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Blackhawks Vs Canadiens: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 34

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to take on the Montreal Canadiens in game number 34 of the season on Thursday night at Bell Centre. 

This is the second of two meetings between these two Original Six rivals. The first was Chicago's home opener back on October 11th. The Canadiens won that game 3-2. 

Scouting Montreal

The Montreal Canadiens are 17-12-4. Things have slipped a bit for them since their impressive start, but they are still in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, they would not make it. However, a win over Chicago could put them above the line for the time being. 

Jakub Dobes will start in goal for the Montreal Canadiens. In front of him, the team is expected to line up like this: 

Caufield - Suzuki - Bolduc

Slafkovsky - Kapanen - Demidov

Texier -Beck - Anderson

Veleno -Evans - Gallagher

Hutson - Carrier

Struble - Dobson

Xhekaj - Engstrom

Dobes

There are some great forwards on this team, even without former Blackhawk Kirby Dach available. Nick Suzuki is a top-20 NHL center, while Cole Caufield is one of the best pure goal scorers around. 

Ivan Demidov, who Blackhawks fans who followed the draft in 2024 know well, is also a difference maker and a threat to score on every shift he takes. This group up front has some depth to it. 

On defense, Lane Hutson is the guy that everything runs through offensively. Noah Dobson is also a difference-making, highly paid player who impacts games. All around, this is a team that could break out at any time because they have so much talent and a solid coach in Marty St. Louis. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks are without Connor Bedard, who won't be back until after the first of the year. He is on the trip with the team, but it's strictly for the camaraderie with his younger teammates.

If it were up to Bedard, he'd already be back, but the Hawks are being cautious with their superstar. Without him, expect a lineup that looks something like this:

Bertuzzi - Nazar - Burakovsky

Moore - Greene - Lardis

Teravainen - Dickinson - Mikheyev

Dach - Toninato - Donato

Vlasic - Crevier

Grzelcyk - Levshunov

Kaiser - Murphy

Knight

This will be another start for Spencer Knight, who had a terrible fate in their last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knight and the Hawks looked like they were going to pick up a huge win, but the Leafs scored three unanswered goals in the final ten minutes to pull out with a win. 

In Bedard's spot on the top line, Frank Nazar will play center. Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky are good wingers for Nazar, who is looking to break a long goal drought. He's playing the right way, but the bounces haven't gone his way in a while. If he sticks to his process, the offense will soon return. 

Dominic Toninato and Nick Lardis are expected to play again. Lardis has fit in well through his first two NHL games after a dominating start to the year with the Rockford IceHogs. Now that he's got the nerves of his first game in the NHL and first game in front of his hometown friends and family out of the way, he can just play hockey. It won't be long before his offense arrives. 

Levshunov will return to the NHL lineup after being scratched against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The 2024 second overall pick missed the game due to being late for practice. He has been one of the best skaters on this team for a while now, so getting him back is a nice boost. 

Original Six

When this game is over, the Blackhawks will have played against four of the five other Original Six teams in a span of 9 days. They are just 1-2 (win vs New York Rangers, losses to Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs) so far, so they'd prefer to even it up with a win here in Montreal.

After this, they won't see another Original Six rival until January 17th when the Boston Bruins visit the United Center. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found locally on CHSN. It can be streamed nationally on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. 

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Mike Brown's trust in Knicks bench, plus experimentation paying dividends

When the Knicks hired Mike Brown as head coach this offseason, it was in part to address specific failings from previous seasons. Two in particular were the underutilization of the bench and the lack of experimentation during the regular season.

If you wanted to grade Brown on the job he’s doing, the only metric that will satisfy Knicks fans is whether he wins a championship or not. In the meantime, he’s managed to help secure the city an NBA Cup title, relying on the very things the Knicks had been ignoring before he took over. 

Taking on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs coming off a victory over the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder would be no easy task. The Knicks found themselves trailing for most of the first three quarters, until Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson turned things around.

The two bench guards closed the third quarter strong, and Brown rode them through the final period, even playing them alongside Jalen Brunson. New York would win the fourth quarter 35-19 to take home the Cup, as Clarkson finished with 15 points while Kolek chipped in 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. 

