Last July, in a courthouse in London, Ontario, five former members of Canada's 2018 World Junior hockey team were cleared of sexual assault charges.
The judge in the case said the complainant's allegations lacked the credibility and reliability needed to justify convictions. As a result, all five players were eventually allowed to resume their NHL careers.
But Hockey Canada found them in breach of their code of conduct and announced on Wednesday that suspensions will remain in place in four of the five cases.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Jake Sanderson's ranking among top NHL defensemen.
The one exception is former Senator Alex Formenton, who they've reinstated immediately.
Formenton, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Dillon Dubé and Michael McLeod were all acquitted last July following an eight-week trial.
But the criminal proceedings were separate from Hockey Canada's investigation. That investigation began in 2018 and eventually resulted in a November 2023 report from an independent panel. The five players were formally suspended from all Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs while an appeal of that decision was underway.
That appeal process has now concluded, and the panel confirmed that all five players breached the organization's code of conduct.
But the panel's recommended suspensions vary dramatically.
While Formenton was reinstated, Foote remains suspended until November 2026, Hart until November 2027, Dubé until November 2028, and McLeod has over four years left before reinstatement in November 2030.
In a nutshell, the panel ruled that Formenton breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct, but apparently not to the extent the others did.
Formenton was selected by the Senators in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft and developed into one of the fastest players in the organization, if not the league.
His best NHL season came in 2021-22, when he scored 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games at age 22.
But that turned out to be his final season in Ottawa.
Formenton became a restricted free agent in the summer of 2022 and went unsigned by the Senators. He eventually continued his career with HC Ambrì-Piotta in Switzerland before returning home to face charges.
Formenton spent this past season with his Swiss team again, putting up 23 points in 42 games. He's officially an NHL UFA after the Senators officially cut ties with him two months ago.
Wednesday's ruling doesn't mean the NHL or Team Canada will ever come calling again, but the comparative lenience being shown to Formenton does send a message and may fuel some discussions.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Manager Pat Murphy #00 of the Milwaukee Brewers takes the ball from Dustin May #21 during a pitching change in the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
West Coast nightmares continue to haunt the Brewers as the San Diego Padres finish the three-game series sweep in a 4-3 extra-inning affair. The Brewers are now 4-8 on the season when playing on the West Coast.
From Dustin May’s stellar seven-inning performance to the four double plays turned by the defense, followed by a bullpen blowup and some other critical mistakes, today’s game was filled with a lot of ups and downs. Things didn’t get off on the right foot either in the bottom of the second as Joey Ortiz mishandled a groundball to allow Luis Rengifo to reach base safely. He did make it up a play later by turning the first of four double plays.
Entering today’s ballgame, the Brewers had scored just four runs all series, which is a sight for sore eyes compared to what we’ve seen from this team all season. With the team avoiding some major injuries a night ago, the offense needed a spark, and that’s what Gary Sánchez gave to them in the top of the second inning with a solo home run to left field.
Despite the rocky defensive play all series, and the rough start from Ortiz early in the first inning, the defense felt like it finally found its groove. During the bottom of the second inning, Jackson Merrill grounded into the Padres’ second straight double play to quickly give his team two outs. Quickly resulting into another 1-2-3 inning as Austin Hays grounded out shortly thereafter.
Playing in his first game since August 8, Ortiz was trying to be another man in this lineup to provide another pop, but instead of using his bat, he walked with one out in the top of the third inning. After advancing to second base on a groundout, Brice Turang drove in Ortiz with a single to extend the Brewers’ lead to 2-0.
May was stellar this afternoon in his second appearance in a Brewers uniform, throwing a quick and efficient seven innings of one-run ball on just four hits and two walks, while striking out six batters. His one blemish of the game came in the bottom of the third when Xander Bogaerts hit his 10th home run of the season to cut the Brewers’ lead down to 2-1.
In terms of offense, both sides were quite stale going forward. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the bases were loaded for the Padres, with one out. In dire need to get out of the inning to maintain their lead, May forced Hays into an inning-ending double play, making it the third double play grounded into by the Padres in the game.
From that point on, the Padres offense was retired in order until the bottom of the eighth inning. Pat Murphy sent May back out to the mound for his eighth inning of work, as he had thrown less than 80 pitches at that point in the ballgame. A decision that felt like a no-brainer considering the four-game series with the Dodgers looming beginning tomorrow.
May came out and walked Gavin Sheets on four straight balls to open up the bottom of the eighth. Chad Patrick then replaced May, and he then forced Bogaerts into a double play, clearing all but one from the bases. Then the command issues came for Patrick as he loaded the bases on back-to-back walks. Following the second walk, Aaron Ashby came in to take things over. Brewers killer Jake Cronenworth then singled to score Fernando Tatis Jr. to tie the game at 2-2.
Nothing happened on offense for the Brewers in the top of the ninth, but the Padres continued to be pesky, and more so, Merrill continued to be pesky, as he doubled with one out. After Luis Campusano popped out for the second out of the inning, Jase Bowen lined a ball into center field, where Garrett Mitchell stretched out to take away the win for the Padres, leaving the game at 2-2.
After another quiet 10th inning from both offenses, the Brewers finally broke the silence in the top of the 11th inning. Once again, it was Sánchez who came through with the clutch hit as he doubled a ball off the third base bag to score Jihwan Bae, giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead. After a Mitchell walk with no outs, David Hamilton and Ortiz followed with strikeouts of their own to quickly put the Brewers down. Padres then walked Jackson Chourio before getting Turang to strike out to end the inning, wasting valuable time to extend the Brewers’ lead.
Antonio Senzatela replaced closer Trevor Megill on the bump for the bottom of the 11th inning and was out to a great start by forcing a groundout. Then, Merrill drove in the tying run with a flyout to left field that should’ve been more if it wasn’t for Luis Lara’s spectacular catch. While trying to ride high on the catch, Campusano hit a single to drive in the winning run, securing the series sweep of the Brewers.
Looking back at this series, offense was the main issue, as it feels like almost everyone is in a slump. Today, though Sánchez carried the offense, he also hurt the defensive side of the ball with several passed balls and a play at the end of the game that resulted in poor positioning. Certainly not the way the Brewers want to be feeling heading into a four-game series with the Dodgers.
Despite getting two quality starts from Logan Henderson and May, the Brewers will look to get back on track tomorrow in Los Angeles with Shane Drohan on the mound. The offense will also look to generate more runs in this next series, as against the Padres they were 2-for-24 with runners in scoring position.
Tomorrow’s game will be a late one as first pitch is scheduled for 9:10 p.m., and you can find that as normal on Brewers.TV and WTMJ 620.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: (L-R) NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Liam Ruck, 22nd overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, talk onstage during Day One of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center on June 26, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Ottawa Senators produced a behind the scenes bit of content for the 2026 draft. The part around their decision with the 25th overall pick involved the Penguins. Per Ottawa’s GM Steve Staois, the Penguins had called and offered an unidentified roster player in order to get the Sens’ pick.
Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios says the Penguins made an offer for what appears to have been the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft:
“No pick offers are good enough just yet, but Pittsburgh's interesting with the roster player.” pic.twitter.com/nITr1CryDp
The clip shows Staios fielding an offer from Vancouver, who were attempting to send the 33rd and 41st overall picks to move up to 25 and get pick 72 back from Ottawa. Staios soon dismissed that among his Sens compadres saying, “no pick offers are good enough yet. But Pittsburgh is interesting with the roster player”.
By the time the ultimate decision had to be made, Ottawa elected to hold tight and draft the 16th best prospect on their board at 25th overall, Swedish winger Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen.
The tidbit about the Pens will lead to intrigue. Staios didn’t mention if Pittsburgh included a pick (like 39th or 54th overall) to bolster their offer or if that unidentified roster player stood as the only piece involved.
The Penguins haven’t been in a huge hurry to trade players away. The didn’t end up moving any roster players on draft night and since that point they’ve only traded away Jack St. Ivany and Parker Wotherspoon, neither of which would be remotely close in value to making a team like Ottawa think long and hard about dealing the 25th pick.
It’s a bit easier to see what Pittsburgh’s end game was. The Pens had just drafted Liam Ruck at 22nd overall and it wasn’t exactly a state secret that the team was eager to add his twin brother Markus to the organization. They ended up not needing a trade, getting Markus at their next pick early in the second round at 39th overall. For their part, the Pens picked a partner in Ottawa who held another pick (32nd overall) in the first round as a potential target that might have been interested in adding a current NHL player with their extra pick early on.
Who exactly the Pens offered is intriguing. One would think that a standalone for Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell would have been enough for Ottawa to move a late first rounder, especially considering that the Pens’ reported price on both veterans is higher than one late first. By the same token, it makes sense to rule out Egor Chinakhov and Ben Kindel value-wise as nothing that Pittsburgh would offer. Same with trade clauses for obviously Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang. Plenty of others on the roster offered up wouldn’t have Ottawa even considering the move.
That leaves a few candidates in the sweet spot as being available but carrying some value, like possibly Tommy Novak or Justin Brazeau as the mystery offer. Possibly even down to near-ready prospects like Harrison Brunicke, Ville Koivunen or Rutger McGroarty, though considering players who finished in the AHL as ‘roster players’ may or may not have been in the cards. Some of those names make more sense than others but seem like the more realistic range of potential offerings.
In the end, the general public will never likely know exactly who the Pens offered up. GM Kyle Dubas runs a tight ship and almost zero details leak out from his side, especially about trades that didn’t end up getting made. General managers float tons of ideas to their counterparts all the time and most the talk amounts to nothing. A Pittsburgh/Ottawa trade for the 25th pick fits in that category of fizzling out before getting across the finish line. The only difference from most talks was that Ottawa used the conversation as part of their multimedia to give a little peak into what went on in their draft room. As a result, they gave a little bit of news to consider what could have been if Staios decided to move forward with the offer from the Pens and just how the team might have been different if he did.
A Montreal Canadiens young star has received some praise.
TheHockeyNews.com has named Ivan Demidov as the NHL's top forward breakout candidate to watch for the 2026-27 season
When looking at what Demidov did during his rookie season with the Canadiens, it is certainly hard not to be excited to see what he can do for the Habs now that he has a full year of experience.
In 82 games last season with the Canadiens, Demidov posted 19 goals, 43 assists, and 62 points. These were very impressive numbers from the Habs rookie, but the 2024 fifth-overall pick should only get better as he continues to gain more experience.
If Demidov can take another step forward, it would only make the Canadiens a more difficult team for opponents to go up against. He has all the tools to become a superstar in the NHL, and it will be interesting to see if he takes another big step to becoming that in 2026-27 from here.
The possibility of Demidov being an 80-point player this upcoming campaign for the Canadiens should not be ruled out. He has the offensive potential to do so.
Aug 12, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Victor Bericoto (78) hits and RBI single during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ah, the sun! Giver of life, provider of solar energy, burner of skin, mascot of Arizona professional basketball, source of both photosynthesis and melanomas. The sun giveth, and Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco, the sun tooketh away a victory for the home tea,m.
Victor Bericoto delivered the San Francisco Giants’ first run with an RBI single in the first inning. He was also responsible for the Houston Astros’ first run when he lost a Dalton Varsho fly ball in the sun in the 7th inning, in a game the Giants would go on to lose, 2-1.
It was a game that came down to some outfield fly balls. Varsho’s sky-high flyout turned into a two-base error, two batters after Yordan Alvarez missed a home run by a few feet that turned into a long single. Christian Koss got all of a ball in the 9th, at least as much of the ball as Koss can get, and it fell short on the warning track for a long out.
Oracle Park robbed Taylor Trammell of a home run off Keaton Winn (2-3) leading off the 8th inning. One pitch later, Nick Allen drove him in with a sacrifice fly, which was enough for the win when the last 10 Giants who went to the plate made outs.
Bericoto ended up as the goat, but the Giants also missed a chance to erase the eventual tying run one batter earlier when Willy Adames’ back seized up at the worst possible moment. On a textbook double play ball, Adames threw weakly to second base and Isaac Paredes beat the throw at first. Adames would leave the game after fouling out in the bottom of the 7th, and appears headed for the injured list.
Adrian Houser started his first game since June 16 and looked hungry for the chance to get back in the rotation. He pitched three perfect innings before the first Astro reached base, when Jeremy Pena doubled to lead off the 4th inning. After a walk to Alvarez, Hauser induced a 5-4-3 double play out of Paredes.
Houser allowed only three Astros to reach base in six innings, striking out five and walking one. When Allen singled and got bunted to second, the Giants turned one of the most unusual double plays of the season. Willy Adames fielded Pena’s grounder and threw to Koss at third and Allen unwisely signaled Pena to keep running. Koss ran Allen to Basabe’s tag, then hustled to second base to tag out Pena. Score that 6-5-4-5.
That ended Houser’s afternoon, but the bullpen and the defense couldn’t keep the Astros off the board. And the offense couldn’t do anything off a half-dozen Astros relievers who followed opener Bryan King, who left after walking his second batter with two outs in the first inning. Bericoto followed with an RBI hit off Enyel De Los Santos and Drew Cavanaugh walked to load the bases, but Basabe fouled out to end the threat.
The Giants would load the bases again in the second inning off Tatsuya Imai, who stabilized the game with three innings of work out of the pen. Rafael Devers couldn’t capitalize with three ducks on the pond, grounding out to second to end the inning.
After that, only three Giants would reach base the rest of the game. Imai struck out Eldridge with two on and two out in the 4th. Koss singled, then stole second when former Giant and Wednesday’s winning pitcher Steven Okert (6-1) entered the game, only to be stranded when Jung Hoo Lee grounded out.
The Giants were quite close to sweeping the Astros. Instead, they lost the series entirely. Josh Hader picked up his 17th save while getting a scare from Koss and getting Andrew Knizner to foul out in his first plate appearance of 2026. On what could have been an encouraging day for the remaining uninjured and untraded Giants, they picked up their 71st defeat instead.
Los Angeles, - July 30: Starting pitcher Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks off the mound after giving up a bases loaded walk against the Seattle Mariners in the sixth inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The Dodgers continue their homestand with four games against the Milwaukee Brewers, who come to town with the best record in baseball, just like in 2025.
Roki Sasaki starts Thursday night for the Dodgers, having allowed only six runs (five earned) over his last four starts, with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 24 innings.
Rookie left-hander Shane Drohan made a start in his major league debut on April 8, then in 10 relief appearances posted a 2.63 ERA and 2.77 xERA. Since re-joining the rotation on June 1, Drohan has a 4.39 ERA and 3.84 xERA in 12 starts with 65 strikeouts and 20 walks.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 27: Landon Knack of the Los Angeles Dodgers waves to the crowd during the 2025 Back-to-Back World Champions Ring Ceremony prior to the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Seth Halvorsen made his Dodgers debut on Tuesday night, pitching a spotless 10th inning to strand the free runner and earn the win over the Kansas City Royals. But with a bullpen depleted by heavy usage of late and a six-man rotation, the Dodgers were in need of a fresh arm to eat some innings, so Halvorsen was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City so Landon Knack to get called up in his place.
A six-man rotation left the Dodgers with seven active relievers instead of eight, and the septet has all worked heavily of late, ironically save for Halvorsen, who before Monday’s appearance last pitched last Thursday for Oklahoma City.
Recent Dodgers bullpen usage
The numbers in the table above are expressed as innings/pitches. For instance, Alex Vesia threw 21 pitches in his one inning on Tuesday.
Vesia, Jack Dreyer, and Evan Phillips have each pitched three times in the previous four days, making them all likely unavailable on Wednesday. Which essentially means the bullpen following Eric Lauer on Wednesday is essentially Knack and Edgardo Henriquez, plus perhaps Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz depending on how the game goes.
Knack’s previous stint with the Dodgers this season surrounded the All-Star break, and he pitched in bulk relief entering two games when the Dodgers trailed by four runs. In those games, Knack allowed five runs in five innings, including four home runs, with four strikeouts and two walks.
Knack, who missed the first three and a half months on the injured list with an intercostal strain, has pitched well with Oklahoma City this year, with a 2.60 ERA in five games, with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 17 1/3 innings. Knack last pitched last Wednesday, throwing 72 pitches in 5 1/3 innings. That more than satisfies the fresh component of the fresh arm express.
Just don’t be surprised if, after Knack takes down three innings when called upon, if someone like Paul Gervase walks into the Dodgers clubhouse the very next day. Wednesday is the Dodgers’ sixth game of 13 game days in a row.
What would a trip to Florida be without hitting the beach?
Social media star Olivia “Livvy” Dunne and Pirates ace boyfriend Paul Skenes made sure to check that off the list, hitting up a beach in Key Biscayne one day after the latter took the hill against the Marlins.
Dunne, the former LSU gymnast who is set to play a role in Fox’s reboot of “Baywatch,” enjoyed the water and sand in a black-and-white bikini. She also strolled the beach with the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne is pictured in Key Biscayne, Fla. on Aug. 11, 2026. BACKGRID
The Pirates are slated to play the Marlins again at loanDepot park in Miami on Wednesday, one day after Skenes was pulled after throwing just 65 pitches and failing to exceed 96.5 mph on his fastball.
Skenes told reporters after the loss that he would have removed himself from the game if he were in manager Don Kelly’s shoes, too.
“[Kelly] walked me through everything, and it made sense,” Skenes told reporters after the 2-0 loss. “I wish I could have gone more, but it kind of is what it is. … He’s the manager, and I don’t ever argue with it. Like I said, I understand why.”
Kelly reiterated that Skenes isn’t dealing with an injury but added that “everybody is going through it” on the Pirates.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne is pictured in a black bikini in Key Biscayne, Fla., Aug. 11, 2026. BACKGRID
Dunne and Skenes have been in the spotlight the last three years after they went public with their relationship. They’ve had plenty of red carpet moments, including at this summer’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
In the spring, Dunne explained to Jimmy Fallon on the “Tonight Show” how the star couple met at LSU.
“When I met Paul, we were just two normal college kids at LSU,” Dunne said. “I was a gymnast, he was a baseball player. I was already pursuing social media and gymnastics. Paul wasn’t Paul Skenes yet. There’s no predicting that somebody’s going to become the best pitcher in the MLB.
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne and Paul Skenes are pictured in Key Biscayne, Fla., on Aug. 11, 2026. BACKGRID
“There’s really no way, and it’s just been such a joy to watch him. And we really support each other.”
Dunne will hit the airwaves in January when the “Baywatch” reboot is expected to be released. Skenes will likely pitch again early next week against the Tigers.
A detail view of a rally towel with the Emirates NBA Cup logo. This rally towel was a giveaway during the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup championship game in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As the NBA continues to slowly roll out the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season, some marquee games and events have already been announced. One of those is the Emirates NBA Cup, the NBA’s in season tournament. We’ve known for a while what four teams would accompany the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference’s Group A, but now we know the when and the where of the games.
The Mavericks will see the Houston Rockets before the month of November ends, as Kevin Durant will bring his squad to Dallas on October 30th. Kyrie Irving will face off against old friend Kevin Durant for the first time in a couple years, as Irving missed all of last season recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in February 2025.
The second, and final, home game of Dallas’ NBA Cup group stage will be on November 6th, as they will welcome an improved Utah Jazz group to the American Airlines Center. This game will feature two of the best players in the NBA under the age of 20, as Cooper Flagg will face off with Darryn Peterson for what will likely be the first of many encounters.
Notably, both of these games are slated for a 7:00 p.m. local time tipoff in Dallas. Neither game is on national TV. This is different from the usual 7:30 p.m. slot that Dallas has occupied for as long as my 27-year-old brain can remember.
DALLAS, TEXAS – DECEMBER 23: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball as Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets defends during the second half at American Airlines Center on December 23, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The two road games Dallas has in the group stage will come on Thanksgiving week. Dallas will hit the road to Denver on Tuesday, November 24th. This game will be nationally televised on NBC and Peacock, with a 9:00 p.m. CT tipoff time. Lastly, the Mavs will head to Phoenix for a Black Friday clash with the Suns. That game is slated for an 8:00 p.m. CT tip.
Dallas has only made the group stage once in the rich history of the NBA Cup, coming in 2024-25 before, well, all hell broke loose. Dallas will likely not contend for the big trophy this year, but a fun run for the in-season crown would be a nice consolation. We shall see what the future holds!
The full 2026-27 NBA regular season schedule will be released on Thursday, August 13th. Mavs Moneyball will keep you covered through all 82!
It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system.
This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.
Defenseman Finn Harding came in at No. 13, as his rapid progression after being a seventh-round pick is impressive and a developmental success story. We shift back to the forward front for No. 12 to shed more light on a guy who plays with an edge, a skillset, and a contagious energy that may just allow him to keep elevating his ceiling at the NHL level.
No. 12: RW Avery Hayes
Fist career shot, first career goal for Avery Hayes. Incredible moment for him 🏒 pic.twitter.com/iR9jSS62IN
There are very few prospects in the Penguins' organization as well-liked and well-respected as Avery Hayes, and it's certainly for good reason.
The undrafted 23-year-old forward certainly made a big impression on the big club when he made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5, scoring two goals, with the first coming from an earned opportunity on his first NHL shot. Hayes played in 16 NHL games during the team's most important stretch of the season between late-February and early April, putting up five goals and showing signs of being an effective bottom-six player with offensive upside.
And that's not even accounting for the fabulous AHL season he had, putting up 24 goals and 39 points in 42 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). He went a bit quiet during the Calder Cup Playoffs with just three goals and six points through 15 games, but his presence was still noticeable.
Hayes exudes a certain level of energy and confidence that seems to be contagious among his peers. He plays with an edge and sticks up for teammates, he works his tail off shift after shift, and he doesn't shy away from playing with the puck on his stick.
He's also as good as anyone in the system at creating something out of nothing.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound right wing excels at "stickhandling in a phone booth," if you will, possessing the ability to make plays in tight spaces and force plays that don't even look like they're there. He's quick, he's agile, he's an excellent forechecker, he's able to create separation with his speed, he's good around the net, he is effective on the PK and the PP, and he has a pretty nice shot to go along with all of that.
GOAL. Avery Hayes makes it 3-0 #WBSPens late in the 2nd period.
Harrison Brunicke to Rutger McGroarty and across to Hayes for #85's team-leading 3rd of the playoffs on more brilliant puck movement on the power play.@InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/TMV4DVnUp5
Hayes's journey to the NHL was certainly an unconventional one, as he went straight from playing with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 2022-23 to an AHL PTO then a contract with WBS. His biggest and best attribute is his work ethic, which is on display every single night in various different manners, whether that's beating opponents to loose pucks, forcing his will around the net-front, or playing with some snarl to get under his opponent's skin and rally his team.
In some ways, Hayes is a bit remniscent of veteran forward Bryan Rust, who - even if drafted, unlike Hayes - started out the first seasons of his NHL career as a fourth-liner but worked his way up the lineup through persistance and the high-energy, forecheck-heavy speed game he plays.
So, looking at it that way, it kind of makes sense why he's garnered the respect and attention of the Penguins' development staff, as his path and his work ethic set an example for others to follow.
"Avery Hayes is an incredible kid. I could talk all day about him," Penguins' director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said. "The way our organization is set up to find these players, work with them, develop them, coach them, give them opportunity, Avery Hayes is a fantastic example.
"Everyone in our organization was super happy to see [him] jump into the lineup in Buffalo and score two goals. From the way his career started and what he's done with it so far, there's a lot more for him ahead."
Hayes figures to be a candidate to make the opening night NHL roster, even with an uphill climb ahead due to the crowded forward pool expected at training camp. His game is one that should translate pretty well to the NHL level, and his ceiling once he establishes himself as an NHL player is a bit of an exciting unknown. That "unknown" is both what has him just outside the top-10 on this list and what makes him such an intriguing upside prospect.
Given his history, he may just keep raising that ceiling. If any prospect in the organization is going to take a Rust-like path and quite literally get better and more productive at the NHL level with every passing year, it's Hayes. He has the tools, the fight, and the mindset to do it, so it will be interesting to see how soon he can establish himself as a permanent fixture in the Penguins' lineup.
More specifically, fans want to know whether these two new majority owners can return to the team to its former glory, given that six seasons since a NBA championship feels like a long time for the Lakers’ faithful.
Vanessa Bryant arrives for the 2023 Baby2Baby Gala on November 11, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. AFP via Getty Images
And it appears that Vanessa was subconsciously in sync with the Lakers’ new owners. She made several posts to her Instagram story on Tuesday, one day before the Lakers’ news broke, showing off a Disney-centric outfit.
“Disney Mom,” the post was captioned, showing Bryant rocking red and white Mickey Mouse ears.
Vanessa Bryant poses for a post to her Instagram story.Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, attends The Wallis Delivers: A Benefit Evening To Support Wildfire Recovery. Getty Images
This connects to the Lakers’ because Bob Iger was The Walt Disney Company’s CEO up until March of 2026.
Of course, Vanessa surely had no way of knowing that Iger was about to become the Lakers’ new owner, and she was probably just enjoying a day of Disneyland before her daughters started school. But the coincidence is still interesting nonetheless.
Bryant and the rest of Los Angeles fans will be eager to see how the team fares during the Iger and Kushner era.
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BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 30: Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company attends The Wallis Delivers: A Benefit Evening To Support Wildfire Recovery at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on April 30, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things move quickly in the basketball world, but you’d struggle to find something happening as fast as the selling of the Lakers.
There wasn’t even a whiff of a rumor about the franchise being up for sale, making this one of the most shocking deals in NBA history. But was Walter quietly shopping the Lakers to billionaires for months, negotiating this high sale number?
“We were involved in pursuing the new franchise in Vegas,” Iger said during an exclusive phone call with the California Post. “And while that happened, it was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers. And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it. The deal came together in three days. It’s that simple.”
Iger and Kushner wanted to own an NBA team. And after dealing with the apparent bidding wars happening with the Las Vegas expansion, they opted to just buy a ready-made franchise in the Lakers. From their perspective, this sale makes sense.
According to one source with knowledge of the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the agreement, Kushner reached out to Walter on Friday and the deal quickly came together over the weekend.
All of this happening in such a short period of time is mind-boggling. I mean, didn’t Walter have to think about it for a while? Sure, a $2.5 billion profit in less than a year’s time is great, but were the Lakers just a vessel for him to store his money?
It just seems like a historic franchise like the Lakers should’ve been treated with more care and consideration, not flipped like they are an investment property.
And yet, here we are with new owners for the second time in barely more than a year.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 12: Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies gestures to the dugout after hitting a three run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Chase Field on August 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Trying to avoid yet another rubber-match loss, the Colorado Rockies utilized an early offensive outburst to stave off the Arizona Diamondbacks and a bullpen meltdown in a 6-4 victory to secure a series win.
With the victory, Colorado is now 4-13 in rubber matches. This also marks the first series win in Arizona since 2022.
Feltner doesn’t falter
The last month of outings has been a mixed bag of results for Ryan Feltner, but he was able to steady the ship and deliver a solid start against the Diamondbacks.
Things started a bit shaky in the first inning after Corbin Carroll hit a one-out triple. Feltner had an opportunity to escape unscratched after Gabriel Moreno got an infield hit, setting up a double play, but Ketel Marte delivered a single to put the Diamondbacks up 1-0.
The Rockies answered back in the top of the second, and Feltner settled in, working efficiently with little traffic through the fourth inning, having allowed just two more hits in that span.
He ran into a little more traffic in the fifth inning that ran his pitch count up. Geraldo Perdomo had a one-out single and moved up to second on a savvy play where Willi Castro caught a pop-up in foul territory. Moreno followed up with an RBI double to give the Diamondbacks their second run of the game. Feltner then loaded the bases with a pair of walks before getting Nolan Arenado to ground out and end the inning.
Feltner ended up throwing 93 pitches, 59 for strikes, having allowed just two runs on seven hits over five innings of work. He only had two strikeouts while walking three, but an even split of five groundouts and five flyouts helped him mitigate the traffic. It also helped having his defense make plays like the one Carrigg made in the second inning.
He kept the game from spiraling and didn’t get rattled after the first inning, allowing the Rockies to build run support for him
Building a lead with blasts
After giving up their 10th first-inning run of the road trip, the Rockies offense went to work in the top of the second. Hunter Goodman walked to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Mickey Moniak. With two men on base, Castro delivered an RBI single up the middle to tie the game 1-1.
Merrill Kelly retired the next two batters on lineouts, but backup catcher Brett Sullivan came through with a towering fly ball that hit the foul pole in right field for a three-run home run and a 4-1 Rockies lead.
The Rockies would extend their lead in the fourth inning. Castro won an ABS challenge to draw a walk to lead off the inning. Newly recalled Zac Veen, making his first start in the outfield this season, then gave the Rockies a 6-1 lead when he barreled a low changeup from Kelly. The ball sailed 407 feet into the center field pool for a two-run home run, his second big-league home run, which also proved to be the difference maker in the score.
The offense continued to pester Kelly but wasn’t able to do more than the six runs on six hits against him as he went five innings, having allowed three walks and two strikeouts. Thankfully, he wasn’t able to induce more than one double-play ball.
The offense was rather quiet after the fourth inning despite collecting four more hits, including a pair of doubles. They had eight hits in total and struck out just six times with four walks. With runners in scoring position, Colorado went 2-for-11.
“The boys fought hard, even though it didn’t go completely our way,” manager Warren Schaffer said after the game.
Of Veen, Schaeffer added, “It just seems like he is in such a better place coming up this time.”
Bullpen stress
Despite the four-run lead entering the sixth inning, the Rockies bullpen made things far more stressful than they needed to be.
Parker Mushinski took the hill in the sixth inning and recorded just two outs after giving up a hit and issuing a pair of walks to load the bases. Juan Mejia entered the game and escaped the jam. He then started the seventh inning but walked the first two batters, forcing the Rockies to turn to Jimmy Herget.
He then issued a walk to the first batter he saw to load the bases for the third straight inning for Arizona. Max Kepler then flew out to left field, but it wasn’t deep enough to score a run, leaving the bases loaded with one out. Needing a ground ball, Herget’s command continued to waver, issuing a walk to Ildemaro Vargas to drive in a run, making it 6-3. Herget then induced a ground ball to third that the Rockies turned into a double-play to end the inning.
Brennan Bernardino then took over for the eighth inning and gave up a one-out home run to Carroll, the 100th of his young career, to put the Diamondbacks back within two runs. He dealt with more traffic but managed to escape the inning without further damage.
Thankfully, Jordan Romano was able to secure his eighth save with the Rockies, despite issuing a walk and facing the tying run at the plate, thanks to a bullet catch at first base to end the game.
The bullpen issued seven walks, but just two runs on four hits. Arizona outhit the Rockies with 11 hits and only struck out three times while securing 10 walks. However, they went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 15 total players on base. It wasn’t pretty, but they locked down the win.
Up next
The Rockies are off tomorrow and will then kick off a three-game set in San Francisco starting Friday.
Kyle Freeland (3-10, 6.63 ERA) will make the start for Colorado while Landen Roupp (7-11, 4.22 ERA) takes the hill for the Giants.
Bob Iger, former chief executive of Disney, is a lifelong NBA fan and has regularly attended Clippers and Lakers games. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
So instead of the Dodgerfication of the Lakers, we’re getting the Disneyfication of the Lakers.
Hakuna Matata?
Yes, it’s weird and distressing, watching billionaires play catch with our ballclubs.
For the Lakers, it really could end happily ever after.
Because we’re realizing you probably shouldn’t put all your proverbial eggs — or both of a city’s most beloved sports teams — in one guy’s basket. Especially if that one guy happens to be at the center of a federal loan investigation.
And if all it took, really, to get Walter to relinquish his ownership of the Lakers was $2.5 billion more than the reported figure he paid for them, then he wasn’t the right owner for the franchise anyway.
He wasn’t actually going to spin blue into purple and gold.
And Disney did give us some pretty great stories under Iger, didn’t it?
A native New Yorker, Iger, 75, grew up a Knicks fan. But he has also long been an L.A. basketball fan — though he has identified as a Clippers supporter. (Sorry, Clips, I think you’re down a fan.)
Lakers great Magic Johnson said he’s known Iger since the Showtime era, and gushed in an interview Wednesday with The Times’ Broderick Turner: “The great thing for Laker fans is Bob Iger loves basketball, loves the Lakers and I think that we couldn’t have a better person.
“Somebody that don’t know the Lakers, the tradition, that don’t know the city, that don’t know the passion that the fans have for the Lakers here in L.A.? Then I would have been like, ‘Oh man. They gotta learn all that.’
Bob Iger, then chief executive of Disney, addresses the media during the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge media event in 2019. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“Well there’s no learning curve for Bob.”
And Angelenos know Iger. We don’t know Kushner except for his family ties. But Iger, we do.
Walter isn’t selling the Lakers to some rich guys without any L.A. cred. He’s selling to a basketball fan whom we’ve seen courtside at Lakers games. Someone who joined us in sharing our heartbreak on social media when Kobe Bryant died in 2020, calling him “a friend and a fan of ours, full of life and taken from us too soon.”
We recognize Iger; he’s the Disney guy. We know him for his successful tenures as chief executive of that beloved company, which were highlighted by innovative storytelling, savvy investment and expansion — including into sports. We know he helped turn ESPN into a TV juggernaut.
Before the sale to Walter, the Buss family, which owned and ran the Lakers for 46 years, was having trouble keeping up in a booming NBA. Player salaries are capped, but ownership’s resources matter much in terms of creating a competitive infrastructure of coaches, basketball operations, medical and scouting staffs.
So we were looking forward to seeing sweeping improvements when Walter took control and provided the organization with a much-needed financial infusion. After all, his Dodgers have won three World Series crowns and clinched the National League West in 12 of 13 seasons since 2012, when he and his partners bought the club for a then-MLB record $2.15 billion.
But as of Wednesday morning, we were still looking.
We thought the new Lakers’ regime would get to work without a second to spare. Yeah, they added a second row of seats courtside. And laid off more than a dozen employees.
We expected they’d beef up their scouting department. But they moved the G League team from the South Bay way out to the Coachella Valley, so even the most ardent fans in L.A. will have a hard time keeping an eye on the team’s prospects.
We expected, under Walter, that the Lakers would give their basketball brain trust an obvious boost.
But they’ve only flirted with filling the job of second assistant general manager. And they failed to poach anyone from the league’s most innovative front offices like the Dodgers did when they hired Andrew Friedman. Their big get was Rohan Ramadas, from the … New Orleans Pelicans, a team that made the playoffs only twice in the last eight seasons.
Iger and Kushner can do better. They better do better.
Joshua Kushner, founder and chief executive of Thrive Capital, speaks onstage during the Big Bets panel at the Fortune Global Forum 2024. (Jemal Countess / Getty Images for Fortune Media)
I think they will.
This isn’t a fly-by-night proposition for Iger, who headed an effort by the Chargers and Raiders to build a stadium in Carson before Stan Kroenke built $5-billion SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
In 2024, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, who is dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, acquired a controlling stake in the Angel City Football Club of the National Women’s Soccer League for $50 million, pushing its valuation to $250 million, a record for a women’s sports team.
Angel City hasn’t been winning, but they doubled the staff and wasted no time setting up a sizable new performance center at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. The WNBA’s Sparks, which Walter has owned since 2014, are still waiting for their own practice facility, which is now finally under construction in El Segundo.
“As lifelong NBA fans,” Kushner and Iger said in a statement, “we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world.”
Iger knows as much as anyone about successfully stewarding an iconic brand.
Now he could be the Imagineer to bring the 17-time champion Lakers back to the happiest place on earth — the NBA’s mountaintop.
