The Buffalo Sabres revealed their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday, with the club opening the 82-game schedule against the New York Rangers at Key Bank Center on Thursday, October 9 and will finish the campaign at home against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, April 15.
The most notable game on the schedule will be on Tuesday, November 4, when former Sabre JJ Peterka and the Utah Mammoth visit KBC. The club’s schedule is loaded with home games in the first month of the season, with six of the first eight games in October in Buffalo, including the first of a home-and-home matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25.
Other highlight home games are: Saturday, October 18th against the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Saturday, November 1st against NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, Monday, November 17th against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
The Sabres will have a long gap of 25 days between home games in February and early March due to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. The only home game in the calendar’s shortest month is scheduled for Thursday, February 5th, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The next game will be on Tuesday, March 3rd, against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The worst-kept secret in the NBA finally became official on Wednesday: The Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal have agreed to a buyout that will allow the Suns to waive-and-stretch the remaining money on Beal's contract, making him a free agent. Beal will sign a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, with Shams Charania of ESPN officially breaking the news.
This had been anticipated for weeks but was on hold because Beal was set to receive a $13.4 million payment from Phoenix on July 15, a 25% advance payment of his salary for the upcoming season. Once that was completed, the transaction moved forward.
Beal has to give up an estimated $13.8 million of his contract for the Suns to be able to waive and stretch him (thanks to a little-discussed provision of the CBA that only allows 15% of a team's salary cap to go toward buyouts, and the Suns already had a couple of smaller ones). Beal ultimately was willing to do that to essentially buy his freedom to sign with the team of his choosing.
That team is the Clippers. The Clippers are using the $5.4 million remaining from their mid-level exception to sign Beal (with a $5.6 million player option for next season. This signing leaves the Clippers hard-capped at the first apron, which they are about $3.5 million below, (expect them to add one more veteran minimum deal).
Beal is going to get heavy minutes in Los Angeles, being asked to step into the role Norman Powell played for the team last season. Powell was a borderline All-Star as a sharpshooting, ball-handling wing playing next to James Harden and running the second unit (he was traded to Miami, a move seen around the league as a precursor to Beal becoming a Clipper). Beal may start next to Harden or come off the bench behind the more defensive Kris Dunn. That Clippers second unit could also include John Collins (unless Collins starts and Derrick Jones Jr. comes off the bench), Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Brook Lopez. Beal joins a team with championship aspirations that won 50 games last season and may be better this season (if Kawhi Leonard stays healthy). While there are always playoff questions surrounding Harden, the Clippers are a top-six team (and possibly a top-four team) in the West.
The Suns receive more short-term financial relief, as Beal's salary drops from $57.3 million to approximately $19 million — a move that aligns with the pattern of short-term thinking prevalent in Phoenix since Mat Ishbia purchased the team. The Suns now have $19 million in dead money serving as an anchor on their books for each of the next five years. The Suns will have to work around that as they retool the team around Devin Booker, and in a tax apron world, that dead money is going to hamper future moves. However, in the short term things definitely get less expensive, and the Suns have some options as the roster undergoes a major shift.
After just missing out on the playoffs last season, the Islanders will be looking to get back into the Stanley Cup hunt as they begin the 2025-26 season.
Here are some schedule notes:
-The Islanders open the season on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.
-The Isles will go on a seven-game road trip in January, visiting Nashville, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and Seattle
-The Isles close out the season with four straight home games against Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Carolina.
The Winnipeg Jets announced their 82-game schedule for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday with some notable games that fans will have to keep an eye on. The Jets open the season on home ice in a postseason rematch against the Dallas Stars on Thursday Oct. 9th, in what will be a thrilling start to the new campaign.
Winnipeg stays home to face another Western Conference rival in the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, Oct. 11th. The team then hits the road to visit the Big Apple and the New York Islanders on Monday, Oct. 13rd.
In January, the Jets will take on the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Paul Maurice and Florida Panthers twice, first at Canada Life Centre on Jan. 22nd, followed by a road matchup in Sunrise on Jan. 31st. The Jets' longest homestand of the season is an eight-game stretch from March 3–17th.
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will give the Jets a 20-day break from Feb. 5–24th while the NHL sends its best talent. The team’s most extended road trip is a six-game run from Nov. 4–15th, during which the Jets will face six different Pacific Division opponents in late-night affairs.
Winnipeg will take on fellow Canadian teams 15 times throughout the season with seven games at home and eight on the road. Their first home matchup against is set for Friday, Oct. 24th, against the Calgary Flames. The back-to-back Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers will visit twice on Dec. 29th and Jan. 8th, while the Ottawa Senators (Dec. 15th), Toronto Maple Leafs (Jan. 17th), Montreal Canadiens (Feb. 4th), and Vancouver Canucks (Mar. 7th) will each make one trip to Winnipeg.
The Jets will play 26 crucial divisional games against the likes of Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, and St. Louis four times each, while squaring off against Nashville and Utah three times apiece. Winnipeg will also play every Pacific Division team three times and will meet each of the 16 Eastern Conference teams twice, once at home and once on the road.
January and March are the busiest months on the schedule, with 16 games in each. The Jets will play nine sets of back-to-backs this season: four on the road, two split between home and away, and three featuring consecutive games at Canada Life Centre.
Broadcast details will be announced soon but most games will be available on TSN3, TSN.ca, and the TSN app, with others air on Hockey Night in Canada, Rogers Sportsnet, and Amazon Prime. As in previous seasons, all 82 games will be broadcast on Global News Radio 680 CJOB (CJOB AM) and simulcast on Power 97.
Single game tickets go on sale Thursday, August 7.
The NHL released the full 2025-26 regular-season schedule on Wednesday, and it is riddled with exciting matchups.
Here are some key dates, with game times are listed in Eastern time.
Oct. 7: Opening Night
The 2025-26 campaign will kick off with a tripleheader on opening night. The evening begins with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. Florida will raise its second straight championship banner at Amalie Bank Arena ahead of puck drop.
At 8 p.m., the New York Rangers will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden. This will be Mike Sullivan’s first game as the Rangers' coach, and he’ll take on his old team, where he won two Stanley Cup championships and stood behind the bench for 10 seasons. Sullivan’s return to Pittsburgh is just a few days later on Oct. 11.
The final contest of the night will be between two Western Conference teams, with puck drop at 10:30 p.m. The Colorado Avalanche will take on the Los Angeles Kings, two teams that hold a sour taste in their mouths after being eliminated in the first round of last season’s playoffs.
Oct. 21: Brad Marchand Comes Back To Boston
At the trade deadline, the Boston Bruins traded left winger Brad Marchand to Florida and eventually won his second Stanley Cup. On Oct. 21, the Panthers will visit TD Garden, and Marchand will face the Bruins for the first time after playing 1,090 games across 16 seasons.
Nov. 22: Stanley Cup Final Rematch, Again
Every season, there are two Stanley Cup final rematch games, and this one is between Florida and the Edmonton Oilers for a second-straight year. On Nov. 22, a different-looking Oilers team will take on a similar Panthers squad. Last season, Edmonton lost both regular-season matchups to Florida, 6-5 and 4-3 on Dec. 16 and Feb. 27, respectively.
Feb. 11 to 22: Olympic Break
In the middle of February, NHL players will compete in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014. The 2026 Olympic Games will be hosted in Milan, Italy, beginning on Feb. 11. Puck-drop times vary between 6:10 a.m. and 3:10 p.m., including the gold medal game on Feb. 22 at 8:10 a.m.
In addition to the dates of when the Winter Games begin, all the teams competing in these Olympics must submit their full rosters later in the year. All 12 nations released their preliminary rosters of six players on June 16.
Jan. 23: Mitch Marner Returns To Toronto
All Toronto Maple Leafs fans will be marking Jan. 23 on their calendars as it marks the return of Mitch Marner. The Vegas Golden Knights swing by Toronto during a four-game Atlantic Division road trip.
Marner’s tenure in Toronto ended on a sour note as fans booed the team and threw jerseys on the ice in the closing moments of Game 7 against Florida in the second round of the post-season. It’ll be interesting to see the reception he gets when he returns to Scotiabank Arena.
It won't be long before the Detroit Red Wings hit the ice for what will be their centennial season in the National Hockey League, a full 100 years.
They'll begin the campaign with a matchup against their historic Original 6 rival Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena, a 7:00 p.m. ET puck drop on October 9.
Now, the rest of the schedule has been released. Detroit's first five games are all against divisional opponents, including games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
For their annual New Year's Eve game on home ice, they'll welcome the Winnipeg Jets to town. The schedule also features a full 26 games against teams from the Atlantic Division, including back-to-back- games against the Lightning and Panthers to close out the season.
Detroit's full 82-game schedule can be seen below:
Oklahoma head baseball coach Skip Johnson has no doubt that Kyson Witherspoon will be a difference-maker for the Boston Red Sox, both on and off the field.
The Red Sox selected Witherspoon with the 15th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, making him the first pitcher Boston has taken in the first round since Tanner Houck in 2017. The Oklahoma right-hander was ranked No. 7 on Baseball America’s draft board and No. 10 by MLB Pipeline, so the Red Sox were fortunate to have him fall into their lap at No. 15.
Johnson believes Boston was an ideal landing spot for his former ace.
“I was excited for him,” Johnson told NBC Sports Boston. “I thought he would go earlier, and that’s OK. He’s in a great place. Boston’s always good. I mean, the organization’s always been good.
“I had (Brandon) Workman (at Texas), he was a (Minor League) Pitcher of the Year, two World Series rings with them. So I mean, nothing but good things to say about that organization and how they go about their business, how they develop pitchers for sure.”
But scouting reports don’t capture what makes Witherspoon just as impactful off the field. Johnson, who coached him during his two seasons with the Sooners, raved about his leadership and clubhouse presence.
“I think he’s a culture changer,” Johnson said of Witherspoon. “He’s really professional in what he does. He’s a good teammate.
“An example I can use, I had a young kid, a freshman that I was working with, kind of shortening up his arm stroke in the bullpen. He throws his bullpen, the kid goes over there. We have a wall that they work out on, it’s a big cement wall next to our player development area. Kyson goes over there on his own and kind of started working with him. He didn’t have to do that. It was just, that’s who he is. He’s willing to help, he’s willing to do those things. It shows you what kind of character he’s made of.”
The Red Sox’ farm system has been loaded with high-upside position player prospects in recent years. Homegrown pitching talent has been harder to come by, though Houck, Brayan Bello, and Hunter Dobbins stand out as recent exceptions who have shown promise at the big-league level.
Why should fans believe Witherspoon can develop into a frontline starter? According to Johnson, he’s a “true professional” who fits the Boston mold.
“Well, one thing is he’s a good person,” Johnson said. “And whatever organization he’s with, he’s got a lot of pride in that, and he cares extremely a lot. I think that’s one thing that they can rest assured he’s gonna give them everything he’s got every time he walks out there. Sometimes it’s not perfect, but a lot of times it is.
“He’s a professional, a true professional. He’s gonna take care of his business. He’s really good off the field. I mean, he’s got that kind of pride. He’s got that Boston pride that people talk about. Like, I can remember the (aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings) and David Ortiz, he’s like that. He’s about that, and he’s cut from that cloth. I think that’s what’s really unique about Kyson, more so than anything. Not only is he a good person and a good player and really good at what he does, but he cares a lot and he’s gonna give you everything he’s got.”
Witherspoon posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 124 strikeouts and just 23 walks over 16 starts (95 innings) for the Sooners last season to solidify himself as arguably the best right-hander in his draft class. There are many words to describe a prospect of Witherspoon’s caliber, but we asked Johnson to narrow it down to one.
“Warrior,” Johnson answered. “I would have said rattlesnake, too.”
Why rattlesnake?
“Because if you get bit by him, you’re gonna get hurt. If you get bit by Kyson, it ain’t fun.”
It’ll be fun to watch Witherspoon’s rise through the Red Sox organization over the next year, along with their many other pitchers selected in the 2025 draft. A whopping 15 of Boston’s 21 draft picks were pitchers.
LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights will open their regular season at home against their Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 8, before hitting the road for three straight games.
It marks the seventh time in nine years the Golden Knights will begin the regular season on home ice.
Vegas is 7-1-0 all-time in its regular-season openers, having won its last six.
Their first four games will be against division foes, as they'll visit San Jose, Seattle and Calgary after hosting Los Angeles.
The Golden Knights get their season-high homestand out of the way early, with six straight games at T-Mobile Arena beginning Nevada Day on Oct. 31, with the Colorado Avalanche and running through Nov. 13 against the New York Islanders. Just before the Islanders will be a visit from the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
A rather odd three-game road trip in November, during F1 weekend, will take the Knights into high-altitude Salt Lake City to face the Utah Mammoth on the 20th, then to Anaheim on the 24th before returning to the rarified air in Salt Lake on the 26th.
Fans will get their first look at Ryan Reaves in a San Jose Sharks uniform on Nov. 29. An all-time beloved former Knight, the 38-year-old, was dealt from Toronto to San Jose.
The team will have two season-long road trips of five games, the first beginning in December, including a trip through the Metro three of New Jersey, Manhattan and Long Island. The second will begin in February after the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, and carry into March.
The Golden Knights will close the season with seven games in April, including a rugged four-game trip through Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle and Colorado, before closing the season with two home games.
Other notable dates include:
Oct. 25 at Stanley Cup champion Florida
Dec. 21 at two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton
Dec. 31 vs. Nashville (return of Nic Hague)
Jan. 15 vs. Toronto (return of Nic Roy, and Mitch Marner's first game against the Maple Leafs)
Jan. 23 at Toronto (Marner's first game since being traded to Vegas)
Feb. 5 vs. Los Angeles (final game before the Olympics)
April 15 vs. Seattle (regular-season and home finale)
A high-tech tribute to Hank Aaron and his historic 715th home run took place Tuesday during the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
One of the biggest moments from the game, however, actually occurred 51 years, three months and one week earlier. That's when the legendary Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's longstanding MLB record with his 715th home run — a milestone event that was re-created in dramatic fashion after the sixth inning Tuesday night (July 15, a.k.a, 7/15) at Truist Park in Atlanta.
The actual milestone event took place about 10 miles from there on April 8, 1974, when Aaron and the Atlanta Braves hosted the Dodgers at the since-demolished Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. A crowd of 53,775 was on hand, with millions more watching on national TV, when Aaron launched a fourth-inning pitch by Al Downing over the left-center-field wall to make baseball history.
This week, a crowd of 41,176 — again with millions more watching on TV or streaming — witnessed the moment come back to life through video and audio clips (yep, that's legendary Dodgers announcer Vin Scully you hear, along with Braves announcer Milo Hamilton), pyrotechnics and lots of modern technology.
It was really a sight to behold as Aaron and the others somehow appeared on the field as the events unfolded just like they did more than a half-century ago. A firework was launched from home plate and scorched through the air marking the trajectory of Aaron's landmark blast. Lighted footprints traced the Hall of Famer's every step around the basepath.
The tribute included part of Scully's call from that day. "What a marvelous moment for baseball," he said, "what a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia, what a marvelous moment for the country and the world."
(Although it wasn't included in the tribute, Scully went on to explain one of the reasons the moment was so significant: "A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron.”)
Aaron died in 2021 at age 86, but his wife Billye Aaron was on hand for the festivities.
"I think people can look at me and say, 'He was a great baseball player, but he was even a greater human being,'" Aaron said in a clip that played at the end of the tribute.
(Header/feature image courtesy of Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
The NHL released its full 2025-26 regular season schedule today, and Philadelphia Flyers fans can start marking their calendars for what promises to be a highly competitive and fast-paced season.
The Flyers will open their season on the road against the Florida Panthers on October 9, before hosting those same Panthers in their home opener on October 13 at the Xfinity Mobile Center.
Key Highlights:
The Flyers will play 26 games against Metropolitan Division opponents, including matchups that bookend their season with rivalry heat.
Each Western Conference team will appear on the Flyers' schedule twice, once at home and once on the road.
The team will endure 14 sets of back-to-back games, testing their stamina across the 82-game grind.
October, December, and January will be the busiest home months, each featuring seven games in Philadelphia.
Oddly, the Flyers will not host a game on Black Friday, a day traditionally filled with big matchups and rowdy home crowds.
Olympic Break:
In a twist unique to this season, the NHL will pause from February 5 to February 25 to allow players to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Flyers will play their final game before the pause on February 3 against the Capitals and will resume action on February 25—ironically, with a rematch at Washington.
Notable Games to Watch:
First Battle of Pennsylvania of the season: October 28 vs. the Penguins
First clash with the Devils: November 22 at home, followed by a back-to-back in New York and New Jersey on November 28-29
Two-game stretch against Carolina on December 13 (home) and 14 (away)
Face the Rangers at MSG on December 20, then host them twice more: January 17 and March 9
Ducks fly into Philly on January 6, marking Trevor Zegras’s reunion with his former team
More divisional showdowns throughout January, February, and March, including:
As the Flyers look to return to playoff hockey, their 2025-26 schedule offers both opportunity and challenge. With a bolstered roster, high expectations, and Olympic-sized motivation, Philadelphia’s path to the postseason will be paved with intensity from start to finish.
Colorado Avalanche forward Brock Nelson will make his return to Long Island on Thursday, Dec. 4.
For the Islanders, Jonathan Drouin and assistant coach Ray Bennett will make their returns to Colorado when the Islanders head to Ball Arena on Sunday, Nov. 16.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson will make his return to Long Island on Sunday, Apr. 12, the second to last game of the regular season.
The Islanders will first square off with the New York Rangers on Sat, Nov. 8 at MSG.
If Matthew Schaefer joins the Islanders in the NHL this season, he will face his favorite NHL team growing up, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Saturday, Jan 3, with his first visit to Scotiabank Arena being on Tuesday, March 17.
Other noteables:
- 10 of last 12 games at UBS Arena
- Home games are back to 7 PM, outside of a few
- 5 home games begin at 1 PM
- 13 total afternoon starts
- 2 seven-game road trips
- 15 back-to-backs this season
- Columbus Day matinee vs. WPG
- Thanskgiving Eve vs. BOS
- No game New Year's Eve but host UTAH on New Year's Day
While there are still three months left until the start of the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the Nashville Predators have released who they will be facing for their upcoming campaign.
On Wednesday, the NHL announced the regular season schedules for all 32 teams, with the regular season set to kick off on Tuesday, October 7.
Nashville will open its season at home, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.
The Predators will play their first two games at home, the second being against the Utah Mammoth on Oct. 11, before going on a four-game Canadian road trip where they will face Ottawa (Oct. 13), Toronto (Oct. 14), Montreal (Oct. 16) and Winnipeg (Oct. 18).
It'll also play the Pittsburgh Penguins twice at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Nov. 14 (1 p.m. CST) and 16 (8 a.m.) as part of the NHL's Global Series.
The NHL regular season will pause from February 6 to February 24 for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Roman Josi (Switzerland) and Juuse Saros (Finland) have already been named to their nations' preliminary rosters.
Below is the Predators full 2025-26 regular season schedule.
Nashville Predators' full regular season schedule
Oct. 9 vs. Columbus
Oct. 11 vs. Utah
Oct. 13 at Ottawa
Oct. 14 at Toronto
Oct. 16 at Montreal
Oct. 18 at Winnipeg
Oct. 21 vs. Anaheim
Oct. 23 vs. Vancouver
Oct. 25 vs. Los Angeles
Oct. 26 vs. Dallas
Oct. 28 vs. Tampa Bay
Oct. 30 at Philadelphia
Nov. 1 vs. Calgary
Nov. 3 vs. Vancouver
Nov. 4 at Minnesota
Nov. 6 vs. Philadelphia
Nov. 8 vs. Dallas
Nov. 10 at New York Rangers
Nov. 14 vs. Pittsburgh (Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden)
Nov. 16 vs. Pittsburgh (Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden)
