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Mets' Jonah Tong calls debut 'insane' experience: 'Everything I've ever dreamed of as a kid'

Top pitching prospect Jonah Tong was impressive in his MLB debut Friday night, striking out six Marlins over five strong innings and got beyond enough help from the Mets' offense en route to a 19-9 win.

The 22-year-old was all smiles after earning his first major league victory, in which he allowed one earned run on six hits with no walks, and showed some resilience in tough situations with runners on base. When asked by reporters what the experience on the big stage was like, Tong couldn't hold back his excitement.

"Insane," Tong said. "I mean, that's everything I've ever dreamed of as a kid growing up and to see it unfold like that, it's insane. It's the only word I can really describe it as."

Tong then joked that the team scoring 12 runs over the first two innings of the game may have helped calm any nerves he had. 

"I'm never really going to complain about run support and that was insane, but no, that just made pitching easier on my part," Tong said.

New York would go on to score the most runs (19) in team history at home, but seven came after Tong's night was done. He finished by striking out Liam Hicks looking to escape a rocky fifth inning. The righty called the moment a "blur" and added that the feeling continued as he walked off the field with the fans cheering.

"Yeah that last pitch I don't even think I remember everything, not a blur after," Tong said. "It was one of those [moments] I really couldn't hear myself talk, which is a new one. The fans are amazing."

He added: "I couldn't really feel my feet."

While still riding high from the win, Tong acknowledged there is lots of room for improvement with his next outing.

"I'm happy with it all things considered, but I do think there's work to be done moving forward," Tong said. "Excited for that. But I'm really enjoying the moment."

Manager Carlos Mendoza clarified that Tong will make another start with the team transitioning to a six-man rotation for the time being. The pitcher laughed with reporters when being told that news, but he knows there could be a lot more in store for him if things continue to go well.

"Sweet," Tong said. "Take it one day at a time, but that's awesome to hear."

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Jonah Tong to make another start as Mets transition to six-man rotation for now

Just like it was when Nolan McLean made his MLB debut, the Mets are keeping Jonah Tong in the rotation for the time being.

Tong, who pitched five strong innings against the Marlins on Friday, earned the win in his first game on a big league mound. 

Manager Carlos Mendoza was asked straight out if Tong earned himself another start, and the Mets skipper was quick to confirm.

"Oh, he’s getting another one, yes," he said.

"Sweet!" Tong said after he learned he would get another big league start. "Take it one day at a time, but that's awesome to hear."

Mendoza confirmed the plan is to transition to a six-man rotation, but offered that the plan can change over the final month of the season. 

"That’s the plan, but it’ll be fluid," Mendoza said of the Mets adding Tong to the rotation. "We have some off days coming up after the Detroit series, but yeah, he’ll make another [start]."

The Mets going to a six-man rotation makes sense considering the arms in it. Kodai Senga, who pitches Sunday, is best when getting a full five days' rest. Clay Holmes, who is a transitioned closer, has logged the most innings of his career this year. And with Sean Manaea easing his way back from his injuries, the added days off could benefit everyone.

After the completion of this four-game series with the Marlins, the Mets travel to Detroit for a three-game set. They'll have an off day on Thursday before going to Cincinnati for three and Philadelphia for four games. They immediately head home for three against the Rangers before finally getting Monday, Sept. 15 off.

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Trent Grisham's grand slam powers Yankees to 10-2 win over White Sox

Trent Grisham's grand slam put the game out of reach early as the Yankees defeated the White Sox, 10-2, in Chicago on Friday night.

The win extends New York's winning streak to six games and with Toronto's loss earlier in the night, they are now 3.0 games back in the AL East.

Here are the takeaways...

-The Yankees had the bases loaded with no outs (all on walks) in the first inning off of former pitcher Yoendrys Gomez, but could only scratch across a run thanks to a GIDP by Ben Rice. 

