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For Fleury And The Penguins, A Storybook Ending Is In Store

May 6, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) follows the puck against the Washington Capitals in game five of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

When a young netminder from Sorel, Quebec made his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2003, it's difficult to imagine that folks in Pittsburgh, Pa. knew what was in store for the next decade and a half. 

Marc-Andre Fleury allowed just two goals on 48 shots that day against the Los Angeles Kings, which was a 3-0 loss for his Pittsburgh Penguins. The 18-year-old was selected first overall by Pittsburgh just a few months prior, and it was his first taste of hockey at the highest level as well as everyone's first taste of "Flower."

Fast forward about 15 years, and Fleury - along with the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang - helped lead the Penguins to three Stanley Cup championships. In those last two runs - back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017 - Fleury did help his team win a few playoff series, but there was another young, up-and-coming goaltender in Matt Murray who was beginning to supplant Fleury as the team's starting goaltender.

Knowing and understanding the situation at hand, Fleury departed the Penguins for the 2017 expansion draft, becoming the face of the new Vegas Golden Knights franchise and its first draftee. He did win a Vezina Trophy with the Knights in 2020-21, and he ventured onward to the Chicago Blackhawks and then to the Minnesota Wild, where he spent the final three-plus seasons of his NHL career.

Even though he had strayed - and saying goodbye to Pittsburgh was hard for him and his longtime teammates - there was always some degree of inevitability when it came to Fleury reuniting with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

And that all manifested on Friday when he signed a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the Penguins so that he would be able to retire in Pittsburgh black and gold. 

Penguins Sign Marc-Andre Fleury To Professional Tryout ContractPenguins Sign Marc-Andre Fleury To Professional Tryout ContractPittsburgh Penguins fans are getting their wish to see Marc-Andre Fleury one more time in Pittsburgh.

It's no secret that there were some tough times with Fleury and the Penguins near the end of his tenure with the team. Prior to the back-to-back runs, the Penguins were mired in a stretch of lackluster post-season appearances and faltering expectations, and goaltending was certainly a part of that. The emergence of Murray resulted in young, fresh blood between the pipes, which is what the Penguins needed at the time - regardless of how difficult it would be to, potentially, say goodbye to a franchise legend.

And - if we're being honest - it was always going to come to that if a younger successor to Fleury ever came about. It wasn't fair to the goaltender who had given so much to the Penguins' organization - and to the city - to play second-fiddle to a 20-year-old rookie when, at 32, he was still capable of playing some high-level hockey in the blue paint.

At the time, Fleury and the Penguins simply weren't on the same page anymore, and moving on was the right thing to do, no matter how painful. Fleury deserved to start somewhere, and that wasn't going to happen in Pittsburgh any longer. 

Jun 13, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) carries the Stanley Cup onto the field before the Pittsburgh Pirates play the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

But, somehow, everyone always knew that he would make his way back east someday. There was simply too much history, too much brotherhood, and too much mutual love and respect to ignore. Pittsburgh missed Fleury as much as Fleury missed Pittsburgh, and given his illustrious NHL career, he deserved to go out on his terms when he made the decision to hang up the skates at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

And his terms included skating one last time with the team that drafted him. The team that trusted him to be their franchise backstop for more than a decade. The team that molded him, won with him, fought alongside him. The team and the city that he called home for a large part of his life as an NHL player.

The Penguins mean something to Fleury, and the second-winningest goaltender in NHL history means something to the Penguins. There is - as 'Swifties' would say - an invisible string between the two entities, and it's an indestructible bond that has stood the test of time. 

Penguins Release 2025 Training Camp SchedulePenguins Release 2025 Training Camp ScheduleAt long last, hockey season is back. 

Fleury will hit the ice twice more in a Penguins' uniform. The first will be during team practice at training camp on Sept. 26, and the second will be in a pre-season game in Pittsburgh against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 27.

In case you're wondering, tickets are already going for - at minimum - $311.00 on StubHub. And that price continues to rise. People are eager to give the greatest goaltender in franchise history - and one of the greatest to ever do it - the best possible sendoff as he rides into the sunset.

And he'll be riding into that sunset on the Fort Pitt Bridge, departing the city that he loves. Just as it should be, and just how it was always meant to be.

Fleury Returning To The Penguins Is A Perfect FinaleFleury Returning To The Penguins Is A Perfect FinaleVeteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said that the 2024-25 season would be the last of what is surely a Hockey Hall of Fame career. So it came as somewhat of a pleasant surprise Friday when it was announced Fleury was signing a professional tryout offer with the Pittsburgh Penguins – the team with which he won three Stanley Cup championships.

