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Wednesday, 31 December 2025
Ottawa Senators storylines to watch in 2026
OTTAWA — 2025 was a banner year for the Ottawa Senators, transitioning from years of misery and despair to long-awaited playoff wins. But they still carry plenty of anguish heading into the new year.
So, what does 2026 have in store for the Senators?
Well, because we can’t see into the future, here’s a look at what we think will be the 10 most enticing storylines for the Senators in 2026.
1. Playoffs or bust! And the dominoes that fall
The Senators are walking the Eastern Conference tightrope, sitting only four points out of a playoff spot, with Moneypuck.com giving them a 42 per cent chance of climbing back into the post-season. Making the playoffs is the expectation, and the correlated presumption is that general manager Steve Staios will add to his roster at the deadline, not subtract. They aren’t in “all-in” territory, but with Brady Tkachuk having a maximum of three playoff runs left on his contract, the time is now.
If the Senators make it — and if they make enough noise — it could mean that by next fall, we hear “Cup” whispered around the national capital region. If the Senators don’t make it, do heads roll? Does management preach patience yet again, or are fans looking at yet another retool? Choose your Senators’ adventure.
2. Will the Senators get enough saves to become an elite team?
Every single analytic would tell you the Senators are an elite team, from Corsi to expected goals and even the eye test. The Senators consistently outshoot, out-chance and out-possess teams, a hard thing to do in the NHL. But they are last in team save percentage.
It’s not all on the goalies, but no team can go far in the playoffs without solid goaltending. Whether it’s Linus Ullmark — who’s take a personal leave of absence — Leevi Merilainen or one of their AHL emergency call-ups, the Senators can’t have the second-best goaltender on most nights, which has been the situation of late. The issue might make or break this era of Senators hockey, despite all its talent and promise.
3. Will the Senators get their first-round pick back?
As of this, the last day of 2025, the Senators are in line for the 10th-overall pick in the 2026 draft. But that draft selection would vanish like the memory of the Joonas Korpisalo era in Ottawa.
The Senators organization still believes there is a chance it can reclaim the draft pick it lost as punishment for the botched Evgenii Dadonov trade in 2021. In 2014, the New Jersey Devils were supposed to lose their pick because they tried to circumvent the salary cap to sign Ilya Kovalchuk, but that punishment was converted to getting the last selection in the first round, at pick 30. The stakes in a year with a strong draft class are significant for the club’s future.
4. Brady Tkachuk’s future in Ottawa
The narrative surrounding Tkachuk’s future in Ottawa will hinge on the outcome of this season and the start of next season. At the end of 2026, Tkachuk will be 18 months away from free agency. If the sense is that Tkachuk wants to re-up in the nation’s capital, it could lead to Staios becoming ultra-aggressive. While if Tkachuk is non-committal about his future in Ottawa, the Senators would be in quite a predicament.
A decision would have to be made as to whether to trade their captain for an immense Quinn Hughes-esque package or the Senators could try to go all-in to win a Cup in 2027 and 2028, the final years of Tkachuk’s deal.
More than the possible return, contextually, there are parallels with the Hughes situation in Vancouver: another star American captain in a Canadian city, and Tkachuk’s desire to stay will likely hinge on whether the team is in a contention window. The volume around Tkachuk is about to be ratcheted up.
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5. Will Tim Stutzle become that superstar?
Tim Stutzle is playing the best hockey of his career, and on a 10-game point streak. He’s on pace for 40 goals and 88 points while playing sublime 200-foot hockey, and he’s only 23 years old. Since the 2024-25 season, Stutzle is fifth in wins above replacement, according to Evolving Hockey, behind only Leon Draisaitl, Thomas Harley, Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak. If Stutzle maintains his elite play, it changes the whole dynamic of how good the Senators can be — now and until his contract ends, in 2031.
6. Jake Sanderson cements himself as a top-five defenceman in the world.
In less than a year, Sanderson went from an underexposed elite talent to an integral part of the Senators’ and Team USA’s backend. Sanderson is a defensive stalwart who has blossomed into a great power-play quarterback and offensive gem. He’s on pace to set career highs in every statistical offensive category, while leading the best defensive pairing in the NHL alongside Artem Zub, according to Moneypuck. Every year, Sanderson has gotten better — why would it be different in 2026?
7. Will the Senators add a top-six forward or a top-four right-shot defenceman?
The theme whenever the trade deadline looms in Ottawa is what should Staios prioritize: Adding a top-six forward or a top-four defenceman? In an ideal world, both. But without many picks or prospects this year, it’s up to Staios to pull a rabbit out of his hat.