It wouldn't be the only time Yankees hitters couldn't get the clutch hit. In the fourth, the Yankees had two on and no out, but Ryan McMahon and Anthony Volpe struck out before Austin Wells walked to load the bases. But unlike his teammates, Trent Grisham came through with a 387-foot grand slam to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead. 

-Carlos Rodon made his return to the southside of Chicago for the first time as a visiting pitcher on Friday and he was effective. A White Sox hitter didn't get into scoring position until the fifth, when the southpaw got into trouble. Two singles and a soft hit ball fielder's choice allowed Chicago to push across their first run.

The White Sox would get ducks on the pond in the sixth inning, but Rodon worked out of a two-runner jam to complete the quality start. The Yankees southpaw tossed 97 pitches (58 strikes) across six innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

-Volpe, a day after getting two hits in the series opener, was hitless in his first two at-bats, but came up in the sixth inning with runners on first and second and no outs and lined a single to drive in the Yankees' sixth run of the game. A batter later, Wells hit a single of his own to drive in another run. Rice capped off the inning with a two-out single to push the Yankees' lead to 8-1.

Volpe wasn't done, though. In the seventh, the shortstop slammed a 406-foot blast to center field to drive in two runs. Volpe finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. In the first two games of the Chicago series, Volpe is 4-for-7 with four RBI.

-The Yankees' bullpen wasn't perfect like they were on Thursday, but it was still effective. The combination of Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill and Camilo Doval got the final nine outs, allowing just one run. Here's how the bullpen breakdown went:

  • Cruz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K
  • Hill: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K
  • Doval: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Game MVP: Trent Grisham

The Yankees were leaving runners on left and right, but Grisham's grand slam put the game away early.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and White Sox play the third of their four-game set on Saturday evening. First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m.

Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.76 ERA) will take the mound against Shane Smith (4-7, 3.87 ERA).

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Mets' offense explodes, Jonah Tong solid in 19-9 win over Marlins

With an early offensive barrage that helped make life easy for Jonah Tong, the Mets jumped out to a 12-0 lead after two innings and coasted to a 19-9 win over the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Friday night.

The 19 runs are the most the Mets have ever scored in a home game, though the final six runs were scored against a position-player doing the pitching, infielder Javier Sanoja. Catcher Luis Torrens pitched the ninth for the Mets, allowing four runs before being relieved by Ryne Stanek.  

In his major league debut, the 22-year-old Tong pitched a solid five innings to earn the win while displaying the talent that helped him zoom through the minors and reach the big leagues ahead of schedule.

Here are the top takeaways...

-- Tong wasn’t quite as dazzling as Nolan McLean, as major league debuts go, but he showed plenty of promise in going five innings, allowing only one earned run, though four in all due to back-to-back errors by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso on rather routine plays.

The 22-year-old Tong struck out six Marlins’ hitters, while walking none, and demonstrated an impressive mix of pitches, changing speeds effectively off his 95-96 mph fastball with a change-up and curve ball. He threw 97 pitches as the Marlins battled him into deep counts, in addition to the extra pitches he needed after the errors.

Tong also had a long time to sit in both the first and second innings, as the Mets scored 12 runs against three different pitchers.

All in all, he wasn’t quite the strikeout monster he had been in the minors, leading all of minor league pitchers in Ks, but that’s likely because major league hitters aren’t as likely to chase his high fastball. But he clearly has the weapons to be a successful starter in the bigs. It’s just a matter of whether the Mets decide to keep him in the rotation right now, as he was being used in this spot as a sixth starter to give the others in the rotation an extra day of rest.

-- The Mets blew the game open early, scoring five runs in the first inning and seven in the second against three different Marlins’ pitchers.

Juan Soto got the party started with a towering, two-run home run after Lindor led off with a single and a stolen base.

By the time Brandon Nimmo hit a three-run home run to right field, the Mets had a 5-0 lead and had yet to make an out against Marlins’ starter Eury Perez.

The Marlins pulled the 22-year-old Perez in the first after 39 pitches, then the Mets beat up on Tyler Zuber for seven more runs in the second inning, all with two outs.

The highlights included a two-run, opposite-field home run by Alonso, a two-run double by Tyrone Taylor, and a two-run double by Lindor.

-- With their 12-run barrage over two innings, the Mets continued their hot hitting with runners in scoring position as well.

Remember when the RISP blues were the theme of their offensive season for so long? They’ve turned that around in a huge way: after going 5-for-6 in those situations in the first two innings Friday night, the Mets are hitting .379 w/RISP in August, the highest such average in the majors.

--  With his two-run home run in the second inning, Alonso raised his RBI total to 110, remaining second in the majors behind Kyle Schwarber’s 119.

-- Struggling late-inning reliever Ryan Helsley was used in a low-leverage spot, pitching the sixth with a 12-4 lead. Though he gave up a leadoff double into the left-field corner by Connor Norby, Helsley got through the inning without allowing a run, getting two ground balls and a fly out.

Game MVP: Mets Offense

The early ambush of Eury Perez turned Citi Field into a party after just two innings as the Mets’ hitters gave rookie starter Jonah Tong a huge cushion in his debut.

Soto, Alonso, Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Torrens supplied the power with a total of six home runs, including two from Nimmo.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Mets and Marlins continue the four-game set on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on PIX11.

David Peterson (8-5, 3.18 ERA) will take the mound opposed by Edward Cabrera (7-7, 3.32 ERA).

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Giants' offensive outburst revives ‘fun environment' after brutal summer skid

Giants' offensive outburst revives ‘fun environment' after brutal summer skid originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – A crowd of 40,000 at Oracle Park was treated to one of the best offensive games that the Giants have been able to muster this season.

Starting pitcher Robbie Ray was among those watching the offensive explosion, wearing a big smile as hit after hit lined the ballpark while runs piled up at a gratifying rate.

It was a perfect example of how good the Giants’ offense can be when all cylinders are firing.

“Man, it’s awesome,” Ray said. “If we can keep that going it’s going to be fun. It’s just fun to watch. When the hits are coming like that, it’s just a fun dugout to be in, it’s a fun environment.”

That hasn’t always been the vibe San Francisco’s dugout this season.

High expectations and a quick start to the season raised the bar for many fans and media, only to see those good vibes quickly fade away as the Giants’ offense sputtered through much of the summer.

Recently, however, that same offense has shown a lot of life.

Two days after scoring 12 runs amidst a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, the Giants’ bats lit up the Bay Area sky once again with a resounding effort in a 15-8 win over the Baltimore Orioles that had fans dancing in the aisles like the good ol’ days at Oracle.

Ray said that the team as a collective had a tough time dealing with “outside noise” as the MLB trade deadline approached at the end of July.

That might have factored into the Giants’ seven-game losing streak in mid-August that pushed them to the brink of being an MLB playoff afterthought. 

Now riding a six-game winning streak, San Francisco’s outlook is a little more positive.

While they remain six games behind the New York Mets for the third and final wild card spot in the National League, the feeling inside the Giants’ clubhouse was a lot more good-natured than it has been in previous days.

“Now we’re just playing baseball and trying to control what we can control each and very day and go about the process the way we can,” Ray said. “Guys are just doing a batter job of focusing on what they can control.”

Ray was able to find the silver lining on a night when his own contribution was minimal.

The start of the game was delayed briefly as manager Bob Melvin and a team trainer came out to examine Ray, who had previously developed a blister on his pitching hand. The blister had popped before Ray took the mound but the remaining dead skin remained and had to be cut off.

“Everything underneath was fine,” Ray said. “It wasn’t raw or anything so it was a non-issue.”

Regardless, the 33-year-old pitcher needed as much support as the Giants could muster. He allowed six runs – all earned – on six hits in just 4 1/3 innings.

“I don’t know that we’ve seen a game like this out of Robbie,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s going to happen every now and then. His stuff was better. It was just one of those games where he wasn’t as efficient with strikes and they made him work and throw a lot of pitches”

It didn’t matter much on a night when the Giants’ offense came out blistering and stayed hot the entire evening.

“We know we’re capable of it,” Ray said. “It’s just a little more focus and I feel like we had that tonight.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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Giants' offensive outburst revives ‘fun environment' after brutal summer skid

Giants' offensive outburst revives ‘fun environment' after brutal summer skid originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – A crowd of 40,000 at Oracle Park was treated to one of the best offensive games that the Giants have been able to muster this season.

Starting pitcher Robbie Ray was among those watching the offensive explosion, wearing a big smile as hit after hit lined the ballpark while runs piled up at a gratifying rate.

It was a perfect example of how good the Giants’ offense can be when all cylinders are firing.

“Man, it’s awesome,” Ray said. “If we can keep that going it’s going to be fun. It’s just fun to watch. When the hits are coming like that, it’s just a fun dugout to be in, it’s a fun environment.”

That hasn’t always been the vibe San Francisco’s dugout this season.

High expectations and a quick start to the season raised the bar for many fans and media, only to see those good vibes quickly fade away as the Giants’ offense sputtered through much of the summer.

Recently, however, that same offense has shown a lot of life.

Two days after scoring 12 runs amidst a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, the Giants’ bats lit up the Bay Area sky once again with a resounding effort in a 15-8 win over the Baltimore Orioles that had fans dancing in the aisles like the good ol’ days at Oracle.

Ray said that the team as a collective had a tough time dealing with “outside noise” as the MLB trade deadline approached at the end of July.

That might have factored into the Giants’ seven-game losing streak in mid-August that pushed them to the brink of being an MLB playoff afterthought. 

Now riding a six-game winning streak, San Francisco’s outlook is a little more positive.

While they remain six games behind the New York Mets for the third and final wild card spot in the National League, the feeling inside the Giants’ clubhouse was a lot more good-natured than it has been in previous days.

“Now we’re just playing baseball and trying to control what we can control each and very day and go about the process the way we can,” Ray said. “Guys are just doing a batter job of focusing on what they can control.”

Ray was able to find the silver lining on a night when his own contribution was minimal.

The start of the game was delayed briefly as manager Bob Melvin and a team trainer came out to examine Ray, who had previously developed a blister on his pitching hand. The blister had popped before Ray took the mound but the remaining dead skin remained and had to be cut off.

“Everything underneath was fine,” Ray said. “It wasn’t raw or anything so it was a non-issue.”

Regardless, the 33-year-old pitcher needed as much support as the Giants could muster. He allowed six runs – all earned – on six hits in just 4 1/3 innings.

“I don’t know that we’ve seen a game like this out of Robbie,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s going to happen every now and then. His stuff was better. It was just one of those games where he wasn’t as efficient with strikes and they made him work and throw a lot of pitches”

It didn’t matter much on a night when the Giants’ offense came out blistering and stayed hot the entire evening.

“We know we’re capable of it,” Ray said. “It’s just a little more focus and I feel like we had that tonight.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

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How to Watch Serbia vs Latvia at EuroBasket 2025: Nikola Jokic vs. Kristaps Porzingis

Two of the top big men in the NBA will go head-to-head Saturday — in Riga, Latvia.

Nikola Jokic and the tournament favorite Serbian squad will face host Latvia and Kristaps Porzingis in a Group A game on Saturday. Here is everything you need to know about how to watch that game.

EuroBasket 2025: Serbia vs. Latvia: How To Watch

Serbia vs. Latvia tips off Saturday, Aug. 31 at 11 AM ET (6 PM local time in Latvia).

In the United States, games can be streamed on Courtside 1891, FIBA's official streaming platform. All EuroBasket games also can be viewed through DAZN on the Courtside app.

Jokic vs. Porzingis

Both big men come in off strong games.

Porzingis had a rough opening outing in a loss to Turkiye, but on Friday he had 22 points and seven rebounds against Estonia.

Jokic has looked like himself — the best player in the world — and dropped a casual 23 and 10 on Portugal.

Whatever happens with the big men, what makes Serbia the favorite in this matchup is its depth on the rest of the roster. Serbia features NBA players Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), Nikola Jovic (Heat), Nikola Topic (Thunder) and Tristan Vukcevic (Wizards). They also have former NBA players Vasilije Micic, Filip Petrusev, and Alen Smailagic. Latvia does have former NBA player Davis Bertans.

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From The Archive: Money & Power: Winnipeg Jets

The Hockey News has opened its archive to all THN subscribers, offering access to 76 years of history, stories, and features. Among this year’s biggest releases is the 2025 Money and Power Issue, delivering in-depth insights into the inner workings of the NHL and its organizations.

Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here

Also, go to thn.com/free to subscribe.

Money & Power: Winnipeg Jets - Jan. 2 2025 - Vol. 78, Issue 06 - Jared Clinton

OWNERSHIP - MARK CHIPMAN

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MARK CHIPMAN ISN’T averse to small talk. So, if you meet him, it’s not beyond Chipman to ask where you’re from. And if you tell him Winnipeg? Well, Chipman will want to know your neighborhood, local rink and your minor hockey team. It’s not a facade. Chipman loves the game down to its roots and takes pride in the sport and its impact on the community.

Born and bred in the ‘Heart of the Continent,’ as songsmith John K. Samson once called Winnipeg, Chipman has been part of the city’s hockey scene since long before the Jets 2.0 came. He was among a group of business leaders who tried valiantly to keep the original Jets from heading to Phoenix. Later, Chipman spearheaded the charge to bring the then-IHL’s Minnesota Moose to town. And it was with Chipman’s blueprints that True North paved the way for the NHL’s return to Manitoba. The construction of a downtown arena set the stage, and when the chance arose, Chipman – who struck up an alliance with media magnate David Thomson, the chairman of Thomson Reuters and one of the world’s wealthiest people – was able to snap up the Atlanta Thrashers and bring them north.

It would’ve been easy for the organization to rest on its laurels after the Jets returned to Winnipeg, but Chipman’s vision has expanded well beyond the confines of Canada Life Centre. Community work has been a fixture of True North, dating back to the Manitoba Moose Yearling Foundation, now called the True North Youth Foundation, which runs summer camps, hockey schools and youth-facing programming. Among its core offerings is Project 11, which promotes mental health and wellness education and is named after late NHLer Rick Rypien.

Chipman and Co. are also giving Winnipeg’s downtown a facelift. The arena remains the nucleus, but the nearby True North Square has reshaped the skyline with its four towers of residential, office and retail spaces, with a hotel still to come. True North’s real-estate arm also reached a deal to buy downtown shopping center Portage Place with the intention of converting it into a multi-use facility that will include a 265,000-square-foot healthcare center. As part of the redevelopment, True North partnered with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization to establish a residential tower with as much as 40 percent of rental units dedicated to affordable housing.

More Winnipeg Jets: Jets Confident in Power Play, But Penalty Kill Faces Questions After Off-Season Departures

TOP BUSINESS EXECUTIVE - JOHN OLFERT

NAMED PRESIDENT AND CHIEF operating officer of True North Sports and Entertainment in 2019, John Olfert has been with the organization since before its NHL days. Olfert was among those who helped lay the foundation to make True North’s dreams become reality, as he was integral to the development and opening of the then-MTS Centre, which was (and is again) the downtown home of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose before the NHL came back to town. So it’s only fitting he serves as one of the Jets’ alternates on the NHL’s board of governors.

Though Olfert’s responsibilities are wide-ranging, his work in aiding the expansion of True North’s portfolio has seen the company grow from a hockey-centric business to one with roots throughout downtown. That’s a common thread for Olfert, who is a fixture in the community. He serves on the True North Youth Foundation’s board and has a history of working with charitable and not-for-profit outfits in Winnipeg.

GOVERNOR & ALTERNATE GOVERNORS

MARK CHIPMAN

ALTERNATE GOVERNORS: Kevin Cheveldayoff, John Olfert, Patrick Phillips

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TOP HOCKEY EXECUTIVE - KEVIN CHEVELDAYOFF

IT’S NO SECRET THAT Winnipeg doesn’t quite hold the same allure as the Sunbelt cities or major markets – the Torontos, New Yorks and Bostons – as a UFA destination. However, that hasn’t been a problem for Kevin Cheveldayoff, who has established himself as one of the NHL’s best front-office dealers and pitchmen. Over the past several seasons, Cheveldayoff has repeatedly found ways to keep top talents, most recently Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, and rare is the trade in which the Jets come out on the losing end.

Though Winnipeg’s strategy with young players has been called into question, it should come as no surprise that the team’s brass, led by Cheveldayoff, values the experience that players gain playing in the AHL before making the big club. Cheveldayoff, a two-time Calder Cup-winning GM, cut his teeth in the AHL and spent a dozen seasons with the Chicago Wolves. He knows it’s a great breeding ground, and that 11 current Jets have come up through the farm system before arriving in the NHL is proof positive the methodology is working.

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More Winnipeg Jets: Jets Disrespected in NHL'S 2025-26 National Television Schedule

INSIDE THE ARENA

WHEN IT OPENED in November 2004, the Canada Life Centre shifted Winnipeg’s home for pro hockey right into the downtown core – and it has since become the hub of much of the city’s entertainment. Built on the site of the once-iconic Eaton’s store, the arena contains odes to the building’s history, the most notable of which is the statue of Timothy Eaton in the concourse area. Since its opening, however, the arena has developed its own history. It first housed the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, then later welcomed a series of NHL exhibition games, pre-tournament World Junior Championship games, the Brier (the Canadian men’s curling championship) and it became the go-to venue for touring musical acts.

Though the facade remains largely identical save a couple of changes to the sign out front – the arena was previously known as MTS Centre and Bell MTS Place – the interior has changed as the team has graduated from AHL standout to NHL newcomer and now major-league mainstay. The capacity remains the lowest of the league’s buildings at 15,321, though it’s an upgrade from when the Jets arrived in the NHL. Through tweaking the layout and reinvesting in additions such as loge seating, True North has managed to pack more bodies in the building. And the tight confines create one of the game’s most raucous atmospheres. A rowdy playoff game in Winnipeg, for instance, should be included as a bucket-list item for any hockey fan.

For those who’ve been around the building over the years, the upgrades are significant, from an updated scoreboard and sound system down to a complete reimagining of the fan offerings, with a particular focus on local vendors. Atmosphere has also been a focus recently, and the introduction of a house band – who play during intermissions – is one way the Jets have attempted to create and maintain the energy from pre-game through to the final whistle.

BIG 10 TEAM SPONSORS

(*listed alphabetically)

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NHL VALUATIONS

$1.05B FORBES

$1.02B SPORTICO

$1.3B ROUSTAN

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SEE IT: Mets' Jonah Tong tosses six-pitch first inning in MLB debut

Making his highly anticipated MLB debut on Friday night at Citi Field, Mets prospect Jonah Tong made quick work of the Marlins for a 1-2-3 first inning.

The 22-year-old needed just six pitches to get through his first big league inning, getting a lineout, flyout, and pop out.

Tong let up a leadoff double in the second inning before settling in to retire the next three Marlins. The righty also got massive help from the offense, which scored five runs in the first inning and seven in the second inning to go up 12-0.

He recorded his first strikeout in the third inning, sending Joey Wiemer down swinging for the first out. Tong found himself in a jam with runners on second and third after a wild pitch, but got a strikeout and groundout to avoid any damage. He kept it going with another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, including two strikeouts.

Tong showed his resilience in the fifth inning, battling through two fielders' choices and two errors that allowed three unearned runs to cross the plate. He struck out Liam Hicks to end the inning and expressed some emotion after the big out, needing 28 pitches and a mound visit to complete the frame.

Overall, Tong allowed one earned run on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks over 97 pitches (63 strikes) and 5.0 IP.

Check out his impressive first inning and the rest of his promising outing here:

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Could Arthur Kaliyev Be The Senators' Next Adam Gaudette Story?

One of the feel-good stories of training camp last season was Ottawa Senators centre Adam Gaudette. Gaudette came to Ottawa last summer on a one-year, two-way contract, to battle for one of the final forward positions on the NHL roster. No one ruled him out, but he certainly wasn't a shoo-in either.

Gaudette already had some previous NHL experience, but his stock was low, and part of the reason he signed in Ottawa was because Travis Green was here. He had played for him when Green was head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, and it felt like he had Green’s trust. That trust probably went a long way toward Gaudette signing here and cracking the lineup. And he played so well in Ottawa last season, he earned a two-year deal with the San Jose Sharks.

Now, a similar story has a chance to play out in Ottawa this fall.

Winger Arthur Kaliyev also signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Senators earlier this summer. Like Gaudette, his stock is low, despite having plenty of NHL experience, and both men came here knowing they could lean on the trust they had built in the past with a key member of the Senators’ hockey operations staff.

Kaliyev played for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL when Senators GM Steve Staios was the Bulldogs’ general manager. On the Coming In Hot podcast this week, Staios spoke about what Kaliyev can bring to the Senators and why the club decided to take a chance on him.

“Well, (I have) a long history with Artie," Staios said. "He was an exceptional shooter and goal scorer at the junior level. And we still feel like he has qualities that can translate (to the NHL). His game started to develop in LA on the defensive side of things. Obviously, like all players coming out of junior, when you have a knack for scoring and that's how you help your team, you focus on that.

"I think he's been able to round out his game on the defensive side with his time in LA and under Todd McLellan. And then, you watch the transition to New York and then injuries last year. And I think it was an opportunity for us to get a player again with some upside and a unique skillset."

Kaliyev was drafted in 2019 in the second round, and a lot of Senators fans were upset the club took Shane Pinto and not Kaliyev, who went one pick later to LA. History now shows the Sens made a great pick with Pinto, while Kaliyev had a general failure to launch as "King Arthur," thanks to issues like below-average skating and lack of intensity without the puck.

What no one can argue with is the quality of Kaliyev's shot – it's hard, quick, and deadly accurate, even by NHL standards. In Hamilton, under Staios, Kaliyev had an astonishing 95 goals in 124 OHL games over two seasons. He just turned 24 in June, so Staios is hoping he's identified another familiar buy-low candidate who can help the team, and maybe even grow with it.

And Staios thinks that Kaliyev is more than a shooter.

"His playmaking is a little bit underrated as well," Staios said. "Like, his shot is so good. So that's sort of what people would talk about first, but he also has some ability to make plays as well. I think he's a motivated young man. He wants to play in the National Hockey League and be a regular in the National Hockey League."

Thanks to his connections with key personnel, Kaliyev will have a longer leash in Ottawa than he would have had anywhere else, just like Adam Gaudette. It's another chance to see if a skilled player they know and like can turn the NHL corner and become a consistent contributor.

By Steve Warne
This article was first published at THN.com/Ottawa

Read more Sens articles from The Hockey News-Ottawa:
Our One-On-One With Drake Batherson
Staios: 'We’re Not Dismissing That Carter Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp'
Senators' NHL Dream Began Over Pints in the Dressing Room
Former Ottawa Senator Travis Hamonic Signs With Atlantic Division Rival