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Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. exits Thursday's game vs. Astros with knee contusions

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited Thursday's game against the Astros with an apparent knee injury.

In the bottom of the third inning, Jose Altuve tried to advance to second base after a passed ball. Catcher Austin Wells recovered the baseball and threw to second, where Chisholm slapped down his tag on Altuve, who slid into the infielder's left knee.

Chisholm would take his at-bat in the top of the fourth inning, but after he struck out, he gingerly walked back to the dugout. The YES broadcast caught Chisholm in the dugout signaling to the coaching staff that he needed to come out of the game.

The Yankees announced that Chisholm was pulled with knee contusions in both knees. They happened on different plays. The team replaced Chisholm with Jose Caballero in the bottom of the fourth.

Chisholm was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before he left the game.

After the game, manager Aaron Boone gave a short update on Chisholm. 

"I don’t think it’s anything major, that’s the sense right now," he said. "We’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow."

Boone clarified that the first incident happened when Chisholm went down on his right knee for a groundball hit his way. The Yankees skipper believes Chisholm slammed his knee into the ground too hard. 

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Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Star Thompson Could Have A Special Season For Buffalo, Team U.S.A.

Tage Thompson (Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY Images)

The NHL’s 2025-26 season is just about here, and there’s no better time here at THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site to keep putting together this player-by-player series breaking down expectations for every Sabres player this coming year.

Every Sabres player has one singular goal  – getting the Sabres into the Stanley Cup playoffs. But as individuals, every Sabre has their own expectations. 

We’ve just finished moving through Buffalo’s goalies and defensemen. And in this file, we’re starting with the Sabres; top-talent at forward – winger Tage Thompson. 

Thompson had a down year last season, putting together 19 fewer assists and 22 fewer points than he had in his peak season of three years ago. But at 27-years-old, Thompson is far from over the hill, and the Sabres need him to rebound on offense this coming season and be the tip of the spear punching holes in other teams’ defensive tactics.

Let’s break it down and make an educated guess as to how his upcoming season plays out.

Player Name: Tage Thompsom

Position: Right Wing

Age: 27

2024-25 Key Statistics: 76 games, 44 goals, 72 points, 18:45 average time-on-ice

2025-26 Salary:$7.14 million

2025-26 Expectations: Thompson led the Sabres in scoring, at nearly a point-per-game clip. But as was the case with everyone on the team last year, it felt like it wasn’t enough from Thompson. This is two straight seasons of sub-par assist numbers, and while some of the blame for that goes to Thompson’s linemates, he also has to own it.

Although he’s a relative bargain at slightly more than $7.1 million per season, Thompson has the added weight of being one of Buffalo’s highest-paid players. While that pressure is going to be on him to do at least as much in 2025-26 as he did last year, Thompson is going to be on Buffalo’s first line with center Josh Norris, but if Norris can’t stay healthy, Thompson is still going to be judged by (a) whether he’s the Sabres’ best weapon on offense, and (b) whether he leads Buffalo to end its playoff drought at 14 years.

If either of those things don’t develop in the Sabres’ favor, it could be a very long season for Thompson. We’re not here to tell you Thompson is going to be traded – he’s got five years left on his contract, and he does have some no-trade protection (although only protection that allows him to veto a trade to five teams oh his choice). He can absolutely be part of the solution in Buffalo, but that has to start right away.

But something will have to give if this season doesn’t play out the way the Sabres hope for, and while that will likely start with the firing of coach Lindy Ruff and/or GM Kevyn Adams, it could eventually lead to a point where Thompson and Buffalo find it mutually beneficial to go in different roads,

Thompson could be in for a special year, if he does as expected and makes the U.S.’s team at the 2026 Winter Olympics and gets his first taste of playoff hockey in hockey’s top league. But make no mistake – even if he wins gold at the Olympics, if Thompson fails to get into the playoffs, it will be a long and slow agony for him. 

Anything less than 40 goals and 80 points will be a problem for Thompson next year. The Sabres aren’t going to be good or bad based strictly on the performance of one star player, so it all can’t be laid at Thompson’s feet if things do go sideways for him and Buffalo’s team. 

But when you’re in the midst of this playoff drought, somebody has to step up and be the engine on a winning team. That’s the challenge ahead for Thompson, and the way he responds to it will go a long way toward determining how far the Sabres go.

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Former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman Has Pressure To Sign NHL's Best Player

The Chicago Blackhawks have pressure on them to get Connor Bedard extended. That is going to take some time and thoughtful decision-making on both sides. Bedard, however, is an RFA, so a deal with Chicago will ultimately get done. 

This pales in comparison to what former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman is dealing with up in Alberta. The Edmonton Oilers only have superstar Connor McDavid locked in for one more season. 

After two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers know that they must get their captain signed to have a chance of continued sustained success.

Entering the 2025-26 season, McDavid is the best player in the NHL. In 712 career games, he has 361 goals and 721 assists for 1082 points. For being 28 years old, those are legendary numbers. 

At the Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp, McDavid was asked about his upcoming contract. He made it clear that "all options are on the table". 

The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) on XThe Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) on XConnor McDavid finally spoke about his contract situation with the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. @SpectorsHockey has the latest: https://t.co/MkGljSVDfP

McDavid's comments don't force optimism that he is going to stay in Edmonton on anyone, so the pressure is on the management team led by Stan Bowman to not let one of the greatest players ever walk away for nothing. 

Is McDavid worth trading if he doesn't extend before the deadline? The problem with that is the fact that the Oilers are good enough to win the Stanley Cup while he's on the roster, playing at a high level. 

If they hang onto him and he leaves for no return with no Stanley Cup to show for it, they will see it as nothing short of a disaster. This would set them back half a decade or more. It is on Stan Bowman to make sure that Edmonton makes the correct decision for the franchise, which is getting McDavid extended to another long-term deal. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Shohei Ohtani will pitch Monday for Dodgers; Will Smith sidelined at least through weekend

PITTSBURGH — Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will make his next start as a pitcher on Monday against Colorado in Los Angeles.

Ohtani was scheduled to start Wednesday at Pittsburgh. However, because of a chest cold, he was limited to designated hitter duties, and Emmet Sheehan started in the Dodgers’ 3-0 loss.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was not in the lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Pirates. The three-time All-Star sustained a bruised right hand on Wednesday when a foul ball hit him.

Manager Dave Roberts said Smith was unlikely to play in the three-game series at Baltimore that begins on Friday.

Roberts said the decision to move Ohtani’s next start until next week was to give him ample time to recover. The 2024 National League MVP will continue to DH.

“You want him to give him his best chance to give up five innings in his next start,” Roberts said.

Ohtani did not pitch last season, his first with the Dodgers, while recovering from his second Tommy John elbow surgery. Ohtani made his mound debut this season on June 16 and has a 1-1 record and 4.18 ERA in 11 starts.

Ohtani is hitting .280 with 46 home runs in 136 games. He leads the NL with 125 runs scored and a .610 slugging percentage.

X-rays of Smith’s hand on Wednesday night were negative. He underwent imaging on Thursday, and the results were not immediately available. Smith has a .296 batting average and 17 homers in 109 games.

Rookie catcher Dalton Rushing will get the bulk of the work behind the plate while Smith is sidelined.

The Dodgers selected the contract of veteran catcher Ben Rortvedt from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned infielder Alex Freeland to the same club. Right-hander Alexis Diaz, an All-Star in 2023 with Cincinnati, was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Rortvedt.

Rortvedt has spent all or parts of four seasons in the major leagues with Minnesota, the New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay. He is a .186 career hitter in 209 games.

Third baseman Max Muncy is also expected to begin a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Thursday night. Muncy was placed on the IL with a strained right oblique on Aug. 15.

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Binnington Ranked No. 7 In NHL Network's Top 10 Goalies for 2025-26

ST. LOUIS -- NHL Network released its list for the top 10 goalies in the NHL heading into the 2025-26 season, and St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington came in at No. 7:

Tony Luftman, Mike Rupp and former NHL goalie Cory Schneider counted down the best goalies based on player performance over the past several seasons, with an emphasis on the 2024-2025 regular season and 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs while also considering future upside.

The Top 10 Goalies Right Now list collectively features 17 All-Star Game appearances, eight Vezina Trophies, six Stanley Cups, three William M. Jennings Trophies, one Hart Trophy, one All-Rookie Team honor and one Conn Smythe Trophy.

Binnington, who is 173-116-36 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .907 save percentage for his career, was 28-22-5 with a 2.69 GAA and .900 save percentage in the regular season last year; he 2019 Stanley Cup champion is 23-24 with a 2.70 GAA and .909 save percentage in 48 playoff games. 

On Binnington's ranking on the countdown, Schneider said, "If I had to win a game tonight, who would I choose, and he’s at the top of that list."

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets was ranked No. 1, followed by Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders, Binnington, Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings and rounding out the top 10 is Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators.

Do you agree with this list? Do you agree with Binnington's ranking? Voice your opinions in the comment section below: 

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Canucks Eliminated In Second Round Of 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Five Years Ago Today

Five years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite a heroic effort by goaltender Thatcher Demko, Vancouver lost 3–0 in Game 7 of the Pacific Division Finals, marking the end of their 17-game playoff run. 

While Vancouver was expected to make the 2020 playoffs during the regular season, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the year down early. As a result, teams that weren’t at the top of their divisions played in a qualifier round to earn their spot in the postseason. Despite losing their opening match in this series against the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver strung together three straight wins to officially clinch their spot in the playoffs. One of the most memorable parts of this playoff run came as a result of their 5–4 Game 4 overtime win, during which grizzled veteran Chris Tanev scored from the blueline to send the team off the bench and on the ice in celebration. 

Despite their success, the Canucks’ opponents only got more and more difficult. In the first round of the 2020 playoffs, Vancouver was matched up against the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. With the odds somewhat against them, Vancouver stormed their way to a 2–0 series lead. However, the Blues tied things up by the end of Game 4, proving to Vancouver that there would be no easy route during the playoffs. The Canucks took this challenge head-on, winning Game 5 by a narrow 4–3 score, and ultimately defeating the Blues in Game 6 to advance to the second round.  

Vancouver seemed to have met their match in the second round, with the Golden Knights opening the series with a dominant 5–0 win. Despite winning Game 2, the Canucks dropped Games 3 and 4 to give Vegas a 3–1 series lead. Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner tallied two shutouts in this span of time, and would later add a third after Game 7. 

At the time, it felt as though Game 5 would be Vancouver’s last in the 2020 Playoffs. Things only looked worse when it was announced that Jacob Markström would miss time due to injury, leaving the door open for Demko to take the starter’s crease. There weren’t many who expected Vancouver to claw back and force a Game 7 — but sure enough, they did. Demko stopped all but one of the 43 shots piled onto him by Vegas in Game 5, cutting the Golden Knights’ series lead to one game. 

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As great as Demko was in Game 5, he was even better in Game 6. He made 48 saves to secure his first career playoff shutout, simultaneously extending the Canucks’ playoff run by one more game. To add to this milestone, Canucks captain at the time, Bo Horvat, scored his 10th goal of the 2020 playoffs, holding the lead a round past Vancouver’s elimination and finishing tied for fourth overall in the postseason. 

Even with the magical play of Demko, the Canucks’ playoff run came to an end on September 4, 2020. The game’s final score may have been 3–0, but for almost 50 minutes, neither team had found the scoresheet. Vancouver had ample chances at taking the lead, including a golden 2-on-1 opportunity from Horvat and Brock Boeser that was ultimately stopped by Lehner, as well as a five-minute power play that came as a result of a dirty play committed by Ryan Reaves. However, Shea Theodore scored on the power play to give Vegas a 1–0 lead, and after two empty-net goals for the Golden Knights, the rest was history. 

Sep 4, 2020; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Vancouver Canucks talk with Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) after the loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in game seven of the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

The events that followed the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs may have changed the course of the Canucks organization as a whole. During the 2020 free agency period, Vancouver opted to let go of key locker room staples in Markström, Chris Tanev, and Troy Stetcher. Alex Edler departed from the team the season after, and two years later, the Canucks traded Horvat. While it’s unknown what could have happened had Vancouver approached the 2020 off-season differently, this 17-game playoff run in August and September brought entertainment to fans when they needed it most. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Mets' Reed Garrett strikes out two in first rehab game with Double-A Binghamton

The Mets are hoping to fortify their bullpen before the start of the postseason, and Reed Garrett is hoping to be part of the team's plans when he returns from his rehab assignment.

Garrett began his first step toward returning to the club when he took the mound for Double-A Binghamton on Thursday.

Starting the game against the Akron RubberDucks, the right-hander started off hot, striking out the first hitter he faced on three pitches. After a five-pitch lineout, Garrett allowed a single before striking out his final batter on four pitches.

It was a dominant performance for Garrett, who allowed one hit and struck out two batters in his one inning of work. He was also very efficient, tossing just 15 pitches, 11 for strikes.

Garrett was placed on the IL back on Aug. 25 with right elbow inflammation. To make sure Garrett is healthy enough to return, Thursday's outing is the first of likely a few starts in the minor leagues. The minor league regular season does end in September, so there's not too much time for the 32-year-old to get in his reps.

This season, Garrett has produced up-and-down results. He pitched to a 0.73 ERA through May but has since seen his effectiveness wane as the months have gone on. In 54 appearances, Garrett owns a 3.61 ERA with three saves and a 1.22 WHIP.

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Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky Ranks Fourth In NHL Network's Top 10 Goaltenders Rankings

Florida Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky landed at No.4 on the NHL Network's top 10 goaltenders list heading into the 2025-26 season.

The Panthers have had representatives on each position list released by the NHL Network, beginning with Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart on the wingers list, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett on the centers list, and Gustav Forsling on the defensemen list. 

Bobrovsky adds to that number.

The 36, soon to be 37-year-old, was outstanding once again during the Panthers' playoff run, recording a .914 save percentage and a 2.20 goals against average, while tending the goal for all 16 post-season wins. 

The regular season saw Bobrovsky start 54 games, notching a .906 SP and a 2.44 GAA, picking up 33 wins. 

"In helping the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, Bobrovsky has gone 32-15 with a 2.26 GAA, .910 save percentage and five shutouts in 47 playoff games. The 36-year-old veteran has won at least 30 games eight times in his 15 NHL seasons, including 33 last season (33-19-2, 2.44 GAA, .906 save percentage, five shutouts). Bobrovsky's 429 career wins are the most among active goalies and 10th all-time," said the NHL Network.

Sergei Bobrovsky (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

Finishing ahead of Bobrovsky were Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck, Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy and New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin. The six goalies ranked after Bobrovsky were Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger, New York Islanders' Ilya Sorokin, St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington, Minnesota Wild's Filip Gustavsson, Los Angeles Kings' Darcy Kuemper, and Ottawa Senators' Linus Ullmark.

Bobrovsky will face additional challenges this season. He isn't getting any younger, and he's played a lot of hockey the past three seasons, so fatigue could catch up to him. With that being said, he really hasn't shown any signs of slowing down and could be poised for another stellar season.

Panthers New Goaltending Tandem Have A Unique History Which Could Benefit Both PartiesPanthers New Goaltending Tandem Have A Unique History Which Could Benefit Both PartiesThe Florida Panthers enter the 2025-26 season with their superstar goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky between the posts, but his backup netminder will be different this season, and the pair share a unique history.
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Royals place right-hander Seth Lugo on IL because of lower back strain

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 15-day Injured List on Thursday because of a lower back strain. The move is retroactive to Monday.

Originally scheduled to start Thursday night against the Los Angeles Angels, Lugo (8-7) was was scratched Wednesday because of back discomfort.

“He came out and tried to play catch today,” manager Matt Quatraro said Thursday. “His back was still pretty stiff, so we’re going to put him on the IL.”

Right-hander Stephen Kolek took Lugo’s roster spot. He was expected to start Saturday against Minnesota.

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Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise, Scott Gomez headline U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2025

Longtime NHL players Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise and Scott Gomez headline the United States Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Olympic gold medal-winning women’s defender Tara Mounsey and photographer Bruce Bennett are also set to be enshrined at a ceremony in St. Paul, Minnesota. USA Hockey announced the quintet of inductees Wednesday.

“All five of these members of the class share a common bond through the Winter Olympics,” USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said on a video call with reporters. “It’s appropriate as we gear up for another Olympic and Paralympic year that all of these people are going into the Hall together.”

Gomez was one of the first Latino players to make the league and made history as the first to come from the state of Alaska. He won the Stanley Cup twice with New Jersey.

Overlapping for much of their careers, Gomez, Pavelski and Parise combined to play 53 seasons and all represented the U.S. at the Olympics.

Mounsey helped the U.S. win the first women’s hockey gold medal at the Games in 1998 and was part of the team that reached the final in 2002.

“To be a part of that team was incredible,” Mounsey said. “To look back and see how the sport of women’s ice hockey has just exploded since the 1998 year, it’s just incredible to witness the opportunity that these young girls have now on the ice and the role models that they have to look up to.”

Bennett has photographed nearly 6,000 games in the NHL and internationally over his 50 years in the business. He joked that

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What's next in NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard's 'no show' endorsement contract?

Next week, the NBA Board of Governors — better known as the 30 team owners — is meeting in New York, and we know what will be the hot topic of discussion now.

The NBA has opened an investigation into allegations that the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap to get Kawhi Leonard an additional $28 million through a now-bankrupt environmental company, reporting done by Pablo Torre and team for the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast (PTFO).

While the NBA league office, under the guidance of Commissioner Adam Silver, will conduct the investigation, it is the other 29 owners who would have to vote on any sanctions or punishments. Right now, there are more questions than answers.

There are two key topics for the investigation looking forward. First, what did Ballmer and the Clippers know, and when did they know it? Second, depending on the findings (especially if the evidence is all circumstantial), how willing are the other 29 owners to come down hard on one of their own? There's a lot to get at, let's break it all down in bullet points.

Circumstantial vs. smoking gun evidence

• PTFO laid out a troubling timeline garnered through court records and former employees of Aspiration (a "green bank" whose model was to do large amounts of tree planting to gain carbon credits for its corporate clients, a company that has since filed for bankruptcy and had its CEO plead guilty to fraud).

That timeline: In September 2021, Ballmer made a personal $50 million investment in Aspiration. A couple of weeks later, Leonard signed a four-year, $176 million contract extension with the Clippers. At the Clippers' media day in September 2021, Ballmer announced a $300 million partnership with Aspiration as part of making the Intuit Dome "green" (a priority of his). Soon after, Kawhi Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration.

• That endorsement was what several Aspiration employees told Torre was a "no-show" job. Leonard never made any public appearances for the company, did not appear in its marketing, nor did he post anything on social media about Aspiration (as others who had endorsements with the company, such as Robert Downey Jr., had done). Leonard just collected the checks, using a clause in his endorsement deal that allowed him to get out of anything he didn't believe in (which was apparently everything).

• Multiple Aspiration employees said to PTFO they were told not to question the Leonard endorsement and that it was a way for the Clippers to circumvent the salary cap. It doesn't help the Clippers' case that Leonard's adviser, business partner and uncle, Dennis Robertson — who famously made unreasonable requests such as sponsorship deals, a house, a plane on call, and more when teams were recruiting Leonard in 2019 — is involved and helping Leonard cash those checks.

• Here's where it gets tricky for the league's investigators: All of that is circumstantial evidence.

• Ballmer investing in a green company that turned out to be a scam? He wasn't the only billionaire bilked by Aspiration and its CEO. Leonard signing an endorsement deal with Aspiration? Star players signing independent endorsement contracts with team sponsors is pretty common. The Aspiration employees PTFO spoke with said they were "told" this was to circumvent the NBA salary cap, which can be brushed aside as office rumors if there is no email or recorded conversation with Ballmer or a Clippers executive saying exactly that.

• The Clippers deny everything, saying they were scammed like everyone else, and that they had nothing to do with Leonard's endorsement deal and how that operated. Here is the Clippers' longer statement on the accusations, sent to a number of media members.

"Neither the Clippers nor Steve Ballmer circumvented the salary cap. The notion that Steve invested in Aspiration in order to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd. Steve invested because Aspiration's co-founders presented themselves as committed to doing right by their customers while protecting the environment.

"After a long campaign of market manipulation, which defrauded not only Steve but numerous other investors and sports teams, Aspiration filed for bankruptcy. Its co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, recently pleaded guilty to a $243 million fraud. Neither Steve nor the Clippers had knowledge of any improper activity by Aspiration or its co-founder until after the government initiated its investigation. Aspiration was a team sponsor for the 2021-2022 and 2022 2023 seasons before defaulting on its contract.

"There is nothing unusual or untoward about team sponsors doing endorsement deals with players on the same team. Neither Steve nor the Clippers organization had any oversight of Kawhi's independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. To say otherwise is flat-out wrong.

"The Clippers take NBA compliance extremely seriously, fully respect the league's rules, and welcome its investigation related to Aspiration. The Clippers will also continue to cooperate with law enforcement in its investigation into Aspiration's blatantly fraudulent activity."

• The Clippers' defense is the same one politicians use all the time: Plausible deniability. Leonard and his representatives have yet to comment at all.

• This is where Mavericks' minority owner Mark Cuban comes in: He says Ballmer got scammed, but even if he wanted to circumvent the salary cap he is too smart to leave a paper trail.

Crime and Punishment

• A lot of fans and media members pointed to 2000, when the Minnesota Timberwolves were caught circumventing the salary cap with free agent Joe Smith (promising him a larger second contract if he signed a lower-priced one-year first one): Five first-round picks taken away (two were later returned), $3.5M fine (equivalent to a $6.7 million fine now), Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor was suspended for a year, team GM Kevin McHale was forced to take a leave of absence, and Joe Smith's contract was torn up. I have seen speculation online now that the league could force Ballmer to sell the team.

• Nothing that severe is happening. First, selling the team is off the table — the only time the league pushed an owner out was due to the backlash to the racist comments and actions of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, and the misogynistic workplace backlash to former Suns owner Robert Sarver. Whatever the NBA's investigation finds with Ballmer, it is at most cheating the salary cap, which is not near the severity of the other issues.

• In the Joe Smith/Minnesota case, there was a paper trail — the sides agreed to that deal in writing. Again, whatever you think of Ballmer and what he's done here, Cuban is right: he's not that stupid.

• Which leads to the big question for the other owners: Assuming the investigation ends with a lot of coincidences and circumstantial evidence, but no smoking gun, and the Clippers vehemently denying anything untoward happened, how hard are they willing to come down on one of their own?

• The answer to that question starts with what exactly this investigation by the league finds. There is still a lot we don't know, and the Clippers have a lot of explaining to do to the league beyond that statement. Even without hard proof that Ballmer and the Clippers knew what was going on, if the investigation finds more circumstantial evidence, it is not good for the Clippers.

• The NBA CBA says that owners can be punished for "direct or circumstantial" evidence, something The Ringer’s Zach Lowe researched for his podcast. If the league and the other owners see this as a preponderance of circumstantial evidence, they could come down hard on Ballmer.

• There almost certainly will be some level of punishment for the Clippers — and it's not going to be the Knicks' slap-on-the-wrist losing a second-round draft pick after the league found New York tampered in recruiting Jalen Brunson. What other owners and front offices took away from the Knicks' punishment was that if the price to tamper with an elite player is just a second-round pick, it is worth it. The last thing the league wants is for the owners to take that same lesson about circumventing the salary cap, something Lowe notes.

• Despite what some have tried to say online, circumventing the cap like this is not common around the league. To pretend it never happens is naive, but it's not some common practice. The other owners who have been following the rules are not going to let the richest one of them start breaking them to his advantage.

• That said, don't expect the league and other owners to fully bring the hammer down on the Clippers in a truly franchise-changing way.

• The punishment phase of this is not going to happen for a long while. First up is the league's investigation and what it finds. That will set the tone.

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Winnipeg Warriors Rebuild from Ground Up with 12 New Faces After NHL Fallout and Record-Loss Season (1957)

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Winnipeg Warriors Continue Rebuilding Without Aid From NHL - Oct. 26 1957 - Keith Armstrong

WINNIPEG, Man.—The Winnipeg Warriors will open their Western Hockey League schedule this week with twelve new faces still in camp from last year’s dismal last place finishers.

Coach Alf Pike and owner Jack Perrin were faced with a tremendous rebuilding program as they found themselves without an N.H.L. tie-up. The Warriors entered the W. H.L. two seasons ago and with the player help coming from the Mom real Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs they went on and captured Western honors and defeated Montreal Royals to win the Edinburg Cup. Last season with the Habs and Leafs still providing the players the Braves finished dead last in the Prairie Division and set a league record for losses in doing so.

Agreement Ended

Owner Jack Perrin was none too pleased with the standing of his club and felt that the N.H.L. clubs had broken their contract with him to provide 15 players of Western League calibre or better. Just recently he filed a law suit against the two clubs. Hence, the Habs and Leafs did not renew their agreement with I he Warriors.

Goal

In goal the Warriors will have youthful Ray Mikulan, a 23-year-old Winnipeg boy. who has spent two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Property of the New York Rangers, Mikulan compiled a 3.25 goals against average, along with four shutouts, with the last place Canucks in the Coast Division of the western wheel.

Defense

Up until this past week the Warriors found themselves very thin on defense. The only experienced pro along the blueline was holdover Danny Summers who has spent two years with the Warriors after several seasons in the A.H.L. Coach Alf Pike has converted the veteran A.H.L. rightwinger Pete Kapusta to a defenseman. Kapusta a Winnipegger. spent 11 seasons in Providence livery and was with Three Rivers last season. His contract was purchased outright.

More Winnipeg: Winnipeg Youth Hockey Player in Running For Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year

Help

Owner Perrin has had the telephone lines buzzing this past week and has come up with hardrock Frank Arnett, a former Manitoba Junior Leaguer, from the Cleveland Barons. Arnett toiled on the blueline for North Bay Trappers last season. He also received Kent Douglas from Springfield Indians, Ken Willey from New York Rangers via the Memorial Cup champion Flin Flon Bombers and picked up Don McGregor a 23-year-old local boy who played with Sault St. Marie Indians last season in the N.O.H.A. A big surprise in camp last week the appearance of defenseman Mickey Keating from the Montreal Canadiens camp. Keating, a local lad. was with the Warriors in their first season and toiled with Rochester and Montreal Royals last season. Due to a illness in his family, he has been given permission by the Montreal Canadiens to play in Winnipeg despite the law suit.

First

The forward lines will see holdover Earl Ingarfield centering sophomore holdover Gordie Redahl, a left-winger, and rookie Eddie Jamieson a burly 200-pound right-winger up from the Winnipeg Monarchs Jrs. Ingarfield and Redahl are on loan from the New York Rangers.

Second

The second line sees rookie Art Stratton, who was with the North Bay Trappers last season on loan from the Cleveland Barons centering another rookie on the left side from Cleveland in Ross “Butch” Graham and the veteran holdover Bill Mosienko on the right boards. Both Stratton and Mosienko are Winnipeggers.

Third

The third unit sees another rookie Brian Derrett. a tall boy, who has graduated to pro ranks from the Winnipeg Baron Jrs. centering Bruce Lea. a left-winger obtained from Detroit Red Wings via Seattle Americans and Howie Glover, a rookie right-winger from the Cleveland Barons via North Bay Trappers. This line accounted for all three goals in the Warriors 4-3 exhibition game loss against the highly-regarded Vancouver Canucks. Glover scored all three goals with Derrett assisting on three and Lea on two goals.

Two holdovers, left-winger Murray Wilkie and right-winger George Ford make up the balance of the squad. Since the club can only dress four defensemen and nine forwards, three blueliners and two forwards will have to be cut.

Summing up his club’s chances coach Alf Pike said, “we should be stronger at the start than last year. Our defence is starting to shape up and am quite pleased with our forward lines. There is no doubt that we will be much stronger in the nets.”

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