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Ipswich and Southampton earned a point apiece as two of the relegated clubs from the Premier League last season drew 1-1 at Portman Road.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s own goal after four minutes gave Ipswich an early advantage but Jay Robinson equalised for the visitors just before the half-hour mark. In a frantic second half, Sam Szmodics hit a post while Robinson had a shot deflected by the Ipswich goalkeeper Alex Palmer as neither side were able to grab victory.
Continue reading...Following the 2023-24 season, the second-worst in franchise history, the Anaheim Ducks earned the right to select third overall at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
After the clear top prospect, Macklin Celebrini, the 2024 draft was chock-full of highly skilled defensemen and a wide array of boom-or-bust forwards.
Poll: Who is the Anaheim Ducks' Number One Defenseman of the Future?
Poll: When Will the Anaheim Ducks Make the Playoffs?
The San Jose Sharks selected Celebrini with their first overall pick, and the Chicago Blackhawks nabbed the consensus highest-ranked right-shot defenseman, Artyom Levshunov. That placed the Ducks in a position to choose between a questionable-fitting left-shot defenseman like Zeev Buium, Sam Dickinson, or Anton Silayev, a right-shot defenseman with questionable translatability like Zayne Parekh or Carter Yakemchuk, or several highly volatile forwards.
Every forward in the tier behind Celebrini had question marks. Cayden Lindstrom missed most of the season with a herniated disc, Tij Iginla and Beckett Sennecke had great second halves of their seasons, but sample size is always a concern with “late risers,” and Berkly Catton is on the slighter side, leaving his projection as an NHL center up in the air.
For as long as public scouts had been evaluating the class, the consensus second-best player in the 2024 draft was Ivan Demidov: the player whom every fanbase behind San Jose was clamoring for or crossing their fingers in hopes he fell to their favorite team.
Demidov, too, however, came with multiple question marks attached. Though endlessly talented, smart, and creative, he wasn’t given a fair or consistent opportunity to play in the KHL for SKA St. Petersburg in his draft year (2023-24). His club kept him at the MHL level, Russia’s junior division, one far inferior to his talent level and a league subpar to the CHL.
Indications were that Demidov’s production was taken with a grain of salt. During the season, North American scouts and GMs weren’t afforded the opportunity to scout him in person and relied on video as well as their hired Russian scouts to build their reports, further hurting his draft stock. Then there was the question of his unorthodox skating, which he uses as a unique form of deception, but left some wondering about viability against larger, more developed opponents on a smaller ice surface.
The Ducks ultimately selected Beckett Sennecke with their third overall pick, surprising many (including and perhaps most of all, Sennecke himself). Similarly to Demidov, he is dripping with talent, and as Ducks GM Pat Verbeek indicated at the time of the draft, he can play any style of game required: skill, heavy, speed, etc.
It took time for Sennecke to grow into his 6-foot-4 frame after a tremendous and quick growth spurt, but once he did in the second half of the 2023-24 season, his shift-to-shift dominance and production skyrocketed.
What had many scratching their heads at the time of the pick was that, to that point, the highest Sennecke ranking among public scouting outlets was ninth overall (Elite Prospects), with the lowest being 16th overall (FC Hockey).
Those rankings left many to wonder: Why not simply trade down if the Ducks wanted Sennecke?
Trades within the top ten are extremely rare and for good reason. If teams like a player, they prefer to select him when they can, rather than take the chance he’s gone by the time they will be on the clock again.
In Sennecke’s case, there were reports that if Demidov was unavailable to the Montreal Canadiens at fifth overall, they were keen on Sennecke in that spot. So the lowest the Ducks could potentially trade down to was fifth, but if Montreal knew the Ducks were uninterested in Demidov, it wouldn’t have made sense for them to part with assets to move up.
Teams have a different scouting process and produce vastly different lists than what is made available to the public.
