A towering figure of playoff-era NHL hockey, Claude Lemieux is being remembered through a more complicated emotional lens in the aftermath of his death, as friends and colleagues describe the quiet burdens he may have carried away from the spotlight.
A Legacy Shadowed By Internal Struggles
Réjean Tremblay, a longtime Montreal hockey columnist and close friend of Lemieux for more than 30 years, suggested in an interview published Saturday that unresolved feelings tied to recognition and legacy weighed heavily on the former NHL forward.
“He always lived this as an injustice, a heavy burden to bear,” Réjean Tremblay, Montreal hockey columnist and friend who knew Lemieux for 30 years, told The New York Post in an interview published on Saturday, May 30, claiming that the late hockey star was “deeply sensitive to rejection” and, as a result, never got over the fact that he wasn’t inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame following his 2009 retirement.
“The sense of rejection ran deeper than one might have imagined,” Tremblay further claimed. “He took it very hard.”
The NHL legend was found dead on Thursday, May 28, by one of his three sons. He was 60. His death was later ruled a suicide.
Final Appearances, Reflections, And A Shifting Perspective
In the months leading up to his passing, Lemieux made several public appearances that now stand out in a different light to those reflecting on his final chapter.
On December 11, Lemieux attended the Panthers-Avalanche game at Ball arena where the organization honored its 1996 Stanley Cup-winning team, a group he played a key role on during his years in Denver. During the event, he briefly spoke with reporters and reflected on the evolution of the modern NHL, expressing appreciation for the league’s increased focus on player safety. He noted that today’s game was "cleaner” than during his playing days, when frequent on-ice fights and physical confrontations were a defining part of the sport.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game Players in hockey history,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. Lemieux — who played for 21 seasons in the NHL between 1983 and 2009 — is survived by his wife, Deborah, daughter Claudia, and sons Brendan, Christopher and Michael.
“I love you dad! My son [Luc’s] favorite person is going to watch from above for a while,” Lemieux’s son Brendan wrote via Instagram, breaking his silence in the wake of his father’s shocking death. “We will see you.”
The NHL star’s death came just three days after he made an emotional appearance at Game 3 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, May 25, where he served as a torchbearer prior to puck drop. Lemieux played for Montreal from 1983 to 1990 and was a part of the 1986 Stanley Cup team alongside Patrick Roy.
“It’s possible that surge of love, that wave of love on Monday evening, triggered an emotion that was too intense,” Tremblay claimed to The New York Post, citing other friends of Lemieux, per the outlet. “It might have reawakened old pains, old suffering.”
Colombe Lacroix, another close friend of the hockey star who was reportedly at the scene with the surviving family on Thursday, per The New York Post, said Lemieux had been “going through a difficult time” and was allegedly “depressed” prior to his death.
“They didn’t expect that at all,” she added of the player’s death by suicide. “They never saw it coming. It’s so devastating, everyone is upside down.”
The widow of former Colorado Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix, who became close with Lemieux and his wife during his years in Colorado from 1995 to 1999, recalled a final personal moment shared with the former forward.
“I held Claude in my arms, and I said thank you for being there for me,” she told The New York Post on Saturday. “He left our world too soon and I hope he’s in a better palace and that he’s happy.”
The Cincinnati Reds look to level the series in Great American Ball Park against the visiting Atlanta Braves, a veritable juggernaut who claimed the opening game of the series 8-3 last night.
Brady Singer starts, and hopefully will not give up 3 homers for the third consecutive start.
Jared Young and Hayden Senger homered for the Mets on Saturday and Christian Scott threw five solid innings in a 6-1 victory over the Marlins in front of 38,552 at Citi Field.
The Mets have won three straight games and can complete a sweep of the Marlins Sunday afternoon. The victory upped the Mets record to 25-33, including a 15-12 mark in May.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- Scott matched his season-high with eight strikeouts and walked two, throwing 96 pitches (60 for strikes). Scott got 11 swings-and-misses, according to Statcast. Scott paid for one of the walks – he started the Marlins fifth by walking No. 8 hitter Christopher Morel, who entered the game with a .169 average. Morel later scored on a two-out RBI single by Liam Hicks. Over his last two starts, both against Miami, Scott has given up one run in 10.2 innings, a 0.87 ERA.
-- The fifth inning could’ve gone worse for the Mets, but A.J. Ewing came to the rescue. After Hicks’ run-scoring single, Otto Lopez followed with a deep drive to center that looked like potential damage. But Ewing sprinted back and toward right-center to snare the ball, a fine running catch for the final out of the inning. It was the second nice grab in the outfield by a Met – in the fourth inning, Carson Benge took away a potential extra-base hit from Kyle Stowers with a snare on the warning track.
-- The Mets, who had run into two outs on the bases in the second inning, scored three times in the fourth to take an early lead. Mark Vientos doubled in two runs after Juan Soto walked andYoungsingled with one out. One out later, Marcus Semien hit an RBI single and the Mets were ahead, 3-0. Soto’s walk extended his streak of reaching base to 14 games, dating back to May 14. Vientos has 19 RBI over his last 27 games.
-- Young, batting cleanup for the second time this season, smashed his first homer leading off the sixth inning against Miami reliever Lake Bachar. It was a long drive to right field.
-- Senger smacked his first career big-league homer with one out in the seventh inning, a shot to left field off Bachar. It was the 39th game of Senger’s MLB career and the homer came in his 93rd career plate appearance.
-- After allowing three runs across 5.1 innings on Friday night, the Met bullpen rebounded Saturday. Cionel Perez threw a scoreless sixth, Huascar Brazoban struck out the side in the seventh inning and Austin Warren threw a scoreless eighth to set the stage for closer Devin Williams in the ninth. Williams threw a 1-2-3 frame for his second consecutive scoreless outing.
Game MVP: Christian Scott
Scott delivered his second consecutive strong start against the Marlins, allowing one run and five hits across five innings and earned his first major league win after 16 starts.
Jared Bednar suddenly finds himself at the center of speculation, and if the Colorado Avalanche decide to make a change, half of Canada could be lining up to bring him home.
Silence From Colorado Continues
Bednar remains under contract with the Colorado Avalanche for one more season, yet his future has become one of the biggest unanswered questions of the NHL offseason.
Under normal circumstances, extending the longest-tenured coach in franchise history would feel like a formality. Bednar delivered a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, guided Colorado to a Presidents' Trophy this season, and has consistently kept the Avalanche among the league's elite contenders.
But playoff exits change the conversation.
Colorado entered the postseason with legitimate championship expectations before suffering a stunning sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. The manner of the defeat has fueled debate about whether the organization needs a new voice behind the bench.
As of Friday afternoon, the Avalanche had yet to publicly address Bednar's status. No season-ending media availability has been announced, and the organization continues to operate in silence.
That uncertainty has only intensified the speculation.
Canada Could Be Waiting
If Colorado ultimately decides to move on, Bednar likely wouldn't spend much time unemployed.
The veteran coach has built one of the strongest résumés in hockey over the last decade, making him an immediate target for teams searching for leadership and stability.
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, two Canadian franchises are already worth watching.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers would both be "very curious" if Bednar hit the market.
Pagnotta made those comments during an appearance on the "Morning Cuppa Hockey" podcast with Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen.
The timing is notable.
There is a reason the coaching carousel has slowed. The Maple Leafs and Oilers remain without permanent replacements, and the possibility of Bednar becoming available could be enough to keep both organizations from pulling the trigger on another candidate.
If the Avalanche do make the difficult choice to move on, Canada could very well attempt to bring one of the game's premier coaches back north of the border.
For now, however, all eyes remain on Colorado.
The longer the Avalanche stay quiet, the more people wonder whether Bednar's future is already being decided behind closed doors.
May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA;Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic (44) dribbles the ball past San Antonio Spurs guard Jordan McLaughlin (0) in the second half during game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Then today is Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. The San Antonio Spurs are at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip off is at 8 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
The winner advances to the NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks, who swept the Eastern Conference Finals over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Enjoy the game!
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 4: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Busch Stadium on May 4, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a thrilling Friday night victory full of St. Louis Cardinals home runs, game 2 of the rivalry will happen Saturday night at Busch Stadium as Kyle Leahy will make the start for the St. Louis Cardinals while the Chicago Cubs will ask Ben Brown to take one for the team. Saturday night’s game will be a national broadcast on Fox with first pitch scheduled for 6:15pm.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 23: A happy San Francisco Giants OF Harrison Bader (9) heads to the dugout after his grand slam in the game between the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants on May 23, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Will Brennan’s most recent stint with AAA Sacramento didn’t last long. A day after the San Francisco Giants optioned the veteran outfielder to make space for the returning Jung Hoo Lee, they called him back up to replace Harrison Bader, who returns to the 10-Day Injured List for a second stint this year. The Giants announced the news on Saturday, stating that Bader’s injury is left plantar fasciitis.
The news isn’t particularly surprising, as Bader exited in the ninth inning of Friday’s walk-off loss against the Colorado Rockies. He appeared to be walking gingerly, and was replaced in center field by Drew Gilbert, who is starting there for tonight’s game. Bader has struggled in his debut season with the Giants, as he’s hit .170/.198/.358 for a 52 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR. His defense has been decent though, and he’s provided a few highlights, including a pair of grand slams last week. He’s also been hitting a bit better since returning from his first stint on the IL: in 15 games, he hit .222/.250/.519.
As for the left-handed hitting Brennan, this is his third time being called up this year. He’s played sporadically and not well, hitting 2-23 while seeing actions in 11 games, and amassing -0.5 fWAR. With Lee having returned, Casey Schmitt playing almost every day in left field, and Gilbert manning center — and with Victor Bericoto and Jesús Rodríguez on the bench — it seems unlikely that Brennan will see much playing time.
One was the first manager to guide the Mets to consecutive playoff berths and a heartfelt leader of the club’s efforts to help New York heal in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The other was a 1970s heartthrob, the burgeoning star who was the best thing – the only thing, maybe – about a Mets club that endured the self-inflicted “Midnight Massacre,” the painful nickname for the short-sighted 1977 day that saw the incomparable Tom Seaver, as well as slugger Dave Kingman, traded.
Bobby Valentine and Lee Mazzilli, who roomed together early in their Mets’ tenures, were inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame together in ceremonies Saturday afternoon that neatly covered separate eras in club history, a nifty day.
It also served as a reminder of how fascinating Met history is, even if it only dates back to 1962. It’s vital that the club continues its recent efforts to recognize it. Stories like Valentine’s and Mazzilli’s are franchise fabric and they’re worth celebrating like this.
It was fun to relive both of their careers on Saturday, whether it was Valentine’s fake-mustache-and-sunglasses disguise or Mazzilli’s “audacity to do basket catches four years after Willie Mays” had been a Met, as Valentine recalled. It’s OK – Mays was Maz’s hero.
There were, of course, moments that were poignant. Or hilarious. Mazzilli doted over his granddaughter, Sophia, nearly two years old, who walked onto the infield grass as he delivered his speech. He said he can’t wait to show her his plaque in the rotunda at Citi Field and hear her say, “That’s you, Grandpa.”
“Me, a grandpa,” Mazzilli said in a pre-ceremony press conference.
“Greatest gift in the world.”
Both men chuckled over an ad they once did, in full uniform, with Ed Kranepool and Joe Torre for Gillette Foamy. It greeted fans in the subway. “It was really cool,” Valentine said.
Both also were happy to go in together. It’s clear they share a deep bond and get a kick out of each other. When Mets manager Carlos Mendoza began his press conference – Valentine and Mazzilli were both in the room – by extolling the virtues of both, Valentine marched up to the table where Mendoza sat.
Once Mendoza was finished, Valentine said to the assembled crowd, “Wow, huh? No teleprompter.”
Then Valentine seemed to realize he probably shouldn’t be where he was. He asked aloud, “Am I supposed to be here?”
“No, you’re not,” Mazzilli hollered from the back, to laughs. “He did this when we roomed together,” Mazzilli added.
They have been friends since their roomie days in the 1970s when they “never sat in the room at nighttime,” Valentine revealed.
It would be hard to imagine Mazzilli, now 71, as a homebody, considering his outsize impact on the Mets of the late 70s and early 80s. He was a handsome first-round pick from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, who had played in the Gil Hodges Little League and chose baseball over speed skating, another sport in which he was a world-class talent.
Mazzilli was offered $30,000 to sign and ultimately got $50,000 after two months of haggling and began working his way through the Mets system. He debuted at 21 in September of 1976.
After Seaver and Kingman were dealt, “he was going to be the only thing people would come to the stadium for,” Valentine said. “The majority of fans were female, who just came to watch him run around the bases. The fans weren’t receptive to anyone but Lee because the others were replacements for Seaver and Kingman.”
For his part, Mazzilli noted that he learned some secrets of hitting by listening to Seaver and Jerry Koosman detail how they’d set up hitters. Mazzilli went on to become an All-Star in 1979, the year he batted .303 with 15 homers, 79 RBI and 34 steals.
In the MLB All-Star Game at the Kingdome in Seattle, Mazzilli became the first Mets player to hit a home run in the Midsummer Classic. His pinch-hit shot off Jim Kern in the eighth inning tied the score. In the ninth, Mazzilli drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk against Ron Guidry to force in the eventual winning run in the National League’s 7-6 victory.
Did he have a claim on the MVP Award? Perhaps. But it went to Dave Parker, who threw out two runners from right field.
Those weren’t Mazzilli’s only highlights, either. During his second tenure with the Mets, starting in the magical season of 1986, he had several memorable hits. After a pinch-hit, he scored the tying run in the famous comeback in Game 6 of the World Series. In Game 7, he delivered a pinch-hit single that started the winning rally.
May 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets former player and manager Bobby Valentine speaks during his Mets hall of fame induction ceremony before a game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Mazzilli even helped that ‘86 team when he was traded away before the 1982 season. The Mets sent him to the Texas Rangers for two pitchers. Ron Darling was one of them and the other, Walt Terrell, was later traded for Howard Johnson.
Valentine, now 76, is a Connecticut native who played part of two seasons for the Mets in 1976-77. But he made his real mark as their manager. He ranks third in team history with 536 wins stemming from his time at the helm from 1996-2002. His teams made the MLB postseason in 1999 and again in 2000. The 2000 team won the NL pennant, the Mets’ first since ‘86, and lost a hotly-contested Subway Series to the Yankees.
Valentine even worked in the minors for the Mets when some of their 1980s stars were learning the game and moving through the system. Valentine, who left to manage the Rangers in 1985, felt “connected” to that ‘86 Met team, even as he ached for his former roommate at USC, a Red Sox first baseman named Bill Buckner.
After 9/11, Valentine was a tireless helper when Shea Stadium turned into a staging area for supplies earmarked for Ground Zero. His nearby restaurant fed First Responders and he and his players tried to offer solace where they could. He’s done plenty since, too.
Saturday, Valentine tried to deflect some of the credit he got for those efforts, asserting both during the press conference and his on-field speech that not nearly as much would have gotten done without the coordinating work done by Jay Horwitz, now the Mets’ director of alumni relations and then their media relations head.
Valentine, like Mazzilli, wanted to be sure folks in his life got recognized for what they had meant to him. Family members of both ringed the podium where they delivered speeches.
Valentine’s shoutouts also included Lou Lamoriello, the Hall-of-Fame hockey executive, who coached him on a high-level team on Cape Cod, which got Valentine looks from big-time scouts. Lamoriello was on hand for the ceremonies, too, as well as former Mets such as Torre, Johnson, Edgardo Alfonzo, Mookie Wilson, John Franco, Al Leiter and Mike Piazza.
Mazzilli said he wouldn’t quite know how the day felt until he had taken it all in. While it was happening, though, it was clear that both men were enjoying it.
“It’s like coming back home,” said Mazzilli, the Brooklyn kid.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 28: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates Matt Olson #28 and Jorge Mateo #2 after hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, May 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals is a gift from the Roundball Gods.
Before this series between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, we all prayed for a thrilling back-and-forth battle between the NBA’s top two teams.
And while most of the games haven’t been competitive, the WCF has been like watching two heavyweights trade haymakers heading into the final round.
My Spurs vs. Thunder same-game parlay likes Oklahoma City to land the knockout punch Saturday, with 7-footer Chet Holmgren delivering the deciding blow after a bit of a “rope-a-dope” effort in the opening six games.
It’s Game 7. Let’s not get the spread involved and keep this clean with a moneyline leg. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been excellent at home all season and while their offense gets a boost from the friendly confines, their defense has been especially disruptive versus the San Antonio Spurs at home in this series.
Oklahoma City is forcing almost 20 turnovers in the past three homestands with San Antonio, flipping those follies into 25 average points off turnovers. The big-game nerves will get the better of the young Spurs while OKC’s experience leads them back to the NBA Finals.
SGP leg #2: Chet Holmgren Over 13.5 points
After an up-and-down start to the series, Chet Holmgren has put in two solid efforts in Games 5 and 6. Solid but not standout. Holmgren’s scoring is down due in large part to the last four games being blowouts.
That’s limited his minutes and usage in the second half, leaving his prop total for Game 7 suppressed. Chet came up big for OKC in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year after struggling and projections stand as tall as 16+ points on Saturday.
SGP leg #3: Chet Holmgren Over 8.5 rebounds
Holmgren has been very active on the glass in the last two contests of the Western finals, snatching 11 boards in both outings. He’s been in position for 36 total rebounding chances in those games and has got after it on the offensive boards, with seven total offensive rebounds boosting those results.
His impressive rebounding numbers have also been dulled by diminished floor time. With a tight game script in this do-or-die Game 7, Holmgren will log major minutes and make the most of that. Projections call for 9+ rebounds Saturday.
Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Spurs vs. Thunder predictions for Game 7.
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The zero next to his name in the home run column has mired the Dominican superstar's first two months of the season. Despite the fact that his .272 average through 237 plate appearances is on par with his six other MLB seasons, and that the underlying metrics — his 51.6% hard-hit percentage and 75.2 mph bat speed are both in baseball's top seven percent — suggest the power is still there, Tatis just hadn't been able to hit one over the fence.
Until Saturday, May 30.
Tatis got a fastball over the heart of the plate from Washington Nationals starter Foster Griffin in the top of the fourth inning and demolished it. As soon as he made contact, Tatis raised his arms and flicked his bat in the air as the ball towered 451 feet into left field for his first home run of 2026.
CINCINNATI, OH - MAY 23: Pierce Johnson #52 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeffrey Dean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Still reeling from losing Graham Ashcraft to the 60-day IL with a UCL strain in his right elbow, the Cincinnati Reds lost another veteran arm from their bullpen on Saturday afternoon.
Pierce Johnson was placed on the 15-day IL with inflammation in his right elbow, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, and the ripple effect necessitated deeper roster shuffling to help backfill for his absence. Lyon Richardson – who had been designated for assignment by the Reds during the offseason – had his contract selected and was promoted, and to free up a spot on the 40-man roster fellow reliever Kyle Nicolas was DFA’d himself.
It’s yet another disaster scenario for a unit that was already down closer Emilio Pagan. No relief corps in the game today has walked more batters per 9 innings than Cincinnati’s, and that was with their top arms available; now they’re leaning on a unit that up until a few weeks ago was effectively the back-end of their AAA Louisville unit.
There’s no immediate indication of the severity of Johnson’s elbow problem, but it’s certainly not a great sign when the club placed him on the IL with the problem given how little experience there is down there without him.
The good news, if there is any, is that in Richardson the Reds are at least getting a guy who, for spurts, has held his own as a big league reliever. His overall body of work is rather ugly, but that’s not 100% indicative of his effectiveness on many instances. His AAA numbers so far this year aren’t brilliant – he’s sporting a 4.75 ERA – but he has fanned 34 against 14 walks in 30.1 IP and does have skewed numbers after being shelled for 6 ER in just 1.1 IP in his second to last outing. He’s also been throwing multiple innings for the Bats more often than not, of late, and some of his worst outings came in that role – it’s hard to imagine him being asked to go more than a single IP at the big league level, however.
It’s just about time for the Reds to go find some relief help, since they’re burning through their current stash in a hurry.
Never knew what hit ’em. | (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The White Sox lacked the inured Munetaka Murakami, but they didn’t lack the long ball late, piling it on to turn close game into rout, 7-1.
They say sinker ball pitchers can struggle in the first inning, and Framber Valdez certainly proved them right, chasing a Chase Meidroth leadoff double with two walks, a wild pitch and an Edgar Quero sac fly to put the Sox up, 2-0. Valdez settled down after that, but ran out of gas in the seventh despite having a relatively low pitch count (74 through six) to keep things close despite the toothless Tiger offense.
Anthony Kay sent Detroit down in order in the first and second despite being hit quite hard, but gave up a leadoff homer to .169 hitter Wenceel Perez to start the third to close the gap to 2-1. Against a good team, Kay probably would have had a short day, but the much-injured and generally awful Tigers went 0-for-6 with RISP, so the southpaw made it through five innings on six hits, one run, one walk, three K’s and 84 pitches.
The Sox bullpen was lights-out, with Grant Taylor coming in with two on and none out in the sixth and proceeding to retire six in a row, four by strikeout. Seranthony Domínguez tossed a clean eighth, but with a little help from Sam Antonacci — feel free to ignore all the drunken shirtless idiots in the first few seconds of the video.
Even Trevor Richards managed to get through the ninth on just one hit.
Meanwhile, the Sox offense decided 2-1 was too close for comfort. Quero led off the the seventh with a high fly struck at only 97.7 mph but landing in the seats, and later Andrew Benintendi doubled and scored when Rikuu Nishida picked up his second career RBI with a single.
That made it 4-1 Sox, more than enough of an edge against the Tigers declawed offense, but Chicago piled it up via long balls in the eighth. The first was an 106.8 mph Colson Montgomery solo shot. After a Quero single, Benintendi blasted a two-run shot.
Heck, Benintendi doesn’t hit the highlight reel often, so let’s give him a break here:
Voila! Up 7-1, which is how it would finish.
That’s five wins in a row, taking the White Sox record to a lofty 31-27. The series and the month wrap up tomorrow afternoon, with Sean Burke throwing for Chicago and Keider Montero for Detroit.
When future hockey historians look back at the 2025-26 New York Islanders, they'll see a team that faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs after a promising start.
They'll also see that the Carolina Hurricanes have an outsized role in this particular Islanders season, with countless major events for the Islanders coming against or as a result of the Hurricanes.
The Islanders only played Carolina three times this season, and went 0-3-0 along the way, completely swept.
The first meeting came all the way back on October 30, when the Hurricanes trounced the Islanders 6-2, an ugly mark.
Matthew Schaefer scored his third of the season that night, the lone bright spot in an otherwise tough loss.
That meeting was relatively quiet and does not carry too much significance.
Then came the April meetings.
The Islanders faced Carolina twice in their final five games of the season. First, they took on the Hurricanes in Raleigh on April 4, then the regular season finale took place in UBS Arena against the Hurricanes.
The Islanders entered April 4 with a three-game losing streak and fading chances at the playoffs. They desperately needed two points to keep themselves afloat.
Then, the Hurricanes dismantled the Islanders in overall play.
Despite 1-0 and 2-1 leads for the Islanders in the first two periods, the Hurricanes decimated the Islanders.
Carolina outshot the Islanders 13-4 in the first period. The Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 18-2 in the second period.
After two periods, the shots on goal were 31-6 for Carolina, but the score only read 3-2.
24 seconds into the third, Seth Jarvis made it 4-2, and that was it.
The Hurricanes' dismantling of the Islanders was the final nail in the coffin for the Roy era on Long Island.
It's fitting that the Islanders' final game of the season then came against Carolina, with DeBoer's first three games behind him.
With the Islanders officially eliminated from the playoffs, DeBoer publicly stated he wanted to see some future players for the Islanders come get their chance in the season finale.
Victor Eklund, the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut against the Hurricanes, notching his first-career point on a power play.
Eklund made a beautiful seam pass to Mathew Barzal, who then found Bo Horvat in front for a tap-in goal.
A: It’s always been a basketball town. This is why I fell in love with basketball, and I’m certain a lot of Knick fans, too. There’s just something about the team aspect of the sport. Five players working together. The whole is better than the sum of its parts — I’ve always loved that phrase. And this Knick team is exactly that. And there’s just something special about that building, whether you’re there watching or you’re watching at home. There’s an electricity to that place that’s just truly amazing. … And I think this particular Knick team, because there were so many years of darkness, that to feel this way about a team, knowing that they have a legitimate shot of winning a championship, these fans have been just so hungry for so many years and stayed loyal despite that, they just feel like they’re being rewarded. The electricity in the city about them and the vibe in the city about ’em is crazy. It’s incredible the joy that the Knicks fans have. And the fact that all three games on the road that they clinched, in Atlanta, in Philadelphia, in Cleveland, the thousands of Knick fans at each of those games, shows you how much they care and how long they’ve waited for a team like this to root for.
Q: What makes this team so likable?
A: How connected they are, and how well they play together, and how they’ve sacrificed, they’re unselfish. And the other thing, too, is you hear them all talk after the games, and they don’t like to talk about themselves, but ask ’em about a teammate and they’ll go on and on and on and on. They’re so happy for each other’s success.
Q: What is the essence of Jalen Brunson’s greatness?
A: He has an iron will. He’s not tall, he’s not fast, he’s not overly athletic. But he’s one of the mentally strongest players I’ve ever been around. They talk about Michael Jordan, they talk about Kobe Bryant … in terms of mental toughness, I’d put him up there with anybody. He has a great basketball mind, and he always figures it out. He just figures out what the defense is doing and how to beat them. I love the humility that he has. When he has a bad game, he puts it behind him. When he has a good game, he puts it behind him, and he just goes on to the next game, just like he does every possession, he just goes on to the next possession. An iron will.
Q: Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Patrick Ewing are your two greatest Knicks. If Brunson leads the Knicks to the championship, does he belong in that group?
A: Absolutely. And even if he doesn’t win a championship, I think he’s already in the conversation and this is just his fourth year with the team. You have to take everything into account — obviously his talent, his leadership … but he has changed the direction and the perception of the franchise.
Q: What did you know about coach Mike Brown, and why did you think he could be a good fit?
New York Knicks broadcasters Mike Breen and Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
A: He’s a great people person, and I knew that he was one of those guys that wasn’t afraid to try things … he wasn’t afraid to take others’ opinions. And that’s exactly what he’s done, he’s tried things, he’s tweaked things, he’s changed things, and he has sought ideas and opinions from his assistant coaches and his players. It’s the most collaborative coaching staff I think I’ve ever been around, and you have to give him all the credit. He’s so secure in himself that he’s willing to take ideas from anybody on his staff or anybody on his roster, and he’ll try them. And if it works, he gives them the credit. And if it doesn’t work, he says, “I need to do a better job.” He treats his coaching staff and his roster like it’s a big family, and everybody has a seat at the table and everybody has a say. And it’s worked to perfection because they had a lot of growing pains this year, and they had their ups and downs, but he never panicked and just kept trying to figure out what’s the best way for this team to play. And he said right from the start, “I don’t have all the answers, and I’m gonna need time to figure them out, and they’re gonna need time to figure me out,” and that’s exactly what happened.
Q: He figured out how to use Karl-Anthony Towns as a facilitator.
A: They’re down two games to one against Atlanta, and Towns went to him and talked to him about that, and it has completely taken their offense to another level.
Q: What were your thoughts when they acquired KAT?
A: I hated to see [Julius] Randle and [Donte] DiVincenzo go. I know Julius Randle wasn’t always the fan favorite, but Randle’s a big part of the turnaround, Randle and Tom Thibodeau started the turnaround. Those were two important pieces to get the franchise going in the right direction. But Towns is one of those special talents, and in today’s game, what he brings is so important, and you knew that he was gonna love coming to New York, being from the area, and the Knicks were his team. Besides his talent, it’s his willingness to sacrifice. He’s gone through these playoffs, and he’s not averaging the kind of points that made him an all-NBA player, but he doesn’t care because he knows right now his role as a facilitator and a playmaker is the best way for then to win, and that’s what I love most about Karl-Anthony Towns, is he just wants to win a title.
Q: Why is OG Anunoby so invaluable for this team?
A: He’s the head of a snake on the defense. I think he’s in the top five defensive players in the league ’cause he can guard anybody. And he cares so much about defense, and he watches a lot of film. He can guard a point guard, he can guard a center, he could be an on-ball demon defensively, he’s great off the ball. He changes a team’s defensive dynamic, he is just an elite defensive player. And now, he has turned into a consistent offensive force. And it’s not just 3-pointers, it’s drive to the basket, and it’s a direct result of an insatiable work ethic to get better.
Q: Why is Josh Hart such a fan favorite?
A: ’Cause he wears his heart on his sleeve — no pun intended. He’s a loose-ball lunatic, dives for every loose ball, rebounds in traffic, does all the dirty work, and he’s got his fingerprints on pretty much everything during the course of a game. And nobody plays harder.
Q: With three Villanova guys on the team, is that more appealing to your wife, Ro?
A: Well, my wife and my daughter are Villanova grads. So, in order to keep the peace in the family, I’m required to mention Villanova at least three times per Knick telecast. … But no, it’s very cool for them to see them excel like this, and I think Knick fans all need to thank Jay Wright because they will all tell you the influence Jay Wright had on them in terms of the kind of players and competitors and men that they’ve become.
Tim Legler and Mike Breen talk before the game during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images
Q: Mikal Bridges was not a fan favorite for a while, but is now.
A: He took criticism ’cause he was inconsistent. But he has started every game for the last two years on a team that went to a conference finals for the first time in 25 years and an NBA Finals in 27 years, an instrumental part of that. His ability to raise his game in the playoffs has been essential. Everybody gets so caught up in how many first-round picks they had to give up [five], but that was the price of getting a good player at the time, and it wasn’t his fault. And he’ll be the first person to tell you he was inconsistent, but he’s playing his role perfectly now. I have such admiration for the way he handled the ups and downs.
Q: Is it true you are Mitchell Robinson’s foul shooting coach?
A: (Laugh) I think if you really want to know, I’m a great free-throw shooter. I’m not one to brag very often, but I’ll brag about my free-throw shooting.
Q: Well, maybe you should help.
A: No, Peter Patton, the shooting coach, has worked so hard with him, and Mitchell has really worked so hard to get better. You can see, like, he looks more comfortable at the line, his form is better, his foundation in terms of his stance is better. … It’s just a matter of time before he starts hitting them on a regular basis.
Q: How important will he be in the Finals?
A: He’s a game-changer. The best offensive rebounder in the NBA. If he started and played 25-30 minutes, he’d be first-team All-Defense. His instincts defensively are off the charts, he’s a lob threat now, he’s become a really smart player, has a great feel for the game. For him, it’s always been about health.
Q: What’s gotten into Landry Shamet?
A: He’s always been like this. Since he came to the Knicks, he just kept getting hurt. And one of the reasons he gets hurt is ’cause he fights over screens so hard, he’s hurt his shoulder a couple of times. But he’s a guy that no matter where he’s been, he’s contributed to his team. He’s played for six teams in eight years and he’s one of those guys where you say, “Why would the five other teams let him go?” Because when you watch him play, he’s a great 3-point shooter, and he competes so hard defensively. He fights over screens as well as anybody in the league.
Q: Miles “Deuce” McBride.
A: He works so hard on his shot, and he now has become a lethal 3-point shooter and competes defensively. A great two-way player.
Q: Describe the job team president Leon Rose has done.
A: He came in and he said, “Be patient.” Because he wasn’t gonna just try and hit the home run. He wanted to build something that’s sustainable, and he slowly did that. He’s done a masterful job. They were one of the worst teams in the NBA for a number of years. It was almost an impossible job, and he’s done that. He really has worked magic. I know the fans all want to say thank you to him.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) hugs New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) at the end the fourth quarter after winning the Eastern Conference finals. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Q: Two weeks before your ninth birthday, the Knicks won their first NBA championship, May 8, 1970. It was blacked out in New York, correct?
A: Yeah, it was on tape delay. My dad was a crazy sports fan so he rooted for all the New York teams, so me and my brothers followed suit, we were all Knick fans.
Q: What do you remember when they won it?
A: I thought it was the coolest thing because if you remember, the Mets won in ’69, and we were huge Met fans. And I’m thinking, “All my teams win championships all the time (laugh).”
Q: What do you recall about the ’73 Knicks winning their second NBA championship?
A: I do remember that I loved that Earl [Monroe] got to win a championship as well. And I also remember that they got revenge because they had lost [to the Lakers] the year before. I was a big Clyde and [Dave] DeBusschere fan, those were my two favorites.
Q: Who were you in the schoolyard?
A: Kind of both of them, actually. Clyde was my favorite, but I was not cool, so there’s no way I could be Clyde (laugh), so I was all of them. What I used to do all the time is I had a Nerf basketball in my room, and I would take jump shots and try to mimic the form of all the Knicks when I was doing that.
Q: What was it about DeBusschere you liked so much?
A: I thought my dad was the strongest man in the world, and then I thought Dave DeBusschere was the second strongest. I just thought he was so tough and so strong and hit so many big shots.
Q: And Clyde?
A: He hit every big shot. I was always surprised when he missed a shot. The word ‘cool,’ it’s not really around anymore, but he was the epitome of cool. He just never looked like he was in a rush, and always seemed to make the big play either with a basket or a steal.
Q: Your most painful loss as a Knicks fan growing up?
A: When they lost the title in ’72 [to the Lakers]. I just remember being so disappointed ’cause I thought they were gonna win again, and that’s why the ’73 team was so good. But losing in ’72 was hard as an 11-year-old. … The thing that hurt me the most was when they traded Clyde. That was devastating. He came back either six games or six days later in a Cavalier uniform, and I remember being so upset seeing him in a Cavalier uniform.
Q: Describe the 1994 Knicks.
A: They played with such a physical force. They overwhelmed you with their force, and then they had one of the greatest skilled big men of all time [Ewing]. I remember those games, it seemed every single possession mattered during the Finals of those games. Every single possession was like a street fight the way they defended. Pat Riley had a complete different type with the Showtime Lakers, and was able to adapt the style because of the personnel, that’s why I always thought he was such a great coach, and he knew he couldn’t play the same way with the Knicks as he did with the Lakers.
Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks salutes the crowd during an NBA game at Madison Square Garden in New York. NBAE via Getty Images
Q: The Game 7 loss to the Rockets in ’94.
A: I called the game on radio with Clyde, ironically. What I remember is Game 6, when [John] Starks had a chance to win it with a 3-pointer at the buzzer. … My radio location is courtside next to the Knick bench down the other end of the floor — Starks’ shot was at the far end. And when he got the ball to shoot, from my vantage point, ’cause I was kind of blocked out in the corner, I didn’t know if his foot was behind the 3-point line or not. The ball’s in the air, and I don’t know if that shot is to win the championship or tie the game to send it into overtime. It could have been a disaster if it went in (laugh). … If it goes in, it’s one of the greatest shots in the history of the NBA.
Q: How did you feel after Game 7 when the Knicks lost?
A: Awful. I remember going back to the hotel after the game, and because it was such a wonderful emotional ride, and you really thought they were gonna win, especially since they were up 3-2 in the series, that there was no way they were gonna go back to Houston and lose two games, they were such a good, tough road team. … It was very funeral-like. I remember going to the airport in Houston, and just trudging through the Houston airport thinking, “I can’t believe they lost.”
Q: The 1999 Knicks.
A: ’99 was so much fun because it was a bit unexpected. They were the 8 seed, they struggled during the season but then caught fire late enough to get into the playoffs, and here they are playing against their arch-rival, the Miami Heat, and it comes down to one shot, an Allan Houston shot propelled them all the way to the Finals. And Jeff Van Gundy always talked about that, he thought if Allan Houston’s shot doesn’t go in, he’s gonna get fired. That shows you how one shot going in, or one shot missing, can make such a difference in the narrative and the legacies of teams, players, coaches. It’s crazy how one shot can make that difference.
Q: Did you have any clue that Van Gundy the coach would become Van Gundy the television broadcasting character that he became?
A: When I first started, he was an assistant coach, and I learned more about the NBA from him than anybody because assistant coaches have more time to talk to the radio people or TV people or media people. And he was hilarious. … Then he gets the job, I would tell people, “He’s so funny.” They couldn’t believe it ’cause he didn’t show that when he did his press conferences. I thought he’d be great at it because he had that great sense of humor and a great basketball mind. We just had to work on his on-cameras. ’Cause when he first started (laugh), we’d put him on camera, he’d just blankly stare at the camera, like he was doing a hostage tape. Eventually he got more comfortable, but he was a natural from the get-go.
Q: Before the Game 1 tipoff, what do you think will be going through your gut with the Knicks playing in these NBA Finals?
A: I feel the same way before every Finals. I feel it’s the ultimate honor, it’s the ultimate privilege and a responsibility, and I can’t believe that I’m in that position, and I can’t believe that I’ve been doing it all these years. So I will feel the same way, but I’ve always wanted to broadcast the Finals on TV that the Knicks are in, so it’s a bucket list checked off.
Q: How confident are you that you will be able to be neutral in the eyes of the public?
A: Very confident. I learned from the best. When I first started, Marv [Albert] did so many big Knick games on national TV, and he was the perfect one to watch and emulate because he handled it beautifully like he always did, and I’ve always wanted to uphold the standard that he set, and I think I’ve done that. There will always be people who disagree, but every year I do the Finals, if it’s Boston-L.A., the Boston fans think I’m rooting for L.A., and the L.A. fans think I’m rooting for Boston.
Q: Your mother, Mary, will be watching.
A: My mother has watched more of my games than anybody on earth. She watches every game. She doesn’t watch to the end all the time because she’s 93, but she watches every single game.
Q: Does she critique you?
A: She tells me that I did a nice job every time. She just wants to watch the open when we’re on camera, so she sees her son and then she’s OK, she doesn’t watch the rest. When we played in high school, she went to all the games, road and home. She’s seen as much basketball as anybody I know.
Q: Would you take the Long Island Railroad to Game 3 at the Garden?
A: I used to take it almost every game, but I won’t for that because I’ll probably be staying in the city for Games 3 and 4 rather than go back and forth because we have a lot of obligations in between games the day of … but I still do take the train a number of times during the season.
Q: What happens when you’re recognized?
A: On the way in, rarely get recognized. On the way home, if I take the first train back after the game, there’s a lot of Knick fans, and they’re all so wonderful. I always find those very flattering and humbling.
Q: Describe your first NBA Finals in 2006?
A: It was the most nervous I’d ever been before I went on the air … without question. I was doing the games with Hubie [Brown], and I had received instructions from one of my bosses at ESPN to tell me that I had to broadcast this game differently because I was now broadcasting to many casual fans who hadn’t been watching the NBA, and I was trying to figure out, “Alright, how do I do this?” And I think I started explaining the most obvious things like I was talking to somebody who has never seen a basketball game. And I was nervous about it ’cause I wanted to make sure I did it the right way. And, Hubie Brown, God bless him, grabbed my arm during the first timeout, and he said: “Hey kid, just call the game the way you always do. We’ll be fine.” And from then on, I felt relaxed and calm and did my job.
Q: The challenge that Oklahoma City presents.
A: Their defense is smothering. It’s so physical, they make it difficult to run your offense, and they come at you in waves because they’re deep. So if the first five gets a little gassed by playing hard defensively, they got another five to come in and come right at you the same way. And then they have a special, special player who whenever they really need a bucket, this guy gets it for ’em. [Shai] Gilgeous-Alexander, he’s not a high-flying dunker, he’s not knocking down 3s from 30 feet, he just finds a spot, gets to a spot and knocks down shots.
Q: He’s a foul-baiter?
Mike Breen commentates during the game between the Rockets and the Lakers during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18. NBAE via Getty Images
A: That’s a big narrative now because he gets to the line and he draws a lot of fouls. He drives to the basket more than anybody in the league, so of course he’s gonna get fouled more. But he gets criticism because he falls down a lot. Does he sell it to try to get calls? Yes. But so do, oh, about 250 other players in the league. And because they’re at the top, people want to poke holes in the best team and they go after him. He’s just a great player, and he’s a great teammate and he’s a great ambassador to the game, in my opinion.
Q: The first time you watched Victor Wembanyama play.
A: The first time you see him in person, you can’t believe how tall he is. Then, after you get over the fact that this guy is this big and you watch him handle the ball, and you see his agility running up the floor, and then you watch his beautiful jump shot, you can’t believe this one tall man like this has all of this. He’s the compete package, and he is far, far from the finished product. That’s the scary thing. As long as he stays healthy, he has a chance to be one of the greats of all time.
Q: Thunder or Spurs: Which matchup is more problematic for the Knicks?
A: Both present tremendous problems.
Q: How much of an advantage will rest be for the Knicks?
A: I think it’s great. At this point of year, everybody’s banged up. The more difficult challenge for the Knicks is they beat the Hawks and they beat Philly and they beat Cleveland. None of those three teams you would consider elite defensive teams … solid defense, but not elite. The Spurs and the Thunder are two elite defensive teams, so that’s gonna be an adjustment.
Q: How does it feel to be known nationwide as the Voice of the Knicks, and a Hall of Famer?
A: Some days it’s difficult to process. God has blessed me in so many ways. The sport that I love, a team that I love, to be able to call these games, it’s incredible. But I realize that the only reason that I’m able to do it is for the help of so many people. This is gonna sound corny, but I fell in love with basketball ’cause it’s a team sport and you need good teammates, I’ve had nothing but amazing teammates my entire life. And for the Knicks, I have to give specific credit — Mike McCarthy was the executive who hired me to call Knicks radio, and that completely changed my life.
Q: Your current teammates: Tim Legler.
A: He eats, sleeps, drinks everything basketball. He’s in love with the game as much as anybody I’ve met. He’s worked so hard for so many years at ESPN that for him to get this opportunity, I’m so happy for him, and I think he has taken the opportunity and I think he’s had a brilliant season. He’s so much fun to work with, he’s so knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm for the game comes through the television every night.
Q: Richard Jefferson.
A: He has such a great perspective of what it’s like to play in every type of game because he had a great career, and he had a lot of different roles in his career so he understands the different roles that different players have. He’s got a great sense of humor, and you need to entertain, not just inform when you’re doing a telecast, and he’s really good at the entertainment part.
Q: Lisa Salters.
A: The ultimate pro. One of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with. She has a special way of presenting stories when she’s telling stories. She has a great sensitive way when she’s interviewing people. Just has a great big heart and it’s an honor to work with her.
Q: Do you allow yourself to fantasize about standing on a Canyon of Heroes float?
A: No, I don’t. I don’t. What I think about is how wonderful it would be for the city, and how wonderful it would be for these loyal fans who have waited a long, long time for this. I think of when the Rangers won, and Sam Rosen had that just all-time great call of expressing the feeling, “This one will last a lifetime.” It meant so much to the city and it meant so much to the fan base. It would mean so much to so many people who have been cheering and caring and loving this team for however long they’ve been alive, whether for some it’s decades, for some it’s years. … That’s what I think of if they ever won.
