For the first time in 21 years, the Chicago White Sox have won a playoff series, dispatching the Houston Astros with a 7-3 win on Wednesday.
Coincidentally, their last series win had been the 2005 World Series against the Astros, and just like that series, it ended with a sweep in Houston as they used big games from Chase Meidroth and Andrew Benintendi to triumph over the Astros.
The White Sox wasted zero time getting off to a big start, chasing Astros starter Hunter Brown from the game in the first inning with four runs.
Kyle Teel lashed an RBI single to right field to score Sam Antonacci to start the rally, then Andrew Benintendi hit a broken bat single to center field to score Teel. A throwing error allowed Miguel Vargas to score, then Tristan Peters hit an RBI single to right to give Chicago a 4-0 lead after one half inning.
Trying to avoid elimination, the Astros started to slowly chip away at the Chicago lead, with Jeremy Pena, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve all hitting solo home runs to trim the advantage to 4-3 after four innings of play.
The White Sox leaned on their bullpen to keep the game close in the coming innings, and Meidroth landed a huge blow in the fight, hammering a home run to left field that scored three more runs and extended the Chicago lead to 7-3, bringing the team ever closer to their first playoff series win in more than 20 years.
The team’s bullpen shone brightly in the final innings, with Huascar Brazoban, Anthony Kay, Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde combining for five shutout innings of relief to send the White Sox to the American League Division Series, where they’ll face the Cleveland Guardians.
First, though: Game 2 of the AL wild-card series, with the Yankees getting two shots to eliminate the Red Sox beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Yankee Stadium.
Sonny Gray anticipates getting a loud and not particularly polite greeting from fans in the Bronx as he starts Game 2 trying to keep the Red Sox alive. The right-hander who pitched for the Yankees in 2017 and 2018 said upon the Red Sox acquiring him late last year that it was "easy to hate" the Yankees.
He'll find out just how easy that sentiment can be reciprocated.
Meanwhile, left-hander Max Fried will try to pitch the Yankees into the ALDS and should he and the bullpen succeed, the club is in great shape against the Rays: Right-hander Gerrit Cole will be ready for Game 1, Saturday, followed by an off day that lines up ace Cam Schlittler, with an extra days' rest, to boot.
New York is aiming to eliminate Boston in this round for the second consecutive season.
Follow along:
Where to watch Yankees vs Red Sox: Channel, live stream
First pitch between the Yankees and Red Sox is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
2022: Houston Astros (def. Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2)
2021: Atlanta Braves (def. Houston Astros, 4-2)
2020: Los Angeles Dodgers (def. Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2)
2019: Washington Nationals (def. Houston Astros, 4-3)
2018: Boston Red Sox (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1)
2017: Houston Astros (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3)
2016: Chicago Cubs (def. Cleveland Indians, 4-3)
Who won Yankees vs. Red Sox season series?
05:55 PM ET, September 30 2026
The Yankees won the 2026 regular-season series against the Red Sox, 7-6. The clubs split their first 10 meetings before the Yankees won three of four games during their final regular-season series at Yankee Stadium in late August to secure the season-series victory.
The Red Sox swept a four-game series at Fenway Park, which ignited their surge after a slow start that cost manager Alex Cora his job.
MLB payrolls
05:35 PM ET, September 30 2026
While eight of MLB's final 12 teams are in the top 10 end-of-season payrolls, based on figures from the MLB Labor Relations Department and obtained by USA TODAY, the remaining four are among baseball’s lowest spenders.
That includes the teams with the best records in each league, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Brewers’ payroll entering the postseason is $143.5 million, good for 19th in MLB. The Rays’ $98.3 million total is No. 25.
Red Sox — Sonny Gray: 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA in 29 starts; 149 strikeouts in 169 innings pitched.
Yankees — Max Fried: 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 20 starts; 104 strikeouts in 112⅔ innings pitched.
Roman Anthony injury update
04:41 PM ET, September 30 2026, Jesse Yomtov
NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is out for the remainder of the playoffs after aggravating a hand injury in two at-bats during Game 1 of the American League wild-card series, manager Chad Tracy said before Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Anthony was limited to 55 games due to the injury this season. He was driven from Yankee Stadium to Boston after Game 1, arriving in the middle of the night, and received more imaging Wednesday morning. Tracy said imaging revealed further damage to the hand, which led to an extended absence this season for the second-year player.
“He’s going through it right now, mentally,” Tracy said of Anthony. “I texted with him. He wants to be out there with the guys.”
