Steph Curry needed fewer than 30 minutes to make NBA scoring history Monday night.
The Warriors star poured in 31 points in 29 minutes, knocking down six 3-pointers in Golden State’s 134–117 win over the Utah Jazz at Chase Center. The performance officially tied Curry with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most 30-point games played in under 30 minutes in NBA history, with 30 such games each.
Curry now has totaled 1,043 points in 865 minutes across those 30 games, averaging 34.8 points in 28.8 minutes. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has recorded 989 points in 831 minutes across 30 games, averaging 33.0 points per 27.7 minutes.
The timing of the tie is notable. Antetokounmpo currently is sidelined with a low-grade left groin strain, leaving his total frozen as the Bucks slide in the standings. Milwaukee dropped its fifth straight game on Monday — a 115–103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers — continuing a skid that began when Giannis exited the lineup.
Milwaukee will have to wait for Antetokounmpo to return before he can push that mark any further. Golden State, meanwhile, is moving in the opposite direction. The win lifted the Warriors to 10–9, a modest but meaningful step as they try to climb back into the upper half of the Western Conference.
And if Curry keeps delivering this kind of production in under 30 minutes, Golden State’s ascent might just come faster than expected.
We turn the dial towards whimsy and revisit some of the moments that made the autumn internationals irresistible
South Africa and Ireland played out a slugfest for the ages and the discourse has been dominated by yellow cards and flying shoulders to the head. England held off a spirited Argentina to claim their 11th consecutive Test win and it seems all anyone can talk about is some alleged after-the-whistle shoving. Wales and New Zealand traded 11 tries in a ding-dong encounter and yet the narrative is weighed down by caveats concerning fading empires.
What, exactly, is the point of Test rugby? Beyond winning World Cups and regional crowns, does this chaotic sport hold any value? A bit of spice elevates almost every dish, sure, but it has felt as if this autumn’s brilliant rugby fare has been smothered in a sauce with a needlessly high Scoville count.
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama arrives well dressed for a game earlier this season. Photograph: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
Lonzo Ball’s froze in confusion. The question – “What do you think about the NBA dress code?” – hung in the air for a second before he cracked a sheepish grin.
“There’s a dress code?” he said, smiling.
Twenty years after the introduction of a rule that once roiled the league and ignited a culture war over image and identity, one of the NBA’s current players didn’t even know it existed.
“Now do-rags are flying, along with jerseys and baggy stuff,” said Ball, a point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I didn’t know we had a dress code. I just knew we had to put something on.”
Former NBA commissioner David Stern instituted the dress code, which went into effect at the start of the 2005–06 season. The policy has been relaxed since Adam Silver succeeded Stern in 2014, but the initial rollout – as with most change – came with controversy and pushback.
The code required all players to dress in business or conservative attire when arriving and departing games, on the bench when injured, and when conducting official NBA business.
Players bristled at the announcement because the policy effectively banned oversized T-shirts, do-rags, jerseys, and other “hip-hop-inspired” attire.
The league’s move was widely seen as a critique of Black culture – a policing of expression and a response to the NBA’s discomfort with hip-hop aesthetics that had become inseparable from basketball itself. The backlash was immediate, loud, and deeply personal.
For many, it was also a direct attack on Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson, who became the poster child for what not to wear. Iverson, then one of the biggest stars in the league, was known for his tattoos, braids, and baggy gear.
In a recent interview on The Breakfast Club radio show and podcast, Iverson said his influence on other players helped trigger the NBA’s response. “David Stern and the rest of the NBA were like, ‘No,’ because it was all right when I was doing it,” Iverson recalled. “But then everybody else said, ‘OK, if he can do that, we can do this.’ You see Kobe coming in with diamond chains and baggy clothes, and everyone started doing it. Then the league was like, ‘Hold on, we’ve got to do something about that.’”
Twenty years later, that moment – once seen as a culture war between the league office and players – has come to represent something far more complicated. Instead of erasing individuality, the rule inadvertently helped create a fashion renaissance that reshaped both the NBA and global style.
What began as a mandate for “professionalism” evolved into tunnels lined with photographers, endorsement deals with high-fashion brands, and players driving global trends in ways the league never imagined. Former NBA forward Ira Newble, who remains racially conscious, vividly remembers the tension.
“Everyone seemed upset and up in arms about the dress code,” Newble, who was playing for the Cavaliers when the ban came in, says. “No one wanted to have a dress code. It was a big deal.”
Players were used to traveling in sweats, hoodies, or whatever felt comfortable during long road swings. The style of the time – oversized clothing, long white tees, and baggy jeans – was heavily linked to hip-hop culture.
“My style at that time reflected hip-hop culture,” Newble says. “I had the braids and wore baggy clothes. The sentiment among players was that the NBA was trying to take away from the cultural end. Iverson was an influence of that culture. That’s what the controversy was about. It felt as though they were trying to change and get rid of hip-hop culture.”
But Newble also recognizes how the moment evolved. “Everything kind of grew in a different direction where hip-hop culture can still be embraced within the dress code,” he says. “So it’s cool to see how it evolved.”
Inside the league offices, the intent was different, according to Kathy Behrens, the NBA’s president of social responsibility and player programs.
“We felt at the time that it was important for our players to present themselves in a more professional fashion when on league business,” Behrens says. “We were not demanding a suit culture, but we did want to raise the level of how players showed up.”
She says the league anticipated pushback, but emphasized it was never meant to sanitize hip-hop expression.
“We knew what the goal was, and it had nothing to do with changing our players’ fashion or culture,” she says. “We talked with many players about this change before implementing it.”
What the NBA didn’t expect, Behrens admits, was what happened next.
“The reality is our players embraced the change very quickly and truly raised the level much higher than we anticipated,” she says. “Pre-game ‘fits’ became a thing. It soon became a competition over who could dress the best. How you dress became a cultural touchpoint.”
Two decades later, the league still maintains a dress policy, though it has evolved with changing definitions of “professional attire” and is not as strict as it once was, allowing the players to be more creative with their fashion choices. But the legacy remains.
“When the people most impacted by it embrace it the way our players have, you have to feel that it worked as intended,” Behrens says.
When the rule came in, Jameer Nelson was in his second NBA season with the Orlando Magic. Nelson, now the 76ers’ assistant general manager, can appreciate how the policy unified the league.
“So it didn’t affect me either way,” Nelson says. “But it was cool to see the brotherhood, the fraternity of basketball players, move in the same direction, whether we liked it or not.”
Nelson laughs at how players have flipped the narrative completely.
“You can see now how the personalities are being shown through fashion,” he says. “I have my own style, more old school, more casual. Somebody told me yesterday I dress hip-hop slash front office.”
He says players today simply have more tools to showcase their creativity.
“These brands, because of social media, take advantage of it,” Nelson says. “If social media was as big back in 2005, we probably would’ve done the same thing. Getting dressed is art. It’s how you express yourself without even speaking.”
Few players symbolize that shift more than those in the current era, where tunnel entrances resemble fashion runways and some players are followed by photographers and videographers from the parking garage to the locker room.
Take Cavaliers star Darius Garland, considered one of the team’s most fashionable players. He marvels at how far things have come.
“The league implemented a dress code 20 years ago – that’s crazy,” Garland says. “Now we can put on our own stuff. We can express ourselves.”
To Garland, fashion and business are intertwined.
“A lot of guys have different avenues of revenue with clothing pieces,” he says. “Guys have Lululemon deals, Armani deals. It’s crazy now. With the dress code not being a dress code anymore, it’s giving us money we can put in our pockets, and it lets us express ourselves.”
If only the league had embraced a more relaxed dress policy earlier, says Garland.
“Hip-hop culture influences basketball, and basketball influences hip-hop culture,” he says. “Everyone wants to see what athletes are wearing so they can wear it. We are the influencers.”
What began as a controversial, racially charged flashpoint has become a cultural engine, embraced by the league, celebrated by players, and followed by millions worldwide.
The NBA tried to define professionalism. The players redefined it instead. The dress code did not suppress the culture. It amplified it.
Years later, the runway to the locker room, once a battleground, is now one of the most influential stages in global fashion.
“You can trace the swag back to [Iverson],” Ball says. “The tattoos, the braids, the baggy stuff. We came a long way from [the NBA] punishing him for expressing himself. Now [hip-hop fashion] is at an all-time high again. We need to give Allen Iverson a lot of respect.”
Ten years ago Arsenal were thrashed by the Bavarian giants – now Mikel Arteta’s men are rated the best side in Europe
November 2015. The Allianz Arena, Munich. A decade ago, yet a lifetime away for Arsenal in the Champions League.