Brown made a clever in-game adjustment, but Tom Thibodeau had made many of those, so what’s the big deal? It’s that these looks weren’t thrown out there with no prior experience as a desperate last measure, rather they had a foundation of being tried and developed during the season.

Going to the three-guard lineup of Brunson-Kolek-Clarkson was something Brown could do after playing that group together in three games prior and seeing Miles McBride-Kolek-Clarkson over nearly 10 games. For comparison, Thibodeau made a similar adjustment in last year’s playoffs, with a McBride-Landry Shamet-Delon Wright bench unit winning key minutes in the Conference Finals, yet only appeared for 10 minutes in the regular season. 

This was just the primary example. Brown threw out multiple defensive schemes and lineup combinations to keep the Spurs on their toes, backed by trying them out in previous games.  

Not only did Brown have his team ready to play in unique circumstances, but he had end-of-bench players ready to go in the biggest game of their lives. Kolek spent most of his rookie season riding pine, save for the brief garbage time or Westchester appearance. 

This year, Kolek got a fair crack at the rotation to start the season, then another when Shamet went down due to injury. That trust didn’t immediately pay off, but it did in spades on Tuesday night. 

Brown has displayed a level of trust in his depth not seen in previous seasons, both leading up to and during the championship game. That he rode Kolek and Clarkson deep into the fourth quarter when other coaches would have returned their starters was another welcome sign. 

This philosophy won’t always look pretty. Fans were polishing their pitchforks when the team opened 2-3, seemed to be throwing things at the wall, and couldn’t get anything from their bench. 

Slowly Brown’s vision is coming to fruition, with other examples of smaller payoffs before the Cup. Shamet became a viable rotation piece and lit up the Heat to win a group play game, Kolek stepped up when he got hurt, and the offense is beginning to buzz behind some winning lineups. 

What will building off this foundation look like in April and May? It’s a tantalizing thought, with increased glimpses of Mohamed Diawara, Karl-Anthony Towns-Mitchell Robinson lineups, and OG Anunoby breakout scoring nights pointing toward what we might see going forward.

It may not be the title fans ultimately crave, but the Knicks accomplished something in Las Vegas and did it in large part thanks to the vision of the team Brown is trying to build. It’s not the end goal, but it’s a real sign of positive development in pursuit of an NBA championship. 

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Mets' Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat tuning out trade rumors, looking to build on debut seasons

The Mets hosted their annual Kids Holiday Party at Citi Field on Thursday, with Clay Holmes, Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong all in attendance. 

And while the focus of the day was to spread some holiday cheer to some local children, it also provided a chance for the players to weigh in on the offseason, particularly as it relates to trade rumors. 

While McLean is widely considered untouchable in any trade talks, both Sproat and Tong have had their names floated around in many a trade rumor, but the pair of top prospects both said they aren’t focused on any of the outside noise.

“I really don’t look at it, if I’m being honest,” said Sproat, who made four starts at the big-league level last season while pitching to a 4.79 ERA.

“I love being a Met. It’s truly one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Tong told SNY. “I also understand that it’s a business, so honestly [I] don’t look at anything, and my focus is to get down to spring training every season, and I’m really excited for next year.”

While Tong’s minor league numbers in 2025 were staggering (1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 113.2 innings), his brief appearance in the majors was largely uneven. The right-hander pitched to a 7.71 ERA and averaged less than 4.0 innings per start.

And despite being mentioned in just about every theoretical Mets trade, the 22-year-old is locked in on continuing his improvement as a player.

“Same focus: one foot in front of the other. I’m not too worried about results, and just more worried about the process,” Tong said. “When I’ve done that in the past, everything else has taken care of itself, and honestly, I’ve had a lot of fun doing it. So, I think doing that with the group of guys that we have is going to be really exciting.”

New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) prepares to pitch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park
New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) prepares to pitch in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park / Katie Stratman - Imagn Images

Sproat is taking a similar approach to his offseason as well, learning from his time in the majors as he heads into the 2026 season with a legitimate chance to break camp in the major league rotation.

