Two second-year head coaches look to make a statement in primetime on NBC and Peacock.
Canadiens: David Reinbacher Is Healthy and Focused
Earlier this week, sports cards manufacturer Upper Deck and the NHLPA held their annual rookie showcase, and 2023 fifth overall pick David Reinbacher represented the Montreal Canadiens. Since being selected by the Habs, the 20-year-old’s path to the NHL has been challenging and plagued by injuries.
Last season, as he was getting ready to spend his first full season in North America, he sustained a serious knee injury in a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and just like that, he was ruled out for five months.
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It wasn’t a wasted season for the youngster, far from it. The Canadiens have become masters of keeping their players involved when injured, a testament to the significant number of injuries sustained by key players over recent years. The blueliner was involved in team meetings, video sessions, and spent valuable time learning to be a professional hockey player on this side of the pond.
At the showcase, when he was asked about his short-term future, the youngster showed maturity beyond his years:
It’s a long-term plan. The team management knows what it’s doing. I focus on myself and my own performance on the ice daily. I try to do what’s best to influence their decision. Of course, my objective is to make the roster now, but we’ll see what happens.- Reinbacher on his future.
David Savard’s retirement created a big hole on the right side of the Canadiens’ blueline, but the team wasted no time in acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, not just filling that hole, but getting an upgrade. That, and the team’s acquisition of Alex Carrier from the Nashville Predators, shows the organization wants to take its time bringing the young defenseman along.
They attempted to take a shortcut with Justin Barron after acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Still, they ultimately had to end the experiment to gain more experience and stability on the blueline, electing to send him to Nashville.
Right now, it looks like the Canadiens already have their seven defensemen for the upcoming season with Carrier, Dobson, Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Jayden Struble. Still, the soon-to-be 21-year-old is not seeing that as an issue; he’s just planning on turning up to camp and playing his best. He adds:
I’m just happy to be able to play. We’ll see, I’m keeping a day-to-day approach. At the end of the camp, we’ll see where I’ll be.
While Reinbacher would like to make the lineup, he’s very lucid about the situation and willing to follow the plan the organization has for him. In other words, if he has to start the season with the Laval Rocket, you won’t see him feeling sorry for himself and taking time to get into gear. He’ll be ready to perform and give his team the best of himself, just like he did when he returned from injury for the end of the season and the playoffs.
While he had to be eased back into the competition last season and was getting some swelling in his surgically repaired knee, he’s now 100% healthy and eager to get back on the ice for the new season.
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Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State prediction: Odds, expert picks, team overviews, key players, and stats
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Kawhi Leonard Investigation: Key Legal and Business Considerations
The NBA is investigating whether the Los Angeles Clippers circumvented the salary cap by having Kawhi Leonard sign an endorsement deal with sustainability services company Aspiration, and there are intriguing legal and business considerations.
The controversy surfaced in a report on Wednesday by journalist and podcaster Pable Torre of Pablo Torre Finds Out.
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Leonard signed a three-year, $103 million deal with the Clippers as a free agent in 2019. Two years later he exercised an opt-out option and signed a four-year, $176.3 million maximum contract—which could become an important point in the legal analysis—to stay with Los Angeles. That same year the Clippers and Aspiration signed deals that contemplated a $300 million partnership for Aspiration to sponsor the Clippers’ arena and the team’s jersey patch. Ballmer was one of Aspiration’s funders, reportedly investing $50 million.
Through his limited liability company, KL2 Aspire, Leonard agreed to a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration in 2022. Torre reports that Leonard was apparently not obligated to perform actions for payment and that the endorsement deal would end if Leonard was traded.
In a statement, the Clippers refute that they tried to circumvent the cap. The team says they ended their relationship with Aspiration during the 2022-2023 season when Aspiration defaulted on obligations. According to a bankruptcy court filing dated March 31, Aspiration owes the Clippers and KL2 Aspire $30.1 million and $7 million, respectively. The list of creditors also includes the Boston Red Sox, who are listed as being owed $5 million.
