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24 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #24

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 24 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #24. 

Let's take a look.

Mike Gaul - 2001 - Drafted by Los Angeles in 1991. 

Played two games for Columbus during the franchise's first season in 2000. He didn't score a point and never played another NHL game.

He left for Europe in 2001 and played in Switzerland until 2004. After retiring from professional hockey in 2004, Mike took a position as a senior partner at an Investment Bank, Vires Capital VII, where he is currently developing and overseeing a portfolio of infrastructure projects totaling over $80B.

Hannes Hyvönen - 2003 - Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1999. 

He played 36 games for the Jackets in 02-03, totaling 9 points, after the CBJ claimed him off waivers. He never played another NHL game after Columbus loaned him to Färjestads BK in 2003. 

He would go on to play in Finland, Switzerland, Russia, and Norway. He retired in 2016 and went into coaching in 2019.  Hyvönen is currently an asst. coach for Ässät of LIIGA. 

Todd Rohloff - 2004 - Undrafted out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Played 24 games for the Jackets in 03-04, getting two points. The defenseman also played four years at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, before turning pro. 

Rohloff retired after the 2005–06 season after never playing another NHL game. 

François Beauchemin - 2006 - Drafted by Montréal in 1998.

Beauchemin only played 11 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Sergei Fedorov trade of 2005. Had he stayed a Jacket, he could've easily been listed as the best player to have worn #24, and possibly one of the best defensemen to ever wear a CBJ uniform.

He went on to play 903 NHL games, score 288 points, and win a Stanley Cup in 2007. He returned to Anaheim in 2017, where he would play his last NHL season before retiring. 

Cam Severson - 2006 - Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1997. 

After his trade from Calgary to Columbus, Severson played four games in 05-06 and had 0 points. 

He left for Europe in 2006 to play in Germany, Poland, and Romania, and would never play another NHL Game. He retired in 2010. 

Kris Beech - 2008 - Drafted by Washington in 1999. 

After being claimed off waivers, Beech played 16 games for Columbus in 07-08. He had 9 points in those 16 games. and would leave for Europe in 2009, where he would play until 2016. 

After playing for Columbus, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh in 07-08, he left for Europe and played in Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Germany, Austria, and England. He retired in 2016. 

He is now an assistant coach for HV71 of the Swedish Elite League. 

Aaron Rome - 2009 Drafted by LA in 2002. 

Rome played 25 games for Columbus and had three points over two seasons, after being traded from the Anaheim Ducks. 

After playing for a few different teams, he would retire in 2015. 

Derek MacKenzie - 2010-2014 - 2008-2009 - Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999.

MacKenzie played 279 games over the course of seven seasons for Columbus. He signed in Columbus in 2007 and made his debut in December of that year. 

He left for the Florida Panthers in 2014 and would play there until he retired in 2019. Later that year, he was named an asst. coach for Florida. He's spent the last two seasons as an asst. coach for the Nashville Predators.

Nathan Gerbe - 2018-2021

If this were a popularity contest, Gerbe wins by a landslide. He only played 41 games over three seasons, but it felt like he played a decade. Gerbe spent much of his five seasons with the organization in Cleveland, where he was the Captain for two seasons.

He retired in 2022 and joined the Nashville Predators as a development coach. 

Mathieu Olivier - 2023-2025  

Olivier is entering his fourth season in Columbus and is a fan favorite. He has played 202 games and has 59 points. He also has 290 PIMs and is considered the team's enforcer and authoritarian.

Last season, he set career highs in goals, assists, points, and PIMs. For his efforts, he was awarded a 6-year, $18,000,000 contract, keeping him away from free agency. This is one of the best signings in team history, if you ask some people. 

There are 24 days until opening night at NWA. 

Next up is training camp, which kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Camp will run until the pre-season begins and then transition directly into the full pre-season schedule. Here’s what the Blue Jackets have lined up so far.

After the first few days of camp, most rookies who received an invite will be cut and sent back to their junior teams. From there, the cuts will come more often as pre-season play gets underway.

The pre-season schedule is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m. ET

Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

* Games in bold are home games * 

After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Let us know what you think below.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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ICYMI in Mets Land: Starting rotation plan in flux; Jonah Tong a postseason option?

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Thursday, in case you missed it...