“Obviously, I was super blessed to be able to debut last year. It’s been my lifelong dream,” Sproat said. “Just going out there and soaking it all in, and then just taking cues away from it and going into the offseason and working on those. There’s always something that you can work on, whether it’s the mental side or the physicality, pitches. I think there’s always something that you can take away from it.”

McLean, Tong, and Sproat are Joe DeMayo’s first, fourth, and fifth-ranked prospects in the Mets’ system, respectively, so it’s easy to see why they’re so coveted by other teams.

But if the Mets decide to hold on to the talented trio, they could become the foundation of the rotation for years to come.

“Even though we’re young,” Sproat said, “I think we bring a lot to the table.”

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Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns named to 2025 NBA Cup All-Tournament team

The Knicks’ one-two punch of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns has been spectacular this season, and on Thursday, the pair were both named to the NBA Cup All-Tournament team. 

New York’s duo joins LA's Luka Dončic, San Antonio's De'Aaron Fox, and OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The All-Tournament Team was selected by a media panel of 20 voters.

OG Anunoby received seven votes as well, but ultimately well three short of the final spot.  

Brunson was also named the tournament MVP following Tuesday night’s championship victory over the Spurs. 

The captain averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 assists, and shot 55 percent from the field. 

Towns was slowed down by an injury during the championship matchup, but still put together a strong showing. 

He averaged 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds, and had a double-double in six of New York’s seven tournament games. 

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Mets’ Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes on joining Team USA for 2026 World Baseball Classic: 'It was an easy yes'

Nolan McLean took the league by storm during his rookie campaign. 

With just eight big-league games under his belt, though, the youngster was surprised to receive the call to join Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. 

Once he did, though, the decision was a no-brainer. 

"They called me up and I was passionate about it from the start," McLean told SNY's Michelle Margaux. "I wasn't really expecting to get that nod that early in my career, but it was something I couldn't turn down."

McLean was spectacular for the Mets after cruising his way through the minors. 

He pitched to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 57 batters over 48.0 innings, which was good enough for him to finish 11th in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

The 23-year-old is expected to be leaned on heavily again during his first full season. 

While much can change over the next few months, McLean is currently the meat on the top of the bone for a Mets rotation that struggled mightily during the second-half last season. 

No matter what additions they make, he is expected to remain one of their top arms.

"I mean I know it's cliche, but pressure is a privilege," he said. "Just to be able to go out there and compete on the highest level, in front of an awesome fanbase, it just means the world to me."

Before that though, he will team up with some of the best arms in the game, including potential Mets trade targets Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, and closer Mason Miller.  

Mets right-hander Clay Holmes will also be part of the roster, coming off a strong season transitioning to a starter.

He happily accepted after having discussions with Team USA pitching coach Andy Pettitte. 

"It's something I've always wanted to do," Holmes told Margaux. "When I saw that some of the build-up and workload stuff would be similar, it was an easy yes. I'm super excited to put the red, white, and blue on and compete with those guys." 

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(12-18-25) Rangers-Blues Gameday Lineup

ST. LOUIS – It’s been a week since Jordan Binnington has seen the net for the St. Louis Blues.

Binnington was last in action against the Nashville Predators and received the mercy pull in a 7-2 loss, in which he allowed six goals on 25 shots in a poor effort by those playing in front of him.

Joel Hofer has started the past three games, including a 1-0 shutout win of the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, but it will be Binnington back between the pipes when the Blues (13-15-7) host the New York Rangers (16-15-4) on Thursday in the second of back to back games at 7 p.m. (FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

“The team needed a reset, first of all,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “He’s been the negative benefit of our poor play. When we’ve really played poorly, it’s been in front of ‘Binner’ in these last two weeks. I think it’s given him the opportunity to work and to prepare and to get back the right mindset that makes him an elite goaltender in this league along with coach (David) Alexander.”

- - -

The Blues will make a couple skater changes for the game Thursday, including inserting Matt Luff in at forward for Robby Fabbri, and Tyler Tucker will go in for Matthew Kessel.

For Fabbri, he started off the season with an assist in each of his two games but on Wednesday, played in just two shifts in the third period with Alexey Toropchenko taking Fabbri’s spot on the top line and double-shifting protecting a one-goal lead.

“I think that he got here, his first two games were excellent,” Montgomery said of Fabbri. “I think his last two games, and I spoke to him about this, a little less juice in his legs, not being as impactful. And on a back to back, it’s a lot. He wasn’t in a training camp, he’s not in the same hockey shape as everybody else is. It’s just an opportunity, and Luff’s been really good for us. We’re playing a bigger, heavier team tonight on a back to back, a team that’s fresh, so we’ll just get a fresh body in. It really wasn’t a negative of anything of his play. He’ll be back in the lineup soon.”

Toropchenko will start on that top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich. As for how the game progresses, it will be determined if he stays there.

“He’s smart enough to play with anyone,” Montgomery said of Toropchenko, normally a fourth-line winger. “It’s not ideal that he’s in that situation, but we’re playing with a lead (Wednesday). He brings north hockey to playing with 18 and 89, who like to play east-west because they have the creativity and the ability and skill level to do it, and he allows them to be a little bit simpler and the way he reloads and the way he back-checks, his habits, his sticks, creating turnovers in the offensive zone, we just thought it would allow us to close out that game a little bit better, and he’s going to start there tonight.”

Tucker, who sat out Wednesday not necessarily as a healthy scratch but he was banged up from Monday’s loss to the Predators, is an insertion into the lineup to provide beef against a bigger lineup.

“Tucker was a little sore yesterday from the slew-foot that he received at the end of the game in the third period (Monday),” Montgomery said. “It’s just with a back to back, we weren’t going to play Tucker with him being sore. It wasn’t so much of a matchup as it was we’re in a back to back, we’re in the middle of a three in four. Kessel’s been really good for us, his numbers suggest that, we have a lot of confidence in him, but now we’re on a back to back, so we’re going to go back to Tucker. It’s that simple.”

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Montgomery was asked about Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2023 NHL Draft, and his successful debut in the NHL on Wednesday, playing 13:38. Here is an interesting take on Stenberg’s awareness and ability to read a game by Montgomery.

“He’s a first-round pick not because of his stature, it’s because of his brain, his instincts and his ability to make plays at both ends of the ice,” Montgomery said. “As a coach, you see the things that make a guy very effective right away, stick positioning, angling, little things, always being on the right side of the puck.

“There was a play yesterday in the third period that a defenseman was in, taking a shot off the rush, I believe it was (Philip) Broberg, and he was the last forward back. And the puck went into the corner to where he could have dove at it. He didn’t go because he read numbers. Most young players would dive in and the other team would have a 2-on-1 off his back. As a coach, it’s a confidence-builder as a coach when you see a player read numbers that quickly because the game of hockey, especially when you come to play your first game in the NHL, things happen faster than you’ve ever seen before and he read that instantly. And they got nothing. We actually reloaded above, they turned it over by the red line.”

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Injured players Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist) and Nathan Walker (upper body) were on the ice Thursday morning working prior to an optional morning skate.

None will play Thursday, but that’s some encouraging signs that they are on the mend.

“It’s always good when you see guys getting closer,” Montgomery said. “What’s not good is when you win a game, the fist pump line of guys not dressed is about eight long, that’s when you’re like, ‘Holy Jesus, we do have a lot of injuries.’”

Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) were not skating.

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The Blues, after wearing their old home uniforms that are now their third jerseys on Wednesday, will don the road whites at home for the first and only time on Thursday, so fans will get to see firsthand -- unless you've seen them on the road -- those sweaters.

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Blues Projected Lineup:

Alexey Toropchenko-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich

Jake Neighbours-Brayden Schenn-Otto Stenberg

Pius Suter-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren

Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Matt Luff

Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko

Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk

Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Robby Fabbri and Matthew Kessel. Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), Nathan Walker (upper body) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) are out.

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Rangers Projected Lineup:

Will Cuylle-Vincent Trocheck-J.T. Miller

Artemi Panarin-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere

Conor Sheary-Noah Laba-Taylor Raddysh

Gabe Perreault-Sam Carrick-Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov-Braden Schneider

Carson Soucy-Will Borgen

Matthew Robertson-Scott Morrow

Igor Shesterkin will start in goal; Jonathan Quick will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Jonny Brodzinski and Scott Morrow. Adam Fox (upper body) and Adam Edstrom (lower body) are out.

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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.

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Senators' Latest Addition To Ring Of Honour 'One Of The Easiest Decisions In Franchise History'

Exactly three decades after he coached his first game behind the Ottawa Senators' bench, Jacques Martin is set to be immortalized by the franchise. 

The Senators announced on Thursday that Martin will be added to the club’s Ring of Honour on Saturday, January 24, before the club's home game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The date is a nice choice, falling exactly 30 years after Martin coached his first game with the Sens on January 24, 1996.

“I have been privileged to coach outstanding players and not only great players, but great people. And that was the reason I was able to get there,” Martin said in a club statement.

His addition to the Ring was one of the easiest decisions in franchise history.

The Sens' content team devised a clever plan to surprise Martin, asking him and Daniel Alfredsson to narrate a Great Moments in Sens History video. Alfredsson capped it off by revealing Martin's tribute night, a special moment that hasn’t happened yet.

Martin isn't an easy guy to make smile, but he looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

The Ottawa-born coach stands 16th in NHL history with 1350 games coached in the NHL and holds team records for games coached (748), wins (367) and playoff victories (31). 

He was named the NHL’s Coach of the Year in 1999, and guided Ottawa to its only President’s Trophy during the 2002–03 season. That was the season the Sens went to the Eastern Conference Final before bowing out at home in a Game 7 heartbreaker against the New Jersey Devils.

When it looked like Martin's coaching days were probably behind him, the Sens brought him back at age 71 in Dec. 2023 to be a consultant and resource to head coach D.J. Smith. 12 days later, he became Smith's replacement, guiding the Sens to the end of the 2023-24 season. Martin made way for Travis Green in May 2024 and continues to serve as an advisor to the club’s coaching staff.

Martin will be remembered for quickly righting a floundering ship in Ottawa's early years.

When he arrived in the 1995-96 NHL season, it was only January, and Martin was already their third head coach of that season. The team wasn't that much better than the historically bad expansion team (10-70-4) they had in the 1992-93 season. Rick Bowness had recently been fired after a 6-13 start in his fourth season. They were even worse, absurdly so, after promoting their AHL head coach, Dave Allison, who was fired after a 2-22-1 record.

Just over one calendar year later, Martin steered the Sens into the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Technically, Martin had three stints with the Senators. In his first run with the Senators, in a beautiful gesture, he temporarily gave up the head coaching reins to his friend and assistant coach, Roger Neilson. Neilson, who was battling cancer, officially took over the Sens' bench for the final two games of the 2001-02 season, allowing him to reach the 1000 game mark in his NHL coaching career.

Neilson died the following year at age 69.

With his induction, Martin becomes the fourth member of the Senators' Ring of Honour at Canadian Tire Centre, joining Bryan Murray, Wade Redden and Dr. Don Chow.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:

Top Prospect Carter Yakemchuk Injured In Collision During AHL Game
Senators' First Step Toward Stanley Cup Playoff Return Is Better Goaltending
30 Games Into The Season, What Is The Ottawa Senators' Identity?
Speculating On Yakemchuk's NHL Arrival Time
Popular Former Senator Forward Attempting Comeback At Age 38
Four Ottawa Senators Make Annual List Of Most Punchable NHL Players

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Beau Greaves: ‘I started beating better players and the penny dropped: I can be good enough to do this full-time’

Back at the PDC world championship for the first time since 2022, the women’s world champion means business, starting on Friday against the world No 22

“When I was younger, they thought I was a mute,” Beau Greaves says with a wry smile, thinking about all the ways darts has changed her. “Never said owt in school, really shy. Didn’t really know what to say half the time. I suppose playing darts just brought me out of my shell. When you get popular, people want to meet you and talk. It’s matured me.”