Right now, the team is ninth in goals for and eighth in five-on-five goals per game. The problem isn’t scoring, but who should be paired with Thomas Chabot? With Nick Jensen regressing and Jordan Spence better for third-pairing minutes, the Senators should focus on adding another right-shot defenceman. That decision will be front of mind come the deadline and into the 2026 off-season.
8. Can Shane Pinto prove he’s an elite goal scorer?
Pinto is on a 35-goal pace this season and he already has two 20-goal seasons over his career. His shooting percentage is the highest of his career at 17 per cent, but only one per cent more than last season. In 2026, we will find out if Pinto is that elite sniper or if he’s just on a roll. His 30-plus goal touch on the third line could elevate the Senators to another tier.
9. Can Dylan Cozens become a force as a second-line centre?
The Buffalo Sabres are flying high with Josh Norris, and the Senators are not with Dylan Cozens. The final word on last season’s trade between division rivals won’t be known for some time, but Cozens has been good this season, not great. Sixteen of Cozens’ 29 points have come on the power play — he simply hasn’t produced enough offence at five-on-five. With both Stutzle and Pinto elevating, Cozens’ play is suddenly an X-factor for Ottawa’s success in 2026.
10. Will Carter Yakemchuk become an everyday NHLer?
Zeev Buium, Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson have all played in the NHL. Yakemchuk has not. Yet Yakemchuk was selected above the other three in 2024. He has produced points in the AHL and was leading in rookie defenceman scoring before a recent injury.
Nevertheless, his defence and his skating are works in progress. The Senators have a huge hole on the right side of their defence, and Yakemchuk was drafted to fill it. At the moment, the Senators could surely use a skilled, rugged right-shot defenceman like him. His progress in 2026 could lead to major dividends for the Senators, or some major what-ifs.
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Tuesday, 30 December 2025
Changing women’s hockey alters Canada’s Olympic prep
The United States heaved on the rope in 2025 in its women’s hockey tug of war with Canada.
Their rivalry is constant, but the stakes rise in the year preceding the Winter Olympics.
Canada won one of eight meetings against its nemesis in 2025.
The U.S. beat Canada twice in April’s world championship, including a 4-3 overtime win in the final. The Americans swept the four-game Rivalry Series in November and December by a combined score of 24-7.
The two countries split the conclusion of last season’s Rivalry Series before the U.S. won six straight. They’ve met in every Olympic final but one in 2006, when Sweden upset the U.S. in the semifinal.
Canadian forward Brianne Jenner, an Olympic veteran of three tense finals against the U.S., says she and her teammates remain confident they’ll have a team that can defend the gold medal in February’s Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
“We trust each other, love each other, believe in each other,” Jenner stated.
Canada’s captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was voted the International Ice Hockey Federation’s female player of the year in 2025, was also undaunted.
“We know there’s work to be done,” Poulin said.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League, starting its third season in November, completely changed how both countries prepare for the Olympics.
Canada’s reliance on its team game, previously forged through six months of training and playing 20 to 30 games together, was no longer possible.
“It’s just the new changing landscape of women’s hockey, and we get to be a bit of the guinea pig here for the first go-round with the PWHL and the national team,” said Canada’s head coach Troy Ryan. “Even in a COVID year in 2022, we probably had more games as a group.”
Of the 30 women invited to Canada’s three two-week camps in September, October and November before the PWHL’s regular season began, and also played in the Rivalry Series, all but two were PWHL players.
The United States carries 21 PWHL players in its pool of 30, and nine from the NCAA.
Bodies of work with the national team in games and camps, plus players’ individual performances in the PWHL, determine Canada’s 23-player Olympic roster of three goalies and 20 skaters to be announced next week.
Canada’s general manager, Gina Kingsbury, reserved the right to select outside her pool of 30 if a player gets hot in the PWHL.
“Every game is watched by several coaches, and there are reports due to make sure that we’re documenting what we’re seeing on a daily basis with our athletes,” Kingsbury said. “We will use the PWHL play as a big indicator of who we bring to Milan and who we don’t.”
The women’s management team is comprised of Kingsbury, Ryan, senior manager of player development and scouting, Cherie Piper, assistant coaches Kori Cheverie, Caroline Ouellette and Britni Smith, and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood.
Women’s world championship rosters expanded from 23 to 25 players in 2025 to match the men’s, but it was too late in the quadrennial for the IIHF to apply to the International Olympic Committee for additional women in Milan.