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Champions League review: PSG stroll, Belgian rise and Rashford reborn

PSG brushed aside Atalanta despite mounting injuries, Belgium’s clubs stole a march on Dutch rivals and Marcus Rashford reminded Barcelona of his worth

The defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain, got off to a stylish start in beating Atalanta 4-0, though their injury problems continued. Joining a lengthy casualty list is João Neves, who limped off with a thigh problem. Luis Enrique’s team are suffering the wear and tear of last season’s triumph being followed by summer endeavors at the Club World Cup. Désiré Doué, Lucas Beraldo and Ousmane Dembélé, the latter the Parisian lobby’s chosen candidate for Monday’s Ballon D’Or award, were missing. Without them, PSG still showed the same form as last season, with 19-year-old Senny Mayulu in attack. Atalanta looked much reduced without the coaching of Gian Piero Gasperini, now at Roma, after a summer of sales and discontent, with Ademola Lookman exiled after being denied a move.

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Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw closes chapter on one-sided rivalry vs. Giants

Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw closes chapter on one-sided rivalry vs. Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LOS ANGELES — Bruce Bochy called it the “Bomb Squad.”

Years before the Giants embraced platoon life, Bochy would walk into the visiting manager’s office at Dodger Stadium, see Clayton Kershaw on the other side of his lineup card, and lean as far to the right as he could. He would load up with the likes of Brett Pill, Kelby Tomlinson and Joaquin Arias, hoping that one of his bench players could find a way to pop one over the wall against one of the greatest ever to do it. Occasionally, it worked, and occasional success has really been all the Giants could hope for against Kershaw for the past 18 years. 

The left-hander announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season, which officially starts the clock on his entrance to Cooperstown. He would have landed in the Hall of Fame no matter which jersey he pitched in, but his performance in rivalry games certainly helped clear the path.

Entering Friday’s game, which will be his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw has 62 career appearances against the Giants. Over 407 1/3 innings, he has a 2.08 ERA and 0.93 WHIP, with 415 strikeouts and a 27-16 record.

Kershaw has started more games against the Giants than anyone else, which makes sense. There were years when it seemed the Dodgers went out of their way to inflict pain on their rival. Kershaw has six different seasons in which he faced the Giants at least five times; in four of those seasons, he posted an ERA under 1.70. 

Kershaw arrived in the big leagues shortly after Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum and once shared an ESPN The Magazine cover with the latter, but it was two other stars from the championship years who played a bigger part in his career.

There’s only one player Kershaw faced more than 100 times: Buster Posey. While Posey finished with a .221 average, .594 OPS and three homers over 120 plate appearances, Kershaw never felt it was one-sided. A couple of seasons ago, as he stood in the dugout at Dodger Stadium and talked about years of rivalry games, he marveled at how Posey nearly took Walker Buehler into McCovey Cove during their only postseason meeting. 

“Buster was always a really hard at-bat,” Kershaw said. “You don’t see many of those guys anymore with the ability to hit homers that still don’t strike out and put good at-bats together and can hit a lot of different types of pitches. You feel like you make good pitches and Buster finds a way to shoot one through the hole or do something. Over the years, I had a game plan and then I had to switch it. It was just that cat-and-mouse game when you face someone so many times.

“Back in the day, my strengths matched up with his weaknesses a little bit. Fastballs in and sliders down and in were good places to go with him, and then over time, he made the adjustment that he was going to look in and not miss. He got me a few times when I was doing that, so I had to start throwing more pitches away, more arm-side.”

While Kershaw took bragging rights overall in those matchups, another Giant found a way to get an edge when they went head-to-head. 

Madison Bumgarner twice homered off Kershaw, but over the years, the two became good friends. They would have long conversations on the outfield grass hours before Giants-Dodgers games, and when Bumgarner made his final appearance for the Giants in 2019, it happened to be Kershaw on the mound. Kershaw showed his respect by firing seven straight fastballs, including one down the middle that Bumgarner lined to third. 

“I tried to throw it as hard as I could,” he said a few years later. “I was like, ‘You know what, screw it. If he hits a homer, good for him.’ It was a cool moment.”

Bumgarner always enjoyed their matchups. Most Giants from that era, though, came away empty-handed. 

Hunter Pence had the second-most at-bats against Kershaw and went 18-for-91 with just one homer. Pablo Sandoval hit .234 with no homers in 64 at-bats. Nobody had a worse time than Brandon Belt, though; he was 4-for-62 with 30 strikeouts. 

Belt, true to form, always found a way to have a sense of humor about it. 

