Another year, another battle between Arber Xhekaj and Jayden
Struble for a role on the Montreal Canadiens' third pairing. Both blueliners saw a lot of action
last year thanks to injuries suffered by other members of the defense corps.
Stuble skated in 56 games (just like the previous year) and Xhekaj took part in
70 games (more than he had ever played in a season); the former finished the
regular season in the lineup, while the latter reintegrated the lineup for the
playoffs.
They’re not particularly young anymore. Struble is about to
turn 25, Xhekaj will in January, and they’ve both matured a lot playing-wise. It’s
been clear since before the start of camp that Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike
Matheson, Noah Dobson, and Alex Carrier all have their chair reserved, which
leaves just one spot for the other two.
Stuble hasn’t had a bad training camp, but Xhekaj turned up
at camp in much better shape. He’s still as heavy as he was, but the baby fat
is gone, and it’s now all muscle. It shows on the ice that he skates faster,
and his mobility has improved.
Much like Juraj Slafkovsky knows he needs to play a good
physical game to be effective, Xhekaj knows that he needs to pick his moments
on the ice. He needs to play the game that’s in front of him, despite the
constant temptation of chasing that one big hit or of dropping the gloves. What
the Canadiens have on their hands right now is a leaner and wiser Xhekaj. He
doesn’t need to be meaner; he has always been mean enough.
Since the start of camp, Xhekaj is the one who has taken the
spotlight, be it because of that one game in which both he and his brother
played and scored, or because of the hard hits he’s able to land. On Saturday
night in Toronto, he was playing alongside Carrier once again, as he has since
the start of camp, whether in preseason games or scrimmages. Furthermore,
Xhekaj also had an A on his jersey.
At a time when Martin St-Louis says his team needs some grit
and sandpaper, Xhekaj is the logical choice. The Canadiens need to commit to Xhekaj
because if they don’t and he lands somewhere else, he will hurt them. Perhaps
not on the scoreboard, but physically. The Canadiens have long sought toughness
in their lineup, and now that they have it, they shouldn’t be afraid of it.
Despite going down to 10 men, Massimiliano Allegri’s side held on and went top of Serie A
The league billed Milan v Napoli as a showdown between two “Masters of Midfield”, Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne, defining talents of a world football generation who each chose Serie A this summer. Players who have won a combined 58 trophies in their careers, including Champions League, La Liga and Premier League triumphs.
Past their prime? Certainly. But over the hill? Hardly. Modric, at 40 years old, had started Milan’s first four league games, taking more touches (329) and creating more shooting opportunities (19, per fbref.com) than any teammate. De Bruyne, at 34, was the only Napoli player with more than one goal so far this season, having struck in wins over Sassuolo and Fiorentina.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 14 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #14.
Let's take a look.
Ray Whitney - 2001-2003 - Drafted by San Jose in 1991.
Whitney played 151 games as a Jacket and was the Captain for one. During the one year he was the Captain, he scored 24 goals and totaled 76 points, which set a CBJ record. Ray Whitney is the best player to have worn #14 for the Blue Jackets.
When Ray Whitney was traded to the Blue Jackets, the 28-year-old had already played 528 games in the NHL spanning 10 seasons. But he had never played a full 82-game season; he only averaged 53 games a year. So, when the CBJ traded for him in 2001, fans were as excited as ever for the fledgling franchise. They were getting a goal-scorer and a relatively young playmaker.
After his time with Columbus, he went on to play for another 10 years and a total of 1,330 games. He played a total of 22 seasons in the NHL and had over 1,000 points. He would retire in 2015.
In a game at Nationwide Arena in November of 2001 against the St. Louis Blues, Whitney would score this goal, which is still a legendary goal in CBJ history. The radio call from play-by-play icon George Matthews, with his partner Bill Davidge, still gives me chills.
Greg Mauldin - 2004 - Drafted by Columbus in 2002.
Played 6 games for Columbus and had no points. He went on to play 30 more NHL games after leaving Columbus.