Leonard’s situation bears some resemblance to a recent dynamic in college sports, when some so-called “NIL collectives” pay recruits to attend and remain at a college. That type of compensation is not reflective of NIL, which is intended to resemble an endorsement deal. An NIL and endorsement deal captures the use of an athlete’s right of publicity, a legal right that ensures compensation for use of a person’s identifying traits. Some NIL collectives’ payments are instead more akin to pay-for-play, which is prohibited by NCAA rules. The House settlement features a clearinghouse, NIL Go, that reviews NIL deals to ensure they are compliant with pay-for-play rules.
The NBA’s investigation will center on Article XIII of the CBA. This provision prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside of their employment contracts.
The basic logic of Article XIII is to promote fair play among the 30 teams and prevent teams from cheating. To that end, Article XIII forbids teams from signing side deals with players, such as paying a player to serve as a scout, business partner, endorser or some other position.
The most infamous example of an Article XIII violation is when the Minnesota Timberwolves signed free agent forward Joe Smith to a one-year, $1.8 million deal on Jan. 22, 1999, which was two days after the NBA and NBPA ended their lockout. The contract was surprising since Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, was expected to land a more lucrative deal. The 23-year-old had earned $3.2 million in the previous season when he averaged 15 points and six rebounds a game.
Eyebrows were raised once again a year later when Smith, who averaged 14 points and eight rebounds a game for the Timberwolves, signed a one-year, $2.2 million deal to stay in Minnesota. An NBA investigation discovered that Minnesota, which used the extra cap space to sign other players, had plotted with Smith and his representatives. The team agreed to later sign Smith to a long-term, lucrative deal after they acquired “Larry Bird rights,” which let a team go over the cap to keep a player. NBA commissioner David Stern denounced the scheme as undermining fair play and furnishing the Timberwolves an unfair advantage over other teams. Stern ordered the forfeiture of five first-round picks and a $3.5 million fine.
Leonard’s situation is clearly different in ways that could favor the Clippers. For one, Leonard signed a max contract—unlike with Smith and the Timberwolves, there’s no claim Leonard and the Clippers plotted a scheme where he’d be paid less in the short term in exchange for being paid more later. For another, the Leonard situation involves a separate, non-Clippers company, Aspiration, that would be the wrongful payer; with Smith, the Timberwolves were the payer.
It’s also worth considering how the language of Article 13 applies. Section 1 indicates the NBA can infer a prohibited agreement when two conditions are met: The endorsement compensation exceeds fair market value for services rendered, and the team’s compensation to the player in his NBA contract is “substantially below the fair market value” of the contract.
As to the first condition, if Leonard was paid without an expectation of performing any services, the compensation would have exceeded fair market value; Leonard being paid to do nothing would resemble pay-for-play or a “fake” NIL deal.
But if it turns out Leonard performed services, or offered to perform services, the analysis will shift since he would have fulfilled his contractual obligations. Another factor is whether Aspiration’s financial problems played a role in demanding, or not demanding, Leonard to perform services. If Aspiration was in turmoil, it might not have prioritized the use of celebrity endorsers. Whether the company had other endorsers and used them during this time would be a useful point of analysis.
As to the second condition, Leonard signed a max contract with the Clippers. The contract would not have been “substantially below” fair market value, since it paid him the most he could have earned.
Section 2 of Article 13 is also relevant. It prohibits unauthorized agreements, which includes arrangements between a player and a team or team affiliate in which the player receives compensation. If the Clippers and Aspiration agreed that Aspiration would pay Leonard a side deal to further the Clippers’ employment relationship with Leonard, Section 2 would be a problem for the Clippers. But if the evidence shows Aspiration merely wanted to pay Leonard to get his endorsement, a conspiracy theory involving Ballmer and the Clippers would take a hit.
Ballmer’s relationship with Aspiration is a relevant factor. Ballmer reportedly invested $50 million in the company. It’s unclear, however, whether he was more of a passive investor or played a meaningful role in the company’s operations, or something in between. It’s also unclear how many investors there are in addition to Ballmer and and the amount of their relative contributions.
A team’s sponsors signing endorsement deals with that team’s players is not necessarily problematic. For example, the Red Sox have a longstanding relationship with Sam Adams, a beer company that has partnered with Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman on the release of Bregman’s Beer. Also, when Michael Jordan owned the Charlotte Hornets, a number of Hornets players, including Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller, had deals with Nike’s Jordan Brand. So long as there is separation between the team and the endorsing company, it’s generally OK.
