Posts

Posted on

Game Thread: White Sox (32-28) at Twins (28-33)

May 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin (65) returns to the dugout after pitching against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Davis Martin is having himself an All-Star-caliber season. | (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)

After a five-game winning streak to end the month of May, the Chicago White Sox found themselves on the wrong end of the result yesterday as they lost the first of three games in Minnesota. Monday night was an outlier compared to recent results, as it was the first time in a week they surrendered more than five runs. After taking two of three from the Twins just last week, the Good Guys look to do the same again, starting with a win tonight.

For a White Sox team looking to continue distancing itself from the rest of the AL Central, they have the best possible pitcher on the mound tonight. Davis Martin gets the ball today, and fans should have plenty of confidence in him. Martin has an 8-1 record with a 2.00 ERA so far this season. He hasn’t taken a loss in eight straight outings and has recorded a win in five of his last six starts. He should again get plenty of run support from an offense that currently ranks ninth in MLB in runs scored.

The Twins will look to get to Martin early while countering with Connor Prielipp. The rookie had a good start to the season through his first five starts, but has since struggled. In his last two outings, he’s allowed 12 runs in just over eight innings of work. Most notably, his last start came against the White Sox on May 27, when he allowed eight hits, six earned runs, and three walks before being chased midway through the fifth inning. While he didn’t give up the long ball, the South Siders found plenty of success playing small ball against Prielipp.

With Chicago having a massive advantage in the pitching matchup and the better offensive team, tagging the Twins for a few runs early will be key, as the longer the game stays close, the hairier it will get. The Twins are a much better squad when they score first, as they struggle to come from behind no matter the margin.

Here is the starting lineup for the South Siders:

And here is the lineup for the Minnesota Twins:

View Link

First pitch is 6:40 p.m. CST. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!

Posted on

Game 62: White Sox at Twins

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 31: Brooks Lee #22 of the Minnesota Twins hugs Orlando Arcia #11 after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images

First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV, FOX9 KMSP, Gray Media

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com

Know thine enemy: South Side Sox

Connor Prielipp is on the mound for the Twins today. His last time out he gave up 6 runs in a game the Twins lost 15-2 to these very same White Sox. Let’s hope for a better start today.

Today’s Lineups

WHITE SOXTWINS
Chase Meidroth – 2BByron Buxton – CF
Randal Grichuk – RFBrooks Lee – 3B
Miguel Vargas – 3BKody Clemens – 1B
Edgar Quero – CJosh Bell – DH
Sam Antonacci – LFTrevor Larnach – LF
Derek Hill – CFAustin Martin – RF
Andrew Benintendi – DHLuke Keaschall – 2B
Luisangel Acuna – SSTristan Gray – SS
Jacob Gonzalez – 1BAlex Jackson – C
Davis Martin – RHPConnor Prielipp – LHP

Posted on

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians: Cam Schlittler vs. Joey Cantillo

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 20: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on May 20, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

You still have to play the game, of course, but when you have a pitcher having as fine a season as Cam Schlittler is, you expect to win all of his start. The American League’s best pitcher will look to keep the Yankees on this nice little roll they’re on, with the potential to push New York to 7-1 since that walk-off win over the Rays. Back under the lights in the Bronx, we kick off this three-game set with the Cleveland Guardians.

The young righty makes his 13th start of the year tonight against the Guardians, with an eight-outing streak of allowing two runs or less and failing to throw six innings in just one of those games. Cleveland is closer to the bottom of league-wide offensive production than the top, so on paper things are set up to potentially go very very well for Cam. You still have to play the game, of course.

Going for Cleveland is lefty Joey Cantillo, and it feels like the bottom is doomed to drop out for this guy. He walks 12.7 percent of batters faced while sitting down just 21.2 percent of hitters himself. I’m not saying expect a 13-run inning anytime in this contest, but the Yankees have clobbered lefties to the tune of a 124 wRC+ this season, the best mark in baseball. Between that and Cam’s stuff, we may get something special tonight.

