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Judge, Ohtani elected to start in All-Star Game as top vote-getters

NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge were the first players picked for the July 15 All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park, elected as starters by fans on Thursday.

Judge led the major leagues with 4,012,983 votes in the first round of fan balloting and the outfielder was picked for his seventh American League start in eight All-Star Games, though he missed the 2023 game because of a sprained right big toe. He also was the leading vote-getter during the first phase in 2022 and last year.

Ohtani topped the NL and was second in the big leagues with 3,967,668 votes, becoming the first designated hitter to start in five straight All-Star Games.

The pair were selected under rules that began in 2022 and give starting spots to the top vote-getter in each league in the first phase of online voting, which began June 4 and ended Thursday. Two finalists at every other position advanced to the second phase, which runs from noon EDT on Monday to noon EDT on July 2. Votes from the first phase do not carry over.

An individual can vote once per 24-hour period.

Remaining starters will be announced on July 2. Pitchers and reserves will be revealed on July 6.

Seven players from the World Series champion Dodgers advanced to the second phase along with three each from the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and New York Mets, and two apiece from the Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.

AL finalists:

Catcher: Alejandro Kirk, Cal Raleigh

First base: Paul Goldschmidt, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Second Base: Jackson Holliday, Gleyber Torres

Third Base: Alex Bregman, José Ramírez

Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, Bobby Witt Jr.

Designated Hitter: Ryan O’Hearn, Ben Rice

Outfield: Javier Báez, Riley Greene, Steven Kwan, Mike Trout

NL finalists

Catcher: Carson Kelly, Will Smith

First Base: Pete Alonso, Freddie Freeman

Second Base: Tommy Edman, Ketel Marte

Third Base: Manny Machado, Max Muncy

Shortstop: Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor

Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Juan Soto, Kyle Tucker

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Blackhawks Are Okay Missing Out On Matthew Schaefer

Over the current Chicago Blackhawks rebuild, they have drafted and developed a lot of great young defensemen. This is an important position to have depth, and Kyle Davidson has hammered that point home with his decision-making. 

Whether it’s Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier, or Wyatt Kaiser, amongst others, there are plenty of bright spots at this position within the organization. 

For this reason, the Blackhawks aren’t in a bad spot because the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery didn’t go their way. The number one pick is likely going to be Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman from the Erie Otters. 

Schaefer is an incredibly skilled player, but he only played in less than half of Erie’s season this past year due to injury. In 17 games, he had 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points. It’s great production, it’s just unfortunate that he wasn’t able to play for his entire draft year. The sample size isn't enough to consider him a flawless prospect. 

Will the New York Islanders look past that and still take him with the first overall pick? Likely. If they don’t, he surely won’t get past the San Jose Sharks, who need a high-end defensive prospect as bad as any team in the league. 

One of the young forwards available is much better suited for the Blackhawks, who are lacking organizational depth up front. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar could be stars, Oliver Moore is a great player, and more are coming. However, another star-level prospect like the first two forwards mentioned makes more sense for Chicago than another skilled defenseman. 

Even if one of Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, James Hagens, Porter Martone, or Caleb Desnoyers is selected by Chicago, but they aren't as impactful as Schaefer, it could still be a win for the Blackhawks, who desperately need more scoring in the long term. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Blade Tidwell expected to join Mets for Pirates series: report

The Mets are going to look to their farm system to find an arm to replace Griffin Canning.

According to The Athletic's Will Sammon, the Mets are expected to call up Blade Tidwell on Friday. Sammon notes that Tidwell was slated to start Thursday's game for Triple-A Syracuse but the game was postponed due to rain. Tidwell will meet the team in Pittsburgh as the Mets get set for a three-game series against the Pirates. There could be other moves coming as well.

Canning left Thursday's win against the Braves with what the Mets call an ankle injury, but it's suspected the right-hander suffered an Achilles injury and they are just waiting for the results of an MRI to confirm.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game that he's confident the other pitchers in the rotation and in the minors will "step up" in Canning's absence.

“Guys will step up,” he said. “Our mentality is what do we need to do today. I’m confident in the guys we have in that room. I’m confident that the guys who will come up are going to give us opportunities to win baseball games, and we’ll continue to do so.”

Tidwell has just two big league starts with the Mets this season. He allowed six runs in 3.2 innings against the Cardinals back on May 4 and then allowed two runs in 3.2 innings in Philadelphia last weekend.

In 13 games (11 starts) with Syracuse, Tiwell has pitched to a 4-4 record and a 4.76 ERA but has 73 strikeouts over 62.1 innings pitched.


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2025 NBA Draft: Hunter Sallis, Vlad Goldin among top undrafted prospects

While hearing one's name called is the heavily preferred route to the NBA, there are only so many available slots. For the 2025 edition, there were 59 picks, and many accomplished players went undrafted. Below is a quick look at the top 10 players not selected and where they're headed as undrafted free agents.

1. G Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest

After playing two seasons at Gonzaga, Sallis transferred and took on a far more significant role at Wake Forest. During his final season, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the foul line. While Sallis did not provide much value as a three-point shooter, making 27.7 percent of his attempts in 2024-25, there's prior evidence that he can.

During his first season at Wake Forest, the guard shot 40.5 percent from deep on 5.4 attempts per game. Had Sallis entered the 2024 draft, there's a strong likelihood he would have been selected. The decreased accuracy from three was likely a factor in him not being drafted on Thursday, but he agreed to a two-way deal with the 76ers shortly after the draft concluded.

2. C Vladislav Golden, Michigan

Goldin enjoyed a storied collegiate run, first appearing for Texas Tech and then joining FAU, where he was part of the team's Cinderella run to the 2023 Final Four. Rather than going to the NBA, Goldin returned to college last season, following head coach Dusty May to Michigan as a grad transfer. The 7-foot, 253-pound center averaged 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 61/33/73 splits.

His size gives him upside as an interior scorer and rebounder, but he can be even better on offense if he can further develop his three-point shot. Goldin has agreed to a two-way contract with the Heat, who already have Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware, but there may be a need for additional depth in the frontcourt.

3. G Dink Pate, Mexico City

The 6-foot-8 Pate went the G League route, beginning with the 2023-24 season as part of G League Ignite. That team's disbandment led to Pate joining the Mexico City Capitanes, where he averaged 10.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 34 starts. While the Texas native boasts plus athleticism, he needs to grow as a shooter, with Pate shooting 26 percent from three and 58 percent from the foul line last season.

The combination of size and athleticism makes him an attractive wing prospect, but Pate has a long way to go as a shooter. As of late Thursday night, he had not agreed to a two-way deal, but Pate may be worth the risk for a team willing to wait on his development.

4. F/C Eric Dixon, Villanova

Regarding individual numbers, Dixon is one of the most productive players in Villanova program history. The 6-foot-8 forward/center led the nation in scoring as a senior, earning All-America honors and a first-team All-Big East selection.

Dixon averaged 23.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.9 three-pointers per game while recording 45.1/40.7/81.3 shooting splits. While undersized for the NBA level, Dixon's improvements as a shooter may translate. He's agreed to a two-way contract with the Lakers, making for an intriguing option if Dixon can defend fours on the perimeter.

5. C Viktor Lakhin, Clemson

The 6-foot-11, 245-pound center from Russia played three seasons at Cincinnati before transferring to Clemson ahead of the 2024-25 season. In 34 games, he recorded averages of 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 0.7 three-pointers in 23.6 minutes, shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 69.6 percent from the foul line.

Lahkin improved as a finisher and facilitator during his lone season at Clemson and was also an effective rim protector. However, he must improve his lateral mobility and strength in preparation for the NBA game. While yet to agree to a contract, it would be unsurprising if a team signed Lakhin to participate in Summer League play next month.

6. G Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga

The younger brother of Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, Ryan spent two seasons at Creighton before following in Andrew's footsteps and transferring to Gonzaga. As a senior, the 6-foot point guard led the nation in assists, averaging 9.8 per game while also accounting for 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 three-pointers. Nembhard averaged only 2.7 three-point attempts per game this past season, but the accuracy was there, as he shot 40.4 percent from beyond the arc.

While the lack of size may lead to some overlooking him, Nembhard's ability as a playmaker and improved perimeter shooter have put him on the NBA radar. He's been signed to a two-way deal by the Mavericks, which could be an interesting spot depending on how Dallas addresses the point guard position in free agency. Expecting Nembhard to crack the rotation would be unrealistic given the contract, but Kyrie Irving (knee) will miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season.

7. G Chucky Hepburn, Louisville

After spending three seasons at Wisconsin, Hepburn transferred to Louisville and was a key contributor for the Cardinals in 2024-25. He earned All-ACC honors and averaged 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.4 steals (tops in the ACC) and 1.9 three-pointers per game. Hepburn shot 43.2 percent from the field and 84.4 percent from the foul line. While the perimeter shot needs some work, Hepburn's foul shooting suggests he has room to develop.

He's capable of impacting the two-man game and as a defender, but Hepburn will need to improve as a shooter and clean up the turnovers (3.0 per game in 2024-25). Hepburn agreed to a two-way deal with the Raptors, who were much-improved defensively during the second half of last season. While the defensive ability and playmaking opened the door for Hepburn, his chances of sticking will likely hinge on the perimeter shot.

8. F RJ Luis Jr., St. John's

While St. John's coach Rick Pitino loaded up on transfers ahead of his second season with the program, his best player was among the few returnees. Luis, who played one season at UMass before transferring to St. John's, was one of the best players in college basketball in 2024-25. In 35 games, he averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers, shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 74.7 percent from the foul line.

In addition to being named Big East Player of the Year, the versatile Luis was a consensus All-American. Many projected him as a second-round pick, but his name was not called on Thursday. The good news for Luis is that he was able to land a two-way deal with the rebuilding Jazz. Utah did add Ace Bailey in the first round, but overall, the team has an uninspiring wing rotation. Also, the team has been willing to give two-way players and G League contributors opportunities to show what they can do during this rebuild. That may bode well for Luis.

9. G Mark Sears, Alabama

After two seasons at Ohio, Sears transferred to Alabama and flourished under head coach Nate Oates. A two-time All-American, the 6-foot point guard averaged 18.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.4 three-pointers per game in 2024-25. Sears shot 40.3 percent from the field, a decrease of 10 percentage points compared to the 2023-24 season, and his effective field goal percentage dropped by 11 percentage points to 49.4. Along with his size, the decrease in efficiency is a concern.

However, Sears can be a factor offensively, especially when put in positions where he can play downhill. The former Alabama point guard agreed to a two-way deal with the Bucks, who will play most of next season without Damian Lillard (Achilles). Also, Kevin Porter Jr. will be an unrestricted free agent. On paper, Sears is unlikely to be in a position to play rotation minutes. However, with the Giannis Antetokounmpo conversations from outside the organization, who knows what will happen once the dust settles after free agency?

10. F Grant Nelson, Alabama

The 6-foot-10 Nelson played three seasons at North Dakota State before transferring to Alabama ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He provided the Crimson Tide with offensive versatility in the frontcourt, but there is work to be done on the perimeter shot. In 37 games last season, Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.2 blocks and 0.6 three-pointers. Nelson shot 52.2 percent from the field, 25.8 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the foul line.

While a solid defender, there's still room for growth, especially in the two-man game. Nelson's ability to consistently knock down perimeter shots will be a key factor as he looks to establish himself as a pro. If he can do that, he can be a steal in this draft class. Nelson is joining the rebuilding Nets on a two-way deal, and while Brooklyn is rebuilding, they also have five first-round picks to work into the fold.

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Mets overcoming adversity is nothing new as team recaptures first place in NL East

The baseball season is long and the Mets know how to navigate the ups and downs all too well.

After losing 2-of-3 to the Phillies over the weekend, and then the first two of their four-game set with the Braves earlier this week, it felt like the sky was falling for the Mets. They were losing pitchers to injury, the once-daunted bullpen has shown kinks in its armor and the offense remained inconsistent. But how easy a couple of wins can turn things around.

The team entered play on Thursday, capping off a 10-game stretch against the Braves and Phillies, with a 2-7 record and losing their months-long grasp of the NL East in the process. Manager Carlos Mendoza and the rest of the team continued to preach patience, and it appears to be paying off.

With their back-to-back wins to split the series with the Braves -- including an impressive 4-0 win on Thursday night -- the Mets have hopped over the Phillies to recapture first place in the division.

While the Astros, who swept the Phillies this week, had their part to play, the Mets continued not to let the rough patch get to them because they knew it would turn around.

“We’re a resilient bunch and we stick together," Pete Alonso said after the game. "Losing is never great, losing stinks…how this group has handled adversity has always been great. A lot of these guys came from the same group that came from 11 games under last year and found a way to win games when they mattered most. There’s a lot of belief in this group, there’s a lot of talent in this room.

"Sometimes you get got, it’s the big leagues, you can lose on any given night because the talent is great, especially against two quality, in-division rivals. Happens….collectively it’s a learning experience and we’ll get better from it."

Alonso's three hits helped propel a Mets offense that has often squandered chances to put up runs. But they didn't on Thursday, even if they were on the cusp of doing so. In the fourth inning, Alonso's single put runners on first and third with no outs. Jeff McNeil flew out, unable to score Juan Soto from third and Tyrone Taylor was down in the count 0-2, but the outfielder lofted a long fly ball to give the Mets the lead. A lead they would not relinquish.

"Continue to stay in the fight. The one thing I keep saying is as long as we keep creating traffic, we’re going to come through," Mendoza said. "A lot of good at-bats, especially with two outs -- overall, as long as we’re creating traffic, we have a lot of good hitters. They’ll come through for us."

While the win was great, the Mets lost another starting pitcher due to injury on Thursday. Griffin Canning seemingly suffered an Achilles injury on a non-contact play, making him the third starter to be lost to injury this month (Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill).

Despite the string of bad injury luck, Mendoza remains confident in his group because he saw their resilience last year and it remains the same this season.

"Goes to show you that those guys are up for the challenge, whatever comes at you," Mendoza said. "It happens every year, how you’re going to handle it and how you’ll respond. With Senga and Megill ... guys will step up. Guys will come from the minor leagues. We just got to stick together and take it one day at a time….today is the most important day.

"Same thing we saw last year, the same we saw in spring training when guys went down this month, this past 10-12 days with injuries, not getting results. And how steady, how consistently they stay throughout. There’s no panic, but at the same time, there’s a sense of urgency to get better, how to get out of this stretch. Little by little, we continue to do the things we need to do, and obviously we have to be healthy. As far as the group goes, they’re consistent, they’re resilient, they have grit, they compete and they have fun."

The Mets will look to continue their winning ways when they head to Pittsburgh for three games this weekend against the 32-50 Pirates. If they take care of business, their stay atop of the NL East will be longer.

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4 Changes In The Reported New CBA That Will Affect The Penguins

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It appears that the NHL and NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) have managed to avoid a major labor dispute starting in the 2026-27 season. 

According to a report by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) extension has been agreed upon in principle by both parties, although nothing official has been signed yet. And with that extension comes some big changes for the NHL.

And these changes could also affect the Pittsburgh Penguins - as well as many other teams - in a pretty significant way. 

Here are some of the changes and how each could be consequential for Pittsburgh looking ahead.

Longer season, shorter pre-season

With this change, the NHL regular season will expand to 84 games, and the pre-season will  be reduced to four games.

Because of these changes, the regular season will begin at the end of September, teams will play all divisional opponents four times and all other conference opponents three times (with the home-and-away split with the opposing conference still intact), and players will play in less meaningless "warmup" hockey. 

How does this affect the Penguins? For one, NHL veterans with 100-plus games will not be able to play in more than two pre-season games, meaning guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin won't be seen much prior to the start of the regular season.

Also, the Penguins haven't fared all that well against the Metropolitan Division in recent years, posting a pedestrian 32-31-15 record against divisional opponents over the last three non-playoff seasons. That figure only looks to be worse next season, as Pittsburgh isn't exactly a buyer right now.

Maximum contracts capped even more

Back in 2013, the maximum term for NHL contracts was reduced to eight years. Now, it has been reduced even further. Contract extensions for players with their current teams will be capped at seven years, while free agent contracts will max out at six.

While this is clearly a move - as a whole - designed to prevent NHL GMs from going nuts with dollars and term, it will also help prevent buyouts and give star players more opportunities on the open market to cash in.

This could be a good thing for a team like Pittsburgh since they are in the midst of a rebuild. If they were to make a splash in free agency in 2026 - as many think is the plan - it would help them in the sense that if they committed long-term to a bigger name, it wouldn't hurt them as much in the long run if things don't go as planned.

Free agency should be more exciting, which should bode well for a team like the Penguins, who will not be obligated to long-term extensions for anyone on their current roster for the next several seasons and will have plenty of free cap to spend starting in 2026.

84-Game NHL Season? No Dress Code? Reacting To Five Intriguing Elements Of Reported CBA Talks84-Game NHL Season? No Dress Code? Reacting To Five Intriguing Elements Of Reported CBA TalksThe NHL and Players’ Association seem to be figuring out a new collective bargaining agreement long before a lockout is even in question. 

No more playoff LTIR loophole 

This is, potentially, a big deal for a team like Pittsburgh, who is in sell mode.

As it is now, teams with a bigger contract on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) prior to the trade deadline can load up on talent - so long as the player on LTIR doesn't play for the remainder of the regular season - to use in a non-capped playoff run. 

Well, that's, reportedly, no longer the case. With the new CBA, a team's lineup must be cap-compliant for every game during the playoffs. This means that even if teams stockpile talent before the trade deadline and their roster isn't cap-compliant heading into the playoffs, the lineup they put on the ice has to be. 

As a result, there may be more teams looking to dump salary by deadline day - which is a good thing for the Penguins. Pittsburgh will be able to take on some of those salary dumps for more picks and assets, which is only a good thing for a team trying to rebuild its prospect pool.

Rotating EBUGS a thing of the past

A fun NHL tradition appears to be coming to an end. 

Teams will no longer be able to have a random emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) for any given game. Now, they will have to house a full-time EBUG, officially ending the tradition of seeing whether not Arnold Slick from Turtle "Crick" would get to go from beer league on Friday night to an NHL rink on Saturday. 

The reason this could affect the Penguins? Well, they are likely to keep Mike Chiasson around to fill that role, as he has for Penguins' home games for years. However, it also opens the door for a team to, essentially, carry a thir goaltender - and the Penguins have a lot of goaltending in their system.

It's unclear at this point whether or not different people can rotate in and out of the EBUG slot and if there are limits in relation to the NHL roster. Nonethless, it should make goaltending battles more interesting going forward.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of the reported new CBA, click here.

Penguins Getting Rangers' Pick Is Win-Win For Both SidesPenguins Getting Rangers' Pick Is Win-Win For Both SidesOn Tuesday, the New York Rangers announced that they would give the Pittsburgh Penguins their 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft instead of sending them their 2026 pick.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

Feature image credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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Carlos Mendoza confident ‘guys will step up’ after Mets’ rotation takes another big hit

The Mets’ starting rotation suffered another big blow on Thursday night. 

New York is already down regulars as Kodai Senga remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, Tylor Megill is dealing with an elbow injury, and Sean Manaea continues working his way through a rehab assignment. 

Now it appears they could be without Griffin Canning for the remainder of the season.

The team is still awaiting MRI results to confirm, but Carlos Mendoza says the right-hander is believed to have suffered an Achilles injury during the third inning of Thursday night’s outing against the Braves. 

Canning went down in a heap of pain as he seemingly pushed off the mound wrong on a Nick Allen grounder to Francisco Lindor -- he remained there for some time before being helped off by trainers.

He was undergoing testing during Thursday’s contest.  

“It sucks, you hate to see it,” Mendoza said. “Especially the way he went down right away, and once you get there and you're asking what's going on and just how everything developed after that, I feel sorry for the guy, especially how big he's been for us this year.”

Canning certainly has been huge during his first year in the organization. 

The 29-year-old former first-round pick has been putting together arguably the best stretch of his career -- as he’s pitched to a strong 3.77 ERA and the Mets have gone home victorious in all but four of his 17 outings. 

But now they’ll have to look elsewhere to make up for that production. 

They could look to swing a trade for a starter ahead of the deadline, but it may be some time before any sort of deal comes about, so in the meantime, they have some young talent in-house.

Blade Tidwell will get the first shot as he's set to rejoin the team in Pittsburgh this weekend, but Nolan McLean continues mowing his way through Triple-A, Jonah Tong has been stellar in Binghamton, and even the struggling Brandon Sproat could find himself jumping into the mix. 

That's just a few of the young arms dealing down on the farm, no matter who they end up giving the call, Mendoza is confident this team will continue to find a way.

“Guys will step up,” the skipper said. “Our mentality is what do we need to do today. I’m confident in the guys we have in that room. I’m confident that the guys who will come up are going to give us opportunities to win baseball games, and we’ll continue to do so.”

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Top Five: Which Celebrity Will Introduce The Senators' First Round Draft Pick On Friday Night?

The 2025 NHL Draft is set for Friday night in Los Angeles, where they're experimenting with some new ideas this year. The biggest one is that all NHL team executives and scouts will stay back in their home cities, calling in their selections to the Peacock Theatre, where the draft is being hosted.

In the first round, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will make the first overall selection on behalf of the New York Islanders to lead off the draft. But after that, almost every NHL team—if not all—has come up with a special guest to make their first-round selection. It might be a current player, a member of the team’s alumni, or a celebrity who has some kind of tie to the team.

So the question becomes: who will the Ottawa Senators choose to announce their 21st overall selection? With virtually no research as to where in the world these people will be this weekend, let's handicap the field.

Because let's face it, you haven't had enough mock drafts this month.

5. Alanis Morrissette 10/1

Alanis Morrissette, Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Ottawa native sang the Canadian anthem before the Ottawa Senators’ first-ever home game back in 1992, so her heritage with the team goes back a long way. She also sang the anthem before Game 4 of Ottawa's only Stanley Cup Final appearance back in 2007. And she still doesn’t mind jumping into the hockey fray—singing the anthem before Game 7 of the Cup Final between Florida and Edmonton last year.

She lives in the Bay Area, so it’s only about an hour-long flight to L.A. Choosing her wouldn’t be ironic—like most of the things she sings about in her song of the same name—but it would be kind of cool.

4. Annie Murphy 8/1

Murphy played Alexis Rose in the hit sitcom Schitt’s Creek, one of the most popular Canadian TV shows of all time. She's now on the new season of Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman. Murphy grew up in Ottawa and has been to several Senators games, even jumping on for an interview with TSN’s Claire Hanna during an intermission this past season. Can’t go wrong if your special guest is A Little Bit Alexis. Boop.

Eugene Levy, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

3. Brady Tkachuk or Daniel Alfredsson 8/1

We're jamming them into the same frame because it's pretty much the same idea: the Senators’ leader of today or the one from the past. It would be a good debate to see which of them is more popular in Ottawa, and both would be appreciated by the fan base if they came out to welcome the newest Ottawa Senator.

2. Brooke Henderson 5/1

Brooke Henderson © Raymond Carlin III Imagn Images

In 2022, the Smiths Falls native proudly wore a Senators jersey at The Rink hole at the Canadian Open when it was played in Ottawa. She also committed last year to a multi-year partnership with the Senators and has frequently been a guest of the team, dropping the puck at games. The LPGA’s Dow Championship is on right now in Midland, Michigan, and Brooke is unlikely to fly across the country in the middle of a tournament. After a glance at the round one leaderboard, it doesn't look like she’s playing this week.

1. Claude Giroux 5/1

I feel like it's 50/50 that Giroux agrees to an extension, but if he does sign, what a fine way to announce it. Maybe something like:

“Good evening. I’m excited to be back with the Ottawa Senators next season, and with the 21st selection, the Senators select (insert name here).”

We could even bring it full circle to Giroux’s draft day and have the in-house announcer go all Bobby Clarke on him and forget Giroux's name.

There it is. We've drafted the drafters. Who do you like? The Sens' Gladiator? Paul McClone? DJ Prosper? Be sure to let us know in the comments.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

More Sens Headlines:

Senators UFA Claude Giroux: Still A Clear-Cut Top-Six Talent In Ottawa
Your Handy Ottawa Senators Fan Guide To A Very Different 2025 NHL Draft
Senators Announce Pre-Season Schedule For Next Year
Would Kings Defenceman Jordan Spence Be A Fit With The Senators?
Should The Senators Have Surrendered This Year's First-Round Draft Pick Instead?
Senators Bring Back First-Rounder For Second Tour Of Duty
Rewriting The Draft: A Decade Of First-Round 'What-Ifs' for the Senators

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NHL Trade Rumors: Penguins Have Prime Target In Utah Forward

The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently retooling their roster. While there certainly is a chance that they could end up trading away some of their key players before the off-season is done, they also should not be afraid to acquire players who could help them in the long term.

When observing trade candidates around the NHL, one player who the Penguins should seriously consider targeting this off-season is Utah Mammoth forward Matias Maccelli. 

Maccelli, 24, is currently a popular name in the rumor mill. It is fair to say that the 2019 fourth-round pick could use a change of scenery, as he was the subject of multiple healthy scratches this season with Utah. In addition, he struggled in 2024-25, posting eight goals, 18 points, and a minus-13 rating in 55 contests.

While Maccelli's offensive numbers this season were certainly low, he undoubtedly has the potential to bounce-back in the right situation. Just back during the 2023-24 campaign with the Arizona Coyotes, he set career highs with 17 goals, 40 assists, and 57 points in 82 games. This was after he had 11 goals and 49 points in 64 games with the Coyotes during his 2022-23 breakout campaign. 

When looking at Maccelli's past success, he is the kind of young forward that the Penguins should consider taking a shot on him. Given how this past season went for Maccelli, his trade value is lower, so the Penguins likely would not need to give up too much to get him.

If Maccelli bounced back in Pittsburgh, he would have the potential to become a key part of their top six and power play. Yet, at a minimum, he could give their third line a boost, which is one of Pittsburgh's need.

Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see if the Penguins end up pursuing Maccelli this off-season. When noting that he is a young, skilled forward who has had past success, he could be worth taking a gamble on.

Penguins Open To Making Significant TradePenguins Open To Making Significant TradeThe Pittsburgh Penguins currently hold the 11th and 12th overall picks of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. With this, they have the chance to land two very good prospects. That is, of course, if they elect to hold onto both of their picks. However, based on a recent report, this is not a guarantee.

Photo Credit: © Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Austin Warren, Dedniel Núñez lead 'unbelievable' Mets bullpen in relief of injured Griffin Canning

The Mets’ bullpen was really put to the test on Thursday night. 

Griffin Canning cruised his way through the first two innings against the Braves, but he was forced to leave the game in the third after suffering what appears to be an Achilles injury coming off the mound awkwardly. 

Austin Warren, who was recalled prior to the game, then entered and picked up right where Canning left off.

After putting the finishing touches on the third, the right-hander put together 2.1 scoreless innings of work, allowing just one baserunner and striking out two in his second big league appearance of the season. 

“The adrenaline kicked in right away and took over,” Warren said postgame. “Mendy told me every time I came in just to keep filling it up, I knew they needed a couple of innings out of me and pitch count is a big thing -- defense made some plays behind me, I had some punchouts and it all just worked out.”

Dedniel Núñez followed that up with arguably his best outing of the season -- retiring all six batters he faced over two scoreless innings of his own, and striking out the side in the top of the seventh. 

Núñez looked back to his dominant form from last year and he’s now gone seven consecutive appearances without allowing a run. 

“First of all, I’m just grateful to God for my health,” Núñez said through an interpreter. “But today I felt really good, I was able to attack the hitters like I did last year and I was really just able to focus in on executing my pitches, and I was able to help the team in any way I could.”

Ryne Stanek then delivered his third consecutive scoreless appearance before Edwin Diaz came on and put the finishing touches on the victory in the top of the ninth. 

Overall, the bullpen combined to allow just two hits over 6.1 scoreless innings as they locked up the series split. 

“Unbelievable job,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Once Griff goes down, you hate to see it and in the back of my mind, it’s like how are we going to get through nine innings -- for Warren to finish that inning, then go out for the fourth and fifth, just throwing strikes and giving us a chance. 

“Then Núñez probably the best we’ve seen out of him, more like the Núñez we saw last year consistently -- the velo, the slider, throwing strikes. I wanted to stay away from Stanek, but him coming in there with just seven pitches and then Sugar finishing it off, just a hell of a job from the bullpen.”

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Knicks select forward Mohamed Diawara with No. 51 pick in 2025 NBA Draft

The Knicks have selected forward Mohamed Diawara with the 51st overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night.

New York originally had the No. 50 pick, but while they were on the clock, the Knicks traded the pick to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Diawara, 20, has played in France the past few seasons with this past year being his best while playing with Cholet Basket of the Betclic Elite league. The 6-foot-8 Diawara averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.6 minutes on the court across 27 games.

Sources tell SNY's Ian Begley that Diawara will play for the Knicks' Summer League team. Contract details are still to be determined.

Diawara is good friends with Pacome Dadiet, the Knicks' 2024 first-round pick, who is also from France. According to NBADraft.net, Diawara's strengths include his ball-handling and he was notably used as the primary defender for the opposing team's primary ball-handler while playing for France's U20 team.