Kieffer Bellows has signed a one-year contract with Brynas IF of the SHL, the team announced Sunday.
The 27-year-old recorded 15 goals and 31 points in 44 games with the Milwaukee Admirals and four points in 19 games with the Nashville Predators last season before adding nine points in 10 Calder Cup Playoff games.
A native of Edina, Minn., Bellows has 79 goals and 140 points in 233 career AHL games and 16 goals and 32 points in 114 career NHL games split between the Predators, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers.
Varmt välkommen till Gävle och Brynäs IF, Kieffer Bellows! ✍️✅
Den 27-årige forwarden som senast kommer från spel i Nashville Predators organisation har skrivit på ettårskontrakt som sträcker sig över den kommande säsongen, 25/26.
A first round pick of the Islanders in 2016, Bellows has been a stellar AHL player over parts of the past three seasons but was not able to translate his offensive production to the NHL.
Now qualifying as an AHL veteran after appearing in over 260 career professional games Bellows joins a long line of recent AHL alumni who have signed in Europe after reaching the veteran threshold.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they have officially signed forward Anton Frondell to a three-year entry-level contract with an average annual value of $975,000.
Chicago selected Frondell with the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft out of Sweden. His club in the SHL is Djurgårdens, where he had 25 points in 29 regular-season games last year.
Frondell also helped the club to an HockeyAllsvenskan Championship and an SHL promotion. He had seven points in 16 qualification games, which played a key role in the team’s success.
This three-year deal won't kick on for Frondell until he plays in the NHL. If he does go back to Sweden for 2025-26, he will still have three years left on his ELC going into the following year.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust is one of the NHL's top trade candidates right now. With the Penguins retooling, the 33-year-old winger would have the potential to land them a significant return if they decided to trade him.
Rust just set new career highs with 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games this past season, so he has raised his trade value. Furthermore, his contract is very good, as he has a reasonable $5.125 million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season. Thus, he could be a good fit for both playoff and non-playoff teams.
Now, a few clubs are being connected to Rust. According to The Fourth Period, the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus Blue Jackets are among the teams linked to Rust.
After trading JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth this off-season, there is no question that the Sabres could use another top-six winger to replace him. Thus, the Sabres reportedly being interested in Rust is very easy to understand. He would give their top six and power play a significant boost if acquired. He also does not have any trade protection, so he makes a lot of sense as a target for Buffalo.
With the Maple Leafs losing Mitch Marner this summer, adding another top-six right winger should be one of their top objectives moving forward. While Rust would not produce the same kind of offense as a superstar like Marner, he would still improve Toronto's forward group and be one of their key point producers if acquired.
As for the Blue Jackets, they are also in a position to make a move for a player like Rust. They have a ton of cap space to work with and could use another top-six forward, so they would be a good fit for Rust. They also have plenty of potential trade assets that could be appealing to the Penguins.
Webb made his second career All-Star Game appearance this year after pitching one inning and surrendering three earned runs in the 2024 showcase. This time around went much better for the 28-year-old, who tossed a scoreless third inning to maintain what at that point was a 2-0 National League lead.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero reached on a leadoff single before Webb got Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez to ground out to third for the inning’s first out. Then, Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson flew out to left field, followed by a groundout from Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres to leave Caminero stranded and Webb unscathed.
Webb only needed 11 pitches to get through the four American League All-Stars he faced, topping out at 92.7 mph on the first-pitch sinker that Caminero singled on. Webb threw four sweepers, four changeups and three sinkers while eliciting three swings-and-misses from the four batters he faced.
Rodríguez entered the All-Star Game in Atlanta with the best ERA among all MLB relievers, but the typically lights-out right-hander wasn’t able to get it done when he replaced Adrian Morejon in the top of the seventh with no outs and runners on first and second.
Athletics slugger Brent Rooker took Rodríguez deep, driving a 2-0 four-seam fastball over the left-center field wall to break up the National League’s shutout and make the game 6-3.
Rodríguez then walked Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia. He got Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton to line out to left, but then Garcia, who advanced to third base after a steal and an error, scored on a groundout by Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
After New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. reached on a fielding error by Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson, NL manager Dave Roberts replaced Rodríguez with Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Trevor Megill, who got out of the inning.
Rodríguez was charged with two runs, one earned, in his first All-Star Game across 2/3 innings of work. But Rooker’s home run started an AL rally, and the group scored six unanswered runs before eventually tying the game in the top of the ninth inning and forcing the first-ever All-Star Game swing-off.
It all ended up OK in the end, however, as Kyle Schwarber’s three homers on three swings helped the NL finish the swing-off with a 4-3 victory and the official All-Star Game win.
Last fall marked the first football season without a head coaching change in the SEC since 2018, but Hugh Freeze certainly enters 2025 on the hot seat.
After kicking off the American League’s game-tying rally from a 6-0 deficit with a three-run home run, the Athletics designated hitter came up clutch in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game’s first-ever swing-off with two blasts.
Rooker’s heroic effort wasn’t enough, however, to help his squad secure the Midsummer Classic win.
He was the first AL hitter — and first ever in MLB — to step into the box for the swing-off, the All-Star Game tiebreaker format that was implemented in 2022 but never used until now. Rooker certainly made the most of his three swings and was helped out by Randy Arozarena, who hit one homer, before Jonathan Aranda couldn’t get one over the wall.
The A’s slugger only was outdone by Kyle Schwarber, who miraculously homered on all three of his swings to put the National League up 4-3 following Kyle Stowers’ lone shot . From there, Pete Alonso didn’t even have to hit after Aranda’s three swings.
No MLB player ever has been able to say they took part in more than one Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game festivities. But even after being robbed of the opportunity to advance in Monday night’s derby, Rooker now is the only player who can.
Despite blowing a 6-0 advantage in the ninth, the National League beat the American League in a Home Run Derby swing off after regulation in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber collected the MVP after his clutch performance in the swing off, going yard on each of his three swings to overcome the deficit and help build the win.
The NL got the scoring started early against Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal. In the first inning, Ketel Marte doubled to right, which allowed Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani to go home for a 2-0 lead.
Pete Alonso added to the NL’s lead with a three-run homer in the sixth off Tigers’ Casey Mize, with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Brendan Donovan scoring. Corbin Carroll then followed up with another homer off Mize to make it 6-0.
But the AL didn’t go down without a fight. Right after in the top of the seventh, Trevor Megill allowed a three-run homer off Brent Rooker. Alejandro Kirk and Jonathan Aranda also rounded home. Then Bobby Witt Jr. grounded out to second, which saw Maikel Garcia cut the deficit to 6-4.
The NL could’ve ended the game at the top of the ninth, but failed. Robert Suárez allowed one RBI when Witt Jr. doubled to right to send Byron Buxton home. Suarez was then replaced immediately for Edwin Diaz, but Steven Kwan hit an infield single that drove Witt Jr. home after an earlier Jazz Chisholm Jr. ground out to first.
With the game tied 6-6 after regulation, it went to a swing off, a new change implemented after 2022. Six batters — three from each league chosen by the manager — go head to head to see which side can hit the most home runs, with three swings each.
Rooker beat Kyle Stowers 2-1, but Schwarber tied it in the second round with a 3-1 advantage over Randy Arozarena. It came down to Aranda and Alonso, but the former failed to score on three attempts so the latter didn’t need to break an extra sweat.
In the All-Star Game’s history, the AL has the advantage with a 48-45-2 record. The NL used to have the lead, but the AL had won 10 of the last 11 editions prior to the 2025 game.
Now the NL has the momentum going into next year’s edition, but not without a major hiccup.
Yeah, you know things are lean when a two-year bridge deal for a young defenseman is something to celebrate. But that's where we are with the Buffalo Sabres these days.
Apparently, nobody wants to play there. The taxes suck. The team sucks, for sure for sure. Haven't made the playoffs in 14 seasons and, let's be realistic, probably won't for 15 seasons.
But when they signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a two-year extension worth $6.25 million per season this week, it represented some progress for them. For once in, like forever, they managed to remove the drama from a situation and get a deal done.
And it's a deal that's good for both sides as they try to build up some trust with each other.
Watch today's video column for the full take, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Long-standing Philadelphia Flyers trade target Bowen Byram isn't leaving the Buffalo Sabres just yet.
On Monday, it was announced that Byram, 24, signed a two-year, $12.5 million ($6.5 million AAV) contract extension with the Sabres, keeping him in Buffalo for two more seasons and quelling any trade talks... for now.
The former No. 4 overall pick has long said to be a coveted trade target of the Flyers, even as recently as this offseason, but the price has still proven to be too steep on a player who would effectively be a reclamation project with an extensive injury history a la Jamie Drysdale.
It was previously reported that the Flyers were interested in both Byram and J.J. Peterka, but the latter was dealt to the Utah Mammoth and the former has now elected to stay put.
With his new deal, it is expected Byram will get a chance to prove himself and carry his own defensive pairing in a top-four role.
The offensive upside is there; the 24-year-old, known for his skating and puck skills, produced 38 points last season while playing in all 82 regular season games for the first time in his career.
When the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, Byram produced nine points in 20 games despite failing to score a goal on 44 shots on goal. With a bit of shooting luck, you're looking at 0.75 points per game in that playoff run or better.
It should be noted that this new contract probably won't take Byram off the Flyers' radar any time soon.
Having only received a two-year deal, Byram will burn both of his last remaining RFA years and walk straight into unrestricted free agency in 2027 - the year the Flyers have the potential to do the most damage on the market, with Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan Ellis each seeing their contracts expire.
Byram also doesn't have any trade protection in his contract, so if the Sabres want to avoid losing him for free and/or Byram fails to come into his own, a team like the Flyers can swoop in and provide an asset or two and take their own chance on the talented rearguard.
Until then, though, we can't put the cart before the horse. Byram is remaining a Sabres player... for now.
It has been an excellent off-season for the Montreal Canadiens, as they notably brought in star defenseman Noah Dobson and young forward Zack Bolduc in two separate trades. Yet, they might not be done yet, as there has been plenty of talk about the Canadiens wanting to find an upgrade for their second-line center spot.
Now, the Canadiens are being connected to a very notable center - Nazem Kadri.
In his latest Off-Season Trade Board for Sportsnet, NHL insider Nick Kypreos reported that the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are linked to Kadri and that the veteran center "appears to be willing" to waive his no-movement clause to join either club.
Kypreos writes:
"Two teams that Kadri continues to be linked to and appear to be willing to lift his no-move clause for are the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs."
If the Canadiens were to bring in Kadri, he would certainly give them a major boost at the center position. The 34-year-old forward is coming off another strong season with the Flames, as he scored a career-high 35 goals and recorded 67 points in 82 games. This was after he had 29 goals and 75 points in 82 games with the Flames during the 2023-24 campaign.
Besides still being an impactful top-six forward at this stage of his career, Kadri would also provide value for the Canadiens because of his experience. He could be a good mentor for the Canadiens' young players as they look to continue to head in the right direction. This is especially so when noting that he has won the Stanley Cup before.
Kadri would also be a long-term investment for the Canadiens if acquired, as he has a $7 million cap hit until the completion of the 2028-29 season. Thus, there would be some risk in acquiring Kadri, as he will be 38 years old once his deal expires. However, with Kadri still being a star at this point in his career, it could very well be a gamble worth taking for a Canadiens team on the rise.
However, with Kadri previously playing for the Maple Leafs, it would also be understandable if he is open to returning to Toronto. The 2009 seventh-overall pick spent the first 10 years of his career as a Maple Leaf, posting 161 goals and 357 points in 561 games. With this, it would certainly take some time to get used to seeing Kadri on the Canadiens if they acquired him.
Dan Serafini warms up before a 2013 exhibition spring training game against the Angels in Tempe, Ariz. Serafini pitched for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. (Morry Gash / Associated Press)
Dan Serafini was a first-round draft pick from a prestigious private high school. He pitched professionally for 22 seasons and earned more than $14 million while with six Major League teams and two in the Japanese League.
Now he might spend the rest of his life in prison.
Serafini, 51, was convicted Monday of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of his father-in-law, Robert Gary Spohr, 70. He also was found guilty of the attempted murder of Spohr's wife, Wendy Wood, and first-degree burglary.
Serafini entered the Spohrs' Lake Tahoe home June 5, 2021, where prosecutors said he secretly waited with a .22 caliber gun for several hours for the victims to return before ambushing them. Two children, ages 3 years and 8 months, were in the home at the time.
“The guilty verdicts come after a six-week trial during which the jury heard testimony from dozens of witnesses and the presentation of physical evidence, including digital, cell phone, and other forensic evidence,” according to a Facebook post from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
According to evidence presented at trial, when the Spohrs arrived, Serafini shot both of them in the head and fled the house. Wood survived and called 911. She died by suicide in 2023.
Two years later police arrested Serafini and his nanny-turned-lover, Samantha Scott, 33. Scott pleaded guilty in February to an accessory charge.
Serafini's motive centered on a $1.3-million dispute over the renovation of a ranch, according to prosecutors. Serafini, prosecutors said, hated his in-laws and had written "I'm gonna kill them one day" in a text message mentioning $21,000, according to ABC News Sacramento affiliate KXTV. The victims had given $90,000 to Serafini's wife, Erin, the day of the shootings.
"It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot, and it's been four years of just hell," said Adrienne Spohr, the victims' daughter and Serafini's sister-in-law, said after the verdict.
Adrienne Spohr was heard gasping and crying along with others in the courtroom when the verdict was read aloud, according to KXTV. Serafini shook his head in disagreement.
The mandatory minimum for first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement is 25 years to life, but could increase to 35 years depending on how the charges are applied.
"My parents had been incredibly generous to Daniel Serafini and Erin Spohr throughout their marriage," Adrienne Spohr said earlier in the trial.
The Minnesota Twins made Serafini their first-round draft pick in 1992 out of Junipero Serra High in San Mateo, the same school all-time home run king Barry Bonds attended. Serafini made his big league debut in 1996 with the Twins and pitched in parts of seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.
Serafini pitched in Japan from 2004-2007 before returning to the U.S. He was suspended for 50 games in 2007 for using performance-enhancing drugs that he blamed on medication he took in Japan. He also pitched for Italy in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
On June 28, 2015, Serafini's bar in Sparks, Nev., was featured on an episode of Bar Rescue. The bar's named was changed from The Bullpen Bar to The Oak Tavern as part of the makeover, but not before his financial woes were described as blowing through $14 million in career earnings and taking a $250,000 loan from his parents.
Serafini's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. He will remain in custody without bail until then.
"At this point, our focus is on the sentencing and making sure that Dan Serafini never sees the outside of a jail ever again," Adrienne Spohr said.
