Daytona Motor Mouths: Kyle Larson preps for Indy 500. But first, the NASCAR All-Star Race
Former Montreal Canadiens Player Announces Retirement
It's never easy for a professional athlete to announce his retirement, especially when they are forced to do so because of injuries. On Monday, Stefan Matteau, the son of former NHLer Stephane Matteau, announced his retirement.
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New York Times
14 minutes ago
- New York Times
What a Mitch Marner deal would mean for the Golden Knights and their cap situation
LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights' front office spent the second day of the decentralized NHL Draft on the second floor of their practice facility. The team made four picks on Saturday, but spent part of the day discussing a trade to acquire the rights of pending unrestricted free agent Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs, league sources told Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Advertisement Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon and Toronto GM Brad Treliving declined to discuss the potential deal on Saturday afternoon. 'I'm not going to comment,' Treliving told reporters in Toronto. 'I think you'd always like to get something (back in a trade), right? That's not always the case, but that's as far as I want to get into it. We'll see how things go.' McCrimmon began his post-draft news conference by saying, 'I know you'll have questions we'll get to in time … with respect to free agency and our roster speculation that's out there at different times surrounding our team.' TSN's Darren Dreger reported Saturday evening that there was more work to be done for the trade to happen, but there are still two days before Marner becomes a free agent on July 1. If the trade did get completed, it would allow Vegas to sign Marner before he hit the open market. Marner is the top player available in this free agent class, and signing him would add to Vegas' already impressive list of blockbuster acquisitions over the last several years. In terms of the match, it makes sense for both sides. Vegas' most obvious need, after bowing out of the playoffs in the second round to Edmonton, is offensive firepower on the wing, and Marner fits that perfectly. He was fifth in the NHL in scoring this year with 102 points, and his 741 points are the fourth-most by a winger since he entered the league in 2016-17. His 520 assists during that span are third among wingers behind only Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov and the New York Rangers' Artemi Panarin. Marner is an elite playmaker on the wing, which is what the Golden Knights need most. On top of that, he would be a good fit for Vegas' defensively-minded forward group, which already features strong two-way players such as Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and William Karlsson. Marner has received votes for the Selke Trophy for seven straight seasons and was a finalist for the award – given to the league's best defensive forward – in 2023. He led all Maple Leafs forwards in penalty-killing minutes this season, and has been one of Toronto's most relied-upon killers over the last several years. Advertisement Marner has also been excellent on the power play for the Maple Leafs, having topped 20 power-play points in every season of his career (excluding the shortened 2020-21). He put up six goals and 27 assists with a man advantage in 2024-25, and would add to Vegas' second-ranked power play unit. There's no question that adding a play-driver such as Marner would make Vegas more dangerous. The biggest questions are, why give up trade assets when he is set to hit the open market in less than three days, and how does this all work under the salary cap? Vegas fourth-line center Nicolas Roy is part of the package that Vegas is considering sending to Toronto, Johnston reported on Saturday. He has two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $3 million, and while the Golden Knights would need to shed cap space to sign Marner, it does feel like a steep price to pay for a player who soon will be available as a free agent. Perhaps Vegas is seeking an eighth year on Marner's upcoming extension, which can only be accomplished by having him sign the deal with the Maple Leafs before a trade. Perhaps other teams are trying to trade for Marner's rights before Vegas would have the chance to sign him on the open market. Losing Roy would hurt Vegas' depth, but if Marner continues putting up over 100 points per season, it would be a small price to pay to secure his rights. Which brings us to the next point: How would the Golden Knights fit what expects to be a massive contract extension for Marner into their already tight salary cap situation? The cap-ceiling bump to $95.5 million certainly helps, but assuming Marner gets between $12 million and $14 million per year (his current projected market value), that would give Vegas close to $50 million (more than half of the total cap) committed to only five players (Marner, Eichel, Stone, Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore). Beyond that, Vegas would have more than $80 million (upward of 80 percent of the cap) committed to its top 10 players, leaving little cap space to fill the rest of the roster out. Advertisement Putting aside any potential Marner extension for a minute, here's how Vegas' cap situation looks: The Golden Knights currently have approximately $5.6 million in cap space, with 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies on the roster for 2025-26. That doesn't include deals for pending restricted free agents Nicolas Hague, Jonas Rondbjerg, Cole Schwindt and Alexander Holtz. Subtract Roy's $3 million salary for the sake of this discussion, and it leaves them with $8.6 million in cap space. Then there are the questions surrounding Pietrangelo's health, after he dealt with injuries throughout the 2024-25 season. 'We're going to know more on that in the coming days,' McCrimmon said when asked about Pietrangelo's status. 'Alex and I have had a number of discussions. There are some decisions that need to be made.' If Pietrangelo were to land on long-term injured reserve, that would open up $8.8 million in cap space, leaving Vegas with $17.4 million prior to a possible deal with Marner. That wouldn't be much space to sign Marner, another defenseman (whether that be Hague or a free agent), and another forward, but it would be doable. After all, these are the Vegas Golden Knights, who long have been known to get creative when it comes to making the numbers all work. Either way, there's no question this roster has become more top-heavy over the last several years and, as a result, the depth has suffered. Can the group of elite high-end players – which would only get stronger by adding Marner – outweigh those deficiencies? The answer to that question would not only define the Golden Knights' 2025-26 season, but the remainder of their championship window.