“What are you going to do when a guy gets lucky 55 times?” he cracked in 2019.

In one of their final matchups, Belt got a small measure of revenge, drawing a walk that helped hand Kershaw his first loss in San Francisco in three seasons. That wasn’t the only time he felt he got bragging rights, though. 

For years, Belt insisted he was a better high school pitching prospect than his fellow Texan. It turns out that was one outlandish claim from Belt that actually held a lot of truth. 

“He’s claiming it for himself, huh?” Kershaw said in The Franchise. “He really was, though. We played on a couple of Team USA teams, and he really was. I think he was the best left-handed pitcher in our state.”

Injuries kept Belt from following that path, but he turned into a pretty good big league first baseman. Kershaw, years later, became the game’s best pitcher.

A three-time Cy Young Award winner and the 2014 NL MVP, Kershaw takes 222 wins and a 2.54 ERA into Friday’s start. He’s a much different pitcher these days, relying heavily on his slider as his fastball has dropped to 89 mph, but he is still effective. In 20 starts as a 37-year-old, Kershaw has a 3.53 ERA. He is in the second percentile in fastball velocity, but 96th percentile in missing barrels. 

“It feels like he’s had three careers,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “After taking some time off, having some stuff going on earlier this year, and then to pitch like he has this year, it really is remarkable that he’s pitching at his age and the quality that he’s giving them every game out. It’s a testament to hard work and obviously he’s quite the competitor. A lot of similarities to (Justin) Verlander, really.”

Kershaw held a press conference on Thursday and said the decision is something he has discussed with his wife, Ellen, all year. There has been plenty of speculation, and in recent weeks, there were signs that this was coming. At Oracle Park last weekend, Kershaw spent a bit more time than usual shagging fly balls with one of his sons, seemingly soaking it all in one last time. 

“I think it’s the right time,” he said Thursday.

Kershaw is unlikely to be in the Dodgers’ playoff rotation, and it’s unclear if he’ll get a chance to pitch at Dodger Stadium out of the bullpen in October. This could be his last time taking the mound in Los Angeles, and he shed some tears Thursday as he talked about his decision. 

He also noted, however, that it’s a big game for both teams. The Dodgers are trying to wrap up the NL West, while the Giants are clinging to life in the Wild Card race. Kershaw said he will try to treat them as he always has. 

“I’ve got a job to do,” he said.

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Why Free Agent Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk Makes Sense For Islanders

The New York Islanders could be in the Matt Grzelcyk market, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. 

"The Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, and Ducks would be other potential situations to monitor for Grzelcyk depending on how camps and the preseason go for those teams and their younger defensemen," LeBrun wrote in his latest. 

Grzelcyk, 31, has 593 total games of NHL experience, 511 of them over an eight-year career with the Boston Bruins. He played all 82 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25, recording one goal and 39 assists for a career-high 40 points in a career-high 20:37 minutes of ice time. 

So, why should the Islanders be interested?

The answer: experience. 

The Islanders are a veteran team with experience up and down their lineup. However, when it comes to the left side of their defense, that position is lacking the big league experience. 

Outside of Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov, no other left-side defenseman in the entire organization has a full seaosn of NHL experience under their belt -- let alone half of a season.

The closest is 21-year-old Isaiah George, who played 33 games in 2024-25. 

After George, the left-side defense depth looks like this: Calle Odelius, Marshall Warren, Travis Mitchell. 

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer is likely to win the final LHD spot alongside Scott Mayfield, while Adam Boqvist is likely to serve as the club's seventh defenseman. He can play both sides, which is a luxury. 

Patrick Roy To Use Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon Approach With Islanders No. 1 Pick Matthew SchaeferPatrick Roy To Use Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon Approach With Islanders No. 1 Pick Matthew SchaeferWESTBURY, NY -- At the New York Islanders charity golf outing on Monday, head coach Patrick Roy was asked about his plan when it comes to evaluating No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer.

But again, Grzelcyk brings experience, which will only benefit Schaefer.  

So, what would happen if the Islanders signed Grzelcyk?

Ideally, most teams carry 14 forwards and seven defensemen to complete their 23-man roster, but if the Islanders were to sign the veteran defenseman, he wouldn't be able to boost Bridgeport. 

The Islanders would then likely carry only 13 forwards, rocking eight defenseman instead. 

With Pierre Engvall two to three weeks away from even participating in a team practice after offseason hip surgery, the Islanders may have to choose between Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb if they go this route. 

