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NBA Board of Governors approves Celtics sale to Bill Chisholm

NBA Board of Governors approves Celtics sale to Bill Chisholm originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Bill Chisholm Era in Boston is set to begin.

The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by Chisholm, the league announced in a statement Wednesday.

The transaction is “expected to close shortly,” per the NBA.

Last July, Boston Basketball Partners, LLC — a group led by current lead governor Wyc Grousbeck — announced its intention to sell the team in two phases, giving up a majority ownership stake now and parting with the remaining stake in 2028.

An investment group led by Chisholm agreed to purchase the team for a record $6.1 billion in March, with Grousbeck agreeing to stay on until 2028. On Tuesday, it was reported that Grousbeck will transition from lead governor to alternate governor when the sale goes through, with Chisholm assuming the role of lead governor. (Grousbeck will retain his CEO title.)

Wednesday’s approval of the Celtics sale means that process is officially happening. And when the transaction is finalized, Chisholm officially will take the baton from Grousbeck, who will remain with the franchise but in a slightly different role.

“(It’s) a little bit of a change from what was expected, but I don’t think this is going to change a whole lot in how the dynamic is going to work moving forward,” our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg noted Tuesday night about the dynamic between Chisholm and Grousbeck.

“I think that Bill Chisholm is going to enjoy having Wyc here to help steward the franchise forward in this transition process, but Bill, after paying $6.1 billion, is understandably going to sit in the lead chair. He’ll be the guy who goes to the Board of Governors meetings and has that bigger role as the Celtics chart a path forward here.”

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Questions about Suárez arise, Reds show love for Schwarber

Questions about Suárez arise, Reds show love for Schwarber originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CINCINNATI – In the latest round of health updates on his team, manager Rob Thomson didn’t shed much light at all on whether anything is wrong with starter Ranger Suárez.

In his Tuesday start, the lefthander got tagged for 10 hits and six earned runs during his 5.1 innings of work. It continued an alarming stretch for Suárez, who has compiled a 6.11 earned run average over his last six outings, which amounts to 35 1/3 innings.

“I haven’t talked to him today,” said Thomson. “We’re going to meet with him after we’re done here (pregame meeting with media). Just see how he’s doing, how he’s feeling. He hasn’t said anything to the trainers yet.”

Suárez said often after his outing Tuesday that he felt fine and that there is nothing physically wrong with him at this time. He did complain of back and shoulder pain after a start in Atlanta back in late June, but reiterated after his most recent start that he feels way better than he did back then.

With Aaron Nola seemingly ready to get back to the big club following his rehab, things could be changing quickly. Tuesday, Nola went 5 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and two earned run in his 84 pitches. He struck out 11, including striking out the side three times.

“Well, he’s feeling good,” Thomson said. “I haven’t talked to him but he told Paul (Buchheit, head athletic trainer) that he’s feeling good. He was going to work out today in Lehigh and then meet us in Washington.”

Low voltage offense

The Phillies have been battling against a little bit of a power outage early in games recently, but it seems to be just another one of those things that happen in the game of baseball.

Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning when Nick Castellanos hit a bouncer to short that got past Elly De La Cruz and was ruled a hit.

Monday, they also didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning. That followed two games in Texas against the Rangers in which the first hits didn’t come until the fourth and third innings.

Thomson had no explanation when asked about it, as he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I hope we score five runs in the first tomorrow.”

The wanted man

The Cincinnati Reds organization put on a full court press these past few days, the likes of which would make the 76ers jealous.

Their aim? Kyle Schwarber.

Tuesday, before the Phillies 6-1 loss to the Reds, there was Schwarber, crouching behind home plate to receive ceremonial first pitches from his father, Greg, and his youth baseball coach, Ron Groh. Greg Schwarber is the president of the local little league where Kyle played.

Schwarber, who will be a free agent following this season, was also presented with the keys to the city before Wednesday’s game. The Phillies designated hitter grew up in Middletown, Ohio, which is about 40 miles from Cincinnati.

While the Phillies, including president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, manager Rob Thomson and teammates, have professed their desire to keep Schwarber a Phillie, there is no doubt teams are doing some recruiting when the Schwarber comes to their town. Cincinnati was just a little more blatant in their pursuit.

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5 Burning Questions For The New Jersey Devils

As New Jersey Devils players soak up the last few weeks of summer and begin their travels back to New Jersey to prepare for the 2025-26 campaign, let's break down some burning questions that will be answered throughout the course of the season. 

1) Can Jack Hughes Remain Healthy For 82 Games? 

When I was previously asked what the X-factor was for the Devils in 2025-26, I immediately responded with a healthy Jack Hughes. 

Shoulder injuries limited the 24-year-old to consecutive 62-game seasons, where he scored 27 goals. In March, he underwent successful surgery, which Dr. Peter Millett performed at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

His health is a topic that has been discussed ad nauseam. We simply have to see what the 2025-26 season will bring for Hughes. 

2) What Does The Devils' Goaltending Depth Look Like? 

In early July, general manager Tom Fitzgerald spoke about his goaltending depth, which includes 24-year-old Nico Daws.

"You see how often goalies are going down," he explained. "Having depth in the net is crucial. Nico is a guy, he played what, five, six games last year? Definitely played too early in his career, but out of necessity. We really like Nico, but we feel like having this depth makes us a better team."

The Devils will, of course, begin the 2025-26 season with veterans Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen in goal. Behind them on the organizational depth chart, based on experience, would be Daws, except that may not be true by the conclusion of training camp. 

If New Jersey decides not to carry three goaltenders, the young netminder has to clear waivers to be assigned to the Utica Comets (AHL). With a limited goaltending market in free agency and plenty of teams in search of a netminder, it is not out of the realm of possibilities for Daws to get claimed.

It is hard not to think back to Nov. 4, 2021, when Scott Wedgwood was claimed. In the blink of an eye, Jonathan Bernier suffered an injury, and the Devils went through seven different goaltenders that year. 

If Daws does not clear waivers, the next in line is expected to be Jakub Malek, who will be playing his first season in North America. If either Allen or Markstrom sustains a long-term injury, it would be a tough ask to expect Malek to carry the weight. Beyond the first-year goaltender is Tyler Brennan and Jeremy Brodeur. For those wondering about Isaac Poulter, he signed with the Winnipeg Jets earlier this summer. 

3) Can Any Of The New Additions Solidify The Top Six? 

Next to Jack Hughes' health, this is probably the biggest question after what some consider a "lackluster offseason" with no true top-six winger signed. 

Could one of Arseniy Gritsyuk, Evgenii Dadonov, or Connor Brown find themselves on the wing of either Hughes or Nico Hischier? It is not out of the realm of possibilities to eventually see Dadonov, who scored 20 goals last season, with Hughes or Brown take Stefan Noesen's place on Hischier's line. 

These are answers that will quickly reveal themselves as head coach Sheldon Keefe figures out his lines during training camp and preseason. 

4) Has The Team's Depth Been Solved? 

At the time of publication, the Devils parted ways with six players, who at specific points last season made up New Jersey's bottom six. Nathan Bastian, Justin Dowling, Erik Haula, Cutis Lazar, Daniel Sprong, and Tomas Tatar have all departed in free agency. 

Cody Glass was re-signed and could be the team's third-line center. He reached a career-high 14 goals in the 2022-23 season with the Nashville Predators. Paul Cotter and Stefan Noesen each reached a new single-season career-high in goals last season. If it all goes well and those three players can play a consistent level of hockey throughout all 82 games, the Devils should be in better shape. 

Dadonov and Brown are expected to help with scoring at five-on-five, and we will see what Dawson Mercer looks like at training camp after the organization demanded that he get stronger this summer. 

This question might not be answered until November or December. 

5) What Kind Of Player Will Arseniy Gritsyuk Be In The NHL?

The most important thing to keep in mind with Gritsyuk is that expectations will always lead to disappointment. 

There will be an adjustment period for the 24-year-old on and off the ice. The addition of Evgenii Dadonov should help with Gritsyuk's transition through training camp into the start of the regular season. 

