TORONTO — Toronto rookie Trey Yesavage says his family has been subjected to abuse since his impressive postseason debut last weekend against the New York Yankees.
“Living in this world where there’s so many different opinions and feelings which results in a lot of hate, it’s sad to see that people close to me are being attacked for my performances on the field,” Yesavage said Sunday before the AL Championship Series opener against Seattle.
“These people have done nothing to warrant negativity for my actions, whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, family,” he added. “It’s just really sad. I know I have the platform to address it, so I am. I hope that people can realize that those individuals have nothing to do with what happens on the field. If you have a problem, I’m a man. I can take whatever opinions anybody has about me or my life. So I just wanted to get that out there.”
Yesavage, scheduled to start Game 2 on Monday, declined to answer a follow-up question about the matter.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Yesavage didn’t speak to him before making his comments.
“It’s unfortunate that that’s a reality,” Schneider said of the abuse. “I commend him for saying what he said and for backing up the people that love and support him.”
Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler, who grew up a Red Sox fan in Walpole, Massachusetts, said his family received online abuse before he beat Boston to win the Wild Card Series for New York.
Making his fourth big league appearance, Yesavage set a Blue Jays postseason record by striking out 11 Yankees in 5 1/3 hitless innings in AL Division Series Game 2 on Oct. 5. Eight strikeouts came on the split-finger fastball of the 22-year-old right-hander, who induced 18 swings and misses, including 11 on the splitter.
“He’s definitely something that we’re going to have to figure out,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson. “The big split, they’re tough pitches, obviously.”
Yesavage went 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three September starts. Including his postseason start, he has 27 strikeouts in 19 1/3 big league innings.
“He’s pretty special,” Blue Jays teammate Addison Barger said. “To be able to do what he did in the regular season and in the Division Series, it’s kind of unrealistic, but he’s been able to do it. It’s been amazing to watch and we’re super excited to have him.”
The Mariners, who used three starting pitchers in Friday’s 15-inning win over Detroit, have not announced a starter for Game 2.
“We’re going to see how guys feel today and likely announce that after the game,” Wilson said.
While the Detroit Red Wings found themselves in an extremely uncomfortable position in the opening period of Saturday night's tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena, they made sure that it wouldn't go the way of their disappointing season opener earlier in the week.
Despite trailing by a 2-0 score at the end of 20 minutes, the Red Wings rallied to take the lead by the end of the second period en route to what was a 6-3 triumph for their first two points of their centennial campaign.
Scoring the first of what would be two go-ahead goals on the night was future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane, who roofed a one-time shot past a sprawling Anthony Stolarz after a sneaky cross-ice pass from teammate Alex DeBrincat.
Kane had positioned himself at the side of the net and went completely undetected by everyone except DeBrincat, who sent him a perfect tape-to-tape feed.
Afterward, Kane chalked up the assist to being, as he called it, "pure chemistry".
"That's just pure chemistry right there," Kane said of DeBrincat's assist. "Him turning the corner, and trying to lose yourself behind some of their D, he made a great pass. He put it right in my wheelhouse, and I just had to get good wood on it and put it on net."
"It was a great play by him."
It's a chemistry that dates back to when both players were members of the Chicago Blackhawks, where they spent five seasons as teammates and were often involved in scoring plays with one another.
DeBrincat had a huge hand in Kane choosing to sign with the Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent in December 2023, and the friendship between their sons Archie and Patrick Kane III hasn't hurt either.
Head coach Todd McLellan not only notices their on-ice chemistry, but is keenly aware of how much both players simply love the game.
"You can start on the ice or start off the ice, I'll start off it," McLellan said on Sunday. "It's the joy of the game, they both love playing and they're both competitors. We've talked a lot about Kaner still being young and hungry and excited to be at the rink."
"Cat is just like that too, so the two of them have the joy for the game," McLellan continued. "As far as the connectivity on the ice, they've played together for so long and had various levels of success doing what they do that when it's the simple play, they can make it."
"But when it's garbage time and something odd is going on, they have a pretty good idea of where someone else is, and their release point."
Penn State's willingness to pay the second-biggest buyout in college football history is an expensive reminder of the cost of doing business at this level.
The Buffalo Sabres’ home rink – the KeyBank Center – is nearly 30 years old. And with new or renovated arenas popping up throughout the NHL, the Sabres were due to upgrade their facilities and get on par with the modern-day perks of a fresh start. And according to a WGRZ report, renovations to the KeyBank Center are being pegged as costing at least $400 million.
Sabres executive Pete Guelli confirmed to WGRZ that conversations had begun between the team, New York state, and Erie County, N.Y. regarding upgrading the facility, but cautioned that the discussions -- between the team, state, and county officials -- are only preliminary thus far. That's because the Sabres have been focusing on the construction of an NFL football stadium for the Buffalo Bills in the area – the second iteration of the Highmark Stadium.
