Matthew, Brady, and Keith Tkachuk will grace the deluxe edition cover of NHL 26.
A five-time All-Star and 1997 Maurice Richard Trophy winner, Keith Tkachuk will appear on the cover in a St. Louis Blues jersey. He played 543 regular season games for the Blues over parts of nine seasons and currently serves as the team's Director of Recruitment.
The last Blues player to be on the cover was Vladimir Tarasenko in NHL 17.
A four-time All-Star and captain of the Ottawa Senators, Brady Tkachuk becomes the first Senators player to appear on the cover of an EA NHL game. Craig Anderson was available as a custom cover on NHL 14, and Jason Spezza was on the cover of NHL 2K8.
"He's only looking forward. And he's here. He wants to get the best players here. He wants to win, and he knows it starts with him. And I think that's what he proved this offseason. 'OK, everyone wants to say or people think that they know me or I'm not a leader or I'm this way, or I'm that way, I don't care. They can think and say whatever they want. I'm gonna show them who I am."
Nothing helps someone move on like $165 million. That new contract helps.
Seager compared Doncic's situation with the Lakers like a marriage, one that may have ups and downs but is built on trust and loyalty. That echoed what Doncic himself said during his press conference.
"I was kind of thinking, obviously not at the moment when I got traded, but later on when I started playing, I wanted to be here," Doncic said. "Like I said, this is an amazing organization. We have a trust in each other, so honestly, I decided pretty quick."
"I would just say, it was like a fresh start for me," Doncic said. "Obviously, I was on my way of doing it [already], but it was just kind of a fresh start. I had a little more time to get my mind on basketball, just doing other things. So, I would just say, like, a fresh start for me."
Doncic has moved on, and the lottery luck leading to Cooper Flagg landing in Dallas has helped that organization and its fan base move on. That's healthy for everyone involved.
It doesn't mean that a Lakers vs. Mavericks Christmas Day game wouldn't be a real showcase for the league. Sports fans aren't going to move on quite as quickly.
Frank Nazar has arrived for the Chicago Blackhawks and will be in the second line center role for the foreseeable future. He broke into the NHL last season after dominating the AHL and isn't going to look back. The Blackhawks' future down the middle looks good with Connor Bedard, Nazar, and Anton Frondell, but either Bedard or Frondell are going to be the one moving over to the wing in the top-6.
Only six players drafted in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft haven't played a game in the NHL and a scattered number of players past the first round have. Amongst the top performers from the draft already is Nazar, despite being the Blackhawks' second first-round pick that year behind Kevin Korchinski.
Nazar is the eighth-highest point producer from the 2022 draft, even though the point totals aren't all that high yet. He has 27 points in the NHL, and that's pretty good for one partial season, whereas others have two to three full seasons under their belts already.
Ahead of Nazar is Juraj Slafkovsky (111), Logan Cooley (109), Lane Hutson (68), Shane Wright (51), Pavel Mintyukov (47), Cutter Gauthier (45), and Marco Kasper (37) with Matthew Poitras (26) and Jiri Kulich (24) right behind Nazar.
Some of these players have a head start on Nazar and will likely have better linemates to play with next season, but things could change pretty quickly for the Blackhawks who will continue to look to add big names in the coming years. It's almost impossible to say who will have the longest career or who will even have the most success from a close 2022 draft, but that's the fun of watching.
Nazar is just kicking off his career and can hang with almost anyone from the draft. 2025-26 will be a telling season with a number of these players already having roles in the NHL.
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had a treat for Senators fans on Wednesday afternoon. He posted on social media the new cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 Deluxe Edition, which features the NHL-playing members of the Tkachuk family.
The cover shows Brady and his father, Keith Tkachuk, flanking his brother, Matthew, who has won the last two Stanley Cups with the Florida Panthers.
Brady’s caption on Twitter read: “A lifetime of hockey together, now a cover we'll never forget. Pre-order 26 to get 7-day early access and check my game.”
The link directs users to EA Sports’ website, where they can watch the official 2-minute reveal trailer, which prominently features the Tkachuks in real and virtual form.
The Tkachuks' popularity went to another level in the past few months with both Brady and Matthew playing so well at the 4 Nations Face-off in February, along with Matthew's second Cup win in as many years.