I would give it some time before a judgment is made on what type of player he will be in the NHL. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily

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Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reportedly to buy Trail Blazers, keep team in Portland

Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, reportedly has reached an agreement to buy the Portland Trail Blazers from Paul Allen's estate at a valuation of more than $4 billion, a story broken by Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico and confirmed by other reports.

The new owners intend to keep the Trail Blazers in Portland, according to the reports. That ultimately will involve Dundon's group building a new arena in the area, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had said was part of the discussion involved with this sale.

"The city of Portland likely needs a new arena," Silver said during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. "So that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in."

Dundon not only owns the Hurricanes, but also is the majority owner of the Professional Pickleball Association and Major League Pickleball (he has invested heavily in that fast-growing sport). Dundon will head a group that also includes Marc Zahr, the co-president of Blue Owl Capital, and Portland-based Sheel Tyle, co-CEO of Collective Global, Sportico reports.

The Trail Blazers were put up for sale in May, following the wishes of the late Paul Allen, who owned the team in a trust. His sister, Jody Allen, is the trustee and executor of his estate, and she moved more slowly toward this sale than many Trail Blazers fans would have preferred. All the proceeds from the sale of the Trail Blazers will be given to charities and other philanthropic endeavors, as Paul Allen had put in his trust.

Before selling the team, Jody Allen made sure that general manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups got contract extensions. On the court, the Trail Blazers are in the midst of a rebuild with some promising young players — Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and just-drafted Chinese center Yang Hansen — and it just brought back franchise legend Damian Lillard (who will miss the coming season recovering from a torn Achilles).

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Mets have a Clay Holmes conundrum on their hands

As Pete Alonso was breaking the Mets' all-time home run record on Tuesday night at Citi Field, the struggles of Clay Holmes got lost in the shuffle.

After being given a 5-1 lead entering the top of the fourth, Holmes couldn't get through the inning as he dealt with command issues. He allowed four runs in the frame, exiting with two outs after throwing 85 pitches (just 46 strikes) over 3.2 innings.

Overall on Tuesday, Holmes gave up five runs on six hits while walking five and striking out four.

It was the second time in his last three starts that Holmes didn't make it past the fourth inning, with the other start during that stretch -- a strong, economical effort where he threw 75 pitches over 5.0 innings while allowing two runs -- kind of coloring why the situation with him is such a confounding one.

Holmes has been effective at times recently, with the above start and a 5.0 inning, one-run outing against the Giants on July 25 standing out.

But even when he's pitching well, he's been limited to just 5.0 innings by design as the Mets manage his workload in what is his first season since transitioning from being a long-time impact reliever.

That means that even when Holmes' stuff is doing what he wants it to do, the bullpen is given a heavy load.

It's a situation that seems untenable, and stands out more given how Holmes has pitched since July 8.

Aug 5, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at Citi Field.
Aug 5, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

In 32.2 innings over seven starts during that span, Holmes has allowed 41 hits while pitching to a 5.79 ERA.

Holmes is up to 126.0 innings pitched this season after throwing 63.0 innings each of the last two years. His previous career-high for innings came in 2021, when he threw 70.0.

Before the season, Holmes said his goal was to throw at least 160 innings.

"It's hard to just put arbitrary numbers on things and say, 'If you hit this number, that's all you can handle.' I don't believe in that," Holmes said in December. "I think there's definitely things you need to monitor, to see how your body's holding up and the strength and mobility things. ... I want to throw as many innings as I can."

The Mets have said recently that Holmes is fine physically, and his fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph during his start on Tuesday. So it's clear he still has the ability to be effective this season. But it's hard to make the argument that he should remain in the rotation for much longer.

However, the Mets are facing several issues when it comes to potentially having Holmes switch to the bullpen sooner rather than later.

One issue is that Frankie Montas has been moved from the rotation to the bullpen, and is being replaced in the rotation by Nolan McLean. That means that if the Mets slide Holmes to relief for the remainder of the year, they will need another starting pitcher to take his place.

That could be easy enough, sinceBrandon Sproathas been dominating for Triple-A Syracuse over the last month-plus and could conceivably be that guy. But there would be a roster crunch in that scenario.