On the lineup side of things, Amed Rosario is off the paternity list and back with the team, hitting cleanup against the southpaw Cantillo. But the biggest note is Aaron Judge getting his first day off of the year.* I actually think this is a pretty good idea because of the context of this game — your team already hits lefties well, your ace is on the hill, and you can give your most important player an additional day to refocus on some of the little problems he’s been dealing with at the plate this year. Cleveland is no pushover, they currently lead the AL Central by 1.5 games over the White Sox, but we also know what a salve the AL Central can sometimes be for that which woes the Yankees.

*Update: We now know that Judge is also dealing with a bone bruise in his shoulder area that’s been bothering him. So that’s swell.

Today is of course the anniversary of Lou Gehrig stepping away from baseball, so expect plenty of memorializations and retellings of the Iron Horse’s great, tragic story from the YES booth and in the Stadium.

How to watch:

Location: Yankee Stadium

First pitch: 7:05 pm EDT

TV Broadcast: YES Network (NYY) | Guardians.TV

Radio Broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7, Guardians Radio Network (CLE)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!
Posted on

Game #60: Athletics at Cubs Game Thread

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 7: Gage Jump #79 of the Athletics pitches during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s almost time folks. The A’s are set to begin their road trip with the series opener in Chicago against the Cubs. We need a win desperately and to shake these bad vibes off. A big road trip, which includes a trip to Houston later, would help wipe away these tough past couple of weeks and that begins tonight at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs enter this series like the A’s: having started the year strong before going through a tough past couple of weeks. They’ve dropped 11 of their past 16 games and fallen to fourth in a competitive NL Central. Their pitching has taken a step back during their recent downturn but the Cubs’ offense has gone completely missing. They’re still above .500 at 32-28 thanks to a huge April but things are trending down for them right now. That’s a similar story to the A’s and now these two desperate teams will hope to right the ship during this series.

Before we get to the game, the A’s made a few roster moves just a few hours before first pitch:

Not as extensive as many thought after Mark Kotsay’s comments the other day. The promotion of Kade Morris and the demotion of Jacob Lopez was widely reported. The A’s will also swap out righty reliever Michael Kelly in exchange for fellow righty Mason Barnett. We may be seeing Barnett in a relief role if needed over the next few days, but if not there is always a chance the team uses him to start Thursday’s game if Morris comes on in relief over the next two games. To make room on the 40-man roster relief pitcher Brooks Kriske lands on the 60-day IL, putting him officially out of action for the foreseeable future.

Back to the game. The starting pitcher for the A’s tonight will be Gage Jump, who is set to make his second career big league start. The left-hander had an up-and-down big league debut last week when he pitched five innings of four-run ball against the Seattle Mariners. It wasn’t the best debut as he allowed nine hits but he also only walked one batter while collecting the first five strikeouts of his career. The Cubs’ offense has been struggling against breaking balls in recent weeks so we may see a steady stream of those from Jump tonight. The team will be hoping that he got his debut jitters out of the way and can improve upon that first start in this one.

Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup looks for the series opener in Chicago:

It’s all the regulars in there tonight. Carlos Cortes is leading off and in right field while Lawrence Butler will be available off the bench.

On the other side of the pitching matchup, it’ll be a veteran taking on the rookie in Jameson Taillon. Now in his 10th big league season the right-hander has begun showing his age. The right-hander has a 5.37 ERA in 11 starts and has gotten hit especially hard in recent outings, allowing 16 earned runs over his past 14 2/3 frames. The A’s may be catching Taillon at the perfect time.

And the Chicago starting lineup tonight:

Both teams are in a rut and need a win. Only one will claim victory tonight. Will it be the Green & Gold? Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

Posted on

Mitchell Robinson officially questionable for Game 1 following hand surgery

SAN ANTONIO — Knicks center Mitchell Robinson went through at least part of the Knicks practice with the team on the eve of the NBA Finals, but he is officially listed as questionable heading into Game 1.

"He did individual stuff yesterday," Knicks coach Mike Brown said before brushing off questions about his availability, saying he had not spoken to the team doctors.

