Bitter rivals need 'unity' for $2.4 billion private equity deal. Michigan has threatened to leave Big Ten if deal goes through. How about Ohio State?
Columbus Blue Jackets (24 pts) vs. Detroit Red Wings (25 pts) Game Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to take on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesers Arena.
The Detroit Red Wings come into this game having gone 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, which includes a 5-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday.
The Red Wings currently sit 1st in the Atlantic Division and 4th in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.
The Blue Jackets are coming off of an emotional road win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Center Adam Fantilli had three points playing in his hometown, and in front of close to 150 friends and family.
Now it's Zach Werenski's turn. He thoroughly enjoys playing in his hometown as well. Werenski has 8 points in 15 career games in Detroit. He also has 20 career points in 25 games against the Red Wings, including 6 points in three games last season.
With 24 points, the CBJ currently sit 6th in the Metro, 9th in the East, and 18th in the league.
Blue Jackets Stats
- Power Play - 16.7% - 23rd in the NHL
- Penalty Kill - 73.1% - 27th in the NHL
- Goals For - 62 - 19th in the NHL
- Goals Against - 60 - 20th in the NHL
Red Wings Stats
- Power Play - 21.4% - 14th in the NHL
- Penalty Kill - 81.7% - 13th in the NHL
- Goals For - 60 - 22nd in the NHL
- Goals Against - 67 - 22nd in the NHL
Series History vs. The Red Wings
- Columbus is 48-52-1-14 all-time, and 21-28-0-7 on the road vs. Detroit.
- The CBJ are 29-13-4 in the last 13 seasons.
- The Jackets are 14-5-3 at Little Caesers Arena in the last 22 games.
- The CBJ went 2-1 vs. the Wings last season, including a 5-3 win in the 2025 Stadium Series Games at Ohio Stadium.
Who To Watch For TheRed Wings
- Patrick Kane has 86 points in 64 career games against Columbus.
- Dylan Larkin leads the Red Wings with 12 goals and 24 points.
- Lucas Raymond leads the team with 16 assists.
- Goalie Cam Talbot is 8-2-0 with a .897 SV%. His last start was on November 18 in a win against Seattle.
- John Gibson is 4-6-1 with a SV % of .870. His last start was on November 20 in a 5-0 loss to the Islanders.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Red Wings
- Zach Werenski has 20 points in 25 career games against Detroit.
- Charlie Coyle has 14 points in 30 games.
- Sean Monahan has 16 points in 21 games vs. the Red Wings.
Injuries
- Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 13 games - IR
- Boone Jenner - Upper Body - Missed 5 Games - IR
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 30
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 93.3 The Bus, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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Kevin Durant drops blunt Nike opinion about Steph Curry's sneaker free agency
Kevin Durant drops blunt Nike opinion about Steph Curry's sneaker free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After a stunning, mutual split from his 12-year shoe partnership with Under Armour, Warriors star Steph Curry officially is a sneaker free agent.
Even in Year 17 of Curry’s illustrious NBA career, companies still are clamoring to join forces with the 3-point King — but Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant would like to see his former Warriors teammate land with the largest.
“That would be incredible. I hope that happens,” Durant told Kay Adams on Friday of Curry potentially joining athletic apparel giant Nike. “Yeah. No disrespect to Under Armour, [but] he should have always been a Nike athlete.
“But he built his brand, and this is an exciting time for him to be able to choose and to have people out there that want to still want your services at 37. You can just tell his legacy and his brand is intact, you know. He’s a free agent, and it feels like it’s still a rookie, you know what I’m saying?”
Durant became the third player in NBA history to sign a lifetime contract with Nike in April 2023, after a years-long relationship dating back to 2007 and featuring 15 different sets up shoes up to that point. Since signing his original $60 million rookie endorsement deal with the company — the second-largest at the time behind LeBron James — Durant has released 18 versions of his Nike KD shoes, with a 19th reportedly scheduled for release next summer.
Curry famously started his NBA career as a Nike athlete, but an uninspiring sales pitch to retain him caused the Warriors star to join forces with Under Armour in 2013, where he launched Curry Brand in 2020. But now what seemed to be a lifetime partnership there has ended, announced by Under Armour on Nov. 13, and Curry made his first post-split appearance wearing Mambacita Kobe 6 Nike shoes during pregame warmups the next day.
“I know it’s just weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes,” Curry acknowledged that night after dropping 49 points in the Warriors’ 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. “But just the idea of what he meant. I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself and what it means. Other than that, it’s just something that I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute.
“I think it gave me some good energy tonight.”
That wasn’t the only time Curry has been spotted in Nike shoes recently, either.
Could Nike give Curry more good energy moving forward? Durant certainly hopes so — but only time will tell.
Purdue basketball leaves no doubt who No. 1 is. Perfect stretch buries Texas Tech
Purdue set a trap for Texas Tech and had its most impressive surge of the season. Heck, maybe anyone’s most impressive surge of the season thus far.
The dating game: Why college sports recruiting is a ‘two-way street’
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Ex-Flyers Coach Turning Devils Defenseman Into a Monster
The Philadelphia Flyers benefitted from some strong coaching from Brad Shaw in the past, but now, predictably, his departure is working directly against them.
Shaw, 61, deservedly earned a lot of credit for the development of multiple Flyers defensemen during his tenure in Philadelphia, headlined by the likes of Cam York, Jamie Drysdale, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, and even Travis Sanheim.
All of those players, at different points in their careers, either turned things completely around or took steps forward as NHLers.
Shaw, of course, was not retained by the Flyers after the firing of previous head coach John Tortorella, as Rick Tocchet was given the reins and Shaw opted for another opportunity instead of having to go through the interview process again for the same position he already had.
That opportunity, as we now know, came with the Metropolitan Division rival New Jersey Devils, who already have a high-powered defensive unit led by the likes of Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton.
NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Have 2 Defense Targets To ConsiderIf the Flyers hope to improve their defense, they should have these three defenders on their radar. Injuries have plagued the Devils, though, and Hughes has not been all that after a lengthy contract holdout and season-ending surgery impacted his offseason.
That meant that 2022 No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec, who many Flyers fans were hoping would fall to them in the draft, had to step up with Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Johnathan Kovacevic - all right-shots - on the shelf.
Well, with the added responsibilities, Nemec and Shaw have been cooking up something special in Newark.
Nemec, 21, has not been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal against in six consecutive games, and the Slovakian defender has had a banner week overall.
After scoring a crucial game-tying goal against the New York Islanders on Nov. 10, Nemec scored a hat trick and overtime winner against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 12, then added a shootout winner against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 15 for good measure.
For a player whose peaks and valleys were maddeningly extreme at times, Nemec, with the inadvertent help of the Flyers, now sits at four goals, eight assists, and 12 points in 20 games with a +5 rating.
Those 12 points rank 24th in the NHL in scoring amongst all defensemen, putting Nemec three behind rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer and five behind dynamos Evan Bouchard and Lane Hutson.
Flyers Trade for Senators Prospect is a Clear Home RunThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> are impressively continuing to find ways to turn water into wine with what has been a rather quiet NHL trade market thus far.
Now, the Flyers do have a winning record sitting at 10-6-3, but the Flyers again rank towards the bottom of the league in scoring by defensemen; they sit 29th in the NHL with just 33 points coming from blueliners.
With a fresh opportunity and more talent than he ever had with the Flyers, Shaw has taken a 21-year-old Nemec and seemingly got the youngster to finally achieve liftoff in his nascent NHL career.
As for the Flyers? Well, more young players have regressed this season than those who have improved.
Panthers set to host Oilers in Stanley Cup Final rematch as Cats search for third straight win
The first Stanley Cup Final rematch of the season will take place on Saturday night in Sunrise.
Despite both the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers currently sitting outside of the playoff picture, there is certainly a different feel surrounding each of these potential powerhouse clubs.
For Florida, the team’s injury issues have been well known for a while now.
Entering the season without Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek, then losing Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich, Cole Schwindt and Eetu Luostarien, all of whom remain out of the lineup, is one heck of a burden to shoulder.
Not that it’s stopped the Panthers from keeping their heads above water and chugging along while searching for consistency with a roster consisting of many players who have not spent a ton of time together.
As it stands, Florida holds an 11-8-1 record and picked up wins in four of their past five outings.
Edmonton, meanwhile, arrives in South Florida sitting at .500 with a record of 9-9-5.
The Oilers are wrapping up a monster 7-game road trip that started with an overtime win in Philadelphia and has seen Edmonton drop four of the five games since.
One thing that will be interesting to monitor is who the Oilers end up going with in goal against the Cats.
Starter Stuart Skinner allowed 15 goals over a three-game span before Calvin Pickard showed out well in their most recent outing, a 2-1 overtime loss in Tampa that saw Pickard come up with 33 saves.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s matchup with the Oilers:
Mackie Samoskevich – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Jesper Boqvist – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – A.J. Greer
Noah Gregor – Luke Kunin – Jack Devine
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry
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Photo caption: Nov 20, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) celebrates with center Sam Bennett (9) after the game against the New Jersey Devils at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
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Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper
Chris Paul to retire at the end of season, ending 21-year career as an LA Clipper originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Legendary NBA player Chris Paul is planning to retire at the end of the season, making an announcement on social media ahead of Saturday’s Clippers game in his native state of North Carolina.
The video message showed nostalgic images of Paul’s past jerseys, clips from his childhood and the moment he was drafted to play for the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2005.
“Back in NC!!! What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!,” the 12-time All-Star wrote on Instagram.
The social media announcement ended with the phrase “never delay gratitude.”
His wife, Jada Paul, also confirmed the iconic point guard’s retirement plan in an Instagram Story, congratulating him for a “helluva career.”
The 2025-2026 NBA season had been expected to be the last one for Paul after the star agreed to a one-year deal with the Clippers in July.
The 12-time All-Star had some of his best years with the Clippers from 2011-17 — five All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods and six First-Team All-Defense honors. The “Lob City” Clippers turned the once-lowly franchise around as Paul and Blake Griffin led the team to the second round three times.
Paul, who turned 40 in May, is coming off a productive 2024-25 season with the San Antonio Spurs. Paul started all 82 games for the Spurs, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists for the young squad.
Over his first 20 seasons, Paul has piled up the accolades to become a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s played for the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24) and Spurs (2024-25), with career averages of 17.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
Paul, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, has led the league in assists five times and steals six times. The only thing eluding him is a title, with his closest call coming in 2021 when the Suns lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Justice Haynes injury update: How long is Michigan football star running back out for?
Justice Haynes injury update: Is Michigan football's star running back out for the season? Here's the latest:
Beating Pumas could open pivotal chapter in England’s 2027 World Cup story
Defeat of Argentina in 2000 was important stepping stone for Clive Woodward’s side on way to winning ultimate prize
It is exactly 25 years since the most fraught pre-match buildup in the history of English international rugby union. In this same week in November 2000 a pay row led to the entire national side walking out on strike, prompting Clive Woodward to threaten that an alternative team of lower-league amateurs would be chosen if his players did not return to training by 11am the following morning.
After a tense standoff they duly did so, a grudging truce was agreed and the weekend game against Argentina went ahead with England winning 19-0. Three years later all but two of that matchday squad (the exceptions were David Flatman and Matt Perry) were lifting the Rugby World Cup in Australia. The moral of the “strike” story? The darkest hour can be the springboard to a spectacular golden dawn.
Continue reading...The Kings Lose Yet Again, And It’s Exactly The Same Story
Final from Los Angeles in Overtime. #GoKingsGopic.twitter.com/csOWU9989A
— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 22, 2025
Los Angeles Kings fans have been watching the same script since the start of the season. They have now played in 10 overtime games this season, tying the Edmonton Oilers for the most in the league, and tonight's loss to the Boston Bruins puts them 4-0-6 in extra periods, the most losses by any team in overtime.
Despite outshooting their opponent 32-26, for the second straight game, the Kings once again came up short in overtime, scoring just one goal with 32 shots tells the whole story.
The Los Angeles Kings can play well enough and come back from leads to force overtime; they can even dominate large stretches of games, but when the clock hits zero, something always happens.
Then, it’s deja vu in extra periods; everything turns to dust.
On Friday night, coming off another shootout loss to the Sharks last night, the Kings once again fell in back-to-back overtime losses, losing 2-1 to the Boston Bruins. It’s not a fluke when the same ending plays out repeatedly; it’s a pattern, and it’s frustrating to watch.
Kings Followed the Same Ending on a Different Night
If you’ve watched the Kings play all season, you’ve seen this movie before. They battle back, get the tying goal, generate more shots and chances than their opponent, and then, when it matters most, they break down in overtime.
Joel Armia scored the lone goal for LA midway through the third period, giving the Kings the push to stay in the game. Once OT began, the same script repeated: missed assignments, misreads, and the Bruins capitalizing immediately, and Morgan Geekie scored his second goal of the game to take the Kings' hearts.
Overtime Is A Liability
The Kings aren’t getting outworked or losing badly; they’re failing to finish games in one format that has repeatedly haunted them: 3-on-3 overtime.
LA just looks noticeably less confident once the game reaches sudden death. Back-to-back overtime losses expose an issue that the Kings haven’t solved, and opposing teams will use it against them when games matter.
Right now, the story isn’t that they're losing, it’s that they’re losing the same way, and everyone keeps seeing it. Until the Kings break the script, the momentum won’t swing in their favor, and the frustration will only keep growing.
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.