Given how hard the women compete against each other in the PWHL, which breaks Jan. 28 for the Olympic Games, the spectre of injury is ever-present.
Kingsbury is also the GM, and Ryan is the head coach of the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres.
While injury was a hazard when the women centralized in Calgary in the months leading up to previous Winter Games, Kingsbury is holding her breath more this time.
“I just felt like we maybe had more control and maybe it’s an illusion that I had,” she said with a laugh. “I do feel less control in this league because there’s maybe more games, more opportunities for something to happen, but that’s just something that every team is dealing with, not just Canada.
“That’s definitely the thing that keeps us up at night.”
Canada can change its roster up until its first game of the Olympic tournament, Feb. 4 against Finland.
“If there are injuries post-selection date, at least the players that get added will be players that have been with our group the entire time through,” Ryan said.
Players left off the Olympic team will be on notice that their status could change in the event of injury, Kingsbury said.
“That message will be delivered to everyone,” she said. “Be prepared. You may come to the Games last minute.”
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Monday, 29 December 2025
Sunday, 28 December 2025
Quick Shifts: Will Matthew Knies return to the Olympics?
A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and less so, and rolling four lines deep. New Year’s resolution, 2026: Stop letting A.I. write Quick Shifts.
1. If Matthew Knies sounds unworried about his Olympic candidacy, maybe that’s because the youngest Team USA forward under consideration has already been an Olympian and is likely to get another crack down the road.
The 23-year-old shook hands with head coach Mike Sullivan and GM Bill Guerin at USA Hockey’s meet-and-greet summer camp, scrimmaged with the nation’s best, and had a blast golfing with fellow candidates Cole Caufield and Zach Werenski.
But Milan hasn’t been at the forefront of the power forward’s mind since.
“I feel like if you think about that stuff and overthink it, it tends to probably ruin your game a little bit,” says Knies, a frontline stud for the Toronto Maple Leafs. “If you just focus on now, focus on this team, focus on what you’re doing well here, that stuff will get noticed.”
Guerin will unveil his final roster decisions at the top of the new year. The most turnover is expected up front. But, with his and the Leafs’ performance hitting a snag of late, Knies is unlikely to leapfrog a few wingers who failed to make the U.S. 4 Nations squad.
Tage Thompson, Jason Robertson, and Caufield should have better arguments, while veterans Vincent Trocheck, J.T. Miller, and Chris Kreider have been fighting to not get phased out.
Guerin likes his wingers big and unafraid and productive, and Knies does fit the bill.
Only one U.S. forward (Kyle Connor) has more than Knies’s 28 even-strength points this season, despite the Leaf missing time due to injury. And Knies’s 0.85 even-strength points per game ranks among the country’s best.
“He’s obviously in consideration, for sure. He’s a real good player, and then he’s got size (six-foot-three, 232 pounds) and strength,” argues Leafs coach Craig Berube. “He can be a real complement to some of the skill and talent they have over on the USA side, and just a guy that’s going to forecheck hard and be a heavy player around the net and being around the net front and being physical.
“He could be a real good player for them. Hopefully it happens, but that’s not my call.”
Guerin probably goes back to his own Wild star, Matt Boldy, who excelled at 4 Nations. But Knies does have two-plus seasons of built-in chemistry with U.S. captain Auston Matthews.
And, heck, Knies is that rare U.S. candidate who can already say he’s had the Olympic experience in 2022. (Defencemen Jake Sanderson and Brock Faber are the others.)
When the NHLers backed out of the Beijing Games for fear of the virus, Knies was one of the NCAA stars who answered the call. The Phoenix native skated on a line with Matty Beniers and Nick Abruzzese. He posted a goal and an assist for the fifth-place Americans in what he describes as a “surreal” tournament.
No family was permitted to join the players, who resided in a gated village, took COVID tests every morning after breakfast, and bussed around with non-hockey athletes in a “loose” bubble.
“It was incredible. It was cool. It was definitely unique with COVID happening. And just being in Beijing, it was just a completely different type of world over there,” Knies says.
“Half the team’s college; half the team was pro guys over in Europe. So, we had a mix of almost everything, and it was just so fun to be with that group.”
Be it in February 2026 or — better bet — February 2030, Knies has a fantastic shot of a more normal Olympic experience.
“Tremendous honour. It’d be surreal, really, to be part of that team, to be named. It’ll be the best hockey that the world has seen in… I don’t know how many years,” Knies says. “Yeah, I’d be really fortunate. But I think I still got some work left to do here.
“If not, try the next time.”
2. Welcome back to the show.
Now feast on the December 27 NHL experience, where players rush to make short-haul flights the morning before puck drop and face important divisional rivals with heavy legs and clogged arteries.
Minnesota-Winnipeg, Tampa-Florida, New York–New York, Ottawa-Toronto…
Matthew Tkachuk: “How bad is that game?”
Brady Tkachuk: (lets out deep sigh) “It’s like you’re five pounds heavier. Just polished off some food and drinks.”
Matthew: “It is the worst pre-game skate by far. By the time you start to feel somewhat good, you’re off the ice…. Good thing is, everyone’s in the same boat. Everyone’s a lot heavier. Everyone’s a little sluggish.”
Brady: “Everyone smells like a brewery.”
Matthew: “That’s a muck of a game. I love that game. It’s like the practice after rookie party. They’re the best.”
(Conversation cribbed from the Tkachuk brothers’ Wingmen podcast.)
3. The sample size (35 games minimum) is large enough. A few meaningful trades have been consummated. A couple eyebrow-raising firings have gone down. Christmas has passed. Playoff races are starting to feel real.
And yet, every single team in the Eastern Conference has at least a .500 points percentage. They all feel in it.
Last-place Columbus (.500) has announced itself a buyer, shelling out a second-round pick to add Mason Marchment as star defenceman Zach Werenski calls the Blue Jackets’ losing ways “outrageous” and “unacceptable.”
Second-last-place Toronto (also .500) did axe assistant Marc Savard before stockings were stuffed, but GM Brad Treliving was quick to tell fans that he’s “not waving the white flag.” And Treliving’s boss, Keith Pelley — who was decked out in a Roots Maple Leafs varsity jacket and congratulating his team in the dressing room following their Festivus win over Pittsburgh — has given Treliving and head coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence heading into the new year.
Even the most dismal of eastern franchises, Buffalo, is suddenly hotter than the pistols in Griselda rap. The Sabres have won seven in a row since new GM Jarmo Kekalainen took over, injecting belief into captain Rasmus Dahlin’s proclamation: “I think Jarmo’s going to be the one that turns it around.”
Losers acting like winners, public endorsements amid public failings, Swedes trusting Finns… call it the wild, wild East.
Yes, the right-hand conference is as crowded and as difficult to navigate as a pre-Internet mall on Boxing Day.
Shaping up to be a fascinating sprint to the finish line.
4. Which, in our opinion, presents incentive for middling clubs to sell in a sellers’ market.
We’re looking at you, Pittsburgh Penguins, losers of nine of their past 10 — that lone W coming via shootout.
Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson were quite the adventure Tuesday. Evgeni Malkin has been out since Dec. 4, and Sidney Crosby has his franchise mark.
More than half the roster is on expiring deals, and features useful rental pieces abound.
Power forward Anthony Mantha, 31, hasn’t looked this effective in years.
Kevin Hayes, properly slotted, could still contribute, and centres are impossible to come by.
Brett Kulak, Connor Clifton, and Ryan Shea present blue-line depth.
And eventually a decision must be made on UFA goalie Stuart Skinner, who has plenty of playoff experience. But let’s allow the man to get a new paint job for his mask first.
Of course, GM Kyle Dubas’ real assets come with term. Rickard Rakell (eight-team no-trade list) and Bryan Rust (zero protection) should yield multiple pieces if dealt.
And then there is the elephant in the room.
Would the franchise’s leading scorer dare try on a new outfit? Join the juggernaut Avalanche in as close to a slam-dunk Stanley Cup as one could imagine in a cap era? Suit up for his beloved boyhood Canadiens? Or allow agent Pat Brisson and buddy Bill Guerin to work on another Minnesota blockbuster?
These ideas are in the ether.
We wonder, though, how Crosby’s Olympic experience shapes his thinking.
If he leads Canada to another gold, does that satisfy his craving for winning or only pour gasoline on top?
If Canada settles for a lesser medal or — gasp — misses the podium, is Crosby capable of turning down a shot at playoff hockey and settling for another long summer staring at some other captain’s framed photo of glory?
We won’t know the answers till March.
5. Quote of the Week.
“They’re coached better.” — Dean Evason, former Minnesota coach, on what’s different about the Wild
6. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery gave a great answer about the art of winning a puck battle:
“I can tell you this: It is not just size and strength. A lot of people equate a puck battle as, ‘Oh, if you’re six-foot-four, 220 pounds, you automatically get to win all the puck battles because you’re bigger and stronger.’ And it’s just not the case. There’s skill involved; there’s technique involved. There’s a will and a mental part to it. And I think it’s an easy thing to just slip five per cent, and it ends up hurting you.
“We remind our group that we need to come up with 50 per cent of those — but we want to come up with 70 per cent. Because if you do that, you have the puck for majority of the night. So, winning puck battles, winning space, absolutely is something that we can do a better job of.”
Carbery, a former Maple Leafs assistant, then pointed to 35-year-old veteran John Tavares as “one of the best that I’ve ever seen” at puck battles.
“He just is so slippery and so good in that tight area of getting the puck out, spinning there,” Carbery said. “All of a sudden, he’s to the inside.”
7. A little inside baseball here, but the Seattle Kraken’s handling of the post-game availability in which only a team employee was permitted to ask questions of head coach Lane Lambert is worrisome.
If anything, reporters should have more access, not less. (Eighty-two is a lot of games. Mixing in interviews with assistant coaches, assistant GMs and referees, when the timing makes sense, would add variety and insight.)
Bob Condor, editor of the Kraken’s website, acted as pool reporter in the post-game availability, asking submitted questions. Having team control over both sides of an interview prevents follow-up questions and spontaneity.
It’s a slippery slope that leaves a bitter taste.
At least Seattle’s public relations department owned the mistake.
“The questions that were posed to Lane during the press conference were, I guess you want to call it, funnelled through Bob, who writes for the Kraken,” a team representative told SoundOfHockey.com. “And other reporters weren’t given the chance to ask questions in that moment.
It doesn’t reflect what we’re trying to do in Seattle as a new team and trying to make inroads with a new market and build relationships with media.”
The Kraken are already struggling on the ice. To not open themselves up to outside questioning is a dangerous step toward not being taken seriously off it.
Good on them for copping to the error.
8. With Chris Tanev’s surprising pre-break return and Troy Stecher’s surprising excellence in Toronto since getting scooped off the waiver wire, the Maple Leafs’ top two right-shot defencemen have reunited on a third Canadian team (Vancouver, Calgary).
Wild story for a pair of guys who were never drafted.
“I was in his wedding (party). He’s one of my best friends. When I learned that we were going to get him, I was pretty pumped up,” Tanev says. “He works his behind off and does his job. Isn’t flashy but works like he’s double the size than he actually is.”
9. Team Canada’s roster will be announced Dec. 31. Can’t wait for the final decisions and ensuing outrage.
New additions I’m betting are locks: Tom Wilson, Macklin Celebrini and Logan Thompson.
Serious consideration: Matthew Schaefer and Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks’ falloff in the wake of Bedard’s shoulder injury — they’re suddenly 32nd in wins and (13) points percentage (.444) — only underscores Bedard’s value.
Still, health questions give Canada’s brass an easy out if they wish to pass on Bedard, and Seth Jarvis for that matter.
The more we watch Schaefer, the more we believe he should get a plane seat in February, even if it comes at the expense of, say, Travis Sanheim.
Assuming Jordan Binnington’s reputation trumps his recent performance, the nation still needs a third goalie. Darcy Kuemper’s Cup ring probably gives him the edge over Colorado’s tandem of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood.
10. Auston Matthews gives his thoughts on fellow first-overall draft pick Bedard, who got some flak for topping out at 23 goals and not being a point-per-game force in his first two NHL campaigns.
“You see it every year. There’s always a lot of hype for the young guys coming into the league. Especially if you go first overall, there’s a lot of pressure and stuff,” Matthews said.
“But, in the end, I think people forget, these are 18-year-old kids coming into the league. It’s not easy going from playing junior hockey or college, stepping in and playing against really good players — men — on a nightly basis. And sometimes it takes a little bit of time to get your feet under you, to get comfortable, to adjust to that kind of pace, the style of play, the physicality of it all.
“I find it funny, because it’s like they expect so much of them right away, and they kind of write them off after a year or two. And then look at a guy like (Nathan) MacKinnon, who struggled the second year (14 goals, 38 points) and now is a top-two player in the world. Sometimes it takes time for guys to adjust.”
11. Martin Necas since arriving in Colorado: 1.14 points per game.
Mikko Rantanen since leaving Colorado: 1.07 points per game.
12. Here’s Connor McDavid on the stress Team Canada faces at the world junior tournament — which, next to reheating turkey sandwiches, is the most delicious thing about the final week of the year:
“World Juniors has always been important. I remember my year with it being in Montreal and Toronto (in 2015), the hype was huge. I remember camp, I think they took us outside the noise, and kind of set up outside of town to try to quiet the noise a little bit. And it can be a lot for these young guys. It’s a lot of expectation. So, the pressure’s on for them. But it’s such a great experience. It’s so much fun. Great opportunity for them.”
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Saturday, 27 December 2025
Maple Leafs’ Berube gives injury updates on Stolarz, Carlo
The Toronto Maple Leafs have no firm answers on when two key pieces will return to play.
After Saturday’s morning skate, head coach Craig Berube said Anthony Stolarz‘s return is “really indefinite as of now,” and Brandon Carlo “hasn’t been in any real practice” and therefore is also not ready to play.
Stolarz has not appeared in a game since Nov. 11 when he went down in Boston with what was then characterized as a minor upper-body injury.
The previous most recent update on Stolarz came on Dec. 16 when Berube said the netminder was going to see a specialist.
“Hopefully we get some good news out of it and (the doctor) can help him a little bit, because he’s not making the progress that we thought he’d make,” the head coach had said.
The 31-year-old struggled in 13 games prior to injury, posting an .884 save percentage and 3.51 goals-against average.
Carlo has been out since suffering the injury during a game on Nov. 13, but did skate with the team ahead of Saturday’s morning skate.
When asked if Carlo would be ready in the next couple of games, Berube said, “I wouldn’t jump there yet, we have to see how he is going forward.”
The defenceman has recorded two assists in 18 games for Toronto this season while averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per contest.
The Leafs acquired Carlo in a trade with the Boston Bruins at last year’s trade deadline.
The Maple Leafs host the Senators on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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Senators recall forward Xavier Bourgault, defenceman Dennis Gilbert from AHL
Xavier Bourgault and Dennis Gilbert both have to take on one more holiday trip.
The Ottawa Senators have recalled Bourgault and Gilbert from the AHL and both players will join the trip to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Bourgault, a 23-year-old forward, is set to make his NHL debut, while Gilbert was not listed in the projected lineup.
Bourgault, a 2021 first-round draft pick, has been stellar in the AHL so far this season with nine goals and 18 assists in 27 games, almost double the scoring pace he had last season.
Gilbert, 30, has already appeared in one game for the Senators this year and was assigned to the Belleville Senators on Dec. 19. The defenceman added two assists in a game against the Toronto Marlies the next day.
The Maple Leafs host the Senators on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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Report: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to return against Bulls
Milwaukee is set to get its superstar back.
After missing eight games, Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is expected to play Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported.
Antetokounmpo went down with the injury early in a game on Dec. 3 against the Detroit Pistons. The Bucks won that game, but went 2-6 in their next eight contests without Antetokounmpo, most recently getting blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 on Friday.
Per the report, Antetokounmpo will make his return so long as he clears his pre-game routine without issue.
The Bucks (12-19) sit eleventh in the Eastern Conference, out of the post-season picture. They are 3-11 this season when missing their two-time MVP.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.9 points per game in 17 games this season. He is also averaging over 10 rebounds and six assists per game.
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PWHL on Sportsnet: Fleet vs. Charge
The league-leading Boston Fleet visit the Ottawa Charge for their first meeting of the season on Saturday. Live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins at 12 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. PT.
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Friday, 26 December 2025
Thursday, 25 December 2025
AP source: Jaguars CB Jourdan Lewis to have season-ending foot surgery
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis will have season-ending foot surgery, a person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor the team has confirmed Lewis’ status. Lewis injured his foot in a 34-20 victory at Denver last Sunday. NFL Network first reported Lewis’ pending surgery.
He’s the team’s second starting cornerback lost for the season, following rookie Travis Hunter (knee).
Lewis, Hunter and Tyson Campbell opened the season as the team’s top three cornerbacks. Now, all are gone for Jacksonville’s playoff run. The Jaguars swapped starting cornerbacks with Cleveland in early October, sending Campbell north for Greg Newsome II.
Newsome, Montaric Brown and Jarrian Jones will be counted on to handle the workload down the stretch, beginning at Indianapolis on Sunday, and in the postseason.
Lewis started 12 games this season after signing a three-year, $30-million contract in free agency. He had 39 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble return with Jacksonville.
He spent the first eight years of his NFL career in Dallas.
The Jaguars (11-4) also expect to be without two starting offensive linemen — center Robert Hainsey (groin) and right guard Patrick Mekari (back) — against the Colts (8-7).
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NBA Live Tracker: Cavaliers vs. Knicks
NBA Christmas gets underway at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
Follow every play with Sportsnet’s live tracker beginning at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT.
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Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley returns vs. Knicks
NEW YORK — Evan Mobley was available to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers against New York on Thursday, making it back from a strained left calf in less than two weeks when it was originally feared he could miss twice that.
The Cavaliers said the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year would miss two to four weeks after he sustained a Grade 1 strain of the calf on Dec. 12. Instead, he missed only five games before providing a big Christmas boost to Cleveland.
Coach Kenny Atkinson said Mobley had progressed in recent days to playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 in practices, then worked out before the game, and the Cavaliers upgraded him from questionable to available to play.
“One thing about Evan I’ve learned, he heals pretty quick,” Atkinson said before the game. “Like, he’s 23. Sometimes age is a factor in these things.”
Mobley was not in the starting lineup, joining players such as Victor Wembanyama and Zion Williamson in coming off the bench in recent games after returning from their injuries.
Mobley is averaging a career-high 19.1 points per game and adding 9.3 rebounds per game. His addition is another positive for a Cavaliers team that has dealt with injuries during a 17-14 start. But Cleveland came into New York after consecutive victories and Atkinson said he could see momentum starting to build for a team that won 64 games in 2024-25.
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Wednesday, 24 December 2025
Led by returnees, Canada looking to rebound off flops at world juniors
Gavin McKenna had tears in his eyes. His voice cracked with emotion.
The teenage phenom dreamt of capturing gold for Canada on home soil. His first experience at the world junior hockey championship instead ended in bitter heartbreak.
“A lot to deal with,” McKenna said, looking back at the country’s second straight quarterfinal exit some 12 months ago. “Canada, they’ve got a lot of pride in their country, and when you let them down like that, they’re not afraid to let you hear about it … not saying we didn’t deserve it.
“Processing that was tough, but just trying to turn that into fuel.”
The 18-year-old and his teammates — including five fellow returnees from the Ottawa horror show — are also looking to make amends. And board a plane in a few weeks with a record 21st gold medal.
“They’re not happy with the results last year,” said general manager Alan Millar. “And let’s face it, the mood of the country afterwards was tough. There was a lot of talk about the team. They’re a motivated group.
“And maybe a little pissed off.”
Anger was just one of the emotions experienced in the wake of last year’s disappointment.
“You think about it throughout the summer, you think about it now,” said forward Cole Beaudoin, assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct in Canada’s quarterfinal ouster to Czechia. “Definitely in the back your mind, but it’s a new year.”
The current roster features the usual mix of high draft picks, top prospects and help parachuted in from NHL clubs. While the Canadian contingent won’t have star centre Macklin Celebrini — still eligible for the world juniors at age 19 — and a number of other players in the professional ranks, it did get centre Michael Misa, who was cut last year and went No. 2 overall at the 2025 draft, from the San Jose Sharks.
“A great opportunity,” said goaltender Carter George, another returnee along with forwards Jett Luchanko and Porter Martone, and backup netminder Jack Ivankovic. “Every guy in that room is not happy with the results the past two years.”
Neither is the country.
“Definitely tough as a Canadian kid,” Martone said of the furor following last year’s flop. “Tournament’s in Canada, you dream of that since you’re little. You lose on home ice … it’s not the way that anyone draws it up.”
Hockey Canada took a hard look its men’s under-20 program in the aftermath. Millar was brought on as full-time GM, while the usual selection process was replaced by a training camp that featured only a handful of cuts. Dale Hunter, who captured gold in 2020 and has built a powerhouse with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights, is also back as head coach.
George was the event’s top goaltender last year — statistically speaking — while the roster features five players with NHL experience, including defenceman Zayne Parekh of the Calgary Flames and forward Braeden Cootes of the Vancouver Canucks.
“We’ve got good speed,” Hunter said. “We’ll be an aggressive team.”
The easygoing Parekh, who also was cut from the 2025 squad, figures to be a key piece on the back end — in terms of skill and approach to the spotlight.
“A lot of people put pressure on us, but I don’t feel it,” he said. “It’s my first time playing in the tournament. Canada really should never be a fifth-place team at this event.”
That blue-line corps is also very green at the bottom end, with 17-year-olds Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff — like McKenna, both eligible for the 2026 draft — set to become the sixth- and seventh-youngest defenceman to wear the Maple Leaf at a world juniors since the program of excellence began in the early 1980s.
Canada opens the tournament Friday in Minneapolis against Czechia in Group B, which also features Finland, Latvia and Denmark. The United States will play out of nearby Saint Paul, Minn., in Group A against Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany.
Mark Hunter, who is Dale’s brother and a member of the Canadian management team, said setting the right tone is crucial in a short event.
“Everybody gets ahead of themselves,” he said. “Our job is to keep them in the moment.”
That’s easier said than done for players getting a first taste.
“It’s a huge deal,” said forward Tij Iginla, whose dad, Jarome, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. “After the tournament’s done, and hopefully we’ve won, I’ll look back and be like, ‘Man, that was really crazy.’
“But don’t make it seem bigger than it is.”
Dale Hunter said expectation comes with the territory. He’s convinced this Canadian iteration is ready.
“Part of sports,” Hunter said. “It’s about coming up big when the big time comes.”
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‘There was one phone call to be made:’ Hunter back to lead Canada at world juniors
Alan Millar and Scott Salmond were sifting through the wreckage.
Canada had endured a second straight quarterfinal exit at the world junior hockey championship — this time on home soil.
The battered and bruised men’s under-20 program desperately needed a reset. Millar was promoted to a new role as the team’s full-time general manager. There would be more structural change within Hockey Canada’s approach to follow.
Millar and Salmond, the organization’s senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, knew the next step was finding the right person to lead.
“There was one phone call to be made,” Millar recalled. “And that was to London.”
Dale Hunter, who has built a powerhouse with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights, is back as head coach at the world juniors — after leading Canada to the top of the podium in 2020 — for a country desperate to rebound.
“They’ve built one of the best programs in the Canadian Hockey League,” Millar said of Hunter and younger brother Mark, who is also part of Canada’s management group for the tournament. “Their success speaks for itself. We felt with the results the last couple years, and to get this thing back on track, Dale needed to be the guy.”
The Hunters have won the Memorial Cup three times, captured six OHL titles and graduated a boatload of players to the professional ranks.
So what has led to their championship and talent-developing pedigree?
“Really great hockey minds,” said St. Louis Blues centre Robert Thomas, who played three seasons with the Knights. “They care about their players and want to see them grow. They won’t put them in a position to fail. They’ll always be really patient and make sure everything progresses nicely before they put them in those big positions.
“That’s something that I really learned — you’ve got to be patient and continue to work.”
Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri spent two seasons with the Knights.
“Great influence on my early career,” he said of the Hunters. “Tremendous knowledge. They’ve been there and they’ve done that from both ends of the spectrum. Mark with a Stanley Cup (as a player for Calgary in 1989) and Dale with a ton of games (1,407 regular-season NHL games played).”
The list of current NHLers to come through London under the Hunters also includes Mitch Marner, Matthew Tkachuk, Patrick Kane, Max Domi, Corey Perry and Christian Dvorak.
“The operation they have going there is incredible,” said Kane, now a winger with the Detroit Red Wings. “Never ceases to amaze.”
Thomas said Dale Hunter’s ability to handle young talent with varying needs helps get his message across.
“Just how genuine he is,” Thomas said. “Whether it’s talking about skills, watching video: ‘This is how hard you have to work.’ A lot of players can really credit a lot of their success to how he handled them in junior.”
Domi said Dale Hunter treats the Knights like a miniature NHL club.
“Short shifts, it takes everyone, team mindset,” said Domi, a forward with the Toronto Maple Leafs who played four seasons in London. “All that good stuff maybe gets lost in some of the minor and junior hockey conversations with coaches and players, but he treated us like pros down there. That’s why guys are so prepared when they jump to the next level.”
Canadian forward Porter Martone, one of the returnees from last year’s disappointment at the world juniors, faced the Knights during his OHL career and is looking forward to playing for Dale Hunter.
“Brilliant hockey mind,” Martone said. “You’ve seen what he’s done with London, you see the players he’s developed, see the championships he’s won. Every time he speaks, you’re listening, because he knows best.”
The veteran coach said his requirements are straightforward.
“I’m not a yeller or screamer, but they know that I demand a certain way to play,” Dale Hunter said. “When they go (to the NHL), it’s not the offensive side that’s the issue. I try to teach them defence and that this is the pro way, this is what you have to do.
“I try to prepare them.”
Now it’s about getting his country prepared and back where Canada feels it belongs — atop the world junior podium.
“Winning … that’s literally all that matters,” Domi said of the Hunter creed. “Everything else fits into place when you’re just focused on winning. That’s all they care about, it’s all they talk about, it’s all they expect
“And nothing else matters.”
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