“We make our own assessments throughout the year, and whether a player is going up or down on public lists before the draft, it really has no impact on our process,” Ducks assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden said a week before the 2024 draft. “Your question could also be answered by looking at historically, do players who improve a lot in the second half of the year end up being better players than those who fall? We’ve looked at that, and I don’t think there’s any real conclusion to be drawn. I think it’s pretty random. You have to look at the season or the previous two seasons as a whole to try to predict what the future five will look like. So that’s the way we go about it.”
Sennecke proved many doubters wrong with an impressive 2024-25 campaign, scoring 86 points (36-50=86) in 56 regular season games with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, evolving and growing every aspect of his game throughout. As he seemingly does, he elevated his game when the lights got brightest, scoring 32 points (14-18=32) in just 18 playoff games.
Demidov eventually got the opportunity to prove his translatability in 2024-25, playing the full season in the KHL and producing 49 points (19-30=49) in 65 regular season games and adding five points (3-2=5) in six playoff games. He made the jump to North America at the end of the year to make his debut with the Canadiens, electrifying those who tuned in with a two-point performance and adding two points (0-2=2) in five playoff games.
If Demidov can continue this trajectory, he will keep Blackhawks, Ducks, and Columbus Blue Jackets (who drafted Cayden Lindstrom fourth overall) fans wondering “what if?” However, selecting Sennecke at third overall was perfectly defensible then and is perfectly defensible today.
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The Mets (65-58) go for a series win over the Seattle Mariners (68-56) in the MLB Little League Classic at Journey Bank Ballpark in Williamsport, Penn. at 7:10 p.m. on ESPN
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
MARINERS | METS |
|---|---|
| -- | Francisco Lindor, SS |
| -- | Juan Soto, RF |
| -- | Brandon Nimmo, LF |
| -- | Pete Alonso, 1B |
| -- | Jeff McNeil, DH |
| -- | Francisco Alvarez, C |
| -- | Brett Baty, 2B |
| -- | Mark Vientos, 3B |
| -- | Cedric Mullens, CF |
To watch Mets games online via ESPN, you will need a subscription to a TV service provider or to ESPN+. This will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone browser, or via the ESPN App.
Did you miss anything from the past week at The Hockey News - Columbus Blue Jackets? If you did, we have you covered with the Sunday Recap. Click on each card below to read the stories from the past week.
From Ex-players to current players and everything in between, we've got you covered.
Trey Fix-Wolansky - TFW is generally considered the greatest player in Monsters' history. He leads the Monsters franchise with 112 goals, 147 assists, and 259 points. Defenseman Jake Christiansen is the only active player close enough to catch TFW, but he was in Columbus last season, and most likely this season, so Fix-Wolansky's records are safe.
64 Days Until Opening Night At Nationwide ArenaThere have only been two players wear the #64 for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unfortunately for Columbus, neither one of them made a significant impact for Columbus. Cleveland is a different story, however.
The duo’s swift rise brought envy from the entire league. And yet it was in each other that Jones and Werenski found their biggest fan. Jones couldn’t help himself during one game last season, late in the third period against Washington, when he watched Werenski skate down the left side from the point and rip a puck through traffic to tie the score. “That,” Jones said, “was eye-opening. It couldn’t have been a much more perfect shot.”
From The Archive: Blood Brothers The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.
Joonas Korpisalo - But for CBJ fans, it was watching Joonas Korpisalo that made it the most exciting. The young Finnish goalie would take the loss, but would set an NHL playoff record for most saves in a game with 85 saves. That record still stands today.
The Lightning pumped 88 shots at Korpisalo, which included 12 or more shots in 6 of the periods, and 14 shots in four of the periods. The Lightning were trying their hardest to bury the Blue Jackets all game, but Korpisalo just wouldn't let it happen.
On This Date In 2020: Joonas Korpisalo Makes HistoryOn August 11, 2020 the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning started their first round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fans of the CBJ were hoping that the Jackets could pull off another huge upset against the Lightning.
While it would be hard to move his contract, he has shown that he can be a very good goalie. However, it seems that his time is quickly running out with the Blue Jackets. With the emergence of Jet Greaves as the future starter for the organization, it could be wise for general manager Don Waddell to move on from Merzlikins.
Blue Jackets' Biggest Trade Chips: Elvis MerzlikinsWelcome to another edition of Columbus Blue Jackets' Biggest Trade Chips. In the first two editions, we looked at Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov, and now we are going to look at goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who very well could be their last big trade target on the roster.
Johnson spent last season with the Jackets and played 41 games. He had a total of six points, all of which were assists.
He has played in 1,228 games and posted 342 points, including 486 games for Columbus, where he had 160 points.
Former Jackets Defenseman Signs PTO With Minnesota WildFormer CBJ defenseman Jack Johnson has signed a PTO with the Minnesota Wild, the club announced.
With 62 days left before the Jackets take the ice again at Nationwide Arena, there is a lot of positivity surrounding the team. Don Waddell signed who he had to sign in the offseason to put the team in a good position going forward. People wanted a few things, including huge free agents and big trades, but many forget that he has to sign some very important players soon, including Adam Fantilli and Jet Greaves. Not to mention Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, and Dmitri Voronkov may need new deals in 2027.
62 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #62The Columbus Blue Jackets have only had four players wear #62 in their history, and in a weird twist, three of them have been since 2023. They haven't had any real impact players where the number in their short 25-year history, but that could change one day.
Yes, that's right, comedian Matt Rife hosted a show at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Saturday and was seen sporting a Rick Nash #61 jersey. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering he is an Ohio native who grew up a big fan of the team.
Matt Rife Wears Blue Jackets Jersey At Hometown Comedy ShowWe are so deep in the dog days of the NHL off-season that the only real news regarding the Columbus Blue Jackets is that a celebrity was spotted proudly wearing a Blue Jackets jersey.
Johnson played for Cleveland the 2021-22 season. He played in 20 games and had a 6-9-4 record with a SV% of .882. Johnson, from Flint, Michigan was undrafted and has yet to make his NHL Debut.
Former Monsters Goalie Signs With Springfield Of AHLPer Tony Andockitis, former Monsters goalie Cam Johnson is signing with the AHLs Springfield Thunderbirds.
I remember watching Rick Nash get drafted 1st overall in 2002. GM Doug MacLean made a bold move and traded up to get the big winger from the London Knights of the OHL. I was young and ecstatic about this trade.
61 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: Rick NashThe Jackets have only had one player wear the #61. No one else will wear it.
Gallant, 61, has spent time with the Blue Jackets as both an assistant coach and head coach, as well as with the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens as an assistant. He served as the bench boss for the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and New York Rangers, up until 2022-23 when he was fired and his time in the NHL appeared to be over.
Former Blue Jackets' Bench Boss Lands New Gig Overseas Columbus Blue Jackets' former head coach Gerard Gallant has landed a new coaching job. It was announced earlier today that he will be heading overseas to Russia to coach the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL.
GM Don Waddell said in a press release: "Mikael Pyyhtiä is a highly competitive player that brings high-end speed, reliable two-way play and a strong work ethic to a lineup," said Waddell. "We look forward to see his continued growth with the Blue Jackets organization.”
Blue Jackets Sign Mikael Pyyhtia To An ExtensionColumbus has announced the signing of forward Mikael Pyyhtiä to a one-year, two-way contract today. The contract is for $775,000 on the NHL side, and $100,000 on the AHL level.
You’re probably in no mood to read this right now, but this is as good a time as any. It’s your 32-year-old self here, and in case your head is too scrambled to figure out, it’s 2015. Hey, and guess what, you’re playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets these days. They’re the guys who came into the league as an expansion team a couple months ago.
From The THN Archive: Scott Hartnell - Letter To My Rookie SelfThe Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.
Hunt, 23, is a left-handed defenceman that Columbus acquired from the Minnesota Wild as part of the David Jiricek trade last season. His previous salary from last year was $828,333 over a three-year term. If he does sign with the Blue Jackets, his salary will likely be similar to Pyyhtiä’s, which is $775,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level.
Blue Jackets’ Last Remaining RFA: Daemon HuntWith the Columbus Blue Jackets reaching an agreement with Mikael Pyyhtiä on a one-year, two-way contract yesterday, there is just one remaining restricted free agent (RFA) they need to re-sign, and that is Daemon Hunt.
Later in 2023, there were rumors that he was "unhappy" in Columbus and may want out. His agent, Shumi Babaev, told THN Columbus that, "At the moment, there are no conversations about a trade on our part. He likes Columbus, both the team and the city." He went to tell us that "We are in touch with the General Manager (Jarmo), the only thing Yegor wants is to have more ice time, feel the coach's trust, and help the team win more games. He's very happy after yesterday's game. Felt great on the new line."
59 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The Yegor Chinakhov SagaThe Columbus Blue Jackets have 59 days until the home opener at Nationwide Arena. Today, we talk about Yegor Chinakhov and the drama that surrounds him.
“Daemon Hunt is a good, young two-way defenseman that plays a smart and controlled game,” said Waddell in a press release. “His signing provides us important additional organizational depth on our blue line.”
The Blue Jackets Sign Final RFAThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced the signing of Daemon Hunt, the final RFA the Blue Jackets had to sign.
Blue Jackets Announce Theme Nights For 25th Anniversary SeasonThe Columbus Blue Jackets are heading into their 25th anniversary season, and the organization is ready to roll out a full slate of events to celebrate with fans.
58 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: Lumber Jacket David SavardThe former Lumber Jacket was fun to watch.
Blue Jackets Should Look To Extend Captain Boone Jenner As Soon As PossibleThe Columbus Blue Jackets have a big decision on their hands. Their captain, Boone Jenner, is entering the last year of his contract and can sign an extension as soon as possible.
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Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer will miss rest of 2025 season due to wrist surgery originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Marcelo Mayer’s rookie season is officially over.
The 22-year-old infielder will miss the rest of the 2025 campaign due to a wrist injury that has held him out since July 23.
Mayer and Boston manager Alex Cora spoke Sunday about the diagnosis, which came after he got an injection to try to come back. Ultimately, the right wrist has a tear that hadn’t improved with the injection and season-ending surgery was the only option.
“As an athlete and somebody that loves this game so much, all I want to do is play and be out there every single day, especially when you’re in the big leagues and the playoffs are so important,” Mayer said. “The way that my wrist is right now, there’s just no way to come back and play. It made the decision pretty easy to have the surgery.”
Mayer was called up to the big leagues in late May, four years after being drafted fourth overall in 2021.
Despite playing shortstop in the minors, the Red Sox used Mayer mostly at third base while Alex Bregman was injured. When the All-Star returned, Mayer moved over to second base with Trevor Story remaining at shortstop. In 44 games as a rookie, Mayer hit .228 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and eight doubles.
If everything stays on track with his recovery, the Red Sox expect Mayer to be healthy in time for spring training.
“It’s a three-month recovery, Cora explained. “He should be fine if everything goes well for spring training. He’s a big part of the future of this organization. Just get him right, get him ready and see what happens in the future.”
Injuries have been a concern for Mayer at all levels since being drafted. He’s yet to play 100 games in a season since joining the Red Sox system due to various injuries, including wrist and back ailments.
Story, 32, and Bregman, 31, can both opt out of their contracts and become free agents this offseason, which could clear a path for regular playing time in 2026. Second base also remains an option with no long-term starter set in stone.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers set a single-season franchise record with their 14th straight victory Saturday. And, in keeping with recent form, it wasn’t easy.
The major league-leading Brewers rallied for the second straight game and beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 in 11 innings. This Milwaukee club set a new benchmark — so far — for consecutive victories, surpassing the 1987 team that opened that season by winning its first 13 games.
The Brewers will look to add to their streak in the series finale against division rival Cincinnati on Sunday.
Milwaukee’s overall record for consecutive wins is 16 games, from 1986-87, when they won their last three games in 1986 and their first 13 in 1987.
On Friday night, the Brewers’ run appeared to be in jeopardy before they rallied from seven runs down through two innings by scoring nine unanswered runs in beating the Reds 10-8.
Milwaukee looked to be in trouble again Saturday, but showed its resilience — for the second time in 24 hours — with the big blow being a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the 11th by Andrew Monasterio.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Monasterio, who wears the No. 14. “I wasn’t ready for like 14 to 14. ... That’s amazing.”
Monasterio was seemingly prepped for his showstopping and streak-extending moment.
“(Manager) Pat Murphy asked me to be ready three or four times,” the 28-year-old infielder said. “That was the fifth time he asked me to be ready during the game. He asked me in the seventh, ‘Are you ready for a big moment?’ I said, ‘Of course, yeah.’ But I didn’t know it was going to happen like this.”
Milwaukee starter Quinn Priester said his under-11-year-old team went 49-0 and called that fun.
“But not as fun as this,” he said.
Priester said the Brewers have been making the most of every chance provided by opponents.
“We’ve just been giving ourselves every opportunity, and then certainly when we get extra opportunities, we seem to take advantage every single time,” he said. “You get your opportunity, it’s time to go in and make a big swing, make a big pitch. When guys are getting their opportunities, we’re not timid, that’s for sure.”
The Brewers jumped to an early lead when Brice Turang doubled in a run in the second inning. The Reds got solo homers from Ke’Bryan Hayes and Spencer Steer in the sixth for a 2-1 lead.
As it turned out, the Reds helped Milwaukee keep its winning streak alive as the Brewers scored on a throwing error by Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz in the ninth to tie the game at 2-all. And, the Brewers went ahead in the 10th when Anthony Seigler scored on an error by left fielder Jake Fraley.
Cincinnati battled back in the bottom of the 10th and tied it at 3-all on an RBI double by Hayes.
Ultimately, the Reds provided the Brewers with too many chances to continue their winning ways as Monasterio belted a three-run shot in the 11th — just his second of the season after his first on July 3 against the New York Mets.
The Reds pushed back again in the bottom half, cutting the deficit with a sacrifice fly by Santiago Espinal and trimming their deficit to a run on Noelvi Marte’s ninth homer of the year.
But Milwaukee prevailed when reliever Nick Mears got Matt McLain to fly out to the warning track in right-center, ending the game and extending the streak.
Milwaukee is now 34 games over .500 at 78-44 and boasts a nine-game lead in the NL Central over the Chicago Cubs. In the National League, the Brewers are eight games better than the East Division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (70-53).
This is part of a countdown series with the Golden Knights, highlighting the roster with brief tidbits on the players as their uniform numbers align with the countdown day. Today, we meet Dylan Coghlan.
Dylan Coghlan returns to the Vegas Golden Knights after signing a one-year contract on July 1, 2025.
Undrafted in 2018, Coghlan signed with the Golden Knights before their inaugural season in 2017, and made his NHL debut on Feb. 5, 2021.
He was traded to Carolina by Vegas with Max Pacioretty for future considerations on July 13, 2022, and was then traded to Winnipeg by Carolina for future considerations, July 6, 2024.
After playing 18 games over two seasons for the Hurricanes, he joined the Jets but spent most of his time with Manitoba of the American Hockey League.
During his career, the 27-year-old has scored six goals and assisted on 16 others in 112 games.
FUN FACT: Coghlan was the first defenseman in Golden Knights history to get a hat trick, while being the youngest at 23 years old during a 4-3 loss at the Minnesota Wild on March 10, 2021.
Before the start of last season, the Montreal Canadiens had won five consecutive games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they kept that streak going with a couple of wins over the Ohio outfit early in the season. Montreal won the first two games, one in each venue, and outscored the opponent 13-9 in the three-game season series.
Though the Canadiens were lucky to face Columbus early in the season, as the Jackets were reeling from the unexpected loss of star player Johnny Gaudreau and struggled to make up for his absence, the speedy winger was a huge part of their attack and had always had success against Montreal, scoring six goals and adding 17 assists for 23 points in 25 games. Besides the offensive output, though, Gaudreau was a dynamo for the Jackets, and his loss had a significant impact on their whole team, but especially for former Canadiens’ Sean Monahan, who had signed with the team to get to play with his close friend again.
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A month into the season, the two teams met for the first time, and the Canadiens were dominant at the Bell Center. Montreal had a 30-26 edge in shots and scored a 5-1 win on the back of a pair of assists from Cole Caufield, who had changed his number to 13 to honour his fallen idol before the start of the season. The visitors did shoot themselves in the foot, however, with 18 giveaways. Mike Matheson and Joel Armia also had a pair of points in the win.
Less than two weeks later, the two sides met again, this time in Columbus, and the hosts played much better in a 4-3 OT loss. That time, it was Juraj Slafkovsky who led the charge with two points, but Caufield did have a goal while Nick Suzuki scored the overtime winner less than a minute into the extra frame. Emil Heineman also had a lamplighter in the win.
The final duel came on December 23, and the Jackets were finally able to beat the Canadiens in Columbus, with the cannon firing five times thanks to a 5-4 win. Monahan, Kiril Marchenko, and Zach Werenski all had three points. It was another good night for Caufield as he recorded two points once again. The Canadiens had a 4-3 lead 20 seconds into the final frame, but they were unable to hang on for the win, with Dimitri Voronkov and Kiril Marchenko scoring in the third.
The Canadiens' top players against Columbus were Caufield with five points, Jake Evans with four, and Suzuki with three points, which also included two game-winning goals. Meanwhile, for the Jackets, it was offensive defenseman Zach Werenski who led the team with six points, followed by Monahan and Marchenko, who both had three.
This offseason, the Jackets’ most significant move was a trade with the Colorado Avalanche in which they acquired Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle in return for Gavin Brinley and a couple of draft picks. While they won’t be top-six players, they do give the Jackets enviable depth up front. They also signed Isac Lundestrom as a free agent and re-signed Dante Fabro and Ivan Provorov.
The Jackets failed to make the playoffs last season, but they were only eliminated when the Canadiens won the last game of their season. Columbus' near-successful push to the playoffs was led by goaltender Jet Greaves, who was simply outstanding in the sequence, outplaying Elvis Merzlikins. If the youngster comes back in that kind of form, the Jackets could be much tougher to take on and beat. He was on duty when the Jackets finally beat Montreal in their final head-to-head meeting.
The big story between the two teams, however, was Patrik Laine speaking to the media ahead of the December 23rd tilt and explaining why he had requested a trade away from Columbus. Needless to say, his former teammates did not appreciate what he had to say and used his declaration as motivation. The big Finn was chased all around the ice and mercilessly hit by his former teammates and booed by the crowd, exiting the game after the first period. The physical punishment he received might have taught him a few things about what should and shouldn’t be shared with the media, but chances are he’ll be highly motivated when he takes on his former team this season.
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Eberechi Eze had a goal disallowed in what might be his final game for Palace, who defended superbly and restricted Chelsea to few goalscoring opportunities
So what of Eze? Taking the money out of it for a second, part of me wonders why he’s leaving. If he was going to one of the top clubs to challenge for the big pots, fair enough. But at Spurs, he’ll get one season of Champions League, probably no more, and perhaps a Cup run, whereas if he stays, he could become Palace’s greatest player. If he was three years younger, fair enough, he could go to Tottenham then leave, but at 27, this is it for him, and I’m not sure what he’s getting beats what he’s leaving.
Otherwise, a general rule of thumb is that to win the title, a team needs three or four players who are among the best around, I don’t see that at Chelsea, who have lots of good players but not many – if any – special ones. Of course, they have several who can grow into that, I just can’t see them having more points than everyone else after 38 games, even without the summer workload.
Continue reading...
ST. LOUIS -- It was Aug. 17, 1983 when the St. Louis Blues named the 13th coach in franchise history when they hired Jacques Demers.
Demers was a gamble at the time for the Blues, with just one year of coaching experience with the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80, going 25-44 with 11 ties.
Demers replaced the co-coaching duo of Emile Francis and Barclay Plager, who coached the Blues with Francis for five seasons starting in 1978; Francis began in 1977.
Demers would go on to coach the Blues for three seasons and take them to the playoffs each season from 1983-1986. He was 106-106 with 28 ties in the regular season and 16-17 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, with a best run in 1985-86 when the Blues reached the Campbell Conference Final before losing to the Calgary Flames in seven games.
It was believed there was a building block with Demers and the franchise, but he ultimately left to join the Detroit Red Wings in the same capacity and the Blues accused the Red Wings of tampering after then-owner Harry Ornest believed he had a "binding agreement ' of a three-year contract but one was never signed.
The Blues would try to sue Demers from coaching the Red Wings but the NHL would rule in favor of the coach and he would be behind the Red Wings bench for the ensuing four seasons. He would then be hired and win a Stanley Cup his first season with the Montreal Canadiens in 1992-93 and coach the Habs for four seasons, then the Tampa Bay Lightning from 1997-99.
Eventually, Jacques Martin would replace Demers in St. Louis and coach the Blues for two seasons from 1986-88.
For those that remember that far back and that Blues era, where does Demers, who is now 80, rank among the 28 coaches in Blues history? Comment below and let The Hockey News know what you think.
The 6-foot-2, 255-pound edge rusher had 16 tackles for a loss last season and figures to have more of an impact this season for the Trailblazers.
Phillies activate Bohm, send down Kemp before road trip finale originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
WASHINGTON — The Phillies made a series of Sunday morning roster moves before the finale of their 10-game road trip.
Ahead of an 11:35 a.m. first pitch at Nationals Park, the club announced the following:
Nola and Bohm’s returns were expected. Nola’s start Sunday against the Nationals is his first since May 14. Bohm’s in the Phils’ lineup and hitting cleanup in his first MLB game since July 18. Both Nola and Bohm were sidelined by rib injuries and recently wrapped up rehab assignments with Lehigh Valley.
“I know he got off to a slow start this year, but he constantly got better as the season went on and his defense has been really, really good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Bohm. “He just lengthens our lineup out a bit more. We don’t have J.T. (Realmuto) in there today, but him and J.T. behind (Bryce Harper), that’s pretty good protection.”
Kemp rose to the major leagues for the first time in June after a brilliant start to the year in Triple-A. The 25-year-old has gone 2 for his last 20, dropping his season average to .228. Kemp has a 1.010 OPS this season for Lehigh Valley and a .657 OPS for the Phillies.
“He just needs at-bats,” Thomson said. “That’s all. As I said to him, he’s a big part of what we’re doing this year and in the future. I loved his at-bats early, and then he was getting kind of sporadic at-bats and he was scuffling a little bit. So he needs to get everyday at-bats.
“Play third, play second, play left, and get ready. No guarantees, but by sending him down today, he’s eligible to come up on (Sept.) 1st.”
Thomson didn’t have much new information on Zack Wheeler, who’s been diagnosed with a right upper extremity blood clot and is out indefinitely.
He said the 35-year-old is “heading back to Philly today and testing will start tomorrow.”
Thomson left open the possibility that the Phillies could use a six-man rotation down the line. He named top prospect Andrew Painter as one call-up option, as well as “someone else.”
“Whoever’s pitching good,” he said with a smile.
Meeting the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs was a tall order for the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs struggled against a Washington team that was chasing the goal record for Alexander Ovechkin. In the three-game season series, the Caps outscored the Habs 12-8, and Montreal finished with a 1-2-0 record on the season against their playoff rival.
The first duel was on October 31, and the Canadiens were in the second game of a six-game losing streak. Taking on the Capitals at Capital One Arena, Montreal only took 16 shots on goal while Washington tested Cayden Primeau 34 times. Each team scored three goals in the middle frame, but the Capitals scored three unanswered goals in the final frame to skate away with the 6-3 win.
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On December 7, this time at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens were once again outplayed as the Caps had a 35-24 edge in shots on goal in the 4-2 win. Montreal took a 2-0 lead in the first frame, but they were unable to prevent the comeback as Washington stormed to a 4-2 win with four unanswered goals.
The Habs bounced back on January 10, however, and with Jakub Dobes in the net, they dominated in shots 30-17 and were able to come back from behind after Jakob Chychrun had scored the first goal less than three minutes into the game. Cole Caufield tied up the score while Josh Anderson gave Montreal the lead with a shorthanded marker. Lars Eller tied up the game at the start of the third, but Nick Suzuki gave the Habs the win in the extra frame with helpers from Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson.
Tom Wilson and Aleksei Protas led the charge for the Caps in the season series with four points each, while Ovechkin had three. As for the Habs, it was the captain who stood out with five points, followed by Caufield and Hutson, who had four points each. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, Suzuki was unable to have a similar offensive output in the playoffs as he was limited to two points in the postseason.
Speaking of the postseason, the Caps made short work of the Canadiens, eliminating them in just five games and outscoring them 18-12 in the process. Washington’s dominance wasn’t just on the scoreboard, however, since their physical play made life tough for the Habs’ skills player, making Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton realize that their team needed to get tougher and bigger.
The Caps lost some good pieces this offseason as Andrew Mangiapane signed a two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers, Taylor Raddysh joined the New York Rangers on a two-year contract, and Lars Eller, who returned to Washington in November, won’t have stayed for long as he joined the Ottawa Senators on a one-year pact. T.J. Oshie, who sat out last season, officially retired as well.
Washington resigned Anthony Beauvillier and acquired Justin Sourdif and Declan Chisholm, and it doesn’t look like there will be many more additions this offseason. The young Habs will no doubt be looking to avenge their early playoff exit when they meet the Caps for the first time of the season on November 20. While the Capitals are no longer the powerhouse that they once were, they remain a strong team with plenty of experience and are tough to play.
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Two former New Jersey Devils left the 3ICE Summer Tournament with honors.
Former player-turned-coach Ken Daneyko earned the Eddie Johnston Coach of the Year award after leading the 3ICE NY/NJ team to the Patrick Cup Championship.
Mr. Devil on the Bench: Ken Daneyko Leads NJ/NY 3ICE Team to Final FourFormer New Jersey Devil Ken Daneyko has taken on a new role this summer, coaching the 3ICE NJ/NY team.
Meanwhile, former Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who played with 3ICE Buffalo, was named the Bryan Trottier League MVPawarded to the tournament’s most valuable player.
Keith Kinkaid Eyes NHL Return After Strong 3ICE PerformanceFormer New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid is aiming for an NHL comeback this season.
🏆 Congratulations to our 3ICE Season 3 Award Winners! 🏆
— 3ICE (@3IceHockey) August 14, 2025
Now it all comes down to THIS…
🏒 The Patrick Cup Championship
📍 Baptist Health IcePlex – Fort Lauderdale, FL
🕖 Tonight at 7 PM ET#3ICE#PatrickCup#Hockey#3ICEAwards#HockeyLife#3ICEHockey#PatrickCup2025pic.twitter.com/nGkM4TAMdi
The 3ICE tournament is held every summer at the Florida Panthers’ training facility. It serves as a showcase for current NHL players, as well as those aiming to break into the league, with games played in a fast-paced three-on-three format.
Both Daneyko and Kinkaid have strong ties to the Devils.
Daneyko, better known as “Mr. Devil”, played his entire career in New Jersey. He was on the roster for all three Stanley Cup championships, leading the franchise in both games played and penalty minutes. His jersey now hangs in the rafters at the Prudential Center, cementing his legacy as a franchise icon. Though his team did not win the Patrick Cup, his transition to coaching earned him high recognition.
Kinkaid also left his mark on the Devils. Joining the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2012, he spent six seasons in New Jersey before moving on to stints with five other NHL teams. Over 169 NHL games, he recorded a .905 save percentage.
Now 36, the six-foot-two netminder has spent recent years in the AHL and ECHL, but his MVP performance at 3ICE proved he still has plenty left in the tank. While his Buffalo squad didn’t win the tournament, his individual honor may boost his chances of earning another NHL opportunity.
Although neither Daneyko nor Kinkaid are likely to return to the Devils organization, their performances at the 3ICE tournament show they still have plenty to offer, whether behind the bench or between the pipes.