The Flyers moved Ryan Ellis’ contract to the Sharks, along with a 2026 conditional sixth-round draft pick, in exchange for Carl Grundstrom and Artem Guryev.
Ellis was entering the seventh season of an eight-year, $50 million deal that he originally signed with the Predators. The contract had a $6.250 million annual cap hit.
Grundstrom, a 27-year-old winger, comes to the Flyers as a pending unrestricted free agent. He’s in the final year of two-year, $3.6 million deal ($1.8 million cap hit). He was placed on waivers Sunday, according to PuckPedia.com. If he clears, he can eventually head to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Guryev is a 22-year-old defenseman who was selected by San Jose in the fifth-round of the 2021 draft. He played in the ECHL last season and will report to the Phantoms.
There aren’t many higher honors on a professional sports team than being the captain of a team. This article will be all about them, a rundown of current and past captains, where they come from, and interesting facts along the way.
All Active Captains
Of the 32 teams in the NHL, 30 teams have a player who wears a ‘C’. Only the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks are without a captain at the moment. Last season, every team in the league had a captain going into the campaign.
The Bruins had Brad Marchand rock the ‘C’ for the team, but he was traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 trade deadline. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy and right winger David Pastrnak are likely next in line for that role.
As for the Sharks, Logan Couture was their guy, but he stepped away from the game due to Osteitis Pubis. There is the possibility that the Sharks will wait for Couture’s contract to expire before they name someone else captain.
Steve Yzerman holds the record for the longest-tenured captain in NHL history, as he donned the ‘C’ for the Red Wings for 19 seasons, from the 1986-87 season until 2005-06 when he retired.
Sidney Crosby will be equalling that record going into his 19th season as the captain of the Penguins. His first season as Pittsburgh’s captain was in 2007-08, his third season in the NHL.
The third-longest tenure in NHL captains' history is from Joe Sakic. He captained the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche from 1990-91 until 2008-09.
Alexander Ovechkin deserves some love as he’ll join the top three once the 2025-26 regular season kicks off. This will be his 17th season as captain of the Capitals.
Longest Tenured Captains Currently
Aside from Crosby and Ovechkin, who are shaking hands with history in terms of being some of the longest-tenured captains in NHL history, here’s that list among active players.
Behind Crosby and Ovechkin is Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landerskog. Landeskog was named Colorado’s captain ahead of the 2012-13 campaign when he was 19 years old. After a remarkable comeback to the NHL, the Avs captain is suiting up to be the team’s captain for a 14th season.
Next in line is Jamie Benn of the Stars. He was named captain one season after Landeskog got the ‘C’. Benn was a 24-year-old heading into his fifth NHL campaign. Benn is yet to win a Stanley Cup, but has come close with a Cup final appearance and three consecutive Western Conference finals. This will be Benn’s 13th year donning the ‘C’.
The 2025-26 season will be Anze Kopitar’s last; thus, it will be his final year as the Kings captain. Kopitar became Los Angeles’ captain later in his career compared to others. This is because Dustin Brown held the captaincy before him for eight seasons. This will be Kopitar’s 20th NHL season and 10th year as Kings captain.
Shortest Tenured Captains
J.T. Miller of the Rangers is currently the shortest-tenured captain, as he was just given the captaincy on Sept. 16 and hasn’t started the regular season yet. Miller has never been captain before, but ahead of his departure from the Canucks, he was an alternate for his last four seasons.
Aside from Miller, seven players are tied, entering their second season as captains. Those players are Auston Matthews, Nick Foligno, Victor Hedman, Radko Gudas, Rasmus Dahlin, Clayton Keller and Jordan Eberle.
Keller and Eberle would be the newest captains by technicality because Keller was named captain of Utah on Oct. 4, 2024, and Eberle was gifted the ‘C’ with Seattle a couple of days later. Everyone else officially became the captain earlier than October’s arrival.
Fun fact: Wayne Gretzky has one of the shortest tenures as a captain in NHL history. In the 1995-96 season, he played 18 games as a member of the Blues after being traded by the Kings. After those 18 games, he signed with the Rangers the next season and never wore the ‘C’ again.
Youngest Captains
The answer to who the youngest-named captain of all time and among active players is the same. On Oct. 5, 2016, the Oilers named 19-year-old Connor McDavid captain of the team. He dethroned Landeskog of that title, as McDavid was 20 days younger than Landeskog when he was given the captaincy.
The current youngest captain in the NHL is Rasmus Dahlin of the Sabres. Buffalo’s defenseman is 25 years old, like Quinn Hughes is, but Hughes was born in 1999 versus Dahlin’s 2000 birth year. Dahlin was named captain ahead of last season.
Oldest Captains
The oldest captain in the NHL as the 2025-26 season approaches is Ovechkin. He just turned 40 years old on Sep. 17, and this will be his 21st season in the NHL.
The oldest player to ever wear the ‘C’ on his chest was defenseman Zdeno Chara. The final year of his captaincy was in 2019-20, when he was 43 years old. He still went on to play two more seasons, split between the Capitals and Islanders.
