More punishment for Rangers at the hand of a Belgian opponent. A familiar combination of self-destruction and the poor defending endemic under Russell Martin deepened Ibrox’s gloom. Reduced to 10 after Mohamed Diomande’s reckless first-half challenge, insult was added by Genk’s goal being scored by a former Celtic striker in Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Martin has talked of “results coming through difficulty” but could not have chosen to manage a club where poor results will cause more difficulty. Ibrox was undersold, just 38,000 present, though in attendance was Andrew Cavenagh, the chairman gladhanding fans before kick-off. The American co-owner’s scheduled visit to Glasgow has allowed him to experience what fans have been served during the new ownership’s choice of manager. “I’ll find out in about 15 minutes,” said Martin, asked if he had yet received Cavenagh’s verdict. “I look forward to seeing him.”
Zack Minasian has a specific approach to assessing Bob Melvin and the rest of the Giants’ coaching staff as San Francisco’s underwhelming 2025 MLB season nears a close.
Minasian, in his first year as San Francisco’s general manager under first-year president of baseball operations Buster Posey, revealed his thought process to KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” on Thursday.
“You’re always evaluating it, even with how well you play … as well as the other departments of baseball operations,” Minasian told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “When you have years like this, it pushes you more and more to evaluate all of your departments and how they’re firing, and it makes you really question, ‘Are we good enough here, are we good enough there?’
“I’m probably still at the point of evaluating myself, and what can I do differently, and how can I play my part to get us where we want to go as opposed to anybody else.”
The 78-81 Giants were eliminated from National League playoff contention after Tuesday’s 9-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park.
Despite key offseason additions such as Willy Adames and the blockbuster mid-year acquisition of Rafael Devers, San Francisco couldn’t sustain its intermittent stints of success long enough, thus missing the postseason for the eighth time in nine campaigns.
Minasian shared more thoughts about Melvin, San Francisco’s second-year skipper, and the staff amid the team’s disappointing finish.
“There’s always going to be conversations — whether you’re winning or losing, you’re always going to have conversations about your staffing, and how it looks,” Minasian said. “In regards to Bob, he’s a consummate professional, and he really cares about the Giants.
“Beyond that, we’ll just continue to do our work. And as the season ends, we’ll evaluate the team and evaluate our system and our options going forward …”
Minasian and San Francisco appear to be committed to Melvin after exercising his contract option for the 2026 season in July.
However, changes must be made for the Giants to return to the glory days Posey experienced firsthand as a player.
The Seattle Kraken defeated an Edmonton Oilers roster that featured Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and starting goaltender Stuart Skinner 4-1 in their third pre-season game.
The Kraken got the scoring started in the first period despite minimal efforts on goal, but they never felt like the game was ever getting away from them.
Jagger Firkus tapped in a power play goal on a rebound, and Logan Morrison scored his first of the pre-season, before Ben Meyers and Jani Nyman scored insurance markers in the third period. Joey Daccord and Nikke Kokko turned away 24 of the 25 shots they faced.
Here are three standout performers from last night's win:
Tyson Jugnauth
The 21-year-old blueliner took part in his first pre-season game of the season and fit in perfectly. He recorded 18:13 of ice time, and despite not recording any points, Jugnauth looked comfortable with the puck on his stick and in the defensive zone.
His defensive skills were put to the test on several occasions, including defending consecutive 2-on-1s that featured McDavid, the world's best hockey player. Jugnauth stayed calm and composed, deflecting a pass by Draisaitl intended for McDavid and then later forcing Ekholm into a weak shot and negating any passing lane to send the puck to McDavid.
In the third period, Jugnauth defended a 3-on-1, once again deflecting a pass before the Oilers could get off a Grade A chance.
Firkus is a point producer, and he has been throughout his entire junior career and in the early stages of his pro career. Last night, we got a glimpse of how Firkus can leave his imprint on hockey games.
The power play goal capped off the strong performance, but the 21-year-old was making nifty passes and was eager to get the puck into high-danger scoring areas. He finished the game with a goal and three shots on target in 14:39 of ice time.
Ben Meyers and Logan Morrison
Meyers and Morrison each finished with a goal and an assist in last night's game, and the duo looked like they fit in at the NHL level. They each filled the score sheet and were effective offensive chance creators throughout the game.
