Posts

Posted on

From OHL to NHL: A Brotherhood Unites with the Montreal Canadiens

<i>Xhekaj brothers Arber (on the left) and Florian (on the right) in Bulldogs uniform during their time in the OHL. Photo credit: Brandon Taylor/OHL Images</i>

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in a shootout in their pre-season opener Monday night. However, Tuesday night, the Habs faithful got to see the Xhekaj brothers, Arber and Florian, suit up in the same jersey for the first time. 

It was a special night for the Xhekaj family. Their mom, Simona Xhekaj, made sure not to miss it, sharing a picture on X of her driving into Montreal ahead of the game.

A special night called for a special moment. Younger brother Florian snapped home his first of the pre-season halfway through the opening period to make it 2-0 Montreal. 

Florian’s offense has developed significantly. He set a franchise rookie record with the Laval Rocket in the AHL last season with 24 goals, and became the first AHL rookie since the 2013-14 season to record 20 or more goals and accumulate 150 or more penalty minutes in a single season. 

Of course, like his older brother, he’s known for his physically abrasive style of play, so it wasn’t all that surprising to see him drop the gloves with NHL heavyweight Nicholas Deslauriers. Although I'm sure Mama Simona would have rather seen her son choose a lesser combatant.

Arber also got in on the physical action in the second period, mixing it with Philadelphia Flyers forward Rodrigo Abols, but unfortunately, he took an extra roughing penalty on the altercation, and Philadelphia scored on the ensuing powerplay. 

Montreal won the hockey game 4-2, with Arber sealing the game with an empty-netter. What a night for the Xhekaj family. Brothers united together in the same jersey for the first time, and both get on the scoresheet with goals. 

The Xhekaj brothers are products of the OHL, and both spent time with the Bulldogs organization. 

Arber spent three seasons in the league, spending most of his time with the Kitchener Rangers, recording 317 penalty minutes in 183 combined regular season and playoff games in his OHL tenure. 

The Bulldogs acquired the big, rugged blueliner to aid them in their pursuit of an OHL championship during the 2021-22 season. They gave up five draft picks and forward Navrin Mutter for Arber, and it turned out to be a terrific deal. He wasn’t just a driving force defensively. He led the Bulldogs in points with 16 and plus/minus with +15 amongst their defensemen. 

The 2022 OHL Final was one of the more exciting championship series the league has seen in the past five years. The Bulldogs defeated the Windsor Spitfires in Game 7 by a score of 6-1. Arber finished that game with two assists and a +4. 

Top NHL Draft Prospect Ryan Roobroeck Named To Team CHL For Upcoming Prospect Showcase Top NHL Draft Prospect Ryan Roobroeck Named To Team CHL For Upcoming Prospect Showcase Niagara IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck is one of the first three members named to Team CHL’s roster for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. 

Younger brother Florian played two seasons in the OHL, both with the Bulldogs organization: one during their last year in Hamilton and the other in their first year in Brantford after relocating.

In just two seasons in the league, he followed in his older brother’s footsteps, becoming an intimidating, physical threat in the league who fought and was a punishing hitter. Florian accumulated 184 penalty minutes in 143 combined regular season and playoff games. Offensively, he scored 98 points (51 goals, 47 assists). 

We all know the OHL is known for its incredible development and churning out players to the NHL level. The story of the Xhekaj brothers makes it even better. Neither was ever drafted into the OHL. Arber made Kitchener's roster and Florian made the Bulldogs' roster as free agents.

They are the definition of what putting your blood, sweat, and tears into something truly means. Their journey to the NHL is a testament to what being determined truly means and why everyone should persevere through setbacks to achieve their dreams. 

With how quickly Florian has been developing, don't be shocked if we see the two enforcers suit up for the Canadiens in a regular season game in the upcoming NHL season. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Latest OHL News:

Vancouver Canucks Sign Two Star OHL Players Vancouver Canucks Sign Two Star OHL Players A couple of OHL players returned to their respective club teams after attending the Vancouver Canucks training camp, but they are both coming back with NHL contracts.  Former London Knight Impressing Maple Leafs Organization & FanbaseFormer London Knight Impressing Maple Leafs Organization & FanbaseThe majority of NHL teams have kicked off their pre-season this past weekend, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. Training camp and pre-season are opportunities for younger players in the system to impress coaches and management and make a name for themselves.  Ottawa 67’s 2024 Fifth-Round Pick Excited To Debut For Hometown Team Following NCAA Eligibility ChangeOttawa 67’s 2024 Fifth-Round Pick Excited To Debut For Hometown Team Following NCAA Eligibility ChangeThe NCAA ruling on CHL-player eligibility last November turned the junior hockey landscape upside down. Prior to the November ruling, any player who joined a CHL team became ineligible to play NCAA hockey. The change created an environment where the CHL is now a viable destination for elite young players who want to preserve the option to secure an education while they develop as hockey players in the NCAA. 
Posted on

Devils Earn First Preseason Victory With 6-2 Win Over Islanders

The New Jersey Devils earned their first victory of the preseason with a 6-2 win over the New York Islanders.


