Zach Thornton is headed back to the minors...for now.
The Mets optioned the young southpaw back to Triple-A on Saturday to open a roster spot for Christian Scott to be activated from the injured list.
Thornton certainly figures to have earned himself another turn in the rotation, though.
The youngster did just about everything he could to try to help the struggling Mets snap their long losing streak, keeping the high-powered Phillies lineup in check in just his second big league outing.
He settled in nicely after being knocked around by the first four batters, holding the division rivals to just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven across six innings of work.
It was Thornton's first career quality start, and just the 18th from a Mets starter all season.
"It just gives me confidence that I can compete with the best out there and get anyone out," the rookie said. "I want to pitch in the big leagues for a long time, and I think I can do that."
Though he's heading back to Syracuse for now, Thornton certainly figures to be back.
As far as Scott, he'll take the ball on Saturday after being sidelined for two weeks due to a right hip impingement.
Scott was settling in as one of New York's most reliable arms prior to the injury, pitching to a 2.97 ERA with 46 strikeouts across his previous eight starts.
Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft is off and running. Early in the second round, the Chicago Blackhawks banked two picks nice and early.
First was pick 34, which the Blackhawks used to select defenseman Xavier Villeneuve of Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL. In 37 regular-season games with them, he scored 6 goals and had 32 assists for 38 points.
Being a point-per-game defenseman in the QMJHL earned him a second-round selection, but there is more work to go for Villeneuve. As an undersized defenseman, he will have to work extra hard to make it to the highest level.
He is a dynamic player who has a tremendous amount of confidence in his game. He compared himself to Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, who is also an undersized defenseman who can put up big-time offensive numbers.
Next season, Villenueve will attend Boston University, which is a great program when it comes to developing players who have high offensive ceilings. That doesn't only apply to defensemen, but Lane Hutson and his brothers have done great work there, which has allowed them to become NHL players.
After making pick 34, the Blackhawks traded up to 35 with the New Jersey Devils. They traded up two spots from 37 and gave up pick 119 to do so.
With that selection, the Blackhawks selected Ryan Roobroeck. He is a big 6'4", 216 lb center coming from the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL.
In 49 games for the IceDogs in 2025-26, Roobroeck scored 30 goals and had 28 assists for 58 points. He sees himself as a big power forward who is going to score and create chaos on the ice.
Roobroeck compares himself to Leon Draisaitl and Mikko Rantanen, who are the best versions of a power forward in the NHL. With the right development plan, he could become a top-six forward in the NHL due to his size and skill.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Flyers wrapped up their 2026 NHL draft work by taking Max Laatikainen in the seventh round at No. 213 overall.
The 17-year-old defenseman played this season mostly at the junior level in Finland. He had 11 points (three goals, eight assists) and a plus-10 rating in 22 games for Kiekko-Espoo.
He got a taste of Liiga, Finland’s top pro league. He had two assists in six games.
Laatikainen was the third defenseman the Flyers grabbed in this draft.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 23: Cal Quantrill #44 of the Texas Rangers delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot park on June 23, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Sam Navarro/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for June 27, 2026 against the Toronto Blue Jays: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Dylan Cease for the Blue Jays.
The Rangers clinched at least a series split in Toronto yesterday, and are trying to clinch a winning series in Toronto today. They have their most challenging matchup of the series today, with Cy Young contender Dylan Cease going for Toronto. Corey Seager is back in the lineup, while Ezequiel Duran gets a day off.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Langford — CF
Seager — SS
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Kelenic — LF
Diaz — C
Lopez — 2B
2:07 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +155 underdogs.
With the 53rd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers drafted right-shot defenseman Brek Liske to kick off their second day.
Liske, 18, is a 6-foot-2 jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none defenseman who enjoyed a productive playoff run with the WHL Everett Silvertips, scoring 17 points in 18 games.
In the Memorial Cup, however, Liske was scoreless in his five appearances.
A teammate of 2025 Flyers draft pick Luke Vlooswyk, Liske brings more size and familiarity to the Flyers' constantly evolving prospect pipeline, particularly when it comes to the defensive side.