Mauldin left for Europe in 2012, where he played in Switzerland, Russia, Germany, and Norway. He played until 2024 before retiring.
Raffi Torres - 2009-2010 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2000.
Torres played 111 games for the Jackets and had 51 points. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on March 3, 2010.
Torres retired on November 5, 2016.
Grant Clitsome - 2011-2012 - Drafted by Columbus in 2004.
He played 93 games for Columbus and had 36 points before being put on waivers on February 26, 2012.
On June 1, 2016, Clitsome retired after suffering a serious shoulder injury.
Blake Comeau - 2013-2014 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004.
Comeau played 79 games and had 21 points for the CBJ. In the summer of 2014, he left in free agency to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He would go on to play 909 games in the NHL and retired during the 21-22 season.
Dean Kukan - 2015-2022 - Kukan is undrafted out of Volketswil, Switzerland.
Dean Kukan made his NHL debut in March of 2016 after playing the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. After playing in 8 games near the end of the season, he was sent back to Lake Erie and would help the Monsters win their first-ever Calder Cup. He had 5 points in 17 playoff games.
Kukan would bounce up and down between Columbus and Cleveland until 2022. He would play a total of 153 games for the CBJ and total 30 points. Where he excelled was in the minors, though. He played in 142 games for Lake Erie/Cleveland and totaled 59 points as a fairly skilled two-way defenseman.
After the 2022 season, Kukan made the decision to return to Europe. He returned to his home country of Switzerland to play for his original club, the ZSC Lions, on a five-year contract.
Kukan is also routinely chosen to represent the Swiss in international competitions. He played in the 2025 IIHF Worlds where he scored 9 points in 10 games.
Gustav Nyquist - 2020-2023 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004.
Nyquist played 200 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Minnesota Wild in 2023. During his time in Columbus, which included a missed season due to injury, he scored 43 goals and had 117 points.
After being traded to the Wild, he would leave that summer and sign with the Nashville Predators in 2023 on a two-year deal. On 1 March 2025, he was traded back to the Wild to finish the season. On 2 July 2025, Nyquist signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Gus Nyquist and his family still live in the Columbus area.
Joseph LaBate - 2025 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2011.
LaBate played a total of six games for the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season. He originally signed a PTO with the Cleveland Monsters, but in November, the CBJ signed him to a one-year deal, which allowed him to play for Columbus.
LaBate signed a one-year deal with Vancouver this past offseason.
There are 14 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena.
The pre-season schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET
* Games in bold are home games *
After that, the Blue Jackets will open the regular season on the road against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Let us know what you think below.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
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The Buffalo Sabres made a significant roster reduction after their fourth exhibition game on Saturday, sending a total of 24 players to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, including 2021 first-rounder Isak Rosen, 2024 first-rounder Konsta Helenius, and goaltender Devon Levi. On Sunday, the club continued to diminish their roster, placing center Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Zachary Jones on waivers for the purpose of sending them down to the American Hockey League.
Leschyshyn was a 2017 draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights and spent five seasons in the organization until he was claimed off of waivers by the NY Rangers in January, 2023. The 26-year-old center was spent the majority of his two-and-a-half seasons in the Rangers organization with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and in the summer he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Sabres.
Jones, 24, was a third-round pick of the Rangers in 2019 who played two seasons with UMass Amherst before turning pro in 2021. The blueliner saw spot duty with New York over five seasons, compiling 28 points (4 goals, 24 assists) in 115 games, and did not receive a qualifying offer from the Rangers in June. The Sabres signed Jones to a one-year, two-way deal for $900,000 on the opening day of free agency.
The Sabres will be down to 30 players and will need to get down to 23 players before the start of the regular season on October 9. Currently on the roster are three goalies (Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Alexandar Georgiev), 2019 first-rounder Ryan Johnson, 2022 first-rounder Noah Ostlund, and 2025 top pick Radim Mrtka. Luukkonen is expected to play at least one of the final two preseason games against Pittsburgh, which will go a long way in determining whether the club will carry two or three goalies going into the season.