That night Arsène Wenger’s team were so shredded in a 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich that my Guardian colleague David Hytner likened them to “the chicken feed from the lower reaches of the Bundesliga that Bayern routinely gobble up”. It was Arsenal’s joint‑worst result in Europe. And to rub it in, Bayern repeated the trick the following season. Twice: 5-1 at home, then 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Players are being worn down by a cluttered calendar and lack of unity over their welfare from governing bodies
Elina Svitolina simply could not go on. Her hopeful start to the 2025 season had given way to despair as the mental and emotional strain of constant competition, travelling and stress left its mark. The 31-year-old understood that competing would only make things worse and, in September, Svitolina decided to prematurely end her season, citing burnout.
The world No 14 is not alone in feeling suffocated by her sport. This has been another year filled with incredible performances and gripping matches, but the past 11 months have also been defined by the physical and mental ailments endured by many of the sport’s stars.
Another game there for the taking for the St. Louis Blues, another game that frustratingly slips away.
This time, another 3-2 setback to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday.
The Blues (7-10-6) got goals from Dylan Holloway and Brayden Schenn, and Joel Hofer made 17 saves on the fourth game of a season-high five-game road trip where the Blues are now 1-1-2 with one final game Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils.
"I didn't think we played with the requisite of intensity and connected and puck support that we've been playing with the three previous games," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said.
Let's look at Monday's game observations:
* First 10 minutes of third where game was lost -- In a 1-1 game on the road, the Blues were in a good spot to grab at least perhaps a point, maybe two with a strong final period.
But they got pinned into their zone to begin the third, had a chance to get a puck out that caromed away eventually and a redirection in front by Alexis Lafreniere of Vladislav Gavrikov's left point wrister just 40 seconds in gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead and getting that all-important go-ahead goal:
And when Adam Edstrom made it 3-1 at 8:56 of the period on a shot from in tight surrounded by three Blues on the play, it would be a tall task for a team struggling to score more than two goals to make a comeback:
It would wind up being the 20th and final shot on goal for the Rangers in the game.
"Obviously not the way we wanted to start it for sure," Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. "Tough to go down two in the third."
* Blues inability to win when scoring first -- Monday marked the 13th time the Blues scored first in a game, and it was a beauty of a goal when Holloway tied for the team lead with his sixth, and the line did a great job of forechecking pucks back after Parayko's initial keep-in from the right point:
It marked the eighth time in the past nine games the Blues have scored first, but they fell to 5-3-5 in those games when the league on average, teams that score first win roughly 67 percent of the time.
In just seven of those games, they've continued to forge forward and increase the lead, and it's impossible to gain each and every point when scoring first, but the Blues, who have 20 points on the season, have left 11 points on the table in this instance.
"That's the difference in winning games, burying those chances," Holloway said. "It's good to get those chances, but we've got to bear down and score."
And considering the Rangers came in a woeful 1-7-1 on home ice, scoring just 13 goals and shut out in a franchise-most five of those games, this was a chance to not only extend a lead against a team that has had trouble scoring and lost four in a row.
* Rangers tying goal opened door for struggling home team -- Up 1-0, the Blues were in a good spot until Vincent Trocheck tied it 1-1 at 10:06 of the second period.
The Blues had multiple forward lines on the ice that needed to get a puck in deep, but it never made it past the opposing side's blue line, and therefore, defensemen Cam Fowler and Logan Mailloux's shift was extended way too long at 2:19 each. Oskar Sundqvist, who was one who had a chance to get a puck deep but it got knocked down in the neutral zone, keeping the Blues' D on the ice, was on for over two minutes himself until he could finally get a change right before the goal, and on the goal, the Blues left an opening on an up pass through the middle creating a 2-on-1 that Trocheck wristed into the top right corner:
"Yeah it is an extended shift and that's why in the second period there tends to be more goals scored in the league because it's hard to get your changes in the second and the five guys got to help each other get their changes," Montgomery said. "Forwards always get off the ice, D-men don't because they've got to stay. Then the next guys that come out, they've got to make sure they're protecting good and that they're helping out the D, so they can get off the ice."
* Hofer made key saves early to give Blues chance to go ahead -- The numbers on the night don't look great for Hofer (.850 save percentage), but his saves on Braden Schneider at 8:24 of the first period and Mika Zibanejad at 15:45 of the first period allowed the Blues to stay in a 0-0 game.
* Goal scoring has dried up -- Monday marked the fifth straight game that the Blues scored two or fewer goals, and it coincides with their goaltending being better of late.
And this comes with Brayden Schenn, who scored his first goal in 12 games on Saturday in a 2-1 win at the New York Islanders, now has goals in back-to-back games when Pavel Buchnevich's shot caromed off the Blues captain and past Igor Shesterkin with 1:15 remaining to make it 3-2, but that's as close as the Blues would get:
But Schenn missed a breakaway in the first period at 8:24 of the first period, even though it was at the end of a shift. Jake Neighbours had a great chance to give the Blues a 2-1 lead at 16:42 of the second period off a shot from the slot after a Robert Thomas pass. Schenn also fanned on an open look in the bumper with 3:16 remaining in the game while the Blues were on a four-minute power play, and Holloway whiffed on a hard pass by Thomas in tight with 19.3 remaining that would have tied the game.
All the lack of goal scoring has coincided with the top guys not getting it done.
Jordan Kyrou hasn't scored in five games; Thomas has one goal in 10 and no points the past three games; Jimmy Snuggerud has no points the past four games and one goal in 12; Buchnevich now hasn't scored in 15 games; and from the defense, Fowler and Parayko each hasn't scored yet this season.
This team needs its top players to produce, or these results will look all too familiar.
* Power play had chance to be difference -- Yes, the Blues' power play has been good, and it's 12th in the league at 22.4 percent. But going 0-for-4 (the last one was only three seconds at the end of the game) did them no favors and they produced only three shots on them.
The one that had to be frustrating was a double-minor given to Brett Berard for high-sticking Neighbours, who was also high-sticked by Schneider in the second period, with 5:51 left. It was there where Schenn fanned on his attempt, and the Blues passed on a couple open looks with 2:41 remaining.
"Yeah there were a couple of shots that were passed up," Montgomery said. "We whiffed on a great chance to tie the game up, right at the net front (Holloway's chance late), in a pulled goalie situation. We need to start making some of those plays in those areas so that we can have wins where we come from behind and get on a streak."
* Mailloux looked better -- Mailloux, who was called back up from Springfield of the American Hockey League on Saturday after playing five games with the Thunderbirds (two goals), was a minus-2 in the game and played 13:59 but I thought he was more assertive in this game that any of the previous ones he played in prior to being sent down.
He attacked more confidently, played a physical role, and he rung a shot off the post when Montgomery put him on the ice during the third-period power play. There was nothing he could have done differently on the goals that were scored while he was on the ice.
"I thought Mailloux was very assertive," Montgomery said. "I liked him on the PP there at the end when we gave him an opportunity. I thought he was very aggressive and had a good shot-first mindset, but made some passes. The minus-2, I know the second goal, he had nothing to do with it."
Mailloux, who was playing alongside Cam Fowler, had one hit and one blocked shot with one shot on goal.
"I kind of felt more like myself out there," Mailloux said. "I was moving pucks, getting in the play, getting some shots off. So unfortunate kind of ending, but I felt better for sure."
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The highest-valued NHL team still reigns in Canada.
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain No. 1 on CNBC’s list of NHL valuations for 2025 at $4.3 billion, a lead of $500 million over the second-highest team. It also is $2.1 billion above league average. Toronto in 2024 had a valuation of $3.8 billion and sat $1.89 billion above league average.
Trailing the Maple Leafs in the top three are the same two teams from 2024. The New York Rangers are second with a valuation of $3.8 billion, a $300 million increase. In third are the Montreal Canadiens, which also rose by $300 million to hold a $3.4 billion valuation.
There has been a slight shakeup in the top five, though. While the Los Angeles Kings remain No. 4 at $3.15 billion, the Edmonton Oilers ($3.1 billion) have bumped down the Boston Bruins ($3.05 billion) to seize the No. 5 spot.
With the average NHL team now worth $2.2 billion, 15% more than last year, what’s behind the increase? CNBC senior sports reporter Michael Ozanian broke it down with the most important factor.
“The increase in values for NHL teams largely stems from their national media rights deal,” Ozanian said. “So, earlier this year, Rogers Communications, which has the national rights for National Hockey League games in Canada, they signed a new deal with the NHL that’s more than a 100% increase over their existing deal. And what analysts are telling me in the media space that sort of advise and consult for teams and leagues and networks, is that the next deal for the United States? The next national deal is likely also see a doubling in value.”
The national media deals are significant in hockey because the money involved are split evenly among the 32 teams. Whether a team is in Winnipeg or in New York, winning or losing, the revenue share is equal.
So, why do the Maple Leafs have a sizeable lead over the Rangers, who are located in the biggest U.S. market? Ozanian explained that it stems from the difference between national media revenue versus local TV rights.
“The local TV rights, particularly those rights on regional sports networks in the U.S., are under a lot of pressure,” Ozanian started. “They’re … being reduced. So, for example, in the case of the New York Rangers MSG Networks, which sort of went under some reorganization because it didn’t have the cash to pay its debt, the Rangers are taking an 18% haircut to their local TV rights. Other teams in the U.S. have taken similar cuts to their local TV rights …
“… These teams, with a combination of free TV rights and streaming, which is where a lot of these distribution is headed, may eventually make up the difference for what they’ve lost. There are some rights, but for now the Canadian teams have a big advantage because they’ve been getting actually huge increases in their local TV rights.”
For some teams, controlling the arena they play in can also be a key contributing factor to a high valuation. For example, the Bruins, who routinely collects healthy net ticket revenue, also benefit from non-NHL events at TD Garden.
“The Celtics, the NBA team that shares that arena, they’re just tenants,” Ozanian said. “They sort of have a lease agreement with the Bruins, so it’s the Bruins that get money from concerts and things like that at the building.”
A similar process could unfold for the Flyers, who will move into a new arena in 2030 alongside the Philadelphia 76ers. So, along with the Flyers recently pushing across price increases for the first time in a while, the stadium value and control will help boost the team’s valuation further.
But an extra caveat to the new arena is the sponsor name. Previously named Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers had limited themselves to other financial companies being sponsors in the building due to the name. Now named Xfinity Mobile Arena, there’s more potential for growth.
“… It’s opened up a huge space in financial services, which are a big category in terms of sponsoring an arena, either naming rights or various ads and sponsors on the inside of the building,” Ozanian said. “And those sponsorship revenues and advertising revenues at the arena are kept by the team…So having that new naming rights partner is another big advantage to the Flyers and a big reason why they’re in the top third of our list.”
On the flip side, the bottom five NHL teams in terms of valuations fare differently for multiple reasons. The San Jose Sharks are ranked No. 28 with a valuation of $1.55 billion. Lurking behind the Sharks are the No. 29 Winnipeg Jets ($1.46 billion), No. 30 Ottawa Senators ($1.44 billion), No. 31 Buffalo Sabres ($1.42 billion) and last-place Columbus Blue Jackets ($1.4 billion).
The Blue Jackets remained in last place but grew from their previous $1 billion valuation, while the Jets rose from No. 31 to 29. The biggest shakeup involved San Jose dropping from No. 25 last season ($1.4 billion) to the bottom five, as the new-look Utah Mammoth climbed to No. 27.
Why has that been the case for a franchise located in the Bay Area? For one, San Jose ranked second to last in the league last season in regular-season ticket revenue.
“The Sharks have just had a lot of trouble generating a consistent interest of fans last season,” Ozanian started. “… They only brought in $44 million for the whole season and regular season ticket row. The typical NHL team brings in somewhere around $80 million, so they’re doing about half of what the typical team does.”
But the Sharks have plenty of potential to bite its way up the list, including looking for a new owner, as Ozanian explained.
“I would have to say that the Sharks … are a, for lack of a better term, an underperforming team in the sense that they’re not in a huge market, but it’s a fairly high net worth market and they should be doing better,” Ozanian said. “They’re a team that I wouldn’t be shocked if somebody was eyeing a potential buyer and said, if I bought this team, I could increase the revenue significantly.
“They control the building. So there’s an opportunity there. Hence revenue not just from NHL games, but also from non-NHL events. They also recently extended their lease there, so they’ll have a buyer that would look at that and say, you know, I have controlled this arena for a while. So I have to say it’s an interesting situation that I think an investor would have to consider.”
The highest-valued NHL team still reigns in Canada.
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain No. 1 on CNBC’s list of NHL valuations for 2025 at $4.3 billion, a lead of $500 million over the second-highest team. It also is $2.1 billion above league average. Toronto in 2024 had a valuation of $3.8 billion and sat $1.89 billion above league average.
Trailing the Maple Leafs in the top three are the same two teams from 2024. The New York Rangers are second with a valuation of $3.8 billion, a $300 million increase. In third are the Montreal Canadiens, which also rose by $300 million to hold a $3.4 billion valuation.
There has been a slight shakeup in the top five, though. While the Los Angeles Kings remain No. 4 at $3.15 billion, the Edmonton Oilers ($3.1 billion) have bumped down the Boston Bruins ($3.05 billion) to seize the No. 5 spot.
With the average NHL team now worth $2.2 billion, 15% more than last year, what’s behind the increase? CNBC senior sports reporter Michael Ozanian broke it down with the most important factor.
“The increase in values for NHL teams largely stems from their national media rights deal,” Ozanian said. “So, earlier this year, Rogers Communications, which has the national rights for National Hockey League games in Canada, they signed a new deal with the NHL that’s more than a 100% increase over their existing deal. And what analysts are telling me in the media space that sort of advise and consult for teams and leagues and networks, is that the next deal for the United States? The next national deal is likely also see a doubling in value.”
The national media deals are significant in hockey because the money involved are split evenly among the 32 teams. Whether a team is in Winnipeg or in New York, winning or losing, the revenue share is equal.
So, why do the Maple Leafs have a sizeable lead over the Rangers, who are located in the biggest U.S. market? Ozanian explained that it stems from the difference between national media revenue versus local TV rights.
“The local TV rights, particularly those rights on regional sports networks in the U.S., are under a lot of pressure,” Ozanian started. “They’re … being reduced. So, for example, in the case of the New York Rangers MSG Networks, which sort of went under some reorganization because it didn’t have the cash to pay its debt, the Rangers are taking an 18% haircut to their local TV rights. Other teams in the U.S. have taken similar cuts to their local TV rights …
“… These teams, with a combination of free TV rights and streaming, which is where a lot of these distribution is headed, may eventually make up the difference for what they’ve lost. There are some rights, but for now the Canadian teams have a big advantage because they’ve been getting actually huge increases in their local TV rights.”
For some teams, controlling the arena they play in can also be a key contributing factor to a high valuation. For example, the Bruins, who routinely collects healthy net ticket revenue, also benefit from non-NHL events at TD Garden.
“The Celtics, the NBA team that shares that arena, they’re just tenants,” Ozanian said. “They sort of have a lease agreement with the Bruins, so it’s the Bruins that get money from concerts and things like that at the building.”
A similar process could unfold for the Flyers, who will move into a new arena in 2030 alongside the Philadelphia 76ers. So, along with the Flyers recently pushing across price increases for the first time in a while, the stadium value and control will help boost the team’s valuation further.
But an extra caveat to the new arena is the sponsor name. Previously named Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers had limited themselves to other financial companies being sponsors in the building due to the name. Now named Xfinity Mobile Arena, there’s more potential for growth.
“… It’s opened up a huge space in financial services, which are a big category in terms of sponsoring an arena, either naming rights or various ads and sponsors on the inside of the building,” Ozanian said. “And those sponsorship revenues and advertising revenues at the arena are kept by the team…So having that new naming rights partner is another big advantage to the Flyers and a big reason why they’re in the top third of our list.”
On the flip side, the bottom five NHL teams in terms of valuations fare differently for multiple reasons. The San Jose Sharks are ranked No. 28 with a valuation of $1.55 billion. Lurking behind the Sharks are the No. 29 Winnipeg Jets ($1.46 billion), No. 30 Ottawa Senators ($1.44 billion), No. 31 Buffalo Sabres ($1.42 billion) and last-place Columbus Blue Jackets ($1.4 billion).
The Blue Jackets remained in last place but grew from their previous $1 billion valuation, while the Jets rose from No. 31 to 29. The biggest shakeup involved San Jose dropping from No. 25 last season ($1.4 billion) to the bottom five, as the new-look Utah Mammoth climbed to No. 27.
Why has that been the case for a franchise located in the Bay Area? For one, San Jose ranked second to last in the league last season in regular-season ticket revenue.
“The Sharks have just had a lot of trouble generating a consistent interest of fans last season,” Ozanian started. “… They only brought in $44 million for the whole season and regular season ticket row. The typical NHL team brings in somewhere around $80 million, so they’re doing about half of what the typical team does.”
But the Sharks have plenty of potential to bite its way up the list, including looking for a new owner, as Ozanian explained.
“I would have to say that the Sharks … are a, for lack of a better term, an underperforming team in the sense that they’re not in a huge market, but it’s a fairly high net worth market and they should be doing better,” Ozanian said. “They’re a team that I wouldn’t be shocked if somebody was eyeing a potential buyer and said, if I bought this team, I could increase the revenue significantly.
“They control the building. So there’s an opportunity there. Hence revenue not just from NHL games, but also from non-NHL events. They also recently extended their lease there, so they’ll have a buyer that would look at that and say, you know, I have controlled this arena for a while. So I have to say it’s an interesting situation that I think an investor would have to consider.”
It appears a Pittsburgh Penguins' netminder - and one of their young forwards - is one step closer to his return to game action.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry - out since Nov. 4 with a lower-body injury - was a full participant in Penguins' practice on Monday, as was 22-year-old forward Ville Koivunen. Jarry took reps with the main squad - along with tandem partner Arturs Silovs - while Koivunen skated with the defensive group.
Rookie Sergei Murashov - who is 1-1-1 with a .913 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average - still participated in practice but was the third goaltender in the rotation.
Jarry, 30, was off to a good start this season before his injury, as he is 5-2 with a shutout and a .911 save percentage. He has worked hard to rebound from a tough season in 2024-25, which included waivers, an AHL stint, and an .893 save percentage.
Koivunen got off to a slow start production-wise this season, and he ended up in the AHL for a short stint, where he produced four goals and 11 points in six games before getting the call back to the big club. He has just two points in 11 games with the Penguins so far, but he had started to build some momentum in his game prior to his injury.
With the Penguins severely injury-depleted right now - and with a 2-4-3 record in November - they'd welcome back any of their injured players as soon as possible.
Forwards Justin Brazeau, Rickard Rakell, and Noel Acciari also skated before practice, and previously injured defenseman Jack St. Ivany - along with rookie Harrison Brunicke, who was a healthy scratch for seven straight games - was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) for a conditioning stint.
Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov each scored a career-high 20 points and No. 2 Arizona got 72 points from freshmen in a 103-73 win over Denver on Monday night. Burries was 7 of 13 from the field, making 3 of 7 from 3-point range, and added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Kharchenkov was 9 for 12 from the field as the Wildcats (6-0) won their 41st consecutive home game against an unranked opponent. Fellow freshman Dwayne Aristode had a career high with 17 points, making 4 of 8 from 3-point range, while Tobe Awaka and Koa Peat each had 12 points.
Through two periods, the Kings looked stuck in purgatory. Their offense sagged, and every promising rush ended in a turnover. A switch flipped beginning in the third period when Los Angeles delivered in the clutch, something they’ve struggled to accomplish this season.
Brandt Clarke delivered a power play goal, avoiding overtime to send the Senators packing in a gritty Kings 2-1 win over Ottawa.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Kings, where they looked awful, especially down the stretch in overtime games, failing to close out in the clutch, but today they showed up in late-game situations.
Ottawa controlled the game through the first two periods, outshooting Los Angeles and winning nearly 70% of its faceoffs. But the Kings survived thanks to their goaltending and defensive group that didn’t bend when needed to make a stop.
Still, the Senators were in it all game when winger Fabian Zetterlund hit a big shot that went high in the air past the Kings' defenders and into the net in the third. This game felt like it would end the same way it always has for the Kings: in overtime, and they would lose consistently.
Kings Close it Out
But, instead, the Kings got a wake-up call that they desperately needed and didn’t let the game go into an extra period.
After the game-tying shot from the Senators, just a few minutes later, the Kings earned their chance to take the game away from Ottawa, who took a costly penalty. On the following play, Clarke, consistently becoming one of the Kings' best players this season, stepped into the middle of the ice and hammered a big shot through traffic to break the tie.
The puck whistled past every Ottawa defender and gave the Kings their first lead of the night.
From there, the King tightened up their defense in the final minutes of the game as Clarke’s goal held serve and fended off Ottawa’s final push.
The performance wasn’t pretty for the Kings. The opening minutes of the game were flat and ugly. But, a win is a win, especially in a year where the Pacific Division is looking like a dog-fight. It was a big Monday night win for the Kings to secure a much-needed win to get back in the win column.
Up next, the Kings will travel to Anaheim on their one-game road stand to take on the Ducks at 1:00 p.m. EST.
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Tyon Grant-Foster and Graham Ike each scored 21 points to lead No. 12 Gonzaga to a 95-85 victory over No. 8 Alabama in the Players Era tournament on Monday night, the Bulldogs' second win over a ranked team. Alabama (3-2) has played four ranked teams, going 2-2. Braden Huff scored 18 points, one of five Bulldogs in double figures.
Instead of waiting for a reporter to break the ice with a question, Broz took it upon himself to begin the makeshift press conference in front of a locker stall at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry that now had his name above it.
"Before we get started, I'd just like to thank a couple people, if that's alright," Broz said.
After some nods, he began, Oscars acceptance speech-style:
"I'd like to thank, obviously, all my family and my parents, my grandparents. I'd like to thank all the coaches in my life... Bernie McBain, my old hockey coach. Greg May, high school at Blake. Pierre-Paul Lamoureux. Cary Eades at Fargo. David Carle, Tavis McMillan, 'Fergie' [Dallas Ferguson], Ryan Massa, Denver. All the coaches in Wilkes... Kirko [Kirk MacDonald], 'Lukes' [Nick Luuko], 'Bugsy' [Brad Malone], 'Brooksy' [Sheldon Brookbank]. All the boys down there and everyone that's helped me along the way.
"It takes a village to get here, so I'd like to thank all those people."
The Penguins' second-round pick (58th overall) in 2021 - humble as they come - was on the team bus back from Providence and in the middle of a card game with Owen Pickering and a few other WBS teammates when he missed the initial call from WBS GM Jason Spezza.
And - without the advice of his teammate and good friend - he may have put off reaching back out to his GM.
"I was actually playing cards, and I missed Spezz's call," Broz said. "And I think I texted him something back like, 'Can I call you back in, like, 10 minutes?' Then I showed Picks, and he's like, 'What are you doing? Go call him back.' So I went back in the bathroom and called him."
And once Broz heard the news from Spezza, he said he fell to his knees, knowing his lifelong aspiration had been realized.
"It's a dream come true," Broz said. "I mean, I've just been through so much to get here, and what a journey it's been. When Spezz told me, I dropped to my knees. I was like, this is... man, it's been a lot of emotion and a lot of hard work, and really, a lifelong commitment to getting better and loving the game to get here. So, it was really an emotional moment. Really special."
And he didn't wait long to tell his family, including his parents, who were emotional upon hearing the news.
"I think it made it probably more real, just seeing their reaction," Broz said. "It was really cool, you know? My mom was crying, my dad was just grinning ear to ear. They're so happy, and they've put so much into this emotionally, financially, just time commitment driving me to rinks. So, it's just as much their moment as it is mine, and yeah, they're super happy. It was really cool."
In some ways, Broz's recall is something that has been anticipated for a while. The 23-year-old from River Falls, Wisc. was actually supposed to be called up at the end of the 2024-25 season, but a near-two-month bout with mononucleosis staved off those plans.
So, Broz got back to work this season in training camp, where he thoroughly impressed and almost earned a roster spot. Even though it didn't ultimately work out the way he was hoping at the end of camp, he got back to work and produced eight goals and 13 points in 18 games as WBS's first-line center.
"I thought I had a really good camp and put myself in a really good [spot]. Thought I had a good chance to make it, and it didn't go my way," Broz said. "But that's how life works sometimes. You can't just quit. So, I just kept playing hockey and doing the thing I love, and kept working hard at, really, everything. I wouldn't say it was just one thing, but just be more consistent and just continue to get better at everything, learning game by game."
Tristan Broz opened today with a genuine, humble nod to everyone who helped him turn a dream into reality.
And he credits his teammates in WBS for his success this season and last, as the team is currently leading the Atlantic Division at 13-4-1 after a back-to-back sweep this past weekend.
"We got a really good team down there," Broz said. "I think our record speaks for itself down there with the boys. And I think playing with really good players throughout the year and playing a really good system. I thought just the way we play is a lot a of fun, always having the puck and stuff. So, I credit a lot to that."
And his new head coach was impressed by both Broz's training camp showing and by what he heard from reports, so he hopes the young centerman can continue to build on that.
"I got really strong reports," coach Dan Muse said. "I think, when you go back, he had a strong training camp, too. Training camp matters. It matters a lot. He made a good impression, and he earned that during camp. He goes in there, and he goes down to Wilkes, and he follows it up.
"He's playing well on both sides of the puck. He's making plays. He's impacting the game offensively. We want him to jump in and continue on what he's doing."
MICHIGAN 94, SAN DIEGO STATE 54 LAS VEGAS (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg scored 15 points and Michigan routed San Diego State in the opening round of the Players Era tournament. Elliot Cadeau and Morez Johnson Jr. each had 13 points. Nimari Burnett and Rodd Gale Jr. scored 11 apiece and Will Tschetter added 10.