Greaves was 18 the first time she won the Lakeside women’s world championship, thrusting herself firmly into the crosshairs of public adulation. And even if she played like a natural born star, with her beautiful fluid throwing arc, she didn’t always feel like one. Endless interviews, viral fame, global domination: this was never what she had craved from the sport. She was Beau, and she just wanted to throw.

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Ice rink construction begins at loanDepot park ahead of 2026 Winter Classic

It’s going to be a fun few weeks in and around Miami’s MLB ballpark.

That’s because the NHL has started moving into loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, and setting things up for the 2026 Winter Classic.

The game is set for Jan. 2 between the host Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers.

On Wednesday, the league began the process of building the ice rink inside the ballpark.

That processes included the NHL bringing down not one, but two mobile refrigeration units to help maintain the ice surface in warm South Florida.

“I think it’s pretty bold move by the League,” said NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Derek King. “I think for us, it’s ‘Why not Florida?’ It’s an amazing hockey market, so for us to bring the game here, I think it’s pretty exciting.”

Ice installation begins at loanDepot park for the 2026 Winter Classic. Source: David Dwork

The retractable roof at loanDepot park is expected to remain closed during construction of the rink and likely until the game arrives, as temperatures in South Florida are expected to remain in the 70s and 80s in the days leading up to the Winter Classic.

As King and NHL Senior Manager of Facilities Operations Andrew Higgins explained, the construction of the rink itself will likely run though next week. Around Dec. 23 or 24, the installation of the ice surface will begin, at which time the air conditioning inside loanDepot park will be cranked up extremely high.

“We’ll be able to close in the building, keep everything conditioned,” said King. “That’s going to allow us to build it like we would in any other venue.”

Both the Panthers and Rangers are scheduled to hold practices on the ice at loanDepot park the day before the Winer Classic.

Anything the players and coaches have to say about the ice quality will be taken into account by Higgins and his staff, and adjustments can and will be made as needed.

Additionally, the ice that is being built at the ballpark will be quite thicker than what is normally seen inside NHL rinks.

Usually, ice is about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick, but the ice for the Winer Classic will be around 2 to 2.5 inches thick. That way, if there are any issues, they can just shave the ice down instead of adding water to it.

“I think the quality (of the ice) is going to be great,” said King.

When the game arrives, the plan is for the stadium to open its roof panels and the massive glass windows past left field that provide a pristine view of the Downtown Miami skyline.

The 2026 Winter Classic is set for an 8 p.m. faceoff.

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Kevin Garnett reconciles with Timberwolves, will have role with franchise, have jersey retired

Kevin Garnett is a legend of the game, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with his No. 5 jersey hanging in the rafters in Boston.

Yet, so deep was his feud with former Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor that Garnett — the greatest player in franchise history —was never around the team, and his number is not retired there. Now, with Taylor out and the new Mark Lore/Alex Rodriguez group in charge, all that is about to change.

A franchise icon, Garnett has reconciled with the Timberwolves and will have a "new, all-encompassing role involving business, community efforts and content development," role with the franchise and the WNBA's Lynx, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by the team itself.

It also means we can expect the long-overdue Garnett jersey retirement in Minnesota to come together sooner rather than later.

Garnett played 14 seasons with the Timberwolves, at the beginning and end of his career, was named MVP in 2004, was a nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA player while with the club, and remains the franchise leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots, assists, and steals. He also took the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals for the first time.

Despite his icon status among Timberwolves fans, Garnett had a long-running feud with former owner Glen Taylor that dated back to his 2007 trade to Boston (KG went on to win a ring in Boston in 2008). Former Timberwolves coach and president Flip Saunders worked to mend fences between Taylor and Garnett, and there was an announcement about a reconciliation a decade ago, but that fell apart again pretty quickly after Saunders ' death. Since then, Garnett has not been around the franchise where he played his best years.

When Lore and Rodriguez purchased the team, they set out to repair the relationship between Garnett and the franchise, ultimately resulting in this announcement. What all of this will ultimately look like remains to be seen, but what matters is that Garnett is back in the Timberwolves family. As it should be.