“That's where I would categorize (talks as preliminary),” Guelli told WGRZ. “Obviously we're working through the (Bills’) stadium project, and we know that’s going to open up on time over the summer, and need to get through that, but we have to start planning.”
The Sabres have been in contact with architecture firm Populous – the design firm behind the new Highmark Stadium – regarding what a renovated KeyBank Center would look like. The WGRZ report indicated that the proposed renovations will be “substantial and touch every aspect of the facility, including the infrastructure, team areas and fan-facing experiences”.
“The dream scenario would be this super high-performing arena that had 200 events a year, and 2-million people coming to it, and an absolute beautiful mixed-use property on the waterfront in Buffalo,” Guelli said. “I think that’s a vision that everybody could get behind.”
This arena news will be welcome to devout Sabres fans who’ve supported their team throughout the organization’s 14-year Stanley Cup playoff drought. But it won’t matter what condition the arena or surrounding area is in if the on-ice results aren’t where everybody wants them to be.
The Sabres can’t point to their arena to explain why they haven’t been a playoff team for nearly a decade-and-a-half. It’s not the KeyBank Center’s fault that Buffalo simply hasn’t been able to get the job done.
So while it’s admirable that the Sabres have rink renovations on the radar, the focus in Buffalo will be squarely on the Sabres' win/loss columns. And it’s going to stay that way until the Sabres figure out how to become relevant again.
As we begin the 2025-26 regular season, some things in the NHL aren’t changing – namely, the Chicago Blackhawks are still a win-challenged team, as they’ve gone 0-2-1 in their first three games.
The Blackhawks have kept the scores close, as all three games were one-goal games. So, having only one standings point to show for it has to be disappointing to Hawks fans, players and executives.
That said, one of the bright lights of Chicago’s first three games is the performance of blossoming star center Frank Nazar. The 21-year-old is currently tied for third place in NHL scoring, with four assists and five points. It’s unfair to expect the second-year NHLer to sustain his current point pace, but after Nazar posted 12 goals and 26 points in 53 games with the Hawks last season, he’s now got the opportunity of a lifetime this season.
It was always going to be a tremendous long shot for the Blackhawks to be even in the conversation for a playoff berth, so the winless three-game start to the season can’t be a surprise. This is still a franchise with serious holes in the lineup, and there’s going to be pain ahead for Chicago, no matter what Nazar does.
But for Hawks fans who’ve suffered through the bad part of the competitive cycle virtually all teams go through from generation to generation, having another legitimate star player to invest their time, money and emotion into is no small step forward. Nazar is blossoming before their eyes, and Blackhawks fans are stoked to see it.
With a continued strong start, Nazar has the potential to open up even more opportunities for himself. Namely, we’re talking about him making Team America’s 2026 Olympic roster. With the U.S.’s center spots basically taken up by Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel, New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, and New York Rangers star J.T. Miller, there’s not an opening for Nazar. But maybe Nazar gets on the roster to fill one of the two extra forwards spots. That’s not unreasonable for him to aim for.
So, having Nazar continue his hot streak helps the Blackhawks on numerous levels. If he plays well, he takes some heat off of Bedard, who has had to bear the brunt of the spotlight as Chicago’s foundational player. Nazar isn’t at Bedard’s stage right now, and he may never be. But as long as he continues to grow his game, there’s every chance he can establish himself as a fixture in the Windy City for many years to come.
Nazar’s usage has skyrocketed in the three games he’s played this year. After averaging just 15:52 of ice time last season, Nazar has played more than 20 minutes in two of his three games, and he’s averaging 19:53 of ice time in total. That’s a huge step forward, and new Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill is going to be hitching his wagon to Chicago’s young core of players. That core now clearly includes Nazar, as he has been prominent at 5-on-5, the power play and the penalty kill.
Chicago still needs to stock up on as many elite young players as possible, so when the Hawks do as expected and finish at the bottom of the league again this season, there will be a payoff consolation from the draft system. The Blackhawks are going to wobble and fall over often in the next few years as they put parts in place for a sustained playoff push, but given how rare it is to find legitimate difference-makers, it has to be a thrill for Hawks management and coaching to know they have an emerging gem in Nazar.
A lot can still happen to Nazar as teams scout him and figure out his weaknesses, but Nazar can continue to stay one step ahead of his opponents and thrive in hockey’s top league. His start to this season is very encouraging for the Blackhawks and for Nazar himself, and it’s a good idea to keep your eyes on Nazar as he negotiates the ascent up the competitive mountain and carves out a great legacy in Chicago.
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The Florida Panthers took care of a little business on Sunday.
While much of the league was enjoying an off day, and the Panthers were preparing to hit the road for the first time this season, the team announced a contract extension for forward Jonah Gadjovich.
The big, bruising winger signed a two-year extension to stay on with the Cats through 2028 after establishing himself as a reliable option on Florida’s fourth line.
“Jonah has become an integral part of our locker room and a strong contributor for our group on the ice,” Panthers GM Bill Zito said in a statement released by the team. “He possesses a fearless attitude and unrelenting competitiveness, and we are excited for Jonah to continue with us in South Florida.”
News of the deal came on Sunday, which also happened to be Gadjovich’s 27th birthday.
During his first two seasons with the Panthers, Gadjovich accumulated six goals, eight points and 164 penalty minutes over 81 regular season games while adding another two goals and an assist in 16 playoff outings during Florida’s latest Stanley Cup run.
So far this season, he’s picked up an assist and a plus-one on-ice rating over the Cats’ first three games.
Gadjovich and the Panthers will be back in action on Monday night when Florida begins a five-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Photo caption: Oct 2, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich (12) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
The 2025–26 NHL season is officially underway, with the Vancouver Canucks having played in two games already. Around the league, many former Canucks have also started their 2025–26 seasons, albeit with different teams. In total, there are 38 ex-Canucks who are currently on their new teams’ rosters and 22 different NHL teams with at least one former Canuck on them. Here’s a closer look at these former Canucks and which teams have the most of them.
There are 11 different NHL teams that currently have one former Canuck on their rosters. Artūrs Šilovs, who led the Abbotsford Canucks to their first Calder Cup Championship as playoff MVP, is now with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is projected to play a big role in their crease. Bruising forward Jonah Gadjovich was drafted by the Canucks in 2017 and played one game with them in 2020–21, but now returns to the Florida Panthers for his third-straight season with the defending Stanley Cup Champions. In the west, the Los Angeles Kings have goal-scorer Andrei Kuzmenko, while Ben Hutton returns for his fourth straight season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
A former Canuck who has carved out a solid position for himself is Jalen Chatfield, who enters his fifth season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Casey DeSmith remains a solid backup to Jake Oettinger for the Dallas Stars, while Erik Gudbranson will return to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final season of his four-year contract with the team. Former Canucks defenceman and Quinn Hughes D-pairing partner, Travis Hamonic, starts a new journey with the Detroit Red Wings after spending the past three-and-a-half seasons with the Ottawa Senators.
The Philadelphia Flyers have two former Canucks — a player (Noah Juulsen) and a head coach (Rick Tocchet). Jared McCann, a former Canucks draft pick in 2014 and 40-goal scorer in 2022–23, remains with the Seattle Kraken. After signing with them in free-agency this year, Pius Suter embarks on his first season with the St. Louis Blues and will play his former team at Rogers Arena on Monday, October 13.
Six NHL teams have two former Canucks on their rosters, with two of these teams being located in the Western Conference. The Utah Mammoth have two ex-Canucks defencemen in Ian Cole and Nate Schmidt, while the Winnipeg Jets have welcomed both forward Tanner Pearson and defenceman Luke Schenn to their lineup.
Four ex-Canucks currently play out of the city of New York. Former Canucks captain Bo Horvat and defenceman Ethan Bear are playing for the New York Islanders now. Their division rivals, the New York Rangers, have named a new captain in J.T. Miller. Defenceman Carson Soucy is also on the Rangers’ roster. Also located in the Eastern Conference are Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov with the Boston Bruins, and Anthony Beauvilier and Nic Dowd with the Washington Capitals.
Five NHL teams are tied with having the most former Canucks currently on their roster at three apiece, with two Canadian teams represented in this list. The Toronto Maple Leafs have welcomed ex-Canuck defencemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Chris Tanev to their second seasons with the team, while forward Dakota Joshua enters his first after being traded back in July. Center Curtis Lazar, defenceman Troy Stecher, and forward Vasily Podkolzin are all on the Edmonton Oilers after various methods of movement.
Groups of former Canucks continue throughout the U.S., with the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks all having three of these players on their roster. Playing alongside two Hughes brothers in New Jersey are former Canucks Juho Lammikko, Zack MacEwen, and Jacob Markström. San Jose features two forwards and a defenceman in Adam Gaudette, Tyler Toffoli, and Vincent Desharnais. Finally, the Blackhawks have a trio of ex-Canuck forwards including Jason Dickinson, Sam Lafferty, and Ilya Mikheyev.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
The Philadelphia Flyers are switching up their defensive group.
The Flyers have announced that they have recalled defenseman Emil Andrae from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In addition, the Flyers shared that blueliner Dennis Gilbert has been sent down to the Phantoms.
Andrae has recorded two assists in one game this season with the Phantoms. He also played in 25 games this past season with the Phantoms, where he recorded three goals, 13 assists, 16 points, and a plus-9 rating.
At the NHL level this past season with the Flyers, Andrae posted one goal, six assists, seven points, and a minus-5 rating. Now, after getting this latest call-up to the Flyers’ roster, the 23-year-old blueliner will be aiming to impress.
Transaction: We have recalled defenseman Emil Andrae from the @LVPhantoms (AHL). Defenseman Dennis Gilbert has been loaned to Lehigh Valley. pic.twitter.com/WPGkTtmPHL
Gilbert has yet to make his Flyers regular-season debut this campaign but will now get the chance to get into some game action with the Phantoms. The 6-foot-2 defenseman appeared in 29 games this past season split between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, where he posted six assists, 50 penalty minutes, 63 hits, and a minus-3 rating.
Dating back to last season, the Warriors came into Sunday night having won eight consecutive preseason games. The streak came to an end in their 126-116 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
The Warriors were without multiple key contributors, including Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Moses Moody. Seth Curry missed his third straight preseason game after being a late signing to training camp, and De’Anthony Melton (knee) and Alex Toohey (ankle) continue to be out from injuries.
Vying for a starting position in the backcourt, Brandin Podziemski took advantage of being a focal point of the Warriors’ offense. Podziemski had nine points through the first half and then caught fire in the third, scoring 14. The Warriors then only trailed by five points going into the fourth quarter because of Podziemski’s efforts.
Podziemski’s night was done, leaving the comeback attempt to the rest of his teammates. But Sunday night in LA belonged to Podziemski, showing how he can be a reliable scorer and playmaker, especially when the Warriors aren’t at full strength. Podziemski in 26 minutes scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting and also had five rebounds and eight assists. He was a plus-6.
Brandin Podziemski was able to score everywhere tonight
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ first loss of the preseason.
Shorthanded Starters
Down their top two players, adding Horford and Moody to the list of Warriors absences called for an interesting starting five. Coach Steve Kerr started with Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Quinten Post. Moody is out the rest of the preseason and will be re-evaluated in a week with what the Warriors are calling a strained calf.
“We’re not too concerned about it. It’s just we’re being careful,” Kerr told reporters in LA.
The age of the Warriors’ top players already guarantees Kerr will have to be comfortable with multiple combinations and consistently tinker with who his starters are. This was the perfect opportunity for several young Warriors and role players to step up. The score was tied 13-13 when Kerr made his first substitution, bringing Gary Payton II in for Post.
Golden State’s starting five began the second half together, and came out strong trying to cut down a 17-point deficit. The Lakers’ lead was cut to 10 points with the Warriors outscoring the Lakers 21-14 through the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter when Kerr brought Payton in for Post.
Kuminga’s Highs And Lows
Offense will have to run through Kuminga on nights that Curry and Butler are out. There were moments where he showed he can step up with more responsibility, and others where consistency continues to be a problem.
Kuminga in the first quarter twice took advantage of Dalton Knecht switching onto him in the post. He also had three assists in the first quarter. Then in the second, Kuminga went from getting his ankles crossed on defense to throwing down an explosive dunk that only he can slam left-handed with ease and authority.
Kuminga in the first half scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and had four assists. His fourth was a dime to Pat Spencer cutting into the paint for a layup. But Kuminga also didn’t have one rebound at halftime, led the Warriors with five turnovers and was a game-low minus-18.
There were highs and lows in Kuminga’s third game of the preseason. Kuminga played 22 minutes and scored an efficient 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He dominated around the rim, but missed his only 2-point shot outside the paint and badly forced one of his three 3-point attempts.
The process overall has been positive. Kuminga is keeping his eyes up and mostly has been in flow of the offense. He finished with no rebounds, six assists and five turnovers as a minus-10.
Creating Space
Between offseason additions and the development of certain players, Kerr has raved over the space these Warriors can create. He now can have an offense that plays four-out, or even five-out. When at full strength, that is.
The end of the first quarter saw a unit of Pat Spencer, Will Richard, Payton, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis struggle to score with very little spacing. None of those five are considered threats to shoot from long distance. The start of the second quarter also was a struggle.
That group featured Podziemski, Hield, Kuminga, Santos and Jackson-Davis. Those five give Kerr one surefire 3-point threat in Hield, and a hopeful second with Podziemski. The Warriors as a team in the first half shot 19 percent from three, going 4 of 21. Payton was the only bench player to make a three, and no Warrior made multiple threes.
They also didn’t attempt a single free throw in the first half, while the Lakers went 13 of 15 at the line.
After making only four 3-pointers in the first half, the Warriors made three in the first two and a half minutes of the third quarter – two by Post and one from Podziemski – and five for the entire quarter. The Warriors made two more threes than the Lakers, 14 to 12, but shot a lowly 32.6 percent, which was far lower than LA’s 44.4 percent clip. Podziemski, Post and LJ Cryer were the only Warriors to make more than one three.
Richard (1 of 6), Santos (1 of 5) and Spencer (1 of 5) combined to go 3 of 17 on threes.