Briton loses 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-0 to American world No 7
Defeat echoes loss against Krejcikova in Seoul
For the better part of two hours on court at the China Open against one of the toughest possible opponents, Emma Raducanu’s varied, steadily improving game was in full flow. She seemed to be moving confidently towards one of the most impressive wins of her career.
When it was time to close out victory against the world No 7 Jessica Pegula, however, Raducanu simply crumbled under pressure. After her positive start, Raducanu’s time in Beijing ended in a catastrophic loss as she failed to convert three match points before losing 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-0 to Pegula in the third round.
‘The nicest man in cricket’ closes 15-year England career
Dislocated shoulder ruled him out of winter Ashes tour
Chris Woakes has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing to a close a near 15-year England career that delivered two World Cup wins and an abundance of memories in the Test arena.
The 36-year-old had been eyeing a spot on this winter’s Ashes tour as the senior pro among England’s fast bowlers, only for the dislocated shoulder suffered during the fifth Test against India this summer to rule him out.
From Shane Lowry’s victory jig to the emergence of a new US star, our team’s picks from an electrifying weekend
Player of the tournament Viktor Hovland. Well, that was a significant half-point on day three … No, seriously, the award belongs to Tommy Fleetwood. Singles defeat should not mask his overall performance. Surely a major winner in waiting.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, and forward LeBron James will try to continue building chemistry with a revamped roster starting Tuesday when training camp opens. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
After shocking the NBA by trading for Luka Doncic, Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka compared piecing together a roster midseason to "trying to build an airplane in the sky.”
Retooled and locked in from what Pelinka called an “intentional and productive offseason,” the Lakers officially begin training camp Tuesday in El Segundo as Doncic starts his first full season in L.A.
With the team set for media day Monday, here are five questions entering the preseason:
Will this be the end of LeBron James’ Lakers era?
Lakers star LeBron James stands on the court before facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs on April 27. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Luka era has arrived. But does that mean the LeBron era has to end?
For the first time in his storied career, James is playing in the final year of a contract. He exercised a $52.6-million player option in June to pave the way for a record-setting 23rd NBA season.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is 50 games away from Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record for most regular-season games played. He already achieved his previously stated goal of playing with his son Bronny.
More championships are all James has left to chase in his career. While the Lakers attempt to launch the 26-year-old Doncic’s reign, James’ title aspirations still remain at the forefront for the franchise.
“We’ve been very intentional this summer in terms of the pieces we add with Luka and LeBron, once LeBron opted in,” Pelinka said last Thursday at a news conference alongside head coach JJ Redick, “making sure that they had the necessary pieces around them to be on a really competitive, strong team.”
But when it comes to James’ future, Pelinka left it up to the 21-time All-Star, saying James has “absolute respect to choose his story” regarding how much longer he wants to play. But the team's general manager knows how he wants the tale to end.
“We would love if LeBron’s story would be [that] he retired a Laker,” Pelinka said. “That would be a positive story.”
How will James and Doncic coexist in their first full season together?
Lakers stars LeBron James, left, and Luka Doncic talk during a game against Utah on Feb. 10. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
The Lakers underwent a significant makeover after Doncic debuted in February.
The team ranked eighth in the NBA with 40.4 three-point attempts per game in the regular season with Doncic compared to 33.8 before, which ranked 27th. James’ offensive rating ticked up from 111.8 to 114.4.
After rushing to create cohesion at midseason, Doncic, whose Lakers debut was slowed by a lingering calf injury, said in August he looked forward to getting a whole preseason to build chemistry with his teammates. Doncic was second in the league in usage rate among players who appeared in more than seven games after Feb. 10. Redick said Doncic and guard Austin Reaves, coming off a career season, will be the team’s primary ballhandlers while James remains a focal point of the offense.
“I think the word I would use would be ‘share,’” Redick said of how he envisions the three stars working together. “I think in a team sport, you have no choice but to share: share the basketball, share the spotlight, I think all those three guys have a ton of respect for each other’s skill sets, for each other’s abilities.”