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

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Australia v Argentina: Rugby Championship 2025 – as it happened

After turning out last week top to toe in navy blue, Argentina revert to their traditional albiceleste (white and sky blue).

It is one of my favourite uniforms in international sport, and here’s why. The colours are beautiful, soft, and complementary. Le Coq Sportif is uber cool and carries association with shaggy haired French soccer players of the 1980s. The golden Puma is unfussy. The sponsor is top-tier and occupies the correct amount of real estate. My only criticism is the absence of a collar, recent iterations of this jersey were elevated further by a crisp white fold.

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Beauchesne’s Grit, Hayes’ Clutch Goal Among Penguins Prospect Challenge Takeaways

We got to see some actual hockey on Friday when the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects took on the Boston Bruins prospects in the Prospects Challenge. 

It was the first of three games for the Penguins, and they kicked it off with a 2-1 win, thanks to a late game-winning goal from forward Avery Hayes. Hayes scored with less than a minute left in the third period after receiving a really nice pass from defenseman Owen Pickering. Hayes fired the puck glove side past the Bruins’ goalie, and the Penguins’ prospects were able to finish the game off with relative ease.

Hayes was still buzzing about that pass after the game when he met with reporters. 

"Oh, it was amazing," Hayes said about the pass to Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "It was like a quarterback. It was sweet. I was yelling for it. I don't know if he saw me at first, but I mean, he made a great pass."

Outside of Hayes, let’s take a look at a few other players who had good performances in this game. 

Kelsey Surmacz - The Hockey News

Quinn Beauchesne

Beauchesne, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was a goal shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. He got a secondary assist on Ville Koivunen’s first goal before getting into a fight with Bruins forward Dylan Edwards after he delivered a big hit on Penguins forward prospect Benjamin Kindel. Beauchesne took exception to the hit and defended his teammate with a good tilt. 

He came close to scoring a goal later in the game and really showcased his skating ability throughout. Beauchesne would've been picked two or three rounds higher if he were a bit bigger, but that's not the Penguins' problem. All that matters is that he's in the system, and he may turn into a fan favorite if he hits his ceiling. He's set to play for the OHL's Guelph Storm again this season after finishing last year with six goals and 24 points in 47 games. 

Apr 6, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Ville Koivunen (41) warms up before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Ville Koivunen

Koivunen opened the scoring in the first period with a heck of a snipe. Fellow forward prospect Tristan Broz got the primary assist on the goal. The goal for Koivunen is for him to show that he's too good for this type of tournament, and he started to do that in this game. 

He's one of the young pieces that will push for a full-time roster spot once training camp opens up next week. Koivunen got a crack at the NHL at the end of the 2024-25 season and looked the part, compiling seven points in eight games. He got time with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at 5v5 and even got to play on the top power play. 

Let's see how he does in the next two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres.

Penguins Release 2025 Training Camp SchedulePenguins Release 2025 Training Camp ScheduleAt long last, hockey season is back. 

Both goaltenders (Sergei Murashov and Gabriel D'Aigle).

Murashov and D'Aigle split the playing time in this game and looked the part. Murashov played the first half and made all 11 saves before D'Aigle came in. Murashov's movement in the crease continues to be really impressive. He was also challenging opposing shooters when they had the puck and never looked rattled. He's going to be in contention for the full-time starter's role in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year. 

D'Aigle came in at the halfway point and had to help the rest of the team kill off a four-minute double minor. He made the saves he needed to make in that period, including one on Fraser Minten from up close.

D'Aigle looked even more confident during the third period, even when the Penguins' prospects were under siege from the Bruins. Some fans were a bit down on the D'Aigle pick when he was selected in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft, since his numbers weren't that good this past season, but that's because he played on a terrible Victoriaville Tigres team in the QMJHL. The Tigres finished the 2024-25 season with a 17-43-4 record. Put D'Aigle on a better team, and there's no doubt his numbers improve. 

Oct 4, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Harrison Brunicke (45) skates with the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Harrison Brunicke

Brunicke didn't have any points in this game, but his skating continues to be a treat to watch. The way he walks the blue line and jumps deeper into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick is great.

He also jumped into the play on the penalty kill and got a dangerous chance for a shorthanded opportunity, but the puck didn't find its way to the back of the net. He spent the game paired with Emil Pieniniemi, who is set to play in Wilkes-Barre this year. 

Brunicke's goal is to make the NHL roster this season after coming really close last year. He got to the end of training camp, but was one of the final cuts. 

Next up for the Penguins' prospects is a date with the Blue Jackets' prospects on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. 

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

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San Jose Sharks Defeat Anaheim Ducks to Kick Off Golden State Rookie Faceoff

San Jose Sharks hockey is back, at least in a sense. The Sharks’ prospects took the ice on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks at the Golden State Rookie Faceoff.

The Sharks had five first-round draft picks in their lineup for the matchup, including second-overall pick Michael Misa, Joshua Ravensbergen, and Sam Dickinson.

It didn’t take long for the Sharks to get on the board, as Cam Lund opened the scoring just over 30 seconds into the game, beating Russian netminder Vyacheslav Buteyets. Quentin Musty and Filip Bystedt got assists on the play.

The Ducks’ fifth-round pick from this summer, Alexis Mathieu of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, got his team on the board 7:59 into the first period with a shot from the point.

The Sharks got their first power play opportunity of the night halfway through the first period, when Ethan Procyszyn was called for cross-checking. Despite some strong zone pressure and some great opportunities, including one from Collin Graf, the Sharks were unable to beat Buteyets.

The power play came to a premature end when Igor Chernyshov was called for tripping on Tarin Smith. The Sharks successfully killed off the Ducks’ abbreviated power play. In the moments following the penalty kill, Ravensbergen would be forced to make a couple of big saves, including a high-danger shot from the slot.

Ryan Lautenbach would be called for slashing with just over five minutes remaining in the first period. Sam Dickinson would hit the post moments before Mattias Havelid restored the Sharks’ lead with a power play goal, making it 2-1.

Throughout the first period, Haoxi (Simon) Wang had a couple of dangerous giveaways, one of which led directly to a high-danger scoring chance for the Ducks. He did show some signs of promise, but overall he’s a player who could benefit massively from this tournament as he did improve over the course of the night.

Nearly two minutes into the second period, Misa was called for slashing, giving the Ducks their second man-advantage of the night. Stian Solberg shot the puck from the point just moments into the period, and Tim Washe tipped it into the net.

20 seconds after the goal, the Sharks would get another opportunity on the power play as they looked to regain their lead. They failed to convert, but a few minutes later, Jackson Wiebe was called for holding, giving the Sharks another chance.

Some tic-tac-toe hockey eventually found its way to Musty in front of the crease who put it away, making it 3-2 in favor of the team in teal.

Carson Wetsch dropped the gloves with Anaheim’s Konnor Smith after a big hit on Teddy Mutryn, however Smith’s size advantage was too much for the Sharks’ winger.

As time expired on the second frame, the two teams had to be pulled apart as things were getting chippy. Wetsch was once again in the middle of it, but Mutryn and Yegor Sidorov were the only ones given penalties for their role in the scrum. The Sharks carried their lead into the second intermission, however at that stage it was still anyone’s game.

Michael McIvor took over in net for the Ducks to start the third period, which started with two minutes of four-on-four play. Ravensbergen would make a phenomenal save on a breakaway, as Beckett Sennecke made him stretch from post-to-post to deny his shot. Cam Lund immediately went down to the other end and scored his second goal of the night, extending the Sharks’ lead to 4-2.

McIvor was forced to make a couple of big saves before Will Francis, a three-time cancer survivor, was called for hooking. Graf would add a power play goal of his own about a minute into the penalty, making it 5-2 for the Sharks with Michael Misa and Kasper Halttunen registering assists on the play.

Jake Furlong would be called for tripping at 5:29 in the third period, giving the Ducks an opportunity to get themselves back into the game. Sidorov wouldn’t wait long to take advantage, as his shot beat Ravensbergen 44 seconds into the power play, making it a 5-3 game with just under 14 minutes left to play.

Halttunen and Solberg dropped the gloves for a quick scrap with just over eight minutes remaining in the final frame. Francis and Braden Hache would do the same with just over six minutes remaining following a big hit on Lund that left him shaken up. Moments after the fight, Lund went down the Sharks’ tunnel, and the Sharks were awarded a power play as a result of the hit.

With 4:02 remaining, the game descended into chaos as a giant scrum led to another fight and a couple smaller skirmishes. During the ensuing four-on-four play, Luca Cagnoni scored an empty net goal, making it 6-3 in favor of the Sharks.

The Sharks walked away with a convincing win, elevated by their three power play goals on the night. They’ll take the ice again tomorrow afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings’ prospects.

On another note, it’ll certainly be interesting to see if any of the grudges from tonight’s affair carry over into the preseason, as the Sharks will face the Ducks later this month in Anaheim.

27 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 2727 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 27The San Jose Sharks' season is just around the corner. We’re just 9 days away from preseason hockey and 27 days away from the official kick off of the 2025-26 season against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 9. Former Sharks Goaltender Signs With the Buffalo SabresFormer Sharks Goaltender Signs With the Buffalo SabresFormer San Jose Sharks netminder Alexandar Georgiev has signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres. BREAKING: Sharks Sign Michael Misa to Entry-Level ContractBREAKING: Sharks Sign Michael Misa to Entry-Level ContractThe San Jose Sharks have signed the second-overall pick from this summer’s draft, Michael Misa, to an entry-level contract. 
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Jacob deGrom: It would be ‘huge honor’ to see Mets retire No. 48 at Citi Field

Would Jacob deGrom like to see the Mets retire his No. 48 at Citi Field? 

“That’s not my decision,” the right-hander said. 

If he were to have stayed when he hit free agency, that answer would be much clearer. 

After leaving for Texas, though, it remains to be seen where the organization stands. 

DeGrom will go down as one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history. 

While his lone ring came with the Rangers, he took home the NL Rookie of the Year, a pair of Cy Young awards, and made four of his five career All-Star appearances in his nine years donning the orange and blue. 

And he was arguably the most dominant starting pitcher in the game during that stretch  -- accumulating a 2.52 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 1,607 strikeouts following his big-league debut back in 2014. 

Injuries derailed things towards the end of his tenure in the Big Apple, which led to the two sides going their separate ways, but there’s no taking away the countless dominant efforts deGrom put forward in a Mets uniform. 

The 37-year-old said it would be a huge honor if he were to join the legendary group. 

“Every time I took this mound for the Mets, I left it all out there,” deGrom said. “There were obviously some times where I got injured, but you can’t really control that, so when I was on that mound I felt like I left it all out on the field.”

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Mets give emotional Jonah Tong advice following rough start: 'Keep your head up'

It's not easy what Jonah Tong is attempting to do for the Mets.

Last month the young right-hander was pitching for Double-A and now he's going up against Jacob deGrom at Citi Field, thrusted in a pressure-filled playoff race and trying to help his team overcome its losing ways.

Forget about difficult, that's just unfair.

And even though manager Carlos Mendoza said Tong is mature for his age, he's still just 22 years old and deserves all the grace in the world following his rough start on Friday night.

"Keep your head up, keep going," Mendoza said about his message to Tong. "There’s no other way around it. Flush that one out and just keep moving forward."

Tong, of course, has the talent and potential to be a successful starting pitcher in the league. Look no further than his MLB debut just two weeks ago and you'll see a pitcher with the stuff that can be dangerous for a long time. 

However, it's obvious he still needs time to continue to develop into the starting pitcher that he has the talent to be. But asking him, along with the two other rookies in the rotation, to be the savior of a flailing team with sky-high expectations that have not been met this season isn't the proper way to foster and nurture that talent.

After the loss, a clearly emotional Tong didn't have a lot to say. Still, he managed to get out that he didn't give the start that he wanted and even thought of the bullpen, saying that it "hurts" to know that his outing put "more stress" on a beleaguered group -- quite selfless for a 22-year-old.

"He’s a competitor," Mendoza said. "Obviously he cares a lot... He'll get through that one."

The question now becomes what will the Mets do next?

While he didn't confirm or deny that Tong would make his next start, Mendoza reiterated that New York could get creative. What's most sad about the situation, though, is despite how poorly his outing went on Friday, Tong remains one of the better options the Mets have at the moment due to massive failures elsewhere on the roster.

"It’s just life, so take it one step at a time," Tong said. "I mean, I’m always grateful for opportunity."

Among the players giving the right-hander advice was David Peterson who Tong said told him, "Keep your head up. The sun’s gonna rise tomorrow."

Wherever Tong makes his next start, he'll have time to learn from this one and hopefully grow from it.

"(I'm) gonna have some time to reflect on this and get ready for the next one and just go from there," he said.

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Jacob deGrom discusses ‘special’ Citi Field return: ‘I always enjoy taking the mound in front of this crowd’

Jacob deGrom had this one circled on his calendar. 

He looked at the beginning of the season and wanted the chance to return to Citi Field. 

Finally on Friday night, that opportunity came. 

The right-hander knew it was going to be a special night, and that it was. 

He couldn’t help but get emotional as the Mets took a look back at his prestigious nine-year career with the club with a tribute video before transitioning to his signature warmup song, “Simple Man” as he played catch pregame. 

But once the action got underway, it was business as usual. 

“It was really cool,” deGrom said. “This is where it all started, coming back here I thought it was going to be a very special day -- thankful to the Mets for playing that and like I said, these fans were great to me while I was here and that was a really nice thing to do.”

Fittingly, the 37-year-old was handed immediate run support, something he lacked throughout his time with the Mets. 

The Rangers jumped on New York’s young right-hander Jonah Tong for a total of six runs on four hits and three walks in the top of the first, handing their hard-throwing ace the big advantage before he even threw a pitch. 

DeGrom responded with a six-pitch bottom-half of the inning. 

He worked around a one out Mark Vientos single in the bottom of the second, but then the bottom of the Mets’ order got to him in the third, as a solo homer and a pair of sacrifice flies made it a three-run ballgame. 

But as Mets fans are very familiar with, it was lights out from there, as deGrom would set down the next 13 hitters in order to close out his night with seven strong innings. 

He ended up taking home his 12th victory of the season after allowing those three runs on four hits and no walks while striking out just two batters on the evening.

“It means a lot,” deGrom said. “The fans were great to me tonight and they were great to me when I was here, I always enjoyed taking the mound in front of this crowd, so tonight was just as special.”

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Tigers’ Skubal leaves game against Marlins after experiencing left side tightness

MIAMI (AP) — Detroit Tigers star left-hander Tarik Skubal left the club’s game against the Miami Marlins in the fourth inning Friday night after experiencing tightness in his left side.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner — and favorite to repeat this year — allowed a leadoff single to Heriberto Hernández and then retired Eric Wagaman on a flyout to center field when he exited. Skubal is currently under evaluation.

After a recent stretch of dominant outings, Skubal struggled Friday, giving up four runs and four hits. Rookie Agustín Ramirez and Hernández hit solo homers off Skubal.

Skubal had allowed one earned run over his previous 27 1/3 innings and had thrown seven scoreless innings in each of his last two starts.

Tigers shortstop Javier Báez also left early, when he fouled off a pitch that struck near his left eye in the second inning.

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Giants third baseman Matt Chapman wins suspension appeal, reaches settlement with MLB to accept fine

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman’s one-game suspension was dropped by Major League Baseball on Friday and he instead will pay a fine for his role in a benches-clearing incident at Colorado on Sept. 2.

The Giants made the announcement ahead of Friday’s opener in a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying an agreement with the Commissioner’s Office had been reached.

Chapman had faced a suspension and an undisclosed fine after he made contact with Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland.

Chapman, Freeland and Giants shortstop Willy Adames were ejected following the first-inning fracas during San Francisco’s 7-4 win at Coors Field, then Chapman led the Giants past the Rockies 10-8 a night later — playing the game as the appeal was considered.

Freeland, Adames and Rafael Devers also were fined for their involvement. Tempers flared after Devers hit a two-run homer in the first inning and admired it before beginning his slow trot.

“Look, we didn’t feel like we started it. It is what it is, deal with it going forward. We’ll see what happens in the appeal. The other ones were fines,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said the next day. “You knew something was going to happen. We were hoping there weren’t suspensions. Ended up being one, and it’s on appeal, so see where that goes.”

Devers crushed a sweeper over the right field wall and then Freeland took exception with Devers’ celebration, prompting both players to shout at each other.

Several players charged toward the infield, and MLB said Chapman was disciplined for “pushing” Freeland. Adames also was in the middle of the scrum.

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Multitude of forwards pushing for Flyers open eyes in OT rookie game win

Multitude of forwards pushing for Flyers open eyes in OT rookie game win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Nikita Grebenkin popped off the bench in overtime, took a drop pass and zipped a shot into the net.

And just like that, the Flyers were celebrating Friday night at PPL Center.

With the club’s front office and new coaching staff watching from upstairs, the Flyers beat the Rangers, 4-3, in the first of two rookie games this weekend at the home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Denver Barkey, Alexis Gendron and Jacob Gaucher also scored goals for the Flyers. The team, which just opened rookie training camp Thursday, erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2.

“There’s a lot to like and a lot to be happy with,” John Snowden, the Phantoms’ head coach who runs rookie camp, said. “Obviously we don’t have a whole lot of time to put together what our plan is and I thought they did a heck of a job at executing it. We saw a ton of plays, we saw some skill come out, which I think we all wanted to see.”

• The Flyers’ decision-makers had to be pleased with the contributions from some forwards who will be knocking at the door throughout the season.

Grebenkin, who came to the Flyers in the Scott Laughton trade, definitely showed an offensive mindset.

“He finished in an important moment of the game for us,” Snowden said. “He made a lot of plays below the goal line. … It was a good start for him in this camp.”

The 22-year-old Russian winger played seven games for the Maple Leafs last season and will be vying for his Flyers debut this season.

In the second period, Barkey got the Flyers on the board with a 4-on-4 marker off a feed from recent trade acquisition Tucker Robertson. The 20-year-old Barkey is a dogged competitor who makes winning plays.

“The biggest thing about him is that he’s just so competitive,” Snowden said. “He’s a smaller guy, but he plays like he’s 6-4. How many puck battles did he win tonight?”

The 5-foot-9 winger will have to overcome the undersized label.

“It has kind of been the story of my life, always have been a smaller guy,” Barkey said. “So ever since a young age, I’ve always had to be a heads-up player and think ahead.”

Karsen Dorwart didn’t hurt his chances at trying to work his way into the Flyers’ bottom-six picture at center. The 22-year-old collected a pair of assists. On Gendron’s game-tying 2-2 goal at shorthanded, Dorwart sparked the rush. His second helper came on Grebenkin’s winner.

The Michigan State product signed with the Flyers toward the end of last season as a college free agent and played five games for the big club.

“I think last spring was huge for me to kind of get out of the mindset of, ‘Whoa, this is the NHL,'” Dorwart said. “Now my goal is to make the team. That’s what I wanted to do all summer, it’s what I want to do now. Just doing everything I can in these couple of games and then going into to training camp to prove that I can make the team.”

Devin Kaplan made a slew of impressive moves to set up Gaucher’s game-tying 3-3 goal in the third period. The 21-year-old winger made his NHL debut in last season’s finale.

• Alex Bump, the rookie camp headliner, played on the Flyers’ top line with Jack Nesbitt and Samu Tuomaala.

The 21-year-old winger didn’t crack the scoresheet, but he had his offensive savviness on display. He also exhibited his improved strength by protecting the puck to extend possession on a few plays.

“He’s a cerebral, intelligent hockey player, especially when it comes to the offensive side of the game,” Snowden said Friday after morning skate. “He is so strategic as for where he needs to go, he never puts himself outside of a scoring area, he always re-routes back into the interior. So he’s always putting himself into good spots.”

Bump has a legit shot to make the Flyers’ season-opening roster. Before now, he had never been in a training camp because of school.

“I’m prepared for it,” Bump said Friday after morning skate. “I don’t really think there should be pressure if I’m prepared for it.”

• An under-the-radar defenseman would be Ethan Samson, who played an athletic and comfortable game at the point of the power play. The 22-year-old has good size and two AHL seasons under his belt.

“Samson I thought looked pretty good tonight,” Snowden said.

• Carson Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-round pick, played the full game and converted 21 saves on 24 shots.

He allowed two goals a little over four and a half minutes into the action. The second one he needed to stop. Bjarnason saw the shot, but the puck popped past him after it appeared to hit his stick.

“The first period, I want those back, definitely,” Bjarnason said. “I’ll take the blame on those, those are my fault.”

The 20-year-old was playing his first game since April 1 in the WHL playoffs. His first pro season is ahead of him with Lehigh Valley.

• Sawyer Boulton fired up the crowd in the second period when he fought Corbin Vaughan and then jawed with the Rangers’ bench.

Vaughan dropped the gloves earlier in the period when he gave Gaucher a round of punches. Gaucher was defending Kaplan, who took a big hit.

Boulton then stood up for Gaucher by giving it back to Vaughan.

• Oliver Bonk was out because of a maintenance day, but the 2023 first-round defenseman is expected to play Saturday against the Rangers in the second rookie game (5 p.m. ET).

Bjarnason will play the first half of the game before camp invite Joey Costanzo comes on in relief.

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Aaron Judge hits his 362nd career homer, passing Joe DiMaggio for 4th in New York Yankees history

BOSTON (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 362nd career home run on Friday night, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio and taking sole possession of fourth place on the franchise’s all-time list.

One game after Judge homered twice to tie DiMaggio with President Donald Trump at Yankee Stadium to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Yankees captain hit the second pitch he saw from Boston’s Lucas Giolito in the first inning over the Green Monster and onto Lansdowne Street.

The 468-foot shot gave New York a 1-0 lead over Boston as the longtime rivals battle for playoff position. The Yankees entered the night with a one-half game edge over the Red Sox in the AL East, behind division leader Toronto, with both in position for a wild-card berth.

Judge reached 362 homers in his 1,130th game. DiMaggio played 1,736 games and hit his last homer on Sept. 28, 1951, at the end of a 13-year career that was interrupted for three seasons because he served in World War II.

Judge’s 47th homer of the season raised his major league-best batting average to .324.

Judge broke a tie with Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra for fifth on New York’s career list Tuesday night. Babe Ruth hit 659 of his 714 homers with the Yankees. Mickey Mantle (536) and Lou Gehrig (493) are the other Yankees ahead of Judge.

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Luis Gil twirls six hitless innings, Yankees beat Red Sox 4-1 in series opener

The Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1 in the series opener on Friday night at Fenway Park.

Here are some takeaways...

- Aaron Judge got the Yankees' offense started early, and he made some history in the process. The captain crushed a solo homer over the Green Monster in the top of the first, giving him 362 for his career to pass Joe DiMaggio for fourth on the Yanks all-time HR list. 

- Judge started a two-out rally and scored the second run of the game two innings later. After he drew a seven-pitch walk, Ben Rice reached on catchers interference and Cody Bellinger lined an RBI single right back up the middle to make it a 2-0 ballgame. 

- Giolito settled in nicely, allowing just the two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. 

- Luis Gil threw extremely well after being handed the early lead, as he held the Red Sox to just two baserunners (a walk and a Jose Caballero error) over the first four innings. The righty was hurt by some questionable calls in the fifth, which resulted in a pair of walks, but retired the next three and to keep the shutout and no-hitter going. 

A Jazz Chisholm throwing error put Trevor Story at second with one out in the sixth, but Gil got a strikeout and groundout to again escape the inning with no damage. The reigning Rookie of the Year finished his night allowing just six baserunners (two errors, four walks) while striking out four across six hitless innings.

- Fernando Cruz took things over in the bottom of the seventh and struck out the first two hitters he faced before Nick Eaton crushed just the second homer of his big-league career into the Green Monster, breaking up both the shutout and no-hitter. 

Cruz is now up to an ugly 16.20 ERA across five appearances this month. 

- Devin Williams was helped out by a great backhanded play from Ryan McMahon to strand a man on second in a scoreless bottom of the eighth following Cruz, then David Bednar put the finishing touches on the victory, securing his sixth save since joining the club. 

- Caballero received the start at short over Anthony Volpe for the second straight night, and while he committed an error, he made up for it with his offense and speed. He ripped a ground-rule double leading off the seventh before stealing third and then hustling down the line to beat the throw on a grounder with the infield in. 

Caballero is now up to a league-best 46 stolen bases on the season. 

- Chisholm picked up his 30th stolen base of the year in the top of the eighth -- he is now just two home runs away from joining Bobby Bonds and Alfonso Soriano as the only three players in franchise history with a 30/30 season. 

Game MVP: Luis Gil

The young right-hander was masterful, holding the Sox hitless across his six innings of work. 

Highlights

What's next

Max Fried (16-5, 3.02 ERA) faces off with Bryan Bello (11-6, 3.12 ERA) as the Yanks and Sox continue this weekend set on Saturday at 4:10 p.m.

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Jonah Tong torched in first inning as Mets lose to Rangers, 8-3

The Mets got hammered once again on Friday night, losing to the Texas Rangers by a score of 8-3 to extend their losing streak to seven games.

Here are the takeaways...

- Tasked with putting a stop to a six-game losing streak in just his third career start and facing one of the game's best pitchers on the other side, Jonah Tong had a lot on his plate. Up for the challenge anyway, the 22-year-old had a disastrous outing and failed to get out of the first inning.

Throwing predominantly changeups early, Tong couldn't find a feel for his fastball and that came around to bite him. After walking two of the first three batters, sandwiched between a strikeout, the right-hander retired Jake Burger on a flyout for a path out of the inning. Tong then got to two strikes on Josh Jung and with Citi Field behind him, he needed to make one more pitch to escape the jam. Instead, two straight hits on two straight fastballs scored two runs.

The third walk of the inning loaded the bases before Tong got to two strikes once again, this time on Cody Freeman, but another single drove in two more to double the Rangers' lead. The rookie ran the count full on Michael Helman before allowing a two-run double that ended his night.

Tong lasted 0.2 innings and allowed six runs on four hits and three walks. It was the shortest start from a Met pitcher since David Peterson recorded one out in September 2022. Tong entered the game with a 4.09 ERA and it ballooned to an unsightly 8.49. He threw 40 pitches (20 strikes).

- Shell-shocked by what just happened in the top of the inning, the crowd on hand unfortunately didn't really give Jacob deGrom his much-deserved standing ovation when he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning in his first time pitching in Citi Field since leaving the team in free agency in 2022. The former Met wasn't on the mound for long, needing six pitches to retire the side in order.

- After four straight outs to start this game following 25 straight outs to end Thursday's game, Mark Vientos' single in the second ended a terrible string of 29 consecutive outs made by the Mets. DeGrom retired the next two.

- Led by the bottom of the lineup, New York got to deGrom in the third. Francisco Alvarez began the inning with a solo shot, his eighth of the season, before Cedric Mullins and Francisco Lindor followed with a single and a double to put runners on second and third with nobody out, showing signs of life. Juan Soto and Pete Alonso each had a sacrifice fly that cut the deficit to 6-3 with plenty of ballgame left.

- Thanks to Huascar Brazoban (3.1 innings of scoreless relief) and Ryne Stanek (five up, five down) the Mets entered the later innings still in the game. However, after allowing three runs in the third inning, deGrom settled back down and found his groove, denying New York any chance of making a comeback. He ended his night by retiring the final 13 batters he faced and pitched seven terrific innings in his old home.

- Gregory Soto's recent struggles continued after giving up a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Dylan Moore in the seventh inning. Soto now has a 5.52 ERA in his last 15 games and a 9.45 ERA in his last seven games.

- Ryan Helsley allowed a screaming double to his first batter of the ninth and it looked like he was on his way to having another outing to forget, but Lindor made a great play on a flyout to shallow center field and doubled up Jung at second base. 

Game MVP: Jacob deGrom

In what was another ugly performance by the Mets, it was at least nice to see deGrom back on the Citi Field mound, even as a member of an opposing team.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets continue their three-game series with the Rangers on Saturday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Brandon Sproat (0-1, 4.50 ERA) makes his second career start and will face LHP Patrick Corbin (7-9, 4.36 ERA).

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Report: Steve Ballmer made a second, $10 million investment into failing company that endorsed Leonard

Clippers' owner Steve Ballmer's defense in the Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention and “no show” endorsement scandal has been "plausible deniability." Ballmer said he was “duped” like other investors when he put $50 million into the green bank company Aspiration (a company that had become a $300 million Clippers team sponsor back in 2021, but now is bankrupt with its CEO pleading guilty to fraud). Ballmer noted that the Clippers ended their team sponsor relationship with Aspiration after it defaulted on its obligations, and said both he and the team knew nothing about Leonard's $48 million endorsement deal with Aspiration ($28 million in cash, the rest in stock) other than that it existed. Ballmer vehemently denied the charge that the Clippers used Leonard's Aspiration endorsement to circumvent the NBA salary cap.

That argument is becoming increasingly difficult to believe.

After a detailed initial report came a second one from the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast (which broke the story initially) that Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong invested $2 million into Aspiration late in 2022 — when the company was failing and struggling to make payroll — and a week later Leonard got a delayed $1.75 million quarterly endorsement check.

Now comes a report that Ballmer made a second, $10 million investment in Aspiration in March, 2023, despite it being clear at that point the company was failing and headed toward bankruptcy. The report comes from Mike Vorkunov at The Athletic.

In March 2023, LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested almost $10 million into financial technology and sustainability services company Aspiration, according to legal filings reviewed by The Athletic and corroborated by a former Aspiration executive...

Ballmer's 2023 investment was part of a fundraising round made up almost entirely of previous Aspiration investors, with Wong being the lone exception. The company hoped to raise $75 million in fresh money but came up nearly $9 million short.

What is not known is when the payments on Leonard's endorsement stopped. He is a creditor in Aspiration's bankruptcy, seeking $7 million he is still owed.

Ballmer and the Clippers have not commented on the latest allegations, but their defense is likely the same: Ballmer was making a personal investment (and not a big one for Ballmer, who Forbes estimates is worth $153 billion), hoping to prop up the company and recoup his original investment, that this had nothing to do with Leonard.

This latest report is another wave in the tsunami of evidence that the Clippers used Aspiration to funnel extra money to Leonard outside his standard contract — maybe it's all circumstantial evidence, at least what we see publicly, but it's not hard to connect these dots. It's short, straight lines between these dots.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the burden of proof is on the league — which has hired a law firm to do its investigation as a third, neutral party — and that he "would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety."

It feels like more than an appearance now, the buzz in league circles is that many owners feel the same way, which means Silver is going to have to bring the hammer down on the Clippers (likely taking away future first-round draft picks, fining the Clippers up to $7.5 million, suspending team executives, and he could potentially void Leonard's contract, although that last one is unlikely).

The NBA's formal investigation is ongoing and likely will drag out for a while.