Grzelcyk's next deal will likely be a one-year contract worth $755,000, a deal that would likely contain some bonuses. 

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Will Hibs deepen the gloom of 'teetering' Rangers?

Rangers' tie with Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final on Saturday evening has been described as "a horrific fixture" for the struggling Ibrox club.

Russell Martin is under huge pressure with Rangers languishing 10th after no wins in his first five Premiership games, while Hibs sit third and are seeking to edge closer to a first major trophy since 2016.

"For Rangers, it's a horrific fixture for them to be going into," football journalist Moira Gordon told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Hibs are a decent side. They have proven they're not intimidated by either of the Old Firm when they play them.

"It doesn't always mean they win it, but they're not intimidated. They'll go and give it a go.

"When Rangers are teetering the way they are at the moment, it's not a game they would fancy and Hibs are one of the last teams they would want to be coming to Ibrox for this game.

"Hibs have a huge chance of silverware this season."

Former goalkeeper Cammy Bell believes Hibs are well capable of beating Rangers as the hosts have been "so poor defensively".

"When you look at last weekend's defeat to Hearts, the high press, making the players uncomfortable, when Russell Martin has his players playing up from the back, you can clearly see Rangers are not comfortable doing that," he said.

"So I think that's the way Hibs will approach it. They've got the players to do it as well and the players have a lot of energy and quality about them.

"With everything that's been going on, Hibs is probably one of the teams you wouldn't want to face because they're an improving side and have added quality to their squad.

"They're young and hungry, with a manager who's nailed it for me on and off the pitch.

"It's a real difficult fixture for Rangers and there's not been enough showing me this season that Rangers can beat Hibs."

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Why Darren Lockyer is buying into London Broncos: ‘We’re rebuilding from scratch’

Rugby league all-time great wants to return Super League action to the capital – and bring NRL stars along for the ride

The latest chapter in the London Broncos story came to a low-key end on Sunday afternoon with a Championship victory in Widnes, but if the men now tasked with reviving one of rugby league’s most turbulent clubs have their way, there will be no more days that sombre again.

It is to the immense credit of a handful of individuals that professional rugby league is still alive in London at all. Last winter, when the club’s longstanding owner, David Hughes, announced he was stepping away, it was left to the figures such as the head coach, Mike Eccles, to get them through a winter of huge discontent, with finances almost at breaking point.

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Flyers Training Camp Day 1: Big Opportunities Aplenty

(Photo: Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images)

The vibes are high as the Philadelphia Flyers kicked off their 2025 training camp Thursday, and for good reason. The atmosphere seems to be totally different.

Given the nature of the split-group methodology, there isn't an awful lot to come away with, especially from the first day.

New head coach Rick Tocchet, running his first training camp as the Flyers' bench boss, did offer some insight into his coaching philosophies, though, which will help us identify the things we need to look for during camp.

For example, Tocchet shared Thursday that he likes Scotty Bowman's method of running "pairs" in the forward lines.

"I think Scotty Bowman was a genius behind the bench. He was the pair guy. You have pairs and you can always rotate a guy in and out as the third guy," Tocchet said. "I do like having two guys that work well together. You can always put a third guy in one or two nights, then put another guy.

"We did it, actually, in Pittsburgh a little bit, and it creates energy. As a coach, you got to be careful that you're not doing it too much and pulling the plug all the time."

So, why is this important? For two reasons, actually.

Flyers Training Camp 2025: Top 3 Roster Battles to WatchFlyers Training Camp 2025: Top 3 Roster Battles to WatchThe Philadelphia Flyers are looking to ratchet up the competition for NHL roster spots this year, and that starts with the beginning of training camp on Thursday.

According to Moneypuck, there were 82 forward combinations that played 201 minutes or more together last season, and the Flyers accounted for only two of those.

Those lines were Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink, and Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, and Matvei Michkov.

Tocchet's Vancouver Canucks did not have a single trio play 201 or more minutes together, and many of the NHL's worst teams (Chicago, Calgary, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Nashville, etc.) had two or fewer such combinations.

In simple terms: finding chemistry is important for finding success in the NHL. Shocker!

During Thursday's practice session, Tocchet enacted this philosophy across the two main groups, Group A and Group B.

