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Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist brings Stanley Cup to hometown in Sweden

The Stanley Cup is currently enjoying some time overseas.

Over the past several weeks, the historic trophy has cris-crossed North America while members of the Florida Panthers have enjoyed their special days with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

It’s gone to South Florida and Nova Scotia and Texas and Wisconsin and Quebec and St. Louis, and those are only a few of the stops it’s made so far.

But now we’re taking things up a notch.

The Stanley Cup is going intercontinental, taking a cross-Atlantic flight and making its first stop to Scandinavia for some fun time in Sweden with Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist.

On Tuesday, Boqvist brough the Cup to his hometown of Hedemora.

It’s where he grew up playing hockey with his brother Adam, and where their parents still live.

Despite a delay due to the Cup being caught up in customs, a massive crowd that gathered at Sveaparken Park was thrilled when Boqvist finally stood before them, raising the trophy triumphantly over his head.

“As a fan, you don’t see (the Stanley Cup) that often, so to bring it home, where I grew up, it’s been so cool,” Boqvist said. “It’s a special moment, for sure.”

During the visit, Boqvist was honored by his former youth club, Hedemora SK, and even stopped by Hemkop Arena, where he played hockey as a youngster.

Spending time revisiting his hockey roots while celebrating a Stanley Cup victory provided Boqvist a unique blend of nostalgia and pride.

Coming from a community so far away from the NHL, it didn’t escape Boqvist that he may be providing the same kind of inspiration that he once felt as a child.

“Growing up, you always have those role models, your heroes,” he said. “For me, bringing (the Stanley Cup) back, hopefully I can be someone’s hero. To see a kid be that happy to be close to it and touch it, it’s special. I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to do that.”

Boqvist played 78 games during his first season with the Panthers, racking up 12 goals, three of which were game-winners, and 23 points while adding another two goals and five points in 13 playoff games.

Back in March, Florida was so pleased with what they’d seen from Boqvist that they signed him to a two-year extension that carries a $1.5 million AAV (average annual value), which is twice the AAV that he was signed for the previous summer ($775K).

“Winning, being in the locker room, having the parade and all that has been pretty crazy and something you hope for, but never know if its going to happen,” he said. “Being a part of that has been special, and with our group too, it’s been unreal.”

You can check out footage from Boqvist's day with the Cup in the video below: 

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Photo caption: Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist shares the Stanley Cup with hockey fans in his hometown of Hedemora, Sweden. (Florida Panthers)

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Blackhawks Will Bring Back Black Alternate Jersey “Eventually”

On Tuesday, the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast had Chicago Blackhawks President of Business Operations, Jaime Faulkner, on the show. She discussed tons of topics on the business side of things, which you can listen to here.

One of the main topics was the black ‘90s sweater that the Blackhawks used to wear. When asked about its potential return, Faulkner said it will be coming back “eventually”, but not in 2025-26. 

CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) on XCHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) on XJaime Faulkner tells us the 90s black alternate Blackhawks jersey WILL be coming back, but not this season.

She said they decided that they don’t want to make fans have to buy too many new jerseys during the centennial celebration, as they already revealed their one-year centennial home jersey for the 2025-26 season. 

To Faulkner's point, Chicago has had at least one new sweater every year for the last few now, but that doesn’t mean fans won’t buy them all anyway.

You can’t help but wonder if they would have made just as much money had they revealed them this year, but they are coming back nonetheless. 

Some legendary Blackhawks players have worn the all-black alternate sweaters. Now, it's time to start imagining what it will be like to see Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Artyom Levshunov, amongst others, wearing them. 

Chicago’s logo and sweater are amongst the most beloved in all of hockey. This piece of their history has been asked for by fans for a long time, and they are going to get their wish soon. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Canadiens: Most Heated Rivalry Shows No Sign Of Cooling Off

Once upon a time, the Montreal Canadiens’ biggest rivals were the Toronto Maple Leafs, then it was the Boston Bruins, but nowadays, that title belongs to the Ottawa Senators. Whether Habs fans like it or not, Ottawa’s rebuilding is going well, and both teams are close geographically, in the standings, and on the reconstruction ladder.

Last season, the Canadiens won three of the four duels between the two teams and outscored Ottawa 17-11, but Montreal’s sole loss against their neighbors came in April, when both teams were vying for a playoff spot and the stakes were higher.

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The first duel of the season came early on, on October 12; it was the Habs' third game of the season and one in which sniper Cole Caufield shone brightly, scoring two goals at even strength, including the game-winner. They were his third and fourth games of the season as he started the year on a torrid pace that he couldn’t keep all the way through. That night wasn’t Linus Ullmark’s best at the office; he gave up four goals on just 26 shots.

The two teams didn’t cross paths again until February 22, the Canadiens’ first game after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Once again, Montreal came out on top, and this time, it was thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky’s inspired play. In 15:25 of play, the big Slovak landed eight hits, got a fighting major, and scored a goal. It was another challenging game for Ullmark; however, he gave up five goals in a little over 32 minutes of play. Once Anton Forsberg got the net, nothing got past him.

The third game on March 18 was won by the veterans’ line of Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, and Brendan Gallagher, who combined for nine points in the 6-3 win. Once more, Ullmark couldn’t stop the Canadiens and gave them four goals on 31 shots, for a .871 save percentage. That night, when he scored an empty net goal, Gallagher pointed to the heavens when celebrating, dedicating the lamplighter to his mother Della, who had recently passed.

The final game took place on April 11th, and this time, Ullmark stood tall, stopping all but two of the 22 shots he received. Shane Pinto led the charge with a pair of goals as the Senators skated away with a 5-2 win.

The Senators ended the season with 97 points. They qualified for the postseason ahead of the Canadiens, taking fourth place in the Atlantic Division, just behind the soon-to-be repeat Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. Montreal finished the year with 91 points and in fifth place in the Division.

Ottawa did make some moves this offseason, signing a contract extension with Claude Giroux at a bargain price, signing trade deadline acquisition Fabian Zetterlund to a three-year contract, and adding a few players on the free-agent market. They brought on former Hab Lars Eller, who has plenty of experience and is a Stanley Cup champion, underperforming forward Arthur Kaliyev, and defenseman Jordan Spence. On the other hand, Adam Gaudette, Cole Reinhardt, Travis Hamonic, and Dennis Gilbert all left the organization.

The acquisition of Dylan Cozens before the trade deadline was an astute move from Steve Staios and one that should pay off, making the Senators a much more complete team with some depth down the middle, something the Canadiens are still desperately trying to find.

Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson, who led the Senators in points against the Canadiens, will all be back and ready to contribute to Ottawa’s quest for another playoff berth. Both teams might want to keep an eye on their rearview mirror, however, since the Columbus Blue Jackets only just missed out on the playoffs last season, being eliminated by Montreal’s win in its previous game, and the New York Rangers will be looking to rebound from a surprising season, to say the least.

Whatever happens in the win or lose columns, however, you can count on Montreal and Ottawa to provide some great on-ice entertainment. The two outfits hate one another, and it shows in every aspect of the game. Penalties are no rare occurrence when they face off, and that’s where Montreal may just get the upper hand. The acquisition of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc should help Martin St-Louis ice two competitive power play units, which could make a massive difference for the Habs.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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Orioles at Phillies Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for August 6

Its Wednesday, August 6 and the Orioles (51-63) are in Philadelphia this afternoon looking to avoid being swept by the Phillies (65-48).

Trevor Rogers is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Ranger Suárez for Philadelphia.

Taijuan Walker and three relievers struck out ten and limited the Orioles to five hits enroute to a 5-0 win Tuesday night. Brandon Marsh went yard and drove in a pair of runs to pace the attack. The Phillies now lead the National League East by 2.5 games.

Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch today's first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Orioles at Phillies

  • Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025
  • Time: 12:35PM EST
  • Site: Citizens Bank Park
  • City: Philadelphia, PA
  • Network/Streaming: MASN, NBCSP

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Orioles at the Phillies

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Orioles (+136), Phillies (-162)
  • Spread:  Phillies -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Phillies

  • Pitching matchup for August 6, 2025: Trevor Rogers vs. Ranger Suárez
    • Orioles: Trevor Rogers (4-2, 1.44 ERA)
      Last outing: August 1 at Cubs - 1.13 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts
    • Phillies: Ranger Suárez (8-4, 2.68 ERA)
      Last outing: August 1 vs. Detroit - 3.86 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Phillies

  • The Phillies are 65-48 (.575) this season and 10-6 (.625) with Ranger Suarez on the mound
  • The Phillies' last 3 games have gone over the Total when Ranger Suarez takes the mound
  • Betting the Phillies on the Run Line with Ranger Suarez starting would have returned a 1.89-unit profit in 2025
  • Nick Castellanos is riding a 6-game hitting streak (7-21)

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Orioles and the Phillies

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Orioles and the Phillies:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Jimmy Butler hilariously adds Draymond Green to Warriors' ‘Batman' universe

Jimmy Butler hilariously adds Draymond Green to Warriors' ‘Batman' universe originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Every superhero needs a sidekick. And a butler. And a multi-million-dollar military-grade supercar capable of causing mass destruction.

That’s what Warriors superstar Steph Curry has with his current ensemble of teammates.

Golden State’s veteran forward Jimmy Butler famously declared himself the “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman” after joining the Warriors midway through the 2024-25 NBA season, and then named guard Buddy Hield “Alfred,” Batman’s butler in the comic books.

Well, a new character just dropped.

Butler, who currently is traveling through China, declared in a social media post Wednesday that veteran forward Draymond Green has been cast as the Batmobile.

“Robin, he [going to] Robin the s–t out of this motherf–ker this year. Batman [going to] do his job. Draymond is uh … Draymond’s the Batmobile, you know. He’s like the one who’s got to get us to where we need to go. He do a little bit of everything: Shoot them thangs, ‘pew pew,’ somebody’s shooting at us, he rolling over [and] protecting us. You know what I’m saying?

“Golden State through, we’re on the way. We’re on the way, I’ll tell you that. Buddy was just here in China, too. I don’t know what the f–k for, but Buddy got some love out here.”

The Warriors’ “Batman” universe is expanding, but will it be enough to defeat The Joker and the other villains in the Western Conference?

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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When Paul Terry went out to bat for England with a broken arm

Chris Woakes put his body on the line against India, following an example set in 1984 against West Indies

By That 1980s Sports Blog

It was an image that dominated the back pages. When Chris Woakes walked down the steps at the Oval on Monday, the crowd stood to applaud this noble deed. With his left arm in a sling and inside his jumper, Woakes arrived at the crease with England requiring 17 runs to win the final Test against India.

With Woakes suffering a dislocated shoulder, Gus Atkinson (or extras) would have to get England over the line. England fell short, the sheer will and skill of Mohammed Siraj helping India to win the Test and deservedly draw the series. Woakes’s bravery jogged the memories of those of a certain age. The circumstances were very different from the tail end of England’s innings at the Oval, but in July 1984 another England batter arrived on the scene sporting the Woakes look. Paul Terry could probably relate to Woakes’s pain.

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Hernández: Mookie Betts sounds depressed, but he isn't giving up on snapping his hitting slump

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts sprints along the first base line after hitting a double off pitcher Miles Mikolas
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) sprints along the first base line after hitting a double off St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) in the third inning at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Mookie Betts offered a new perspective Tuesday afternoon on his season-long slump, which is that it wasn’t a season-long slump.

In his view, it actually extended back to last season.

“I really haven’t been right since I came back from my hand last year,” Betts said.

Betts fractured his left hand in mid-June last season when he was struck by a 98-mph fastball. He was sidelined for almost two months.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts stares down at his batting gloves after flying out in the ninth inning.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts stares down at his batting gloves after flying out in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Dodger Stadium on July 22. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“Think about it,” Betts said. “Go and look at it. I haven’t been right since.”

Betts was a MVP candidate when he went down, hitting .304 at the time. He batted .263 after his return, including .185 over the final 17 games of the regular season.

The troubles from last year have carried into this year, in which he’s batting a career-worst .236.

Betts wanted to clarify the point he was trying to make.

Read more:Max Muncy is back with four RBIs in Dodgers' rout of Cardinals

“I wasn’t blaming it on my hand or anything,” he said. “I was just saying since coming back, I haven’t done anything. It’s not just this season.”

Betts even went out of his way to downplay the severity of the injury or how it has affected him since.

"It wasn’t like I obliterated my hand,” he said. “It was a fracture.”

Betts pointed to how his grip strength was measured in spring training. The readings showed his grip was stronger than he was the previous year.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts makes a play during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 4.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts makes a play during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 4. (Luke Johnson/Los Angeles Times)

“There’s no correlation to anything,” he said. “I wish I could blame it on something, but nah.”

My visit to Dodger Stadium on Tuesday was prompted by what Betts told reporters after a weekend series in Tampa. The remarks in question were made when Betts was hitless in his last four games; the streak extended to a career-high five after another hitless game on Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I’ve done everything I can possibly do,” Betts told reporters. “It’s up to God at this point.”

In print, at least, he sounded defeated. His quotes, I told him, were depressing.

“I don’t know if you’re watching what’s going on, but it is depressing,” Betts said with a smile.

So he still had a sense of humor.

Which isn’t to say he’s not baffled or frustrated by his lack of production.

Read more:From a day off to the leadoff spot, Dodgers try unraveling mystery of Mookie Betts' slump

“It’s unexplainable,” Betts said. “I don’t know. It sucks. You know how in Space Jam, they take your superpowers away? Kind of what it feels like. I’ve never been there, never done that, so to have that happen, I don’t know how to get out of it.”

Without any specific answers, he’s doubled down on the general philosophy that made him one of baseball’s greatest players.

He’s worked.

“That’s the only thing I can do,” he said. “The only thing I can control is my effort and my attitude.”

When Betts says he’s done everything he could do to recapture his old magic, what he’s really saying is that he’s doing everything he can.

“I hit for three or four hours a day,” he said. “At some point, your body breaks down, but I’d rather break down than not give the effort.”

Read more:'A major league shortstop, on a championship club.' Why Dodgers don't plan to move Mookie Betts

Betts showed up at Dodger Stadium before 1:30 p.m. on Monday for the series opener against the Cardinals, which started at 7:10. He hit in the batting cages, worked on his defense on the field, and participated in batting practice. He returned to the batting cages at around 4:30 and stayed there until 6:15.

“Just trying to relearn, going to the basics, relearning myself,” he said. “I had to go back and think about what I used to do in the minor leagues, [those] types of things.”

Betts might not have yet figured out the adjustments required from him to break out of his slump, but he’s also not out of ideas. He acknowledged he’s purposely sounded more clueless than he actually is in order to avoid discussing changes he’s trying to implement.

“There’s a bunch of stuff that I’m working on,” he said. “That’s stuff that, no offense to you guys, but you guys wouldn’t understand.”

The former right fielder didn’t think the workload at shortstop was the source of his problems, and he didn’t think his batspeed had declined in the last couple of years, as data from baseball’s tracking system had indicated.

“I haven’t hit the ball solid,” Betts said. “Naturally, you slow down because you try to hit the ball solid.”

Read more:Dave Roberts gives Mookie Betts a day off as season-long slump continues

While the experiment of deploying Betts as a leadoff hitter ended after only two weeks, manager Dave Roberts said he was committed to batting him near the top of the lineup.

“If that’s not confidence from a manager to a player,” Roberts said, “I don’t know what is.”

Betts rewarded Roberts’ faith on Tuesday in a 12-6 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday, as he was three for four with a double, a walk and three runs. The three-hit game was his first in almost two months.

Betts refused to read too much into the performance.

“It’s good to get the results, but it’s one game,” he said. “Every time we talk about [a good game], I go 0 for 20 after. So we’ll see about tomorrow.”

He departed the stadium uncertain of what the results would be the next day, but he knew what the process would be. He would continue to work and continue to search for answers.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Clase Gambling Probe Shakes Athlete Income-Sharing Industry

Emmanuel Clase’s indefinite leave from Major League Baseball hurt more than just the Cleveland Guardians—it also is another blow to the nascent idea of athlete income-sharing.

The All-Star closer was placed on paid leave last month while the league investigates allegations of sports betting. Last year, Clase stuck a deal with Finlete to trade a sliver of his future baseball income in exchange for an upfront payment. Finlete raised the money for Clase by selling shares to investors—mostly fans who wanted a piece of the player’s upside and some extra perks, like a semi-annual Zoom call with Clase.

Athlete income-sharing has been around in some form for many years, but is typically for young pros who still have to prove themselves. Nabbing Clase, who led the AL in saves in each of the last three seasons, was a coup for Finlete and the industry.

“How the hell did we land this deal? It’s incredible,” Finlete CEO Rob Connolly told Sportico last year.

The deal seemed to fulfil the promise that has drawn venture capital into the idea. Finlete, for instance, has investment from Comcast and VC legend Tim Draper. Now, Clase’s indefinite leave under gambling suspicions—which could result in a potential lifetime ban from MLB if found guilty—has become another hurdle for an idea that has few clear successes.

“We are aware of the MLB investigation involving Emmanuel Clase and, like everyone else, we’re following the league’s process closely,” Connolly said in an email. “While he’s on non-disciplinary paid leave, Clase continues to receive his MLB salary. As long as he is being paid at the Major League level, Finlete will continue to receive its entitled percentage, and dividends will be distributed to investors as scheduled.”

Later, he added: “Obviously, all investments, regardless of sector, contain risk.”

Finlete has done nothing wrong: The Clase offering is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the risks, including suspension and reputational risks from a player’s actions, were disclosed multiple times in the offering document. And it’s possible the pitcher returns to MLB and returns to form and signs a huge contract that rewards Finlete’s investors. But even if that’s the case, the sales pitch of participating in an athlete’s career—Connolly called it a “PG version of OnlyFans”—is less exciting when real world problems muck up the highest-profile opportunity. And it’s already been a tough sell to investors.

According to regulatory disclosures as of the end of 2024, Finlete raised $15,980 out of a goal of $3.6 million for the Clase offering. More recent figures haven’t been disclosed and Finlete’s website says the Clase offering is closed. But a low sales rate isn’t unusual: an earlier offering for Texas Rangers minor league shortstop Echedry Vargas was closed to new investors after raising $78,288 out of a $500,000 goal. It has five minor league baseball player offerings open currently, including one for top-100 prospect Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia that has a more modest $102,000 goal.

“There are a lot of different—I wouldn’t even say difficulties—hurdles” in athlete income-sharing, said Parker Graham, the co-founder of Vestible, another income-sharing venture that raised $600,000 in a deal with NFL player Baron Browning last year. “It just takes a lot of legwork to get an athlete deal done and athletes just don’t have as great a pain point to create the business we wanted to create… Athletes already have money.”

Graham has shut down Vestible’s athlete income-sharing efforts and instead is deploying the idea to collegiate athletic departments, “helping them bridge the [funding] gap with their fans,” he said on a phone call. “You have to raise a certain amount of capital and the only options are donors, bank loans, private equity and bonds. We want to create this system where there’s a fifth option… the pain point [for colleges] is so much more apparent.”

Vestible anticipates announcing its first collegiate partners this autumn, with more in the pipeline, “Power Four to Group of Five and some FCS probably as well.”

Other athlete income-sharing ventures are seeing mixed results. Manse, a French company that launched a U.S. registered offering of $4 million worth of securities backed by a complex calculation of Nick Kyrgios’ social media trends, hasn’t made a post to its English language social media accounts in months, though its Kyrgios securities are still available for sale. Other ventures that pitched athlete deals last year have yet to offer new ones in 2025, and Big League Advantage, the business that suggested splitting income with pros could be a winning strategy, is being sued by its most famous partner, Fernando Tatis Jr., for alleged predatory business practices over the deal they struck when he was still a minor-leaguer.

Connolly, for one, remains bullish on the idea. “Interest in our platform is at an all-time high. We’ve signed 13 exceptional baseball players to-date, three of whom are currently ranked in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. We’ve exceeded 500 investors and $500K raised on the platform,” he said in an email. “We also recently closed an oversubscribed $1M Angel Round of funding to help propel our growth.”

Still, at the moment, it seems the promise of athlete income-sharing isn’t working out for anyone—except the athletes. “If for some reason they don’t work out, they don’t have to pay this money back,” Connolly said in October. “It’s really a win-win for the athletes.”

It’s possibly the safest bet Clase ever made.

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Son Heung-min waves to roaring Los Angeles fans after agreeing deal with club

  • Forward watched LAFC’s home game against Tigres

  • Korean’s fee reported to be more than $20m

Son Heung-min has agreed to a contract with Los Angeles FC after a decade at Tottenham. The 33-year-old attended LAFC’s home Leagues Cup win against Tigres on Tuesday, watching from a luxury suite, and will be introduced on Wednesday.

The club showed the forward on the stadium video board late in the first half. LAFC, a wealthy club with significant success in their first eight seasons of existence, reportedly paid more than $20m (£15m).

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Why Brandon Crawford was Casey Schmitt's favorite player growing up in SoCal

Why Brandon Crawford was Casey Schmitt's favorite player growing up in SoCal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

His roots are in San Diego, but Casey Schmitt still took his baseball cues from a Bay Area legend.

The Giants’ second baseman revealed his longtime admiration for franchise icon Brandon Crawford in the latest edition of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “BP With Britt,” explaining how San Francisco’s all-time leader in games played at shortstop influenced a SoCal kid growing up in the shadow of Petco Park.

“I think just watching baseball and kind of just being a fan of the game was a big thing for me,” Schmitt recently told Laura Britt. “Just watching [Crawford] and being able to meet him, play alongside him … it was really cool and just developed [a] relationship with him as well.”

Schmitt and Crawford spent just one season as teammates in 2023, before Crawford left for the St. Louis Cardinals and retired a year later. But that one campaign was long enough for Crawford’s professionalism and playing style to rub off on Schmitt.

“Just the way he goes about his business every single day … the way he does everything, he’s an awesome person,” Schmitt said. “Just to be around and learn from him was really cool.”

There was plenty to learn. Crawford enjoyed an illustrious career with the Giants, earning three National League All-Star nods and winning four Gold Glove awards at shortstop, in addition to two World Series rings.

The 26-year-old Schmitt has settled in as a starter for the first time in 2025, with six home runs and 22 RBI in 54 games played.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Likely Jonathan Kuminga reunion with Warriors could create unwanted spectacle

Likely Jonathan Kuminga reunion with Warriors could create unwanted spectacle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is time for the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to find an arrangement that satisfies both, but the clock on their mutual desires is fast approaching JK’s jersey number: 00.

Their arranged marriage, distinguished more by turbulence than compatibility, lurched past its fourth anniversary last week. The growing belief around the NBA is they will wobble into Year 5, which would be the uneasiest by far.

On one side, the Warriors will be trying to harmonize a squad capable of squeezing one more drop of glory from the Stephen Curry era, which lifted the franchise to global icon status.

On the other side, Kuminga wants to prove he is a star and, therefore, worthy of a star’s contract, and his disposition will be monitored more closely than his statistics and impact.

The two sides have spent four seasons trying to make something of mismatched methods. Kuminga is a terrific scoring soloist, capable of getting to his spots and attacking the rim like a young Kawhi Leonard, but Golden State’s offense is designed to operate as an ensemble, with Curry as the conductor. That won’t change. Nor should it, as Curry continues to play at All-Star level.

Though a sign-and-trade deal remains a remote possibility, all indications are Kuminga will have to postpone his dreams of a life-changing payday.

“There will be some teams with money next year,” one Western Conference executive tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “Kuminga might have to just have to ride this out one more year and see what happens. It might come to fruition. Maybe he becomes more like ‘the guy’ there. There are people who believe he should play more, that he should do this more or do that more.

“But you still got Steph there. You got Jimmy (Butler) there.”

A fifth year of Warriors-Kuminga matrimony would invite all manner of vulture curiosity, as both parties will be under the brightest, and sometimes harshest, of lights. The Warriors are willing to move on, and Kuminga is eager to do the same. Living emotionally separate under the same roof, sharing the same locker room is bound to present, um, challenges.

The skills of Golden State coach Steve Kerr and the team’s veteran leaders – Draymond Green, Butler and Curry – will be tested. Can they orchestrate successful alchemy? Can Kuminga suppress his personal desires for the sake of the team? Can the Kerr-Kuminga coexistence maintain a peaceful, productive coexistence?

Kuminga wants to be a starter. That role was available last season, when he started the first three games at small forward, with Green at power forward and Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard. Butler now is entrenched at small forward since the February trade that sent Wiggins to Miami. The Warriors gained a playmaker but lost spacing. Kerr won’t tolerate the clogged spacing that would come with a Green-Kuminga-Butler frontcourt, so that option is out.

“He’s a (scoring) monster at the four,” a former NBA player-turned-analyst, referring to Kuminga, tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “But that’s Draymond position. I hate Draymond’s game. Hate his game. But his IQ makes him a Hall of Famer. It’s through the roof. And that team needs it.”

Green’s defense and court savvy were as much a part of Golden State’s 2014-15 resurrection as the gravity generated by Curry’s presence. Andrew Bogut and Green made the same impact on defense that Klay Thompson and Curry did on offense. The result was the best team in the NBA.

“They had a top-five offense, and a top-five defense,” the executive recalls. “And they were smart. The smartest team in the league. Back then, they were just smarter than you. With Jonathan, I think they’re questioning that. And they have Jimmy, Steph and Draymond, probably three of the smartest guys out there.”

Kuminga’s poor 3-point shooting (30.5 percent) makes him a misfit as a three in the Warriors’ system, but his greatest sins in the book of Kerr are mental errors. Those liabilities sometimes offset his assets. It’s one of the quickest ways in the league to fracture trust among coaches and teammates.

Is there any doubt that one glaring mistake by Kuminga will intensify the scrutiny and raise the temperature of the marriage?

At no point during these four seasons has Kuminga risen to the level of “distraction” to the greater goals of the Warriors. Even when displeased with circumstances, JK generally puts his head down and comes to work – even when he’s out of the rotation. Team leaders do what they can to keep him engaged.

But if the marriage continues into a fifth season, after a summer of unmet hopes for both parties, tranquility for all parties will be hard to achieve. A divorce is not a matter of if, but when.

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Top 20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: A 2025 Draft Pick Kicks Off The List At No. 20

Photo Credit: Ed Fonger/Swift Current Broncos/WHL

Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.

With more talent in the system than Pittsburgh has had in years - and 13 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft - top prospects lists are becoming more competitive and more difficult to discern. Since the prospect pool is deepening, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins takes a look at the top-20 prospects in the organization. 

We kick off the list by highlighting our pick for no. 20, which happens to be 2025 draftee, Peyton Kettles.

#20: D Peyton Kettles

Photo Credit: Ed Fonger/Swift Current Broncos/WHL

Kettles was selected in the second round (39th overall) by the Penguins in 2025. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound blueliner has spent the last three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL), compiling seven goals and 17 points in 116 games.

But it's not really the offensive production that defines Kettles's game. With his large frame, long reach, and physicality, Kettles is primarily known for his shutdown ability. 

When the Penguins selected Kettles in the second round - a pick that they traded for by sending RFA defenseman Conor Timmins to the Buffalo Sabres - that's exactly what they were reaching for. The young right-shot defenseman still has some room to fill out his frame, but he already has a knack for shutting down the opposition's very best opponents. 

Scouts from Elite Prospects have pointed out his skill in killing odd-man rushes, his potent stick, his ability to take away the middle of the ice and drive opponents away from the net, his booming physicality, and his flashes of puck-moving ability that have the potential to become more consistent as he develops.

The Penguins possess a lot of depth at the defensive position, as guys like Harrison Brunicke, Owen Pickering, Emil Pieniniemi, and Finn Harding headline the upper part of the organizational depth chart. Two other blueliners in Charlie Trethewey (73rd overall) and Quinn Beauchesne (148th overall) - who were also drafted in 2025 - have higher ceilings than their draft positioning suggests.

At the end of the day, however, a true shutdown defenseman is something that the Penguins have lacked since the prime days of Brian Dumoulin, and it's something that they can definitely use in their prospect pool to complement some of their more offensive-minded defensemen. Kettles's skillset is unique within the organization, and he has a relatively high floor and a rangy ceiling.

For those reasons, he has earned a spot in our top-20 Penguins' prospects ranking.

Can Tristan Broz Surprise At Penguins Training Camp?Can Tristan Broz Surprise At Penguins Training Camp?Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, and Harrison Brunicke are the main young players that Pittsburgh Penguins fans are focused on going into training camp (and for good reason), but forward prospect Tristan Broz shouldn't be forgotten about.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

Feature image credit: Ed Fonger-Swift Current Broncos/WHL

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Yankees' Aaron Boone talks decision to stick with struggling Devin Williams in loss to Rangers

Yankees fans may have been confused when they saw Devin Williams warming up to come in to pitch the eighth inning of a 0-0 game on Tuesday night.

It was less than 24 hours prior that manager Aaron Boone called on Williams to close out Monday's series opener against the Rangers. The closer allowed a game-tying homer to Joc Pederson in the Yankees' eventual loss in extra innings. So, in a high-leverage situation and riding a four-game losing streak, why did Boone call on Williams again?

"We got to piece it together there once Will [Warren] goes five, we’re set up there," Boone explained after the game. "Liked him in that middle with a handful of those righties. Obviously, just couldn’t finish it off."

Warren pitched in and out of trouble through five scoreless innings for the Yankees. Boone then used Camilo Doval and Luke Weaver to keep the Rangers off the board in the sixth and seventh innings. Unfortunately, Williams couldn't keep Texas off the board. After getting Marcus Semien to ground out to start the eighth, Adolis Garcia lined a double off the top of Jasson Dominguez's glove for a double. Williams then walked Pederson and Wyatt Langford to load the bases.

Boone had Mark Leiter Jr. -- activated Tuesday from the IL -- and David Bednar warming up, but the longtime skipper stuck with Williams. Unfortunately, Rowdy Tellez battled through a 10-pitch at-bat to line a two-run single, the difference in the game. 

"I was going to maybe go with Bednar in a four-out situation," Boone said, giving his rationale for keeping Williams on the mound. "Just shorten the game a little bit. Not a lot left down there. Leiter being in a situation where he hasn’t pitched in a while. If I could get it to a four-out scenario, I was going to do it. Felt Devin could get some swing-and-miss there, but obviously didn’t." 

"I don’t know what to say at this point," Williams said of his performance after the game. "Just continue to work, keep trying to execute and help the team any way I can."

Williams has now allowed 26 runs this season, which equals the runs allowed the three seasons prior combined. 

It's been an up-and-down season for the first-year Yankee. Williams allowed 15 earned runs from March to May, losing the closer's role to Weaver. But once Weaver went down to injury, Williams regained his spot and to his credit, he excelled. In 10 appearances in June, Williams allowed just one run. He would stay solid until the end of July. Across his last four appearances, Williams has allowed six runs over 3.2 innings, blowing two saves in the process.

"Not sure [why Williams has struggled this year]. Obviously, in the middle here, he’s been really good," Boone said. "Lately, he’s had some struggles. We got to hopefully help him turn the corner and get part of a group that can still be very good down there.

"I don’t know stuff-wise is off. A little bit command, walks have hurt him here and there. Times when he gets behind in the count have hurt him a little bit. We have to get him turned around."

Tuesday's loss was more than just Williams allowing the go-ahead runs. The Yankees offense mustered just two hits against the Rangers and have now dropped five games in a row. What's worse, the Rangers have gained two games on New York in the Wild Card standings. After the loss, and the Mariners' victory, the Yankees fell to third in the Wild Card race and remain just 0.5 games ahead of the Rangers for that final spot.

A loss to the Rangers on Wednesday will see the Yankees out of the playoffs.

With that in mind, Boone was asked where he felt things are with his team.

"Not good," he said. "We got to put it on record. If we don’t win, it doesn’t matter. We play like this and don’t string wins together, it doesn’t matter. I remain confident in this group, but we continue to say that and we have to make it happen."