"Name a skill, Liske probably has it. He’s aware and controlled on retrievals, even absorbing contact to make plays. Defensively, he’s steady and persistent, pushing rushing outside as he skates across the stop. He sticks with opponents and always gives himself a chance to get a stop – there’s hardly any idling in his game," EliteProspects wrote in their draft profile of the new Flyers prospect.
Liske was widely expected to be an early- to mid-second-round pick, and the Flyers made it happen at Pick 53.
At the right defense position, the Flyers now have Spencer Gill, Oliver Bonk, Luke Vlooswyk, David Jiricek, and Carter Amico with a logjam beginning to grow.
Left defense was less of a need for the Flyers after the selection of Maksim Sokolovskii on Friday night, though the number of right-shots the Flyers have after adding Liske is notable.
"While Liske does a bit of everything, his skating has been a limiter. He’s smart and aware, but lacks the explosiveness to consistently separate and create. Defensively, he’s a battler, but he lacks a bit of defensive range, and his heavier skating exposes the middle to attackers.
"At higher levels, Liske’s versatility will remain valuable. He’s proven capable of slotting into a variety of roles. Improved skating will bolster his game across the board. Though he has some second-pair potential, we project him more as a safer, all-around third-pair defenceman," EliteProspects also said of Liske.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 25: Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) waits for the play during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers on June 25, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (40-44) and Detroit Tigers (35-47) will play the 3rd game of their 4-game series this afternoon at Comerica Park.
RHP Kai-Wei Teng (4-6, 4.03 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. Tigers LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 3.91 ERA).
ROAD TRIPPIN: Today is the 6th game (3-2 thus far) of a 7-game road trip for the Astros, They were 2-1 at TOR on the 1st stop of the trip.
Road Recovery: The Astros are 13-8 in their last 3 road trips combined. They are 19-14 on the road since going 1-9 on their 1st road trip of the 2026 season.
ASTROS-TIGERS: The Astros are 3-2 vs. DET this season, having won 2 of 3 games from the Tigers last week at Daikin Park (June 15-17). The 2 clubs will play all 7 of their scheduled games between June 15-28. In 2025, the Astros and Tigers finished with identical 87-75 records, with the Tigers earning the final AL Wild Card spot due to winning the season series vs. HOU.
Recent Success: Since 2022, the Astros are 19-11 vs. DET with an 8-5 record here at Comerica Park.
ABOUT KAI-WEI: Today will be RHP Kai-Wei Teng’s 10th start and 23rd app. overall this season. He was solid in his last start on Sunday vs. CLE, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits in 6.0 IP to earn the win in the Astros 2-1 victory.
Today will be Teng’s 2nd start vs. the Tigers (other was June 15 at Daikin Park, 9-3 loss). He took the loss in that start, but did tally 9 strikeouts in just 3.1 innings of work (9 of the 10 outs recorded were via the punchout).
Daytime Warrior: Teng is 2-1 in 8 daytime app. (3 GS) with a 1.96 ERA (5ER/23IP) and a .188 opp. avg.
Teng was acquired by the Astros from the Giants this offseason in exchange for minor league C Jancel Villarroel. Teng is the 2nd Taiwanese-born player ever to appear with HOU, joining RHP Chia Jen-Lo, who made 19 relief app. with the Astros in 2013.
PITCHING DEBUT: OF Jake Meyers hurled a scoreless 8th inning last night in what was his 1st ML appearance on the mound. While at the Univ. of Nebraska (2015-17), Meyers was 17-4 in 39 appearances (23 starts). Prior to last night, he had 1 pitching appearance as a professional, which was in 2018 while at Buies Creek (1.1 IP, 0 R).
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 4 of 6, 7 of 10 and 9 of their last 14 games.
WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-4 in 1-run games and 16-10 in 2-run games (4-4 in extra innings).
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros have won 4 consecutive series for the 1st time in 2026, posting an 8-4 record in those series. The last time that the Astros won that many series in a row was when they won 5 straight, from June 20-July 6 of last season (went 12-3 in that stretch).
THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 20-13 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.