New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park / Paul Rutherford - Imagn Images

Ahead of Wednesday's game, the Mets are expected to call up Paul Blackburn for a bullpen role. The move for Blackburn will likely be optioning Justin Hagenman to Syracuse. When McLean is promoted ahead of Saturday's start, New York could possibly DFA Blackburn to make room on the 26-man roster.

If the next move after that is to slide Holmes to the bullpen and call someone up to replace him in the rotation, the Mets would have a hard decision on their hands.

Of all the pitchers in the regular eight-man bullpen, the only one with minor league options is Reed Garrett, who has a 2.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. So he's obviously going nowhere.

That leaves Ryne Stanek (5.31 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) as the potential DFA candidate if Holmes is moved to the bullpen soon. But Stanek has shown he can be a difference-maker when he's on, including during last year's run to Game 6 of the NLCS.

Because of all that, the Mets could perhaps wait until Sept. 1 to slide Holmes to a relief role.

At that point, active rosters will expand to 28, which would theoretically allow the Mets to put Holmes in the 'pen, call someone up to replace him in the rotation, keep Stanek, and still have one active roster spot left for an extra position player.

If the Mets choose the above route, they will have to send Holmes out to start two or three more times -- something that would be easier to handle if their other starters not named David Peterson began pitching into the sixth inning and beyond.

In an ideal world, the Mets reach the playoffs and have Holmes in the bullpen as a multi-inning weapon when they get there. But they're going to have to do some finessing between now and then in high-stress games, with someone's roster spot possibly on the line if things go haywire.

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Choose Your Fighter: Gallant Joins Small List Of Former NHL Coaches Now Working In KHL

Gerard Gallant joined the list of former NHL coaches leading KHL teams in thrilling fashion.

The newly rebranded Shanghai Dragons announced Gallant as their new coach in a dramatic Mortal Kombat-style video posted to their social media channels on Wednesday.

"Inside every heart lives a child dreaming of legendary journeys," the video said. "And in every legend, there is a master – one who has shaped the greatest heroes."

The video then showed depictions of Jaromir Jagr and Artemi Panarin, two former KHL players Gallant coached during his time with the NHL's Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

"Now, the master has arrived to build a new team with a new name: Gerard Gallant," the video said.

The announcement transitioned from a dragon's fiery eyes into a depiction of Gallant wearing armor.

The Dragons rebranded last week from Kunlun Red Star Beijing with a similar action-packed video announcement. They are the KHL's only team from China, although they'll play in St. Petersburg, Russia, this upcoming season, with a two-year window to return to China.

Gallant is the third active KHL coach to have also been an NHL bench boss. Here are details on the three "masters."

Gerard Gallant, Shanghai

Gallant, 61, signed a two-year contract to coach the Dragons, whose CEO said they must make the playoffs and push deep into the post-season to maintain strong interest in China.

"We understood that building a strong team usually takes more than one season — the example of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl speaks for itself," Dragons CEO Sergey Belykh said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time. That’s why the Dragons needed not just an experienced, high-profile head coach, but a specialist capable of building a competitive team in the shortest possible time.

"That instantly reminded us of Vegas, a team that made it to the Stanley Cup final in their very first season, with Gerard Gallant serving as head coach at the time."

Gallant won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year when the Golden Knights reached the final in 2017-18. He first coached the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2004 to 2006, then the Panthers from 2015 to 2016 before joining Vegas. After his time with the Golden Knights, he guided the Rangers to the Eastern Conference final in 2022 before losing in the first round in 2023, leading to a mutual parting of ways.

In 705 regular-season NHL games, Gallant has a 369-262-70 record, with four ties and a 31-29 playoff record. He's also a two-time QMJHL champion, Memorial Cup champion and two-time World Championship gold medallist.

The Dragons feature Winnipeg Jets prospect Auston Wong, 2007 Nashville Predators draft pick Jeremy Smith, former Calgary Flames prospect Spencer Foo and his brother, Parker Foo.

Last year, Kunlun finished ninth of 11 teams in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs.

Bob Hartley (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)

Bob Hartley, Yaroslavl

Hartley is entering his first season coaching Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which won the Gagarin Cup as KHL playoff champions. The coach who led the team to the championship, Igor Nikitin, left Yaroslavl for CSKA Moscow.

Hartley, 64, hasn't coached a team since 2021-22, his fourth season with KHL Omsk. That year, he won the Gagarin Cup and was the KHL's coach of the year. Before that, he coached Latvia's men's squad for two years.

The Hawkesbury, Ont., native last coached in the NHL in 2015-16. He led the Calgary Flames for four seasons, winning the Jack Adams Award in 2014-15 after advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

Hartley also coached the Atlanta Thrashers from 2003 to 2007, but most of his success came with the Colorado Avalanche before that. 

The Avalanche got to at least the conference final four times under Hartley. And in 2000-01, they went 52-16-10-4 in the regular season and 16-7 in the playoffs to capture the Stanley Cup.

His NHL coaching record is 463-361-59 with 61 ties in the regular season and 54-41 in the playoffs. He's also a playoff champion in the AHL, QMJHL, Swiss National League and Jr. A CCHL.

Hartley told French-Canadian radio station BPM Sports in July he accepted the offer to honor the memory of his friend Brad McCrimmon, a Stanley Cup champion, 1,200-game NHL veteran and assistant coach who was named Yaroslavl's bench boss in 2011 before he and most of the team died in a plane crash. Hartley said in French it touched him to relive the passion and friendship he had for McCrimmon.

Yaroslavl's squad includes Nashville Predators prospect Egor Surin, who was drafted 22nd overall in 2024, as well as former NHLers Alexander Radulov and Byron Froese.

Guy Boucher (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

Guy Boucher, Omsk

Boucher is entering his second season coaching Avangard Omsk after losing to Yaroslavl in the second round of the playoffs.

The 54-year-old hadn't been a head coach since working for the Ottawa Senators from 2016-17 to 2018-19. He helped the Senators reach the Eastern Conference final in 2016-17, when they lost in double overtime of Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The other time Boucher made the playoffs was in 2010-11 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which also reached the Eastern Conference final.

In parts of six seasons split between the Lightning and Senators, Boucher collected a 191-186-46 regular-season record and a 22-15 playoff record. Before heading to Omsk, he spent one season as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24.

Boucher's won the Spengler Cup with Team Canada in 2015, the Swiss Cup in 2014-15 and the QMJHL playoffs in 2009. He also won gold with Canada's U-18 squad in 2008 and the world junior team in 2009.

Omsk's former NHL players include Nail Yakupov, Vasily Ponomarev, Maxime Lajoie and Andrew Poturalski. Their NHL prospects include Colorado's Ivan Yunin and Mikhail Gulyayev.

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Roman Anthony keeps putting himself on short lists with Hall of Famers

Roman Anthony keeps putting himself on short lists with Hall of Famers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

In the modern era of social media hype trains, rare is the athlete who can actually live up to the billing.

Roman Anthony, though? He has somehow exceeded even the loftiest of expectations placed upon him prior to his MLB debut this season.

The ascent of Boston’s former No. 1 prospect was accentuated on Tuesday night in Houston, when the 21-year-old turned in an ultra-rare stat line with four walks, four runs scored and a home run for good measure. (Anthony did technically strike out on a check swing on a 3-2 pitch in his third plate appearance, though the call certainly could have gone either way.)

According to the Red Sox’ media relations team, Anthony is the third-youngest player since 1901 to have four or more walks and at least one home run in a game, and the youngest to do so since Ted Williams did it for the Red Sox in 1939. Williams was 70 days younger than Anthony when he accomplished that unique feat, and only Mel Ott (at 20 years, 124 days) did it at a younger age.

Barry Bonds turned in that stat line when he was almost a year older than Anthony’s current age.

Anthony also was the first leadoff hitter since at least 1920 to score four or more runs, take four or more walks, and hit at least one homer in a single game.

While that stat line may be a bit of an oddity, it’s merely one of several short lists that Anthony has been joining lately — with most of them filled only with current or future Hall of Famers.

The Red Sox also noted that Anthony became the second-youngest player in franchise history to score four or more runs in a game. Only Bobby Doerr — a 1986 inductee of the Hall of Fame whose retired No. 1 hangs forever in right field at Fenway — did so at a younger age (back in 1938 and 1939).

The Red Sox were happy to share more Anthony stats, including the fact that he has the fourth-best on-base percentage of any player since 1950 through 52 career games at .406. Ahead of him on that list: Willie McCovey (.429), Albert Pujols (.416) and Juan Soto (.413).

That note also stated that Anthony is the third-youngest major leaguer since 1901 to record 30 or more walks and score 30 or more runs in their first 52 games, with only Juan Soto (19 years old) and Jason Heyward (20) doing so at a younger age.

Here’s one more, from former Red Sox media relations manager J.P. Long: Anthony has reach based the second-most times among players under 22 years old in their first 52 games with 89. That’s two fewer than Pujols and one more than Soto.

All of those tidbits came after Tuesday night’s game broadcast displayed an eye-popping stat: Anthony became the first Red Sox player since Ted Williams with 20-plus extra-base hits and 20-plus walks in his first 51 career games.

Any time any player becomes the first to do anything since Ted Williams, it’s going to draw plenty of attention. Yet the even-keeled Anthony — who signed an eight-year, $130 million extension with Boston last week — seemingly hasn’t been impacted by any of the increasing attention he’s continued to bring upon himself with his nightly performances.

It’s all perhaps even more impressive, considering Anthony started his MLB career on an ice-cold streak. He had just two hits in his first nine games, and from his call-up date on June 9 until June 25, Anthony was just 5-for-44 (.114) with a .291 OBP and .518 OPS.

Since that date, Anthony is hitting .341 with a .445 OBP and .967 OPS. And since being moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup on July 27, he’s hit .340 with a 1.028 OPS.

The Red Sox noted that since June 28, Anthony has the second-highest OBP, third-highest batting average and 10th-highest OPS in the majors.

Needless to say, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has enjoyed the show from the dugout.

“With him, everything is fast, right? Except his at-bats. He slows down everything,” Cora said during his weekly interview with WEEI on Wednesday. “I’m very impressed, just the way he controls the strike zone is something that when you start looking around the league, Juan Soto, he does that. He did it from the get-go. That’s what Roman is doing.”

Cora added: “It’s just fun to watch.”

At such a young age, Anthony obviously has a very, very long way to go before the story of his career is written. Yet as each passing night makes clear, it would have been nearly impossible for Anthony to have written a better opening chapter.

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Report: Former Predators Forward Signs With KHL Club

Former Nashville Predators forward Rocco Grimaldi is headed overseas.

The 32-year-old native of Rossmoor, Calif. signed a two-year contract with KHL team SKA St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

Grimaldi was rumored to be headed to Russia late last week. His most recent NHL action came in 2021-22, when he appeared in seven games with the Predators without registering a point. His first full NHL season came with Nashville in the 2018-19 season, when he registered 13 points in 53 games.

The 5-foot-6, 181-pound forward was drafted 33rd overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He spent three seasons at the University of North Dakota, collecting 77 points (31-46-77) with 68 penalty minutes and a +22 rating over 86 games.

Grimaldi also played in the USHL with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. In 55 appearances, he recorded 45 points (23-22-45) with 40 penalty minutes.

Grimaldi has played in 203 NHL games during his career between Florida, Colorado and Nashville, tallying 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points, along with four points in 11 post-season games.

While his NHL success has been fleeting at best, the right-shot forward has thrived in the American Hockey League. In 499 career AHL games, he’s totaled 428 points (192-236-428).

Grimaldi was mainly a bottom-six forward with the Predators. Despite concerns about his size, the Panthers took him in the second round, though much of his success has come at the AHL level.

Having failed to crack the NHL in the last three seasons, Grimaldi will now try his hand in the KHL.

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Venus Williams, 45, will be oldest US Open singles entrant in 44 years

  • Williams to play first slam singles since 2023

  • Oldest US Open singles entrant since 1981

  • Seven-time major champ won in 2000 and 2001

Venus Williams will make her return to Grand Slam singles at the US Open after a two-year absence, having received a wildcard invitation on Wednesday to compete at Flushing Meadows at age 45.

Williams will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there at 47 in 1981, according to the International Tennis Federation.

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Why Domantas Sabonis is excited for full Kings season with star teammates

Why Domantas Sabonis is excited for full Kings season with star teammates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Domantas Sabonis is looking forward to the Kings having a full training camp to improve chemistry among himself, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and coach Doug Christie leading up to the 2025-26 NBA season.

“I think it’s going to help,” Sabonis told reporters Wednesday at his second annual youth basketball camp in Rocklin. “You know, [LaVine] in halfway through the season, also a new coach — not the system the coach might want to play, [and] players learning it. 

“I know Doug’s working hard on the new system and how he wants to play us. He’s going to translate it through training camp. And so far, all summer, we’ve been getting little bits and pieces of that new offense. Hopefully, when training camp comes, we’re just ready to go.”

LaVine was acquired at the 2025 NBA trade deadline in the blockbuster deal that sent longtime Sacramento icon De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, and Christie is in his first offseason of officially being the Kings’ coach after serving as the interim following Mike Brown’s firing in late December.

DeRozan, too, is entering his second season with the franchise.

Sacramento has a well-rounded roster, but it’s clear the key players themselves never fully adjusted to the new-look offense upon LaVine’s arrival, as reflected by the Kings’ 40-42 record in 2024-25.

Though the two-time NBA All-Star did average 22.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds over his first 32 games with Sacramento. But in that span, the Kings still won a mere 14 games and finished the whirlwind of a campaign by being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA play-in tournament.

Sabonis is well aware of the untapped potential his team has centered around himself, DeRozan and LaVine. The three-time All-Star even told reporters that he and some teammates already have been practicing together before training camp starts on Sept. 29.

“Of course,” Sabonis said about working out with his Kings teammates. “I’m flying down … tonight, after the camp, to LA. We’re going to meet up with some guys, you know, and just get some work in.”

Sabonis added that he will not be participating in any international hoops for his native country of Lithuania. He is strictly focused on bringing the Kings back to the NBA playoffs.

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Former Panthers Coach Joining KHL Team As New Bench Boss

Former Florida Panthers coach Gerard Gallant will be joining the Shanghai Dragons as their new head coach. 

Gallant was a long-time NHL head coach, but he hasn't worked in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, when the New York Rangers fired him. He coached over 700 NHL games, winning a Jack Adams Trophy with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Gallant spent two full seasons with the Panthers as the bench boss before they fired him in his third season after an 11-10-1 start to the 2016-17 season. The Panthers missed the playoffs in Gallant's first campaign but won the Atlantic Division in his second, recording 103 points and winning 47 games. The Panthers were defeated in the first round of the post-season by the New York Islanders in six games.

After various levels of success following his Panthers tenure, Gallant has seemingly fallen out of the pecking order in the NHL head coaching job search and has decided to make the move to Europe.

 

Gerard Gallant (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

The Shanghai Dragons, formerly known as the Kunlun Red Star, were established in 2016 as a Chinese-based team, but they haven't played a game in China since 2020. The franchise has missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons and has been near or at the bottom of the KHL standings for most of its existence. 

Since 2020, the Kunlun-Shanghai franchise has played its home games in the Moscow area and will play this season in St. Petersburg. However, according to the club’s announcement, they would like to return to China in 2026-27, or 2027-28 at the latest.

The Dragons have high expectations for Gallant as they attempt to cement their placing in the KHL.

“As it turned out, Gallant emerged as the clear choice, meeting every single one of team’s criteria,” Dragons CEO Sergey Belykh is quoted in the club’s announcement. “We reached out to him outlining the club’s vision and key objectives.”

“We understood that building a strong team usually takes more than one season,” said Belykh. “Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time. That’s why the Dragons needed not just an experienced, high-profile head coach, but a specialist capable of building a competitive team in the shortest possible time.”

With these high expectations comes a whole heap of pressure. Gallant has shown previously that he can turn things around very quickly, but on the opposite side of the world, playing a different brand of hockey, jumping out to a start as quickly as the club's CEO is hoping for might be wishful thinking. 

Gerard Gallant Takes Over KHL’s Shanghai DragonsGerard Gallant Takes Over KHL’s Shanghai Dragons Gerard Gallant is the new head coach of the Shanghai Dragons, the KHL club announced on Wednesday.