Here are some forward line combinations that may pique your interest:

Nikita Grebenkin - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov
Alex Bump - Trevor Zegras - Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey - Christian Dvorak - Tyson Foerster
Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett - Jett Luchanko - Alexis Gendron

Obviously, some of these lines are incomplete due to the groupings of players, but we can identify a few "pairs" right away.

Ex-Flyers Forward Could Receive Big Opportunity After Latest Lightning InjuryEx-Flyers Forward Could Receive Big Opportunity After Latest Lightning InjuryFormer Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakob Pelletier could be in for a breakout season after the latest Tampa Bay Lightning injury update.

Couturier and Michkov, Zegras and Konecny, Foerster and Dvorak, and Cates and Brink all stand out. Tippett and Luchanko make a lot of sense, assuming the latter makes the Flyers' NHL roster out of training camp as he did last year.

On defense, Cam York and Helge Grans were paired up, as were Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale. Travis Sanheim skated alongside Spencer Gill (placeholder for Rasmus Ristolainen?) while Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae worked with each other.

With the exception of Gill, this should be the Flyers' main defense group going forward.

When I look at players like Andrae and Grans, I recognize that Ristolainen is going to be out until November, most likely. At what point are the Flyers going to find a better time to get a look at these players?

Developing the young players appears to be a priority, so Grans and Andrae should get priority over veterans like Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert, at least in training camp.

If they don't earn their places with the Flyers, that's another thing, but Tocchet's first day indicates he's giving the new guys and the young guys every opportunity to earn a place that suits them and their skills.

Flyers: Aleksei Kolosov's Official Role, Getting a Second NHL ChanceFlyers: Aleksei Kolosov's Official Role, Getting a Second NHL ChanceThe 2025-26 season represents a fresh start for a number of Philadelphia Flyers, but goalie Aleksei Kolosov may have the biggest opportunity of all.

It helps, too, that the first day included work on systems and practicing actual hockey rather than skating around in circles all day, hoping that professional athletes indeed showed up to work in shape.

The weekend and the preseason will tell us more, but it's an encouraging start for Tocchet's new-look, good-vibe Flyers in training camp.

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Maple Leafs Notebook: Who Stood Out On Day One Of Training Camp

Toronto Maple Leafs training camp officially kicked off on Thursday morning, and there was no shortage of newsworthy items.

The 73-man camp was divided into three groups to begin: the first two groups featured NHL and NHL/AHL bubble players, while the third group included players solely destined for the AHL, ECHL, or their respective junior squads.

Matias Maccelli begins camp on top line

Matias Maccelli stepped out onto the ice at Ford Performance Centre on Thursday, skating alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews. Max Domi was set to start camp on that line, but is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury after tweaking something in the summer skates.

“(Domi) was obviously a guy that I was going to put there [with Matthews and Knies],” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Thursday afternoon. “Max should be back pretty quick, and then we'll go from there.”

'(Max) Domi Was A Guy I Was Going To Put There': Craig Berube Was Reluctant To Start Matias Maccelli On Top Line At Maple Leafs Camp'(Max) Domi Was A Guy I Was Going To Put There': Craig Berube Was Reluctant To Start Matias Maccelli On Top Line At Maple Leafs CampIn a perfect world, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube would’ve had Max Domi begin on a line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies at training camp.

Maccelli looked timid early on, though his play ramped up as the session continued. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in Toronto for long, so it might take a bit of time for him to get used to everything, from the city, the Maple Leafs staff and his teammates.

“He’s a little spark plug out there,” Anthony Stolarz smiled. “He’s shifty, but he’s actually got a really heavy shot, too. I’m excited to see him work with our top six. I think we got some guys that’ll complement each other really well.”

Bobby McMann gets a look with John Tavares and William Nylander

As much as it might be a surprise to some, Bobby McMann beginning training camp with William Nylander and John Tavares isn’t a shock to me.

The 29-year-old didn’t finish the season the way he wanted to. After tallying his 20th goal of the year on Mar. 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers, McMann went dormant for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

He scored three assists in the 13 games, which was his first-ever taste of the NHL postseason. And what caught his eye most in the playoffs was how much the competitiveness ramped up.

“Making sure that even when you're not contributing offensively, there's a lot that you can be doing to contribute. Those are long series, and you can really wear a team down if you're doing the little things right, so just trying to focus on that.”

Despite the Domi injury, which shifted players around, McMann was always going to begin training camp with Tavares and Nylander, Berube said on Thursday.