1. 12 Canadian captains (Jordan Staal, Boone Jenner, Jamie Benn, Connor McDavid, Jared Spurgeon, Nick Suzuki, Sean Couturier, Sidney Crosby, Jordan Eberle, Brayden Schenn, Mark Stone, Adam Lowry)
2. Eight American captains (Nick Foiligno, Dylan Larkin, Anders Lee, J.T. Miller, Brady Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Clayton Keller, Quinn Hughes)
3. Four Swedish captains (Rasmus Dahlin, Mikael Backlund, Gabriel Landeskog, Victor Hedman)
4. Two Swiss captains (Nico Hischier, Roman Josi)
T 5. One Finnish captain (Aleksander Barkov), one Czech captain (Radko Gudas), one Russian captain (Alexander Ovechkin), one Slovenian captain (Anze Kopitar)
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So many thoughts, second guesses and Monday morning quarterback analysis when it comes to the Phillies’ crushing 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.
This much we do know. The Phillies are in a must-win situation when the two teams reconvene on Monday for Game 2. Left-hander Jesús Luzardo will be looking to even the series when he faces Dodgers lefty Blake Snell. Since July 29, Luzardo has started 11 games and logged 69 2/3 innings and has posted a 2.84 ERA while giving up six home runs. He has struck out 80 during that time and the Phillies have gone 7-4 during those starts.
“It’s just another game, in reality,” said Luzardo, when asked if there’s any added pressure on him. “In the grand scheme of things, there’s been a lot of series this year where we ended up winning after losing game one, that we just bounce back and won two in a row. I think that’s the mentality that we have to take.
“Obviously, you want to get a win, it’s important to do that at home. I wouldn’t say there’s added pressure or anything. Just go out and play the game the way we know how to play it. We’ve been the best team in baseball at home so there’s a reason for that.”
Snell pitched the Wild Card Series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday and went seven innings, struck out nine and allowed just four hits and two earned runs in a 10-5 Los Angeles win. In his last three regular season outings, the former Cy Young Award winner allowed one earned run over 19 innings, nine hits and struck out 28 and walked just four. To say he is hot right now would be a huge understatement.
All the second guessing of using who and when out of the bullpen really doesn’t matter if the Phillies don’t come up with some timely hitting. The top three in their order – Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper – went 1-for-11 with a walk and six strikeouts in Saturday’s loss. In the fifth inning, with runners on first and second with one out and the Phillies leading 3-0, Turner softly lined out to shortstop and Schwarber struck out swinging on a 3-2 curveball from Shohei Ohtani.
In the seventh against reliever Tyler Glasnow, J.T. Realmuto reached base on an error by third baseman Max Muncy to lead off the inning, only to get stranded on a fly out by Max Kepler and a double play by pinch-hitter Nick Castellanos.
The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth off Glasnow, but pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa flied out to deep center to end that threat. And after Kepler laced a one-out double to right in the ninth, Roki Sasaki was able to retire Castellanos and Bryson Stott to give the Dodgers the lead in the series.
“Yeah, especially the bottom part of the order I thought we really had pretty good at-bats all night long,” said Thomson. “The guys at the top, they pitched them tough, a lot of breaking balls. Ohtani was really tough on them. I thought that the guys at the bottom did a nice job.
“I don’t sense any extra pressure. I feel like they’re loose. We made a lot of good plays on defense last night. We pitched well. We just didn’t get the big hit when we needed. We had some chances. That’s the way it is. I think it’s just kind of the ebbs and flows of the game. We got to come out here tomorrow night and play well.”
There were chances, but the Phillies just never seemed to get that back-breaking hit after they scored three runs in the second inning, two on a triple by Realmuto on one more when Harrison Bader knocked him in with a sacrifice fly to left.
But that was it. Ohtani retired 12 of the next 14 Phillies and the momentum they had built in the second disappeared as quickly as a Kyle Schwarber line drive home run. And the Dodgers pounced, winning the game on a three-run home run by three-hole hitter Teoscar Hernandez in the seventh off Matt Strahm.
Up until Hernandez’ home run, the top three hitters in the Dodgers order – including Ohtani and Mookie Betts – were
And now Rob Thomson may have to manage his lineup a bit differently, as Bader left the game on Saturday with soreness in his groin after running to second on a single by Stott in the fifth.
“No major tear or strain,” Thomson said of his starting centerfielder. “He’s going to come in this afternoon and get treatment, and we’ll know more tomorrow. I think after the game they stretched him out; they got him moving around a little bit and I think he felt a lot better after that. We’ll know whether he’s available to start or at least to pinch-hit. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
While hitters have to hit for the Phillies, especially the ones at the top of the order, the focus, as it always does, will fall on the starting pitcher. Luzardo has the benefit of having faced the Dodgers on September (four runs in seven innings) and watching fellow lefty Cristopher Sánchez attack them last night.
“I’ve been going after him basically all season at this point and I think for the most part I would do a good job of (studying),” Luzardo said. “We’re different pitchers but at the same time lefthanded. They take certain swings or certain approaches against him. That might change a little bit with me. There’s something to that and understanding how their approach was with him, how they looked on certain pitches. I definitely study the way he pitched them and how they reacted to that.
“It works both ways. They get a little bit on you, understanding how you work and how they see you. But at the same time, you get a little familiarity with them, their swing paths and their approach. It might change a little here and there but for the most part it is what it is. There’s comfort knowing that you faced them a good amount, especially recently.”
Comfort wouldn’t seem to be a word floating around the Phillies’ situation right now, but we’ll see starting at 6:08 p.m.
“It is baseball and sometimes you lose games at home,” Thomson said. “You’ve got to play well. You’ve got to pitch, and you have to play defense and swing the bats, play small ball at times. It’s just the way it is. It doesn’t mean we’re not going to come in here tomorrow night and not play well. I know that we’ve played better at home. I feel like we’re more comfortable at home, that’s for sure. They’ll come out here, and they’ll be ready to go tomorrow night.”
Red October coverage on NBC Sports Philadelphia is sponsored by Toyota.
The Rangers wrapped up their six-game preseason slate with a loss the Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
They finished with a 2-3-1 record during those games.
The results don’t matter much, but with youngsters getting their chance to show what they can do and veterans competing for a spot, there are always some positives to take away from these exhibition contests.
Here are the four biggest standouts for the Blueshirts this time around…
Noah Laba
Laba was arguably the biggest riser for the Rangers this preseason.
The youngster came into camp as a long shot for a roster spot, but his impressive play put him square in the mix for the third-line center opening. He finished the preseason with a six points in as many games, the last of which was a power play goal on a deflected Adam Fox shot from the point during Saturday's preseason finale.
It remains to be seen whether or not Laba did enough to scratch his way into the lineup, but he certainly made an extremely compelling case.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Laba said early in camp. “Obviously, you’re never ready until it actually comes -- there’s always lessons to be learned, but I feel like I’m prepared and super excited to play with any amount of guys.”
Conor Sheary
After appearing in just five NHL games last season, Sheary just wanted to prove that he could still play at this level.
“I kind of have nothing to lose,” he said.
Tampa agreed to terminate the final year of his deal prior to free agency opening, so Sheary penciled the Rangers into the top of his list of destinations, and he ended up landing with them on a PTO.
The veteran took full advantage of that opportunity, producing three points in five games -- while also bringing the tough forechecking that head coach Mike Sullivan saw so often during their time together with the Penguins.
“He’s a guy who could potentially add those elements to our team,” Sullivan said during camp.
After entering coming in as a bit of an unknown, the Rangers seem likely to keep the 33-year-old winger around on a new contract, and it appears he’ll start the season on their third line. He'd bring a strong veteran presence with playoff experience to this locker room and some much-needed familiarity with Sullivan’s system.
New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) takes the ice against the Minnesota Wild for his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
Gabe Perreault
Perreault came into camp looking to earn himself a spot on the opening night roster after his brief cup of coffee in the NHL down the stretch last season.
The young winger ended up falling short in that attempt, as he was assigned back to Hartford late this week, but it certainly wasn’t because of his play. He looked confident and comfortable out there, finishing second on the team with four points (one goal, three assists) while skating big minutes in the top-six over five games.
Perreault left a strong impression on the new coaching staff, but they ultimately decided it would be best for him to continue his development down in the AHL for now.
One thing is for certain, though, Sullivan saw something in his game.
“He’s an NHL player in the making,” the head coach said.
Scott Morrow
Morrow was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes this offseason as part of the K’Andre Miller sign-and-trade, and thus far, the young CT-native has been able to make a positive first impression back home with the Blueshirts.
Morrow showed plenty of positives as a playmaker throughout the preseason, but he’s still working to gain the organization’s trust defensively. With no spot for him in the lineup currently, the staff would rather see him continue that development down in Hartford.
“It’s hard to get better when you’re on the sidelines,” Sullivan said.
“We’re thrilled he’s a Ranger -- he’s a big, strong kid. I think he skates well and has some offensive instincts. He has the ability to run a power play. He’s getting better defending, and that’s an area I’m fairly confident our coaching staff can help him with.”
If the Blueshirts’ new-look defensive core struggles to start the year and Morrow is able to take some steps forward in his own zone, perhaps we’ll see him receive his opportunity skating with the big club.
From Ex-players to current players and everything in between, we've got you covered.
Did you miss anything from the past week at The Hockey News - Columbus Blue Jackets? If you did, we have you covered with the Sunday Recap. Click on each card below to read the stories from the past week.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced more cuts to their training camp roster. Yesterday, the cut more than a dozen players and now, not even 24 hours later they have made more.
The training camp roster was at 38 players, consisting of 22 forwards, 12 defensemen, and four goaltenders. After today's cuts it now sits at 25, with 13 players getting re-assigned.
Dean Kukan - 2015-2022 - Kukan is undrafted out of Volketswil, Switzerland.
Dean Kukan made his NHL debut in March of 2016 after playing the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. After playing in 8 games near the end of the season, he was sent back to Lake Erie and would help the Monsters win their first-ever Calder Cup. He had 5 points in 17 playoff games.
Kukan would bounce up and down between Columbus and Cleveland until 2022. He would play a total of 153 games for the CBJ and total 30 points. Where he excelled was in the minors, though. He played in 142 games for Lake Erie/Cleveland and totaled 59 points as a fairly skilled two-way defenseman.
After the 2022 season, Kukan made the decision to return to Europe. He returned to his home country of Switzerland to play for his original club, the ZSC Lions, on a five-year contract.
Kukan is also routinely chosen to represent the Swiss in international competitions. He played in the 2025 IIHF Worlds where he scored 9 points in 10 games.
“It could go down as maybe the last goal ever on Fleury. I guess I could say I have it. It’s definitely a moment I’ll never forget. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a building that loud before. It was really electric. It was cool. I think maybe I’ll get booed every time I come here now, I don’t know.”
According to Russian Hockey Insider Artur Khairullin, Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL has listed Babcock as a candidate for their head coaching job. Ak Bars, which is based in Kazan, Russia, is located 519 miles east of Moscow.
Johnny Gaudreau - 2023-2024 - Drafted by Calgary in 2011.
After signing with the Blue Jackets on July 13th, 2022, Gaudreau would play 161 games in two seasons with Columbus. He scored 33 goals and total 134 points.
