LSU had no problem with Brian Kelly's contract when they signed it. The Tigers' administrators (and the Louisiana governor) shouldn't try to weasel out of it now that things didn't go their way on the field.
Canadiens: Growth All Around
While most people’s attention was focused on the players’ growth in the Montreal Canadiens’ rebuild, someone else was growing before our eyes: coach Martin St-Louis. Much was made of the fact that he had no professional experience when he was hired to take the helm of the most storied franchise in NHL history, but not enough has been written about how he has adapted since then.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, the bench boss confessed that giving everyone their fair share of ice time in the NHL was on him, and that some players’ reduced ice time was on him, too—they didn’t necessarily deserve so little time. It was a refreshing sight to see a coach do his mea culpa, but for St. Louis, that’s just normal. He explained that if he asks his players to be accountable and face their truth, it’s only logical that he does the same:
Canadiens: For The Last Two Weekends Michael Hage…
Canadiens Will Attempt To Put An End To An Eight-Game Losing Streak Against The Kings
Canadiens Prepare For The Kings
Because I feel if I’m asking my players to self-assess with some truth, I’ve got to be able to do the same thing, So, I have to own it. If I expect my players to own it, I better own it myself.- St-Louis on accountability
His players respect St-Louis not only because of his Hall of Fame career, but also because he holds himself to the same standards he holds them to. He’s not playing the games anymore; he can’t help them on the ice, but he’s the one who decides who’s on in which circumstances and for how long. After doing his mes culpa about ice time, the pilot started the next game with the Kirby Dach, Brendan Gallagher and Zachary Bolduc line alongside his third pairing formed by Arber Xhekaj and Alex Carrier. Sure, the players the Utah Mammoth chose to start allowed him to do that; they weren’t the ones he wanted his first-line to face, but he could have gone for the Jake Evans or Oliver Kapanen lines just as easily.
Going from bantam hockey to the NHL was quite the jump for the bench boss, and while he’s improved by leaps and bounds since then, he feels he still has a long way to go:
The first game was so fast on the ice … I couldn’t believe the speed of the game. But two, three games in, it slowed way down. At the youth level, it was easy; you just rolled the lines, and everybody played the power play. It was fun, it was easy. Let’s go. At the NHL level, you got to be a little more calculated. I feel I’ve come a long way, and I’ve got a ways to go.”- St-Louis on coaching in the NHL
This is what makes St-Louis a great coach: he can be critical of his players when needed, but he can also be critical of himself. He knows his players are still growing, still learning, but so is he. While he had seen it all as a player throughout his 16-year career in the NHL, behind a bench, he’s still learning.
Last year, he was a Jack Adams Trophy finalist for guiding his young team to the playoffs; this year, he has them leading their division and showing no signs of slowing down. When St-Louis agreed to join the Canadiens, he knew he was joining a team with potential for greatness but that needed to be built up, much like his coaching career, and he’s doing a fine job of both.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Michigan football recruiting flips LB Kaden Catchings from South Florida
Kaden Catchings, previously committed to South Florida, flipped to Michigan football, the second recruiting flip by the Wolverines in the past week.
Former Ottawa Senator Registers First NHL Point: 'That Was For (My Mom) Tonight'
When Ottawa-born Donovan Sebrango joined the Senators, he was part of the Alex DeBrincat deal with the Detroit Red Wings. At the time, he was exiting Detroit, a team in the middle of the second-longest NHL playoff drought, to join Ottawa, a club in the middle of the third-longest NHL playoff drought.
You might assume that neither roster, in those circumstances, should have been carved in stone; that an opportunity might have been there for a useful player.
But Sebrango never caught on as a full-time player in either market. As he left Detroit, he hadn't seen any NHL action in Motown after four years with the club. As for the Senators, they immediately put him in Belleville and he even spent some time in the ECHL.
They did bring him up to Ottawa twice last season and then twice last month due to the preseason injury to Tyler Kleven. When Kleven got healthy, the Sens tried to send Sebrango back down to Belleville, but he was claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers.
At his press conference on Monday, when asked about the left side of his blue line, Staios admitted that losing Sebrango hurt the Sens' depth in that area.
Now, since the move to Sunrise, Sebrango has found more work with the defending two-time Stanley Cup champions than he did in Ottawa and Detroit combined.
Not only did Sebrango play in his fifth game in a row for the Panthers on Monday night, but he also registered two assists in the game, including his first NHL point as Florida won 3-2 in Las Vegas.
"Yeah, I mean, it's always fun to get points," Sebrango told the media after the game. "That's not why they brought me in, but it's always fun to get a couple of points, and your first ones you always remember."
Even in his short time in Ottawa, it was very clear that Sebrango is tight with his mom, Kim.
So after he got his first NHL point, it's not hard to guess who he texted first.
"She said she was so proud of me," Sebrango said. "And I want to make her proud. And that means the world to hear from her. But I mean, that was for her tonight."
But Sebrango has other admirers in Florida, where he seems to be fitting right in. He's played the last five games for the Panthers, averaging 14 minutes a night, and setting up shop alongside Jeff Petry, who's closing in on 1000 NHL games (997).
"I think (Sebrango) has played the same game (every night)," head coach Paul Maurice told the media. "And that's a really impressive thing because he doesn't have a lot of NHL experience. He's still a young man, but he has been very, very consistent in his style of game and what we expect from him. And that is highly unusual in a young player, especially on defense.
"We play a different game than he's been experiencing. So we're really impressed with his composure in the game, and we like his bite. You know, he didn't wait a long time for the first fight.
"We like that a lot."
This shouldn't be read as a Sens tale of the one that got away, which all too often haunts the fan base. For one, it's far too early for any such declaration. Secondly, even if Sebrango ends up as a full-timer in Florida or spends the next decade in the NHL, this is merely the kind of thing that can happen to good teams when they don't have enough room on the roster for everyone. He was never going to rank ahead of Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, or Tyler Kleven.
This is more a story of a young man who's worked hard and honestly for a long time, just waiting for an opportunity like this to finally come his way. Even if Florida doesn't bring Sebrango back next season, every game he plays now for the champions only serves to improve his resume.
And how do you not tip your cap to a story like that?
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Read more articles like these atThe Hockey News Ottawa:
Staios On Linus Ullmark: ‘I Believe In Linus, The Team Believes In Linus.’
Four Takeaways From Senators 4-2 Victory Over Utah Sunday Night
Former Ottawa Senator GM Passes Away At Age 70
Ullmark: "There Are So Many Things I'd Like To Say To All The Doubters"
More Details On Scamming Accusations From Arthur Kaliyev's Ex-Girlfriend
Punter Zachary Hays Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Punter Zachary Hays (Southlake, Texas/ Carroll High School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
Defensive Back Duvay Williams Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Defensive back Duvay Williams (Gardena, California/ Junipero Serra High School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
Defensive Back Tory Pittman III Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Defensive back Tory Pittman III (Omaha, Nebraska/ Omaha Central High School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
Four-Star Elija Harmon Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Defensive lineman Elija Harmon (Inglewood, California/ Inglewood School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
LSU Commit Havon Finney Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Defensive back Havon Finney (Chatsworth, California/ Sierra Canyon School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
Defensive Back Brandon Arrington Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Defensive back Brandon Arrington (Spring Valley, California/ Mount Miguel High School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
Wide Receiver Jordan Clay Will be Honored as a 2026 Navy All-American
Wide receiver Jordan Clay (San Antonio, Texas/ Madison High School), will be officially honored Wednesday as a 2026 Navy All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Navy All-American Bowl’s Road to the Dome digital series.
What we learned as Steph Curry, Warriors' offense struggle in loss to Thunder
What we learned as Steph Curry, Warriors' offense struggle in loss to Thunder originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
OKLAHOMA CITY – When the Western Conference semifinals began last season, there was a feeling behind the scenes that the Warriors were confident in their prospects against the Oklahoma City Thunder if the two were to meet in the next round with a chance of being in the NBA Finals.
That shot never happened. Steph Curry went down to injury, and the Thunder outlasted the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers in seven games each to be crowned champions.
A decade ago, the Warriors were the young team coming up together that got past a Thunder team with similar ages to them on their way to a dynastic run. Now, the Thunder are the ones on that same path, proving so again Tuesday night.
The Warriors and Thunder were on two different planets of basketball talents in their first matchup of the 2025-26 NBA season, a public spanking in a 126-102 blowout loss for Golden State at Paycom Center.
Curry returned after missing the previous three games because of an illness. Curry started strong but then quickly cooled off and found himself in foul trouble. He played 20 minutes and was a minus-23 with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, one rebound and no assists. Curry made his first 3-pointer and then missed his final four attempts.
All three of Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were on the bench with five minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Thunder led by 25 points at the time, ending the three veteran stars’ day right there on the first night of a back-to-back.
Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 points and 12 assists) and Chet Holmgren (23 points and 11 rebounds) dominated as a duo, and they received plenty of help from their Thunder teammates.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors starting their six-game road trip with a humbling 24-point defeat for their sixth consecutive road loss.
Steph’s Return
Recovering from an illness didn’t slow Curry’s constant movement. His first three times touching the ball went as so: Cutting for a left-side layup, coming off a screen for a three at the top of the arc, and running around for a layup on the right side. These are sights Thunder fans are used to seeing for many years of torture from Curry in OKC.
Curry scored seven first-quarter points in seven minutes, but also was called for two fouls, including a surprising Flagrant 1 upon review during an Isaiah Joe 3-point attempt. That marked the first flagrant foul of Curry’s 17-year NBA career after going 1,193 career games without being whistled for one.
But Curry was held scoreless in the second quarter after missing five shots in six minutes. He played 14 minutes in the first half and was a minus-17 with seven points and as many fouls (three) as made shots.
Foul trouble followed him in the second half, too. Curry was called for two fouls in the first two-plus minutes of the third quarter, bringing him to five at the 9:41 mark.
During his one game in OKC last season, Curry scored 36 points with five rebounds, seven assists and seven 3-pointers in a Warriors win. That wasn’t the player the Warriors got Tuesday night while the Thunder waxed them up and down the court.
Troubling Trend Continues
Turnovers once again doomed the Warriors. Again, and again, and again.
Trayce Jackson-Davis already had three in the first half, and a bad sequence when he entered in the third quarter gave him five in his first nine minutes. He wasn’t alone.
Jonathan Kuminga also racked up five turnovers for the third time this season. He now has 17 turnovers and 16 assists in November, struggling with his handles and dribbling into traffic.
His fellow forward, Green, also now has 17 turnovers in November in one fewer game after a three-turnover night against the Thunder. Green handed out four assists Tuesday night, giving him three more assists than turnovers. It was Green’s fifth straight game with at least three turnovers.
As a team, the Warriors totaled 21 turnovers, two fewer than their number of assists. Those 21 turnovers became 27 points for the Thunder. The Warriors far too often are getting caught in the air, forcing passes and lack space offensively.
An Embarrassment Of Riches
Holmgren, standing one inch taller than Warriors 7-foot center Quinten Post, immediately showed what different skill sets the two young big men have. Over three straight trips down the court, Holmgren spun off Post for a layup, hit an 11-foot jumper on him and then extended his range for a 24-foot three from the left wing. He was in his bag and knew a long list of teammates would join the party.
Holmgren is the Thunder’s second scoring option, and would be their third if two-way star Jalen Williams were healthy. He and Gilgeous-Alexander combined to score 26 points in the first half as the Thunder led by 19, with Holmgren scoring 11 and SGA leading with 15. They’re far from a two-man show.
How deep are the Thunder with two-way players who can break you down offensively and defensively? Cason Wallace didn’t score a single point in the first half, missing three shots, yet still was a game-high plus-19 at the time.
They’re long, they’re athletic, they’re deep and they’re connected. This Thunder team can beat opponents to a pulp in every which way. The problems the Thunder present as a team aren’t going away anytime soon, and the Warriors only can hope lessons learned help for a better result when they play them three weeks from now at Chase Center.
Three NHL Teams That Have Been Big Surprises So Far
We are now a month into the 2025-26 NHL season, and there have certainly been some teams that have surprised so far.
However, three specific NHL clubs entered the season with low expectations and are proving their doubters wrong. Let's look at all three of them and discuss why they have been the league's biggest plesant surprises early on.
Anaheim Ducks (11-3-1, 23 Points)
The Anaheim Ducks have been incredible out of the gate.
They're currently at the top of the Pacific Division standings and second in the NHL with 23 points, so there is no question that the Ducks have been a big surprise so far.
The Ducks finished last season with a 35-37-10 record and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year. Yet, with the way they are playing right now, they certainly have a great chance of breaking their playoff drought this year. BetMGM's odds of Anaheim making the playoffs are 1.40 (-250), compared to 3.00 (+200) odds of missing out.
Leo Carlsson (10 goals and 25 points in 15 games) and Cutter Gauthier (11 goals and 20 points in 15 games) are big reasons for the Ducks' hot start. Newcomer Chris Kreider has also played a role in Anaheim's great start, posting nine goals and 12 points in 11 games.
Chicago Blackhawks (8-5-3, 19 Points)
After a quiet off-season, many expected the Chicago Blackhawks to be among the NHL's bottom teams again in 2025-26. Yet, the rebuilding squad has instead started the season off strongly.
The Blackhawks currently have an 8-5-3 record and are third in the Central Division. They have also been getting better as the campaign rolls on, as they have won each of their last three games and six of their last 10.
So, what are a few reasons for the Blackhawks' hot start?
Connor Bedard has been hitting a new level early on, as he has nine goals and 25 points in 16 games. Goaltender Spencer Knight has also been fantastic for Chicago, as he has a 6-3-2 record, .926 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average. Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky and Tyler Bertuzzi have been playing excellently as well.
Overall, the Blackhawks have been a nice story early on this season, and it will be interesting to see how they build on it. They still have 7.50 (+600) odds of making the playoffs and 1.10 (-1000) odds of missing them, according to BetMGM.
Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-3, 21 Points)
Many expected the Pittsburgh Penguins to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. However, they have responded by starting the season third in the Metropolitan Division after 17 games played.
The Penguins have been cooling off slightly as the season progresses, having lost their last two games and going 4-3-3 in their last 10 contests. That said, they still have the fourth-most points in the Eastern Conference, which is undoubtedly a big surprise.
Veteran stars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby starting the year on fire is a big reason for the Penguins' strong start to the 2025-26 season. Furthermore, free-agent signings Anthony Mantha and the currently injured Justin Brazeau have provided Pittsburgh's top six with a big boost.
The Penguins' goaltending has also improved as Arturs Silovs has a .916 save percentage in nine games, while Tristan Jarry has a .911 save percentage in seven appearances.
Pittsburgh's odds of making the playoffs are 3.40 (+240), while the odds of not making them are 1.33 (-303).
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.
Advantage England? Emma Raducanu gives tips to squad for All Blacks clash
Tennis star visits training camp to share experiences
Steve Borthwick’s side take on New Zealand on Saturday
England’s preparations for their clash with the All Blacks on Saturday have been boosted by some words of wisdom from the former US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu, who visited their Bagshot training base on Tuesday.
Raducanu took to the training field with Steve Borthwick’s squad, taking part in lineout practice and kicking drills with Marcus Smith before sharing insights with the captain, Maro Itoje. Borthwick also invited the Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, to address the squad this week.
Continue reading...NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know
NBA confirms U.S. vs. World 2026 All-Star Game format. What to know originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The wait is over: The NBA on Tuesday announced the reveal of the U.S. vs. World All-Star Game format to be played in 2026.
In the game, two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (world) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.
NBC and Peacock will broadcast the league’s annual midseason showcase on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT at the new Intuit Dome, home of the LA Clippers.
Maria Taylor introduces the brand new All-Star Game format that will be used this year in LA! 👀 pic.twitter.com/MupVfhxz9J
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) November 12, 2025
As previously done, 24 All-Stars will be selected (12 from each conference). But unlike previous years, players will be selected regardless of position. The process of assigning U.S. players across the two teams will be announced at a later date.
If All-Star voting doesn’t meet the exact quota of 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select players to fit where needed. In such case, a team may have more than the eight-player amount.
The round-robin tournament will start with USA A vs. USA B in Game 1. Game 2 will be World vs. USA A followed by World vs. USA B in Game 3.
The two teams with the best record from the three games will face off in the championship match. If there is a 1-1 split between all three teams, the tiebreaker would be point differential.
Each of the four games will feature just one standard 12-minute period. The winner will be whichever team has the most points after 12 minutes.
It’s the latest format in a line of experiments by the NBA, which includes the classic West vs. East, followed by two team captains based on All-Star voting. A target score was also introduced, followed by a mini-tournament last season in which the then-“NBA on TNT” crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith drafted their rosters, along with a Rising Stars team comprised of rookies and sophomores.
But that format wasn’t well received in the end despite being a fresh tweak, leading the NBA to finally land on the U.S. vs. World idea that has proved intriguing in the past but never actually came to fruition — until now.