Top Records since May 21 (AL)
1. HOU: 20-13 (.606)
2. NYY: 18-13 (.581)
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid 1st half to his season, currently leading all of baseball with a 1.045 OPS. Additionally, he leads the AL in SLG (.619), OBP (.427) and TB (185), is T-1st in HR (25), 2nd in batting avg. (.314) and runs scored (57) and T-3rd in RBI (56).
Alvarez, who was the AL Player of the Month for May, is hitting .349 (29×83) in June with 5 HR and 17 RBI with a 1.033 OPS (.455 OBP/.578 SLG).
ALL-STAR UPDATE: Per MLB’s update on Thursday, Yordan Alvarez’ 2,911,655 fan votes were tops among all DH’s and the 2nd-most overall in the AL. The second phase of fan voting begins Monday, June 29th and features the top two vote-getters at each position.
Phase 2 voting concludes at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, July 2nd. Alvarez has been an All-Star 3 times thus far in his career. Since 2017, the Astros’ 37 All-Star selections are tops in the AL in that span.
OH MY FOR IMAI: With his 10 K’s Thursday night, RHP Tatsuya Imai now has tallied 21 strikeouts in his last 2 starts combined. He had a career-high 11 strikeouts in his previous start on June 19 vs. CLE. His 21 K’s in his last 2 starts have come in just 12.0 innings pitched, and make him the 1st Astros pitcher to reach 10 punchouts in back-back starts since LHP Framber Valdez, June 5 and 12 of 2025 (11 K at PIT, 12 K vs. CWS, respectively)….
Solid Stretch: Since May 25, Imai is 4-1 in his 6 starts with a 3.64 ERA (12ER/29.2IP) with 37 K’s in 29.2 IP.
PEN PALS: The Astros bullpen combined for 5.0 scoreless innings last night, continuing a trend of solid pitching over the past 6 weeks. Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has been one of the best in the AL, posting a 2.66 clip (42ER/142P) in that span. The Astros are 23-16 since May 15.
HADERADE: In his 10 appearances since coming of the IL on June 3, opponents are just 2×32 off LHP Josh Hader. For the season, Hader has posted a 0.90 ERA (1ER/10IP) and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities (.063 opp. avg., .040 WHIP).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2002 – Pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun hits a walk-off, grand slam with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th off RHP Byung-Hyun Kim to defeat the Diamondbacks, 7-4, at Daikin Park. Zaun is one of four Astros to hit a walk-off grand slam in franchise history. The others: Milt May (May 22, 1974 vs. SD); Brian Bogusevic (Aug. 16, 2011 vs. CHC); Jose Altuve (June 15, 2021 vs. TEX).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, June 27, 12:10 p.m. CT
Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
TV: SCHN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have added to their defensive corps, acquiring defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Toronto Maple Leafs for two third-round picks, Nos. 73 and 76.
The Blues came into Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft with three third-round picks at Nos. 73, 75 and 76.
Carlo, 29, has one year remaining on a six-year, $24.6 million contract at a $3.485 million cap hit ($4.1 million average annual value), and is owed $3.25 million in salary, likely a move as insurance for Adam Jiricek, in case the 2024 first-round pick isn't quite ready to make the jump to the NHL.
"That’s exactly it," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. 'We think that Jiricek
is going to come in and have a great training camp and I know you
guys are sick of me saying this, but the NHL fails more people than
players fail the NHL, so we don’t want to put someone in a position
where they’re surviving. We want to put them in a position where
they can potentially thrive. Jiricek is going to have the opportunity
to come in here and push, but we’re in for the marathon with this
young man. He played a lack of hockey last year, I think 90-plus
games, but if you look at the number of games he played the two years
before that, it wasn’t a lot. Sort of hope for the best and plan
for the worst might be the best way to look at this. It’s a
one-year deal too. We’re not bringing in a contract that’s going
to preclude someone mid-season or next season. This is reflective of
what I think the NHL should be as great competition, so when he’s
ready to take someone’s job, he will."
There's also the benefit of adding a veteran to a group with Colton Parayko, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler, along with Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel, who is a restricted free agent, to balance out younger, more inexperienced guys like Logan Mailloux and Theo Lindstein.
