There the Pitt football coach is, standing in front of his players after a largely successful season, explaining to the Panthers why they aren’t going to the ACC championship game.
Agent Scott Boras: Mets free agent Pete Alonso 'an ideal franchise player'
As the GM Meetings roll on in Las Vegas, Wednesday brought about the annual media availability from baseball super agent Scott Boras, who represents a number of this year’s top free agent players, including Pete Alonso.
When asked about which teams could potentially be suitors for the power-hitting first baseman, Boras responded as only he can.
“There’s no doubt Pete’s pursuers are primed to pay the power piper,” Boras quipped. “Pete picked a perfect period to play preeminently at a primary position. A playoff parched plethora will pounce to participate in the Polar Plunge."
This offseason is, of course, Alonso’s second dip into the free agency waters. After a drawn-out process last offseason, Alonso, coming off a down season, returned to the Mets on a two-year deal that included an opt out.
After rebounding to have a much stronger season in 2025, when he passed Darryl Strawberry as the Mets’ all-time home run leader, Alonso opted out and now seems poised to land a longer and more lucrative contract this time around.
And if you ask Boras, it’s Alonso’s ability to develop into a star in New York City, as well as his ability to play every day, that makes him such a wanted commodity this offseason.
“Pete has been a lifetime Met, and, obviously, when he reflects on his career, it’s all he has to look to. The one thing I think Pete understands is that playing in New York is not something most can do,” Boras said. “To become a star-level player in New York, even fewer can do it. So, I think the New York fans recognize it, and they’ve been very outward and appreciative of him. He and Hailey’s involvement in the community has been received so well. He’s, in so many ways, from production, middle of the lineup, he’s an ideal franchise player. Plays every day, and it’s clear that the New York fans relate to someone who is workman-like, who is what Pete is.
“He really knows how to manage the pressure of that situation. So, I think it’s something that he’s very proud of because of the fact that so few have achieved that standing.”
Asked about Alonso on Tuesday night, Mets president of baseball operationsDavid Stearns reiterated that the Mets would love to have both Alonso and Edwin Diaz back, but acknowledged that it’s still too early in the offseason to have much clarity about any kind of timeline for reaching a deal with the slugger.
"We love both Pete and Edwin. They've been great representatives of the organization," Stearns said. "We'd love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly, we would love to have both those guys back."
Top-ranked Ohio State’s offensive line dealing with injuries, inconsistency
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No. 2 Indiana is trying to turn the page following an emotional, historic victory at Penn State
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Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels finding success bringing down QBs in sign of progress from rough start
UNC’s pass rush has been an obvious sign of growth in the NFL coaching icon Bill Belichick’s first college season. It’s coincided with the Tar Heels regrouping from a opening month debacle to win two straight and inch within reach of bowl eligibility.
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What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler save Warriors in big win over Spurs
What we learned as Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler save Warriors in big win over Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors on Wednesday night got their first look this season at the majestic force that is 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama and didn’t blink.
With Stephen Curry firing up his offense, scoring a game- and season-high 46 points, the Warriors quieted some of the noise around them with a 125-120 victory over Wembanyama and the Spurs at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Coming on the second night of a back-to-back road set, this is Golden State’s most impressive win of the season.
Jimmy Butler III contributed 28 points and eight assists, while Moses Moody tossed in 19 to give Curry plenty of offensive aid.
Wembanyama scored 27 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds but committed a game-high eight turnovers.
Here are three observations from a game that allowed the Warriors and Dub Nation at least a day to exhale:
Chef was cooking
Still recovering from a cold that forced him to miss three games, Curry found his rhythm after halftime and led the Warriors to their most productive quarter of the season.
Curry in the third quarter scored 22 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from distance, along with 9-of-9 from the line. It was the 43rd time in his career that he scored at least 20 points in a quarter.
Curry’s outburst provided most of the ammunition for Golden State, scoring 43 points in the quarter – it’s highest total for any quarter this season.
Curry’s 46 points came on 13-of-25 shooting from the field, including 5-of-16 from beyond the arc and 15-of-16 from the line. He was plus-3 over 34 minutes. He tied Michael Jordan for most 40-point games after turning 35 with 12. Only LeBron James (15) has more.
Lineup No. 6
Coach Steve Kerr indicated during his pregame news conference that “drastic” changes could be in store for rotations and maybe the starting lineup. He told no lies.
He turned to a first-time starting lineup: Curry and Moody at guard, Butler and rookie Will Richard and at forward, with Draymond Green at center. It’s Golden State’s sixth different starting lineup.
The most notable change was Jonathan Kuminga, the only Warrior to start the first 12 games, moving to the bench. He leads the team in minutes, rebounds and turnovers – committing at least four giveaways in four of the last seven games.
Starting Moody was a good call, as his offense was crucial. He scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, in 13 first-half minutes. He finished with 19 and was plus-2 over 26 minutes.
Richard, however, made little impact. An early-season revelation, he was scoreless, without taking a shot, did not snag a rebound in 10 first-half minutes. He finished with three points, one rebound and one assist. He was plus-1 over 22 minutes.
Quiet bench comes alive
One of the strengths of the Warriors has been their bench production. With Moody leading the way, the reserves entered the game averaging 40.2 points per game, tied for fifth in the NBA.
For much of the evening, it appeared Golden State’s bench wouldn’t come anywhere near its average, as it managed only eight points in the first half.
The wakeup call came at halftime, as the bench rallied for 15 points to finish with 23. Still below its scoring average but that, along with solid defense and considerable grit, was enough to sufficiently support Curry’s magnificence.
Kuminga’s first tour with the bench crew this season did not go well. He watched from the bench as the Warriors posted a 43-28 advantage in the third quarter and spent the entire second half as a spectator. He finished with zero points, four rebounds and was minus-10 over 12 minutes.
Rangers Sign Goaltender Spencer Martin
The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with goaltender Spencer Martin on a two-year contract.
Martin was previously playing in the KHL with CSKA Moscow before his contract was bought out after 14 games.
The 30-year-old goaltender has played in 66 total NHL games for the Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carolina Hurricanes.
In those 66 games, Martin recorded a 24-30-8 record, 3.56 goals against average, and .883 save percentage.
The Rangers placed Martin on waivers upon signing him with the intention of sending him down to the Hartford Wolf pack of the American Hockey League if he goes unclaimed.
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Why Did The Senators Choose Tyler Kleven Over Jordan Spence In Overtime?
When the Ottawa Senators head for overtime, something they've done five times in their last six games, they have a fairly predictable plan for their blue line. First, they rotate Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.
End of plan.
Sanderson and Chabot take alternating shifts until overtime ends, and unless they're needed in round 10 of the shootout, the other four guys' nights are done.
But when Chabot left the Dallas game with an injury on Monday night, the Senators had to turn off their overtime autopilot and come up with a new plan. Who would replace Chabot in the furious action of the 3-on-3? Would it be Jordan Spence, Artem Zub, Nick Jensen, or Tyler Kleven?
With his puck skill, skating speed, and point production, Spence is the player in that group who most resembles Chabot, and it's not even close. Then you might next think about Zub, who's more known for his defense, but has shown some offensive flash this season with 9 points.
But the Senators went with stay-at-home defenseman Tyler Kleven.
Kleven has zero goals and one assist in 15 games, and while he has done some good things this season, his levels of quickness, puck skill and creating offence aren't the reason he's in this league. And in the wide open spaces of NHL overtime, those are crucial virtues..
Head coach Travis Green was at his short-answering best after the game when asked why Kleven was seen as the best option to replace Chabot in OT.
Ottawa Senators Lose Defenseman Thomas Chabot To Injury On Tuesday NightChabot's injury exposes the Senators' lack of organizational depth on the left side. "Just... Baumer went with him," Green said, referring to assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner, who looks after the defense.
Green could have just said, "That's what we decided to do," which would have been very much on brand. Instead, he decided to share or remind us that it's his assistant coach who makes that call.
So we're left to speculate, as we so often are, and this was probably a decision based on trust. Since Kleven's calling card is defense, Baumgartner chose the defenseman he felt he could most rely on, maybe not to win the game, but the one that's least likely to do something that might lose the game.
It could be that Baumgartner is still spooked by Spence's last-minute turnover against the Islanders last month, which cost the Senators at least one point in the standings. But if that were true, Spence wouldn't have been elevated to the second pairing.
Interestingly, with Kleven out there for the extra frame on Tuesday to provide defence and physicality, it was a major defensive breakdown that led to the winning goal, with Stars players being allowed to stand around freely in Ottawa's slot area. Kleven and Shane Pinto became the second and third goaltenders on the play, but in fairness, it was Dylan Cozens who contributed most to that defensive breakdown.
Dallas forward Jason Robertson took the puck behind Ottawa's net, and Kleven had him contained to the outside, but Cozens unwisely left his post in front to help Kleven. That left Miro Heiskanen all alone in front, which led to four straight shot attempts from the Stars. The Sens blocked the first three, and two were game-savers by Shane Pinto, but every rebound ended up perfectly on Dallas stick blades until Hintz put it away.
Looking ahead, if Chabot is out for any length of time, it will be interesting to see how the Sens handle things in their next overtime and if Kleven continues to be their plan B. My old co-host, John Rodenburg at Ottawa's TSN 1200 radio, put it perfectly, asking the question many Sens fans are asking today:
If Jordan Spence isn't built for 3-on-3 overtime, what is he built for?
Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
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Watch Warriors star Steph Curry's fired-up celly after go-ahead triple vs. Spurs
Watch Warriors star Steph Curry's fired-up celly after go-ahead triple vs. Spurs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
One night after struggling in his return from an illness, Warriors star Steph Curry is all the way back.
The 3-point King lived up to his name during the third quarter of Golden State’s game against San Antonio on Wednesday at Frost Bank Arena, draining a go-ahead triple that erased the Spurs’ 16-point lead.
The Warriors guard willed Golden State to a 74-73 lead — and a much-needed one at that, as his squad looks to bounce back from an ugly loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night and a recent skid that has them at 6-6 on the 2025-26 NBA season.
Curry was on fire in the third quarter, scoring 22 points with a trio of 3-pointers.
Now, the Warriors will look to hold onto that lead and avoid their fourth loss in five games.
Blackhawks Vs Devils: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 17
After a mostly successful (3-2-1) road trip, their longest of the 2025-26 season, the Chicago Blackhawks are home. At 8-5-3, Chicago will take on the 11-4-1 New Jersey Devils.
The Blackhawks have won three games in a row. They haven't won four in a row since winning five in a row back during the 2022-23 season.
Coming off a home loss in overtime, New Jersey is headed on a long road trip of their own, starting in The Windy City.
Number One Picks
This game will feature a lot of high-end talent. Three of the last nine first overall picks will participate in this game. New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is the oldest, as he was the first overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. Of course, that draft took place at the United Center.
Two years later, New Jersey selected Jack Hughes with the first overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Since then, both of them have become catalysts for a winning organization.
In 2023, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard first overall. Like both Hughes and Hischier, it took a while for Bedard's offensive flair to take off, but we are seeing all three of them dominate games in 2025.
There are also a couple of second overall picks participating in the game. New Jersey selected Simon Nemec second in 2022, while Chicago took Artyom Levshunov second in 2024. Both of them are now starting to realize their NHL potential as the games go on.
Scouting New Jersey
Gritsyuk - Hughes - Mercer
Meier - Hischier - Bratt
Palat - Glass - Noesen
Cotter - Glendening - MacEwen
Siegenthaler - Nemec
Dillon - Hughes
Cholowski - White
Markstrom
New Jersey is making some changes to their top six. Arseny Griitsyuk is moving up to play with Jack Hughes. Jesper Bratt, however, who scores at a point per game pace these days, is swapping lines with Dawson Mercer. They are expecting that to open up more offense in the top six.
Ondrej Palat is a nice veteran, but he is a step behind where he was as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, on the third line, he is in a much more fitting spot for what he brings to the table in 2025.
On defense, New Jersey is dealing with a fair amount of injuries. That includes Dougie Hamilton, who has been a star in the NHL for years. There is a lot of youth on this blue line, but the Blackhawks must be wary of Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes, who can make big-time plays at a moment's notice.
Jacob Markstrom will start in the net for the New Jersey Devils. Markstrom has had a rough start to the year, being outplayed by his backup, Jake Allen, but every game is one in which he could go back to his former Vezina-nominee form. Traffic in front, smart shot selection, and a hard forecheck will be Chicago's key to beating him early and often.
Chicago's Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Starting Goalie
Bertuzzi - Bedard - Burakovsky
Teravainen - Greene - Mikheyev
Moore - Donato -
Dach - Foligno - Lafferty
Vlasic - Rinzel
Grzelcyk - Murphy
Kaiser - Levshunov
Crevier
Knight
This lineup is in flux going into the matchup. For one, Jason Dickinson and Frank Nazar are still missing due to their injuries and will not play.
Andre Burakovsky is a game-time decision. The Blackhawks needed an extra forward in case the answer is no, so they called up Landon Slaggert. If Burakovsky can't go, Slaggert will fit into that forward group somehow.
Connor Bedard is sure to see a lot of ice with the way this is shaking out. He is on an eight-game point streak, so expect him to come out flying, looking to make it nine in a row.
On defense, they will be dressing seven once again. All seven of them have mostly played well in every game that they go with this strategy.
In goal, Spencer Knight is the expected starter. Knight, so far this season, has been one of the best goalies in the NHL. Their confidence to start him in multiple consecutive games is showing.
How To Watch
The Blackhawks vs Devils match is a national game in the United States. It will be the second game of a doubleheader on TNT. The puck will drop at 8:52 CT.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Brindley Acquisition Proving a Win for the Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche had a lot to do last offseason after another disappointing round one elimination from the Dallas Stars. Brock Nelson is a pending unrestricted free agent, and they may have very little cap space to sign him. So the day before the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Avalanche sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Gavin Brindley, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 conditional second-round pick.
What looked in the eyes of many like a quick cap dump, freeing over $7.5 million in cap space for a team looking to get deeper without giving up much, has turned out even better for the Avalanche and the way Brindley has been playing recently.
🗣️ Gavin Brindley
— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) November 11, 2025
On the heels of his first career OT winner, the Avalanche Rookie signed a two-year extension this morning.#GoAvsGo | Powered By: https://t.co/O7RJKwUgbNpic.twitter.com/07oNOue9m3
The Blue Jackets had additional draft picks and, combined with the prospect pool they have been building over the past couple of years, it was more about acquiring players of the caliber that Coyle and Wood can bring to their team. The third-round pick turned into Francesco Dell’Elce, a more offensive-style, left-shot defenseman from the University of Massachusetts, who has great skating for his age and a strong shot. His playmaking is solid, able to make great stretch-pass plays and use his skating to blow right by them if they give him too much space, but back to Brindley.
Drafted in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in the second round out of the University of Michigan, who just finished with a season where he scored 25 goals and 28 assists for 53 points, leading his team in points and ahead of other notable prospects like Rutger McGroarty (Penguins), Frank Nazar (Blackhawks).
Heading into the draft, EliteProspects said this about Brindley;
“Brindley is a high-motor player who excels on the defensive side of the puck. He’s a tenacious forechecker and reliable in defensive zone coverage. He’s always in motion, always attacking lanes, bouncing around defenders to find them, especially on the power play. He anticipates plays ahead of time and moves to support them. -EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide”
He struggled in his first professional year with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL, scoring six goals and 11 assists for 17 points. At the same time, other notable Blue Jackets outscored him, like Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz. Though the Jackets, after last season's run, were in the market to bolster their depth, get more physical, and surround their growing prospects with veterans, the Avalanche were happy to do so and came out on top in the deal.
The Avalanche offloaded two contracts that, while deemed reasonable at the time of their acquisition, couldn't stay on the team due to their performance and cap implications.
They also get a young 21-year-old prospect who's looking to make a name for himself in a new system, and he's done just that. Many, including myself, didn't think he was going to mysteriously breakout and make the top six. Still, he shows flashes of top-six potential in his skating and puck-handling, as seen in his game against the Vancouver Canucks and in securing his first career overtime winner. It is his physicality that also fits in the bottom-six, along with his aggressive puck style.
GAVIN BRINDLEY IS YOUR OT HERO!! 😱
— NHL (@NHL) November 10, 2025
The @Avalanche win it in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/mfWQpTNCd4
In part of filling in for injured Joel Kiviranta and Logan O’Conner, Brindley has been excellent for the Avalanche and the role he fills for them. Despite just three goals and two assists for five points in 15 games, the effort and grinder mentality he brings with Parker Kelly and Zahkar Bardakov on the fourth line has been precisely what the Avalanche could expect from him in his early career.
This is just the style of effort and production that not only keeps him on the team for longer, as he just signed a two-year extension through the 2027-28 season. $850K two-way contract for 2026-27, $900K one-way for 2027-28. It also reminds people that there is still more room to grow and develop as the years come.
Avalanche Ink Gavin Brindley to Two-Year ExtensionThe young phenom will stay in Colorado for at least a while longer.This is a player who can help the team win now by being productive and reliable in a bottom-six role, who has the opportunity in the seasons to come to grow and work his way into a middle/top-six role as players get older, traded, or not re-signed because they have his talents to fill higher in the lines.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Mackinnon Three-Point Night Help Avalanche End Ducks Seven Game Win StreakMacKinnon's three-point night, including Landeskog's first goal of the season, helped the Avalanche take down the red-hot Ducks coming into Denver