The Vegas Golden Knights have released their 2025-26 preseason schedule, which will feature four home games and three road games.
The Golden Knights will begin their preseason with a road game against the San Jose Sharks on Sep. 21 before playing back-to-back home games against the Los Angeles Kings on Sep. 23 and the Utah Mammoth on Sep. 25. They'll then play back-to-back road games with a matchup against the Sharks on Sep. 26 and the Colorado Avalanche on Sep. 30. They'll conclude preseason action with home games against the Avalanche on Oct. 1 and the Sharks on Oct. 3.
The Golden Knights also announced, via a press release, that the dates and rosters for Rookie Camp will be announced at a later date.
Sunday, September 21, Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks, 5 p.m. PT (SAP Center)
Tuesday, September 23, Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m. PT (T-Mobile Arena)
Thursday, September 25, Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth, 7 p.m. PT (T-Mobile Arena)
Friday, September 26, Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m. PT (SAP Center)
Tuesday, September 30, Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche, 5 p.m. PT (Ball Arena)
Wednesday, October 1, Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6 p.m. PT (T-Mobile Arena)
Friday, October 3, Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m. PT (T-Mobile Arena)
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
St Helens potentially breathed new life into their season and quietened some of the noise surrounding their inconsistency with a victory over Leeds Rhinos that could easily represent a watershed moment for the remainder of 2025.
Paul Wellens’ side have been some distance from the standards many expect from the most successful team in Super League history, with the Saints some way adrift of the leading pack at the halfway stage of the season. They were expected to fall short here too against a Leeds side that once again look like title contenders.
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami through LA Clippers)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando)
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit through New York, OKC and Houston)
Washington Wizards (from Memphis)
Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee through New York, Detroit, Portland and New Orleans)
Miami Heat (from Golden State)
Utah Jazz (from Minnesota)
Atlanta Hawks (from LA Lakers through New Orleans)
New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana)
Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers)
Orland Magic (from Denver)
Brooklyn Nets (from New York)
Brooklyn Nets (from Houston)
Boston Celtics
Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland through Utah)
Los Angeles Clippers (from OKC)
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah)
Boston Celtics (from Washington through Detroit and Brooklyn)
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans through San Antonio, Phoenix and Memphis)
Philadelphia 76ers
Brooklyn Nets
Detroit Pistons (from Toronto through Dallas and San Antonio)
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors (from Portland through Sacramento)
Washington Wizards (from Phoenix)
Golden State Warriors (from Miami through Brooklyn and Indiana)
Sacramento Kings (from Chicago through San Antonio)
Utah Jazz (from Dallas)
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Atlanta)
Chicago Bulls (from Sacramento)
Orlando Magic
Milwaukee Bucks (from Detroit through Washington)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Golden State through Washington and Brooklyn)
Cleveland Cavaliers (from Milwaukee)
New York Knicks (from Memphis through OKC and Boston)
Los Angeles Clippers (from Minnesota through Atlanta and Houston)
Phoenix Suns (from Denver through Charlotte and Minnesota)
Utah Jazz (from LA Clippers through LA Lakers)
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies (from Houston)
Orlando Magic (from Boston)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Houston Rockets (from OKC through Atlanta)
What are the 2025 NBA Draft dates?
The NBA draft will take place over two days for the second straight year. The first round, which includes the first 30 picks, is on Wednesday, June 25, followed by Round 2 on Thursday, June 26.
What is the 2025 NBA Draft location?
The Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets in New York, is hosting the entire draft.
Why are there only 59 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft?
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami through LA Clippers)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando)
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit through New York, OKC and Houston)
Washington Wizards (from Memphis)
Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee through New York, Detroit, Portland and New Orleans)
Miami Heat (from Golden State)
Utah Jazz (from Minnesota)
Atlanta Hawks (from LA Lakers through New Orleans)
New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana)
Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers)
Orland Magic (from Denver)
Brooklyn Nets (from New York)
Brooklyn Nets (from Houston)
Boston Celtics
Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland through Utah)
Los Angeles Clippers (from OKC)
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah)
Boston Celtics (from Washington through Detroit and Brooklyn)
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans through San Antonio, Phoenix and Memphis)
Philadelphia 76ers
Brooklyn Nets
Detroit Pistons (from Toronto through Dallas and San Antonio)
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors (from Portland through Sacramento)
Washington Wizards (from Phoenix)
Golden State Warriors (from Miami through Brooklyn and Indiana)
Sacramento Kings (from Chicago through San Antonio)
Utah Jazz (from Dallas)
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Atlanta)
Chicago Bulls (from Sacramento)
Orlando Magic
Milwaukee Bucks (from Detroit through Washington)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Golden State through Washington and Brooklyn)
Cleveland Cavaliers (from Milwaukee)
New York Knicks (from Memphis through OKC and Boston)
Los Angeles Clippers (from Minnesota through Atlanta and Houston)
Phoenix Suns (from Denver through Charlotte and Minnesota)
Utah Jazz (from LA Clippers through LA Lakers)
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies (from Houston)
Orlando Magic (from Boston)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Houston Rockets (from OKC through Atlanta)
What are the 2025 NBA Draft dates?