New York Times
29 minutes ago
- New York Times
For Jets' pick Sascha Boumedienne, hockey and family go hand in hand
Sascha Boumedienne's parents, Josef and Petra Boumedienne, didn't want to pressure their children to play hockey. In fact, they did everything in their power to build a well-rounded life full of activities, academics, and sports. Josef played 47 NHL games and hundreds more throughout Europe, but the last thing he wanted was to be a dad who forced any of his three boys to follow in his footsteps. Advertisement 'We as a family, we try to be diverse. You don't want your kids to be single-minded growing up. You try to introduce them to different aspects of life growing up — and different sports,' Josef told The Athletic. 'But my two youngest sons, especially, they really never wanted to talk about anything other than hockey.' It didn't take any pressure at all. Sascha Boumedienne met hockey, fell in love with it, and never let it go. He started playing street hockey when he was two and a half years old, buoyed by encouragement from his dad's close friend and teammate, Jonas Andersson — a one-time Manitoba Moose. He got his first pair of skates when he was three years old — a gift from his uncle, Karim — and spent the whole day toddling around his carpeted house in them. When Boumedienne was a child, playing minor hockey for Lidingö Vikings HC, just outside of Stockholm, he lived close to their arena. At eight or nine years old, he'd get ready for practice by dressing up in his equipment at home, throwing his hockey skates in his backpack, lacing up roller blades and skate himself to the rink. By the time he learned to skate, he was keeping up with players one or two years older than him — a theme that continued throughout his minor hockey career in Sweden, into the USHL, and at Boston University, where the Jets' first-round pick in 2025 was the youngest player in the NCAA at the start of last season. He didn't need to be pressured into any of it; instead, his parents say Sascha was a self-starter — the driver of his own success. 'He's very adamant about making his own decisions,' Josef said when asked what makes him the most proud. 'He's kind of speedtracked his own development, as far as playing with older players and then playing in the USHL as a 16-year-old, which is a tough task. Then, going into college and playing NCAA a year early and speeding up his school last spring and last summer to finish his high school, I'm very proud of him for taking on tasks and sticking with it.' Advertisement Those are the character elements that drew Winnipeg to pick Boumedienne, too. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had thought about trading down from 28th to acquire more draft capital. When it became clear that Boumedienne would be available, he held on to the pick and made sure Boumedienne became a Winnipeg Jet. As a player, there are myriad things to be impressed by. Boumedienne is a great skater with a great attitude. He beats pressure with speed, quick puck retrievals, and great puck movement. His shot is a strength, while scouts appreciate his compete level. When the Jets selected Boumedienne on Friday night in Los Angeles, however, his parents were most proud of the way he carried himself as a person. Sascha had traveled with '24 or 25' family members, extended family, and close friends. The moment Eric Comrie announced his name as the Jets' first-round pick, Boumedienne spent time thanking every single one of them for helping him realize his dream. There was no panic, no rush, and no extended family member for whom he didn't take the time. 'That's something I'm very proud of (as a parent)' Josef said. 'We are a tight-knit family. Family is very important to Sascha. Not just the immediate family but the extended family as well. I love that about him.' Pay close attention to the video when Boumedienne receives his Jets hat and jersey on stage. He adjusts the size of his cap, then curves it just the way he likes. It is a moment of meticulousness, perhaps, or of extra poise at a moment that could be wrought by nerves. This is where having a dad who spent 11 years working for the Columbus Blue Jackets, including 10 years in a scouting capacity and two years as director of amateur scouting, comes in handy. 'This was probably his seventh or eighth live draft that he's been at. So he had some experience going into it,' Josef said. 'When your name is on the line there, it brings out different feelings. He's had some experience being around pro hockey and being around the draft before, through my job. Maybe that made him a little bit more comfortable.' Advertisement Boumedienne said his son is detail-oriented when it comes to his game. It's something simultaneously innate and honed through a lifetime of playing with older competition, from learning to skate through last season at Boston University. Could that be an advantage as Sascha strives to surpass his father's NHL career? 'I think it's really good to push yourself and be at a really high level but you also have to feel comfortable and confident, especially if you're a player that tries to bring some puck play to your game as well,' Josef said. 'I think it's good, to some extent, to push yourself and to expand your boundaries — and you also want to be a really good player at the level you play at, to build that confidence and swagger.' Sascha Boumedienne has both. He has the self-starter's drive to push himself and the self-confidence. When he spoke with Jets media on Friday night, the bilingual Boumedienne was clearly well spoken, even as he soaked up the joy of the moment. He will be at development camp in Winnipeg next week, then return to Boston University for his second year. Choosing BU took conviction — some believe Boumedienne would have been drafted in the top 10 had he piled up the points, playing junior instead. Boumedienne says there's no doubt he made the right decision. 'I think it's just been good for my development. I really wanted to challenge myself, especially this year with going to BU and being the youngest guy,' he said. 'I felt like we had a really good plan in place for me and I want to challenge myself while playing against bigger players, kind of playing more of that pro-style game.' Will his dad's pro experience help him realize that pro dream? 'I wouldn't be where I am today without my dad,' he said. 'He's been in my shoes right now and he's kind of taken these steps on his own when he was younger. He's been alongside me every step of the way and I lean on him a lot. He has done everything I'm doing right now and will be doing … I'm very thankful for not only him but my mother as well.' Advertisement So yes, those postdraft hugs were well placed. It takes a village to raise a hockey player, even when their parents do their best not to force them into hockey. 'I think all of our children have a big support system around them,' Josef said. 'They have a family that loves them and then cousins and a lot of close friends. We didn't try to take particular roles, myself and my wife. We tried to bring them up with love and show them different aspects of life.' And yes, it delights Sascha Boumedienne's dad that he fell in love with hockey, too. 'You see the passion and the love for the game pretty early,' Josef said. 'Where it will take you, or take him, that's hard to say. But the passion and the love and the hours at the rink, that was evident pretty early.'
CBS News
29 minutes ago
- CBS News
Wilyer Abreu hits 3-run HR to start Boston's 15-1 blowout over Toronto
By KEN POWTAK Associated Press Wilyer Abreu hit a three-run homer in the first inning to jump-start Boston's offense, Ceddanne Rafaela added a two-run shot in the sixth, and the Red Sox snapped a season-high six-game losing streak on Saturday with a 15-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Romy Gonzalez also had a two-run homer for the Red Sox, who halted their worst skid since September 2022. Wearing their yellow alternate jerseys a day after getting shut out 9-0 on four hits in the series opener, the Red Sox scored three runs in each of the initial three innings against Chris Bassitt (7-4). They scored three in the sixth when Rafaela hit his drive over the Green Monster. Lucas Giolito (4-1) gave up an unearned run and six hits over seven innings to win for the third time in four starts. Bassitt lasted two-plus innings, getting tagged for nine runs, eight earned, with eight hits and four walks. Abreu drove in four runs, while Trevor Story, Abraham Toro, Rafaela and Gonzalez each had two RBIs. The Blue Jays were held to six hits and lost for the third time in nine meetings with Boston this season. Key moment Toro singled on the 10th pitch with two outs in the first, Carlos Narváez singled on the next pitch before Abreu drove the following pitch around the right-field foul pole. Key stat The game matched the most runs Bassitt allowed in a game over his 11 major league seasons. He also gave up nine in his first start with Toronto on April 2, 2023. Up next Blue Jays LHP Eric Lauer (4-1, 2.21 ERA) is set to face struggling Red Sox RHP Walker Buehler (5-5, 6.29) in the series finale Sunday. Guaranteed $21.05 in a one-year free agent contract he signed during the offseason, the 30-year-old Buehler is 1-3 with a 7.62 ERA in his last five starts.