In his first preseason game, Dougie Hamilton gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at the 13:52 mark of the first period. Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer picked up the assists on the power-play goal. 

With four minutes remaining in the opening frame, Emil Heineman tied the game on the Islanders' first shot on Devils' goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

Only 44 seconds after the puck dropped for the second period, Nico Hischier hit the back of the net with his team on the man advantage for a 2-1 lead over their division rivals. Hughes picked up his second assist of the night, while Jesper Bratt picked up his first point of the preseason. 

Connor Brown and Mercer scored at even strength about one minute apart to extend New Jersey's lead to 4-1. Through 40 minutes of play, New York had nine shots on goal. 

In his second preseason game, rookie defenseman Ethan Edwards scored four minutes into the third period. Luke Glendening, who is on a professional tryout, was credited with the primary assist, while defenseman Brett Pesce earned the secondary. 

New Jersey's third power play goal of the night came from Evgenii Dadonov, whose wrist shot beat Islanders' goaltender Tristan Lennox. 

New York responded with their own power play goal by Calum Ritchie, but New Jersey's NHL-heavy lineup was too much for Patrick Roy's group. 

Hamilton, Hughes, Mercer, and Meier each finished the game with two points. 

The Devils' next preseason game is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26, when the club travels to UBS Arena for a rematch against the Islanders. 

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

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

Posted on

Cubs’ Matt Shaw defends missing team’s defeat to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial

Matt Shaw is in his rookie season with the Cubs.Photograph: Matt Dirksen/Getty Images

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw said he has no regrets after missing a game with playoff implications to attend a memorial for Charlie Kirk.

Shaw missed the Cubs’ game at the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday to go to the memorial for the rightwing activist, which took place in Arizona. The Cubs lost the game 1-0. They are aiming to secure the top wildcard slot in the National League, which would give them home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Shaw’s absence was also a boost for the Reds, who are in a battle with the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wildcard spot in the NL.

Related: The robots are (almost) coming: MLB players allowed to challenge balls and strikes in 2026

Shaw was asked about his decision on Tuesday, before the Cubs’ game with the Mets. Kirk’s widow, Erika, invited Shaw to the memorial and the infielder said he felt it was his duty to attend. Kirk was from the Chicago area and got to know Shaw when they lived in the same apartment complex in Arizona. Shaw said the pair bonded over their Christian faith.

“My connection with Charlie was through our faith,’’ Shaw said. “And that’s something that drives me every day, the reason why I’m able to do what I do every day, and that’s something I’m extremely thankful for. I know without my faith and without the many blessings I’ve been given in my life that I wouldn’t be here, be able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships. That’s something I feel really, really blessed about, so whatever backlash comes is OK.”

The Cubs were not allowed to bring in a replacement to their roster for Shaw as he was ineligible for the bereavement list, which is reserved for players who have lost family members. The rookie said he had talked to his teammates and manager before making the decision to attend.

“For him to go and be a part of a celebration of life and grieve, from a human level, I understand it,” Chicago’s veteran outfielder Ian Happ told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’re baseball players, and that takes up a ton of our life, but there’s a huge human element to this game, and it’s really hard to lose a friend and really hard to lose someone you’re close to.”

The Mets’ popular play-by-play announcer, Gary Cohen, gave his thoughts on the SNY broadcast for Tuesday’s game.

“I don’t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a [wildcard] race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird,” said Cohen.

The Cubs selected Shaw with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft. He is batting .224 in his rookie season with 12 home runs. He was back in the Cubs lineup to face the Mets on Tuesday but his team gave up a 6-1 lead in a 9-7 defeat.

Posted on

Tyson Barrie Reveals Details Of Reported Trade To The Vancouver Canucks At The 2019 Draft

This off-season, Tyson Barrie announced his retirement from the NHL. The BC-born defenceman played 822 games during his career, scoring 110 goals and recording 508 points. Barrie was also a star in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets, winning Defenceman of the Year in 2010 and guiding the Rockets to the Memorial Cup tournament in 2009. 