Robinson wants to play and is pushing to get back. He was out on the court with a wrap on his right hand Tuesday, going through the casual shoot-around part of Knicks practice that was open to the media. Whether he was a full participant in practice is not something the Knicks were talking about.

Robinson had surgery within the last week to repair what was originally described as a "pinky finger" injury, but later reports described this as a fifth metacarpal fracture, which is the bone that connects the little finger to the wrist. That is more of a hand fracture than a finger fracture.

This injury happened at home, not during Game 4 last round against the Cavaliers or at the Knicks practice facility, something Brown had suggested and Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed (it is still not clear exactly what did cause it). Robinson also has posted on social media about facing some challenges in his personal life right now, but did not elaborate on that.

Because it's a hand injury, it can be wrapped and padded a little more, with a brace he will have to wear, but that is not ideal for catching a pass, pulling down a contested rebound, or controlling the ball.

New York needs Robinson to do those things and help defend Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Finals. In the Knicks' NBA Cup Finals win against the Spurs, Robinson had 10 offensive rebounds and was a force on both ends — he was a key part of the Knicks' comeback win.

Posted on

Game Thread: Matz gets a re-do

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 30: Yandy Díaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays runs the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Tropicana Field on May 30, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go Rays!

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!
Posted on

GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m.

Jun 1, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Green (31) celebrates a home run during the third inning against Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers (22-38) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (36-20)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Tropicana Field
SB Nation Site: DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-7, 5.81 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Matz (4-2, 4.67 ERA)

Lineups

TIGERSRAYS
Gleyber Torres – 2BChandler Simpson – LF
Matt Vierling – CFJunior Caminero – 3B
Dillon Dingler – CJonathan Aranda – 1B
Riley Greene – LFYandy Diaz – DH
Jahmai Jones – DHRichie Palacios – 2B
Spencer Torkelson – 1BRyan Vilade – RF
Wenceel Perez – RFVictor Mesa – CF
Zach McKinstry – 3BHunter Feduccia – C
Zack Short – SSBen Williamson – SS

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!
Posted on

10 things that didn't exist in 1999, the last time the Knicks made the Finals

It was June 1999. Jennifer Lopez sat at No. 1 on the Billboard chart with her debut single. StarWars: EpisodeI had been in theaters for a month and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me was topping the box office.

The first season of TheSopranos had wrapped that spring and a New Jersey mobster with panic attacks was suddenly the most talked-about character on television.

Jalen Brunson was 3 years old and Madison Square Garden was buzzing. The New York Knicks were in the NBA Finals.

The San Antonio Spurs won the series in 1999; the Knicks haven’t been back until now.

Twenty-seven years later, the same two teams return to the NBA Finals in a completely different world.

Here are 10 things that did not exist the last time the Knicks made the NBA Finals:

The iPhone

Apple did not release the first iPhone until June 2007. In 1999, the cool phone was the Motorola StarTAC, the slim flip phone that fit in your pocket. Down on Wall Street, the shiny new toy was the BlackBerry, which had just launched that January as a two-way pager.

Neither had a camera. So nobody was snapping selfies at the Garden back in 1999.

Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs superstar was not born yet and the NBA had no idea what was coming. The tallest player in the league that June was 7-foot-7 Gheorghe Muresan, a Romanian center whose career was ending due to back problems and whose other claim to fame was a cameo in an Eminem video. The idea of a 7-foot-4 player who handles the ball, shoots 3s, blocks shots and switches onto guards was science fiction.

Social Media

No Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram, no TikTok. If you wanted to scream about a Patrick Ewing dunk or a blown call, you had to yell at whoever was in the room and wait until you got to work or school the next morning to get everybody’s take.

Streaming

Netflix was a website that mailed you DVDs in little red envelopes. YouTube didn’t exist. Neither did Spotify. The 1999 Finals played on NBC, and if you missed it, you missed it. Maybe you caught the highlights on SportsCenter at 11.

Las Vegas Golden Knights, Aces and Raiders

Las Vegas was known in sports for boxing and betting in 1999, not being a sports town. The Vegas Golden Knights, the city's first major professional franchise, is in its third Stanley Cup Final, so it's hard to remember that they didn't exist before 2017. The Raiders left Oakland in 2020 and headed to Vegas. The Aces moved from San Antonio in 2018 and won the city's first major league title in 2022.

DVR

If you weren’t home for tipoff in 1999, you set the VCR and prayed the tape didn’t run out before the fourth quarter. TiVo had launched that March, but almost nobody had it.

Alexa

Nobody was asking a tube on the kitchen counter to play the Knicks pregame show. Amazon’s Echo didn’t arrive until November 2014. In 1999, if you wanted to listen to Mike Breen call the game on WFAN, you turned up the boombox or the kitchen-counter clock radio.

Modern video games

Gaming in 1999 meant you and your buddies on a couch passing the PlayStation controller back and forth. There was no Twitch, no online multiplayer on consoles, no streaming, no voice chat. Players in NBA Live 99 looked like floating heads on geometric bodies and NBA 2K didn’t launch until that November.

DoorDash and UberEats

Hosting a watch party for the Knicks games in 1999 meant actually having to call and talk to a person at the local pizza place to place an order. You had to scrape up the cash to pay and tip the delivery guys, too. DoorDash launched in 2013 and UberEats the year after. The closest thing you had to a delivery app in 1999 was a stack of delivery menus in your kitchen draw.

Legal sports betting

In 1999, if you wanted action on Game 1, you either had to drive to Atlantic City, fly to Las Vegas or know a guy. The Supreme Court didn’t strike down the federal sports betting ban until May 2018. There were no apps. No same-game parlays. No prop bets on Allan Houston’s first quarter rebound total.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals 1999 vs. 2026: What has changed

Posted on

NHL's Dallas Stars plan move to suburbs in 5 years, with NBA's Mavs also leaving downtown then

PLANO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Stars are planning to move north, out of downtown and to the suburb of Plano in five years after the lease is up at the NHL team's current home arena.

Stars officials announced Tuesday the signing of a nonbinding letter of intent to build a new hockey-specific arena and entertainment district about 20 miles north of the downtown American Airlines Center, which they have shared with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since it opened in 2001.

The leases at the AAC for both teams expire in 2031. The two franchises have been in a legal dispute about their partnership agreement and management of the building.

The Stars made their intentions known a day after the Mavericks said they have a preliminary agreement on a site for their own new arena about 10 miles north of downtown, but still within the Dallas city limits. The NBA's team deal is for 104 acres on the former site of Valley View Mall, which was demolished three years ago.

A new arena for the Stars is expected to be part of a large-scale redevelopment project at The Shops at Willow Bend, where the last enclosed mall built in Texas is set for demolition.

The Stars submitted their letter of intent to the city of Plano, which placed it on the City Council agenda for consideration at its next meeting Monday. The letter includes plans for the mixed-used development project as well as design and construction of the arena.

“This project would present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our franchise,” Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said in a statement. “We eagerly await the vote by the Plano City Council and look forward to continuing the conversation to be part of the redevelopment of The Shops at Willow Bend.”

That mall on about 90 acres opened in 2001, and there are open restaurants and parking garages in the area. The new arena would anchor the redevelopment that could include sports, entertainment, retail, dining and public gathering spaces.

The NHL franchise was known as the North Stars before moving south from Minnesota and beginning play in Dallas for the 1993-94 season. The Stars in 1999 became the first of hockey's Sun Belt teams to win a Stanley Cup title.

The Stars won that championship while still playing at Reunion Arena, a building they also shared with the Mavericks after moving to Dallas. That downtown arena, which was fully demolished in 2009, is about a mile from the AAC.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Posted on

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 01: Nasim Nunez #26 of the Washington Nationals looks up as umpire Alan Porter #64 calls him out after trying to steal second base in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park on June 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The feisty fish have given the Nats problems this year, and last night was no different. The Nationals bullpen was unable to hold on to their lead, and they lost 7-3. Tonight, they will try and even the series. They have been a series winning machine lately, so the Nats will not want to drop this one against the Marlins.

There will be a couple changes to the lineup. Jorbit Vivas will replace Nasim Nunez as the second baseman. Dylan Crews will be back in the lineup, after missing the last couple games with a minor hand issue. The struggling Daylen Lile won’t get the night off, but he will be off his feet as the DH. Drew Millas will be doing the catching. Richard Lovelady will open and Miles Mikolas will follow him.

With the lefty opener for the Nats, the Marlins put lefty masher Heriberto Hernandez at the top of the lineup. Liam Hicks will be at first base for Connor Norby. Other than that, it is the same personnel. Lake Bachar will be opening for the fish, and it will be all hands on deck in their bullpen.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nats have had problems against the Marlins, so hopefully they can snap out of it tonight. Getting all those hard fought wins against teams over .500 just to give those curly W’s away against the Marlins would be frustrating. That makes tonight an important matchup. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.

Posted on

Tuesday night Orioles game thread: at Red Sox, 6:45

May 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Shane Baz (34) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Fresh off a 7-3 homestand, the O’s open their June schedule with three games in Boston against a reeling Red Sox team. The Orioles are just 9-17 on the road, while the Red Sox are 9-15 at home, so neither team is happy to be there. It’s a movable force against a stoppable object. But somebody has to win.

So why not the Orioles? Their hitting and their pitching (minus some bullpen slip-ups) were both on point during their just-concluded homestand, and tonight’s starter, Shane Baz, is coming off two consecutive excellent outings against his former team, the Rays. This is his first time facing the Red Sox this year but historically he’s been excellent against them, with a 2.64 ERA in five career starts. He’s held Jarren Duran, Boston’s leadoff hitter tonight, to a 2-for-14.

Scoring runs could be a problem for the Birds, considering they’re facing their Kryptonite, a left-handed starter. This is a pretty good one in rookie Connelly Early, who’s got a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts this year, though his 4.16 FIP indicates he’s been benefiting from some good luck. The Orioles will be unleashing their lefty-facing lineup that often fails to actually hit lefties, including Tyler O’Neill, who is 4-for-45 this year against southpaws. I’d sooner give Colton Cowser the start coming off his monster homestand instead of wasting more time with O’Neill, but what do I know? At least Samuel Basallo is in the lineup.

The Orioles right now have the most momentum they’ve had all season. Will they keep it going on the road, or immediately squander it?

Orioles lineup:

LF Taylor Ward
SS Gunnar Henderson
C Adley Rutschman
1B Pete Alonso
DH Samuel Basallo
3B Coby Mayo
RF Tyler O’Neill
CF Leody Taveras
2B Blaze Alexander

RHP Shane Baz

Red Sox lineup:

LF Jarren Duran
CF Ceddanne Rafaela
RF Wilyer Abreu
1B Willson Contreras
DH Masataka Yoshida
C Mickey Gasper
2B Isiah Kiner-Falefa
SS Marcelo Mayer
3B Caleb Durbin

LHP Connelly Early

Posted on

Yankees Injury Notes: Jasson Dominguez to start rehab soon, Max Fried responding well to throwing program

Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave updates on a number of injured players as they start a three-game series with the Guardians on Tuesday...

Dominguez's rehab start, tentatively, set

With the injury to Aaron Judge, the Yankees could be in need of an outfield bat to replace their captain in the short term. Jasson Dominguez would be an ideal candidate if he could return from his IL stint and Boone offered a promising update on the young outfielder.

Boone said that Dominguez will take live batting practice and will begin a rehab assignment on Friday.

The 23-year-old outfielder was starting to turn things around since his call-up in late April. He was 6-for-30 in his nine games, but had five hits, including a home run, in his last seven games before landing on the IL with a shoulder sprain after running into the wall making a catch in the outfield.

Stanton update

Boone was asked about Giancarlo Stanton's status and it was more of the same from a week ago, when imaging showed that his calf strain was healing. Stanton will also be hitting in a live BP and continue his running ramp-up. 

When asked if Stanton will need a rehab assignment, the Yankees skipper didn't have a definitive answer, but it was the least of his concerns. 

"That’s not a big question for me….not necessarily, but I won’t rule it out either," Boone said. "We’ll decide that at the end. He’s different than every other player in that he doesn’t have to build up innings or things like that. It’s possible, but not a certainty either."

Boone said that he was hopeful Stanton would return soon since the slugger has been running the last few days, but conceded it could be a couple of more weeks before we see Stanton. 

Stanton was slashing .256/.302/.422 with an OPS of .724. He also has three home runs and driven in 14 RBI in his 24 games.

Fried latest

 Southpaw Max Fried was the final injury update that Boone provided and the skipper gave a short, but optimistic breakdown of what Fried has been going through since he landed on the IL with a bone bruise on his elbow. 

"Threw again at 75 feet back-to-back days with some better intensity," Boone said. "Seems to be responding to everything very well. Just talking to him, he’s excited how he felt since even a couple of days after the outing in Baltimore. He’s been doing well. Meeting with the doctor today to see about whether we start ramping him up more. But seems to be responding pretty well."

Fried was pitching to a 3.21 ERA  across his 10 starts before going down with injury. If the Yankees can get Fried back healthy, he'll slide into a rotation that has just welcomed back Gerrit Cole.

Posted on

NHL All-Star Game returning in 2027: Here is the new format

The NHL All-Star Game is returning in 2027 and will feature a new format.

The league and the NHL Players' Association announced details at NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's news conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The All-Star weekend will be held Feb. 5-6, 2027, in UBS Arena, the home of the New York Islanders.

The plan is to hold the All-Star Game every other year, with an international tournament taking place in the even years. There will be a World Cup of Hockey in 2028 and NHL players will take part in the 2030 Olympics.

Russian players will be allowed in the All-Star Game, but the NHL and NHLPA haven't decided on Russian participation in the World Cup of Hockey. They will follow the lead of the International Ice Hockey Federation, which recently said it would decide Russian eligibility in 2026-27 on a tournament-by-tournament basis.

Here are details for the 2027 All-Star weekend:

Feb. 6, 2027, NHL All-Star Game

  • It will feature five teams – Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States and a World team made up of international players from countries outside of the other four teams – competing in a three-on-three, round-robin exhibition tournament.
  • Each team will consist of 11 players: nine skaters and two goaltenders. The NHL and NHLPA will select 30 players from each of the participating teams for the 2027 NHL All-Star Fan Vote, which will open in December. Fans will use that list to select eight players from each team. The remaining three roster spots – one forward, one defenseman and one goaltender – will be selected jointly by the NHL and NHLPA.
  • Each team will play four five-minute games during the round-robin tournament. There won't be an overtime period or shootout in the event of a tie.
  • Teams will get points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss.
  • The top two teams from the round robin will advance to a 10-minute final. The winning team will claim a $2 million prize.

Feb. 5, 2027, All-Star skills competition

  • It will feature 10 young stars (25 or younger) competing across eight events. The players will be jointly selected by the NHL and NHLPA.
  • Each player will participate in four of the first six events: Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Passing Challenge, One Timers, Stick Handling and Accuracy Shooting. Players will earn points based on their placement in each event.
  • The top four players then will advance to a shootout, facing one of four All-Star goaltenders. The top two performers from the shootout will compete in the last event: the Obstacle Course Finale.
  • The player with the highest cumulative score will be named All-Star skills champion and take home a $1 million prize.

Bettman: Succession plan not imminent

Bettman, who turned 74 on June 2, responded to a report that a succession plan for him has been discussed, and said there have been discussions over the last couple years but nothing is imminent.

"Reports of my demise − or retirement − are greatly exaggerated," he said.

He also defended the current playoff format amid suggestions of going to a 1 vs. 8, etc., format. He said the current format leads to longer series and more competitive games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL All-Star Game date, new format announced

Posted on

Chicago Cubs vs. Athletics preview, Tuesday 6/2, 7:05 CT

Today’s roster move: Here

Tuesday notes…

  • BETTER SCORE FIRST: The Cubs are 10-0 when they have scored first in games at home and 8-11 when their guests have scored first. They are 20-6 in all games when they have scored first and 12-21 when they have not. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • THE LONG BALL RETURNS…: The Cubs have hit at least one home run in five consecutive games, their third-longest streak of the season. They homered in six straight twice, April 12-18 and April 20-25, and in seven in a row, May 2-8. Their longest streak last year was eight games. They also had one of seven, one of six and seven of five. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • … BUT ONLY A LITTLE BIT: They have hit exactly one homer in their last four games. They had not done that since May 13-17 of last year. This is their 11th four-game streak since their most recent of five, Aug. 16-21, 2018. Their previous one of five was in 2012. That was the longest since they hit one homer in eight straight games, May 23-30, 2009, to tie the team record, set in 1931. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
  • TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Matt Stairs, Sammy Sosa and Rondell White homered and the Cubs defeated the Brewers 10-4 in Milwaukee. It was the final victory of a 12-game winning streak, the Cubs’ longest since 1936, and the Cubs led the NL Central by 3.5 games. It happened 25 years ago today, Saturday, June 2, 2001.

Cubs lineup:

Athletics lineup:

Jameson Taillon, RHP vs. Gage Jump, LHP

I’m not sure what to say about Jameson Taillon anymore.

His last three starts have been, well, awful. The numbers back me up: 14.2 innings, 21 hits and four walks (1.705 WHIP), 16 runs (all earned, 9.82 ERA), eight home runs. His four-seamer velocity is down from last year, not by much, but maybe dropping that from 92.3 to 91.7 makes a difference.

Last year he had a decent outing against the A’s, April 2, 2025 in Sacramento, allowing two runs (a two-run homer by Brent Rooker). I think we’d take that.

Just keep the ball in the yard, Jamo.

Gage Jump. Now there’s a name!

Jump was the A’s second-round pick in 2024 out of LSU. He was a Top 100 prospect before this season and after nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas this year, the A’s called him up to make his MLB debut last Tuesday against the Mariners. He allowed nine hits and four runs in five innings.

That’s about all I’ve got here, besides the pitch chart below (for the 88 pitches he threw against Seattle). He’s obviously never faced the Cubs or anyone on their active roster.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Athletics site Athletics Nation. If you do go there to interact with A’s fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!
Posted on

Insider Links Young Anaheim Ducks Center To The St. Louis Blues

The Anaheim Ducks need to free space to sign young stars like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, and as a result, they could be looking to trade a struggling Mason McTavish.

A new report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period links the St. Louis Blues to the 23-year-old center. 

“We know that St. Louis is looking to get younger and augment their lineup quite a bit,” said insider Pagnotta.

Too much center depth in the NHL isn’t really a thing. And having an abundance of young centers is how teams become contenders. Currently, the Blues’ center core consists of 26-year-old Robert Thomas, 21-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky, and 30-year-old Pius Suter. Outside of the NHL, the Blues could see players like Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Adam Jecho.

Adding McTavish would improve the current Blues roster while still aligning with the direction the team hopes to head.

It’s no secret, though; McTavish really struggled during the 2025-26 season and hasn’t had the breakout campaign many thought he would have had by this point. The 6-foot-1, left-handed center notched just 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games this season after posting 22 goals and 52 points the year before. 

Four Blues Players Appear On Insiders Trade BoardFour Blues Players Appear On Insiders Trade BoardSt. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou, Jordan Binnington, Robert Thomas, and Colton Parayko appeared on insider Frank Seravalli’s off-season trade board.

Despite the issues in McTavish’s game, he’s proven to be a reliable enough center, even at his worst, and his track record provides enough belief that a change of scenery could unlock his game. 

McTavish was the third overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, with a resume that includes a gold medal at the World Junior Championship, as well as MVP honours at the event, a U-18 gold medal, and an OHL championship. 

The price tag to acquire McTavish is a bit of a mystery at the moment, but he just finished the first of a six-year, $7-million contract. 

Image

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.