Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a mix. The blue category was tough, and two categories require you to know athlete names. Stumped? Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it for free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Hockey time.

Green group hint: They could hit.

Blue group hint: Strikes and gutterballs.

Purple group hint: Same last name.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: NHL teams, on scoreboards.

Green group: Members of baseball’s 500-HR club.

Blue group: Words often preceded by bowling.

Purple group: ____ Wagner.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is NHL teams on scoreboards. The four answers are ANA, OTT, SEA and VAN.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is members of baseball’s 500-HR club. The four answers are Aaron, Ruth, Sosa and Thome.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is words often preceded by bowling. The four answers are alley, ball, pin and shoes.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ Wagner. The four answers are Aly, Billy, Franz and Honus.