Press conference updates on Viktor Gyökeres, Tyler Adams and Arne Slot discussing Mohamed Salah
Continue reading...Phillies bolster bullpen with lefty specialist Kyle Backhus in trade with Diamondbacks
PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies acquired left-hander Kyle Backhus from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu, the second trade made by Philadelphia involving its pitching staff.
The Phillies also sent left-hander Matt Strahm to the Royals for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan.
The 27-year-old Backhus made 32 relief appearances for Arizona last season, going 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA. But he particularly was good against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .139 average, and that is the role that he is expected to fill in the Philadelphia bullpen.
The 22-year-old Owusu-Asiedu has played in 218 games across three minor league levels in the Phillies system over the past three years, hitting .226 in 997 plate appearances. He was a ninth-round pick by Philadelphia in the 2023 first-year player draft.
Dallas Stars’ Tyler Seguin has ACL surgery, recovery to be reevaluated after Olympic break
Dec 2, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) helped off the ice by Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) and Dallas Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) in the game against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Dennis Schneidler/Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
DALLAS — Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin underwent surgery to repair the ACL in his right knee, and the club said in a statement the six-time All-Star’s timeframe for recovery would be reevaluated after the Olympic break.
The surgery was performed in Dallas by Dr. Dan Cooper, who also repaired the ACL of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The 33-year-old Seguin got tangled up with Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov in the first period of their game on Dec. 2. He went down in pain, could not skate and needed help from multiple teammates and an athletic trainer to get off the ice, and then more assistance to get down the tunnel to the visiting locker room area at Madison Square Garden.
Seguin missed the majority of last season after undergoing hip surgery. He returned for the finale and the Stars’ playoff run to the Western Conference final. He has been with Dallas since joining in a trade from Boston in 2013.
Royals reunite with former All-Star pitcher Matt Strahm in a trade with the Phillies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals reunited with veteran pitcher Matt Strahm when they acquired the former All-Star left-hander from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan.
The 34-year-old Strahm has pitched for four clubs over 10 seasons in the majors.
He spent his first two with the Royals, who selected him in the 21st round of the 2012 first-year player draft out of Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kansas. Strahm also pitched for the Padres, Red Sox and the past three years for the Phillies, where he was an All-Star in 2024, when he had a 1.87 ERA over 66 appearances.
He also made 66 appearances with a 2.74 ERA this past season, and has a career 3.36 ERA in 395 appearances.
Strahm has a $7.5 million salary next season under an option that vested, part of a deal that is paying him $15 million for 2025 and 2026. He can become a free agent after the 2026 World Series,
The 29-year-old Bowlan has pitched in parts of the past three seasons for Kansas City. He made one start and appeared in a career-best 34 games this past season, going 1-2 and posting a 3.86 ERA.
John Means tears Achilles tendon and says he was about to sign a 2026 contract
Former All-Star pitcher John Means says he tore an Achilles tendon this week just before he was to sign a 2026 contract.
“This is hard to put into words, but I’ll try,” he wrote on social media. “On Tuesday, while training, I ruptured my Achilles. It happened the same day I was supposed to sign with a team and be available on opening day for the first time in a long time.”
Mean’s posting was accompanied by a photo of a person on a gurney, left foot covered. Means also wrote that he had surgery.
“I was finally enjoying my first healthy offseason in four years and felt better than ever,” he wrote.
Means made his major league debut in 2018, was an All-Star the following year and spent his first seven seasons with Baltimore. He has a 23-26 record with a 3.68 ERA in 73 starts and five relief appearances.
The 32-year-old has pitched in eight big league games since mid-April 2022 due to Tommy John surgery that month and a second Tommy John operation in June 2024.
He signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Cleveland last February and made seven minor league rehab starts last August and September. The Guardians declined a $6 million option, allowing him to become a free agent.
Miami’s Marcus Allen diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, will miss remainder of season
The Hurricanes and Marcus Allen’s family said he was diagnosed following routine medical tests.
Sabres show signs of character, consistency new GM Jarmo Kekalainen emphasized in replacing Kevyn Adams
Dec 18, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris (9) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Timothy T. Ludwig/Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Two familiar sounds were missing during the Buffalo Sabres’ first game under general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
There was no hint of former GM Kevyn Adams pounding at the table in the Sabres’ executive suite next to the press box each time the team made a mistake. And there were no chants of “Fire Adams!” coming from the stands.
There instead were cheers following a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, in an outing the Sabres began showing the character — and some of the consistency — Kekalainen placed an emphasis on in taking over after Adams was fired.
In extending their winning streak to a season-high four games, the Sabres overcame a slow start in which they were out-shot 12-4 in the opening period, and a 2-1 second-period deficit. Most importantly, they clamped down on defense by killing off a delay of game penalty in the final two-plus minutes, before Ryan McLeod sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.
“Obviously, one game doesn’t mean anything,” said Tage Thompson, who scored to extend his goals streak to five games. “But we’ve started to string some games together where we’re playing the right way. And we’re feeling confident knowing that we’re going to be able to close out games.”
This is the type of shot-blocking, don’t-let-down character Kekalainen said he was looking for in his opening news conference. The problem, he said in having spent the past six-plus months watching the Sabres as a senior adviser, wasn’t the team’s talent, but it’s effort and consistency in too often getting out-worked.
The outing represented but a start, because the Sabres still have much to do if they intend to climb back into contention and avoid extending their NHL-record playoff drought to a 15th season.
Improving to 15-14-4, Buffalo moved into 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference standings. But they’re only five points behind eighth-place Tampa Bay.
“Nothing really changes and nothing should change,” said goalie Alex Lyon, who stopped 24 shots and has accounted for all four wins in Buffalo’s run.
“I think it’s obviously been well documented that at times we get a little bit high and we get a little low,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. It doesn’t matter what your record is. You have to try to put the same product out there in practice, in games, all the time.”
Lyon’s was a message coach Lindy Ruff re-emphasized following his 915th career win, which moved him into fourth place on the NHL list.
“We need really to worry about one game,” he said, only looking ahead to Buffalo’s next outing, a home game against the New York Islanders.
For all his wins, including 622 in what is now his second stint in Buffalo, Ruff has plenty at stake now working under a new GM and in the final year of his contract.
“I’m focused on finishing the job. I’m disappointed,” he said a day earlier in reference to the front-office shakeup.
“But we’ve got ourselves in position where we can really push ahead,” Ruff added, noting his roster was filling out with center Josh Norris and defenseman Michael Kesselring returning from injuries. “The getting healthier part is the part that excites me. We get to see the team we envisioned it to be.”
Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
It is a case of north London against Merseyside as Tottenham host Liverpool and Everton face leaders Arsenal
Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue St James’ Park
Continue reading...Report: Flyers Interested In Canucks Hard-Nosed Forward
The Philadelphia Flyers have had a good start to the 2025-26 season, as evidenced by their 17-10-6 record.
With the Flyers taking a nice step in the right direction so far this season, it appears that they are now looking to add to their roster.
According to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch, the Flyers are among the teams interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood. Garrioch also shared that the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars are among the clubs with interest in Sherwood.
If the Flyers brought in Sherwood, he would give them another solid option to work with in their top nine. This is especially so when noting that the hard-nosed forward can play both left wing and right wing. Due to this, he could fit in multiple spots for the Flyers if acquired.
If the Flyers are still in the playoff race near the deadline, it could make a lot of sense for them to bring in a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) like Sherwood. He would have the potential to give their forward group a nice boost, as he can score and plays with plenty of toughness.
Sherwood has recorded 13 goals, four assists, 17 points, and 146 hits in 33 games so far this season with the Canucks.
Sports quiz of the week: Afcon, Ashes and Anthony Joshua v Jake Paul
Have you been following the big stories in football, boxing, cricket, darts, basketball and handball?
Continue reading...Canadiens: Hutson Makes History And Makes It Look Easy
If Lane Hutson had a slow start to the season when his contract negotiations with the Montreal Canadiens were making the headlines, he’s now firing on all cylinders. In Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the offensive defenseman put up three assists and became the first Habs defenseman to gather 60 helpers in a calendar year when he took part in Montreal’s first goal of the game.
In four of his last five games, the 21-year-old put up multipoint efforts and in 34 games this season, he has 31 points, including five goals. He’s only one goal short of the final tally of his rookie season, and he’s on pace for 75 points in a full 82-game season. That would represent a ninth-point progression and tie the fourth-highest point total for a defenseman in Canadiens history. Larry Robinson has had the two most prolific campaigns with 85 and 82 points, while Guy Lapointe got the third-highest total with 76. The latter also had the fourth-most productive season.
Canadiens: Bolduc Breaks The Ice At Home
Canadiens' First-Round Pick Impresses For Team Canada
Canadiens' Robidas: They Need Some Reps
The fact that Hutson, in his sophomore season, is already on pace to tie marks established by some of the best Canadiens defensemen in history is an incredible feat. If some believe that he would have a tougher time this season now that the league has had time to study the young defenseman, they’ve been proven wrong. Hutson has a high hockey IQ, and no matter how much you watch him, you can’t predict what he’s going to do in any given situation because he reads the game so well that he adapts to the different situations like a fish takes to water.
He’s been working hard on his shot this season, and it shows. He takes more shots than he did last season, and his shooting percentage has gone up as well (from 6.6% to 8.6%). Last year, he took 91 shots in 82 games, and this season he’s already taken 58 and is on pace for 140. In the 2024-25 campaign, Mike Matheson was the shots leader among Habs defensemen, taking 149.
Whichever way you look at it, the young defenseman is improving, and the Canadiens have yet to discover what his ceiling will be. With Matheson sidelined right now, he’s been playing even more minutes, seeing some action on the penalty kill as well.
When questioned about his use of the PK, coach Martin St-Louis said he always knew the youngster could play down a man but never used him to manage his ice time. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and he’s been doing it in the last two games. For Hutson, it’s just another type of mission, which he admits to loving, because the aim is to frustrate the other team’s power play.
Lane Hutson assisted on the @CanadiensMTL game-tying goal in the first period to reach 60 assists this calendar year. #NHLStats
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) December 19, 2025
Tune in 🌎: https://t.co/dT34F4MhkCpic.twitter.com/jlGlR1UnFw
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.
NBA Trade Rumors 2025-26: Giannis Antetokounmpo says he is 'locked in' on getting healthy, teammates
It feels like we're in the movie Groundhog Day, but let's repeat this one more time:
The Milwaukee Bucks will not trade Giannis Antetokounmpo unless he demands it — and Antetokounmpo has yet to play the bad guy and make that push. Milwaukee is shooting down teams calling about an Antetokounmpo trade, and reportedly is signaling to other teams that it is looking to add players at the deadline, to improve the roster, not trade away the best player in franchise history.
That last part played out again on Thursday, when Antetokounmpo, speaking to reporters for the first time since reports surfaced that his agent was talking to the Bucks about his future in Milwaukee, said he was not aware of any of it (via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).
"I didn't hear about the report. Again, if my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he is his own person. He can have any conversation he wants about it. At the end of the day, I don't work for my agent, my agent works for me...
"But, at the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I'm still locked in, locked in on my teammates. Most importantly, locked in on me getting back healthy. And then locked in on my teammates and how can I help them from the sideline or encourage them to be able to play and play free...
"So, right now again, I'm just focused on getting back healthy on the court, focusing on how can I encourage my team to be the best version of themselves. After that, focus on how can I go out there and help them win games and get out of this hole that we've dug ourselves in and then everything else comes after that."
Antetokounmpo is on social media, with a marketing and PR team, and is undoubtedly aware of the trade reports and talk around him, as well as how this is playing out. What he said above fits the pattern we have long seen from him: trying to stay focused on what is in front of him at this moment, but that also is not him asking for a trade.
Whatever Antetokounmpo says, the trade rumors do not stop, but the in-season market for him may be somewhat limited. Here are some of the other trade rumors tied to Antetokounmpo:
• The Golden State Warriors want to see how the Antetokounmpo situation plays out before making a run at New Orleans wing Trey Murphy III (the Pelicans are reportedly asking for a very high price for Murphy or Herb Jones, more than teams seem willing to pay), reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line.
• Don't expect the Spurs to push all in to go after Antetokounmpo, league sources told NBC Sports (echoing other reports). Impressed by the way Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell are coming together, San Antonio wants to see how the rest of this season plays out — especially after an impressive run to the NBA Cup finals — not break up a promising young core for an older player with an injury history.
• Along those same lines, anyone suggesting the Oklahoma City Thunder — the young, defending champions who are 25-2 and have the best point differential in NBA history to this point — are going to blow up their core so they can get into the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes is just trolling for clicks. There is no truth to it.
'It Didn't Seem Like He Was Overwhelmed By The Circumstances': Wild's Carson Lambos Has Impressive NHL Debut
In the Minnesota Wild's (21-9-5) game against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-6), defenseman Carson Lambos made his NHL debut.
After 163 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) and 1,610 days after the Wild selected Lambos with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, he finally made his NHL debut.
And he looked great.
According to HockeyStatCards, Lambos led all Wild defensemen in the game in GameScore.
NHL GameScore Impact Card for Minnesota Wild on 2025-12-18: pic.twitter.com/Z7SKxjiOb6
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) December 19, 2025
“Long journey and a lot of ups and downs along the way, not playing for a year, among a lot of other things, too,” said Lambos after the game. “So it’s really exciting to be here and have this chance."
Lambos, 22, received the “Hero of the Game” hat after his debut. He had 17 impressive shifts that included a shot and a blocked shot that may have saved a goal later in the game.
NHL debut ✅
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 19, 2025
THE HAT ✅ pic.twitter.com/GVPnvcjAFN
With Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton back skating in Minnesota following their injuries, and Zach Bogosian waiting in the wings, it isn't certain how many more game Lambos will get in the NHL this year if any but he made it clear on Thursday that he is ready to be a NHL defenseman.
"I thought it was a good first game for him," said Wild head coach John Hynes. "I thought he had strong details to his game. He skated well. Strength wise he looked good. I thought he played a simple, reliable and good first game. The encouraging things where, his skating, he's a pretty good size young kid, good strength on him and it didn't seem like he was overwhelmed by the circumstances. So that was good to see."
a moment worth celebrating #EasyToCelebrate | @budlightpic.twitter.com/pB60Gsq0wa
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 19, 2025
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Recent Minnesota Wild Stories
Quinn Hughes ‘Extremely Open-Minded’ About Future With Wild After First Night In MinnesotaHughes arrives in Minnesota, impressing immediately with his calm demeanor and on-ice performance, fueling excitement for his future with the Wild.- 'You Want To Get Out Of Your Zone': Why Quinn Hughes Changes The Game For The Wild.
- 'We Want To Compete For The Stanley Cup': Why Bill Guerin Went All In.
- Wild Acquire Quinn Hughes From Vancouver For Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi And More.
- When The Ice Shrinks, The Wild's Game Is Built To Hold Up.
NBA confirms odd Russell Westbrook foul call in Kings' OT loss to Trail Blazers
NBA confirms odd Russell Westbrook foul call in Kings' OT loss to Trail Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings can’t catch a break this season.
Just when it appeared they were well on their way toward win No. 7 on the season, the unthinkable happened Thursday night at Moda Center.
Russell Westbrook was called for a foul on Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija with 1.5 seconds remaining in overtime. Even after an initial review, officials deemed that the foul occurred before time expired, sending Avdija to the free-throw line, where he knocked down the game-winning free throw.
With several hours to further review the call, the NBA confirmed the foul on Westbrook was the correct call in the league’s Last Two Minute Report, which states that Westbrook raised his right arm up into Avdija’s arm and initiated contact “that affects his shot attempt.”
It was a true rollercoaster ride for the Kings, who went back and forth with the Trail Blazers through the first three quarters before letting the game slip away in the fourth and then coming back from being down 15 points in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime.
DeMar DeRozan, who knocked down a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, was clutch again in the extra quarter as he made a 14-foot turnaround jumpshot that gave Sacramento the 1-point lead with 4.4 seconds left.
Celebration quickly turned into confusion and catastrophe for the Kings, who lost 134-133.
Luckily for them, they don’t have to wait long to get their revenge as they host the Trail Blazers on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.
Will The Oilers Make Last-Minute Goalie Trade Before The NHL Roster Freeze?
The Edmonton Oilers may face a difficult decision. After watching Tristan Jarry leave the game on Thursday night with what might be a serious injury, the team has to determine whether the injury is serious or minor, particularly given they have less than 24 hours to make another trade.
The NHL's holiday roster freeze takes effect at 11:59 p.m. local time tonight and runs until Dec. 28. The Oilers have a couple of games during that time. More than that, if Jarry is out long-term, Edmonton needs a replacement.
Related: Oilers Beat Bruins, But Potentially Lose Jarry In The Process
Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast, "I actually wrote last week, Edmonton did a lot of research around Alex Lyon. I heard last summer they did too. He was one of the guys they did a kind of deep dive on." That's interesting. Even while the organization made a bet on Jarry, they were doing their homework on another netminder.
That is either suggests the Oilers could go either way, or they were looking at completely overhauling the crease.
Friedman added that new Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has said the three-goalie experiment is coming to an end in Buffalo. He added that the Sabres like Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, so he doesn’t believe either is going anywhere. If the Sabres are determined to move one of their netminders, it's Lyon.
That suggests Buffalo is open for business.
Friedman added, “I have great respect for Lyon, I think he’s a guy who has saved how many teams with good 10 to 15 game stretches. Like I said, Edmonton has spoken about him, they’ve done their research on him. They looked into him again this season. They called the Sabres a couple of times in recent weeks…. It comes down to, is Buffalo ready to do this? And, it also comes down to how seriously Jarry might be hurt. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they didn’t make a call to Buffalo on Friday if they hadn’t already.”
The only downside for the Oilers here is that Buffalo now holds all the leverage. If the word is Jarry is hurt and the Oilers like Lyon, Edmonton may be forced to overpay given that there aren't many other options available. Kekalainen will know this and if he's doing his job, work that angle with the Oilers backed into a corner.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.