The Blue Jackets and their fans were robbed of many more years of Johnny Hockey excellence on August 29th, 2024. The death of Johnny Gaudreau shook not only Columbus, but it also shook the entire hockey-loving world.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames, and fans around the world refuse to let the memories of Johnny and Mathew Gaudreau be forgotten. For the last year, there have been countless charity events for different foundations and organizations all around North America.
During his playing career, Carter spent his summers in Los Angeles, exploring the entertainment and business industries. Meeting Priority Records founder Bryan Turner influenced Carter to start his own record label, Big Up Entertainment.
Jiří Novotný - 2008-2009 - Drafted by Buffalo in 2001.
Novotný played 107 games for the Jackets and had 29 points. He never played another NHL game and left for Europe where he played until 2023.
Novotný spent time in Russia, Czechia, and Switzerland until he retired. He is now the Sports Manager for HC Motor České Budějovice.
Elite Prospects said about Novotný "Novotný is a center with a sound two-way game. With good vision and passing ability, he is more of a playmaker than a shooter. Handles the puck and skates well, too. Can kill penalties and win faceoffs."
Dylan Gambrell, who played 54 games for Cleveland last season, has signed a PTO with the Milwaukee Admirals. He was on a PTO with the Nashville Predators for training camp.
During the fight, both players landed some big punches. Gudbranson was able to catch Wilson with a few uppercuts, but ultimately Wilson scored the takedown after 30-40 seconds. Nevertheless, it was a fight that answered the bell on a questionable hit. Both players seemed to agree and had a good tilt that energized the crowd.
Per Khairullin, "Defenseman Christián Jaroš, whom Columbus placed on waivers to terminate his contract, will continue his career at Spartak." Jaroš and the Blue Jackets mutually agreed to him being places on waivers just today.
Kevin Dineen - 2001-2003 - Drafted by Hartford in 1982.
A CBJ Original, Dineen played 129 games for the Jackets and had 29 points in the early days of the franchise. He appeared in only four games in the 2002–03 season with Columbus, and on November 5, 2002, he retired from playing. In 1188 career games, Dineen recorded 355 goals and 760 points while registering 2229 penalty minutes.
After retiring, he joined the Blue Jackets front office as a Pro Scout and later as an assistant. General Manager. He was the head coach of the AHL's Portland Pirates for six seasons before being hired as the head coach of the Florida Panthers. After two and a half seasons in Florida, he was fired and hired as an assistant by the Chicago Blackhawks. He has since been a head coach for the San Diego Gulls and the Utica Comets of the AHL. After starting the 24-25 season 0-8-0-1, Dineen was fired on November 6th, 2024.
Per the NHL, Werenski is looking to become just the seventh U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history with three career 20-goal seasons.
He'd join PhilHousley (7x), ReedLarson (6x), BrianLeetch (5x), GarySuter (3x), AlIafrate (3x), and MarkHowe (3x) as the only ones to do so to date.
Chris Johnson of TSN has reported that the Minnesota Wild have claimed Daemon Hunt off the waiver wire from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Jackets were hoping he'd clear so he could return to Cleveland, but sadly, that didn't happen.
David Výborný was drafted in 1993 by the Edmonton Oilers but never played a single game for them. When he did come to North America, he played in 76 games for the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. He showed his flash by scoring 23 goals and grabbing 61 points. After one season in the AHL, Výborný headed back to Europe until 2000.
9 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: David Výborný David Výborný was drafted in 1993 by the Edmonton Oilers but never played a single game for them. When he did come to North America, he played in 76 games for the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL. He showed his flash by scoring 23 goals and grabbing 61 points. After one season in the AHL, Výborný headed back to Europe until 2000.
“I think that we've got a pretty undercover breakout guy this year, Jet Greaves, Columbus. And now he's the best performing goalie over the last three years in adjusted save percentage.”
After the MLB Trade Deadline late July, Phillies fans felt pretty good about their bullpen.
But that confidence took a hit Saturday night in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers.
Entering August, it seemed like the ‘pen was the deepest it had been in years. President of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, added 17-year veteran David Robertson, who carried a 2.91 career ERA, and flamethrower Jhoan Duran, acquired in a deal that cost two of the organization’s top five prospects.
Robertson looked sharp early, posting a 1.17 ERA in his first nine outings with Philadelphia. But by September, the cracks began to show. Robertson allowed seven earned runs across his final 10 innings (6.30 ERA), and Orion Kerkering also stumbled down the stretch, giving up runs in four of his final six appearances.
The right-handers in middle-relief looked shaky, and on Saturday, those late-season concerns resurfaced.
After Cristopher Sánchez allowed a two-out, two-run double to Enrique Hernández in the sixth, Rob Thomson turned to Robertson to stop the bleeding. The veteran did just that — inducing a soft groundout from Max Muncy to end the frame.
The way that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts constructed his lineup to face Sánchez offered an opportunity for extreme length at the bottom of the order.
He batted Andy Pages (.272/27/86) in the eight hole and catcher Ben Rortvedt ninth. In the fifth inning, the Dodgers pinch hit Will Smith (.296/17/61) for Rortvedt setting up the trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández.
Thomson’s decision to bring Robertson back out for the seventh proved costly.
Robertson allowed a leadoff single to Pages, then plunked Smith three pitches later, putting two on with nobody out for Ohtani. That’s when Thomson went to Matt Strahm.
“I wanted to make sure we had a lefty on Ohtani,” Thomson said postgame. “If you bring in another righty, he’s got to face Ohtani. Robbie didn’t throw that many pitches and he was good to go.”
Strahm retired Ohtani and Betts, but with two outs, Hernández crushed a back-breaking three-run homer to right-center. It was all the Dodgers needed in a 5-3 win.
Oct 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernndez (37) reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Strahm was blunt afterward: “I feel like I got gut-punched. Missed on two pitches, and one of them got damaged.”
Robertson, who shouldered the loss, echoed the frustration. “I had extra time to warm up tonight, and just didn’t make good pitches.”
The Dodgers’ bullpen, which had been shaky in the Wild Card round, looked far steadier in Game 1. After Ohtani’s six innings, the Dodgers skipper called on Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki to get eight of the final nine outs — both starters now repurposed as high-leverage arms.
It’s a contrast to how the Phillies approached their own bullpen. Before the game, Thomson mentioned Ranger Suárez would be available out of relief. And recently, Thomson discussed seasoned postseason veteran Walker Buehler as an option. With Robertson struggling at the end of the regular season, a clean inning from Suárez or even Buehler might’ve been the better move.
Obviously, a lot of this analysis is in hindsight. But when the manager himself admits he planned for Ohtani vs. Strahm, it raises the question of whether Strahm should’ve started the inning rather than inheriting runners.
Especially when Pages swatted 24 homers and Smith posted a .923 OPS against righties this season. While neither is no slouch against southpaws, Strahm beginning the seventh would have made sense too.
At the end of the day, the Phillies collected just five hits and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Beating a lineup like Los Angeles requires more than one early blow.
Game 1 doesn’t decide a series, but it showed exactly what the Phillies will need to fix if they plan on moving on.
Red October coverage on NBC Sports Philadelphia is sponsored by Toyota.
Reece Walsh awarded Clive Churchill Medal at Accor Stadium
Oooph! Off comes Mr Swims’ jacket to reveal an AC/DC themed plaid combination ideal for launching into a cover of TNT and demonstrating a decent set of pipes. An excellent way to win over new friends on a night like this.
Teddy Swims has just kicked off his bekilted yacht rock pregame show. It’s fine, I guess.
It was finally the last preseason game at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. When the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators published their rosters, fans feared they’d be treated to another lot of shenanigans. Still, against all odds, the Senators played hockey despite their best players, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, getting the night off.
For the Canadiens, it was last chance saloon for the players on the bubble, and with Ivan Demidov, Alex Newhook, and Oliver Kapanen having the night off, Samuel Blais, Owen Beck, and Florian Xhekaj were all hoping to make the most of their last opportunity.
It was the second game in which Kirby Dach played alongside Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno, and one has to admit he looked terrific. The big center was committed to the forecheck and was actively looking to hit opponents. Playing with Gallagher and Veleno has done Dach a world of good, and while it was logical for Martin St-Louis to try a line that included him, Patrik Laine, and Demidov, the Canadiens’ newfound depth allowed him to move on when it didn’t work.
One area that didn’t look better, unfortunately, was the draws. In the first frame, he took four faceoffs and only managed to come out on top once. That remains an area of concern in his game and something he really needs to work on; perhaps he could benefit from a séance with Patrice Bergeron, as Newhook did this summer.
Veleno also had a good outing. There’s no denying that he has excellent offensive skills, but as camp went on, we’ve seen him do more and more of the little things, the details that allow a player to perform at all times and not just when it’s time to pull a highlight reel play.
Engstrom Was Everywhere
With the blueline more or less set from the start, Adam Engstrom has flown under the radar this camp, but tonight, he looked like he was everywhere and in all situations as well. The Swede showed great awareness and decision-making at both ends of the ice.
Is there room for him in Montreal right now? No, but if he continues to develop like this, who knows? In the second frame, he nearly went end-to-end on a power play, and it looked really effortless. If the Canadiens cannot find room for him, he is fast becoming an interesting bargaining chip and could be used to acquire reinforcements at positions of need.
Speaking about the young defenseman, the coach said:
He left a perfect calling card. You can see he took another step last season; he has everything to have a long career in the league.
- St-Louis on Engstrom.
The bench boss even went so far as to call him a gamer.
Xhekaj Evolved
Martin St-Louis has hammered on with Arber Xhekaj that he needs to pick his moments, and the older Xhekaj has heard him loud and clear. Early on in the game, Cole Caufield hit Claude Giroux and was justifiably assessed a two-minute boarding call. It didn’t take long for a Senator to come to his aid, and Juraj Slafkovsky stepped in to support him. Last year, Xhekaj would have gone guns blazing and jumped in; this year, he approached and only pulled back a couple of guys from the scrum.
Later in the game, he was invited to drop the gloves but refused, allowing his team to enjoy a power play rather than falling into the trap that was set for him. Overall, this was a great camp from the rugged blueliner. His play has evolved, and so has his decision-making.
The Sens secured a 3-1 win tonight, thanks to goals from Shane Pinto, David Perron, and Lars Eller, in an empty net. At this stage, the result doesn’t really matter as everyone is ready for the real season to start and has had enough of dress rehearsal. However, it’s still worth mentioning that Travis Green’s team was the dominant outfit tonight, even without some of their top guys in the lineup.
The Canadiens have already announced that, despite having a day off tomorrow, the cuts will be announced tomorrow morning; there is no sense in prolonging the uncertainty for those waiting to hear their fate.
Personally, I believe Oliver Kapanen has won the role of 12th forward, and I would see Joe Veleno as the 13th forward, provided Zack Bolduc is healthy; if he’s not, both will likely be in the lineup. We haven't seen enough from Samuel Blais for him to secure one of those two roles, although he was a real impactful physical presence tonight, landing five hits; that wasn’t enough. Owen Beck led the team in hits on the night, but he wasn’t firm in other aspects of the game. If he’s not going to play in Montreal, he needs to be sent down to Laval. While that may not be what he would like, it’s ultimately what’s best for him, and for Florian Xhekaj as well.
Anze Kopitar enters his 20th and final NHL season with the Kings hopeful the team can overcome its first-round playoff demons and challenge for a Stanley Cup title. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Luc Robitaille knew his hockey playing career was over when it took him longer to get his battered body ready for a game than it did to play it.
“It became harder and harder physically,” said Robitaille, whose next stop was the hall of fame. “I think I knew at that point.”
And once his mind was made up, there was no turning back.
For Anze Kopitar, who is in the peak of good health, the decision was a little different. The Kings’ longtime center announced last month that, at 38, he will retire after this season and spend more time with his family. But, like Robitaille, there will be no turning back.
“I'm not going to change my mind,” he said.
In fact, he’s not going to change anything. Kopitar said he’s approaching this season, his 20th with the Kings, the same way he approached the first 19.
“The last few years, I told myself that I have to enjoy it because you don't know when the ending is com[ing],” he said. “So I've been enjoying it. I'm obviously having a lot of fun, still playing the game. This year won't be any different.
“The focus is still on this season.”
A season that kicks off Tuesday when the Kings host the Colorado Avalanche. But while Kopitar is starting the season the same way as always, he’s hoping for a different ending since the Kings’ last four years have ended with first-round playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.
Another Stanley Cup title would be a nice parting gift, especially since Kopitar, entering a team-record 10th season as captain, would be the first man to hoist the trophy, an honor that went to Dustin Brown when the Kings won in 2012 and 2014.
“I'd like to win every year. I'd like to win this year,” he said.
“My kids weren't born when we won, so I'd like to win so they can experience that feeling too.”
Kings captain Anze Kopitar skates during a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in March. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
However Kopitar’s season finishes, his career will end with him joining Robitaille, now the Kings president, in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is the Kings' all-time leader in games (1,454), assists (838) and winning goals (78) and ranks in the top three in goals, points, plus-minus and power-play scores.
And just nine players in NHL history have played more games with one team than Kopitar, who has spent his entire career with the Kings.
Unlike Robitaille, he’s hardly hobbling off into retirement. He led the Kings with 46 assists and was second with 67 points last season, playing in 81 of 82 games. He also won his third Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which goes to the player exhibiting the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in the NHL.
But his two children — daughter Neza, 10, is a talented figure skater and son Jakob, 9, plays hockey — deserve more of his time and attention, he said.
“I still love to be in hockey and I’m still productive,” Kopitar said. “But on the flip side, the kids need their dad to be more present and be a dad, not a hockey player. I can walk away on my own terms and not be forced to retire because of injuries and because the body's not holding up.”
Anze Kopitar and his wife, Ines, attend a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena in January 2024. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
That wasn’t Robitaille’s experience. A fractured ankle late in career and lower back pain so severe he could hardly get out of bed, led to his retirement in 2006, less than six months before Kopitar’s NHL debut.
“It kind of felt to me that I had squeezed everything out of the lemon. There was nothing left,” Robitaille said. “I was really at peace.”
As for what advice he’d give his captain, Robitaille said he’ll tell Kopitar to make time to stop and smell the roses on his last trip around the league.
“If you listen to 99% of the guys that retire in any sport, the one thing they miss is the [locker] room,” he said. “So when you know you’re near the end, you’ve got to make sure you pay attention to every one of those little moments that you’re going to miss for the next 50 years of your life.
“You’re playing a game. You’re 30 years old or 40 years old — 38 for Kopi — and he’s playing a game. It’s amazing. Most people don’t get to do that in their life, you know?”
Kopitar’s decision comes with the Kings at a crossroads. They tied team records for points (105) and wins (48) last season while going a franchise-best 31-6-4 at home in Jim Hiller’s first full season as coach. That earned the team second place in the Pacific Division, its best finish in a decade.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar, left, speaks to defenseman Drew Doughty during a game against the Winnipeg Jets in December 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The postseason was déjà vu all over again, however, with the Oilers eliminating the Kings.
General manager Rob Blake resigned four days later and was replaced by Ken Holland, who won four Stanley Cups as GM of the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings' core is also in transition because when Kopitar steps aside, only defenseman Drew Doughty will remain from their Stanley Cup-winning teams.
“Passing the torch, [we]'ve been trying to for the past few years, been trying to mentor some of the kids in this locker room,” Kopitar said. “Maybe that's what it is.”
Holland had mixed results in his first summer with the Kings, adding forwards Corey Perry (who will miss the first month of the season because of a knee injury) and Joel Armia, defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci and goalkeeper Anton Forsberg, and re-signing winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a club-friendly contract.
Also back are leading scorers Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, who had 35 goals each, wingers Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield and goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who had a career-best 2.02 goals-against average and finished third in Vezina Trophy voting.
But Holland lost veteran defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the New York Rangers and failed to land Mitch Marner, the summer’s most-sought player, who wound up in Las Vegas.
And now he’s the team’s first general manager in two decades who has been forced to ponder a future without Anze Kopitar.
Anze Kopitar takes the ice before a game against the Winnipeg Jets in December 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“We’re really going to enjoy having Kopi in the lineup this year. But next summer it’s going to be a big void,” Holland said on the Canucks Central podcast. “He’s big and strong. And it’s hard to find big, strong, talented centermen.
“He’s very intelligent. And I think the team follows his lead.”
As for Kopitar, he’s not thinking past the next nine months. He has the rest of his life to figure out what comes next.
“I haven't really given too much thought of what's going to happen [next], except for being home for my kids,” he said. “I'll take my time and then see what, see what life throws at me.
“I'm going to miss the game of hockey. What I'm not gonna miss is working out, getting ready for the season, all the hours you’ve got to put in. But the game itself, of course, I'm going to miss it. It's been here for the better part of 35 years. But listen, the summers are going to be more enjoyable.”
SAN FRANCISCO – In a world where Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all play for one team, it’s comically impressive Jonathan Kuminga became the talk of the Warriors’ offseason.
The Big Three of Curry, Butler and Green will grab headlines, run highlight packages and be the talk of morning shows. Kuminga will be a focal point of Warriors chatter for a number of reasons, too. As will offseason additions Al Horford and Seth Curry, the health and return of De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II staying in Golden State.
Brandin Podziemski’s Year 3 leap as their next hopeful budding young star certainly will be something to monitor. A handful of other Warriors will be storylines of their own, but as the preseason begins a few already have gone under the radar.
Here are three Warriors that quickly can remind the outside to not forget about them, even if the spotlight is brighter on others.
Moses Moody
Rinse and repeat. Moody is entering his fifth season since going No. 14 overall to the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft and often has been left in the shadows. At times, that’s because of a constant roster logjam at his position.
Even so, coach Steve Kerr has fielded questions throughout the last few seasons about why Moody isn’t playing as much and how he can earn more minutes.
“As it relates to Moses, if we’ve got spacing, he’s one of those guys spaced,” Kerr said earlier this week. “He’s going to get a lot of open looks, and that bodes well for him. He’s an excellent shooter.”
A point of emphasis offensively for Moody is to be the pick-and-roll guy more, as in the one setting the screen to play out of the pocket and swing the ball or hit open shots. Kerr saw how teams are starting to place guards on shooting big men like Quinten Post, and defending someone like Moody, who isn’t as used to pick-and-roll, with their center.
The Warriors are looking for more offensive versatility out of someone they believe can contribute at multiple positions, which brings us to our next point.
Point of attack is the name of the game for the Warriors’ defense, knowing the back is well protected between Butler, Green and Horford.
“I think Moses will again take on that role, which he did so well after the [Butler trade] of guarding the ball, guarding the other team’s best player, really hounding the ball and that gives him a role that he has really taken to,” Kerr said.
Moody averaged 10.8 points and 1.2 steals per game after Butler’s arrival. He had 18 games of multiple steals last season, and 14 came after the Butler trade. He slots into the 2, 3 and 4, and seems to have found his best role.
“Steph plays fast, up and down, and then Jimmy slows it down, uses the whole shot clock. I like them out there together and my role being able to play off both of them gives us some diversity,” Moody said.
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Jackson-Davis has yet to find consistency in the first two years of his NBA career. He became the Warriors’ starting center the final month of the regular season as a rookie, and began last season in the starting lineup as well. Jackson-Davis started 37 of the 62 games he played last season but fell in the pecking order behind Post, another second-round draft pick who plays the same position as him.
Conditioning to become a more versatile player was Jackson-Davis’ offseason focus. He has dropped 15 pounds from last season, looking to be a better defender side-to-side who can switch onto wings and guards from the center position. Signing Horford looks to again put him below another center, but the move actually can benefit how Jackson-Davis plays.
“I think this is actually a really good thing for Trayce, because he will complement the other two guys. He has a totally different skill set,” Kerr said. “… Trayce could play with either Quinten or Al because of his shot blocking and diving, whereas the other two guys are more pick-and-pop. The floor balance makes a lot of sense.”
The Warriors tried to combat the Houston Rockets with their own two-big lineup here and there in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Now, they feel like the combination of Horford, Post and Jackson-Davis gives them a much better shot at doing so.
“Obviuously I’m a vertical threat and those guys space the floor with 3-point shooting, but especially defensively I think we can be really, really good as well,” Jackson-Davis said.
A leaner version of himself has Jackson-Davis ready to be interchangeable in the frontcourt as a center or power forward.
“That’s just another thing that’s going to be with my conditioning,” he explained. “Being able to guard 4s and being able to move quicker laterally. I think that’s something I’m just going to continue to work on, develop and be ready for when the time comes.”
Gui Santos
Every team needs at least one player, and hopefully more, who is guaranteed to always bring energy. Santos is one of them for the Warriors.
His role isn’t expected to change much. He’ll come in for a few minutes, grab a number of rebounds, be an energizer and make winning plays. That’s how Santos will stay on the floor, and those traits can be easy to miss.
But they’re what the Warriors love about him.
“Gui is a great vibe,” Jackson-Davis said Saturday. “He plays as hard as he can every time he’s on the court. He’s a very, very high-IQ guy, and that fits really well with this system. And whenever he’s on the court, you can feel his presence – just the energy, how engaged he is and and how tough he is.
“We need all of that.”
Kerr sees a player who, through development in the G League and proving himself in the NBA, has grown stronger mentally and physically.
“He just looks a little bouncier, a little more athletic,” Kerr said. “He’s still a young guy. He’s put a ton of work in the weight room. He’s growing into his body still. And I thought he looked just more athletic than he has in the past.
“There’s a confidence level with Gui now that wasn’t there a couple of years ago.”
Santos went from playing only 23 games two seasons ago while averaging 8.3 minutes per game as a rookie, to then playing 56 games last season and averaging 13.6 minutes per game. Santos will want to see his shooting numbers go up for someone who should get open looks, but he knows his real calling card.
Though he usually plays in shorter bursts, Santos had 19 games of multiple offensive rebounds last season, in which the Warriors went 14-5. When he had three or more, the Warriors only lost once. Stars shine, and so can Santos in his own role.
Teoscar Hernández celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Teoscar Hernández does not lack for emotion. He plays with joy, with exuberance, with delight.
The Dodgers know he can hit. We all do. If the emotion dissipates, so can the performance.
Hernández could have been the goat Saturday night, in what would have been the Dodgers’ first loss in this postseason. Instead, he hit the game-winning home run, nearly levitated around first base, and became an October hero yet again.
In the Dodgers’ 16 postseason games last year, he hit three home runs and drove in 12 runs. In the Dodgers’ three postseason games so far this year, he has hit three home runs and driven in nine.
You might fret about his uneven defense. You might second guess a defensive play that put the Dodgers deeper into an early hole.
All’s well that ends well, as evidenced by his three-run home run that powered the Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League division series opener.
“For me, anything that happened before a big moment like that, it's in the past,” Hernández said.
“I try to put it in the trash and just focus on the things that I need to do.”
In the second inning of what was then a scoreless tie, the Phillies put runners on first and second with none out. Catcher J.T. Realmuto pummeled a Shohei Ohtani fastball into right-center field, where Hernández approached the ball but did not appear to accelerate as the ball skipped past him.
If Hernández had cut the ball off, Realmuto would have had a single, and the Phillies would have scored two runs in the inning. Instead, Realmuto had a triple — matching his season total — and he later scored a third run in the inning.
“I would argue that he wasn’t not trying,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Hernández. “But, yeah, that's a ball that you don't want Realmuto to have a triple.”
On Twitter, former Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson posted — and then deleted — this: “If I’m Shohei I’m going to need Teoscar Hernández to try a little harder.”
Hernández said he did not get a good angle toward the hard-hit ball. Roberts did credit Hernández with a defensive adjustment on a later ball, shading the line to keep Bryce Harper to a single rather than an extra-base hit that could have driven home a run for the Phillies.
Teoscar Hernández follows through on his three-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers minimized Hernández’s defensive exposure last year by playing him most often in left field, with Mookie Betts in right field. This year, with Betts at shortstop and the Dodgers declining to add a right fielder at the trade deadline, Hernández has played right field all season.
The only major leaguer to play more innings in right field this season and finish lower in defensive runs saved: the Phillies’ Nick Castellanos, who got into Saturday’s game only after Harrison Bader suffered a groin injury.
Make no mistake, though: Hernández is here to hit. The Dodgers awarded Hernández a three-year, $66-million contract last winter, well aware that designated hitter would not be an option because of that Ohtani guy.
As Dodgers catcher Will Smith explained Saturday to a reporter wondering whether he might spend more time as a DH in the future: “We've got a pretty good DH. I think we're pretty set on that.”
Hernández was neither hitting nor fielding well for much of the second half, causing Roberts to say at the start of September that he had urged his right fielder to “get in the fight.” In the last week of August, he even benched Hernández for one day.
Said Roberts then: “I think we’ve lost a little bit of that edge over the last couple months. For me, I want to see that edge, that fight, that fire, and I’ll bet on any result.”
In September, Hernández put up a .769 OPS, his best for any month since the first one. In the Dodgers’ first postseason game, he hit home runs in consecutive at-bats.
On Saturday, in their third postseason game, he stepped to bat in the eighth inning with two on, two out, and the Dodgers trailing by one run — and the Phillies had scored one extra run when he could not run down that Realmuto triple.
With the 2025-26 NHL season opener just a few days away, the Sharks on Sunday made a move.
San Jose traded winger Carl Grundstrom and defenseman Artem Guryev to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Ryan Ellis and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Sharks announced.
TRADE 🔀
The #SJSharks acquire defenseman Ryan Ellis and a 2026 conditional 6th round pick from the Flyers for Carl Grundstrom and Artem Guryev.
Ellis, 34, hasn’t played in an NHL game since November 2021 due to injury, and currently has two years left on his contract with cap hits of $6.25 million this season and next. In 11 seasons with the Nashville Predators and Flyers, Ellis has posted 275 points (76 goals, 199 assists) in 566 games.
Grundstrom, 27, was acquired last summer in a draft-week trade with the Kings, which sent defenseman Kyle Burroughs to Los Angeles. Grundstrom appeared in 56 games with San Jose in 2024-25, scoring nine points (three goals, six assists) and 24 penalty minutes. In 292 career games with the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose, Grundstrom has scored 76 points (43 goals, 33 assists).
Guryev spent last season with Wichita (ECHL), posting five points (two goals, three assists). He was originally selected by San Jose in the fifth round (135th overall) of the 2021 draft.
The sixth-round conditional pick San Jose receives in the trade is the earlier of Columbus Blue Jackets’ (previously acquired) or Philadelphia’s selections.