The NBA draft will take place over two days for the second straight year. The first round, which includes the first 30 picks, is on Wednesday, June 25, followed by Round 2 on Thursday, June 26.
What is the 2025 NBA Draft location?
The Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets in New York, is hosting the entire draft.
Why are there only 59 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft?
CHICAGO — Legendary Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in more than 20 years on Friday before Chicago's afternoon game with the Seattle Mariners.
Sosa, who is set to be inducted into the Cubs' team Hall of Fame this year, arrived at the iconic North Side ballpark in a black SUV. He was greeted by owner Tom Ricketts, who embraced him in a hug as he exited the vehicle.
Sosa became the face of the Cubs franchise where he played 13 seasons after coming in a trade from the crosstown White Sox in March 1992. A seven-time All-Star, Sosa hit 545 homers in 1,811 games with the Cubs and hit a franchise-record 66 in 1998 when he was named the NL's MVP.
Sosa, now 56, played his final game with the Cubs at Wrigley on Oct. 2, 2004, when he homered and had two hits in an 8-6 loss to Atlanta. During his years with the Cubs, Sosa appeared to bulk up drastically and was a headliner in a generation of baseball's biggest names linked to performance-enhancing drugs.
The Cubs traded him to Baltimore with cash in February 2005 for three players.
Sosa appeared to acknowledge using performance-enhancing drugs in December when he released a statement saying he was sorry for mistakes, without specifying them.
“There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games,” he said in the statement. “I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”
On Friday morning, Sosa posed for photos with rising Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong outside the team's clubhouse and a video showed Sosa embracing manager Craig Counsell in his office before the game.
“(Sosa) saw the wind blowing out today and planned this trip around a good day to be here,” Counsell joked. “He asked to be in the lineup because the wind's blowing out.”
The Cubs honored Sosa with a video board tribute after the second inning. Sosa waved and bowed to fans from a suite during the presentation.
In Thursday's 8-7 loss to Milwaukee, Crow-Armstrong went deep to set a new team record for reaching 20 homers and 20-plus stolen stolen bases the fastest, doing it in 73 games. Sosa had the old mark of 96, set in 1994.
Counsell, who faced Sosa as a player, saluted the former slugger for his strength at the plate and long homers, as well as star power.
“Probably the best thing, Sammy was a true entertainer," Counsell said. "I think when you're in this long enough, you realize that's part of this.
“We're also here to entertain and I think Sammy was great at that.”
The Calgary Flames have re-signed winger Dryden Hunt to a two-year two-way contract extension with an AAV of $825,000.
The 29-year-old played 33 games for Calgary in two seasons, scoring three goals and 11 points.
He has played 89 games for Calgary's AHL affiliate team, the Wranglers, scoring 28 goals and 86 points, but it was last season where he scored a-point-a-game in 49 games with 16 goals, prompting Calgary to sign him to a two-way extension.
The former undraftee has played a total of 235 NHL games, scoring 18 goals and 54 points.
“I don’t know why it’s discussed so much in our sport and why it’s the end-all-be-all of everything,” James said on the “Mind the Game” podcast. “You tell me Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Steve Nash weren’t f–king unbelievable? They can’t be talked about with these guys because they won rings? It’s like saying Peyton Manning can’t be in the same room with Tom Brady or [Patrick] Mahomes because he only has one ring.
“They don’t ever discuss that in their sport. Barry Bonds never won a World Series, and you can’t sit here and tell me that he’s not the greatest baseball player to ever touch a bat. … Jerry West went to like nine straight NBA Finals and was only able to win one ring. And he’s the logo of our league.”
Green and his podcast co-host Baron Davis discussed James’ comments on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” where Davis initially said he “definitely” agrees with James.
And while Green does too, he shared a more thought-out response with a big-picture perspective.
“I think ring culture took a big turn and came into play in large part due to the success of the Golden State Warriors. What Bron was saying is that you get guys like Stephen A. [Smith], and to me it felt like Stephen A is someone who talks a lot about rings and you don’t know what it takes to win a ring because you’ve never won a ring. You don’t understand because you’ve never gone through it. And because you don’t know how hard it is because you’ve never gone through it, then you start using it to lessen the greatness of some of the greats.
“Is having a ring important? Of course. Does it add to legacies? Does it stamp legacies? Absolutely. I’m not going to sit here and act like having a ring or rings doesn’t matter. It does matter. But it doesn’t make [Charles] Barkley less great than he was. It doesn’t make Allen Iverson less great. I think when people use it, they use it to dim the greatness, dim the light on guys. And that’s what I felt like Bron was getting at.”
To Green’s point, both Barkley and Iverson are Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers, 11-time NBA All-Stars and one-time league MVPs.
But some critics have downplayed their greatness over the simple fact that they never hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
In more recent times, players such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and probably more than anyone, Chris Paul, have been scrutinzed for never getting over that hump of winning a championship.
“CP and James Harden, if they don’t run into us [the Warriors], they probably do win a championship,” Green said. “Sometimes, that’s just how the cookie crumbles. But that don’t mean those guys aren’t great. That don’t mean Chris Paul isn’t a winner. Chris Paul is a winner. There’s so many things that have to go right for you to win a championship.
“So to just lessen someone’s greatness because of it, I think that’s wrong. Again, I’m not saying that having the rings don’t matter. When I walk in a room, I feel great about the four rings I have. But that does not lessen someone else’s greatness.”
While people will have their own opinions and continue to debate their stance, Davis ended with a pretty level-headed statement.
“There are more great players than great players that won rings,” Davis said, as Green agreed. “There are more great players who haven’t won rings than great players that have won rings. That’s the way we got to look at it.”
Twenty-three years ago today, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore won the Hart Trophy. It was the 16th time a Hab player had won the MVP honor and only the second time a goaltender had managed it (Jacques Plante won it in 1961-62).
That season, Theodore played 67 games for the Canadiens, posting a 30-24-10 record while maintaining a 2.11 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. While Plante won 42 games in the year of his win, his numbers weren’t as high as the Laval native's; he had a 2.37 GAA and a .923 SV.
That year, Theodore also won the Vezina Trophy and the Roger Crozier MBNA Saving Grace Award, in recognition of the goaltender with the best save percentage in the NHL. It was presented from the 1999-00 season through the 2006-07 season, and only seven goaltenders won it, including another Canadiens’ goaltender, Cristobal Huet.
It looked like the Canadiens were set in goal for a long time with Theodore, but things didn’t go as planned. His stats plummeted in 2005-06, when he posted 17 wins in 38 games with Montreal, but only maintained a 3.46 GAA and a .881 SV%. During that season, he also failed a random drug test because he was taking hair loss medication; he wasn’t sanctioned by the NHL but was banned from international play for two years. Outperformed by backup Cristobal Huet, Theodore was flipped to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline for Swiss goaltender David Aebischer.
Theodore struggled to find his form back in Denver. He spent part of three seasons in Colorado, with his last being his best, boasting a 2.44 GAA, a .910 SV%, and a 28-21-3 record. Still, the Avs had seen enough, and he wasn’t offered another contract at the end of the 2007-08 season and joined the Washington Capitals on a two-year contract.
Theodore had hoped that joining Alexander Ovechkin’s side would be a path to a Stanley Cup win, but the Caps lost in the second round to eventual Cup champions Sidney Crosby and his Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, in 2009-2010, Theodore was a casualty of the Halak Spring when the Canadiens beat Washington in the first round of the playoffs. The former Hab started the first two games, but was replaced by Semyon Varlamov in the second one, and the Russian remained in the net for the rest of the series. That same year, Theodore won the Bill Masterton Trophy after playing through the trauma of the death of his two-month-old son, who had been born prematurely.
Theodore would go on to play three more seasons in the NHL, one with the Minnesota Wild and two with the Florida Panthers, but he retired without ever winning the Stanley Cup.