Another practical consideration is the increasing role of private equity in the NBA and, more generally, pro sports.
The NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS all allow for up to 30% of franchises to be owned by private equity; the NFL permits up to 10%. While each team has a controlling owner, that same team could have many minority owners, some of whom may have investments in companies that could sign endorsement deals with athletes. It’s a complicated fact pattern, and leagues need to be reasonable in policing player endorsement deals that are indirectly, with several degrees of separation, tied to an owner. To that point, players’ associations will remind leagues that their union members have broad rights in signing endorsement deals that can’t be curtailed absent collectively bargained changes.
The NBA’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers will rely on the league’s extensive expertise in probing controversies. Many of the league’s top officials, including commissioner Adam Silver and executives Rick Buchanan, Dan Rube and Dan Spillane, are seasoned attorneys. They have the power to require Ballmer and Clippers officials to answer questions and share relevant evidence, including emails and texts.
At the same time, the league is a private entity; it lacks subpoena powers and can’t compel testimony or cooperation from persons outside of the league. That is true of Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sandberg, who last month agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and who federal prosecutors say used his position “to deceive investors and lenders for his own benefit, causing his victims over $248 million in losses.”
Even if Sandberg cooperates and shares relevant information, his admitted misconduct will raise questions about his credibility and whether his cooperation might be intended to portray himself in a more favorable light before a judge sentences him.
Don’t expect the NBA to rush to a conclusion, either. This is a multilayered fact pattern that won’t be an investigatory slam dunk.
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Duncan Keith, Steve Larmer Elected To Blackhawks Hall Of Fame
Earlier this year, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they would introduce the Blackhawks Hall of Fame. This is an institution that will honor the most extraordinary players to don the Blackhawks sweater.
The inaugural class will have 11 players elected. The first nine are the players who have their numbers retired by the franchise. That includes Glenn Hall, Pierre Pilote, and Keith Magnuson, Chris Chelios, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito, and Marian Hossa.
The other two would be named via a fan, media, and alumni vote. On Friday, the results of that voting were revealed by the team. Duncan Keith was named from the “Modern Ballot” and Steve Larmer was named from the “Heritage Ballot”.
Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XAs voted on by you, media, and alumni, Steve Larmer and Duncan Keith are going to the Blackhawks Hall of Fame‼️👏“We are beyond proud to announce the inaugural Blackhawks Hall of Fame class will include Steve Larmer and Duncan Keith,” Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said. “The incredible participation we saw from Blackhawks fans, Alumni, and media is a testament to the lasting influence that each of these individuals have had on our storied franchise.”
Keith, Larmer, and the other 9 elected Blackhawks alumni will be honored on April 11th ahead of Chicago’s game vs the St. Louis Blues. There will be a pregame ceremony, activities, and experiences that honor their impact on the organization.
Duncan Keith is the greatest defenseman in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. Keith scored 106 goals and 540 assists for 646 points while playing a suffocating style of defense.
His regular-season stats earned him two Norris Trophies and multiple trips to the All-Star Game. In the playoffs, Keith got even better. He anchored Chicago’s blue line to three Stanley Cups. One of the three runs saw him win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. During the NHL’s centennial season, Keith was named one of the league’s 100 all-time greatest players.
“An anchor of three Stanley Cups, Duncan’s impact on the game of hockey is nothing short of astounding,” Wirtz said. “Through his elite playmaking, grit, and leadership both on and off the ice, Duncan helped shape a modern dynasty while cementing himself as one of the best to ever play.”
As for Larmer, he was a high-octane winger who played in 1006 NHL games, compiling 441 goals and 571 assists for 1012 points. His rookie season saw him score 43 goals and 47 assists for 90 points in 80 games, which was good enough for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
“One of the most prolific scorers the team has ever seen, Steve set the bar for what it means to be a Blackhawk,” Wirtz said. “From his remarkable production to his extraordinary Iron Man streak, Steve quietly laid the foundation for generations of future Blackhawks players and fans alike.”
Larmer played in the Stanley Cup Final with the Blackhawks in 1992, but they were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Larmer, after 13 years with the Chicago Blackhawks, did play for the New York Rangers for two years. In the first of those two years, he finally got his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.
Although he has a worthy resume, Larmer is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Keith, on the other hand, was elected with the class of 2025. Now, they will both be enshrined together as Chicago Blackhawks Hall of Famers forever.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Yankees activate Austin Slater from IL ahead of crucial three-game set with Blue Jays
The Yankees are adding another veteran bat to the mix ahead of their crucial weekend set with the Blue Jays.
Austin Slater has been reinstated from the injured list.
Slater had been sidelined since suffering a hamstring strain on Aug. 4 against the Texas Rangers.
His initial timeline called for a four-to-six week recovery.
The 32-year-old was able to work his way into five minor league rehab games over the past week, and now he’s been deemed ready to make his return.
Slater appeared in just three games with the Bombers prior to the injury.
He was acquired from the White Sox ahead of the trade deadline to provide a boost against left-handed pitching.
Now back healthy, it’ll be interesting to see how Aaron Boone utilizes Slater down the stretch.
In a corresponding roster move, J.C. Escarra was optioned to Triple-A following Thursday’s win over the Astros.
NHL Rumor Roundup: No Progress Yet In McTavish's Contract Talks, Canadiens Could Shop Price
With NHL training camps opening in less than two weeks, there's little sign of progress in contract talks between the Anaheim Ducks and Mason McTavish.
The lack of a deal for McTavish has made the 22-year-old center the subject of trade conjecture throughout the off-season.
Ducks beat writer Eric Stephens of The Athletic reported on Aug. 21 that the club wanted to sign him and had exchanged contract proposals with the McTavish camp, but that hasn't stopped the speculation about his future in Anaheim.
Several teams believed to be in the market for a second-line center have been linked to McTavish. They include the Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks. However, Stephens pointed out that the Ducks need the young center as much as the others.
The Hockey News' Patrick Present reported on Aug. 28 that there had been little information regarding McTavish's contract negotiations. According to Present, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman claimed the sticking point could be a difference of opinion over what the average annual salary should be.
RG.Org's James Murphy cited an NHL executive claiming there's no sign of an impasse between the Ducks and McTavish. He also stated that Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek has not let it be known that he's willing to entertain trade offers.
Report: Anaheim Ducks "Not Crazy on a Bridge Deal" for Mason McTavish, Prefer Long-Term ExtensionA new development surfaced with the Anaheim Ducks, Mason McTavish, and the ongoing saga of contract extension negotiations.
Meanwhile, rumors abound in Montreal that the Canadiens are attempting to trade Carey Price's contract. The permanently sidelined 38-year-old goaltender is in the final year of his deal with a $10.5-million cap hit.
In actual salary for this season, Price will make $7.5 million, of which $5.5 million was paid out as a signing bonus. For rebuilding teams needing to stay above this season's salary-cap minimum of $70.6 million, taking on Price's cap hit could be a good deal, especially with insurance picking up most of the remaining $2 million of his actual salary.
The move would also free up valuable cap room for the Canadiens. GM Kent Hughes told Sportsnet's Eric Engels earlier this week his club is considering all options to create salary-cap flexibility.
Hughes admitted he'd move Price's contract if he can find a trade that makes sense for both teams. However, he also indicated that he's fine with keeping the future Hall of Fame candidate on LTIR this season.
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Blues' Jordan Binnington Lands On Exclusive NHL Network Rankings
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington landed on the NHL Network's top 10 goaltenders list heading into the 2025-26 season.
The one-time Stanley Cup champion and 4 Nations Face-Off gold medalist ranked seventh in a list that features several outstanding goaltenders.
The 32-year-old recorded a .900 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average in 56 games, but the Blues netminder took his game to another level when the Blues and Team Canada needed him most. Binnington was elite in February and March, propelling the Blues back into the playoff race and helping them secure a playoff spot.
With Team Canada, Binnington did what he does best: step up when the stakes are the highest. With several question marks surrounding coach Jon Cooper's decision to play Binnington, he proved his coach right and silenced the doubters.
Binnington has essentially locked down the starter's role at the Olympics, but if he begins the 2025-26 season off slowly, it could change things. Binnington has shown he can handle a heavy workload, but maintaining the best version of himself will move him up these rankings.
"Binnington was again a steadying presence for the Blues last season, his third straight with at least 27 wins and 56 games played. He was 28-22-5 with a 2.69 GAA, his lowest since 2020-21 (2.65), and had a .900 save percentage with three shutouts. In the playoffs, he kept St. Louis in the series against the Presidents' Trophy winning Jets, including making 43 saves in a Game 7 loss. The 32-year-old, who won the Cup with the Blues in 2019, had a 13-game stretch from February through April in which he went 11-2-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .919 save percentage," said the NHL Network.
Ranking ahead of Binnington were Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck, Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy, New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin, Florida Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky, Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger, and New York Islanders' Ilya Sorokin. Finishing behind Binnington were Minnesota Wild's Filip Gustavsson, Los Angeles Kings' Darcy Kuemper, and Ottawa Senators' Linus Ullmark.
Expectations for the Blues have increased, and if they are to be successful, they'll need their star man in between the pipes to continue to elevate his game when called upon.
Flyers' Goaltending Gets Low New Ranking
The Philadelphia Flyers added to their goalie depth this summer, signing Dan Vladar to a two-year, $6.7 million contract. However, even with this being the case, the Flyers still have their doubters when it comes to the goaltending position.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joe Yerdon ranked the Flyers' goalie tandem of Vladar, Samuel Ersson, and Ivan Fedotov 31st in the NHL. With this, the San Jose Sharks' goalie tandem (Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic) was the only one rated worse than the Flyers on Yerdon's list.
Teams ranked just ahead of the Flyers on Yerdon's list were the Pittsburgh Penguins (Tristan Jarry & Arturs Silovs), Chicago Blackhawks (Spencer Knight & Arvid Soderblom), and Seattle Kraken (Joey Daccord & Philipp Grubauer).
Vladar, 28, spent this past season with the Calgary Flames, where he posted a 12-11-6 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and two shutouts. Overall, he has been a serviceable backup throughout his career and will be looking to provide the Flyers with more stability between the pipes. In 105 career NHL games over five seasons, he has posted a 49-34-16 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and a .895 save percentage.
Ersson, 25, posted a 22-17-5 record in 47 games with the Flyers last season but also had a .883 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average. The 2018 fifth-round pick is entering his fourth season and will be looking to have that big breakout season for the Metropolitan Division club. In 110 games over three seasons, he has recorded a 51-39-12 record, a .888 save percentage, and a 2.98 goals-against average.
As for Fedotov, he is still looking to prove that he can be a solid NHL goaltender. He had a tough first full season with the Flyers in 2024-25, recording a 6-13-4 record, a .880 save percentage, and a 3.15 goals-against average. However, he had success during his days in the KHL, and the Flyers will be hoping that he can translate some of it over to the NHL this season.
It will be interesting to see if the Flyers' goaltending can be better than expected this upcoming season. If they are, it would help the Flyers' chances of being a more competitive team in the Eastern Conference.
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Yankees vs. Blue Jays: 5 things to watch and series predictions | Sept. 5-7
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays play a three-game series at Yankee Stadium starting on Friday night...
5 things to watch
AL East crown in sight
This weekend series is the final time the Yanks and Blue Jays face each other in the regular season, and it's a big one. Entering Friday, the Blue Jays hold just a 3.0 game lead over New York for first place in the AL East.
A sweep by New York would leave the Yankees and Blue Jays in a relative tie -- Toronto has the tiebreaker -- but it would put the pressure on the Jays with just a few weeks left in the season. The AL East crown is important because it will likely be one of the top two seeds in the American League playoffs, thus avoiding the three-game Wild Card round.
Can the Yankees win the series to get even closer to Toronto? Or will the Jays put the Bombers in the rearview?
What's Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s status?
Chisholm exited Thursday's series finale with the Astros with contusions in both knees, which puts his availability for some, if not all, three games of the series in jeopardy.
If Chisholm does miss time, Jose Caballero will likely be his replacement in the starting lineup. Caballero has been very good since being traded to the Yankees at the deadline. In 24 games, he's hitting .270 with two home runs -- he had two in 86 games with the Rays in 2025 -- with eight stolen bases. But Chisholm's power and athleticism would be missed, especially as a left-handed hitter against the Blue Jays' right-handed starters.
Can the bullpen get right?
The Yankees' bullpen has been an Achilles heel for the team all season and this week especially. The Yanks were on the verge of winning their series against the Astros on Wednesday, but the bullpen blew a three-run lead. Devin Williams' meltdown -- with the help of a certain home plate umpire -- led to their defeat.
It was a bit shaky on Thursday. Luke Weaver allowed a run on three hits in his 0.2 innings of work, and the Astros almost came back on David Bednar after the closer allowed the tying run to the plate with a five-run lead heading into the ninth.
The bullpen will need to be better against a dangerous Toronto lineup.
What version of Anthony Volpe will we see?
Remember when Volpe was killing it at the plate in Chicago? In the four-game set on the Southside, Volpe went 6-for-14 with a home run and five RBI. In the three games against Houston, the young shortstop went 1-for-11 with five strikeouts.
The Yankees' offense is good enough that Volpe's offense isn't needed, but when he's on, it lengthens the lineup. He's also coming up with runners in scoring position a lot and falling short. When the longball isn't working for the Yanks, they need to manufacture runs, and even moving runners over with productive outs seems to be tough for Volpe at the moment.
For a huge series like this, the Yanks will hope the Chicago version of Volpe shows up.
Cam Schlittler setting the pace
The Yankees will have Schlittler, Luis Gil and Max Fried starting for them in this series, and a good start from Schlittler could set the tone for the weekend. Schlittler has been on fire, pitching at least six innings in three straight starts while allowing just one run in that span (18.2 IP). The young right-hander has jumped Will Warren as the team's third-most reliable starter, and a strong performance on Friday could cement him as a potential Game 3 starter in a playoff series.
Although that potential is a ways away still, the Yankees hope the youngster can give them the best chance to win the series opener and put the pressure on Toronto.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Trent Grisham
After going against a trio of right-handers and driving in seven runs in Houston, Grisham will continue his hot stretch.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Max Fried
The southpaw has been excellent in his last few starts and that will continue when he takes the mound on Sunday.
Which Blue Jays player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
George Springer
Springer has been a thorn for the Yankees since his Astros days. But this season, he's been amazing. In his last seven games against the Yankees, he's 12-for-24 with four home runs and 12 RBI.
Former Ottawa Senator Enters U.S Hockey Hall Of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that former Senator Scott Gomez has been selected to its 2025 induction class. The two-time All-Star is best known for his time with the New Jersey Devils, but also played with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, and yes, for the briefest of time, the Ottawa Senators.
You'd be forgiven if you forgot that Gomez, now 45, ever played for the Senators. Gomez played 1079 games in the NHL, but only the final 13 came with the Senators at the end of the 2015-16 season.
The Sens needed a centre after Kyle Turris went down with an injury, and Gomez, who was playing in the AHL with the Hershey Bears, signed on here as an unrestricted free agent, joining his seventh NHL team in four years. At that point, Gomez's best days were behind him, and he put up just one assist in 13 games as a Senator. He hung up the blades at the end of that season.
But Gomez had a fine career, putting up 181 goals and 756 points. He burst into the league, winning the Calder Trophy during his 1999-00 season after posting 70 points during his rookie season with the Devils.
He reached the 60-point mark on six occasions and was part of two Cup winners with the Devils, including the one that defeated Ottawa in seven games in the 2003 Conference Final.
Gomez becomes the first Alaskan added to the American Hall and never forgot his roots. In fact, during the last two labour stoppages, he played for his hometown Alaska Aces in the ECHL, and while the NHL was cancelled completely in 2004-05, Gomez was named the ECHL MVP.
After hockey, Gomez was an assistant coach for a couple of years with the New York Islanders. In 2020, he tried his hand at a light-hearted YouTube channel that features various skits about life in Alaska.
Today, Gomez is head coach of the USHL's Chicago Steel.
By Steve Warne
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa
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Geelong lay down AFL marker with emphatic qualifying final win over Brisbane
Lions tamed 16.16 (112) to 11.8 (74) at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Cats to play Crows, Giants or Hawks for place in grand final
Perennial AFL premiership contenders Geelong have marched into a home preliminary final with a scintillating and spiteful 38-point qualifying final win over reigning premiers Brisbane.
The Cats dominated from the outset as they shrugged off the demons of last year’s preliminary final loss to the Lions, prevailing 16.16 (112) to 11.8 (74) in front of 86,364 at the MCG on Friday night.
Continue reading...Mets at Reds: How to watch on SNY on Sept. 5, 2025
The Mets open a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati on Friday at 6:40 p.m. on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
- Juan Soto is hitting .301/.463/.710 with 12 home runs, 28 RBI, 30 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 123 plate appearances over his last 26 games dating back to Aug. 6
- Francisco Alvarez is returning from the IL. Before getting injured, Alvarez had been a force at the plate following his brief stint in the minor leagues. In 71 plate appearances over 21 games from July 21 to Aug. 17, he slashed .323/.408/.645 with four homers, six doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored
- David Peterson is looking to rebound from his worst start of the season, when he allowed eight runs in just 2.0 innings against the Marlins on Aug. 30
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What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
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The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
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Tatum ‘moving around way better' amid Achilles rehab, C's teammate says
Tatum ‘moving around way better' amid Achilles rehab, C's teammate says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It’s hard not to notice when Jayson Tatum enters a room.
Just ask Jordan Walsh, who’s seen plenty of his Boston Celtics teammate this summer — even as Tatum recovers from a ruptured Achilles he suffered during the second round of the playoffs back in May.
“The energy in the gym changes when he walks through,” Walsh told Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg on the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast. “He’s not the most vocal guy, but he’s more of a silent leader.
“Him and JB (Jaylen Brown) are more silent leaders. So, when they step in the gym, you can feel the energy shift. You can feel the attention going to them.”
🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Jordan Walsh on ‘dog fight’ Celtics workouts & how the energy changes when Tatum is in the gym | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
According to Walsh, Tatum has been shifting that energy on a regular basis, routinely showing up at the team’s practice facility throughout the summer to grind through rehab workouts. The third-year forward has noticed a significant improvement in Tatum’s mobility as a result of those workouts.
“We’ve seen him so often,” Walsh said. “I’ve seen him from when he messed up his Achilles to now, and it’s a big difference. He’s moving around way better. So, he’s progressing well. I’m definitely happy to see him getting back healthy.”
From having surgery mere hours after his injury to doing pool workouts in early July to ditching his walking boot in August, Tatum seems determined to accelerate the timeline of his recovery. His fellow Celtics have noticed, with Walsh noting that Tatum’s mere presence at the facility has motivated players like himself to work harder.
“To see him in the gym definitely sets a precedent for everybody else,” Walsh added. “If a guy is hurt and trying to get back, then you can do the same thing. Like, you’re perfectly healthy, you should be doing the same thing.”
Tatum’s progress is undoubtedly encouraging. But even if he’s ready to play by late February or early March (about nine to 10 months after his surgery), it’s still possible the Celtics keep him out or slow-play his return to ensure he’s 100 percent healthy for the 2026-27 campaign, instead of rushing him back amid a season with lower expectations.
Either way, younger players like Walsh, second-year wing Baylor Scheierman and rookie Hugo Gonzalez will have opportunity for larger roles while Tatum is sidelined. And it sounds like there’s already a fierce competition playing out for those minutes on the Celtics’ practice courts.
“The energy is already different. You can feel it,” Walsh said. “It’s kind of like, everybody’s trying to find their footing. Everybody’s trying to make their way, because it’s a bunch of young guys who are not necessarily proven. It’s a lot of potential and unproven talent that’s on the team.
“You can feel it in every workout where everybody is going at each other’s necks. Everybody’s trying to earn that spot, earn that playing time, earn that position. So, it’s like a dog fight right now.”
Check out Walsh’s full interview with Forsberg on the latest Celtics Talk Podcast: