Worldwide Sports News
The Rotoworld Basketball crew will be publishing season recap articles for all 30 NBA teams from now through the conclusion of the NBA Finals in June.
Within each article, you'll find the story for each team's season, fantasy highlights and disappointments, as well as a look-ahead to the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Bookmark this page and check back in the coming weeks!
Coachella Valley, CA - The Coachella Valley Firebirds shut out the Calgary Wranglers 2-0 on Saturday night at Acrisure Arena. Goaltender Nikke Kokko was perfect between the pipes, stopping all 23 shots he faced to earn his first AHL playoff shutout.
Mitchell Stephens, who scored his first overtime game-winner for Coachella Valley in Tuesday’s series opener, and John Hayden—both of whom saw NHL action with the Kraken this season—each contributed goals in the win. Hayden sealed the series with an empty-netter on Saturday night.
Kokko, a 2022 NHL Draft pick, has had a standout season. He made his NHL debut with the Seattle Kraken in February during a road game against the St. Louis Blues, stepping in after head coach Dan Bylsma pulled starter Joey Daccord following the Blues’ fifth goal in the second period. Kokko earned his shutout in clutch fashion, making three key saves in the final four minutes—none bigger than a deflection stop with 40 seconds left, which he calmly smothered to deny a rebound.
The Firebirds have now eliminated the Wranglers from the playoffs for a third straight year—each year in the franchise’s three-season history—and advance to Round Two of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. They’ll face the Abbotsford Canucks in a best-of-five series starting Thursday, May 1, at Acrisure Arena. This marks the first postseason meeting between the teams, with Coachella Valley holding a 3-1-0-0 record against Abbotsford this season and a 12-3-0-1 all-time regular-season advantage.
Round Two Series Schedule:
Game One – Thursday, May 1st – 7:00 p.m. PT – Acrisure Arena
Game Two – Saturday, May 3rd – 6:00 p.m. PT – Acrisure Arena
Game Three – Wednesday, May 7th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Game Four* – Friday, May 9th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Game Five* – Sunday, May 11th – 7:00 p.m. PT – Abbotsford Centre
Related
Firebirds Clinch Playoff Berth And Home Ice Advantage For Round OnePalm Springs, CA - For the third consecutive season, the Coachella Valley Firebirds have clinched a spot in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs—securing home-ice advantage for the opening round of the best-of-three series, which begins Tuesday, April 22.
Stay updated with the most interesting Kraken stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News or Join the discussion with others in your hockey community on the Seattle Kraken Forum.
Cam Ward began his collegiate career at Incarnate Word before transferring to Washington State and finally Miami.
Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Images This much is clear -- USC is financially committed to its men's basketball program.After last week landing Maryland guard transfer Rodney Rice, who was reportedly seeking a substantial NIL package, the Trojans added one of the biggest names this entire transfer portal cycle in Chad Baker-Mazara from Auburn.
The Wraparound is here to discuss a bunch of rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics in the playoffs and elsewhere.
Does Capitals' Wilson Deserve Discipline For Hit On Canadiens' Carrier? by The WraparoundundefinedHere's what Emma Lingan and Michael Augello discussed in this episode:
0:00: Should the Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson have received supplemental discipline for his hit on the Montreal Canadiens' Alexandre Carrier?
4:56: Can the Winnipeg Jets overcome Connor Hellebuyck’s poor start to the playoffs?
8:33: After recording back-to-back victories, should the Edmonton Oilers stick with Calvin Pickard in net?
10:30: Can Kirill Kaprizov lead the Minnesota Wild to an upset win over the Vegas Golden Knights?
13:31: Have the Ottawa Senators planted a seed of doubt within the Toronto Maple Leafs after winning Game 4?
16:09: Has Gabriel Landeskog’s return shifted from being a feel-good story to him being the X-factor for the Colorado Avalanche?
19:14: After finally generating offense on Sergei Bobrovsky, can the Tampa Bay Lightning come back in their series versus the Florida Panthers?
21:48: How much will Frederik Andersen’s potential absence affect the Carolina Hurricanes?
24:26: What to make of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ decision to fire Mike Sullivan
28:10: Will Gavin McKenna generate the same level of hype as Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid?
See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.
Rumors of big off-season changes for the New York Islanders had been percolating since the March 7 trade deadline.
They wasted little time getting started, not bringing back GM Lou Lamoriello last week.
Led by team co-owner John Collins, the Islanders are searching for Lamoriello's replacement. It would be ideal to have the new GM in place by the end of May, giving them enough time to prepare for the 2025 NHL draft on June 27 and 28 and the start of free agency on July 1.
The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner said some top candidates might not be available to interview for the position while the Stanley Cup playoffs are on. They can, however, prepare to move quickly once they do become available.
The Athletic's Arthur Staple reported former NHL GMs, such as Marc Bergevin, Jarmo Kekalainen and Peter Chiarelli, are among the names getting the most play. However, it remains to be seen if the Isles choose one of them or opt for someone else.
Whoever gets the job has a lot to deal with throughout the summer.
Ethan Sears of the New York Post reported Isles coach Patrick Roy and his staff remain in limbo until Lamoriello's replacement is found. He believes Roy's future behind their bench depends on whether he can establish a rapport with the new GM.
Rosner reacted to the Pittsburgh Penguins parting with coach Mike Sullivan on Monday, calling it a game-changer for the Islanders and any team with coaching questions.
Before his firing, Lamoriello was having contract extension talks with Kyle Palmieri, but those discussions are on hold for now. The 34-year-old right winger is slated to become a UFA on July 1.
Sears wondered if the new GM would entertain trade offers for long-time Isles forwards Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Lee, 34, and the 32-year-old Pageau are a year away from UFA eligibility.
Defensemen Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov and winger Simon Holmstrom are the Islanders' notable RFAs.
Before Lamoriello's firing, Staple believed both defensemen would be re-signed. He speculated the 25-year-old Dobson could get a four or five-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.5 million and $8 million. Romanov could receive a six or seven-year deal between $6.5 million and $7 million annually.
The changes in Islanders management likely won't affect the club's plans to re-sign Dobson and Romanov. They're too valuable to their blueline to trade, and they won't risk another club signing them to offer sheets.
Contract buyouts could also take place under new management. Sears suggested forward Pierre Engvall and defenseman Scott Mayfield as buyout candidates.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau, meanwhile, believes the Islanders should be more aggressive pursuing a full rebuild with a new GM.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Cal basketball transfer Andrej Stojaković, a top-40 portal player and the son of former NBA all-star Peja Stojaković, has committed to Illinois
The Pittsburgh Penguins kind of, sort of, tried it Mike Sullivan's way. Not only were they not good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup, but they weren't good enough to contend for a playoff spot.
It's over. By parting ways with their coach, the Penguins appear to have finally realized what the hockey world did a couple of years ago. This is a roster, even though it's top-heavy with highly paid veterans, is in desperate need of a total rebuild. There is no other way to go. And that starts with parting ways with Sullivan, who was part of the process of holding up that rebuild.
In the words of Mike Babcock, there will be pain. Probably even more than there has been recently. But it will pay off if the Penguins do it right.
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A federal judge dismissed an antitrust lawsuit Monday that had been brought against the NCAA by several former college basketball players, including Kansas standout Mario Chalmers, after ruling its claims fell outside the four-year statute of limitations. The lawsuit, which included 16 total players who played before June 16, 2016, claimed that the NCAA had enriched itself by utilizing their names, images and likenesses to promote its men's basketball tournament. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer pointed toward a four-year statute of limitations for federal antitrust violations, despite the lawsuit contending that the law continues to be breached by the NCAA’s use of the players' NIL in March Madness promotions.
The Mets carried a 19-9 record into play on Monday, giving them the best mark in MLB.
Speaking on The New York Post's The Show podcast before Monday's tilt against the Nationals in Washington, D.C., owner Steve Cohen touched on a host of topics -- including Pete Alonso's hot start and uncertain future, and the uneven beginning to Juan Soto's Mets tenure.
After returning to the Mets on a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2025, the obvious outcome is Alonso opting out after the season if he has a year that's up to his standards.
So far, he's blown the doors off, with a .333/.451/.646 triple slash to go along with six home runs, while leading the National League in doubles (11), OPS (1.097), and OPS+ (212).
That means barring something strange, Alonso will be a free agent again in about six months.
"We know he can opt out at the end of the year, and we'll deal with it then," Cohen said. "I just dealt with this two months ago," the owner noted with a smirk.
Cohen added: "Let it kind of play itself out. Obviously, Pete's gonna explore his market like he should -- and I'm supportive of that. And we'll see where it goes."
Before Alonso re-signed this past offseason, much was made of the fact that the market for older, offensive-minded first basemen had cratered over the last decade or so. And the belief was that David Stearns' philosophy didn't mesh with investing long term in those types of players.
But it will be interesting to see how Alonso's market develops after the season in New York and elsewhere if he is able to maintain a high on-base percentage and low strikeout rate.
Soto has showed signs lately of breaking out.
He reached base four times on Sunday and had a pair of hits on Friday, but his overall numbers in his first month as a Met haven't been great.
Soto is hitting .248/.374/.396 with a .770 OPS.
Most glaring so far is the lack of power, with Soto having gone deep just three times and in a home run drought that dates back to April 15.
But like most people, Cohen isn't worried.
"If you ask him, he'd probably say it's not going as what he hoped," Cohen said. "That's not what the back of his baseball card would say. But saying that, there's a lot of subtle things that he does that I really think matters. The way that he works the count, makes pitchers throw extra pitches, really matters.
"Then he gets on base, and Pete can drive him in. And so Pete is seeing better pitches. It's very subtle how that works, and you can't just look at it as -- in a very narrow sense.
"And saying that, I'm not worried about Juan. He's singularly focused on baseball. He's a pure hitter. Let's have this discussion at the end of the year."
A free Sleeveless Gaming jersey pack is available in NHL 25 Hockey Ultimate Team.
The jersey celebrates Cam "NoSleeves" Halbert, an NHL content creator and and commentator for NHL Esports.
The jersey can be acquired in a free pack in the HUT Store or in the World of Chel store.
Creators like NoSleeves are essential to NHL 25 and it is great to see support from EA, hopefully there more creator additions going forward.
Cool moment for me, appreciate all the support over the years!
— Cam / NoSleeves (@NoSleevesGaming) April 25, 2025
My jersey is in @EASPORTSNHL HUT and WOC! pic.twitter.com/aDo938sKCl
We broke down the Playoff Fantasy Event here.
For more NHL 25 news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed. For gaming discussion check out our forum.
On Monday, Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas shook the hockey world when he announced that head coach Mike Sullivan would not be returning to coach the Penguins in 2025-26.
With the Penguins and Sullivan mutually agreeing to part ways, Dubas and the organization will allow other teams to speak to the Penguins now-former head coach, who still has two years remaining on his contract. Sullivan figures to be scooped up by someone rather quickly, while the Penguins will begin their search for a new head coach immediately.
Dubas spoke to the Pittsburgh media on Monday following the announcement, and there was a lot to unpack from his press conference. Here are a few takeaways from Dubas’s presser.
Dubas made a point to emphasize - like all GMs do when something like this happens - that it wasn't a decision that was made lightly or hastily.
According to Dubas, there were several instances throughout the season that gave him pause on whether Sullivan was still the right guy to lead the team through a transition or if they needed a change.
“I talked to him every day throughout the day, worked with him every day throughout the year,” Dubas said. "And there were times throughout the year where I started to think that it may just be time for a number of reasons. It's a lot to ask of somebody when they've done such a long and successful job here to be managing that and continue to transition the team through."
Dubas had his final formal meeting with Sullivan the day following Dubas's season-ending presser on Apr. 21. It’s clear that Dubas had some conversations with Sullivan that day that helped solidify his conviction, and he said he walked out of the conversation with a feeling that a change might be in order.
All NHL coaches have a shelf life, and Dubas simply felt that the time for a change was now after a culmination of events and factors during his Pittsburgh tenure.
BREAKING: Penguins And Head Coach Mike Sullivan Mutually Part WaysAfter nearly 10 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have a new voice behind the bench for the 2025-26 season.
“Mutually parting ways” can mean a lot of things. But, in this case, it does sound like that's exactly what may have happened. Dubas and Sullivan simply weren't on the same page anymore, and they wanted different things.
Like any relationship, sometimes those things - although amicable - are irreconcilable. That seems to be the case here. The Penguins are navigating a transitional period, and, as Dubas said, it’s rare to see coaches stick around through the entire process from competing on to a transition on to competing again.
"Sometimes you just leave conversations with people, and especially with that, when it's a relationship between the general manager and the coach... for me, part of the reaffirmation of where we're at is, 'Is he still up for this? Does he want to go through this? Where does he sense it's at, and what's his energy and passion for it?'" Dubas said.
"In a perfect world, you would love to grind and see it all the way through with the Penguins. But - I think, in my mind - after my conversation with him last week and more contemplation during the week, there's not any one thing that I would look at and say that 'we had mass disagreement on these two areas'... it was just, in general, the feeling that the demands of this and what we're asking, it was, to me, time for him to elsewhere to apply and for us to move on as well."
Sullivan accomplished a lot in Pittsburgh, and he was the winningest coach in franchise history. But in order to see the Penguins’ rebuild process - however long it may be - the entire way through, he simply may not be the right guy for that job.
That said, Dubas emphasized Sullivan's high regard as a head coach, and it's relatively obvious that the organization expects him to have a new head coaching gig at the NHL level in pretty short order. It's no secret that Sullivan - who will coach Team USA at the Winter Olympics in 2026 - is in high demand.
Mike Sullivan's Departure From Penguins Paves The Way For Rangers To Swoop In The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Monday morning that they have parted ways with longtime head coach Mike Sullivan.
Aside from the “why” for Sullivan’s departure from the Penguins, the biggest question is: “Who is next?”
Even though Dubas said that the team will have a “wide net” in its search for a new head coach, it did sound like they have a pretty good idea of the type of experience they’re looking for in the position.
Of course, there are veteran coaches like John Tortorella, Gerard Gallant, and Peter Laviolette available, with potentially a few others like current Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet on the market soon. But Dubas seemed to emphasize the importance of player development given the stage that the Penguins are in, and it seems the priority might be finding a coach who works well with young players - and who might have a lot of experience in developmental leagues like juniors, college hockey, and the AHL.
“We'll have deep questions as we go through the process on what their experience has been developmentally,” Dubas said. "Sully had that. Sully was in player development with Chicago, he coached in the American League, an [NHL] assistant coach...that's something I think, especially now in the salary cap era, you have to be developing your own guys."
Dubas mentioned Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery and Los Angeles Kings coach Jim Hiller as examples of coaches who had plenty of head coaching experience but none at the NHL level prior to being named head coach of their respective organizations.
This may lend to the idea that Dubas will be looking for similar types of coaches who are able to balance prioritizing the development of younger players while also being vigilant in maintaining a winning culture for the Penguins’ talented and experienced core of veterans.
Dubas and the Penguins plan to conduct virtual interviews from now through near the end of May, and they will hold the next round of interviews in the following few weeks. Dubas expects a new head coach to be hired sometime at the beginning of June and prior to the NHL Draft on June 27-28.
'We Have To Stick To A Very Concise Plan And Then Execute Our Butts Off': Dubas Clarifies Penguins' Summer PlansTo close out the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas spoke with the Pittsburgh media on Monday.
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Stojakovic, the son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, averaged 18 points last season and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
It’s Monday, April 28, and the Houston Rockets (52-30) and Golden State Warriors (48-34) are all set to square off from Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Warriors have a 2-1 series lead after a fourth-quarter comeback in the last game.
Jimmy Butler's status for tonight's game remains uncertain, but should he be unavailable, Quinten Post could be back in the starting line.
The Rockets are currently 23-17 on the road with a point differential of 5, while the Warriors have a 6-4 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
The latest odds as of Monday:
That gives the Rockets an implied team point total of 100.77, and the Warriors 102.6.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
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Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is betting on Jalen Green over 17.5 points:
Thomas: "Jalen Green is going to need a big effort tonight if his team plans on leveling it before they head back to Houston. Green has missed this number in two of the games in this series, so proceed with caution. However, he will have to take more than 11 field goal attempts if he expects to lead his team to a win."
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Rockets & Warriors game:
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
The Rockets suffered one of their characteristic shooting droughts in the second half of game three, losing a double digit lead to go down 104-93. Steph Curry was at his best, scoring 36 points - more than double the next-highest contribution. With more consistent shooting, Houston can hit back.
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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The Seattle Kraken are planning a thorough search for their next head coach, someone who will commit to developing the young crop of players they have.
The first two head coaches the Kraken hired were David Hakstol and Dan Bylsma. Hakstol was the head coach of the University of North Dakota before signing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015. His stint with the Flyers ended in 2018, and he followed that with a job as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs for an additional two seasons. He joined the Kraken for three seasons, making the postseason just once.
Bylsma worked as the head coach of the Kraken for just one season, previously serving as the lead man of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. He spent two seasons coaching the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken's AHL team, where he led them to two Calder Cup finals, losing both.
The next coach of the Kraken will have a lot of pressure weighing on their shoulders, meaning results will need to come very quickly. Here are five candidates who may be able to fulfill the organization's needs.
No coach is better equipped to develop the young Kraken players than Carle. He's coached at the University of Denver for seven seasons, winning two national championships, and winning back-to-back gold medals as the head coach of Team USA's world junior team.
Players such as Zeev Buium, Bobby Brink, Massimo Rizzo, Cole Gutman, Carter Mazur, Jack Devine and others have had phenomenal seasons under Carle's tutelage and have gone on to play in the NHL or AHL. His ability to help his players become player drivers offensively while maintaining their awareness to the defensive side of the puck should bode well for players like Shane Wright, Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton.
Sullivan was fired by the Penguins earlier this morning and has immediately become the prized possession of the head coach search. He coached the Penguins to two Stanley Cups during his 10-year tenure. Throughout his career, he's served as the assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks, while also spending a season as the player development coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He was the second-longest tenured coach behind Jon Cooper before he was fired, and was well respected by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, all of whom had phenomenal seasons while Sullivan was the head coach. His background as a scout and development coach, coupled with his success as a head coach fits the criteria of what the Kraken are looking for.
Breaking News: Seattle Kraken Announce Leadership Changes; Jason Botterill Promoted to GMSeattle, WA - The Seattle Kraken have made significant changes to their hockey leadership, just one day after parting ways with head coach Dan Bylsma. On Tuesday, April 22, the organization announced it has elevated Ron Francis to President of Hockey Operations and promoted Jason Botterill to Executive Vice President and General Manager.
Connor McDavid enjoyed the highest goal and point-scoring season of his career with Woodcroft behind the Oilers' bench. While it ended a bit sourly between the organization and Woodcroft, there was a lot to like about his coaching. Under Woodcroft, the Oilers were one of the best offensive teams in the NHL, dangerous on both the power play and at even strength. Defensively, the Oilers were poor at times, partially due to the lack of resources they had on the blue line.
A criticism some have bestowed on Woodcroft was that he was sometimes too lenient on McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He would play them together whenever the going got tough, even though they did not have the depth to allow it, and allowed them to play the bulk, if not all, of the power play minutes the team had.
Kraken Retaining Jessica Campbell Shows Faith In Early Positive SignsThe Seattle Kraken parted ways with Dan Bylsma after just one season as the head coach, and while many thought Jessica Campbell may have followed, the organization is rewarding her with another season after some early positive returns.
Laviolette might be the furthest off from what the Kraken are searching for, but hiring him would likely get them the results in the regular season that they have been craving.
The 60-year-old has coached the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and the Rangers during his career, winning the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes.
The relationship between Laviolette and Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko wasn't great, and it could be why the Kraken steer away from Laviolette. He doesn't have the greatest reputation for developing young players, as Kakko, Alexis Lafrenière, and Filip Chytil never hit the heights they were expected to.
Similar to Carle, Nelson does not have much experience in head coaching at the NHL level, but his experience at other levels is a good indication that he is worth a chance. Nelson first worked as an assistant coach of the Atlanta Thrashers back in 2008, before becoming the head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons in the AHL. He was appointed as the head coach of the Oilers in the 2014-15 season, working as the interim head coach, before coaching their AHL affiliate.
He then worked four seasons as the assistant coach of the Dallas Stars before going back to the AHL with the Hershey Bears. The Kraken organization knows far too much about the Bears, as the Firebirds lost in the Calder Cup finals twice to Nelson and the Bears.
The 55-year-old's experience working as a head coach in the AHL with young players checks off every box the Kraken are hoping for, and he could be a serious candidate for the job if both he and the Kraken are interested.
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Raphielle Johnson
