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Ranking potential PWHL expansion markets as 2025-26 ‘Takeover Tour’ kicks off

Ranking potential PWHL expansion markets as 2025-26 ‘Takeover Tour’ kicks offIt’s probably not a coincidence that the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s newest markets were part of last season’s “Takeover Tour.”

Vancouver and Seattle each hosted neutral-site games last season and made successful pitches to secure the league’s first expansion franchises, which debuted last month. This year’s 16-stop installment of the barnstorming tour kicked off on Wednesday with a sold-out crowd in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

According to executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer, the league will add two to four teams, going from eight franchises to as many as 12 by next season. As the league eyes such rapid expansion, the “Takeover Tour” should once again be a solid testing ground for the 11 cities hosting a game (or two) this season.

Here’s how each stop stacks up.

1. Chicago

It might seem odd to have Chicago ranked No. 1, ahead of markets that have already established themselves as serious contenders for expansion. But it just feels like a no-brainer.

Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States and has a robust corporate base and a massive television market, which could certainly help the PWHL land more sponsorships and the kind of major U.S. broadcast deal it still needs. Chicago is also a strong grassroots hockey market, with several youth programs and a number of notable home-grown national team players, including Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Cammi Granato, Kendall Coyne Schofield and 2025 PWHL prospect Abbey Murphy. (I’d be fine with some light tampering to start the franchise with Murphy.)

A Chicago team would also help connect Minnesota, the lone team in the American Midwest, to the PWHL’s Eastern footprint. And Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont, Ill., where Sunday’s Takeover Tour game will be played, could be easily shared with just one other professional tenant, the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

The arena is around 17 miles from Chicago, so travel time and traffic for fans could be a concern. Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge will be a good measuring stick for the location.

2. Detroit

It’s fair to assume Detroit is among the top contenders for expansion, as the league will play its third and fourth games at Little Caesars Arena this season.

“Hockeytown” checks a lot of boxes for the PWHL. Takeover Tour games have drawn well in Detroit, twice breaking the U.S. record for attendance at a pro women’s hockey game with 13,736 and 14,288 fans at LCA. There’s a great grassroots system; according to USA Hockey, Michigan ranked fourth in female hockey registration last season, only behind Minnesota, Massachusetts and New York, three states that already have PWHL franchises.

The biggest concern with Detroit has been infrastructure, which is the PWHL’s priority when considering expansion markets. The Red Wings and the NBA’s Pistons are full-time occupants at LCA, which also hosts plenty of concerts and other events. The WNBA is coming in 2029 as well, though that season (typically May to September) shouldn’t overlap with the PWHL much.

This year’s PWHL games in Detroit are being played back-to-back with Red Wings home games. Detroit will play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 3 at noon, before the Vancouver Goldeneyes play the Boston Fleet at 7 p.m. On March 28, the PWHL will serve as the matinee before the Red Wings play later that night, which will be an interesting test to see if adding another pro team to LCA could work.

3. Denver

If the PWHL wants another “Western Conference” team, Denver would be a solid option. It’s the most populous American city on the Takeover Tour list behind Chicago and Dallas and has a growing number of girls registered to play hockey in the state. Colorado is top-10 in the U.S. for female hockey registration, according to USA Hockey, just ahead of Illinois.

The league also has had success in the market, with over 14,000 fans at last year’s neutral-site game at Ball Arena, home of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and NBA’s Denver Nuggets. That the PWHL will make two stops in Denver this season could suggest it’s on the short list.

4. Edmonton

If the PWHL wants to continue westward expansion, there is no better option in Canada than Edmonton.

It’s a well-established hockey market, with a multi-million dollar arena that only hosts one pro sports franchise – the NHL’s Oilers – and a junior hockey team, among other events. So Edmonton feels a bit less busy than, say, Detroit or Denver, which have NBA franchises. More girls and women are registered to play hockey in Alberta than any other Canadian province outside Ontario, which would provide a ton of grassroots and community engagement opportunities.

The PWHL already sold out a game at Rogers Place last season, with over 17,00 fans in attendance, and will have two more games this season to prove the fan interest in women’s hockey is real.

5. Halifax

Halifax would be a smaller market than any of the other cities in the top five, but it hits a lot of the right marks.