Photo credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
On Thursday night, the Indiana Pacers defended their home court one final time to force a Game 7 in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pacers, who entered the series as massive underdogs and will be again for Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup, still have a big mountain to climb in order to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
But fear not, Indiana. Draymond Green detailed what he believes the Pacers’ game plan should be if they want to come out on top in Game 7.
“I think the Pacers win this game by Rick Carlisle coming out and out-coaching Mark Daigneault,” Green told co-host Baron Davis. “This is the biggest game in Mark Daigneault’s coaching career. This is his first time playing in a game of this magnitude. Rick Carlisle coached a team to a championship.”
Carlisle won the 2011 NBA Finals as the coach of the Dallas Mavericks, while Daigneault has no previous Finals coaching experience.
“I think that’s their upper hand, is Rick has been there, and I think Rick has something in his back pocket,” Green continued. “If I’m Rick, here’s my game plan.
“OKC, at times, struggles to score. I think we all can agree on that. Every time [Jalen Williams] comes off a pick-and-roll, I’m all-out blitzing him. … He’s also not accustomed to getting blitzed, so you can throw something at him that he hasn’t seen, and he has to try to adjust to that in the biggest game of his life, with all the money on the line.”
Meanwhile, Green advocated for a less aggressive defensive strategy against NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He believes the Pacers should guard the Thunder’s top scorer one-on-one with Andrew Nembhard and not help off their outside shooters, including Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins.
“I’m staying home on all of those guys,” Green explained. “If Shai goes for 50 [points], beat us with your 50. We’re not letting these guys get anything. Because if Caruso gets 16, Lu Dort gets 12 to 14, and Wiggins gets 12 to 14, [the Pacers] stand no chance at winning.”
On the other end, Green’s game plan for the Pacers offense revolves around Tyrese Haliburton quickly pushing the ball up the floor to Pascal Siakam in transition.
“I’m telling Haliburton — which he does, but I’m telling him to make it a point — advance the ball to Pascal out ahead every time. Pascal can then get to the paint,” Green detailed. “He’s the only player on their team that can draw a double team, and he even does it in transition.”
Then, Green says, Siakam can either finish at the rim against a single defender or kick it out to the perimeter against a double team, allowing his Pacers teammates to take advantage of the added space.
Will Carlisle opt to mimic Coach Draymond’s game plan? If so, will the strategy work?
Millions of NBA fans will tune in Sunday evening to find out.
The 2025 NHL draft is a huge one for the Flyers’ rebuild.
Not only does Danny Briere have a lot of high-round picks at his disposal, but he also could be creative in how he uses them.
“There are all kinds of possibilities here,” the Flyers’ general manager said in April. “I think it’s really exciting going into it. It’s powerful to have so many picks like that. I think a lot of teams will be wanting to have discussions with us to make some things happen — teams that don’t have picks or teams that want to tweak things.”
So it’s a busy time for the Flyers leading up to the draft, which will be held June 27-28. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at noon ET.
“There are really good players in this draft,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said May 27 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Maybe people say it’s not a good draft; I’m not buying it. I think this draft has got lots of good players.”
The Flyers are slotted to make 11 picks, including three first-rounders and four second-rounders. Their first-round selections will come at No. 6 (own pick), No. 22 (Sean Walker trade) and No. 31 (Oilers trade).
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Jack Nesbitt
Position: Center Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 186 Shoots: Left Team: Windsor
Scouting report
Nesbitt has excellent length and smarts, which make him super effective on the forecheck and finishing in close.
With more opportunity down the stretch, the 18-year-old pivot stood out on a loaded 2024-25 Spitfires club. From February to the end of the regular season, he put up 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 18 games.
For a team that had 124-point Ilya Protas and 119-point Liam Greentree, Nesbitt recorded 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) and a plus-12 rating in 65 games. Six of his goals came on the power play, two were at shorthanded and he won 51.4 percent of his faceoffs. He added 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 12 playoff games.
“He’s a player that, like, it’s unanimous with our group,” Dan Marr, the vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said June 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Nesbitt is the 15th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. When Marr worked for the Maple Leafs as an amateur scout, Toronto drafted Nesbitt’s head coach Greg Walters in 1990. Thanks to that connection, Marr had no problem letting Walters know about his displeasure with Nesbitt’s minutes earlier in the season.
“I was getting mad at him because I didn’t think he was playing him enough,” Marr, who worked in scouting and player development for over 20 years, said. “But I give the kid credit, the kid earned more and more ice time as the season went along, they had him out in more key situations.”
The knock on Nesbitt right now would be his lack of foot speed. His ability to separate and score will need work. But he brings intriguing size down the middle and a fluid skating stride.
“We think his upside is really, really strong,” Marr said. “I think teams will step up for him. It was consensus with our group and I think it’s consensus with a lot of NHL teams. Windsor was very well-scouted near the end of the year and in the playoffs just because he continued to elevate his game as the season went along. So I think this is a player that teams will step up for. He has got so much room to grow, so much room.”
“This is a guy who can really move well, he has got good hands and he has got a decent touch around the net,” Marr said. “Just his hockey instincts, with and without the puck, they’re very, very impressive.”
(Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)
Fit with Flyers
So much has been made of the Flyers potentially landing a center at No. 6. But if they were to snag Nesbitt with their second or third first-round pick, that would add some solid depth at a position of need.
His strengths are in the details of the game, so his floor at worst might be a third-line center. But his ceiling really seems to be high and he could be in for an offensive breakout as he becomes a go-to guy with the Spitfires.
The Flyers went the OHL route in the first round last summer when they took speedy center Jett Luchanko. Nesbitt would be another OHL center with some all-situation qualities.
SAN FRANCISCO – Red Sox manager Alex Cora was in no mood to discuss the tiny details and nuances behind Boston’s decision to trade Rafael Devers to the Giants earlier this week. In Cora’s view, it was nothing more than a simple baseball move.
For all the talk circulating about Devers being a problem child in the Red Sox clubhouse and having serious communication issues with management after the team wanted him to change positions, Cora instead focused on the good that Devers brought to Boston.
“He produced,” said Cora, who acknowledged it will be ‘awkward’ to see Devers in another uniform. “You look at the list of homers in the franchise, 500 extra-base hits, the World Series ring. There’s a lot of stuff Raffy did for us that we’re going to miss. We’re very proud of him. To face him here, it’s going to be different.
“I appreciate everything he did for us, everything he did for me. This weekend we have to get him out. We’re prepared for that, and obviously he’s prepared to do the opposite.”
The deal happened so abruptly that Devers left the East Coast and flew to San Francisco before many of his Red Sox teammates had learned about the trade.
“He’s been a cornerstone of this franchise for a long time. To see him on TV in a different uniform is weird,” Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story said. “Once we’re out there it’ll be good to see him and talk to him and kind fo say bye. We didn’t really get to talk to him (when the trade happened).”
Story said he felt the Red Sox handled the news of the trade well, noting that they had to move on quickly.
“I wouldn’t say a gut-punch. I would say it’s more of a shock to the system a bit,” Story said. “I think we did a good job of not letting that hang around. There’s ball to be played and we know we still have a good team.”
When a Boston reporter asked Cora if he felt the need to meet with Devers at any point to clear the air, the Red Sox manager basically shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s baseball, it’s a business, that’s how it works,” Cora said. “People have their opinions about the whole thing, communication, first base, the age, third base, the manager, GM, owners, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end I turn the page.
“Nothing in this business is personal. That’s something that throughout the years I always tell then, We agree on a lot of stuff, we disagree in others. Xander Bogaerts is in San Diego, it’s not personal. Mookie Betts is in LA, it’s not personal. Raffy Devers is with the Giants, it’s not personal.”
It’s personal for the Giants, who now boast a bat in their lineup capable of changing the direction of this season by his presence alone.
ST. LOUIS -- Now that the 2024-25 season is behind and the Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions, it's a quick turnaround for everyone looking ahead to 2025-26.
For the St. Louis Blues, the focus turns to the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28, where they'll -- barring trade(s) -- have a first-, a fifth-, and a sixth-round pick and no rest for the weary because free agency then kicks off July 1st.
There's also a development camp, which takes place June 30-July 3 and features some of the top prospects in the organization, but for the immediate needs, what will be the focus of the Blues to improve on their 44-30-8 record and entry into the playoffs for the first time in three years?
Do the Blues look to alter the blue line, where it has already been confirmed that veteran Torey Krug's days in the NHL are likely over barring a miraculous recovery from an arthritic condition in his left ankle? Will veterans Justin Faulk and/or Nick Leddy be in play on the trade market?
The Blues have all sorts of options on the table and just north of $13 million in cap space at their disposal should they get the green light to use it or choose to use it.