"We’re excited that he’s got size and
length, his ability to kill plays, his experience I think," Armstrong said of Carlo. "It allows
us to have four experienced players right now in Broberg, Parayko,
Fowler and Carlo now, and then we have those younger guys that are
going to push and prod and try to work their way in there (Mailloux,
Lindstein, Jiricek). The way we were set before, we were going to
rely on three young players to take a big role and things that we
tried to accomplish the last few days of getting stronger up front
and having strong goaltending, we think we’re going to be more
competitive than we were last year and adding a defenseman there that
can make us stronger and also provide us the ability to let the
younger players to come at a more natural pace and also provide us
depth for injuries was important for us. This sort of piggybacks what
we’ve done the last couple days.
Carlo, who played three seasons with the Boston Bruins under Blues coach Jim Montgomery, played in 55 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs last season and had seven assists. Carlo's addition adds to the trade Friday of Mason McTavish, who played under new assistant coach Greg Cronin with the Anaheim Ducks.
"It’s been a benefit of having ‘Crow’
here on the Anaheim trade and having 'Monty' on the Boston
relationship," Armstrong said. "Obviously we rely on our pro scouts to do the due
diligence to prepare the information and then we verify our knowledge
with Monty. Monty speaks very highly of his time with him, even
higher of his character of how he fits into a team game. That’s an
added benefit of having that extra knowledge."
The Bruins had initially retained 15 percent of Carlo's contract from a previous trade when they sent Carlo to the Maple Leafs.
He was acquired by Toronto in a trade with Boston on March 7, 2025, for forward Fraser Minten and two draft picks, including a first-rounder.
He was drafted by the Bruins in the second round (37th overall) in the 2015 draft and has played 10 NHL seasons.
At 6-foot-5, 227 pounds, Carlo has 119 points (29 goals, 90 assists) in 692 regular-season games with a plus-137 rating.
Carlo has 14 points (five goals, nine assists)in 85 career postseason games.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Carolina Hurricanes traded down twice, but finally made their their first selection of the 2026 NHL Draft in the second round, selecting Swedish defenseman William Hakansson with the 51st overall pick.
"I mean, just happiness," Hakansson told media in Buffalo. "I'm here with my family. They helped me and you can really see them enjoying it, so a really fun moment to spend with them."
The 18-year-old blueliner is a strong, mobile defender, who split time playing between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan.
Hakansson also has notable size, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 216lb.
He's a well regarded skater for his size and while he doesn't have much offensive flash to his game, his defensive game is one of the best in the draft.
The Hockey News ranked him as the 69th best prospect in the draft and wrote, "Reliable D-man is a strong kid, particularly in battles. He's coachable and can skate, but he likely tops out as a bottom-pairing blueliner in the NHL."
When asked if he was upset at all that he wasn't drafted in the first round, Hakansson said that it didn't really bother him at all.
"Of course you want to be picked in the first round, but it's the work after that matters the most."
William Håkansson goes 51st overall to the @Canes 🤩 Håkansson was the 58th overall pick on our final 2026 NHL Draft rankings 🔥
Had William Håkansson ranked No. 32, Carolina trades back and gets a solid overall defender. Big, mobile and smart defensively. Not sure there's going to be much production, but he has the athletic profile that gives him a chance to rise up a depth chart.
There’s absolutely no flash to his game. Instead, he uses his big 6-foot-4, 207-pound frame to flatten opponents while being a pain in the rear end defensively. He’s quite mobile for his frame, too.
Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenseman Brandon Carlo to the St. Louis Blues for two third-round picks. Those picks are the 73rd and 76th selections of the 2026 draft.
Carlo, 29, has played in 75 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs across the past two seasons. This past year, the right-handed defenseman featured in 55 appearances, recording seven assists, averaging 19:22 of ice time per game.
In total, Carlo registered 10 assists as a member of the Maple Leafs, with no goals to his name, and a plus-eight rating. In fact, since joining Toronto, he has the second-best plus-minus rating on the team, just behind Chris Tanev's plus-13
The Maple Leafs sent Carlo to the Blues after Toronto acquired him from the Boston Bruins at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
In that deal with the Bruins, the Leafs gave up center Fraser Minten, a conditional 2026 first-round pick (which will be pushed to either 2027 or 2028 draft) and a fourth-round pick in 2025, which turned out to be Vashek Blanar.
Carlo is in the final year of his six-year contract with an annual salary of $4.1 million. However, he costs $3.485 against St. Louis' salary cap because the Bruins retained 15 percent of the blueliner's salary.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 6: Perry Minasian of the Los Angeles Angels looks on during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 6, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Anaheim Angels fired general manager Perry Minasian yesterday afternoon. John Mozeliak, former long-time general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, has been brought in as a consultant and, per the Angels press release, will be overseeing the baseball operations side of things while the team looks for a new general manager.
The timing of this move is odd, given that the MLB Draft is just two weeks away, though oddness and unusual decisions has been the hallmark of the Angels under owner Arte Moreno. Minasian was hired to replace Billy Eppler, who was the general manager for the Angels from 2015-20. Eppler replaced Jerry DiPoto, who is currently the president of baseball operations with the Seattle Mariners, having taken over for the infamous Jack Z in Seattle after the 2015 season.
Minasian was in the final year of his contract, and there’s already speculation that the Angels will, in a cost saving move, wait until after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached to hire a permanent replacement. The expectation is that there will be another lockout, and given Moreno’s proclivities, the thinking is that he will not want to have to pay a top baseball executive to be executiving while the lockout is going on. First year manager Kurt Suzuki only received a one year deal, with speculation being that this was motivated by a similar desire. Mozeliak reportedly being expected to stay with the organization “through the end of this calendar year” would seem to support the notion that a permanent replacement won’t come until there’s a new CBA.
Minasian got his start with the Rangers, as his father, Zack Minasian the Elder, was the team’s longtime clubhouse manager. Perry and his brothers, Rudy, Zack the Younger, and Calvin were bat boys and clubhouse assistants for the Rangers growing up. Perry was a scout for the Rangers for a number of years before working for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves. Zack is the general manager of the San Francisco Giants under president of baseball operations Buster Posey. Calvin is the Braves’ clubhouse manager. Rudy is the black sheep of the family, as he’s a lawyer, something all of us here feel is an unsavory and embarrassing profession.
Mozeliak was the general manager and then president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals from 2007 through 2025, although his departure was under odd circumstances, as Chaim Bloom was hired as an advisor prior to the 2025 season, with it being announced at the time he would take over for Mozeliak after the 2025 season. The Cardinals had won 71 and 83 games the previous two seasons, missing the playoffs both years, and there was some sense at the time that the team needed to move on from the Mozeliak era. Bloom was, per ESPN at the time the hiring was announced, “tasked with reenergizing the team” in the player development department.
The Angels’ last winning season was in 2015, they’ve not won more than 77 games since 2018, and they’ve made the playoffs just once since getting coming two wins away from advancing to the World Series in 2009. After an offseason where the team’s strategy seemed to be to acquire players that were either good a few years ago, or were seen as good prospects a few years ago, but were neither when the Angels scooped them up, Anaheim is currently tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in the American League.
After trading a trio of draft picks to the Philadelphia Flyers to move up in the first round, the San Jose Sharks will have to wait quite a while to make their first pick on Saturday.
The Sharks' next pick in the 2026 NHL Draft is the 127th overall pick in the fourth round. Historically, there have been some impact players selected with that pick as well.
The most notable player selected with the 127th overall pick was Ryan Callahan, a long-time member, and captain, of the New York Rangers. Callahan played 757 career games in the NHL, scoring 186 goals and 386 points during his career.
Matt Calvert, who spent the majority of his time in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets, also had a very impressive career after being selected 127th overall. In 566 games, he scored 95 goals and 203 points split between Columbus and the Colorado Avalanche.
In terms of active players, Niko Mikkola of the Florida Panthers is another example of what the 127th overall pick could become.
Odds aren't in the Sharks' favor that they'll find an NHL player with the 127th overall pick, but if they do, history shows it'll either be a slightly undersized forward with a high work ethic or a massive defenseman who may just need some time to find his game.
Much of the brother storyline at the 2026 NHL Draft centered on the Ruck twins, both selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in one of the feel-good moments of the weekend. But they were not the only set of brothers headed to the same organization.
On Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings quietly added their own family chapter, using the 47th overall pick to select Victor Plante, the younger brother of Red Wings blue chip prospect Max Plante.
The pick carries a poetic quality as Max Plante was chosen by Detroit in the second round, also 47th overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft. Two years later, the Red Wings went back to that same spot and came away with his younger brother, giving the organization two Plantes in the pipeline and one of the more compelling family storylines in the prospect world.
Victor was one of the top players for the NTDP this past season, recording 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points in 57 games with the U.S. National U18 Team, while also adding eight goals and ten assists for 18 points in 20 USHL games with the USNTDP Juniors. He is not a flashy player, but brings a high-end motor, strong hockey sense and the versatility to contribute in all situations.
The brothers were already set to share the ice next season before Saturday's pick made things even more interesting. Max Plante is coming off one of the best individual seasons in college hockey, winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in the NCAA, and will be returning to the University of Minnesota Duluth next season.
Victor is committed to UMD as an incoming freshman, and there is a possibility that oldest brother Zam, who was also at UMD with Max this past season, could be on the roster as well. If that comes together, all three brothers could skate together in Duluth, which would be a first.
The Plante family connection to UMD is deep and genuine as their father Derek spent four seasons with the Bulldogs and captained the team in his final year before embarking on a professional career that saw him record 248 points in 450 NHL games as a forward with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. He was selected by Buffalo in the eighth round of the 1989 NHL Draft and went on to far exceed expectations at the pro level.
Zam was taken in the fifth round by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022 NHL Draft, and now with Max and Victor both in Detroit's system, the Red Wings have quietly cornered the market on one of hockey's most accomplished families. Whether both brothers can develop into NHL contributors remains to be seen, but the foundation they are building together at every level gives Detroit every reason to be optimistic.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Five rescue pups coming to Long Island this weekend to be placed with foster families were named after the NBA World Champion Knicks starters.
Jalen, KAT, OG, Josh and Bridges were given their Knicks names by the animal rescue Ollie’s Angels in Greenlawn, which got news of their births the day of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
“Ironically, we were asked to help these puppies the same day the Knicks won the championship. When we realized there were five puppies, naming them in honor of the Knicks seemed like a fun idea,” Melissa Bielawski, director at Ollie’s Angels, told The Post.
“All of the women running the rescue are life-long Knicks fans, so we’re really excited for this litter.”
Naming the pooches — which she guesses are “some type of Lab mix” — after the one-time underdogs seemed very fitting, Bielawski added.
“Our rescue is all about determination and second chances, which the Knicks proved over and over again this season. These puppies survived very rough beginnings with a very real chance of not making it, but now they are thriving,” she said.
“And just like the Knicks, our rescue is built on determination and the fact that we simply refuse to quit. Once we commit to helping a dog, we will not stop until the pup is safe. We will work right up until the very last second to ensure we’ve secured foster homes and provided proper medical care.”
The fur babies were rescued from a rural farming area in Dorchester County, SC, known for its problem of unwanted dogs.
“A local man had been feeding several strays who’d wandered onto his property. Due to the lack of spay and neuter in South Carolina, the females soon started having litters. The number of dogs quickly became overwhelming for him, at which point one of our South Carolinian rescue partners reached out for help,” Bielawski explained.
Ollie’s Angels posted their starting five on its Instagram page this week, with the caption: “Whether they’re zooming around the court (okay, your living room), perfecting their puppy moves, or winning over every fan they meet, they’re proving that five is definitely the magic number.”
“The response from the initial social post has been incredible, which is a huge win for us,” Bielawski said.
“If every social media [post] makes someone stop scrolling long enough to notice a rescue dog, it makes a real difference.”
Bielawski founded OOAR in 2016, and named it in honor of her rescue pup, Ollie. Since its inception, the volunteer-run non-profit has saved over 3,000 abandoned, abused and neglected dogs around the country, and even some internationally.
She hopes their Knicks-named pups attract New York basketball fans who might have never been interested in animal rescue before.
“If naming puppies after Knicks players helps even one more family choose adoption, then we’ve done exactly what we hoped we’d do,” she said.
“Every person who shares one of these puppies’ stories can help us save another life.”
While they may not have made the big move just yet, the Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly considering attempting to pull off one of the biggest trades of them all.
On Friday night, The Athletic NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that "at least a dozen teams" will ask the Columbus Blue Jackets about superstar defenseman Zach Werenski as a potential trade looms.
The Flyers are one of those teams, apparently, with momentum only building.
On Saturday morning, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman added on the 2026 NHL Draft broadcast that the Flyers, alongside the Dallas Stars, are one of the most active teams in Werenski trade talks.
Werenski, 28, won the Norris Trophy this season as the NHL's best defenseman, firing off 22 goals, 59 assists, and 81 points in 75 games, following up on a 2024-25 season that saw him post 23 goals, 59 assists, and 82 points in 81 games.
The 2015 No. 8 overall pick is clearly in his prime and just reached new heights in his NHL career to date, which makes him the perfect addition to a Flyers team in desperate need of offensive juice from their defense corps.
It goes almost without saying that any kind of Werenski trade will heavily depend on the price, which could prove prohibitive for the opportunistic Flyers front office.
The Blue Jackets are, of course, in the same division as the Flyers, and they aren't very far off from making the playoffs.
That may not remain the case if and when Werenski leaves, on top of reports star winger Kirill Marchenko wants to leave Columbus, too.
With aspirations of getting younger and remaining competitive, the Blue Jackets won't sell off their two best players for anything less than an overpay, and that will test how far the Flyers are willing to go to acquire a superstar player on the NHL trade block.
The Mets play their second game since changing managers on Friday against the Phillies, a team whose season turned around after a similar move earlier in the season.
The Mets have lost seven straight and yet are somehow favored.
My Phillies vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks take the Phillies as an unlikely but potentially profitable underdog.
Who will win Phillies vs Mets today: Philies moneyline (+116)
It's not unusual for teams to rally after a managerial change, but the New York Mets being favored seems like a gift.
The Philadelphia Phillies have won four straight and six of seven, while New York hasn't won since June 18. They'll win eventually, but getting a plus moneyline for the Phils is a no-brainer.
The Mets start Christian Scott in his first game off the injured list. Scott's offspeed and breaking stuff are both in the bottom third in MLB.
He'll rely on his fastball against Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, who are both among the top 20 fastball hitters in MLB.
COVERS INTEL: Alan Rangel doesn't have enough innings to qualify, but his hard-hit rate, barrel rate and exit velocity allowed would all be in the top 10% in MLB. Batters have a 44% whiff rate against his changeup.
Phillies vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+106)
New York had Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto both in the lineup for just the 10th time this season and still only managed one run, the fifth time in their losing streak they've scored three or fewer. They're 29th in MLB in OPS.
The Phillies start journeyman Alan Rangel, who looked strong in two bullpen outings and was an effective starter in Triple-A. His stuff isn't overwhelming, but he avoids solid contact.
Philly also has the bullpen ready after only needing them for two innings and 28 pitches on Friday. They have a 2.39 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over the last three.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 24-28, -1.15 units
Over/Under bets: 29-27, +1.04 units
Phillies vs Mets weather
Notes on the weather and its impact.
Phillies vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Phillies +117 | Mets -122
Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-170) | Mets +1.5 (+163)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-117) | Under 8.5 (+113)
Phillies vs Mets trend
The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Game Total Under in 18 of their last 24 away games (+11.50 Units / 44% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Mets.
How to watch Phillies vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Flushing, Queens
Date
Saturday, June 27, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSP, SNY
Phillies starting pitcher
Alan Rangel (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Christian Scott (2-0, 3.10 ERA)
Phillies vs Mets latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL: Alan Rangel doesn't have enough innings to qualify, but his