter here because the category examines letters inside the word.
- MIZZOU
-
Mizzou is a name used for the University of Missouri in Columbia. Its ZZ fits the spelling test even though this tile is a university nickname rather than an NBA team or a player's surname.
Blue
FAMOUS CANADIAN ATHLETES
The surnames can be read as swimmer Summer McIntosh, hockey player Bobby Orr, basketball player Steve Nash and baseball player Joey Votto. Canada connects those examples across four sports. The rule concerns Canadian athletes, not a shared league, team or birthplace: Steve Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
How each word fits
- MCINTOSH
-
Summer McIntosh is the Canadian swimmer profiled by Team Canada. She won three gold medals at Paris 2024, giving this surname a swimming connection.
- ORR
-
Bobby Orr is the hockey example. His own hall of fame documents his Parry Sound background and NHL career, supporting the Canadian connection.
- NASH
-
Steve Nash supplies a Canadian basketball reading of this surname. Team Canada records both his Olympic basketball appearance and his South African birthplace, so Canadian does not mean Canadian-born here.
- VOTTO
-
Joey Votto is the baseball example. Baseball Canada records his Cincinnati Reds career and his appearances representing Canada internationally.
Purple
STARTS OF LOS ANGELES TEAM NAMES
Read the tiles as the first four letters of LAKERS, GALAXY, CHARGERS and CLIPPERS: LAKE, GALA, CHAR and CLIP. These lead to two basketball teams, a soccer club and a football team. The operation is to complete each nickname from its beginning; the endings are different and no letters need rearranging.
How each word fits
- LAKE
-
LAKE becomes LAKERS by adding RS. This supplies the basketball team nickname while preserving the tile's four letters in their original order.
- GALA
-
GALA becomes GALAXY by adding XY, pointing to LA Galaxy. The tile is a literal prefix of the soccer club's nickname, not a clue about a celebration.
- CHAR
-
CHAR becomes CHARGERS by adding GERS. The Los Angeles football team's nickname starts with all four letters on the tile.
- CLIP
-
CLIP becomes CLIPPERS by adding PERS. The completed basketball nickname starts with the tile exactly as spelled, including its existing P.
Connections Sports Edition FAQ
Which date and puzzle number do these Sports Edition hints cover?
These hints cover Connections: Sports Edition #762 for October 25, 2026. Its numbering is separate from the regular Connections puzzle.
How can I use this page without revealing every answer?
Read the gentle clues first, then the stronger group hints. Each color has an optional two-word reveal, while the complete answer groups and detailed explanations stay in separate closed panels until opened.
Why does JAZZ not join the singular hockey nicknames?
JAZZ is a basketball nickname, so it fails the NHL part of the yellow category. It belongs with the green words because its spelling contains two adjacent Zs.
Does the Canadian-athletes group mean everyone was born in Canada?
No. Steve Nash is a Canadian basketball example for NASH, but Team Canada lists his birthplace as Johannesburg, South Africa. Nationality and birthplace are different tests.
What does MIZZOU refer to?
Mizzou is a name used for the University of Missouri in Columbia. For this puzzle, the relevant feature is the adjacent ZZ in its spelling.
How do the four purple tiles become team names?
Extend LAKE to LAKERS, GALA to GALAXY, CHAR to CHARGERS and CLIP to CLIPPERS. Every tile supplies exactly the first four letters of its completed nickname.
Sources and Verification
Official puzzle data and references for this edition.
View the sources used for this edition
The October 25, 2026 date, official categories and all 16 tiles were checked against The Athletic's puzzle data. Official league directories, Team Canada, Baseball Canada, the relevant halls of fame and the University of Missouri support the names explained below. The hints and reasoning are original to this edition. Checking the source does not mean the official game was played or completed.
- The Athletic - official Connections: Sports Edition
- NHL - official team directory
- NBA - official team names and league directory
- National Baseball Hall of Fame - Phil Rizzuto
- University of Missouri - official identification style guide
- Team Canada - Summer McIntosh profile and Paris 2024 medals
- Bobby Orr Hall of Fame - official biography
- Team Canada - Steve Nash profile and birthplace
- Baseball Canada - Joey Votto's career and Canadian appearances
- Los Angeles Chargers - official team website
- MLS - LA Galaxy club profile
Connections Solved is an independent guide and is not affiliated with The Athletic or The New York Times.