Between the current automatic bids and bloated conferences, the current playoff needs another overhaul. But with the SEC and Big Ten still spatting about its future, what's the best step forward to a playoff that actually makes sense?
Is Ohio State-Michigan week fun? Ryan Day: ‘Fun is kicking ass, and that’s what we want to do on Saturday’
Day is 81-10 as the Buckeyes' head coach but just 1-4 against the Wolverines.
Dereck Lively out at least 3 games with right foot 'swelling and discomfort,' Dallas fears it could be longer
Mavericks' center Dereck Lively II will miss at least the next three games due to "swelling and discomfort" in his right foot, the team announced on Tuesday.
Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is currently being evaluated for swelling and discomfort in his right foot.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) November 25, 2025
He will miss the team’s upcoming three-game road trip and a further timeline will be provided in approximately 7-10 days.
The Mavericks fear it could be much more than three games, with Mark Stein reporting it could be an "extended absence."
Lively had surgery on this same foot in the offseason and has already missed a dozen games this season, although nine of those were due to knee pain. Even when he has played, Lively has been limited to 16 minutes a night and is averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
The good news for Dallas is that Anthony Davis appears to be nearing a return to the court from the calf strain that has limited him. Still, the Mavericks are 5-14 on the season and have the worst offense in the league.
Championship roundup: Coventry sink Boro to go 10 points clear, Ipswich up to fourth
Kitching and Sims strike late for league leaders
Southampton’s Eckert makes it four out of four
Late goals from Liam Kitching and Ellis Simms helped Coventry to extend their advantage at the top of the Championship table with a 4-2 win against Middlesbrough.
The Sky Blues landed two early blows in the opening 15 minutes, going ahead through Simms’s stunning top-corner strike and Kitching’s header.
Continue reading...Double-doubles by Tre White and Flory Bidunga help Kansas beat Syracuse 71-60 at Players Era tourney
Tre White had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Flory Bidunga added 13 points and 14 boards, and Kansas beat Syracuse 71-60 on Tuesday at the Players Era tournament. Syracuse was within 52-50 before Kansas scored 11 straight on layups and free throws to pull away. White completed a three-point play with 4:49 remaining in the second half and he added three free throws on Kansas' next possession for a 60-50 lead.
Champions League roundup: Dortmund thrash Villarreal, McTominay on target for Napoli
Serhou Guirassy scores twice in 4-0 victory
Juventus off the mark with winner at Bodø/Glimt
Borussia Dortmund ended a three-match winless run with a decisive 4-0 triumph against 10-man Villarreal, powered by a double from Serhou Guirassy.
The Guinean striker broke the deadlock in stoppage time before the break, heading home from a corner, and he made it 2-0 early in the second half.
Continue reading...Avalanche Emerging As Runaway Favorites For President’s Trophy
The Colorado Avalanche are making a statement early in the 2025-26 NHL season, emerging as clear frontrunners for the President’s Trophy. With a staggering 16-1-5 record through 22 games and -149 odds on BetMGM, the Avalanche are showing all the signs of a team built for regular-season dominance. Many are already drawing comparisons to the 2023 Boston Bruins squad that set a record with a 65-12-5 finish.
Led by superstar Nathan MacKinnon, who tops the NHL with 37 points (17 goals, 20 assists), Colorado’s offense is firing on all cylinders. Defenseman Cale Makar is contributing 29 points, leading all blueliners in scoring, while Martin Necas has stepped up as a replacement for Mikko Rantanen with 28 points. Artturi Lehkonen looks poised to return to form, tallying 19 points and reminding fans of his Stanley Cup-winning performance in 2021.
Depth has also played a key role in Colorado’s hot start. Victor Olafsson and Brock Nelson have provided timely contributions, and Valeri Nichushkin has picked up the pace with 12 points in 17 games. The Avalanche are averaging four goals per game while allowing just 2.18 goals against—the best defense in the NHL this season.