Now that Barrie is retired, he is appearing on podcasts and radio stations to discuss his NHL career. This includes Sportsnet 650, where the 34-year-old spoke about almost being traded to the Canucks. According to Barrie, trade negotiations between Vancouver and the Colorado Avalanche got to the point where his agent called him ahead of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. 

"I was actually in New York City at a bachelor party that I'd planned, and we were at a Yankees game, and my phone rang, said Barrie. "It was my agent. He goes, Hey, Tyson, oh, you're in New York. I don't usually bother you with this stuff, but there's a chance you're gonna go to the Canucks here at the draft. He's, like, it sounds like it's close, and we won't know until they announced the pick. But stay tuned. So I was just watching the Yankees game, thinking I was getting traded to the Canucks, which I was like, you know, obviously I love Colorado, but I kind of knew I was going to get traded. So to be able to go home to Vancouver, in a way, would have been really cool, but obviously didn't materialize. So I talked to Sakic after, and he said it wasn't actually that close, so it kind of shows you the business you're in a little bit."

According to reports, Barrie would be headed to the Canucks in exchange for Jake Virtanen and a first-round pick. In the end, the trade never happened, and instead, Barrie was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round draft pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for centre Nazem Kadri, defenceman Calle Rosen and Toronto’s 2020 third-round pick. Barrie would play one year in Toronto before signing as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in 2020. 

"I think, you know, had I ended up in Vancouver, I probably would have been able to step into a bit of an extension and, you know, find a home. But instead, I went to the Maple Leafs on a kind of a one-year, almost tryout, and that didn't go super great. So it just goes to show you, you know where you land and you know who's trading for. You just can kind of alter the trajectory of your career and obviously your life."

​​Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Former Canucks Defenceman Hirose Signs In Germany

Vancouver Canucks 2025–26 Season Series Preview: Boston Bruins

Why Braeden Cootes Should Start The 2025-26 Season With The Vancouver Canucks

Looking back, it is intriguing to think what Vancouver's team would have looked like had Barrie been traded to the Canucks. While Vancouver had a strong blue line that featured Quinn Hughes, Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Myers, having a defenceman who could put up close to 40 points a year would have been beneficial, especially in the playoffs. Unfortunately, as Barrie pointed out, the deal never happened, meaning he never got the opportunity to play for Vancouver during his NHL career. 

In the end, Barrie had a very underrated NHL career. His 508 points rank 10th among defenders since his debut during the 2011-12 season, while he ranks tied for 17th among defencemen in game-winning goals with 21. Barrie also competed for Canada multiple times during his career, which included winning a Gold medal at the 2015 World Championship.

Jan 28, 2025; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames defenseman Tyson Barrie (8) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

The Hockey News
Posted on

Bump shows flashes as Flyers drop to Canadiens in preseason

Bump shows flashes as Flyers drop to Canadiens in preseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers fell to the Canadiens, 4-2, in preseason action Tuesday night at Bell Centre.

Anthony Richard and Owen Tippett provided the Flyers’ goals. Travis Sanheim nearly tied the game in the third period on a shorthanded breakaway, but the defenseman was denied by Montreal netminder Kaapo Kahkonen.

The Canadiens’ fourth goal came with the Flyers on a power play and their net emptied.

The trip to Montreal was the second of seven preseason games for the Flyers, who are 1-1-0 so far. They beat the Islanders, 3-2, Sunday night in a shootout.

• Alex Bump made his preseason debut Tuesday night and played a real noticeable game.

The young roster hopeful didn’t score, but he was active and you could see his ability to complement NHL talent.

In the first period, he stripped a Canadien and got a shot on net. In the third period, he had a nice move on a semi-breakaway, but couldn’t quite finish.

Bump did take a couple of hits on the night, but popped back up each time.

The 21-year-old winger didn’t hurt his chances at making the Flyers’ season-opening roster.

Jett Luchanko, another youngster trying to open eyes, made some subtle, effective plays.

• Samuel Ersson played the first period and surrendered two goals on nine shots.

The first was a Cole Caufield blast as Montreal flipped a Sean Couturier turnover into a 3-on-2 opportunity. The second was a Florian Xhekaj shot that Ersson probably knows he can stop.

Aleksei Kolosov converted 12 saves on 13 shots over the final two periods. The 23-year-old has made 27 saves on 30 shots through two exhibition outings.

• Rick Tocchet gave Rodrigo Abols a second straight look after the 29-year-old forward impressed in the preseason opener.

“I really liked his first period last game, I thought he was really good,” the Flyers’ head coach said Tuesday morning. “He’s a big guy who can skate. I don’t know him, but from watching him, I love big guys that can skate like that.