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Los Angeles, - August 12: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with Andy Pages after hitting a solo home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The 2026 Dodgers regular season is over, and we already looked at the final week of the season and the final month. Now let’s look how the season played out in thirds, in increments of 54 games.
Split
W-L
Run diff.
BA/OBP/SLG
wRC+
ERA
ERA-
1st 54
34-20
+108
.258/.344/.427
113
3.10
74
2nd 54
34-20
+48
.265/.338/.438
113
4.08
97
3rd 54
32-22
+45
.247/.332/.408
105
3.46
83
The offense took a dip in the final third of the season, but was buoyed by a bounce back from the pitching staff. Just two games into the final 54 games, the Dodgers started their longest losing streak of the season, dropping seven games in a row, but recovered to win 32 games over the final third of the campaign, a 96-win pace.
Let’s delve into the offense first, beginning with the catchers.
Player
Starts
PA
2B-HR
R-RBI
BA/OBP/SLG
wRC+
Smith 1st
38
170
3-4
18-20
.242/.318/.342
85
Smith 2nd
7
31
10-2
5-3
.292/.452/.625
193
Smith 3rd
15
75
4-4
12-11
.290/.400/.548
160
Rushing 1st
22
91
2-7
14-17
.263/.352/.550
146
Rushing 2nd
35
147
2-4
22-16
.254/.333/.423
109
Rushing 3rd
2
15
0-1
1-3
.071/.133/.286
11
Feduccia 3rd
25
91
2-1
6-7
.197/.322/.263
73
Rortvedt 3rd
9
28
0-0
0-1
.185/.185/.185
-3
Alfonzo 2nd
6
16
2-0
2-2
.188/.188/.313
30
Alfonzo 3rd
3
12
0-0
1-2
.167/.167/.167
-14
Robinson 2nd
6
26
0-0
1-1
.087/.087/.087
-61
Totals 1st
261
5-11
32-37
.249/.330/.415
107
Totals 2nd
220
14-6
30-22
.233/.313/.399
95
Totals 3rd
221
6-6
20-24
.215/.311/.340
84
*includes starts at other positions
For the second year in a row, the Dodgers found themselves without both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing for extended periods, and once again Ben Rortvedt was involved in the cleanup mission. This time, both Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia were reacquired at the trade deadline and handled catching duties for most of August before Smith returned in September and was back to his normal production level in the final month.
Shohei Ohtani didn’t hit a home run after August 18 and landed on the injured list in September, Andy Pages was productive but missed four weeks after getting hit by a fastball on his left hand. Freddie Freeman played nearly every day but hit like Expos-era Pete Rose with only one home run over the final third of the season, and played through a right knee injury in September.
Conversely, Mookie Betts found his stroke again and paced the offense, with Max Muncy continuing his steady production. Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker had upturns over the final month especially.
Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas, and Alex Call all struggled in the final third of the season, while Josue De Paula excelled in his two-week runway after making his debut.
Now, the pitching.
Pitcher
G-QS
W-L
IP
BB-K
ERA
WHIP
xERA
Yamamoto 1st
10-8
4-4
64
13-59
3.09
0.984
4.02
Yamamoto 2nd
9-7
7-2
61.7
15-59
2.34
0.809
2.47
Yamamoto 3rd
9-7
3-3
59.3
14-64
2.12
0.809
2.40
Skubal 3rd
10-7
5-2
62
13-70
2.61
1.048
2.84
Snell 1st
1-0
0-1
3
2-5
12.00
2.667
3.91
Snell 3rd
8-4
4-0
39.7
14-50
1.13
0.983
2.00
Glasnow 1st
7-4
3-0
39.7
13-49
2.72
0.832
2.61
Glasnow 3rd
6-3
2-2
34.3
12-49
4.46
1.078
3.11
Wrobleski 1st
9-5
6-2
55.7
14-31
3.07
1.114
4.31
Wrobleski 2nd
9-7
5-0
57
7-56
2.68
0.930
4.35
Wrobleski 3rd
5-0
1-3
27.3
10-31
6.91
1.646
5.13
Ohtani 1st
8-7
4-2
49
13-54
0.73
0.837
2.52
Ohtani 2nd
6-5
4-0
36.7
13-41
3.19
1.091
2.97
Sasaki 1st
9-2
3-3
45.7
18-43
4.93
1.423
5.21
Sasaki 2nd
9-3
1-2
48
18-51
4.50
1.167
3.60
Sasaki 3rd
5-2
1-0
28.7
12-29
3.77
1.395
4.04
Sheehan 1st
10-4
3-1
51.7
14-59
4.70
1.239
4.08
Sheehan 2nd
9-1
1-6
41
15-45
5.27
1.268
3.45
Sheehan 3rd
3-1
1-1
19.7
4-28
2.75
0.814
2.46
Lauer 2nd
9-6
5-0
51.7
13-30
2.96
0.987
4.06
Lauer 3rd
4-1
2-2
20.3
6-16
8.41
1.820
6.19
Totals 1st
53-30
23-13
308.7
87-300
3.29
1.089
Totals 2nd
51-29
23-10
296
81-282
3.38
1.020
Totals 3rd
50-25
19-13
291.3
85-337
3.46
1.122
This is a bit of a mishmash, as it includes relief appearances by Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Eric Lauer in the totals. Shohei Ohtani did not pitch at all in the final third of the season, but the Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal and got Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back to go with Yoshinobu Yamamoto to set the team up for October. Those four combined for a 2.49 ERA and 30.3-percent strikeout rate in 33 starts over the final 54 games, including 21 quality starts. That’ll play
NBC Sports is transforming the NBA's biggest stars into comic book heroes with a comic book campaign to celebrate American Express Tip-Off on Oct. 20.
The comic, narrated by Mike Tirico, opens with a review of the 2025-26 season before diving into the storylines for each of the tip-off tripleheader matchups.
Slam! Bam! Jam! NBC Sports unveils comic book campaign featuring all 30 @NBA teams in celebration of American Express NBA Tip-Off on Oct. 20
Blending basketball culture with bold illustrations paves another avenue for fans to enjoy their favorite players through the world of comics, from larger-than life personalities, episodic storytelling and rivalry arcs for all 30 NBA teams.
The comic thematic will be brought to several locations, beginning at ComplexCon in Los Angeles on Oct. 3-4, with an engaging custom NBA on NBC branded, life-size newsstand. Comics will be distributed to attending fans in tandem with several surprise guests, giveaways, and photo opportunities across the weekend.
Comics can also be found at New York City Comic Con beginning Oct. 8, featuring a larger-than-life, 10-foot-tall comic-book installation appearing throughout locations in Manhattan before culminating at Rockefeller Center on Oct. 19-20.
The 2026-27 season begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, on NBC and Peacock with the American Express NBA Tip-Off tripleheader, featuring Celtics-Pistons (3 p.m. ET), 76ers-Knicks (7 p.m. ET), and Thunder-Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET).
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The New York Islanders are set to open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, Sept. 30.
Last season, the Islanders finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 43-34-5. This season will be the first full season under head coach Peter DeBoer, who was hired in April 2026 for the final four games of the regular season after Patrick Roy was fired.
They’ll face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who opened their season last night with a 3-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens.
The matchup will be a showcase for the two most recent first-overall NHL draft picks: 2025’s Matthew Schaefer and 2026’s Gavin McKenna. Schaefer begins his second NHL season with the Islanders today after tying the league’s rookie record for goals by a defenseman (23). The reigning Calder Trophy winner for rookie of the year was named an alternate captain by the Islanders earlier this week.
McKenna was held to 0 points in his NHL debut, where he played on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.
Here’s how to watch the Islanders’ season-opener if you don’t have cable.
Islanders vs. Maple Leafs start time
Puck drop at tonight’s (Sept. 30) Islanders vs. Maple Leafs game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Islanders vs. Maple Leafs for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to tune in to tonight’s Islanders game.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes ESPN as part of its 125+ channels.
TRY DIRECTV FOR FREE
The most cost-effective way to watch the Islanders without cable is with a subscription to MSG+ via DAZN. An MSG subscription on DAZN includes all live Islanders, Rangers, Devils and Knicks games for those in the NY metro TV market and costs $19.99 for your first month.
GET MSG NETWORK ON DAZN
Islanders schedule 2026
The NHL has expanded the regular season to 84 games beginning this season. You can check out the full 84-game slate here, but below, we’ve listed out some key matchups, including the Isles’ first game against each Metropolitan Division rival.
Home opener: Oct. 3 vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m. ET (MSG) – get tickets
Oct. 6 vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Nov. 5 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET (Disney+, Hulu)
Nov. 17 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. ET (MSG)
Nov. 28 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m. ET (MSG)
Dec. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 4 p.m. ET (MSG)
Jan. 13 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT, truTV)
Final regular season game: April 10 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 5 p.m. ET (MSG)
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
There's no question that Brady Tkachuk's "Wingmen" podcast caused a few distractions last season, and there's probably no shortage of Sens fans who are pleased that's not a concern anymore.
But now another Sens star will have a go at it.
Senators centre Tim Stützle and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider have signed on with kicker Podcasts to host a monthly podcast called Seider & Stützle. The trailer to the show was published on Wednesday morning on the podcast company's YouTube channel.
While he and Jake Sanderson were also considered, Tim Stützle told reporters on Wednesday that he was pleased to see Thomas Chabot get the captaincy.
Along with the trailer, the show's first hour-long episode was published. They talk about starting a podcast, summer training, the start of a new season, their expectations, involvement in their NHL communities, and what motivates them.
For three reasons, this Sens player side hustle isn't likely to cause a stir in Ottawa. For one, it's entirely in German, so not as many Sens fans will listen. Secondly, Stutzle is a completely different personality than Tkachuk.
And finally, and probably most importantly, Stutzle won't have anyone on the podcast like Matthew or Keith Tkachuk, chirping and steamrolling over top of him, and taking the conversation into awkward places that spark distractions.
Seider & Stützle obviously have a lot in common. They've been friends for years, played on the German national team together, trained in the summers together, and they're both signed long term by their NHL clubs until 2031.
They also had their team captains ask for trades this year, but their clubs' reactions were totally different. In Ottawa, Tkachuk asked for a trade and was dealt to the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin wants a trade as well, but it remains to seen if the Wings will accommodate him.
The trailer for the new hockey podcast "Seider and Stutzle."
It will be interesting to see if they weigh in on that topic, and if so, how they'll address it in the looser format of podcasting, compared the standard NHL media scrum.
Stützle's NHL visit to Germany is also likely to be an upcoming topic of discussion. In the week leading up to Christmas, he and the Senators will play two regular season games in Düsseldorf against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Seider & Stützle appears to be audio only and will be released on the last Wednesday of every month and available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
According to court filings from the City of Scottsdale, Brooks was charged Monday, Sept. 28 with driving under the influence, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor and carries a presumed fine of $1,623.11.
A court date has been set for the morning of Oct. 28 for his arraignment. The Suns have a break in their schedule at that time; they’ll play the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Oct. 26, and their next game is Oct. 30, against the Denver Nuggets, at home.
On March 6, officers conducted a traffic stop in Scottsdale at around 1 a.m. local time, hours after the Suns lost at home to the Chicago Bulls. After an investigation, Brooks, 30, was arrested. He was released around 3:30 a.m., following the booking process.
Brooks also has a pair of other traffic charges to address, from a separate incident. According to court records, Brooks has been charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor for exceeding the speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour and a Class 2 misdemeanor reckless driving charge, which is when a driver surpasses the speed limit by 35 miles per hour. Those two charges carry a presumed fine of $600 combined.
A trial readiness conference has been set for the morning of Nov. 9 for those charges. The Suns host the San Antonio Spurs later that evening.
A separate alleged speeding incident on Feb. 11 was eventually dismissed by the court in July.
Brooks posted a career-high 20.2 points per game last season, though he played just 56 games as he dealt with a left hand fracture. He also shot a career-best 43.5% from the floor and added 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 20: Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cade Smith (36) delivers a pitch to the plate during the ninth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Athletics and Cleveland Guardians on September 20, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Some controversy around Don Mattingly’s use of his closer in yesterday’s NL Wildcard game vs. the Braves should provide some opportunity for conversation for the Guardians leading into their American League Division Series beginning this weekend.
Entering the bottom of the seventh inning with a 3-2 lead, Mattingly brought Jhoan Duran in to face numbers 9, 1 and 2 in the Atlanta Braves’ order. He then brought him out again in the eighth to get hitters 3, 4 and 5 in the order. The internet is now full of folks calling Mattingly’s decision to go to his closer earlier a mistake because Duran ended up giving up a 3-run, go-ahead homer to Austin Riley in the 8th after the 5th and 6th hitters reach (via infield hit and a hit-by-pitch). But, I don’t think that’s quite fair to Mattingly… or to Duran… or to any team that might take a similar strategic path.
Duran came in with a narrow one-run lead and got five straight outs from the most dangerous hitters in the Atlanta lineup. He then gave up incredibly weak contact that unluckily resulted in a hit. At this point, someone should have been warming and getting ready as quickly as possible. Said pitcher would have had six pitches and a potential mound visit to start to get ready before the fateful Riley at-bat. However, I suspect Mattingly had a longer leash on Duran than optimal because the Phillies’ bullpen as a whole is not great.
I would argue that Mattingly’ process – despite the bad result – was sound. The most important thing to do in a playoff game in which you have a lead in the 7th or later is make sure that your best reliever throws meaningful pitches against your opponent’s best hitters. He accomplished this and got 5 out of 6 hitters out. At that point, I think it would have made sense to have the next best option ready to come in the game and remove Duran, not only because it was an unfamiliar situation for their closer but because there were two outs and you’re asking for one more out with a runner on first. Additionally, no one other than the six hitters who have faced him gets a rep against Duran to help them later in the series (though Atlanta is very familiar with the Phillies).
I hope Stephen Vogt can have conversations with his bullpen about similar situations. If the Guardians had the exact same situation, going to Cade Smith there makes perfect sense and guarantees he sees the best hitters at the end of the game with a lead. Smith also has experience going multiple innings and being the “fireman” in the past. The off days of the series should also allow the Guardians to be aggressive with Smith and their other best arms as they will have time to recover in-between appearances. Erik Sabrowski, Daniel Espino, Shawn Armstrong, a healthy Colin Holderman and even on a good day Tim Herrin are more than capable of getting a batter to end the 8th… or you let Tanner Bibee or Foster Griffin throw the kitchen sink at a hitter.
I do not mean to dismiss the importance of reliever comfort and role establishment. If the team truly believes that Smith being jarred from the role of pitching the 8th into the 9th would negatively affect his mental status, don’t do it. However, from everything we know of Cade, I doubt this is the case. The one thing to avoid at all costs is losing a lead in the 7th or later without Cade Smith facing your opponent’s greatest threats. Mattingly made sure to avoid it yesterday and I hope the Guardians will as well in the series to come.
The Buffalo Sabres practiced at Key Bank Center on Wednesday before departing for Columbus for their season opener against the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who practiced on Tuesday after leaving the preseason finale last Saturday, was on the ice for the second day in a row..
The 27-year-old and third-stringer Colten Ellis took part in the nearly hour long workout, and head coach Lindy Ruff has been pleased with what his starter has done to get ready for the season.
"(I've liked) the first couple of games that (Luukkonen's) been in, the work that he put in over the summer." Ruff said. "He came in tremendous shape. I've liked the work he's put in, and his practices have been good. It's like I said, all three goaltenders gave us a good year last year."
Ruff said that Alex Lyon is feeling good and is on track to be available within a few days. On defense, Olen Zellweger was not on the ice, but the head coach said there were any setbacks after being concussed during the preseason. The young blueliner needs to clear concussion protocol and will be tested again on Thursday, which could make him available for the Sabres opener against Chicago on Saturday or soon thereafter.
After skating on his own on Tuesday, bluelinerMattias Samuelsson practiced fully on Wednesday. Ruff hinted that there could be a roster move made on Thursday to add a seventh defenseman for the opener, but Samuelsson sounded if he was ready to play against the Blue Jackets.
"I thought I was fine afterwards, and then tried to play a couple of shifts and didn't feel great. It was preseason. I kind of just called it. We got some more imaging done, and (the injury) wasn't too major." Samuelsson said. " It was just kind of one of those situations where, if I felt like I was ready to play, I'd be back in the lineup. That's kind of what today was for: to see how I felt out there, and it went well."
Joshua reveals he is speaking to Peter Fury on training
Fury vows to ‘blast him out’ at London press conference
Anthony Joshua has revealed that he is in contact with Tyson Fury’s uncle Peter, in a surprise twist to the buildup between the two former world champion heavyweights who will finally meet in the ring in Cardiff in December.
Peter Fury trained Tyson when he shocked Wladimir Klitschko to win his first world heavyweight title, in 2015. The uncle and nephew fell out soon afterwards, apparently over a financial dispute, and have not spoken in many years.
The Colorado Avalanche and longtime coach Jared Bednar have agreed on a four-year contract extension, the team announced on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and avoided an awkward lame-duck situation ahead of the start to its 2026-27 NHL season.
“Jared has done an outstanding job over the last decade, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best coach for this group," Avalanche President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Joe Sakic said in a statement. “He commands the room and has complete confidence of the players. We’re excited to continue to have him in charge, and we believe that his presence maximizes the team’s potential while this core group is intact.”
Bednar is the winningest coach in franchise history with a career record of 445-262-75 and the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL. Terms of his new contract were not disclosed.
The Avalanche have reached the playoffs in all but one season during his decade with the franchise. They open the 2026-27 season against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
“I’m extremely happy and grateful to continue leading this group,” said Bednar. “My family and I have loved being a part of this organization from the beginning, and I can’t thank the Kroenke family and Joe Sakic enough for their support. I look forward to working hard each day this season and beyond to accomplish our goal of winning another Stanley Cup.”
Players can't wait to welcome back their teammate, even as he has distanced himself from the Detroit Red Wings.
News broke out of Sweden on Wednesday, Sept. 30 that Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent without a contract, had returned home and was skating with Fröulunda in his hometown of Gothenburg. He last skated iwth the Red Wings Saturday morning, before their final preseason game.
"We just know that he wants to be here," teammate Moritz Seider said after practice. "We want him here, and that's the bottom line. Everyone has to fight for their own contracts, and we all have his back and we support him. And we're just looking forward to when he eventually signs, hopefully sooner rather than late because he's a big part of our team, a big part of this organization and, moving forward, he will be a big piece to our success."
Swedish reporter Andreas III Johansson posted on social media that, "Simon Edvinsson is back in Sweden. Training with Frölunda on Wednesday."
Edvinsson, 23, arranged for his own insurance so he could be with his teammates during training camp, taking part in practices but not scrimmages or exhibition games. Once the preseason ended, however, he was no longer around the team. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said in a statement, "Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives."
The Red Wings open the 2026-27 season on Friday, Oct. 2, when they host the New York Rangers. Edvinsson could make the opener if he's signed in the next 24 hours, though it would require an early morning flight from Sweden connecting through a major international airport like Amsterdam Schipol airport or Paris Charles De Gaulle.
"The situation is an important one, but we have so much to worry about in here," forward Andrew Copp said. "I can't really worry about if Simon is going to be here Friday or not. That's not my job. We want Simon here. He's a fantastic player, he's going to be a huge player for us for a long time, but none of us can control whether he's going to be here Friday or not."
Two years ago, under former general manager Steve Yzerman, then-RFAs Seider and Lucas Raymond did not sign new deals until right around the start of camp.
"I think as a teammate, you're making sure that he's in a good mindset," Raymond said. "You kind of let all the business side to the front office. That's all we can do. Simon's a great player. He's a great guy. He's a big part of our team and we want him here. But at the same time, that's not really in our control. We're focused on Friday."
If Edvinsson isn't available, rookie Anton Johansson looks poised to make his debut.
"The players that are here in the locker room, the coaching staff that's here, we have jobs to do," coach Todd McLellan said. "The business between Simon and the hockey club, we have nothing to do with it. We can't change it. We can't affect it. There's nothing we can do about it. So it's pretty simple − we get out, we have a good practice like we did today, and we get ready for the game. And if you're in a Red Wing jersey, then you're playing. That's the only way we can deal with it."
Kawhi Leonard got his contract extension. Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley are locked up for at least the next three seasons, as is center Jakob Poeltl on a head-scratchingly large extension (which doesn't even kick in until next season).
What about RJ Barrett? The 26-year-old scoring wing and Toronto have yet to have any meaningful extension talks as he heads into the final season of his contract, reports Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.
According to league sources, the Raptors and Barrett's long-time agent Bill Duffy have yet to sit down and have substantive conversations about the possibility of a contract extension which — in theory — could be worth as much as $185 million over four seasons.
Barrett could be the latest in a growing list of players who want to stay with a team — and those teams would love to keep him — but the financial penalties of the luxury tax aprons make that very difficult (Jaylen Brown in Boston is the shining example).
Barrett is set to make $29.6 million this season, coming off a year where he averaged 19.3 points a game in the regular season, then, with Brandon Ingram out, took over in the playoffs and averaged 24.1 points per game through seven games against the Cavaliers. He's not looking to take much of a haircut, if any. However, the Raptors are $37.8 million below the projected first apron and $50.8 million below the second for next season with just nine players on the books. Paying Barrett market rate, rounding out the roster and staying out of the aprons becomes very difficult.
There is no animosity between Barrett, an Ontario native, and the Raptors. The sides would like to work something out. However, as a scoring wing on an expiring contract, you can bet his name is going to come up in a lot of trade rumors between now and the deadline. Unless an extension can be reached before then.
Toronto heads into a season where it really likes its roster and thinks it could make some noise in the East, but already keeping that roster together — and keeping a Canadian in the place he wants to be — becomes difficult. Welcome to the NBA Adam Silver wants.
On the heels of a successful 2025-26 season, the Philadelphia Flyers open up their 2026-27 campaign with a home matchup against the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins at 7: 30 p.m. at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and they'll have a lot to prove early on.
For starters, Wednesday night's game against the Penguins will be a rematch of the first-round playoff series between the two teams, and the Flyers are returning a mostly unchanged lineup with the exception of two players.
Noel Acciari switches sides, and Simon Benoit will start the season as the No. 6 defenseman alongside Nick Seeler. Dan Vladar will start for the Flyers against the Penguins, so newcomer Joseph Woll will serve as the backup goalie.
As for the Penguins, they will be starting the season without Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau, and Andrei Kuzmenko, and their defense corps has the likes of Declan Carlile, Sam Girard, Kaedan Korczak, and Trevor van Riemsdyk trying to complement Erik Karlsson and the declining Kris Letang.
Arturs Silovs will start for the Penguins opposite Vladar, too, with Sergei Murashov backing him up. The Penguins have a weakened lineup that should make for a 'gimme' for the Flyers, though that was true of the Flyers' last preseason game, and they came up woefully short instead.
Tyson Foerster - Christian Dvorak - Travis Konecny
Carl Grundstrom - Sean Couturier - Noel Acciari
Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York - Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler - Simon Benoit
Extras: Garrett Wilson, David Jiricek
Dan Vladar (S), Joseph Woll
Penguins lines for Flyers game
Nick Robertson - Sidney Crosby - Rickard Rakell
Tommy Novak - Evgeni Malkin - Egor Chinakhov
Filip Hallander - Hendrix Lapierre - Ville Koivunen
Elmer Soderblom - Blake Lizotte - Connor Dewar
Declan Carlile - Erik Karlsson
Trevor van Riemsdyk - Kris Letang
Sam Girard - Kaedan Korczak
Arturs Silovs (S), Sergei Murashov
Flyers players to watch
The two players I'm looking at to make an early impact on Wednesday night are wingers Tyson Foerster and Matvei Michkov.
Michkov has looked spry and rejuvenated all throughout camp, and he'll be paired up with familiar linemates in Alex Bump and Noah Cates. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists, and seven points in eight career regular season games against the Penguins.
As for Foerster, the Flyers continue to rave about the winger, who inked a long-term extension with Philadelphia this summer.
Foerster scored at a 36-goal pace in his 29 games last season, and while we can debate whether or not that's sustainable, those are the heights the Flyers believe the former first-round pick can ultimately reach.
Foerster will start on a high-leverage line with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny, and he has scored six goals, four assists, and 10 points in 11 career regular season games against the Penguins.
Both Michkov and Foerster will look to put their disappointing playoff showings against Pittsburgh in the rearview mirror in short order.
How to watch the Flyers game
Wednesday night's Flyers game against the Penguins will be broadcast on TNT (national), TruTV, and HBO Max.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 28: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a portrait during NBA media day on September 28, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As John Voita always puts it, it felt like the first day of school again at Suns Media Day. Mostly familiar faces, with some new ones sprinkled in, and the same objective for everyone: figuring out who this team is.
There’s only so much you can learn from a group with plenty of *checks notes* continuity (that was the buzzword today), but it’s always fun to get the state of the front office, coaching staff, and players.
From aligned to continuity, here’s what stood out.
1) Ishbia, Gregory, and Ott bring consistent messaging in different ways
I mean this in the best way possible. Mat Ishbia, Brian Gregory, and Jordan Ott couldn’t be any more different from each other personality-wise. They each have their own communication style and approach to dealing with the media, but the important thing is that they’re aligned on their vision.
Ishbia brings a very direct, intense, and passionate approach that shines through in every word he says. He speaks with conviction and isn’t afraid to confront the tough questions head-on.
“Am I still going to pay the luxury tax? Yes,” said Ishbia, who stated that he has purchased an additional 14% of the team and now owns ~80% of the franchise.
“Are we still going to do crazy things for the fans? Yes, yes, yes. I always say this, I don’t own the team, it’s the city’s team.”
Brian Gregory is more analytical and calculated and provides answers with great detail.
One Gregory moment that stood out was him saying how Khaman Maluach’s body has changed in the past year. He said that he is stronger and runs/moves differently than he did as a rookie. Gregory credited Maluach for taking every step by putting in the work every day, sometimes even twice a day. And yes, he mentioned the word continuity as well.
Jordan Ott looked much more comfortable and personable with the media than he did last season, which is the usual development after knocking out your first year as a head coach and building relationships with the media.
He reiterated his love for Phoenix and said how lucky we are to live here.
When asked about the center battle, Ott said: “Camp is three weeks. We’re gonna mix around with some lineups.” As expected, they will keep things pretty close to the chest right now and not reveal too much about their scheme, overall plans or any lineup talk as they prepare for camp.
2) Khaman Maluach = Media Day Winner
There was no bigger “winner” than Khaman Maluach at media day. Members of the front office, coaching staff, and even veteran players brought him up, unprompted, several times.
"When we talk about the work ethic and putting in the time for that development, he's done every single day, a lot of times, twice a day. He understands where he's at in this spectrum of where he wants to get to. I think that's a great trait for him, because he's never gonna get…
Luke Kennard said he’s the “one of the hardest workers” he’s been around in his career. Coming from a 10-year vet, that means something. Pat Spencer praised his energy. Devin Booker said he’s been pleased with his development and willingness to work.
Khaman quotes and praise will be sprinkled throughout this article. It’s quite impossible to leave them out with how often we heard his name. He is clearly hungry to keep improving, and is doing all of the right things to get where he (and we) want him to be as a player. The next step is translating that to consistent production in games that count.
I asked Khaman Maluach how he doesn’t let the pressure of competing for the team’s starting center spot get to him.
“It’s not like, oh who's gonna start or who's gonna play this kind of minutes. It’s what the team needs. If that night Oso is a good matchup for whatever center… pic.twitter.com/rAKdcsIKEU
I typically don’t feed into the generic offseason buzzwords or “great shape” everyone seems to be in when entering camp. Have you ever heard someone come in and say, “Yeah, I’m in pretty bad shape right now.” Of course not. But Devin Booker isn’t the type to talk himself up like this, specifically about the shape and overall state of mind he’s in.
He also mentioned that he “loves the game more than he ever has” right now.
Devin Booker said this is the best his body has ever felt going into a training camp. Credited learning over the years the new ways to train and take care of his body.
(This is saying something because Booker always comes into the season in fantastic shape)
Another fun Booker quote: “Sometimes I fall into passing too much and this year, hopefully, I fall into shooting too much.” Yeah, inject that into my veins. If we get a more aggressive and assertive Booker, that will only make the Suns better. He’s always at his best in attack mode. That doesn’t mean to force up dumb shots, but to look for his more rather than being too unselfish at times when they need him to take over.
Building off that last point regarding Maluach, Devin Booker and Khaman got some work in together this summer.
Devin Booker said Khaman Maluach texted him about working out together and the two have followed up with workouts.
Said Maluach made the biggest jump from last year to this year thar he has seen. #Suns
“He’s asking a lot of questions, but you can tell he’s asking them when he already knows the answer and knows what to do. It’s been a pleasure to watch him grow.”
"That guard and big relationship is super important."
Book on his summer workouts with Khaman and the growth he's seen from our young big man. pic.twitter.com/S5BkAZ9OXF
Kennard said on a call with Coach Ott that it was “great” that I led the NBA in 3PT%, but that may not be the case this year, because “we want to see you take tougher shots”.
He said he is excited for the opportunity in Phoenix and feels like there is a ton of confidence in him and his game, which makes his job easier.
Luke Kennard says the message for him has been to shoot as many 3's as possible this season 🎯
While that is music to many Suns fans’ ears, it may be wise to pump the brakes there. LeBron and JJ Redick were each in Kennard’s ear last season, constantly telling him to shoot more to no avail.
Maybe it will be different for us, and we can get him back in the 6+ attempt range that he hit a few times earlier in his career in Memphis, Los Angeles (Clippers), and Detroit. It’s time for Luke Kennard to let it fly!
5) Pat Spencer fits right in
As we all predicted, Pat Spencer is going to fit right in with this team from a culture and mindset perspective. He is a competitor through and through and will bring a feisty style of play every time he steps on the court.
I wrote about his seamless fit, linked below.
This quote was one of my absolute favorites from the entire day. He and Dillon Brooks are going to absolutely agitate opponents, and I’m here for it.
I asked Pat Spencer about his brother Cam having a dustup with Kevin Durant and if it surprised him.
Pat said he wasn't surprised at all and that with all due respect to everyone and players of that pedigree, once they are between the lines "we don't give a shit who you are."
Spencer also joined in on the Maluach praise, saying he has the “best energy” he’s ever seen in the NBA. For Maluach to get kudos from a couple of new guys, plus returners, speaks to the impact and impression he’s made in a short period of time leading into the new season.