“I played them last year. They were together for a significant amount of time, and they always did well together, I thought. There's always production,” the head coach added.

“I think Bobby could take another step in his game, doing some things a little bit differently, especially playing with those two guys, getting those guys the puck more, getting to the net more, things like that.

“I like a big guy with those guys to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in that situation and things like that. Willy's going to do his thing, we all know that. But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game. It's going to the net, being hard and physical and just understanding that that's his job and he's going to get points from it because you're playing with two pretty good players that, eventually, the puck's going to get there.”

Calle Jarnkrok left his stamp on opening day

When approaching a new season, there’s always going to be a few players circled to watch for in camp. I’ll admit, Jarnkrok wasn’t one of those I was eager to get an eye on early, but he stood out on day one.

The 33-year-old played just 19 games last year after recovering from sports hernia surgery. And despite returning towards the end of the regular season, Jarnkrok still looked like a player who was a step behind.

'I Don't Have To Hear Core Four Anymore': Craig Berube Excited Mitch Marner’s Departure Puts More Focus On Maple Leafs' Team'I Don't Have To Hear Core Four Anymore': Craig Berube Excited Mitch Marner’s Departure Puts More Focus On Maple Leafs' TeamCraig Berube is itching to see where players fit in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup with the NHL camp set to begin on Wednesday.

His game progressed in the final portion of the year, which was enough to keep him in the lineup for the postseason. He played alongside Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz on the fourth line, tallying just one assist in 12 games.

However, there were plenty wondering in the summer if Jarnkrok would be a player dealt to make room for a top-six forward. They might need him now more than ever, though.

Looking at the top half of their lineup, there’s really only three players who can play alongside Knies and Matthews: Domi, Maccelli, and I’d put Jarnkrok in that conversation too. After all, Jarnkrok has gotten time alongside Matthews before, and among the three players, he is the most defensively responsible.

It’s only one day of camp, however, I’d look at Jarnkrok being a wildcard to watch out for as the preseason continues.

Easton Cowan looks more comfortable

When remembering back to Toronto’s last training camp, Cowan looked timid. There were glimpses of the player in junior, but for the most part, he struggled against stronger competition.

Just as I mentioned for Jarnkrok, it’s only one day of training camp, so take things with a grain of salt, but there’s a glaring difference in his game from last year to this moment in time.

'I Think He's Ready To Push To Be On The Team': 'Can Easton Cowan Crack The Maple Leafs Roster This Season?'I Think He's Ready To Push To Be On The Team': 'Can Easton Cowan Crack The Maple Leafs Roster This Season?With Toronto Maple Leafs training camp set to open on Thursday, a lot of eyes will be on 20-year-old Easton Cowan. After accomplishing a historic list of achievements at the major junior level with the London Knights, including winning the 2024 Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player and winning the Memorial Cup in 2025, the only remaining question is if the player has a shot at making the Maple Leafs lineup this season.

He’s stronger, more confident in his game, and as he mentioned last week, will be in Toronto for the entire year, which puts him at ease. Cowan dealt with the size and physicality better on Thursday, playing beside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua.

It appears the Maple Leafs are setting him up for success early on.

“I think players will show what they can do in camp and in the exhibition games. If Easton or another player is the best fit for the team and helps the team, then we'll put them in that position,” Berube said on Wednesday.

Other noteworthy early impressions

- Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai had strong opening days. Both defensemen were physical and didn’t give an inch to any of the players they were going up against. Remember back to this time last year when Matthews mentioned Rifai as a player who stood out.

Maple Leafs Set To Announce Hiring Of Mark Giordano 'On The Marlies Side'Maple Leafs Set To Announce Hiring Of Mark Giordano 'On The Marlies Side'Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano is set to join the organization this season, GM Brad Treliving says.

- I briefly mentioned Joshua earlier, but there’s no doubt he’ll be an intriguing player to watch as camp progresses. What immediately stuck out about the 29-year-old was his ability to use his size to overpower opponents. He’s quicker than I thought, too, and that gives me reason to believe he’ll be an important checking player for Toronto this year.

- Landon Sim isn’t going to make the Maple Leafs as he’s on an AHL deal, but he’s a much-needed body in the top two groups at training camp. He was consistently engaged at the Prospect Showdown and did the same on day one of camp. Sim was going against others — including Cowan, his Knights teammate — as if it were the biggest game of his life, and I’m sure the club was impressed. I’m curious to see if he keeps that energy for the entirety of Maple Leafs camp.

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Ramp to Camp: What do you want to see from new C's owner Bill Chisholm?

Ramp to Camp: What do you want to see from new C's owner Bill Chisholm? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Of all the changes the Boston Celtics incurred this offseason, none were bigger than Bill Chisholm becoming the first new owner of the franchise in 22 years.

Chisholm and his ownership group take over as the Celtics begin to chart a new path toward Banner 19 while navigating a series of near-term obstacles, including the absence of superstar Jayson Tatum and the talent squeeze put on the roster by a restrictive collective bargaining agreement.

So how can Chisholm and Co. help shepherd the Celtics forward?

For Day 15 of our Ramp to Camp series, and wrapping up our weeklong look at what’s next for key figures on this year’s team, the spotlight falls on Chisholm and the new ownership group.

It’s our belief that it’s not so much what Chisholm can do, it’s what he shouldn’t do. There’s a value in patience. Take Year 1 and be a fan, be a fly on the wall. Obviously, that’s easy for us to say when we’re not the ones cutting billion-dollar checks as part of a $6.1 billion purchase.

But there are simply too many recent instances of new owners trying to immediately put their stamp on a team. And while it’s completely understandable why these billionaires would want to do such, it’s typically set teams back in their championship quest.

Just google “New Owner Syndrome” and you’ll get a full recap of recent missteps. Hit the images tab and you’ll see a whole lot of Mat Ishbia and the Phoenix Suns, who have already pivoted from their initial changes.

From all accounts, Chisholm seems to have embraced maintaining the status quo. Keeping Wyc Grousbeck on as CEO and alternate governor will help preserve continuity from the last ownership group, and help Chisholm learn exactly what made the last group so successful here.

We love Chisholm’s passion. His fandom is clear. Being courtside will show how invested he is in the players and maintaining the winning culture here. Chisholm and his ownership group will have to deal with the uneducated who will pin the summer cost-cutting on them, instead of acknowledging the second apron. But Boston fans are smart and understand that the Celtics needed to reset a bit this offseason. It’s best to ignore the pundits. 

The last ownership group was willing to spend whenever the team was in position to truly chase a title. If Chisholm maintains that philosophy, he’ll do just fine. Grousbeck and Co. benefitted from putting smart people in charge and letting them do their jobs. They were rewarded with two banners (with trips to two other NBA Finals along the way). 

If the next 22 years are as successful as the previous 22, Chisholm will be revered in this city. 

Let’s find out what our panel wants to see from Chisholm:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Weekly interviews with Chris Forsberg on the Celtics Talk Podcast. (Just kidding … but consider that an open invite, Bill.)

Boston is in very good hands with president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, so Chisholm’s best tactic is to assure fans that Stevens is still calling the roster shots, and that there’s no mandate from on high to cut costs. 

If Chisholm can stay out of the personnel fray while conveying his passion for the team, he’ll have very high approval ratings.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

I think just being visible at the Garden and being around Celtics fans is an important acclimation step.

What made Wyc Grousbeck so beloved was, A) He cared deeply about the Celtics, and B) He was always around. Those aspects also helped Robert Kraft earn plenty of goodwill in New England, while John Henry and Jeremy Jacobs have been dealing with accusations of being “absentee owners.”

It’s difficult to climb out of that hole, so it’s best to simply never get in it.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

I want to see Chisholm uphold his commitment to winning in the near- and long-term.

While Jayson Tatum’s injury has caused expectations to soften, crazy things happen in the NBA. So, if the Celtics are approaching the NBA trade deadline in the playoff mix with title aspirations closer in sight than previously expected, I’d like to see the organization operate like it.

And to the contrary, if the Celtics are not in contention for the playoffs ahead of the deadline, I would like to see the organization operate with a long-term outlook.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Commitment to winning and maintaining Celtics culture.

My main thought here would be just don’t rock the boat. Definitely take the opportunity to put your stamp on the franchise and take ownership of some things. But the Celtics have so much history and culture that I am just hoping for the status quo of success to remain. 

Max Lederman, Content Producer

I want to see very little from Bill Chisholm. The Celtics franchise has been one of the best-run in all of American sports over the last 25 years, and I hope he continues to let that happen.

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

A joy for ownership of the team. We were blessed with that from the previous regime, and I hope that shows through despite what will likely be some shrewd moves to keep the team competitive given the CBA.