“Growing up, Matthew and I dreamed of playing just like our dad,” Brady said in an EA Sports press release on Wednesday. “Even now, his influence on how we play and prepare remains huge. It’s an honour to be featured on the cover, and having him standing alongside us makes the whole thing even better.”
Matthew agreed.
“My dad, Brady and I are all unique and play the way we want to. Sharing the cover of NHL 26 is an extension of that,” Matthew said. “I’ve always tried to bring my own style to the ice, and seeing that captured in NHL 26 makes it feel like it is really me out there.”
“I always told the boys to play hard, be smart, and never lose their personality out there,” Ketih said. “What you see now is two players with totally unique styles, and I’m proud to be sharing the cover with them.”
From the EA Sports Press Release:
Electronic Arts Inc. today unveils EA SPORTS™ NHL® 26, launching September 12, 2025, on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X|S with a new level of on-ice authenticity and superstar quality.
Back-to-back Stanley Cup champion, Matthew Tkachuk, graces the cover of the deluxe edition alongside his brother, Brady, and their father, Keith, in a dream lineup uniting hockey’s present and past. With real-world NHL EDGE positional data (NHL Puck and Player Tracking) powering gameplay, in partnership with the NHL, and a reimagined Be A Pro mode that immerses players in the stakes and emotions of playing at the highest level, NHL 26 delivers an immersive and intense experience for hockey fans around the world.
This year’s cover athletes challenge traditional notions of NHL superstardom. Matthew Tkachuk, known for his relentless physicality and skill, has captivated fans with a signature style that breaks the conventional playbook. Bringing together two generations of Tkachuks, the cover highlights a family that’s carved its own path with individuality, edge, and an unyielding drive to win.
The Deluxe Edition launches on September 5, with the worldwide release following on September 12.
EA SPORTS NHL 26 will officially release worldwide on Sept. 12, 2025.
This is nearly one month earlier than NHL 25 which released on Oct. 4 and is the first NHL title to receive a September release date since NHL 20. Those who pre-order the Deluxe Edition will be able to play one week early on Sept. 5.
The reveal trailer is available on EA SPORTS' YouTube, and more information on how to pre-order on the EA website.
Per EA, those who pre-order the deluxe edition receive:
7-day early access (starting September 5)
4600 NHL Points
HUT Starter Choice Pack (83 OVR)
HUT NHL Player Pack
HUT Icon Choice Pack (86 OVR)
HUT Heroes Choice Pack (84 OVR)
Matthew Tkachuk 99 OVR item* (available immediately in NHL 25 with digital pre-order)
World of Chel Vanity Set
World of Chel Battle Pass XP Boost (x2)
Those who pre-order the standard edition receive:
HUT NHL Player Pack
World of Chel Battle Pass XP Boost (x2)
Matthew Tkachuk 99 OVR item (available immediately in NHL 25 with digital pre-order)
EA Play members receive 10 hours of early access beginning Sept. 5.
We will breakdown what is new in the trailer later today.
Part of the discussion about Luka Doncic’s extension with the Los Angeles Lakers — after LeBron James opted into his contract — was about the Lakers' potential to have max cap space as soon as next summer. That allows them to retool the roster around Luka Doncic, which sparked some speculation about the Lakers chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo or other stars to slot in where LeBron stands now, building a classic multi-star title team. Multiple superstars has always been the Lakers' ideal.
Rick Carlisle is questioning that old-school thinking and if that's the best way to build a contender in the modern NBA.
"The NBA game has now become a play hard league. It's not just being top heavy with stars. Roster construction is changing... It's become more important to have more good players than be top heavy with two or three great players that get all the touches."
These past NBA Finals were a testament to that. Oklahoma City boasts MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Indiana features an All-NBA, Olympian player in Tyrese Haliburton. However, in both cases, these were teams deep with good role players who played hard nightly and fit the teams' systems and styles — neither team rolled out a player the other team could just instantly target in their top eight. This wasn't SGA and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren covering up for the players below them, OKC rolled out quality players in Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and on and on down the line.
The key to those rosters was not the high ceilings of the stars but the high floor of the top eight — Indiana reached the Finals on the strength of that idea. The Pacers didn't just have Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam, there were quality players in Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin and Ben Sheppard. There was quality depth Carlisle could trust in a way that was not happening with the New York Knicks, for example.
A year prior it was the same thing, the Celtics had stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but that roster also was eight deep with players Joe Mazzulla could lean into: Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and on down the line. Two years ago, it was an MVP in Nikola Jokic in Denver but surrounded by depth in guys such as Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, Christian Braun and more.
During the NBA Finals, Carlisle owned the idea that none of this works without the right star at the top — a team needs a transcendent star or two. However, beyond that, it becomes about depth more than stockpiling stars. It's not how strong the stars at the top are, but how weak is the weakest link in the chain? And come the playoffs, can opponents pull the chain apart by focusing on that weak link?
Fans are understandably weary of talk of the NBA and its tax aprons, but those are changing how teams are built now. Carlisle has seen the future, as have the Pacers, and they were in the Finals because of it. Expect other innovative teams to try to follow this model.
New seasons provide new opportunities, which create avenues for players to break out. The 2025-26 season will be no different, and in this article, The Hockey News take a look at the strongest candidates to make a name for themselves or ascend into stardom on the Central Division teams.
Chicago Blackhawks: Spencer Knight
The state of the Blackhawks roster is such that Spencer Knight is unlikely to find himself in Vezina Trophy talks. In fact, his stats might even appear subpar. But his time as a Florida Panther provided insight into the stopper Knight can become. He offered glimpses into his upside, too, upon landing in the Windy City, including a spectacular 41-save performance in his Hawks debut. With the starting reins for the first time in his career, if the 24-year-old gives Chicago the chance to win each might, he’ll have worked wonders.
Colorado Avalanche: Jack Drury
Jack Drury wasn’t the centerpiece of the Mikko Rantanen swap with the Carolina Hurricanes - that was Martin Necas - but it’s no surprise Colorado wanted the 25-year-old in the deal. Though his offensive numbers leave something to be desired, with Drury maxing out at eight goals and 27 points in 2023-24, he has an innate ability to be in the right place at the right time on either side of the puck. It’s only a matter of time before goals begin falling for him, particularly with an Avs team that’s more dynamic.
Dallas Stars: Lian Bichsel
Miro Heiskanen’s injury provided a chance, and Lian Bichsel ran with it. The 21-year-old was a staple of the Stars’ blueline down the stretch and in the playoffs, and the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder made his case to start next season in Dallas. His four goals and nine points per game set offensive expectations a bit high, as he profiles as a shutdown rearguard. The Stars need to clear up cap space, and they can be confident doing so on the back end, given Bichsel is primed to assume middle-pairing minutes next season.
Minnesota Wild: Liam Ohgren
Don’t let the meager two-goal, five-point NHL output fool you. Liam Ohgren has the offensive chops. Take his 19-goal, 37-point performance in the AHL as evidence. That performance gave Ohgren, 21, the third-best points per game among rookies to play at least half the season. Chances are Ohgren will begin the year assuming bottom-six duty with a dash of PP time, but his gifts will see him pushing for a large role by season’s end. He won’t be a top producer yet, but he’s a safe bet to be a great depth contributor.
Nashville Predators: Zachary L’Heureux
One way or another, Zachary L’Heureux will make his presence felt in Nashville next season. The 22-year-old scored, crashed and banged his way onto the Predators’ 2024-25 roster on the heels of a 19-goal, 48-point AHL campaign the year prior. He brought the same high-energy style to the big club, leading all Preds forwards with 198 hits. He plays on a razor’s edge, but he’s more than a heat-seeking forechecking missile: he chipped in 15 points and finished eighth in per-60 scoring at five-a-side for Nashville.
St. Louis Blues: Jake Neighbours
If you were to plot Jake Neighbours’ progression through the first three seasons of his career, it would follow a steady upward arc. And there’s no reason to believe the 23-year-old is going to be resting on his laurels. Neighbours posted a new career-best last season with 46 points and further established himself as a central figure in the new-look Blues offense. Only three St. Louis forwards saw the ice more in the post-season, which indicated Neighbours is a big part of coach Jim Montgomery’s plans moving forward.