What will Austin Reaves show entering a critical contract decision?
Austin Reaves, right, celebrates with teammate Dorian Finney-Smith during a playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 27. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Austin Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, all career highs, while shooting 37.7% from three-point range. But his playoff struggles left a sour impression entering the offseason. Reaves shot 31.9% from three in the first-round series against Minnesota, attempted just 1.4 free throws per game and was a constant target for the Minnesota offense.
The 27-year-old has a player option worth $14.9 million next year but will likely test free agency after vastly outperforming his initial four-year, $53.8-million contract awarded when he was an undrafted free agent. With pressure to perform as a third star behind Doncic and James, Reaves is already impressing Lakers staff this offseason.
“Every day in the gym, he’s been the best player in the gym,” Redick said. “This goes back to last May, all summer, his body is really good right now. He’s really strong. His burst, his athleticism, it’s evident that he’s spent a lot of time working on his body this summer.”
Is Deandre Ayton the answer to the Lakers’ center woes?
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton, left, tries to drive past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic during a game on Feb. 10. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
Deandre Ayton's 7-foot frame isn't the only reason why he might be the Lakers' biggest offseason acquisition.
Pairing Doncic with a lob-catching center was one of Pelinka's major offseason objectives after the lack of a reliable big man became so pressing that Redick resorted to playing the same small-ball, five-man lineup for the entire second half in Game 4 against Minnesota. Ayton is coming off two forgettable seasons in Portland, where the former No. 1 overall pick averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Since he was traded by the Phoenix Suns, Ayton has been the target of criticism for inconsistent effort and a low motor.
Yet the Lakers believe they can unlock the 27-year-old’s talent. Ayton, Redick emphasized, was once Chris Paul’s pick-and-roll partner in Phoenix. No one is more detail-oriented than the now-Clippers guard. So playing alongside Doncic should come easily.
“His feel for two-man action is just super high,” Redick said of Ayton, “and really excited to see him play with Luka.”
Center Jaxson Hayes, who fell out of the rotation during the playoffs, figures to come off the bench after re-signing with the team on a one-year deal. After recovering from foot surgery, forward Maxi Kleber played only five minutes in a desperate postseason loss after joining the Lakers in the blockbuster trade with Doncic, but could add a valuable floor-spacing dimension if healthy.
Marcus Smart controls the ball during a game between the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks in February. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Redick knows personally what Marcus Smart can deliver. The coach recalled the forehead full of stitches he once received courtesy of the former NBA defensive player of the year.
“Toughness,” Redick said of what Smart will bring to the team. “I already told him this: We need his voice as part of communication. His competitive spirit.”
The Lakers ranked 17th in defensive rating last season, giving up 113.8 points per 100 possessions. The 31-year-old Smart, who signed with the Lakers after the Washington Wizards bought out his contract, still grades in the 80th percentile of every defensive metric, Redick said.
Doncic’s defensive improvement at EuroBasket drew raves from Redick, but the star guard will remain far from a defensive anchor. With Reaves and James, who will turn 41 in December, and Ayton, Smart’s defensive prowess and career 32.4% three-point shooting could be vital to solidifying the potential starting lineup.
Redick named his starting lineup before training camp last season but, in a step of growth for the second-year head coach, declined to disclose his plans this year. He learned what often happens to the best-laid plans.
Last year’s intended leading group of James, Reaves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell started only seven games together.
For one, Bradly Nadeau continues to impress this preseason, and this time, he was demonstrating his bread and butter: goal scoring.
Playing on a line with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, Nadeau didn't look out of place.
He scored a power play goal in the second period, first denting the crossbar with a rocket seconds earlier, then depositing the puck into a yawning cage after Blake froze Justus Annuen from the slot.
Then late in the third period, Nadeau worked his way to the middle of the ice and beat Annunen clean off of a behind-the-net feed from Stankoven.