“Can he fit a role? When you’ve got a guy like that, I want to see how he can play two, three games in a row. The hardest part, I find, for the guys that come up from the minors, they give you a good game and then they fall off.”

Abols fared well against the Canadiens. He played with physicality and had a team-high three shots.

Richard, who’s pushing for a bottom-six job like Abols, showed off a great burst of speed to put the Flyers on the board in the second period.

• Tippett drew the Flyers to within 3-2 in the middle stanza when he didn’t hesitate to fire a shot from the circle on the power play.

“Whatever the team gives you and it’s a Grade A, you take it,” Tocchet said last Friday. “We’re not looking for tic-tac-toes. If they’re there, take it. To me, be aggressive. The best power plays are the teams that break pressure and they attack, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

• Dennis Gilbert, who is vying to be the Flyers’ sixth or seventh blueliner, played a reliable game. He picked up an assist on Richard’s goal and delivered some hits.

“You notice him out there even when you coach against him,” Tocchet said last Saturday. “He’s a physical guy, he’s not afraid to stick up for his teammates. If he can play a solid game for us, the way we want him to play, I think he has got a good shot at making our team.”

• The Flyers will be on the ice Wednesday in Voorhees, New Jersey before they resume preseason action Thursday against the Capitals at Giant Center (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

Posted on

Phils waste SĂĄnchez gem, bullpen falters in rain-soaked loss to Miami in extras

Phils waste SĂĄnchez gem, bullpen falters in rain-soaked loss to Miami in extras originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For seven innings, it looked like business as usual. Cristopher SĂĄnchez dominated, the Phillies homered twice, and a home crowd braced for another routine win.

Instead, the bullpen unraveled, a rain delay muddied the finish, and Miami walked away with a 6-5 comeback victory in extras that left the remnants of the Philadelphia crowd deflated.

Sánchez continued his Cy Young-caliber season with seven scoreless frames of three-hit ball, carving through a Marlins lineup stacked with right-handed bats. He struck out six — notching his 200th strikeout this season — and looked every bit the stopper Rob Thomson has leaned on all year.

Meanwhile, the offense got its usual jolt from Kyle Schwarber, who opened the scoring in the first with a 112 mph moonshot into the right-field seats — his 54th of the year, now just four shy of Ryan Howard’s franchise record.

Otto Kemp added a two-run shot in the second, padding the lead to 3-0.

But that was all the Phillies managed with Sanchez on the mound and it wasn’t enough.

Rob Thomson went to David Robertson in the eighth and Miami pounced.

Griffin Conine launched a cutter for a solo homer, Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks singled, and a Harrison Bader throwing error gifted another run. Suddenly, the lead was down to one. Tanner Banks briefly steadied things with a big strikeout of Jakob Marsee, but the ninth brought disaster.

Jhoan Duran coughed up a game-tying homer to Heriberto Hernandez, silencing the crowd in an instant. Just before the blast, the game was delayed when J.T. Realmuto took a foul tip off his right hand and exited with what was later diagnosed as a contusion.

“That was quite a blow to his finger,” Thomson said. “But X-rays are negative. We’ll check him out tomorrow.”

Sánchez also made sure to underline Realmuto’s importance. “He’s super important to us. He’s one of the best catchers in the game. We’re basically not there without him.”

Then, came the rain. A sudden downpour forced a one hour, nine minute delay before the Phillies could finish batting in the bottom of the ninth, freezing any momentum.

After the Phillies were blanked when play resumed, the game went into extras. Miami scored twice in the 10th — one on a broken-bat single from Hicks, another on a Marsee fielder’s choice — to take a 5-3 lead.

The Phillies fought back. Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos delivered RBI singles to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th, with Castellanos grinding out an eight-pitch at-bat to keep the night alive.

“It’s difficult,” Thomson said of Castellanos adjusting to a part-time role. “He’s been playing every day his entire life, so you have to take your hat off to him for the job he’s doing.”

But in the 11th, Lou Trivino gave up a sacrifice fly that proved to be the difference. The Phillies went down in order to end the three-hour, 26-minute affair.

The Phillies dropped to 92-65 and missed a potential chance to officially clinch a first-round bye, needing either a Dodgers loss or a steadier bullpen to seal things themselves.

For a team that has thrived on power and pitching, Tuesday’s meltdown was a reminder that October will demand more than just strong starting pitching.

Posted on

Giants frustrated after wasting 2025 MLB season that once held so much promise

Giants frustrated after wasting 2025 MLB season that once held so much promise originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The first vote of confidence came on Dec. 10. 

As an organization, the Giants do not believe in rebuilding. But Buster Posey, a franchise legend who was hired to lead baseball operations after three consecutive disappointing years, could have talked ownership into a change of course if he felt it was right. Instead, Posey made an early strike in his first offseason, signing Willy Adames to the largest contract in franchise history. 

The second vote of confidence came on June 15. Posey stunned the baseball world by trading for Rafael Devers, an all-in move for a team that was 11 games over .500 at the time.

The third came on July 1 when the Giants, losers of six of seven, picked up the 2026 option on manager Bob Melvin. It was a very clear signal to an embattled coaching staff, but also an underperforming roster.

The 2025 Giants, at every turn, thought they would make the postseason. On Tuesday, they were eliminated with four games to go in the regular season.

This is the eighth time in the last nine seasons that the Giants have missed the MLB playoffs, the lone exception being a magical 107-win campaign in Posey’s final year as a player. The front office, coaching staff and roster have undergone massive changes since that retirement ceremony, but there has been one constant. For four years, there has been a magnet constantly pulling the Giants back to .500.

This time, there is work to be done just to get to that mediocre mark. After a 9-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, the Giants fell to 77-81.

The face of the franchise unfortunately has had to get used to losing seasons. After watching his 15th win disappear because of a late bullpen collapse, Logan Webb said this year is “probably the most frustrating” one yet. 

“No offense to the teams we’ve had before, but this is the most talented team I’ve been on,” Webb said. “I think there were a lot of expectations and it sucks.”

Webb noted that the Giants briefly slid into first place with a win at Dodger Stadium in June. Two days later, they acquired Devers. Somehow, they’re 36-50 since the blockbuster.

“We were excited,” Webb said of that trade. “It’s kind of hard to pinpoint [what has happened]. When things go wrong it just unfortunately seems like we’ve let it stay wrong for a long time, and that’s not a very good recipe for success. Unfortunately it seems like it’s four straight years where it’s been like the exact same thing. Yeah, it just sucks.” 

This year’s group initially had the look of one that would change all of that. 

It is a close-knit and loose clubhouse and has been even in the down times, and for most of the season, the Giants have benefited from tremendous health compared to the teams around them in the standings. But the 2025 Giants also proved to be flawed in important ways. 

They entered Tuesday ranked 18th in starting pitcher ERA, and after talking of their depth all spring, they ran out of options. Kyle Harrison was traded for Devers, Hayden Birdsong lost the strike zone and Landen Roupp’s breakout year ended with a knee injury. Jordan Hicks pitched his way out of the rotation and into a trade, and the anticipated depth in Triple-A never materialized. 

If you had told Melvin in March that he would get All-Star seasons out of Webb and Robbie Ray and 28 starts out of Justin Verlander, he probably would feel like a lock for October. But it wasn’t enough, and Webb and Ray had their worst weekend of the year at a bad time, losing back-to-back games against the Dodgers earlier this month after the Giants briefly moved into a tie for the final wild-card spot. 

The bullpen was the best in baseball for much of the first half, but fell apart in some big games down the stretch, including Tuesday, when Ryan Walker blew the save in the ninth. That part was at least somewhat understandable given the personnel losses. 

As they look back at all of the bitter losses, the Giants likely will zero in on an 0-6 homestand against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates right before the MLB trade deadline. The front office hoped to add starting pitching; instead, Posey reacted by flipping Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval for prospects. A few weeks later, Randy Rodriguez found out he needed Tommy John surgery, joining Erik Miller on the IL.  

The Giants will spend most of this offseason rebuilding the back of their rotation and the leverage spots in their bullpen. The lineup should return just about fully intact, but that group will need to be much more consistent in 2026. 

The overall numbers will look fine for most of the team’s highest-paid hitters, but with the exception of a brief run in late August and early September — after the Giants practically were eliminated — there never seemed to be more than one or two players going at the same time.

The Giants are in the bottom half of the league in runs, homers and wRC+. When the season slipped away right before and after the deadline, the lineup scored fewer than three runs in 12 of 16 games at Oracle Park. Not surprisingly, the Giants lost 15 of those games, a historically bad stretch. 

When the going got tough on the mound and at the plate, there was nowhere else to turn for an edge. They have not been a good defensive team, particularly in the outfield. They’re last in the NL in stolen bases, an ongoing theme for the organization. 

Webb wasn’t just blowing smoke. This is a talented roster on paper, one that saw a fourth player reach 20 homers on Tuesday night, with the hope that newcomer Bryce Eldridge dwarfs that number for years to come. 

But Posey still has plenty of work to do, and it will start right away. Melvin might be under contract, but this second-half collapse will have to fall on somebody, and it’s not out of the question that the Giants embark on a second managerial search in three years. At the very least, the expectation for many within the organization is that there will be a few notable internal changes.

It was about a year ago that Posey decided he was ready to lead the organization. He has spent the last 12 months observing and listening. Now it’s time to find a way out of this loop that the Giants seem to be stuck in. 

“If there’s one thing about Buster Posey, it’s that I don’t think he’s okay with losing, I don’t think he’s okay with even being .500,” Webb said. “He wants to win. I’m not going to play his job because that’s not my job, but I don’t think he’s okay with this. I don’t think there’s a lot of people okay with this in this clubhouse.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Top NHL Draft Prospect Ryan Roobroeck Named To Team CHL For Upcoming Prospect Showcase

<i>Niagara IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck. Photo credit: Natalie Shaver/OHL Images</i>

Niagara IceDogs forward Ryan Roobroeck is one of the first three members named to Team CHL’s roster for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge. 

Roobroeck is projected to be a top ten pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, with many outlets ranking him in the top five of their preliminary rankings. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had him as high as the second-best prospect, right behind the projected unanimous first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. 

The Niagara star forward is one of the most exciting prospects coming up, due to his combination of size, high-end offensive skills, and an elite goal-scorer’s release, which forecasts him as someone who could tuck home 30 goals year-round in the NHL. He exploded for 87 points (41 goals, 46 assists) in 64 games last regular season, and was a major factor in Canada’s gold medal victory at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (9 points in 7 games). 

Roobroeck was drafted second overall in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection by the IceDogs. When he was drafted, he was listed at 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds. He has bulked up and grown over the last couple of years, currently standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 215 pounds. Every scout at a Niagara game this year will be watching the London, Ontario native. 

Offensively, he has impressed at the junior level already. Continuing to be that dominate threat this year in the OHL is of course important, but scouts are more focused on the development of his all-around game and play without the puck, which can be lackluster at times. 

The showcase between the top draft-eligible CHL prospects and the U.S. National U18 Team is set to take place on Nov. 25 and 26 in Calgary and Lethbridge. The inaugural event was held last November in London and Oshawa and was a resounding success. Of that 2024 team, five OHL players went on to get selected in the top ten of the 2025 NHL Draft: Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, and Jake O’Brien. 

Defensemen Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants in the WHL and Xavier Villeneuve of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL were the other two players named to Team CHL’s roster. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Latest OHL News:

Vancouver Canucks Sign Two Star OHL Players Vancouver Canucks Sign Two Star OHL Players A couple of OHL players returned to their respective club teams after attending the Vancouver Canucks training camp, but they are both coming back with NHL contracts.  Former London Knight Impressing Maple Leafs Organization & FanbaseFormer London Knight Impressing Maple Leafs Organization & FanbaseThe majority of NHL teams have kicked off their pre-season this past weekend, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. Training camp and pre-season are opportunities for younger players in the system to impress coaches and management and make a name for themselves.  Reversal Trade? OHL's Flint & Niagara Swap Players 13 Months Later Reversal Trade? OHL's Flint & Niagara Swap Players 13 Months Later Here’s a trade you don’t see too often. The Niagara IceDogs have reacquired defenseman Artem Frolov and forward Hayden Reid from the Flint Firebirds, two players who were traded from Niagara to Flint 13 months ago in a massive three-team deal involving those two teams and the Barrie Colts. 
Posted on

Casey Making His Case: Devils Prospect Fighting for NHL Role

One of the biggest names to watch for the New Jersey Devils ahead of the 2025-26 season is Seamus Casey.

The 21-year-old defenseman, a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been working toward securing a permanent spot with the team.

Last season, Casey split time between the NHL and the AHL. In 14 games with the Devils, he recorded four goals, four assists, and eight points. With the Utica Comets, he tallied three goals and 18 points with a plus-1 rating over 30 games.

At five-foot-ten, Casey isn’t the biggest blueliner, but his strong two-way play has stood out. He impressed at the Prospects Challenge this fall and continues to build on the momentum he created last year. In the 2024 preseason, Casey made his NHL debut in Prague, where he scored his first career goal in just his second game.

Offense has always been a key part of his game. Speaking with the Comets before training camp, Casey said:

“I love to play offense too and help out whenever I can. I love to play with the puck on my stick and in the offensive zone with my teammates. Things went well on the offensive side last year and I’m looking to keep that up, but you have to be a complete player around all sides of the puck.”

Casey opened camp strong but is currently dealing with a minor injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe provided an update Monday:

“He tweaked something in that practice Saturday. He’s doing a lot better. I just felt giving him a couple more days would be the smart thing to do. I would expect to see him Friday if he continues on the path that he is here now.”

Despite the setback, Casey’s mindset hasn’t changed. He’s determined to prove he belongs in the lineup:

“Not being one of the biggest defensemen out there, there’s always room to focus on being more physical. I never want there to be any doubts there. It’s just about being as consistent as I can be in all areas, which comes back to the help of the coaching staff and some of the older guys. Those daily habits on the ice might seem trivial, but you have to be able to do the little things right.”

Casey won’t dress for tonight’s game, but Keefe expects him back Friday. When he returns, he’ll have another chance to show the organization why he deserves a full-time spot on the Devils’ roster.

Posted on

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Will We See A Major Improvement In Play From New First-Line Winger Benson?

Zach Benson (Bob Frid, USA TODAY Images)

We’ve nearly made it to the start of the NHL’s 2025-26 regular season, and here on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’ve worked our way through our player-by-player series in which we analyze expectations for each Buffalo player this coming year.

We’ve moved through Buffalo’s players at all positions. And in this file, we’re wrapping up the series with an examination of winger Zach Benson. The 20-year-old has been consistent in his first two NHL seasons, but as we’ll explore below, more is going to be asked of him in ‘25-26.

That said, let’s move on to our breakdown of Benson and what’s fair to expect from him this year:

Player Name: Zach Benson

Position: Left Wing

Age: 20

2024-25 Key Statistics: 75 games, 10 goals, 28 points, 14:49 average time on ice

2025-26 Salary:$950,000

2025-26 Expectations: If there’s one thing you can’t fault Benson for, it’s consistency. In his first year in the NHL, Benson played 71 games and generated 11 goals and 30 points while averaging 14:31 of ice time; in his second year, Benson slightly regressed, putting up 10 goals and 28 points while averaging 14:49 of ice time. 

To be sure, those aren’t horrible numbers for a secondary scorer on the fourth line. But Benson is currently slotted in as Buffalo’s first-line left winger. And that means expectations on Benson this season are going to rise significantly.

Earning slightly less than $1-million per-season, Benson could prove to be a great bargain, even if he fails to live up to the standard associated with being selected 13th-overall by the Sabres in 2023. He’s entering a contract season, but Benson showed enough last season to be given a bigger opportunity by coach Lindy Ruff. And Benson’s doggedness on the puck could be just what projected top-liners Tage Thompson and Josh Norris need to thrive and generate sufficient offense to win games.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Newcomer D-Man Jones Has Opportunity To Estalish Himself As Everyday NHLerSabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Newcomer D-Man Jones Has Opportunity To Estalish Himself As Everyday NHLerThe NHL’s 2025-26 regular season is nearly here, and here on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re approaching the end of our player-by-player series in which we break down expectations for each Sabres player this coming season.

Benson had to make a huge jump from the Western League to the NHL in 2023, but he stuck the landing because of his hockey instincts and determination. Now comes the harder part for him – establishing himself as a top-six forward and one who deserves a major raise when he becomes an RFA next summer. 

Benson will be playing with above-average talent in center Norris and right-winger Tage Thompson to start the season, and he needs to respond with an above-average performance. Buffalo has a slew of young wingers they could turn to as an alternative to Benson if he doesn’t do well out of the gate, so Benson’s opportunities could fall off a cliff if he doesn’t produce.

Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Will Fourth-Liner Kozak Assert Himself As A Full-Time NHLer?Sabres 2025-26 Player Expectations: Will Fourth-Liner Kozak Assert Himself As A Full-Time NHLer?The NHL’s 2025-26 regular season is just about here, and on THN.com’s Buffalo Sabres site, we’re almost done with our player-by-player series in which we analyze expectations for each Buffalo player this coming season.

Benson is now in his third NHL season, and although he still isn’t old enough to drink in many NHL areas, the pressure on him is going to be intense. The Sabres clearly have to see something promising in him as a developing young player that should get first-line time. But the catch is that promise has to be realized.

Otherwise, Benson is going to be the latest in a long list of players who couldn’t make it work in Buffalo.

Posted on

Red Sox get helpful result in AL Wild Card race after Guardians beat Tigers

Red Sox get helpful result in AL Wild Card race after Guardians beat Tigers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox are another step closer.

Boston opened its three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-1 victory at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night. The Red Sox currently hold a one-game lead for the second American League Wild Card spot, and are another win closer to their postseason goal.

Alex Cora and company received help elsewhere, too.

The Cleveland Guardians earned a 5-2 victory against the Detroit Tigers in their series opener at Progressive Field. Cleveland now sits atop the American League Central after having won 11 of its last 12 games.

Detroit, meanwhile, is a half game up on the Houston Astros for the third AL Wild Card spot.

Boston should benefit from Detroit’s slide of seven straight losses. The Red Sox host the Tigers in a three-game series this weekend and thus have the opportunity to gain further ground in the standings.

The Red Sox remain four games back of the New York Yankees, who earned a 3-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox and thus kept a stranglehold atop the AL Wild Card standings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora managed Tuesday’s game like a postseason matchup.

With starting pitcher Lucas Giolito sitting at 98 pitches and allowing a two-out walk to Alejandro Kirk, Cora pulled the right-hander with two outs in the fifth inning. He went to the bullpen, and the group stepped up.

Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman combined for the final 4.1 innings and did not allow a single hit in relief.

The Red Sox will face the Blue Jays in the middle game of the three-game set on Wednesday night.

Posted on

What we learned as Giants eliminated from playoff race with loss to Cardinals

What we learned as Giants eliminated from playoff race with loss to Cardinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The end was all too familiar for the 2025 Giants. 

Their bullpen, torn apart by trades and injuries, fell apart in the late innings at Oracle Park. The lineup, so inconsistent all year, failed to bring in a runner from scoring position in the bottom of the ninth. 

With their 9-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, the Giants officially were eliminated from the MLB playoff race. They will miss the postseason for the eighth time in nine years, and this is one of their worst collapses yet. They were 11 games over .500 when they acquired Rafael Devers in June, but they’ll need to win out just to finish at 81-81. 

The elimination number was two entering the day, and that got cut in half when the New York Mets staged a big comeback at Wrigley Field. The Giants needed a win to stay alive, and for a while it seemed they would get it. 

Logan Webb got off to a nightmare start, allowing five hits and three runs in the top of the first. It would have been worse, but longtime Giants-killer Nolan Arenado bounced into a double play after the night started with three consecutive hits. 

Webb settled in from there and the Giants gave him the lead with a five-run outburst in the third. With the bases loaded and no outs, Heliot Ramos hit a chopper to third. Arenado went home but his throw hit Patrick Bailey, who had veered pretty far onto the grass, and bounced toward the dugout. That brought the first two runs across. 

The Cardinals scored four runs in the seventh to get within a run, but Joel Peguero survived two deep fly balls in the eighth. In the ninth, things quickly unraveled. 

Ryan Walker gave up a leadoff single to the No. 9 hitter and then a game-tying double. After a groundout, Alec Burleson lined a go-ahead single to right, handing Walker his seventh blown save. 

After a one-out double by Willy Adames in the bottom of the ninth, Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores struck out. 

Mr. 200

In the top of the fifth, Webb clinched his third consecutive 200-inning season. He already reached 200 strikeouts for the first time, and he has a pretty good chance to lead the National League in both categories.

Webb currently leads the majors at 201 2/3 innings, which is 4 1/3 ahead of Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet and 5 1/3 ahead of Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Christopher Sanchez. Crochet will pitch Wednesday and Sanchez is on track to pitch again Sunday, but both players could be lining themselves up for playoff series by the weekend. If Webb finishes ahead of them, it’ll be his second time leading the majors and third straight year leading the NL. 

Webb struck out five on Tuesday, getting to 216 on the season. He currently is seven ahead of Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes, who will make his final start of the year on Wednesday. If Webb leads the league in both, he’ll become the first to do it in the NL since Zack Wheeler in 2021.

Webb already has become the first Giant to reach 200 innings and 200 strikeouts since Madison Bumgarner in 2019. Bumgarner also is the last Giant to throw 200 innings in at least three straight seasons; he went six straight from 2011 to 2016. 

Bailey Bounceback

Aside from his slick baserunning, Bailey had a single, double, two runs and an RBI. The night continued what has been a strong finishing push for a player who seemed to run out of gas the past two seasons. 

Bailey entered the night with a .295 average and four homers in September, and he’s among the NL leaders with 16 RBI this month. His OPS for the season is up to .609, which isn’t what he hoped for in his third big league season, but is much easier to swallow than the numbers he was putting up most of the summer. 

20 Club

The eighth unanswered run left the yard in a hurry. Heliot Ramos hit one out to left at 110.5 mph, giving him 20 on the season. The Giants now have four 20-homer hitters in their lineup, with Ramos joining Devers, Adames and Chapman. 

Ramos has reached 20 in back-to-back years, but because he has played exclusively left field this season, he ended a long drought. He became the first Giants left fielder to reach 20 homers since Barry Bonds in 2007. 

The Giants have started a different player in left field every year since, although Ramos should end that next season. Another streak might keep going, though; Adames has been stuck on 28 homers since Sept. 9. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast