Shortly before Missouri State and Delaware announced their jumps to Conference USA, the NCAA Division I Council in October 2023 increased what had been a nominal $5,000 fee to join the FBS to an eyebrow-raising $5 million. The schools decided it was worth it anyway.
Mets outfielder Jose Siri doing 'a lot of baseball activity,' could begin rehab assignment next week
Outfielder Jose Siri hasn’t suited up in a game for the Mets since April 12, when he fouled a ball off his leg and fractured his left tibia against the Athletics.
But it sounds like there’s a chance he could be back for the Mets before the season is over.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Washington Nationals, Carlos Mendoza said that 30-year-old could begin a rehab assignment next week.
“Siri is doing a lot of baseball activity, so hopefully he starts playing minor league games next week,” said Mendoza.
The speedy Siri was acquired by the Mets in a November trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sending right-hander Eric Orze to Tampa. The Mets clearly planned on playing Siri often in center field, as he started eight of the Mets’ first 14 games in center.
Known primarily for his defense and speed, Siri was just 1-for-20 at the plate with one RBI before going down with his injury, though he did steal a pair of bases and walked four times.
Jesse Winker Update
Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem like Jesse Winker is getting any closer to a return.
The veteran outfielder and DH missed time due to an oblique injury, and then came back and played just two games before a back ailment landed him on the IL once again.
“With Wink, he’s still not doing much,” Mendoza said. “…Some good days, then he’s having a hard time recovering at times, so it’s kind of like we’re still playing it slow with him.”
The 31-year-old Winker has played in just 26 games for the Mets this season, and despite the less-than-positive update from Mendoza on Wednesday, the skipper is still hopeful that Winker can return before the end of the season.
“That’s the plan as of right now,” Mendoza said. “The goal is that he can be a player for us at some point, but we’ve just got to wait.”
Pick Six: Boise State primed to make another run at Group of Five’s auto bid for CFP
Boise State has a second-year starter in quarterback Maddux Madsen, who threw for more than 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns, and a deep offensive line returning 10 players who started a game.
Why The Rangers Are Better Off With Vladislav Gavrikov Over K'Andre Miller
The New York Rangers essentially swapped K’Andre Miller for Vladislav Gavrikov this offseason.
Shortly after signing Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract, the Rangers traded K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes, who ultimately signed an eight-year, $60 million contract.
The change from Miller to Gavrikov marks a drastic shift to the Rangers’ blueline and shaping of their top-four defensemen.
While Miller is younger than Gavrikov, the Rangers should gain more stability with Gavrikov and will likely be better off this upcoming season.
Gavrikov is known for his shutdown presence and defensively minded game, traits that the Rangers desperately needed.
Despite having an extraordinary amount of potential, Miller struggled to defend in his own zone and was prone to committing costly turnovers.
From a defensive standpoint, the Rangers certainly improve having Gavrikov as opposed to Miller.
“We’ve liked Gavvy for a long time, watching him play for Columbus and LA and the attributes he’s going to bring to our D-corps for many years to come have us very excited,” Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said.
Will Cuylle Poised To Fill Chris Kreider's RoleThe loss of Chris Kreider could certainly be significant for the New York Rangers, but there’s one player who’s poised to take over his role.
Offensively, Miller may bring more to the table from an individual standpoint compared to Gavrikov, but there’s a catch.
If Gavrikov is paired alongside Adam Fox, he’ll take a big load off of Fox defensively, which will help open up his offensive game.
In order for the Rangers to become Stanley Cup contenders, Fox needs to play at an elite level, and Gavrikov could help bring the best out of Fox.
Based on the Rangers’ needs and where they are as a team at this current moment, Gavrikov is just a better fit than Miller.
Report: Former Penguins Defender Heading Overseas
Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta has reportedly found his new home and will be taking his talents overseas.
According to Blick's Gregory Beaud, Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League will be signing Rutta.
Rutta was one of the top unrestricted free agent (UFA) defensemen still available for the taking. Due to this, it certainly seemed possible that he could have landed a contract or at least a professional tryout (PTO) from an NHL club. However, based on this report, Rutta will instead be continuing his career overseas.
Rutta spent the 2022-23 season with the Penguins, where he posted three goals, six assists, nine points, 70 blocks, 71 hits, and a plus-3 rating. His time with the Penguins ended when he was traded to the San Jose Sharks in the deal that brought star blueliner Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh.
In 417 career NHL games split between the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Penguins, and Sharks, Rutta recorded 23 goals, 75 assists, 98 points, and a plus-25 rating.
2 Penguins Who Could Be Nice SurprisesThe 2025-26 season is rapidly approaching, and it is going to be interesting to see how the Pittsburgh Penguins perform after their busy off-season. When looking at their current roster, they have some under-the-radar players who could end up being nice surprises for them in 2025-26. Let's discuss two of them. Ex-Blackhawks Defenseman Jan Rutta Will Play In Switzerland
After paying his dues in Czechia for a long time, Jan Rutta finally earned an NHL opportunity. In 2017-18, Rutta made his NHL debut in his age-27 season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
During his "rookie season", he played in 57 games for Chicago where he tallied six goals and 14 assists for 20 points. After that, he put together a respectable NHL career.
Midway through the next season, 2018-19, Rutta was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. There, he won the Stanley Cup twice. He was a solid depth piece on a team loaded with talent on the back end.
Rutta had one year with the Pittsburgh Penguins after leaving Tampa, followed by two years with the San Jose Sharks, coming into this off-season.
Now, it sounds like Rutta, 35, will end his NHL career and take his talents to Europe. According to a report from Blick, a Swiss media outlet, Rutta will sign with Genève-Servette of Switzerland’s National League.
This Swiss pro team is loaded with former NHL players, so they will have a chance to win a league title in 2025-26 with Rutta joining the squad.
If this comes to fruition, it will end a nice NHL career for the Czech defender with 23 goals, 75 assists, and 98 points in 417 games.
For some time, Rutta was impactful enough to be a part of championship-caliber teams in Tampa Bay, which he should be proud of. He will now play overseas to end his hockey-playing career on his terms.
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NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-08-21 19:19:17
Former Heat security officer admits in court to stealing jerseys worth millions, feds say
A former Miami Heat security officer has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge in connection to stealing team memorabilia worth millions of dollars and selling the items to online brokers.
Retired Miami police officer Marcos Tomas Perez appeared Tuesday at U.S. Superior Court for the Southern District of Florida and issued a guilty plea to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce, after pleading not guilty to the felony count at an initial hearing earlier this month.
Perez's attorney, Robert Buschel, told NBC6 in Florida after Tuesday's hearing that Perez is "depressed, naturally, but he accepts responsibility for his behavior and we're gonna work through this issue in his life."
Perez, 62, faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 31.
Read more:Ex-Miami Heat employee accused of stealing jerseys worth millions — including LeBron James'
"I hope that the judge will consider all factors in his life and his history as a good person," Buschel said. "He was an exemplary police officer in the city of Miami, he's been retired for close to 10 years. This was an unfortunate set of decisions that he made and he's going to accept responsibility for that."
Buschel declined to comment any further when reached by The Times via email Wednesday.
According to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami field office of the FBI, Perez has admitted to stealing hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia worth millions of dollars belonging to the Heat and selling them to online brokers.
One such item was a jersey that LeBron James wore in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, during which James and the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second consecutive championship. After Perez allegedly sold the jersey for around $100,000, it was sold in an online auction for $3.7 million in 2023.
According to court documents, other stolen items included jerseys signed by former Heat stars Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O'Neal, as well as team jackets, game-worn sneakers and more.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Giants starter Landen Roupp injures left leg against Padres, carted off field
Giants starter Landen Roupp injures left leg against Padres, carted off field originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp was at the center of a scary moment in San Francisco’s game against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday at Petco Park.
In his second start since returning from the injured list Friday, Roupp took a line drive hit by Ramón Laureano off his right leg in the bottom of the third inning. He appeared to injure his left knee, however, as he went down to the ground, and had to be carted off the field.
The 26-year-old right-hander was reinstated from the IL to face the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, almost a month after the Giants placed him there on July 25 with right elbow inflammation.
Now, it appears as if Roupp is in danger of returning to the IL after Wednesday’s incident, which came after he gave up five hits in 2 1/3 innings against the Padres. Roupp exited the game with two runners on base and was tagged for five earned runs in the short outing after Joey Lucchesi came in for him and immediately gave up a three-run homer to Gavin Sheets.
But, as NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic pointed out, the cart could have just been a precaution for Roupp and the Giants after the concerning injury.
The Giants, who need all the luck they can get as they struggle to string together wins, certainly are hoping for the best with Roupp.
Canadiens Must Do Better Against Rebuilding Blackhawks
Much has been written about the Montreal Canadiens’ rebuild and the way the team has progressed over the last few seasons, but the Habs are not the only team in rebuilding mode. The Chicago Blackhawks are as well, and they had the opportunity to draft a generational talent in Connor Bedard in 2023, who instantly became the franchise cornerstone.
A player doesn’t make a team, though, and the Hawks had a tough season, finishing in 15th place in the Western Conference and 31st place in the league. One would have thought the Habs could have taken advantage of the Illinois outfit, but it didn’t happen; Chicago skated away with four points in their two duels with the Canadiens.
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The two teams met for the first time of the season on January 3, 2025, in Chicago, and the host team won 4-2. While the Canadiens dominated in the shots department with a 40-26 edge, it was the Hawks who managed to score the most goals, a direct result of the 15 giveaways the Habs committed. Captain Nick Foligno led the charge for Chicago with a pair of goals, and veterans Tyler Bertuzzi and Patrick Maroon also found the back of the net. Meanwhile, Cole Caufield and Emil Heineman were the only Habs able to beat Arvid Soderblom, who finished the game with a .950 save percentage, while Samuel Montembeault had a .846 SV.
The Canadiens were hoping for revenge in the second-to-last game of the season and for a win that would allow them to make the playoffs when the Hawks came to town on April 14th, but it wasn’t to be. Chicago spoiled Ivan Demidov’s debut with a 4-3 shootout win. Frank Nazard, whom the Hawks drafted with the pick the Canadiens sent them to obtain Kirby Dach, got a goal and an assist in the win. Bertuzzi added another goal to his account against Montreal, and Lukas Reichel scored their third regulation goal. The Habs had taken an early two-goal lead through Alex Newhook and Demidov (who also had an assist), but they allowed the visitor to score three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead with under 15 minutes left in the game. It was a Juraj Slafkovsky marker that allowed the Tricolore to get a consolation point. In the shootout, Nazar was the sole scorer. Montreal had 18 giveaways in the loss, and Montembeault’s save percentage stood at .880.
The second loss of the season came at the most inopportune time as the Canadiens desperately needed points to punch their ticket to the playoffs, but the occasion seemed to be too big for the young Habs, who were playing with jitters.
If Chicago’s win in the first duel was the result of veteran leadership, it was the team’s youth that stood tall in the second game. Unlike the Canadiens, though, the Hawks were skating in yet another meaningless game.
Chicago made some changes this summer, but wasn’t very active on the free agency market, only signing Dominic Toninato to a two-year, two-way deal. They acquired Andre Burakovsky in a trade with the Seattle Kraken, sending Joe Veleno the other way and Sam Lafferty from the Buffalo Sabres. They bought out veteran defenseman TJ Brodie, and cut ties with Philip Kurashev, but extended Ryan Donato with a four-year contract. Pat Maroon and Alec Martinez both retired, meaning the Hawks will be even younger this year.
Chicago is behind Montreal in its rebuilding process, and the Canadiens need to perform accordingly against Bedard and co. The Atlantic division is set to be even tougher this season, and if the Habs want to qualify for the playoffs for a second year in a row, they need to learn not to play down to the opposition.
Suppose Montembeault can get back to his former form against the Hawks; it would go a long way toward achieving that goal. In both games this season, his SV was below .900; in his three duels with them before, he had .903, .938, and .933. This is the kind of numbers the goaltender of a contending team needs to put up. Soon, there will be real competition for the role of starting goaltender in Montreal, and the Becancour native needs to stake his claim right now. While most pundits believe Jacob Fowler will be the Canadiens’ goaltender by the time the team is ready to contend, he will still need to earn that role, and the Habs brass certainly won’t complain if they end up with two starter-quality goaltenders.
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Flyers' Jett Luchanko Draws Big Praise from Prospect Experts
Top Philadelphia Flyers center prospect Jett Luchanko may be closer to making the NHL full-time than most realize.
Luchanko, still just 18, already played in four NHL games for the Flyers last season. Not making the Flyers' NHL roster again this season and/or failing to stick around longer would objectively be a step backwards in his development.
So, how close is the 2024 No. 13 overall pick to the NHL really?
According to EliteProspects, Luchanko is the 30th-best drafted prospect on their list of the top 100 youngsters, placing ahead of other forward prospects with NHL seasoning, like Jimmy Snuggerud, Oliver Moore, Dalibor Dvorsky, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Ville Koivunen.
Given that the Flyers did not use their top 2025 draft selection on a center (RW Porter Martone), a prominent role on the Flyers is still in the cards for Luchanko.
"Jett Luchanko has a clear path to a top centre role in the Philadelphia Flyers’ lineup. Already a mature defensive player, aware passer, and high-end skater, he should be able to build chemistry with some of the team’s more creative players, helping him to further develop his offensive skills," writes EliteProspects director of amateur scouting Mitch Brown.
Flyers Suddenly Boast Robust Group of Center Prospects After 2 Strong DraftsCenter has long been seen as a position of great weakness for the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers, but that just doesn't seem to be accurate anymore.
"Luchanko added more deception to his passing this season. The next step is developing his scoring skills from afar and near the net. A high-floor prospect, he could push his upside over the next season and become a second-line pivot candidate."
As Brown alluded to, Luchanko did feature alongside Matvei Michkov for a good portion of rookie camp this time last year. Playing together in an NHL game with stakes is a different story, obviously, but maybe a year of maturing and learning helps that.
With 21 goals and 56 points in 46 games with the OHL Guelph Storm last season, Luchanko didn't blow the doors off, but Guelph is also one of the least-talented teams in the OHL.
If the key to his further development is all about scoring, like Brown noted above, the 18-year-old would be better suited playing with NHL-caliber players who can create for him and finish the chances he creates.
Flyers' Jett Luchanko Thriving in First True Playoff ExperienceTop Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Jett Luchanko is coming into his own during his first postseason experience as a pro player.
This is especially prudent given that Luchanko is not yet eligible to be assigned to the AHL full-time. It's the OHL or the NHL, and the AHL can follow at the end of the season like it did just a few months ago.
The good news is that, while Luchanko's stock appeared to drop amongst Flyers fans after a so-so 2024-25 season, the experts have actually gotten higher on the 5-foot-11 pivot over time.
What comes next is up to him, but a top-30 placement is about as good a spot for Luchanko to be as the Flyers could have asked for.
Former Sabre Olofsson Signs With Avalanche
With less than a month before the opening of training camps, there are still a number of unrestricted free agents looking to find a landing spot, either on a professional tryout contract or a one-year deal. Earlier this week, the St. Louis Blues invited veteran winger Milan Lucic in on a PTO, and on Wednesday, former Sabres winger Victor Olofsson signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche for $1.575 million.
The 30-year-old Swede was a seventh-round pick of Buffalo in 2014 and spent four years in Sweden before coming to North America in 2018. After scoring 30 goals in AHL Rochester in 2019, the winger scored 20 goals as a rookie in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, 20 goals in 2022, and a career-high 28 in 2023, when the Sabres came within a point of making the playoffs.
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Olofsson’s decline to seven goals in 51 games in his final season with Buffalo was due more to a demotion to a fourth-line role by head coach Don Granato than an inability to score. After signing a one-year deal with former teammate Jack Eichel in Vegas, Olofsson bounced back with an injury-shortened 15 goals in 56 games (which again would average over 20 in a full year).
The signing with Colorado appears to be to fill the role vacated by the departed Jonathan Drouin, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the NY Islanders Olofsson can still put the puck in the net, especially on the power play, and may be insurance as a potential top-six forward replacement with the questionable health status of veteran Gabriel Landeskog.
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Canadiens' Lane Hutson Not Attending USA Olympic Camp Isn't A Huge Deal
Montreal Canadiens fans and followers were shocked Lane Hutson isn’t attending USA Hockey’s Olympic orientation camp, to say the least.
"I don't understand this at all," Global TV Montreal hockey analyst Brian Wilde said onThe Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro on Tuesday. "It's crazy. The Calder winner, the guy in the playoffs that (averaged) 25 minutes is the best Montreal Canadien."
Added Habs fan Dustin Degree on X: "Not inviting Lane Hutson is ridiculous."
With the NHL’s participation in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games less than half a year away, Hutson was not among the 44 players attending the United States' orientation camp. Alex Vlasic and Jackson LaCombe were among the younger blueliners who are attending. Hutson, who ranked third among U.S.-born defenders in scoring last season, with 66 points, isn't.
We have to say to those aggrieved Canadiens fans – chill out. Hutson's absence from the camp is not the end of the world, and even if he doesn't make the actual roster, it won't hinder his development as a budding NHL star.
First of all, USA Hockey noted in its announcement that just because a player isn't attending the camp, it doesn't mean they're automatically removed from consideration for the Olympic roster. This camp is not a tryout; it is mainly happening to cover administrative topics and include some team-building activities.
As Nazem Kadri noted to The Athletic when he wasn't invited to Hockey Canada's camp, there’s still a chance, however remote, that players can sway the opinion of Olympics GMs in their favor. That could easily be a great motivation for Hutson as he kicks off his sophomore NHL season.
Canada Just Doesn't Need Flames' Nazem Kadri At The OlympicsWith Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp a week away, the debate continues about who should make the men’s squad.
That said, look at the defensemen on America’s orientation camp list who are locks to make the team, and tell us who Hutson should be ahead of on the depth chart for the final roster.
For the camp itself, if budding solid NHL blueliners Vlasic and LaCombe are attending, then Hutson should have been as well, unless he was invited but couldn't make it. The same goes with Washington Capitals stalwart No. 1 blueliner John Carlson.
But ultimately, when the United States' top defensemen are easily Vancouver Canucks superstar Quinn Hughes, the Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski, Carolina Hurricanes' Jaccob Slavin, Boston Bruins' Charlie McAvoy and New York Rangers' Adam Fox, there's only one spot really up for grabs on the left side. The Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson and Vegas Golden Knights' Noah Hanifin are likely the front-runners for that spot after their time at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
That group is an elite mix of offensive production from the back end and strong defensive play. Unless any of these players are injured, they likely wouldn't get worse enough by roster selection time for Hutson to leapfrog somebody on the Americans' depth chart.
Even if Hutson ultimately fails to make it, does that take away anything from him or his career trajectory? Absolutely not.
He’s the type of generational talent teams crave, and that’s not going to change. This was true of Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard when he wasn’t named to Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off squad. They have plenty of time to make the national teams later on when older players age out, and they continue to improve.
USA! USA! Americans Embarking On World Hockey DominationWhen USA defeated Sweden 5-3 in the gold-medal game of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on the weekend, it marked the second time less than three months that the Americans have won a tournament that they traditionally almost never win.
Ultimately, not being part of a team’s Olympic roster is definitely a snub, but that doesn’t mean it’s not warranted. The truth is there’s a plethora of talent on the United States, and there are precious few spots to accommodate them all.
Canadiens fans may not be happy that Hutson isn’t on America’s orientation camp list, but he is very much a special player, and nothing that’s happened this summer, nor in the next season, is going to change that.
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Coco Gauff parts ways with her coach days before US Open campaign
World No 3 dismisses Daly ahead of US Open
Gauff adds biomechanics guru Gavin MacMillan
21-year-old seeks to fix serve woes in New York
Coco Gauff has reportedly split with coach Matthew Daly just days before the start of the US Open, making another shakeup to her support team on the eve of the year’s final major. The move was first reported by Bounces.
The world No 3 and two-time major champion will continue to work with her longtime coach Jean-Christophe Faurel but has added biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan to her corner. MacMillan was spotted with Gauff during a Wednesday practice session at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
Continue reading...Avalanche add depth at forward by signing Victor Olofsson to a 1-year deal
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche added depth at forward by signing Victor Olofsson to a one-year deal.
The 30-year-old Olofsson spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he had 15 goals and 14 assists over 56 games. He turned in the longest road point streak in Golden Knights history when he notched at least a point in 10 straight games from Dec. 4 to Jan. 23.
Olofsson got his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, scoring two goals as the team reached the second round.
A seventh-round pick by Buffalo in 2014, Olofsson has 105 goals and 106 assists in 370 games with the Sabres and Golden Knights. He reached two milestones last season — recording his 100th career assist on Jan. 17 and notching his 100th career goal the next night.
The 5-fot-11, 180-pound Olofsson was on the 2019-20 all-rookie team.
Before arriving in North America, Olofsson played in the Swedish Hockey League for parts of the 2013-18 seasons.
He was a member of Team Sweden at the IIHF World Championship in 2021 and 2024. He helped the squad to a bronze medal in ’24.