"We played him with the top guys tonight and it should look like that, when you think about it," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "You could tell, the NHL guys, they were at another level. It should look like that, but putting him in that mix, he didn't look out of place there, for sure."
But Nadeau's value is going beyond the score sheet. He's up on the forecheck, he's backchecking, he isn't afraid to get physical. It's all these little things that will make him a better player and give him a better shot at making the roster.
"I came in here and I only wanted to work hard and play my game," Nadeau said. "I think I've done that so far. You can always show how you can play and keep doing the right things, but those small details are huge and you can never have a perfect game. It's about building on that and trying to get those small details right every time."
Nadeau's linemates too were tremendous as Blake and Stankoven easily looked like the best players on the ice. Both guys were all over the offensive zone and were moving the puck at will and with ease.
The two combined for seven shots on goal and set up each of Nadeau's scores.
For Stankoven, it's yet again another promising performance at center.
In two games, Stankoven has won 19 out of 31 draws (61.29%), has outchanced opponents 26-9 (74.29 CF%) at 5v5 and has a goal and primary assist.
"He might have been the best player, for sure, in both games that he's played," Brind'Amour said. "So that's good. Again, at that level, he should dominate. So we'll see when we get closer here when we get down to one more game and what the lineups are like. We'll make a judgement then.
Felix Unger Sorum also had a goal, capping off a 2-on-1 rush with Eric Robinson. He's had a much better camp and preseason this year as opposed to last and he looks much more comfortable too back at his natural position on the wing.
He's such a creative player with the puck on his stick, able to slow down the game and find those lanes. I love the way that he's able to protect the puck and get off of walls as well.
I don't know if he's done enough yet to make the roster at any point this year, but I think he's certainly getting closer and closer. That level of hockey IQ is just something that is so hard to find, in my opinion.
Charles Alexis Legault scored the final goal for Carolina, beating Annunen clean after activating from the blueline.
He looks the role of a steady NHL defender and I wouldn't mind seeing him get a shot at some point if injuries pop up.
It's hard enough for a promising prospect to make the Canes' current roster, so it's almost a zero percent chance that one of the PTO players will earn a contract in Raleigh.
But those guys are certainly putting their best foot forward regardless.
"That's what you would expect," Brind'Amour said. "These guys come in without security and they're trying to prove themselves and they've all done a nice job."
Kevin Labanc, who earned a contract with Columbus after signing a PTO with New Jersey last year, has been given ample opportunity and he's making the most of it.
"It's a showcase," Labanc said. "You're out there giving it your all and proving that you can play the game and proving you can play the system."
He's played in all four preseason games so far for Carolina and after recording an assist in each of the first three, he got into a fight in this one against Nashville.
Labanc was none too happy to see Oasiz Weisblatt take a run at Tyson Jost and the veteran immediately threw off the gloves and came to his teammates defense.
"I just saw someone take a liberty with one of our guys and so I stuck up for him," Labanc said.
Another solid performance from Cayden Primeau.
The newly acquired netminder stopped 18 shots in his second preseason appearance and looks to be a steady presence so far in net for Carolina.
The Hurricanes know that they're more than likely going to need him at some point, so it's good that he's looking good early.
"There's a good chance that we're going to need him at some point just based on history," Brind'Amour said. "Hopefully we don't have what we had last year, but it's very, very important in today's game — the way goalies... the wear and tear on them — to have that guy you can count on. Only two starts, but they've both been solid."
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Once known for their stability on the top step of the dugout, the Giants now will embark on a search for a new manager for the second time in 25 months.
Manager Bob Melvin was let go on Monday morning, ending his run with his hometown organization after two mediocre seasons. The decision came about three months after president of baseball operations Buster Posey picked up Melvin’s option for the 2026 MLB season, a move that was popular in the clubhouse but did nothing to jolt a slumping team.
“After careful evaluation, we determined that making a change in leadership was in the best interest of the team,” Posey said in a statement. “The last couple of months have been both disappointing and frustrating for all of us, and we did not perform up to our standards. We now turn our focus to identifying a new leader to guide us forward.”
After Posey’s decision in July, the Giants went into yet another second-half collapse. They lost six straight ahead of the MLB trade deadline, pushing Posey to sell. At one point, the Giants lost 15 of 16 games at Oracle Park, a historically-bad run that cut into the attendance and enthusiasm gains they had seen in the first half.
That stretch brought up new questions about Melvin’s job security, but the Giants briefly righted the ship in late August and early September, only to once again fall apart after moving into a tie for the final postseason spot. They were eliminated on Tuesday night and finished 81-81 after going 80-82 in Melvin’s first season.
For the 63-year-old, this could be the end of the road. A Palo Alto native who played for the Giants in the 1980s, Melvin viewed this as a dream job. He had hoped this would be his final big league stop, although that might change given the way it ended. Melvin previously managed in Seattle, Oakland, Arizona and San Diego.
The Giants brought Melvin up the coast after firing Gabe Kapler at the end of the 2023 season. In just about every way, Melvin stood as the opposite of Kapler, and his hire generally was met with solid reviews.
In two years, he has had the backing of his players, particularly Matt Chapman, who played for Melvin in Oakland and has said he is a major reason why he signed a long-term deal with the Giants. Players who spoke about Melvin this past week said they hoped to see him back in 2026, noting he wasn’t the reason the season fell apart. Posey himself said the same three months ago.
On July 1, after losing six of seven, Posey picked up Melvin’s option for next season. He said that day that he had spent months watching the manager and did not make the decision hastily. Posey said the team’s failures were on his shoulders, as well as a talented roster that was underperforming.
“From my perspective, and also my perspective as a player, sometimes when you’re going through a rough patch there’s a tendency to want to point the finger at coaches, and ultimately I believe we have great players, and I still believe in that group of players, but it boils down to them needing to play better baseball,” Posey said back then. “If anybody deserves any blame from the top it should be on me, it shouldn’t be on the manager or coaching staff. I’m the one who sets the roster. I felt like, with all those things considered, this was a good time for me to show my belief in Bob and this coaching staff.”
Chapman and Logan Webb were among the players who said that day that they agreed with the decision, but the Giants continued their freefall. They were 11 games over .500 when Posey traded for Rafael Devers and five over when he said Melvin would be back in 2026, but ended up missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.
Heading into his second offseason in charge of baseball operations, Posey now will lead a managerial search, and he has to get it right. The Giants have a roster of highly-compensated players in their prime, and everyone involved is sick of finishing around .500.
There are sure to be Bruce Bochy rumors, although that seems an unlikely path for many reasons, most notably the fact that Bochy currently is managing elsewhere and might be headed back to retirement. This is a chance for Posey to pick a long-term leader for the clubhouse and partner for the front office. It might be the most important decision he makes as president of baseball operations, but it’s also one he never imagined having to think about in October 2025.
That’s how we’ll always remember Al Horford’s time in Boston. Nine years ago, that was how he declared his intention to join the Celtics on social media. It was both a celebration and a promise. For the first real time in team history, a big-time free agent was choosing to come to Boston and, with him came true hope of raising the franchise’s next banner.
It took almost another decade — and two different stints in green — but Horford delivered on that promise. He nurtured a young team, twice delivered them to the championship stage, and finally secured that elusive Banner 18 in 2024. He helped restored Celtics Pride while ensuring the team was a title threat in nearly every season he wore green.
It’s fair to wonder if Boston’s superstar tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would have had the early success they enjoyed without Horford in Boston, or whether they would have gotten over the final hump without his return. Horford’s stat lines have never jumped off the page, but he was a rock-steady presence whose thirst for a title inspired everyone around him to give everything they had on the court.
Players routinely named Horford their favorite teammate. In the aftermath of falling short in title quests before 2024, coach Joe Mazzulla often noted that his biggest regret was not being able to help Horford complete his own elusive title goal.
But they got there, eventually. There’s a series of photos that show Tatum’s hands wrapped around Horford’s shoulders as he exults on the podium while the Celtics are being presented with the Larry O’Brien trophy. Brown is smiling widely next to them. Boston had accomplished its elusive goal.
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Jayson Tatum often has called Al Horford the best teammate he’s ever had.
When Horford first arrived in Boston, there was a different core he expected to guide forward. It was Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, and Kelly Olynyk who had steered Boston back on track to being a contender. Horford marveled at the energy inside TD Garden as Boston took two games off his Hawks in Round 1 of the 2016 playoffs.
Less than three months later, he agreed to come to Boston. Celtics brass were boarding a private plane on the tarmac in the Hamptons, having just pitched Kevin Durant on the possibility of also being in Boston too, when word arrived that Horford was joining the Celtics.
A celebration erupted. The Celtics’ title hopes had been given a major jolt with Horford’s arrival. Six trips to the conference finals followed over the next eight seasons. There were heartbreak and frustration along the way, enough that Horford departed for the rival Sixers after a maddening 2018-19 season. But his return for the 2021-22 season reignited Boston’s title hunt.
Even at his advanced NBA age, the Celtics worked diligently to keep Horford healthy, knowing how vital he was to their title hopes. They sat him on the second night of back-to-backs and limited his overall wear and tear. They were rewarded as he routinely thrived on the biggest stages.
The image of Horford flexing after steamrolling Giannis Antetokounmpo on the way to the basket during the 2022 run was a signature moment in Boston’s march to the Finals that year.
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 10, 2022
Invariably, because this is Boston, where an astounding number of jersey numbers mingle amidst the 18 title banners, the question will be asked whether Horford’s No. 42 deserves to hang among the Celtics’ other legends.
Getting up there with only one title is a tough chore, but not impossible. Horford didn’t change the culture the way Kevin Garnett did in joining a team that had been tanking hard a year before. Horford also didn’t have the longevity of a player like Paul Pierce.
But the Celtics did a whole bunch of winning with Horford, who sits 10th all time with 72 playoff wins in a Boston uniform. The only players ahead of him: John Havlicek (108), Bill Russell (107), Robert Parish (100), Sam Jones (100), Larry Bird (99), Kevin McHale (98), Don Nelson (81), Satch Sanders (81), and Brown (80). Horford is tied with both Jayson Tatum (at least for now) and Pierce in playoff victories.
Horford’s career averages in Boston don’t leap off the page: 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over 465 career games in seven seasons with the Celtics. Those numbers perked up a bit (11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game) over 119 playoff games, including 113 playoff starts.
But Horford taught the Jays how to be professionals, and instilled in them that winning is all that matters. He accepted any role the team desired, including shuffling to a reserve role after the team acquired Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday during the summer of 2023. That selflessness was a huge part of Boston’s march to Banner 18.
Maybe that’s not enough to get No. 42 to the rafters. But the people who were here during Horford’s tenure know how vital he was, and there will be supporters to get 42 up there.
Even in the immediate aftermath of his departure in 2019, the long-term outlook was bleak. Kemba Walker brought a bunch of joy, but his knee betrayed him. Brad Stevens’ very first deal as president of basketball operations was to bring back Horford and get off Walker’s remaining money, and it fueled the team’s return to title contention.
It’s hard not to wonder if Horford’s time here might have extended another season (or two) if Tatum never tore his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs. The Celtics couldn’t quite commit to the money necessary to keep Horford around without being a surefire contender while Tatum rehabbed.
It won’t be the same not having the Horfords at TD Garden. Over the last two seasons, Horford’s young son, Ean, was a staple near the Boston bench. Horford’s wife, Amelia, and other children were routinely courtside.
The Celtics can’t possibly replace the intangibles that Horford brought. It places even more responsibility on Brown and Tatum to be the leaders of this team.
But Horford’s mark will sit above TD Garden in perpetuity: the team’s 18th banner delivered in the aftermath of Horford’s 18 shamrocks.
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports