2 Blackhawks Appear On NHL Network's Quarter Century Team

NHL Network revealed their Quarter Century Team for the league as a whole. Anyone who played from January 1, 2000, to the present was eligible to be included on the list. 

As expected, there is a nice mix of players from the early part of this era and players who are still active in the NHL. 

Two Chicago Blackhawks are on the list, as Patrick Kane made it in the forward group and Duncan Keith was one of the defensemen. 

NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) on XNHL Network (@NHLNetwork) on XIntroducing the NHL Network's Quarter Century Team!

Kane is still playing in the NHL as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, but most of what he did that earned him a spot on this list came with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kane has 492 goals, 851 assists, and 1343 points in 1302 games played. To go with his video game stats are three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Hart Trophy, and a Calder Trophy. He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he's done. 

The most impressive part about Kane is that he elevated his play once he got to the playoffs. The brighter the lights, the better Kane played. 

As for Keith, he retired after playing one year with the Edmonton Oilers in 2021-22. Before that, 16 years came and went with the Chicago Blackhawks. 

As a defenseman, he played in 1256 games where he scored 106 goals and had 540 assists for 646 points. Like Kane, he also won the Stanley Cup three times and the Conn Smythe once. Keith won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL twice in an era where there were tons of elite defenders.

Keith is already in the Hall of Fame, which was never in doubt. Now, he waits to get into the Blackhawks Hall of Fame in addition to possibly having his number retired. 

The 2009-2017 era for Chicago was the best in franchise history. Having two guys on this list is impressive, considering the talent that exists around the league. You know the team is deep when stars like Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa didn't crack the lineup. 

Kane and Keith were just a tick more productive throughout their years. With all the hardware and statistics that are next to their names, they are well deserving of this honor. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Celtics reportedly will start Payton Pritchard, bring Anfernee Simons off bench

With Jrue Holiday traded away to Portland, a starting guard spot opens up in Boston next to Derrick White.

Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard is going to be handed that starting spot, which means Anfernee Simons would come off the bench as the sixth man, reports Grant Afseth at FastbreakJournal.com.

The Celtics believe Pritchard has earned the starting job through years of steady development. His familiarity with the system and readiness to handle expanded responsibilities have made him the preferred option to open games at point guard.

This shouldn't come as a surprise, although Pritchard is going to have to solidify this in training camp (Simons may fit better with the other starters, such as Jaylen Brown). Pritchard averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc last season, but in the three games he started those numbers jumped up to 21.7 points and 7.3 assists per game.

Simons should thrive in a sixth-man role where he is asked to come in and just get buckets. He averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists a game last season in Portland, shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc. This is a contract year for Simons (he's on an expiring contract at $27.7 million), and he'll be looking to put up numbers and raise his value for that next contract.

Could Simons make it back-to-back Sixth Men of the Year in Boston? It's something to watch in what could be a crowded field this year.

Duran feels ‘like nothing happened,' Bohm almost back, Castellanos sits vs. Nats

Duran feels ‘like nothing happened,' Bohm almost back, Castellanos sits vs. Nats originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — Jhoan Duran’s pain subsided quickly. 

A day after Duran took a line drive to the ankle and left the field in the Nationals’ bullpen cart, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said the closer is “good to go” if there’s a Saturday save situation. 

How does Duran feel?

“Good,” he said pregame. “A hundred percent. I don’t feel nothing. It’s crazy … like nothing happened.”

Duran received clean X-ray results Friday night and the Phillies’ concern soon evaporated. 

“They feel like it hit his ankle, hit a nerve, and he got kind of dead foot,” Thomson said. “He actually walked out to the bus pretty good (last night), and then he came in normal today.”

Bohm likely back for series finale 

Two Phillies appear set to return from rib injuries on Sunday.

Aaron Nola will start against the Nationals and Alec Bohm’s rehab assignment is over.

“We’ll probably activate him tomorrow,” Thomson said. “He’ll be flying in here today.”

Bohm’s last MLB appearance came on July 18. He hit 3 for 21 for Triple-A Lehigh Valley with one walk and two strikeouts. Bohm homered on Wednesday and tripled on Thursday. 

Slumping Castellanos sits 

Over the Phillies’ last eight games, Nick Castellanos has reached base once.

The 33-year-old right fielder has gone 1 for 33 with zero walks and nine strikeouts. His season OPS has fallen under .700. Castellanos’ 88 OPS+ would be the worst in his career for a full season.

Thomson’s lineup Saturday did not include Castellanos. Max Kepler got the start in right field, Harrison Bader in center, Brandon Marsh in left. 

“It was pre-planned,” Thomson said. “He swung the bat pretty good last night; he was a lot better. He was lofting some balls to center field, hit a couple of balls hard. Makes a great throw. 

“He’ll be back in there tomorrow. … Moving forward, I’m trying to get a good mix of getting all those guys in there, because Nick’s going to get hot at some point and I want to make sure that I know when that is. And those other guys are swinging the bats well, too.”

When asked Thursday about Castellanos’ struggles, Thomson said he’s “just been off balance a little bit.”

“Not letting the ball travel,” Thomson said. “When he’s scuffling, that’s usually what he’s doing. We all know he’s a streaky guy and he’ll get it back. It’s just a matter of when.”

Much More On Rangers "Toughness Or Not?"

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The question touched a Maven's Roundtable nerve and the reactions have been intense. So I repeat: HOW TOUGH ARE THE RANGERS?

"That remains to be seen the kind of toughness the blueline additions will bring," ponders Guardians Of The Goal author George Grimm. "During the season, Cuylle, Rempe, Trocheck and Carrick should provide enough regular season toughness to get by.

"For the playoffs, however, the Rangers will need more muscle if they hope to advance past the opening round. (NOTE: FIRST THEY HAVE TO GET IN!) The club still needs that smart, tough player that the opposition fears."

New Roundtable voice Larry Hirsch knows toughness from covering the Tampa Bay Lightning's double-Cup run.

"In today's game," says Hirsch, "toughness is better gauged by how a player plays. Is he tough enough to go to the front of the net, or block shots or give a tough check or fight to get his team going. Are the Rangers tough enough? NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! Frankly, I fear that they are not close to being relevant, no matter who's behind the bench.

"But, wait;, let's see how Mike Sullivan coaches. The best teams are those that can adjust to play the other teams on the way they can play. Florida and Tampa Bay showed exactly that. Result: Back to back Stanley Cups."

Charter Roundtable member Alan Greenberg has covered the Panthers for decades. Now writing good stuff for Florida Hockey Now, Big Al grew up a Rangers' fan in Brooklyn. Thus, he has dual hockey citizenship.

"The Rangers lost toughness with Lindgren and Trouba gone, despite the criticism of their play," Greenberg asserts. "Rempe, Edstrom and Cuylle are holdovers, so nothing added. Rempe and Edstrom need more minutes to prove themselves. 

"The only one added is Miller – and we'll see how that works. Sitting here in Florida, one has to admire the combo of Tkachuk, Bennett and Marchand. Nasty, intimidating and effective." Then, a pause: "That's why they have back-to-back Cups!"   

This from veteran – eminent, I might add – NHL columnist-plus Patrick Hoffman: "The Blueshirts have players who can play tough; such as Vincent Trocheck, Matt Rempe, Will Cuylle, Sam Carrick. J.T. Miller and Braden Schneider; that's a lot of physical hockey.

The Gory Aftereffects Of The Rangers Greatest BrawlThe Gory Aftereffects Of The Rangers Greatest BrawlThe greatest mass fight in history between the Canadiens and Rangers in Old Madison Square Garden (March 16, 1947) had major – and very nasty – repercussions.

"But the real question is this: can they play that way consistently enough to be an effective and winning team? They did not do it last season and certainly didn't do it against the Panthers in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. I say the jury is still out. 

They still are not tougher than the Panthers and that could be a problem next spring, if the Rangers get into the playoffs."

The Old Maestro, David Perlmutter, the most succinct Roundtable authority, snaps, "The Rangers are neither big enough, nor tough enough." And leaves it at that. (I said "succinct," didn't I? What did you expect, a book?)

My 19-year-old hockey-playing grandson counters, "Perlmutter is wrong. The Rangers have the NHL's two biggest (6-8) players in Rempe and Edstrom, plus Gavrikov will add to Schneider's toughness on defense."

'Nuff said. Here's The Maven's conclusion: The Rangers' weakness – as in weak – is that they don't have Tkachuk (either one), Bennett nor  Marchand. Did I forget someone? Of course I did:

And Paul Maurice behind the bench!

South Africa 22-38 Australia: Rugby Championship Test – as it happened

A Harry Wilson double inspires an Australian comeback with 38 unanswered points from 0-22 down to win in Johannesburg for the first time since 1963 .

What a start for the Springboks! It started with Wright fumbling a Williams box kick and then it was all momentum. Just about every player was involved. Du Toit, Kolisi and more had strong carries until the cracks opened. Fassie joined from fullback to play the final pass to his left where Arendse had a simple run in. That move went several phases and 70 metres.

Libbok nails the conversion from the left.

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Championship roundup: Coventry rally denies Derby, Birmingham earn late win

  • Coventry 5-3 Derby, Blackburn 1-2 Birmingham

  • Swansea 1-0 Sheffield Utd, Sheffield Wed 0-3 Stoke

Coventry staged a stunning comeback to beat Derby 5-3 at Pride Park. The visitors, coached by the former Derby manager Frank Lampard, scored three times in the space of eight minutes for a remarkable victory.

The teams traded goals in the first half with Derby twice coming from behind to go in level at the break before their captain, Ebou Adams, put them in front. But after Brandon Thomas-Asante equalised, Ephron Mason-Clark and Victor Torp settled a pulsating match.

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NHL Summer Splash Rankings: No. 2, Florida Panthers

The final two teams are left in The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings, which rank the off-seasons of every NHL team, and when you’re this high on the list, you’ve done a lot of things right.

Our rankings, which break down every team’s off-season additions, departures, hirings and firings, resulted in teams fitting into one of three areas: off-seasons that have improved the team, off-seasons that have kept the team largely the same, and off-seasons that have made the team worse. Moving from worst off-seasons to best off-seasons, we’re now well past the point where we’re focused on teams that have regressed or stayed the same. 

And in this specific file, we’re looking at the No. 2 team in our rankings, the defending, back-to-back Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers,

Many thought the Panthers would have to strip away talent due to salary cap constrictions, but the primary reason they’re in second place on our summer splash list is the fact that they were able to keep things largely together. You needn’t make many additions when you’ve got a dynasty-in-the-making, so it’s understandable why Florida bent over backward to keep the gang together.

Additions

Nolan Foote (LW), Jeff Petry (D), Daniil Tarasov (G)

The Breakdown: The Panthers went all-in for their second straight Cup win last season, acquiring veteran left winger Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline. But while many presumed Marchand would be a pure rental and only a Panther for less than half of a season, Florida GM Bill Zito found a way to keep Marchand around for the long term, signing him to a six-year contract this summer.

Similarly, people wondered if the Panthers could hold onto UFAs Sam Bennett and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, but not only did Zito manage to do that, he also re-signed Marchand, Ekblad, and Bennett to deals that had a combined salary cap hit of $19.35 million. That’s terrific asset management, and that’s the primary reason we’ve got Florida ranked second overall on this list.

The Panthers did make a couple additions, first signing former Detroit Red Wings blueliner Jeff Petry to a low-cost, decent-reward $775,000 one-year contract. The 37-year-old Petry is far from his peak as a 40-point-producing D-man, but Florida has excelled at making new acquisitions thrive, and as a depth blueliner, Petry could have a late-career renewal as a Panther.

The other notable addition is former Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Tarasov, who effectively replaces Vitek Vanecek as Sergei Bobrovsky's understudy. Tarasov’s numbers (including a 3.54 goals-against average and .881 save percentage) were sub-par, but so was the Blue Jackets team in front of him. The 36-year-old Bobrovsky is still going to get the lion’s share of the work in Florida’s net, but it will be intriguing to see how they work Tarasov into the team dynamic.

Florida Panthers (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Departures

Jesse Puljujarvi (RW), Nico Sturm (C), Nate Schmidt (D), Vitek Vanecek (G)

The Breakdown: Go through the rosters of teams that have won Cups, and see the type of roster turnover those teams go through in the immediate years following winning a championship. You’d find that most teams, for one reason or another, are forced to send at least a handful of players packing. 

But this hasn’t been the case with Florida this summer. Zito has conducted a masterclass in roster retention, and that has resulted in losing only two Panthers players who appeared in playoff action last spring: veteran defenseman Schmidt, who averaged only 16:32 of ice time as a third-tier blueliner, and forward Sturm, who averaged just 8:59 of ice time in eight playoff games for Florida.

So, the Panthers have found a way to bring back 95 percent of their regular players and set themselves up for another deep playoff run next spring. Zito couldn’t have done a better job keeping the band together, and having to part ways only with two fringe players underscores what a great job Zito is doing as GM.

The Bottom Line

When we put these summer splash rankings together, THN.com’s writers and editors agreed that we weren’t going to reward teams simply for making a slew of changes. We wanted the big picture teams that painted this summer to dictate where we slotted a team in on this list, and that’s why the Panthers are ranked ahead of all but one of their 31 counterparts.

Zito has yet to win a Jim Gregory Award as the NHL’s best GM, but you’d have to think that will change after the recent success Zito has had. He found a way to utilize all his cap space by locking up UFAs when those UFAs had all the leverage. This has proven to be a problem for Zito’s GM colleagues, so it isn’t an understatement to note Zito is performing on another level right now.

It’s still going to be an uphill climb for the Panthers to win three straight Cups, but you can’t say Zito hasn’t given his players and Florida coach Paul Maurice all the tools they’ll need to make a deep playoff push and win it all. When few people believed Zito would re-sign all of Marchand, Ekblad and Bennett, he went out and did exactly that. And for that reason, the Panthers deserve to be second-overall on our summer splash list. Only one team had a better off-season, and that’s a credit to Zito & Co..

Summer Splash Rankings

2. Florida Panthers

3. Vegas Golden Knights

4. Carolina Hurricanes

5. Anaheim Ducks

6. Philadelphia Flyers

7. Vancouver Canucks

8. San Jose Sharks

9. Utah Mammoth

10. New York Rangers

11. Detroit Red Wings

12. New Jersey Devils

13. St. Louis Blues

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

15. Colorado Avalanche

16. Ottawa Senators

17. Boston Bruins

18. Edmonton Oilers

19. Minnesota Wild

20. Seattle Kraken

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

22. Washington Capitals

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Glenn Maxwell steers Australia to T20 series win over South Africa in thriller

  • Third T20i: Australia, 173-8, bt SA, 172-7, by two wkts

  • Maxwell’s 62 gets hosts home with one ball to spare

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell produced an unbeaten half-century in a tense chase to help the hosts edge out South Africa by two wickets in the third and final T20 international in Cairns on Saturday. Maxwell’s unbeaten 62 off 36 balls helped Australia chase down 173 with one ball to spare at the Cazalys Stadium, completing a 2-1 series victory in style.

After 18 overs, it was a run-a-ball target for Australia with Maxwell in the middle. The South African bowler Corbin Bosch (three for 26) claimed two wickets and kept Maxwell away from the strike. Needing 10 off the last over from Lungi Ngidi, Maxwell took six from the first four balls before reverse-sweeping for four to seal Australia’s dramatic victory.

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Analyzing Nets' 2025-26 regular season schedule

We’re still over two months away from the NBA’s 2025-26 regular season tipping off, but the hype train’s left the station with the release of the schedule. Let’s dive into all 82 games and give fans a glimpse of what’s to come for their Brooklyn Nets… 

Key dates

Sept. 29: NBA Training Camp opens for the Brooklyn Nets

Oct. 10 & 12: 2025 Preseason: NBA China Games | Nets vs. Suns | The Venetian Arena in Macao

Oct. 21: Start of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Opening Night

Dec. 9-10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals) 

Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV) 

Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Las Vegas, NV) 

Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)

Feb. 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA

April 12: Regular season ends

Top matchups

Fri. Oct. 10 and Sun. Oct. 12 against the Phoenix Suns - NBA China Games

The borough continues to go global as Brooklyn kicks off its preseason as one of the NBA’s two representatives in their China Games, taking place over two nights in Macao. Just one and a half seasons after their massive blockbuster trade, these two teams meet without the major players they swapped, but with refreshed and intriguing rosters ready to hit the court.

Wed. Oct. 22 @ Charlotte Hornets

The 2025-26 Nets regular season opens on the road as they take on LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and the upstart Hornets. This should be a winnable and exciting game for Brooklyn against another rebuilding team in the conference.

Fri. Oct. 24 vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Their home opener takes place a couple days later against a much stronger foe, as the reigning top-seeded Cavs led by Donovan Mitchell (and former Net Jarrett Allen) come to town.

Mon. Oct. 27 @ Houston Rockets

The Nets face Kevin Durant in his (latest) new uniform for the first time when they travel south to Houston early in the season. 

Mon. Dec. 29 vs Golden State Warriors

When Stephen Curry visits, you know you’re going to get a show. 

Sun. Jan. 4 vs Denver Nuggets

It’s always special to watch one of the best NBA players of his era come to Barclays to perform, and Nikola Jokic is as generational as they come. The Nets faithful also get to see Cameron Johnson return for the first time in a Denver uniform. 

Tue. Feb. 3 v Los Angeles Lakers

In what could be one of his final visits to Barclays, LeBron James comes to Brooklyn alongside star Luka Doncic

Tue. Feb. 24 vs Dallas Mavericks

Number one overall pick Cooper Flagg makes his professional Barclays Center debut, alongside former Net Kyrie Irving, making his second return to Brooklyn.

NBA Cup games

Fri. Nov. 7 vs Detroit Pistons

Fri. Nov. 14 @ Orlando Magic

Fri. Nov. 21 @ Boston Celtics

Fri. Nov. 28 vs Philadelphia 76ers

Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the first quarter at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Easiest stretches

Brooklyn has a pretty soft December, opening it up against Charlotte at home, Chicago on the road, Utah at home and New Orleans at home. They then take off for the NBA Cup Tournament or a mid-season reprieve, to come back and face the Heat and Raptors at home.

The Nets’ best stretch of games comes down the stretch of their season, timely if they’re in the Play-In hunt. Beginning Sun. Mar. 29, they get a six-game home stint featuring Sacramento, Charlotte, Atlanta, Washington, Milwaukee and Indiana.

Toughest stretches

Brooklyn has to suffer through a pretty brutal winter, beginning Dec. 23 when they take on Philly then Minny on the road before going home to play Golden State. 

They then have a back-to-back beginning on New Year’s day against the Rockets and at the Wizards, before playing the Nuggets, Magic and Clippers at home and hitting another back-to-back in Memphis and Dallas.

Not two weeks later, the Nets embark on their longest road trip of the season, visiting the Clippers, Suns, Nuggets and Jazz on a back-to-back before flying out to Detroit. They return home to be greeted by LeBron and the Lakers before taking off to play the Magic in Orlando. 

Playoff seeding

If the Nets can find themselves in the Play-In race come the home stretch of the season, their last eight games provide them a decent run at making a play. They have to survive a four-game west coast swing against the Kings, Blazers, Warriors and Lakers first.

Then they go into their late-season home stand mentioned above before closing the year with road games against the Bucks and Raptors. 

Aston Villa v Newcastle: Premier League – as it happened

Newcastle United missed the pick of the chances while Ezri Konsa took a red card for his Villa team as the side played out a reasonably entertaining stalemate

Sandro Tonali: Newcastle’s Italian midfielder looks fighting fit and in a very good mood as he makes his way back to the dressing-room following his warm-up having a laugh and a joke with Tino Livramento. En route to the tunnel, he goes out of his way to high five several young Villa fans.

Some correspondence: “As a previously pessimistic Toon fan, our starting XI looks very balanced, steady at the back and middle and hopefully enterprising enough up front without Isak,” writes Jeremy Keady. “Not sure about our depth for today or indeed the coming months, but a point here would be great, considering our next match (Liverpool at home) and tricky first six matches (Villa, Liverpool, Leeds away, Wolves at home, Bournemouth away and Arsenal at home).”

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Analyzing Knicks' 2025-26 regular season schedule

We’re still over two months away from the NBA’s 2025-26 regular season tipping off, but the hype train’s left the station with the release of the schedule. Let’s dive into all 82 games and give fans a glimpse of what’s to come for their New York Knicks

Key dates

Sept. 24: Training Camp opens for the New York Knicks

Oct. 2 & 4: 2025 Preseason: NBA Abu Dhabi Games | Knicks vs. 76ers | Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi

Oct. 21: Start of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Opening Night

Dec. 9-10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals) 

Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV) 

Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Las Vegas, NV) 

Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)

Feb. 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA

April 12: Regular season ends

Top matchups

Thu. Oct 2 and Sat. Oct. 4 against Philadelphia 76ers (Abu Dhabi Games)

It’s been a minute since Knicks fans got to see their team before any others took the court, and this year they’ll have that chance with the team participating in the NBA’s Global Games in Abu Dhabi. 

Not only is it a chance to see the team early, but in a neutral ground site for some fun mid-day action -- unfortunately the hiring of Mike Brown might mean more development time for the deep bench and less overexposure of the starters, for those who want to see the stars.

Wed. Oct. 22 vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Opening night at Madison Square Garden against your (most healthy) top rival in the East, what could be better? The Knicks get a true test right out of the gates in what will be a raucous, can’t-miss environment to kick off the highest expectation-laden season in decades.

Thu. Dec. 25 vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Tired of chain snatching Donovan Mitchell? Better be ready to do it twice on a national stage before the New Year’s, as New York gets Cleveland again for their Christmas Day game.

Mon. Jan. 19 vs Dallas Mavericks

The highly-anticipated number one overall pick of this year’s NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, comes to town in a MLK Day matinee that should make for an awesome matchup.

Sun. Feb. 1 vs Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James in the Garden - maybe for the final time?

Wed. Feb. 4 vs Denver Nuggets

The Knicks have played one of the NBA’s perennial contenders and best players well over the past few seasons, setting the stage for hopefully another strong outing vs. Nikola Jokic and his new-look Nuggets.

Wed. Mar. 4 vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Unfortunately the Knicks don’t get to test themselves against the reigning NBA champions until late in the season, with their second matchup coming just before April, when load management takes over the locked-in seeds. 

Sun. Mar 15 vs Golden State Warriors

Whenever Stephen Curry comes to the Garden you know it’s going to be a show, and this game adds some real sizzle to the dog days of the season.

NBA Cup games

Fri. Oct. 31 @ Chicago Bulls

Fri. Nov. 14 vs Miami Heat

Wed. Nov. 26 @ Charlotte Hornets

Fri. Nov. 38 vs Milwaukee Bucks

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dunks against Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dunks against Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images

Easiest stretches

The Knicks' schedule doesn’t pull many punches, perhaps because there’s some front-loading or partially due to the West having a total of one true pushover team. They have a seven-game homestand from November 2 to November 14, and even that includes two back-to-backs.

They face a mix of lottery teams in Chicago, Washington and Brooklyn and tougher teams in Minnesota, Memphis, Orlando and Miami. They don’t have a home stand longer than three games for the rest of the season, with some big West coast trips in between. 

There’s one stretch loaded with middling opponents, once again coming in the early part of the season however. From November 24 to December 5, New York plays Brooklyn, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Charlotte and Utah. 

Toughest stretches

Talk about your brutal holiday travel plans, the Knicks kick off a back-to-back on December 18-19 before playing every other night through New Year’s Eve, which include two road trips and the Christmas Day game. After an NYE bout in San Antonio, they fly back for another back-to-back beginning on January 2, wrapping up 10 games and six cities and in 17 days.

They only have a couple larger West Coach swings, but one falls in a bruising stretch. 

They fly from Toronto back home to face Oklahoma City for a back-to-back on March 3-4, before embarking on a five-game, eight-night road trip against Denver, both LA teams, Utah and Indiana, all to play Golden State at home after a day of rest.

Playoff seeding

If the Knicks haven’t locked in a top two seed before the final weeks of the season, something went terribly wrong or the East showed much greater strength than advertised. In the case of either scenario, the home stretch of their season doesn’t look too bad.

New York plays @ Brooklyn on March 20, followed by vs Washington, vs New Orleans, @ Charlotte, @ Oklahoma City, @ Houston, vs Chicago, @ Atlanta, vs Boston, vs Toronto and vs Charlotte. Those are mostly beatable teams with a couple high-level contenders that could be resting up.

Mets vs. Mariners: How to watch on Aug. 16, 2025

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Citi Field on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on PIX11.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...


Mets Notes

  • Top pitching prospect Nolan McLeanwill make his MLB debut. The 24-year-old owns an 8-5 record with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts over 21 minor league games
  • Francisco Lindor hit his seventh lead-off home run of the season in Friday's loss, tying Curtis Granderson (2015 and 2016) for the all-time Mets single-season record
  • Juan Soto has reached base in each of NY's 13 games in August, batting .280 with 12 runs, five homers, eight RBI, nine walks, four stolen bases and a .980 OPS. so far this month

MARINERS
METS
Randy Arozarena, LFFrancisco Lindor, SS
Cal Raleigh, CJuan Soto, RF
Julio Rodriguez, CFBrandon Nimmo, LF
Josh Naylor, 1BPete Alonso, 1B
Eugenio Suárez, 3BJeff McNeil, DH
Jorge Polanco, DHFrancisco Alvarez, C
Dominic Canzone, RFCedric Mullins, CF
J.P. Crawford, SSRonny Mauricio, 3B
Cole Young, 2BBrett Baty, 2B

How can I watch the game online?

To watch Mets games online via PIX11, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider and live in the New York City metro area. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser.

To get started on your computer, go to the PIX11 live stream website and follow the site's steps. For more FAQs, you can go here.

ICYMI in Mets Land: New York drops series opener to Mariners; Nolan McLean prepared for MLB debut

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

St. Malo's Travis Hamonic Signs in Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings have come to terms with St. Malo product Travis Hamonic on a one-year contract. 

The 34-year-old will make an even $1 million for the 2025-26 season in Motor City, operating under general manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan. 

Photo by David Banks/USA Today 

Hamonic, who spent the past four seasons in Ottawa, has seen his numbers suffer over his time in the nation's capital, as his goal and point total have declined, while his plus-minus has also inflated over the past few seasons. 

A veteran of 900 career games, Hamonic will look to revitalize things on the back-end in Detroit, which will be his fifth NHL team.

After spending seven years to start his career on the Island, the six-foot, 200-pound defender will look to find his way back to the postseason in Detroit after failing to crack the playoffs since the 2018-19 season with Calgary. Hamonic has only made it to the postseason three times in his 15-year career. 

Hamonic joins Jacob Bernard-Docker, James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton, Ian Mitchell and John Gibson as new faces in the winged wheel for 2025-26.