Meyers finished with two shots on goal, four hits and two blocks in 17:10 of ice time, while Morrison put up three shots on goal, one hit and one block in 13:21 of ice time. Meyers and Morrison are likely on the outside looking in for an NHL roster spot, but with the injuries the Kraken are facing, the pair have moved up the depth chart and could be one of the first names called up from the AHL to start the season.
Honorable mention to Oscar Fisker Molgaard, who has come as advertised in his first two pre-season games. The 20-year-old has two assists, but his attention to detail and defensive acumen have been noticeable. If he can carry the momentum into the start of the AHL season, Fisker Molgaard could see some NHL action towards the tail end of the season.
Despite the comments he made at the end of his tenure, John Tortorella insists he never quit on the Philadelphia Flyers... or anything else, for that matter.
Tortorella, 67, was fired by the Flyers on March 27, just two days after a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that prompted the veteran coach to say, "I'm not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we're at right now."
But, Tortorella wanted to set the record straight on why he said what he said. In his eyes, he didn't want to become the guy who lets everyone off easy at the end of the year because they're miles off a playoff position.
“It was kind of weird for me, getting fired with nine games left. It really surprised me. [General manager Danny Briere] and I did have some disagreements on discipline of a player, had some disagreements the last few weeks of that season," Tortorella told Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. "I loved coaching them."
One such incident of discipline handed down by Tortorella was the benching of Cam York during that game against the Maple Leafs, when the 24-year-old's night ended after just eight shifts and 3:50 of ice time.
York was benched by interim head coach Brad Shaw for the entirety of the following game for disciplinary purposes, too, but then things eventually blew over.
“I’ve seen teams be really good playing out a season when it means nothing. You’re relaxed. I’ve seen players play better," added Tortorella. "I don’t want to be that guy. It was out of respect to my team that I was not doing a good job. I wasn’t. Do I think I should have got fired for it? No, but I have too much respect for those players to kick the hell out of them right to the bitter end.
“It was the right thing to do by Danny [to sell at the deadline]. They’re doing it the right way, and I was on board with that. But it’s hard. It’s hard for those guys, and that’s what I was trying to say after Toronto.”
With his team falling out of playoff position two seasons in a row, Tortorella had to cope with the departures of players like Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Scott Laughton, and Sean Walker ahead of the last two NHL trade deadlines.
The key difference from 2024 to 2025 was that in 2025, the Flyers were never particularly close to the postseason and ultimately finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL.
Tortorella also assured Cotsonika he wants to coach again, regardless of what others think of how things ended with the Flyers.
“Do I want to coach again? Yeah. I heard a couple NHL coaches accuse me [of quitting on the team]. Did I quit on the team after those comments I made in Toronto? I haven’t quit on a [bleeping] thing in my life. Those comments were totally taken out of [context]," Tortorella said.
“Listen, I don’t think I explained myself totally correctly, either. But I miss it already. I miss preparing [for] camp. I miss the camaraderie of camp. Yeah, I want to coach, so we’ll see what happens.”
The gruff coach's next opportunity at the NHL level will have to wait, as all of the offseason vacancies have been filled in between his dismissal from the Flyers and now.
In the interim, Tortorella will be coaching the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where he'll be joined by new New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan, Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes, and Rangers assistant coach David Quinn.
Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down LAFC’s hot run of form since acquiring Son Heung-Min, and what it could mean for the club as we head into the playoffs. Next, they recap USMNT activity across Europe, including which striker abroad is staking his claim to be the national team’s #9. Later, they react to some of the biggest news in world soccer, including Harry Kane’s possible return to Tottenham, Ousmane Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or win, and more.
The Mets shuffled up their bullpen once again on Thursday, calling up right-hander Kevin Herget from Triple-A Syracuse.
In a corresponding move, left-hander Richard Lovelady was designated for assignment, while righty Chris Devenski was outrighted to Triple-A.
Herget, 34, has appeared in five games for the Mets this season, pitching to a 3.27 ERA with five strikeouts and 10 hits allowed over the course of 11.0 innings. His most recent appearance was 1.2 scoreless innings against the Reds on Sept. 6.
Lovelady, meanwhile, continues to bounce back and forth between the active roster and the minor leagues. The lefty pitched 2.0 innings for the Mets in Wednesday’s loss to the Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) while throwing 31 pitches.
Seattle Mariner Cal Raleigh joins elite MLB company as he hits his 60th home run of the season during the eighth inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 24. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh became the seventh player in MLB history to hit at least 60 home runs in a season Wednesday night when he drove two hits out of T-Mobile Park during the Mariners' 9-2 win over the Colorado Rockies.
In related news, the man who reportedly caught the milestone ball appears to have given it away to a young fan sitting nearby. Sure, the gesture wasn't nearly as historic as what the player lovingly known as Big Dumper had just accomplished, but it was pretty cool — especially considering the ball's potential value.
Here's more on Raleigh's 60th home run and the act of kindness that followed.
Big night for Big Dumper
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh takes a curtain call after hitting his 60th home run of the season against the Colorado Rockies. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Raleigh entered the night with 58 home runs, already well beyond his previous career high of 34 from last season. The switch-hitting catcher was batting left-handed in the first inning when he blasted a 93-mph fastball from Tanner Gordon 422 feet into the upper deck behind right field for home run No. 59.
Then, with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, chants of "M-V-P" were already raining down on Raleigh as he stepped to the plate, batting left-handed again, against Rockies reliever Angel Chivilli.
One pitch later, the at-bat was over and Raleigh had made history. He ripped a 98-mph fastball from Chivilli 389 feet into the right field stands to join Babe Ruth (1927), Roger Maris (1961), Sammy Sosa (1998, 1999, 2001), Mark McGwire (1998, 1999), Barry Bonds (2001) and Aaron Judge (2022) as the only players to hit at least 60 home runs in a season.
Raleigh rounded the bases, then took a curtain call in front of an ecstatic crowd that included his parents, Todd and Stephanie Raleigh.
It was the 11th time this season Raleigh has hit multiple home runs in a game, which ties the MLB record held by Hank Greenberg (1938), Sosa (1998) and Judge (2022). Raleigh, who also had a two-run double in the second inning, finished with four RBIs to give him an American League-leading 125 this season.
In addition to Raleigh's personal achievements Wednesday night, the Mariners clinched their first AL West title since 2001.
"It's crazy,” Raleigh said after the game. “Sixty is, I don't know what to say. I didn't know if I was going to hit 60 in my life. And then I did it like this. Just tonight, I mean, what a way to do it."
Raleigh has four regular-season games left to try to break Judge's AL record of 62 home runs, set in 2022. The all-time MLB record is 72, set by the San Francisco Giants' Bonds in 2001.
Kind gesture in the stands
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh rounds the bases after his 60th home run of the season Wednesday at T-Mobile Park. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Based on a fan video posted on social media, it appears that a man wearing Mariners gear initially ended up with the historic ball. That fan can be seen holding the ball over his head while others seated nearby applaud his (and Raleigh's) accomplishment.
A second video, posted by the same fan who posted the first one, appears to show that the man gave the ball to a younger fan (someone can be heard in the video joyfully exclaiming, "Oh my God! They gave it to this kid!"). The boy and an adult appear to be following security out of the stands, presumably to somewhere the Mariners might be able to make an offer to secure the ball for Raleigh.
The Times did not receive an immediate response from the Mariners regarding the current whereabouts of the ball, what the young fan may have been offered for it and whether the original fan who got the ball was recognized in any way for his gesture.
The fans sitting around him definitely appreciated it. The same video shows them applauding the man, who tipped his hat to them and seemed genuinely happy with his decision to part with the ball.
It's a feel-good story that helps cleanse the palate weeks after another viral incident took place in the stands at a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins in Florida. Phillies fan Drew Feltwell secured a home run ball hit by Harrison Bader and placed it in the glove of 9-year-old son Lincoln.
A woman quickly approached Feltwell, however, and angrily declared that the ball belonged to her. In an effort to set an example for his children by de-escalating the situation, Feltwell later said, he reached into his son's glove and gave it to the woman, who quickly became known on social media as "Phillies Karen."
Selfless to a fault?
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh waves to the crowd after being acknowledged Tuesday by Mariners president of business operations Kevin Martinez for setting the team record for home runs in a season. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Still, some folks on X are calling the Mariners fan "stupid" and "foolish" for giving away a ball that could be worth a fortune. Last year, the home run ball that gave Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani the distinction of being the only MLB player to have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season sold at auction for a record $4.4 million.
It still remains to be seen, however, just who will receive that money. Three individuals have claimed to have been the rightful owner of the ball, and the matter remains tied up in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court. A calendar call in the case has been set for January.
Last week, another act of selflessness followed a different milestone home run for Raleigh. When he hit his 57th home run of the season Saturday against the Houston Astros, Raleigh broke Ken Griffey Jr.'s team record for home runs in a season.
The ball landed in the Astros bullpen and was recovered by longtime Houston bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte, who personally took the ball to Raleigh and placed it in his glove.
“He said: 'Thank you so much, I appreciate it. That means a lot to me,’” said Bracamonte, who received a hug from the opposing team's star catcher. “And I said, ‘This is great.’”
Raleigh said of Bracamonte: “Class act over there with him, so I'm very grateful. He could have easily just thrown it up in the air, but he, I guess, understood and kept it for me ... so very nice thing to do.”
The No. 6 Oregon Ducks go head-to-head with the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions in a rematch of last year's Big Ten Championship game. Live coverage begins at 7 PM ET.
While the odds of making a loaded championship-caliber lineup are long, Atro Leppänen is making a name for himself early in the preseason with the Edmonton Oilers.
Fresh off a record-setting season in Finland’s SM-Liiga, where he led all defensemen with 63 points, he is turning heads early in Edmonton Oilers training camp, and the Finnish defenseman is embracing the challenge of adapting to the NHL. He chose the Oilers -- a team with a tough lineup to crack -- and despite the hurdles, has aspirations to play in Edmonton.
Speaking with Leppänen after Wednesday's preseason loss to the Seattle Kraken, the defenseman shared his thoughts on adjusting to the pace of the NHL and his decision to join the Oilers.
“The speed is very fast compared to what I’m used to, but I’ve been able to move the puck well and play pretty solid defensively,” Leppänen said. "It's a little bit faster, but just to get used to a couple of shifts and then it's gone."
Leppänen, 26, signed with the Oilers in the spring after weighing options from multiple teams. “They reached out in the spring, and another team did as well,” he explained. “It was an intuition choice. The Oilers had good players and nice plays, so it was a pretty easy decision.” He also had some familiarity with the organization, having played with Finnish teammates who had connections to Edmonton.
Adjusting to the smaller North American ice surface hasn’t been a major hurdle. “Honestly, it hasn’t been that bad,” he said. "I think, pretty fast and well, and the forecheck is harder. They check and hit harder, but just move the puck, and guys are good that you play with."
Leppänen's Path to the NHL Has Been An Interesting One
Leppänen's recent strides towards a shot at the NHL seem all the more impressive when you consider where he's come from. He recounted the challenges of balancing hockey with odd jobs during his younger years. “I worked in factories and even in a museum, watching the paintings,” he said with a laugh. "Nobody touched the painting. Yeah, that was my job.“
He said he had no interest in anything beyond hockey. "I mean, I was pretty young and had no really interest in going to school, yet I didn't really have anything that I else that I wanted to do. So why not just play? It wasn't really that hard of a decision, I wasn't thinking about too much about quitting and stuff like that most of the time. So it was just to play and had nothing else to do. So why not?"
His hard work has paid off. The defenseman signed a one-year deal with the Oilers, and while his immediate path might lead him to the AHL, head coach Kris Knoblauch didn't rule out a scenario where Leppänen could get NHL games.
Knoblauch said when asked where Leppänen might fit on a team that seemingly has no spots, that he is looking for the best player at every position. That message seems to have been passed on to Leppänen, who isn't done fighting for a spot on the roster. When asked if he was used to fighting, he suggested that was a strong choice of words, even hinting that battling might not be the best description.
Still, he gets the notion he's going to have to stand out to earn a spot.
When asked, "Why did you like some guys would pick a team that's easier to make, it's hard team to make two Stanley Cups in a row... Did you think about that?" He responded, "So I'm kind of used to it, and it's just kind of grind it out." He added, "I mean, it's definitely a tough lineup to crack. I think, I think there's a chance."
Leppänen Seems Appreciative Of The Opportunity
Leppänen credited the coaching staff for their guidance. “They’ve been very positive, telling me to keep moving the puck and playing my style. That’s what I plan to do,” he said.
I specifically brought up how much he's playing thus far in preseason, getting several games in a row and big minutes in those games. Was this something he wanted to keep doing, taking as many opportunities as would be tossed his way? “I mean, sure, the more you play, I think even, it can be a little bit more exhausting, but you get the feel for the game, and you can get a little bit of flow going. So it's, I think it's easier to more you play, kind of easier to go."
"I think just kind of once in a lifetime chance to come, and if you get it, get the opportunity. Just gotta take it."
The Montreal Canadiens will be playing their third preseason game tonight, and Martin St-Louis is pulling no punches. For the first time, he’s going to be icing his full projected top six, his top defensive pairing, starter Samuel Montembeault, and Jacob Fowler.
That means that on Thursday night, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kirby Dach is going to see his first real action since sustaining yet another knee injury in February. There were rumours of setbacks this summer, and then, when camp started, he only took part in one of the three scrimmages, which of course prompted questions from the media. The coach said that there was a plan and he was sticking to it, before adding that Dach would see some preseason action.
Asked what he thought about the big center so far at Camp, the pilot explained:
I think he’s really involved and intense. Now it’s time to play the game tonight, take one shift at a time, and make the plays the game calls for. Please get back into the swing of things, but we’ll continue to evaluate and stick to the plan we have for him. […] I wouldn’t call it a leash. I think Dacher is in a better place. He did things differently this summer, and I think he’s further along. So I think he will be more ready to get going right away.
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Turns out it’s time for that action now. While the bench boss said Dach was penciled in as the second-line center this season, he still needs to see what the Albertan center can offer and if some chemistry can bloom between him, Patrik Laine, and Ivan Demidov. Needless to say, everyone will be keeping an eye on that line when the puck drops on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the Leafs have opted for a lineup that doesn’t include any of their marquee names, such as Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly. However, they are bringing along promising prospects Easton Cowan and Matias Maccelli, who might find their way into a top-six role. Former Hab Max Domi, who’s dealing with a lower-body injury, won’t be part of the roster, but there will be one former Canadien: Micheal Pezzetta. Cedric Pare, who injured Laine last year, will not be in the lineup.
As for the bottom of the Canadiens' lineup, it will include two interesting young lines: Filip Mesar, Vinzenz Rohrer, and Joshua Roy will be skating together, while Florian Xhekaj will center Jared Davidson and Luke Tuch. It will be another opportunity for these young players to showcase their abilities.
On the blueline, David Reinbacher, who had a tough outing Tuesday, will be paired with Kaiden Guhle while Lane Hutson has a day off. Ryan O’Rourke and Nate Clurman will complete the defense corps.
It will be interesting to see if the Cola Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky line can perform as well as they did on Tuesday night. At practice on Thursday morning, Slafkovsky was wearing a full cage following the skate to the face he took in the game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, and this is the second-to-last home exhibition game. On Saturday, the Canadiens will face the Leafs again, this time in Toronto, before taking on the Ottawa Senators on September 30 in Quebec City and playing them again in Montreal on October 4.
Beauchesne, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was at Penguins' training camp for a week before getting cut. Before that, he participated in the Prospects Challenge and was one of the Penguins' best prospects in those three games. He showcased his fluid skating, snarl, and ability to break the puck out of his zone with ease.
Those traits can definitely translate to the NHL, but he still needs to keep developing, and the Penguins don't want to rush him. He finished last season with six goals and 24 points in 49 games with the Storm, and will be an assistant captain for them this year.
He's a prospect that a lot of fans should keep an eye on this year. The Penguins may have gotten a steal in the fifth round.
The Penguins will return to practice on Friday, and it's expected to be a special day, as Marc-Andre Fleury will practice with the team before his sendoff on Saturday night.