Goaltending has been equally impressive. Scott Wedgewood boasts a 13-1-2 record, a 2.09 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage, while backup Mackenzie Blackwood is undefeated in four appearances with a 2.47 GAA and .911 save percentage.
Colorado’s remaining schedule also favors their run, featuring 11 games against lower-ranked teams including the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and Vancouver Canucks. With elite offense, lockdown defense, and a manageable schedule ahead, the Avalanche are positioning themselves as the team to beat. At -149 odds, bettors may want to act quickly if they want to ride what could be a historic regular-season campaign. Colorado may also be worth a look at +400 to win the Stanley Cup if they continue their rampant hot streak.
Bank On Offense in Oilers-Stars Standalone ClashStars seek revenge for playoff pain as high-octane Oilers aim to ignite their offense. Expect fireworks.All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.
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Blues Terminate AHL PTO For Milan Lucic
The Milan Lucic experiment with the St. Louis Blues organization has reached a conclusion.
And it's over as far as reaching the NHL with the Blues is concerned.
The 37-year-old will not receive a contract with St. Louis after the club announced Tuesday they terminated the American Hockey League professional tryout for the forward.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound appeared in four preseason games with the Blues after signing an NHL PTO before training camp and posted a goal and an assist before being sidelined with a groin injury.
Upon recovery, Lucic continued his rehab with Springfield and had one assist in five games but was a minus-7 with one shot on goal.
There was some feeling that with Lucic, who last played in the NHL for the Boston Bruins when Blues coach Jim Montgomery was coaching the Bruins at the start of the 2023-24 season, would eventually land a contract for roughly the minimum in St. Louis once he was deemed healthy enough to play but the Blues decided in the end not to go that route.
Lucic has played in 1,177 regular season games in the NHL and has 586 points (233 goals, 353 assists) and 1,301 penalty minutes with the Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings.
It's hard to imagine he will get another shot at this point but the door remains open to a certain degree.
Observations From Blues' 3-2 Loss Vs. RangersBlues lose for eighth time when scoring first; first 10 minutes of third period in 1-1 game was where game was lost; team's inability to score recently offsetting stronger goaltending; created few chances on four-minute power play late
St. Louis Blues Weekly Prospect Report (Nov. 23)Another Russian in KHL opening eyes in Fyodorov; Carbonneau keeps pace with QMJHL scoring lead; Jiricek extends point streak to 11; Harenstam continues to sizzle in Sweden
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 or creating your own post in our community forum.
Feast on sports week: what to watch during Thanksgiving Week
Here's a look a where to watch during Thanksgiving week (all times Eastern): College basketball The Players Era men's tournament features 18 teams playing in and around the Las Vegas area, with half ranked in the AP Top 25. Tuesday's games include No. St. John's vs. Baylor (4:30 p.m.
Grimaldo and Schick shock understrength Manchester City in Bayer Leverkusen win
You had to go back to September 2018 for the last time Manchester City lost a Champions League group match at home, when Pep Guardiola was in the stands because of a ban, and Nabil Fekir’s winner gave Lyon a 2-1 victory.
Guardiola stood down all but one of the XI that lost at Newcastle United and witnessed Bayer Leverkusen end a 23-match run in the type of off‑colour display reminiscent of last season.
Continue reading...Igor Shesterkin In Line For An Increased Workload With Jonathan Quick Placed On Injured Reserve
The New York Rangers placed Jonathan Quick on injured reserve as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury.
Quick was banged up after a collision with Michael Carcone in the third period of the Rangers' 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth.
The impact that Quick provides goes far beyond just his play on the ice, with his presence carrying a lot of weight in the locker room.
“He is an amazing goalie,” Shesterkin said of Quick. “I love him. Every practice with him is a new lesson for me. We try to help each other be better every day.”
It’s unclear exactly how much time Quick will miss. The Rangers recalled Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League to replace the injured Quick.
The big question is if Mike Sullivan will utilize Garand in the same way he utilized Quick.
Shesterkin has started in 18 games, while Quick has started in 6 games. Sullivan emphasized during training camp the importance of managing Shesterkin’s workload in order to get the most out of him, which the team made a conscious effort of doing before Quick’s injury.
“We have an idea of what the workload should be in order to set up both guys for success,” Sullivan said during training camp. “Here's what I'll tell you, in today's game, it's hard to go wire-to-wire with one goaltender. The second goalie is required.
“We think in Shesty and Quickie, we’ve got two really solid guys. I think they can be complementary with one another. We're going to try to set both guys up for success, because ultimately that sets the Rangers up for success… I think for those reasons, it makes sense to make sure we have an eye on the workload and we manage it appropriately.”
Sullivan may shift his philosophy regarding Shesterkin’s workload now that Quick is out for at least the next few games.
He hinted at possibly increasing Shesterkin’s workload after practice on Tuesday.
“We're going to take each game as it comes. We'll probably make decisions on a game-by-game basis. What I will tell you is, I think, because we've managed Shesty’s workload to this point fairly well, if anyone's in a position to take on more of a workload, I think Shesty is postured to do that,” Sullivan said.
Shesterkin hasn’t been playing back-to-backs up to this point, but Sullivan’s message indicates that very well could change.
Rangers Place Juuso Parssinen On Waivers The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> have placed Juuso Parssinen on waivers.
In 18 games this season, the 29-year-old goaltender has posted an 8-8-2 record, .909 save percentage, and 2.50 goals against average.
“I can (play) better,” Shesterkin said of his play to kick off the 2025-26 campaign.
Garand has the potential to be a very capable NHL backup while Quick continues to recover.. He’s served as the Wolf Pack’s starting goalie for each of the past three seasons.
The 23-year-old goaltender had a career year during the 2024-25 season, recording a 20-10-9 record, .913 save percentage, and 2.73 goals against average.
“I think I showed this year that I can be one of, if not the, best goalies in this league and NHL caliber,” Garand said at the World Championship in May. “Obviously, I’m waiting for my opportunity up top. I know that if I keep putting in the work, that’ll come. Wherever I am, whether it is up there or here, I’m going to compete to win and keep working hard and getting better every day.”
Shesterkin goes from having a backup goalie that could mentor him to being a mentor figure for his new backup.
The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner had nothing but positive things to say about Garand.
“He’s a pretty good kid,” Shesterkin said about Garand. “I think he will have a good future. He works hard every day. It’s nice to see somebody else who works hard. If he needs something, of cours,e he can always ask me.”
The Rangers have a difficult stretch of games coming up against the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.
All of the weight and pressure could fall onto Shesterkin’s shoulders, the Rangers’ 11.5 million dollar man.
Mets' Marcus Semien explains evolving leadership style, why he's 'really excited' to play in New York
Marcus Semien was officially introduced as the newest member of the Mets, as the veteran infielder met with members of the media via a video call.
After thanking the Mets for welcoming him and his family, Semien said that while the trade – which sent Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers – took him by surprise, he’s very excited to join a talented Mets team.
“I know in this business, anything can happen,” Semien said. “I’m excited to join a ballclub that has good veteran players, great veteran players, Hall of Famers, and strong young players that look hungry.
“I got a chance to sit back and watch the series [between the Mets and Rangers] in September. I had an injury so I just sat back and watched and I liked the passion that the Mets players were playing with. I like the young pitching staff that they were putting out there, the stuff that those guys had, I’ve just been thinking about that series and imagining myself on that side now, and it makes me really excited.”
A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Semien not only knows what it takes to win a World Series, as he did in 2023, but also knows the meaning of leading by example, playing in at least 159 games in a season eight times in his career.
“My style as a leader, it’s definitely something that has evolved. I think the one thing that has remained constant for me is leading by example with how I work, leading by example with how I respect each member of the organization,” Semien said. “Treat everybody like a man or a woman, whoever you’re working with. For me, I’m mostly talking about my teammates here, respect them, help them through tough times, get to know them as a person, get to know their families, so when we go out to battle we know how each other is going to react.”
Up until now, Semien has spent his entire 13-year big-league career in the American League, coming up with the White Sox before playing with Oakland, Toronto, and Texas, but he’s still plenty familiar with playing in New York, whether it’s the Bronx or Queens.
In fact, Semien said that the Big Apple used to be his favorite place to play on the road. And now he gets to call it home as he looks to help the Mets win their first World Series since 1986.
“When people ask me what’s your favorite road city, I say New York. I love being in the city,” Semien said. “I grew up on the West Coast, San Francisco, Bay Area. Maybe not as large as New York, in terms of culture, it’s definitely a place that I really enjoy being. Now I get to do what I love in that city in front of fans that love the game.
“There's a strong history with the Mets organization. There have been great players who came through there and done some good things and I just want to be one of those players.”
Red Sox acquire pitcher Sonny Gray from the Cardinals for pitcher Richard Fitts, prospect
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox acquired 36-year-old right-hander Sonny Gray, a three-time All-Star, from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday for righty Richard Fitts and a prospect.
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow had said adding a starting pitcher behind ace Garrett Crochet was one of the team’s goals for the offseason. Gray gives them a dependable option who could take some of the pressure off the rest of the rotation.
Gray went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA for the Cardinals last season, striking out 201 batters and walking 38 in 32 starts — the best ratio in the National League. He is one of five pitchers to record at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last two seasons.
In a 13-year career with five teams, he is 125-102 with a 3.58 ERA and three All-Star Game appearances.
Fitts, who turns 26 next month, was 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA as a rookie in Boston last season. The Cardinals also will acquire 22-year-old lefty Brandon Clarke, a fifth-round draft pick who has pitched only in Class A and is rated the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox system by MLB.com, and a player to be named or cash.
“Richard Fitts has already begun his big league career, and with his power stuff and willingness to attack the strike zone, he has the ability to start games at the highest level for many years. Brandon Clarke is an exciting left-handed prospect whose ceiling rivals that of any pitcher in the minor leagues,” said Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom, who previously held that job with the Red Sox. “Both have the potential to be part of our growing core for a long time.”
Gray had been guaranteed $40 million for the next two seasons: $35 million for 2026 and a $5 million buyout of a $30 million team option for 2027. His contract was changed to guarantee him $41 million: a $31 million salary for next year and a $30 million mutual option for 2027 with a $10 million buyout.
The Wraparound: Could The Senators Be Canada's Top Team This Year?
The Wraparound is back with more rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics.
Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello, and Diandra Loux discussed in this episode:
0:00: What has been the biggest factor in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s recent success?
5:02: How concerning is Sergei Bobrovsky’s start to the season?
8:15: Could the Ottawa Senators end up being the top Canadian team in the standings this season?
11:55: Will Alexandar Georgiev get another shot on an NHL team?
16:18: Breaking down Don Maloney’s comments regarding the Calgary Flames
20:45: Will the Carolina Hurricanes trade Andrei Svechnikov this season?
24:45: Which players stand out as potential trade pieces for the Vancouver Canucks?
Could The Senators Be Canada's Top Team This Year? by The WraparoundSee below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.
Killyan Toure scores 20 points to lead No. 15 Iowa State past Creighton, 78-60
Freshman Killyan Toure scored a career-high 20 points and No. 15 Iowa State beat Creighton 78-60 on Tuesday in the second round of the Players Era Championship. Despite missing co-leading scorer Tamin Lipsey, who injured his groin in Monday’s 83-82 win over St. John’s, the Cyclones kept Creighton at arm’s length for most of the game. Joshua Jefferson had 18 points and 10 rebounds.