Utah Mammoth: Josh Doan (Now with the Buffalo Sabres)
When Utah demoted Josh Doan to the AHL after he’d started the season in the NHL, Doan’s confidence could’ve been shattered. But the 23-year-old put his head down and turned in a near-point-per-game performance with the Tucson Roadrunners, forcing Utah’s hand and proving himself once called back to the big club. His six goals and 17 points in the final 42 games are a promising sign, too. Doan won’t be pencilled into the top six, but he can flirt with the 40-point plateau from the third line next season.
Winniepg Jets: Nikita Chibrikov
With Adam Lowry sidelined, the Jets need to add a middler-six center, and that will have the knock-on effect of requiring cost-effective options to fill out the roster. That should allow Nikita Chibirkov to slot into a bottom-six role. The 22-year-old looked like he belonged in his five prior NHL games, and the ability to play a scrappier game will earn him chances ahead of fellow rookie Brad Lambert. There’s serious upside as well, as Chibirkov has netted 24 goals and 65 points in 100 AHL games over the past two seasons.
This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season.
You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.
The Vancouver Canucks have signed former New York Rangers forward Vitali Kravtsov to a one-year, two-way contract.
In 2018, the Rangers drafted Kravtsov with the ninth overall pick in the first round.
Despite investing high draft capital to select Kravtsov, he failed to live up to expectations as he played just 64 games in three seasons for the Rangers, recording six goals, six assists, and 12 points.
The Rangers traded Kravtsov to the Canucks in 2023, where he played 16 games before leaving the NHL to join the KHL.
After two seasons in the KHL, the 25-year-old forward is making a return to North America with the hopes of reviving his NHL career.
“Vitali had a strong season in the KHL and was an impact player for his team,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. “In his two seasons in Russia, he has worked hard on his game, and we look forward to seeing where Vitali is at when he comes to training camp in Penticton.”
The Buffalo Sabres should be in the market for an impact top-six forward after dealing winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan, but the opening weeks of free agency did not provide GM Kevyn Adams with an opportunity to replace Peterka’s production, and with the two-year deal signed earlier this month with defenseman Bowen Byram, Adams will have to try to acquire a scoring forward with younger players, prospects, and/or draft picks.
Big winger Patrik Laine is not the player that some imagined when he was selected second overall at the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo nine years ago, but the big Finn can do one thing that the Sabres may be looking for at some point next season, and that is goal scoring. The 27-year-old has scored 20 or more goals seven times, but the reason he is currently on his third club is that he is an offense-first forward who has never shown any sort of proficiency in playing defense.
Montreal received a second-round pick along with Laine last August from Columbus to take the winger’s full $8.7 million cap hit. Last season, after a preseason injury kept him out until December, he still managed 20 goals in 52 games. He also had the third-worst plus/minus on the club (-14) and scored 75% of his goals on the power play.
What Would It Cost?
There has been some chatter that the Canadiens are looking to clear out Laine’s cap hit in the final year of his deal to make room if they can acquire a second-line center to play behind Nick Suzuki, but if they cannot find that elusive pivot, the only way moving his deal out makes sense would be closer to the trade deadline if the Habs are not in the playoff race. The expectation is that Montreal will continue their upward trajectory after making the post-season and losing to Washington in the first round, but if they are not if the mix, the likely cost to a team looking for goals like Buffalo is a second-round pick or a prospect capable of playing in the NHL like Isak Rosen.
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Arizona Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr.. hugs teammate Geraldo Perdomo after hitting an eighth-inning home run against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
The Arizona Diamondbacks designated hitter didn't swing at the first two pitches he saw from San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller — a fastball that registered at 102 miles per hour for a ball and an 89-mph slider — with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night in Phoenix.
The Cuban-American batter then fouled off the next four pitches, three of which were fastballs thrown between 101 and 104 mph. Miller's seventh pitch of the at-bat was another scorcher, but Gurriel made contact and this time kept the ball in fair territory.
It traveled 439 feet and landed in the left-field stands for a two-run home run. Miller's pitch was clocked at 103.9 mph, making it the fastest pitch to be hit for a home run since MLB started pitch tracking in 2008.
"It’s something that just happened,” Gurriel said after the game through an interpreter.
Miller said of the pitch: “Location could have been better, for sure. Ultimately, the result is what it is. I’m not going to sit here and regret what pitch I threw. Just got it out over the plate, a little bit high.”
Gurriel's blast, which left the park at 107.1 mph, tied the game at 5-5. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, they couldn't keep up the momentum against their National League West rivals and eventually lost 10-5 in 11 innings.
“The real meaning was in the time of the game and what it meant to the team to tie the ballgame. That was the most important thing,” Gurriel said of his historic homer. “I mean, unfortunately, it didn't turn into a win, but that was the most exciting thing.”
It was Gurriel's second home run of the game — he also hit a two-run homer off Padres starter Yu Darvish in the first inning — and his 14th of the season. Before Tuesday, Gurriel had not hit a home run since July 1.
Gurriel is the ninth player known to hit a home run off a ball thrown at 102 mph or faster and only the second player to do so off a pitch thrown faster than 103 mph. In September, Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs went yard off a 103.2-mph pitch.
That pitch also happened to be thrown by Miller, who was with the Athletics at the time before being acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline last week. In his second appearance for San Diego, Miller pitched one inning, giving up one hit and a walk with two strikeouts. One of his pitches was clocked at 104.2 mph, the fastest ever tracked for a Padres pitcher.
“It’s a weapon,” Miller said of his fastball after Tuesday's game. “But you still need to put together an at-bat for the guy, and work with him, as far as his swings and his approach in there."
Two of the Mets’ top prospects took home some hardware following their incredible performances over the past month: Brandon Sproat was named International League Pitcher of the Month, while outfielder Carson Benge was named Eastern League Player of the Month.
The 24-year-old Sproat got off to a bit of a rough start this season, but thanks to his terrific July he has lowered his season ERA from 5.43 on June 28 to where it currently stands at 4.07.
As for Benge, the 2024 first-round pick has been destroying the ball since his promotion to Double-A Binghamton. In 27 games as Rumble Pony, Benge has slashed .356/.446/.644 with eight home runs and 20 RBI.
In July, Benge slashed .397/.482/.726 with seven big flies while driving in 17 runs.
Earlier this summer, The Fourth Period reported that the Chicago Blackhawks are one of the teams linked to Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. Given the Blackhawks' need for more skilled forwards, it is understandable that the Blackhawks have been connected to a two-time Stanley Cup winner like Rodrigues.
Yet, during the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman made it clear that he believes that Rodrigues will end up staying put with the Panthers, rather than being traded to free up cap space.
"I think that a number of fans have wondered if Florida will have to trade someone like Evan Rodrigues off their roster to make things work. I don't believe that's going to be happening," Friedman said. "First of all, they consider Rodrigues an important player, but secondly, I think we're going to find out at some point here that (Matthew) Tkachuk will miss the start of the season."
Rodrigues certainly would have had the potential to be a nice addition to the Blackhawks' roster, as he is an impactful and versatile forward with plenty of playoff experience. In 82 games this past season with the Panthers, he recorded 15 goals and 32 points in 82 games. He then followed that up with two goals, 13 assists, 15 points, and a plus-3 rating in 21 playoff games during the Panthers' Stanley Cup championship run this spring.
Overall, the idea of a Rodrigues addition for the Blackhawks would have been nice, but it appears that Chicago will need to explore other options if they hope to add to their forward group before the season is here.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games.
#37 - Norwin Panocha – Defense (Eisbaren Berlin - DEL)
Drafted 205th overall out of the junior level of Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, the 6’2”, 190 lb. defenseman opted to come to North America and play for Chicoutimi in the QMJHL instead of staying in Germany. In his first season, Panocha finished with 15 assists in 52 regular season games and had one assist in eight playoff games for the Sagueneens, but last month the 19-year-old blueliner was released.
After being selected in the CHL Import Draft by Prince Albert, Panocha moved to the Western Hockey League to play for the Raiders this upcoming season, but played only 3 games before he was dropped again. After a brief stop playing with Green Bay in the USHL and playing for Germany in his second straight WJC, Panocha returned home to play for Berlin, where he finished with two assists in 16 DEL games.
The 20-year-old was at the Sabres Development Camp in July, and is expected to play another year for Eisbaren.
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Fans arrive to Petco Park before a baseball game in San Diego. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
Parking at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, is a distinctly different experience than parking at Dodger Stadium.
It's about to be similar, however, when it comes to price.
City crews installed about 400 signs in downtown San Diego last week to let drivers know about new street parking-meter rates taking effect Sept. 1, calling it a special event zone. The hourly rate will increase from $2.50 to $10 starting two hours before games or concerts at the stadium, and will remain at that rate for six hours.
Getting to the stadium an hour before a three-hour game and perhaps enjoying a drink or meal at one of the establishments in the Gaslamp Quarter a short walk from the stadium can lift the cost of parking from $15 to $60.
And it could get worse. The variable parking rate policy change that the San Diego City Council approved in June allows the city to charge as much as $20 an hour, but officials are starting with $10.
The Padres were taken by surprise by the city's action and objected to the increase, complaining that it was implemented without significant input from the team.
“We look forward to better understanding the city’s plan,” Padres spokesperson Vanessa Dominguez said.
Watching the kerfuffle must be amusing for Dodgers officials, who long have taken it on the chin for seemingly exorbitant parking fees and an enormous, barren parking lot that has all the charm of, well, an enormous, barren parking lot.
Parking at Chavez Ravine is not nearly as fun as at Petco Park, where the dozens of nearby restaurants, bars, shops and music venues make it akin to attending a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
General admission parking at Dodger Stadium is $35 if prepaid and $40 at the gate, but it's a long hike to the seats. Preferred parking — translation: a shorter walk — is $60, the same as the six-hour meter charge will be at Petco.
Dodgers fans have their complaints about parking — primarily a postgame snarl to get out of the Stadium that makes navigating the 405 seem like a breeze — and drama too often colors the experience.
A tailgating ban is enforced so diligently that fans can't even enjoy an El Ruso taco leaning over the trunk of their car without being scolded by a security officer. Safety is difficult to ensure as well: Fans have been beaten senseless walking to or from their cars.
And through no fault of the Dodgers, a procession of vehicles identified as federal agents attempted to enter the stadium on June 19, a day immigration raids capped two weeks of roundups by arresting "30 illegal aliens in Hollywood ... and nine illegal aliens in San Fernando and Pacoima,” Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Federal officials said the gathering of vehicles was to conduct a briefing, and the Dodgers denied the vehicles entry into the stadium.
Parking near Petco Park is relatively safe, with well-lit lots and streets part of the fabric of a neighborhood packed with revelers. And Padres fans don't require a metered street spot to park. The team runs several lots a few blocks from the stadium where parking can be reserved ahead of time. Rates range from $10 to $40.
The quadrupled special-event metered rate changes near Petco were included in a sweeping package of new parking rules throughout San Diego designed to increase revenue.
No more free parking on Sundays. Soon, no more free parking at the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and Mission Bay Park. Free beach parking will be a perk of the past.
The city doubled meter rates to $2.50 an hour in most places. And meter hours around the city will be extended by at least two hours later this summer. The increase is expected to bring in about $4 million through the remainder of the fiscal year, and at least $9.6 million annually starting next fiscal year, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
“This city is a playground for folks,” San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said at a recent meeting. “It is really important to me that San Diegans not be subsidizing the vacations of tourists who have the financial capability of coming here and enjoying this city.”
Most Padres fans are San Diego-area residents, although when the Dodgers visit the city to their south the crowd is noticeably peppered with folks wearing Dodgers gear. As the rivalry between the teams has grown in recent years, Petco has become a favorite destination for Dodgers fans.
Groups like Pantone 294 — the Dodgers official blue-tone color is listed as Pantone 294 — organize "takeovers," with hundreds of Dodgers fans purchasing tickets in the same section of an opposing ballpark. For the short trip to San Diego, fans can join others on tour buses or drive their own cars.
When it comes to parking those cars, fees will have risen. Savvy fans who don't mind taking the time can reduce the cost by parking near a San Diego trolley or MTS bus station: The fare remains $2.50.