With 10,500 seats, the Scotiabank Centre would be an ideal size for a PWHL rink with a central location. A Halifax team wouldn’t need to compete with other pro teams for space at the arena, which is primarily home to the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads – and the National Lacrosse League’s Halifax Thunderbirds. The city hasn’t had a professional hockey team since the AHL franchise left in 1993, which would make a PWHL franchise a major attraction. The team could also draw fans from elsewhere in the Maritimes.

The only downside would be travel. Halifax isn’t close enough to any current PWHL cities to allow for bus trips, and there wouldn’t be direct flights to Minnesota, Seattle or Vancouver.

6. Quebec City

Quebec City made a strong case for expansion during last year’s Takeover Tour with more than 18,000 fans at the game between Montreal and Ottawa. Fan support and ticket sales would be strong in Quebec City, which also checks the infrastructure box better than most options.

The Videotron Centre is a professional rink — built in a very public attempt to lure the NHL back to the city — without a pro tenant. As the main tenant, the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) have been treated very well since the building opened in 2015.

“It would be the same thing for a PWHL team,” Martin Tremblay, the CEO of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment, told The Athletic last year.

A team in Quebec City could also reignite one of the most intense rivalries in the sport with the Montreal Victoire.

7. Hamilton

Sticking with the venue conversation, Hamilton, a city around 40 miles from Toronto, is an intriguing option for the PWHL to consider.

TD Coliseum – originally built as Copps Coliseum with NHL ambitions in 1985 – recently reopened after $300 million in extensive renovations. A PWHL team in Hamilton would really only need to compete with the Toronto Rock (a pro lacrosse team) and concerts in the venue.

Now, there is a school of thought that a team in Hamilton could siphon support away from the Toronto Sceptres. But it could also provide a natural rival and attract fans from surrounding areas who might see downtown Toronto as too far of a trek.

8. Washington, D.C.

D.C. has often come up as a landing spot for professional women’s hockey. The Washington Capitals have been big supporters of the game and played host to women’s hockey events over the years.  Monumental Sports & Entertainment majority owner Ted Leonsis has also been bullish on women’s sports. Monumental, which owns the Capitals, also owns the Washington Mystics. Back in May, Leonsis reiterated his desire to make Washington the “capital of women’s sports” and said he’d look at adding a women’s hockey team.

A Monumental-backed PWHL team would also have broadcast infrastructure via the Monumental Sports Network.

But – sorry to sound like a broken record – a D.C. franchise could struggle to find an appropriate, or available, arena. Capital One Arena hosts the Capitals, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the Georgetown men’s basketball team. That said, Monumental made things work when the Mystics played at Capital One until the team got its own facility, so it’s not impossible.

9. Calgary

If the PWHL were looking to expand in 2027 or 2028, Calgary might be higher on the list. But right now, with the Scotiabank Saddledome booked, busy and old, Calgary just isn’t a realistic option. The Dome is already home to the Calgary Flames, the AHL’s Wranglers, junior hockey’s Hitmen and a pro lacrosse team. There is no other suitable arena in the city for a professional hockey team, either.

When the $1.2 billion Scotia Place opens in 2027, perhaps Calgary could throw its hat in the ring for future expansion, but the PWHL might already be holding at 12 teams by then. It’s a shame because the Calgary Inferno – from the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League – was an iconic and successful women’s hockey franchise. Not to mention Calgary would geographically make sense if the league is going to continue its westward expansion, and would be a great rival for a potential Edmonton team.

10. Winnipeg

The health of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, both on and off the ice, has been well-documented over the years, so I’m not going to pile on here. But there have been attendance issues and arena challenges that push Winnipeg down the list, especially compared to other Canadian markets.

The PWHL would likely need to have the support of True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Jets and operates Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg, to have a shot at being successful. The last hockey team that moved to Winnipeg, the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, played at a 1,600-seat arena at the University of Manitoba and was sold and relocated after just four seasons after failing to build a new arena in the city.

Like other cities on this list, Canada Life Centre is busy with the Jets, their AHL affiliate and other concerts and events. Given the early rave reviews from players in Vancouver, where the PWHL is a primary tenant, being the third or fourth priority might not cut it anymore.

11. Dallas

Dallas feels like the fun Takeover Tour stop where players will be treated well and enjoy the weather — and Coppell, Texas, native Hannah Bilka’s homecoming — but it won’t go further than that. Unless the league wants to aggressively expand its footprint south, dropping a team in Texas doesn’t make a ton of sense. There’s also an ongoing legal battle between the NHL’s Stars and NBA’s Mavericks over their shared arena, the American Airlines Center, which the league probably doesn’t want to get involved in.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Sports Business, Women's Hockey

2025 The Athletic Media Company

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Warriors' Steph Curry disliked viral, heated Klay Thompson-Ja Morant interaction

Warriors' Steph Curry disliked viral, heated Klay Thompson-Ja Morant interaction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Distance has separated the dynastic trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. 

But there still is a yearning to ride together. 

Curry, speaking to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon in a recent story on Thompson, did not like seeing his old backcourt partner getting into an altercation with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant last month without his usual backup. 

“The idea that he is carrying the Warrior success no matter what jersey he has on, I do like that part of it,” Curry told ESPN. “But I don’t like people taking shots at him when he doesn’t have that coverage and he doesn’t have his guys with him.” 

It’s not unusual – especially in recent years – to see Thompson take exception to personal slights. The proud four-time champion has found himself in a few chirping matches; one notably with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker while Thompson still was with the Warriors. 

Curry always had his teammate’s back, and it’s understandably tough to not be in a position to support him in a heated moment.  

Green, also speaking with ESPN, felt similar when Thompson got into it briefly with Miami Heat rookie Myron Gardner a few days after the Morant altercation. 

“That’s two instances in a row I saw him arguing by himself,” Green told ESPN. “What the f–k?” 

Green, known for not shying away from confrontation, very notably had Thompson’s back during a scuffle with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023-24 NBA season. 

Now that the trio has dwindled to a duo, Curry and Green are feeling the helplessness that distance has caused. 

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World's tallest teen sets new basketball record

Olivier Rioux warming up before a game. He has dark hair and is wearing a white sports vest. He is holding a ball in his raised right hand as he approaches the basket to score.
Olivier Rioux, pictured in a warm-up last month, has now made his first official dunk [Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images]

A 7ft 9in (2.36m) teenager has become the tallest player to score a basket in the history of college basketball.

Olivier Rioux, of the Florida Gators, dunked late on as his side beat Saint Francis 102-61 on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Canadian had become the tallest player to play on a college court when he made his first appearance last month.

He was declared the tallest teenager by Guinness World Records in 2021 when he was then 7ft 5in (2.26m).

While the dunk was the centre's first, he had scored a free throw against Merrimack on 21 November.

Where would Rioux stand in NBA?

If he were to enter the game's top level, Rioux would be above any of its current players in terms of height.

The NBA lists 21-year-old French sensation Victor Wembanyama as its tallest, with the San Antonio Spurs star measuring 7ft 4in (2.24m).

Zach Edey, of the Memphis Grizzlies, is next - with the 23-year-old standing 7ft 3in (2.21m).

Three other players are 7ft 2in (2.18m), according to the NBA's website.

They are 23-year-old Donovan Clingan, of the Portland Trail Blazers, 24-year-old Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, and Kristaps Porzingis of the Atlanta Hawks.

The NBA's tallest-ever players are listed as Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, who were both 7ft 7in (2.31m).

Bol played between 1985 and 1997, while Muresan, who was nicknamed the Giant, was on court from 1991 to 2001.

Guinness World Records had previously listed China's Sun Mingming, who is 7ft 8.98in, as the tallest active basketball player in 2013 when he was playing in his home country. He retired a year later.

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Advice Tony Vitello has received so far from iconic former Giants managers

Advice Tony Vitello has received so far from iconic former Giants managers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Before heading to his first Winter Meetings, Tony Vitello called a half-dozen people around the game and asked about what to expect from the event. As he prepares for his first spring training, his main concern is similar. 

What keeps him up at night?

“What is it like,” Vitello replied on a recent “Giants Talk” podcast. 

There is a lot being thrown at the new Giants manager, but he at least is supported with a tremendously experienced group of coaches and advisors. His staff will include former big-league managers Ron Washington and Jayce Tingler, and the front office now includes Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker, both of whom should get inducted into the Hall of Fame at next year’s Winter Meetings. 

Vitello’s cell phone is filled with the likes of Peyton Manning and Jelly Roll, and when he has a question about managing an MLB game, there will be no shortage of people he can call. The guidance started even before he got hired, though. Baker and Bochy were part of the interview process and both are confident the first-year manager will succeed. 

Bochy had dinner with Vitello and his parents earlier this offseason, and on Thursday’s “Giants Talk,” he said that meeting started with a funny question. 

“First I asked him if he was nuts,” Bochy said, smiling. “Because I live in Tennessee now and of course I know how big he was there and how popular and what a great program they had there in Tennessee. But he’s ready for a new challenge and he couldn’t find a better spot than San Francisco and I told him that.

“I think the fans are going to love him. He’s smart, understands the game. You talk to him and you get it. I think he’s going to have a nice career.”

Bochy’s run in San Francisco included three titles, and they were won in large part because of his postseason bullpen management. It can be difficult from the outside to determine just how much a manager is impacting the clubhouse day to day, but Vitello’s in-game management will be heavily scrutinized given his lack of experience. When it comes to late-game moves, he can lean on perhaps the best to ever do it. 

“There’s no easy answer on that because every year you’re probably going to have a different bullpen, especially in today’s game,” Bochy said of managing late in games. “You have to adjust every year with what you have, who is your closer — we had to change closers when I was there — and how you work your bullpen. You get to know them and you just get better with it as the year goes. 

“Hopefully after a month you have a good feel of what you have and you trust your instincts, because you’re going to get a lot of information. He’s been doing this for a while. Just go with your gut when you think you need to make a change.”

Vitello and Bochy spoke on the phone a couple of times before meeting up in person, but he had a bit more experience with Baker because the two met at this year’s All-Star Game. Baker said earlier this month that he has “been urging people to give (Vitello) a chance.”

“He’s one of ours now,” he said. 

As for any advice, the man who spent 26 years on the top step of the dugout said it’s important to avoid outside noise.

“Don’t read the tweets and the blogs,” Baker said, “Because now you’re judged every day versus just on the weekends.”

That shouldn’t be too big a problem for a young manager who included the phrase “Twitter is not life” in his introductory press conference at Oracle Park in October.

Both Baker and Bochy were at the Winter Meetings and got a chance to catch up with Vitello, who also held a big dinner for his entire staff. He has a busy couple of months ahead, with trips to the Dominican Republic and South Korea on the schedule, along with endless Zoom calls to make sure he’s fully prepared for his first spring. It’s been 30 years since Bochy had to run a camp for the first time, and he’ll be there with guidance if Vitello needs it. But he said he’s confident the new manager will hit the ground running. 

“I think you look at what he’s done up to this point and he started out wearing a lot of different hats, being a pitching coach, being an assistant and grinded his way to being the head coach there at Tennessee. He changed that program around and became a winner,” Bochy said. “He’s a motivator and you get that feeling when you talk to him. I know he’s excited and wants to do well and I think you’re talking about a guy that loves baseball. You can see the passion.

“I’ve already called him a baseball rat and he’s not that old, but that’s his life and I know he’s excited about this opportunity.”

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Why Jimmy Butler and mediocrity are a bad combination for the Warriors

Why Jimmy Butler and mediocrity are a bad combination for the Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are acutely aware that the buzz around the Warriors is becoming a roar. They know this has been a most exasperating season and they’ve won enough rings to know this is not it – and, at this rate, won’t be it.

Jimmy Butler III, aching for a ring, also knows this is not it. As the driving force of two underdog Miami teams that reached the NBA Finals, he knows of habits that ensure success and habits that prevent it.

From the instant Butler was acquired by the Warriors last February and signed his $111 million contract extension, he announced his goal. He wants to win. Not Player of the Week, or Player of the Month or votes for the All-Star team. And certainly not a mere 13 of 27 games, which is what the Warriors have done over the first two months.

He wants the ring that puts a crown on his Hall of Fame career.

As the Warriors stagger about, Butler is biting his tongue and trying to play the role of the good soldier. Witness the time and effort he puts into Jonathan Kuminga (only to see him sit on the bench the last three games). Jimmy wants no part of the reputation that followed him to the Bay; some of those left on the other side of bridges he burned insist he is fabulous during the “honeymoon” phase but ultimately will become discontented.

But as the Warriors and their dizzying variety of lineups and rotations go nowhere, with wins rarer than anyone accepts, no member of the Warriors – players, coaches, front office – is content. CEO Joe Lacob expressed his frustration in an email reply to a dissatisfied fan. Kerr, Curry and Green are not hiding their irritation. And they all own the kind of jewelry Butler seeks.

It is understandable if it is difficult for Butler, 36 years old and on his fifth NBA team, to ride the storm. Let’s be clear: Jimmy has not said so, at least not publicly. But his desire to win runs so deep that mediocrity gnaws at his ethos.

Consider the words of Butler during a “Dubs Talk” podcast recording on Dec. 1:

 “If it’s about winning — if it’s about winning it, the championship – I’m all for it. If it’s not, and there are any other agendas, y’all won’t like it. Because I don’t care. I’m literally just here to win. That’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

Consider the phrase “y’all won’t like it” a euphemism for “Do not expect joy from me if losing becomes a habit.”

It is conceivable that Butler finding it difficult to stomach a team that can’t find its way out of the NBA swamp. To care about a team that has spent most of the past month in eighth place in the Western Conference. To care, dare we say, about the urges of a coach that, eight weeks into the season acknowledges he needs to be better at maximizing Jimmy’s best assets.

“I’ve got to find a way to get him more into the groove of the game,” Kerr conceded Sunday after Butler took 11 shots as Portland came back to hang a 136-131 loss on Golden State. “Eleven shots? I don’t really consider Jimmy’s game to be dependent on how many shots he gets. But we do need his scoring. We do need his playmaking.

“We did a better job last year of putting him in position to attack and create shots for people. We need to get back to that type of control of the game where we’re going to him in the half court, especially when Steph’s out. Going to him in the half court, taking care of the ball, turning the other team over, controlling the game. And we’re not there.

“We’ve had a few moments during the season, but we’re not able to consistently put the ball in Jimmy’s hands and let him control games like we did at the end of last year.”

Butler is playing well, but his impact is not up to his high standard. The standard that put his name on MVP ballots in three different seasons. The standard that made Jimmy “Himmy.”

The standard that would be a huge step toward lifting the Warriors out of the quagmire and, perhaps, into a top-six team in the West.

As a primary ballhandler, Green also takes some of the blame for games when Butler doesn’t routinely get the ball on offense – particularly when Curry is off the floor.

“I’ve got to do a better job of that,” Green said in Portland. “And then, as I do a better job with that, I also need Jimmy to be more aggressive and demonstrative and go take the ball or come get the ball or say exactly where he wants the ball.

“And he will. You know he doesn’t shy away from that. We’re putting it together. This is game 27. Nobody’s panicking.”

Plenty of fans are panicking, but that’s typical and they don’t dictate outcomes. Kerr, Curry and Green are not panicking, partly because they believe the best Jimmy is yet to come.

The best Jimmy ought to be a priority for Kerr, the Warriors and Butler. It’s essential for the current roster, clearly imperfect, to reach its potential. No one on the payroll wants that more than Butler.

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Even with Jimmy Butler, Warriors find themselves in similar spot as last year

Even with Jimmy Butler, Warriors find themselves in similar spot as last year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – There’s a strong argument that the most introspective player on the Warriors, a team centered on three NBA stars 35 years and older, is 23-year-old Moses Moody. 

He’s a reader and a poet. He spits meaningful bars at the podium that your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper wishes they could think of. He’s wise beyond his age and always worth listening to. He also took a long pause Tuesday when asked about the mood of a 13-14 Warriors team that already has gone through countless ups and downs in the 2025-26 NBA season. 

“Good question,” Moody began.

“I would say good, through and through,” he continued. “A lot of highs and lows. A lot of professionals on the team, so it’s not dealing with childish emotions or anything like that. It’s more so grown men trying to figure something out. And that’s from the coaching staff to the last player on the bench. 

“It’s not a bunch of emotions of, ‘Oh, you said this, you said that,’ rather than a group of men trying to figure something out, and that’s cool to see.” 

Moody chose his words carefully. Frustrations for the Warriors have been seen in numerous ways. This is a team that went 23-8 down the stretch last season after trading for Jimmy Butler, beat the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs and felt like they were destined for the Western Conference finals until Steph Curry’s hamstring strain. 

There even was a contingent within the franchise that believed a healthy Warriors team could beat the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. This season’s team can’t keep leaning on that run. It’s done, it’s over. 

The Warriors, as the calendar year gets close to ending, feel much more like the pre-Butler team they were around the same time a year ago than the post-Butler one right now.

Even coach Steve Kerr sees the similarities. 

“Yeah, it feels a lot like last year, ironically,” Kerr said Tuesday. “At the trade deadline I think we were .500. We were very inconsistent. We traded for Dennis [Schröder] first, and then Jimmy obviously as we were searching for answers and we found it. And I’m very, very confident that this group will find it, because we already have Jimmy and when we’re healthy I think the lineup is very formidable. 

“I think we have depth, I think we have everything we need. So it’s on me to put it together and to help these guys find the rhythm and the confidence that I know they have inside.” 

Though Moody didn’t perfectly agree with the similarities of last year to this year, he does share the feelings of his coach in why belief is warranted. 

“It feels different,” Moody said. “I’m not exactly sure the situation last year at this time. But these last couple games – there have been so many games this year that we should have won coming down to the end like that. We’re not far off. One shot goes differently and it’s a whole different conversation. I think we’re able to realize that. Coach is able to realize that. So nobody is panicking, more so as we’re trying to figure it out. Just figure it out a little bit. 

“I think it happens a lot of times that you’ll be so close to what you want and you just need to change something, so you change something, and then you’re actually a lot further away than you’re actually trying to get to. I think it’s a delicate situation, as well as we just got to figure it out and that’s what we’re working towards.”

Needing a change became obvious enough to the Warriors last season that they traded for Schröder the first day they were able to make such a move on Dec. 15. The Warriors were 14-10 at the time. They were a game under .500 on Dec. 15 this season, and a move doesn’t seem imminent at the moment since Jonathan Kuminga can’t be traded until Jan. 15. 

From the offseason to the first third of the regular season, the Kuminga cloud has hovered over everything involving the Warriors. Kuminga has received three straight healthy DNPs, in which the Warriors won the first game against a reeling Chicago Bulls team and then dropped two straight against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves and Blazers are both teams Kuminga is meant for with his combination of size and athleticism, especially after averaging over 24 points in the final four games of the playoffs against the Timberwolves seven months ago. 

Then this week, a fan email to Joe Lacob received a response from the Warriors owner and went viral. In the response, Lacob alluded to “style of play,” “coaches desires regarding players,” and “league trends” for why the Warriors have been struggling. Kerr on Tuesday brushed off the email, calling it “no big deal,” but it undoubtedly pulled back the curtain to the public in areas the two disagree on.

After getting DNP’d in Chicago, Kuminga said that he and Kerr have a good relationship and the coach echoed those sentiments when the Warriors returned home. Sources also acknowledge there have been some moments of high intensity between the two of them this season.

Butler has gone two straight games without speaking to the media after two bad losses, getting out as fast as he could. He and Draymond Green, who recorded eight turnovers in his return Sunday, didn’t appear to be on the same page offensively and defensively more than once during that game in Portland. 

Though Kuminga can’t be traded for another five weeks, the upcoming G League Winter Showcase in Orlando from Dec. 19 through the 22nd will be four days of agents and front offices meeting, and words can turn to action from those conversations.

After using nine different starting lineups in as many games, Kerr on Tuesday said he’s going to give an extended look to the group that began the game against the Blazers. The next day, he said Kuminga has strung together multiple great practices while doing everything the team has asked, indicating he’ll be back in the rotation perhaps as soon as Thursday against the Suns in Phoenix. With health and availability being large factors, Kerr already has used 15 starting lineups in 27 games. 

Doing so also is an indication of the roster Kerr is working with. They’re a small team in a big man’s world, and an old team in a young man’s game. The Warriors needed all 95 of Curry’s points to beat the San Antonio Spurs in two consecutive games a little more than a month ago, yet 87 points and 18 threes over two games wasn’t enough to beat a Timberwolves team that didn’t have Anthony Edwards and a 10-win Blazers team that would have just seven wins if they never played the Warriors this season. 

Is this déjà vu from a year ago, something worse or a team that leads the NBA in blown fourth-quarter leads but still feels like they’re on the precipice of something special? 

“I know that we have the answer here,” Kerr said Wednesday. “Last year I felt like we had to make a move. This year I don’t think that’s the case. I think we have what we need here, but we need to develop more consistency in our play and that starts with me giving these guys more consistent roles, making sure we get Jimmy the ball, making sure we get to that style of play from last year when we had control of games. … We’re not in control of games right now. 

“We have that ability, and that’s our focus.”

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Golden Knights Lose To Devils In Shootout, Extend Point Streak To Eight Games

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights extended their point streak to eight games after losing to the New Jersey Devils in a shootout, 2-1, on Tuesday night.

Trailing 1-0 late in the third, Vegas got the equalizer when Pavel Dorofeyev scored a power-play goal at the 15:49 mark.

But New Jersey goaltender Jake Allen put together a stalwart effort in overtime, stopping all four of Vegas' shots, including one during a power play, and then all three of the Knights' opportunities during the shootout.

Dorofeyev, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner missed their shots during the shootout. Marner's shot went into the net, but only after hitting his skate following the initial shot.

Jesper Bratt scored the game-winning goal in the shootout for New Jersey, while Connor Brown scored the Devils' regulation goal.

Carter Hart made 32 saves for Vegas, while Allen stopped 37 shot for the Devils.

New Jersey improved to 9-6-0 against the Western Conference with the win.

Vegas, meanwhile, moved into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with the Anaheim Ducks, both with 42 points.

"At the end of the day, you get into overtime, each team had a good look, then we got the power play, couldn't quite finish it," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "And shootouts, well, we just haven't scored enough in the shootout. So, we'll take the point. There was some good things. Always things to correct. Get ready for Calgary."

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KEY MOMENT

Playing without star center Jack Eichel, the Knights were finally able to find the back of the net when they scored a power-play goal for the third straight game. It was Dorofeyev's second power-play in as many games, and ninth of the season.

KEY STAT

7-0-4 ... The Golden Knights still don't have a regulation loss against teams from the Metropolitan Division, grabbing 18 of a possible 22 points against them. Vegas and New Jersey ended up splitting their regular-season series after the Knights won 3-0 in New Jersey on Dec. 5.

WHAT A KNIGHT

Hart continues to play impressively, as it very easily could have been a high-scoring game if not for a goaltenders' duel. Hart came up with several big saves, among his 32 stops, and still hasn't lost in regulation. Since making his debut on Dec. 2, Hart is 3-0-2 with a 2.26 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

"It wasn't our best game," defenseman Brayden McNabb said. " I think both goalies played outstanding today. Carter kept us in it in the first for sure. And we had our looks, we had lots of great chances there. Their goalie played well. To get a point is great. Would have liked to get two."

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights plays the first of back-to-back games in Western Canada on Saturday against Calgary.

PHOTO CAPTION: New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) during a shootout at T-Mobile Arena.

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Allen Makes 37 Saves, Devils Blank Golden Knights In Pesce's Return

On Wednesday night, the New Jersey Devils came to play when the puck dropped against the Vegas Golden Knights at 10:22 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena.

After 60 minutes, overtime, and a shootout, the Devils celebrated a 2-1 victory with Connor Brownscoring the team’s lone goal in regulation, while Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout. Goaltender Jake Allen made 37 saves on 38 shots.

After an excellent first period, the Devils scored the game’s opening goal four minutes into the middle frame. Brown scored his eighth goal of the season after he stole the puck and shot it past opposing goaltender Carter Hart. It was unassisted.

Brown has not only been a fantastic addition on the ice, but in the locker room as well, as he developed into one of the team’s vocal leaders, joining Brenden Dillon, Jacob Markstrom, and Allen.

“For me, it is honestly a big part of my game, kind of always has been,” he toldThe Hockey News. “It is a big way I make sure I am getting myself going, just talking and being loud. I kind of understood that it was something that I would be dependent on here. I think (we are) a team that has a lot of skill and wants to get to the next step. (I was not) not stepping into a really big veteran team, so that just kind of made sense.”

With 4:10 minutes remaining in regulation, Vegas tied the game at 1-1 while on the power play. Pavel Dorofeyev scored his first career goal against Allen.

After a five-minute overtime, where Allen stopped five shots, he was perfect in the shootout, while Bratt scored the game-winner.  

Wednesday night marked Brett Pesce’s return to the lineup and first game since Oct. 26. He logged 23:58 of ice time, the most he’s played in a single game this season. The 31-year-old finished the game with three shots on goal and three blocked shots.

“It has been killing me, to be honest, not being able to be out here with the guys," Pesce told NJD.TV. "It was the perfect first game for me. Battle to the very end - four-on-threes, penalty kill, and blocked shots. It was a nice game to get back (in)." 

“He was excellent," Keefe continued. "He was himself. Probably fitting that his first shift is on the penalty kill, and he made a couple plays there that the whole bench grew an inch when they see him out there making those types of plays."

The Devils will continue their road trip with a visit to Utah as they face the Utah Mammoth on Friday night.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils sitefor THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.