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Time of India
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cam Ward, the goalie, hilariously reacts to QB Cam Ward's no. 1 NFL draft pick
Former Carolina Hurricanes player Cam Ward attends the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game (Credit: Getty Image) Fans celebrated the historic moment when the Tennessee Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But over in the hockey world, another Cam Ward; the retired NHL goalie; was having a moment of his own. The name coincidence sent social media into a frenzy, with fans jokingly tagging the hockey veteran in posts about the NFL pick. Cam Ward led Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup win in 2006 and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy. That was a different arena altogether, but now his name was trending again; for football. The unexpected attention didn't go unnoticed. Ward embraced the moment, sharing a light-hearted reaction online that quickly went viral. It was a rare sports crossover where a shared name brought two very different athletic worlds together. QB Cam Ward Starts NFL Journey Quarterback Cam Ward, who played his final college season at the University of Miami, is now heading to Nashville to begin his NFL career. He was the top selection of the draft, picked by the Titans after an impressive season that earned him ACC Player of the Year honors. The 22-year-old's journey wasn't easy. He had just one scholarship offer out of high school. Now, he's the face of a franchise looking to rebuild and compete. The Titans see him as their future, and Ward believes he's ready to take on the challenge. Two Careers, One Viral Moment Quarterback Cam Ward of Miami celebrates after being selected first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft (Credit: Getty Image) The shared name made for one of the draft's most memorable side stories. While the football Cam Ward was shaking hands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the hockey Cam Ward was fielding jokes and tagged posts from amused fans. The goalie's sense of humor helped fuel the moment. He leaned into the coincidence, making light of the unexpected fame. It became a rare sports moment where two unrelated athletes got to share the spotlight, if only for a night. Fans online continued mixing up the two, some jokingly calling for the goalie to suit up at quarterback. Others suggested a celebrity game where both Cam Wards take the field; or the ice. Read more: NHL playoff intensity soars after Gabriel Landeskog's return From Lambeau to Nashville for QB Ward Whether fans are talking about football or hockey, the name Cam Ward is getting plenty of attention. One made his name in the crease. The other will try to make his under center. And thanks to a shared name and one viral moment, both are now part of NFL Draft history; in their own unique way.
New York Times
20-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: The good, bad and ugly of our ‘bold' preseason predictions
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A collection of notes, insights, ruminations and did-you-knows gathered throughout the week that was for the Columbus Blue Jackets: Before every season, we're encouraged to make bold predictions about the teams we cover. It's a chance to show readers how much we know and how closely we're paying attention, but, more than anything, it's an opportunity to embarrass ourselves thoroughly months later. Advertisement So here goes! On Oct. 4, 2024, we published 'Blue Jackets bold predictions: Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson ready to take off.' OK, so far so good. Here's what we saw coming and where we hit and missed, graded on a four-point scale: 1. Victory Dance, 2. Round of Applause, 3. Meh and 4. Next Question. The prediction: 'Not only will (the Blue Jackets) not finish last overall, but they also won't finish last in the Eastern Conference. And now we're going to take it a step further: They won't finish last in the Metropolitan Division. I'm not saying who will finish last because I don't want hate mail from New York Islanders, Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers fans. We're not predicting the playoffs. We're not saying the Blue Jackets don't have a long way to go. But we suspect they'll play over their heads — and way over expectations — this season.' The result: You're welcome. The Blue Jackets finished ahead of 12 other teams in the overall standings. They were ninth in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Metro. They did, in fact, play 'way over expectations' this season. If we'd only shut up before that second sentence. The Capitals were the best team in the East. Grade: Round of Applause The prediction: 'I've been saying this for a while now, that a proper goal for this season is to still be within sniffing distance of a wild-card spot when the NHL Stadium Series game between the Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings is staged in Ohio Stadium on March 1. That's probably a bigger 'ask' than the first bold prediction. But my hunch is that the Blue Jackets-Red Wings game will have implications.' The result: Vegas, anyone? Part of what made that atmosphere so incredible was the fact Detroit and Columbus were tied in the standings and both in playoff spots when the puck dropped. The Blue Jackets, with the win, jumped the Red Wings into seventh place. Grade: Victory Dance. THE GAME WINNER AT OHIO STADIUM!!!!@FanaticsBook | #CBJ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 2, 2025 The prediction: 'It says here that Adamo 'Adam' Fantilli, who will be the Blue Jackets' second-line center — he's skating with James van Riemsdyk and Kent Johnson — will lead the club in assists and points this season. He's also playing a significant role on the power play.' The result: Fantilli had 31-23-54 — a very good sophomore season, especially when you consider he missed half of his rookie year with an injury. But he was seventh on the club in assists and fifth in points. His 31 goals were tied with Marchenko for the team lead. Grade: Next Question Advertisement The prediction: 'So far in camp, Marchenko has skated on the right side of the No. 1 line, with Jenner now at left wing and Sean Monahan at center. That line should start with the puck and possess more than Blue Jackets fans are used to seeing, and Marchenko — a part of that, to be sure — can only benefit. The Jackets asked Marchenko to be harder on pucks and more reliable in his defensive zone. Considerable progress has been shown on both fronts.' The result: So close, but the spirit of this prediction was bang-on. Marchenko stayed on the No. 1 line all season, but with a rotating cast to his left. He had 31 goals, but finished the season on a season-long nine-game goal-less streak. I'm taking that personally. Grade: Meh The prediction: 'It's impossible to watch the Blue Jackets over the past two weeks and conclude that Denton Mateychuk isn't already one of the organization's top six defensemen. He's incredibly poised for a 20-year-old facing NHL competition for the first time. He's rarely out of position and makes smart, quick passes, often short and subtle. The Blue Jackets do not want to rush their prospects, and (GM Don) Waddell is particularly averse to this. But there are exceptions to every rule, and Mateychuk might deserve to be the exception. We're not saying he's going to open the season in Columbus, though that's not out of the question. But Mateychuk will play for a long time in the NHL, and he'll get 40-plus games in Columbus this season.' The result: (Pats self on back) Mateychuk did not start the season in Columbus, but, no, he would not be denied. After lighting up the NHL, Mateychuk was recalled in mid-December and stuck in the NHL the rest of the way, playing 45 games. He averaged 18:02 per game, too, which is quite impressive for a 20-year-old. Grade: Victory Dance Advertisement The prediction: '(Dean) Evason isn't as loquacious as (Ken) Hitchcock. He's not as easily provoked as (John) Tortorella. But there's a fire that burns below the surface, and there will be times when his passion bubbles to the surface. Fans can't get enough of that. Mostly, though, his players will do the talking with their play for Evason, and that's enough. There will likely be some explosive nights in Nationwide (Arena) this season.' The result: If we missed here, we may have missed low. Fans quickly became attached to Evason, not just for his fiery attitude on the bench — poor Scott Ford — but also for his genuine emotion in helping navigate the Blue Jackets through the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy. As noted, this town loves coaches. Evason worked his way in quickly. Grade: Round of Applause Dean's legendary cellys have made their way to the #CBJ bench! 👊 Congrats on the first of many with us! @drinkgaragebeer | #CBJ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 13, 2024 The prediction: 'Over the past three seasons, the Jackets have finished 27th (2021-22), 25th (2022-23) and 24th (2023-24) in penalty minutes. Evason's Minnesota Wild teams, by contrast, were fourth, sixth and third, respectively. It hurt to play the Wild. I know, I know. PIMs are not a measure of greatness. But they can be a reflection of the style of play. The Blue Jackets, under Evason, will play with a different energy than you've seen in three or four seasons.' The result: This wasn't the most forthright prediction, but the spirit of the prognostication was clear. The Blue Jackets did pick up the pace and the physicality under Evason. They ranked 16th in the NHL with 676 PIMs, thanks largely to Mathieu Olivier, who led the league in fights and was second in the league in PIMs (139). In a general sense, though, if you watched these Blue Jackets, you know the pace was faster than anything we've seen since 2019-20. Grade: Round of Applause The prediction: 'After a massive summer, (Kent) Johnson showed up at camp looking noticeably thicker and stronger. Once he stepped on the ice, you could see how he's gotten a step quicker, too. He has been, simply put, the Blue Jackets' best player through much of camp. The guy who had 16 goals, 24 assists and 40 points as a rookie two seasons ago looks ready to justify his No. 5 selection in 2021. If anyone challenges Fantilli for the assists lead, it will likely be Johnson.' Advertisement The result: The art of conversation, it is said, is to say a little less than you wish. The art of prediction, it seems, is to stop one sentence short. This is pretty much on target: Johnson did 'justify' his draft spot with 24-33-57 in 68 games, career highs across the board. He was fourth on the club in assists. Grade: Round of Applause The prediction: 'The Blue Jackets have several players heading into their final contract years with unrestricted free agency looming in the summer of 2025. I'm not saying Waddell will part ways with all of those players. He values veteran players in the dressing room, so some will probably stay. They might even sign extensions before the trade deadline. But surely some veterans will be on the move, especially if the younger players push the veterans for playing time, as the organization hopes.' The result: Waddell not only kept all of his UFAs, he added two others — Luke Kunin and Christian Fischer — at the deadline. The Blue Jackets were in a playoff position when the trade deadline arrived in early March, and Waddell opted not to take any veterans out of the room. The only vet who signed an extension (so far) is Zachary Aston-Reese, who is signed through 2025-26. Grade: Next Question The prediction: 'Since the creation of the NHL in 1917, 47 sets of brothers have played on the same team in at least one game. At some point this season, we predict Cole Sillinger and his older brother, Owen, will make it 48. We're not saying it's going to happen by the Oct. 10 regular-season opener, although it could. But it's going to happen at some point this season, and it'll be a franchise first.' The result: So close. Owen Sillinger made his NHL debut on Jan. 9 vs. Seattle, but ironically went into the Blue Jackets lineup because Cole Sillinger was out with injury. A month later, Owen had season-ending knee surgery, and now he's an unrestricted free agent. So, the chance that it happens again is murky. They may have to settle for being the second set of brothers to play for the Blue Jackets. Kris and Ryan Russell both played for Columbus, but, like the Sillingers, never played in the same game. Grade: Next Question Thursday's 6-1 win over the Islanders was the final game of the season, and quite possibly the end of Sean Kuraly's time with the Blue Jackets. He scored a goal, had a plus-2 rating, had a hit, blocked a shot and was credited with three takeaways. Kuraly said he took some time to savor the evening, just in case he plays elsewhere next season. He's one of nine unrestricted free agents for the Blue Jackets, but stands out given he was raised (and still lives) in the Columbus suburb of Dublin. Advertisement 'I just tried to go out there and enjoy it, soak it all in, maybe take a few more looks than you normally do,' Kuraly said. 'You never really know what's next, so how do you stay in the moment? I realize there is some reality to some of these things. 'It was a fun night to enjoy it with my teammates and the fans, and for the most part, we did that.' THE HOMETOWN KID! 🚨@FanaticsBook | #CBJ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 18, 2025 Kuraly signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2021, a difficult time for the organization. Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky had left via free agency two years earlier; Nick Foligno, Seth Jones, Cam Atkinson and David Savard had all been traded; and the franchise's winningest coach, John Tortorella, had moved along. One of the reasons Kuraly chose Columbus over numerous free-agent suitors, he said, was to help the organization stay afloat after the mass exodus of talent. It was not an easy four years, but they ended with a crescendo. The Blue Jackets didn't make the playoffs, but they hung in the race all season, and the franchise seems to have finally found its footing. Kuraly said he could take pride in the progress. 'Not a lot of people get a chance to do what I did the last four years,' Kuraly said. 'What an incredible experience playing in front of so many family and friends, and this whole city. They really rally behind this team, and it's been super special. 'Like anything, you'd like the progress to be linear, increasingly better each year. But I've learned throughout not just my NHL career, but my hockey career and life, that's just not how it goes. It was a great single season for us, but also a culmination of efforts that we put together for a lot of years. The pieces came together for us this year better than they have in the last few years.' Advertisement Kuraly's ice time plunged by almost two minutes per game under Evason, from 13:44 in 2023-24 to 11:45 this season. There was a long stretch of the season in which Kuraly was missing from the penalty kill, even as the Blue Jackets struggled to kill penalties. Waddell mentioned UFA defensemen Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro as players the club is interested in re-signing, but said there were others as well. So, nobody can say for sure where things are headed with Kuraly. The other UFAs are Justin Danforth, van Riemsdyk, Kevin Labanc, Fischer, Kunin and Jack Johnson. • Blue Jackets assistant coaches Niklas Bäckström (goaltending), Jared Boll and Steve McCarthy have contracts that expire this summer, but there's no word yet about their futures. All three were holdovers from the previous staff when Evason was hired. Evason then brought in two of his own guys, hiring Ford, who had been a longtime AHL assistant coach in the Nashville Predators organization, and promoting veteran coach Mike Haviland from AHL Cleveland. • As of today, the Blue Jackets have the 13th and 20th picks in this summer's draft. We say 'as of today' because both could change. The Jackets, as one of 16 non-playoff teams, have a chance to 'win' the lottery, but they cannot win the No. 1 pick. The most a team can move up is 10 spots, so the best the Blue Jackets could do is pick No. 3. They have a 2 percent chance of 'winning,' but a 2.5 percent chance of sliding down one spot. That's the combined odds of the three non-playoff teams that finished ahead of them in the standings: Utah (1.5 percent), Vancouver (0.5) and Montreal via Calgary (0.5). The Wild's pick could fluctuate as the playoffs move along. • Elvis Merzlikins acknowledged at his end-of-season media scrum that he suffered a concussion that knocked him out of the final five games. He was back with the Blue Jackets for the last day of the season, but dressed in a temporary locker stall in the middle of the dressing room because all other stalls were taken. • One cool note: The Blue Jackets had rookie Jack Williams in a temporary locker stall paired with Merzlikins in the middle of the dressing room. But when Jack Johnson, a veteran of 1,228 NHL games, learned that Williams was making his NHL debut that night, he asked the training staff to put Williams in his stall and let him take the temporary, since he was a healthy scratch. He wanted Williams' first experience to be the real deal. Classy move. Advertisement • Expect news soon regarding which Blue Jackets players will take part in the IIHF World Championship, which runs May 9-25 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark. In recent seasons, Blue Jackets players would already have been invited and made their decisions clear, but staying in the playoff race so long delayed those conversations. Zach Werenski has already ruled out playing for Team USA, citing a busy summer that includes his wedding. • Four Blue Jackets played in all 82 games this season: Fantilli, Kuraly, Olivier and Provorov. That last player should not be a surprise: Provorov has played 696 games without missing a game to injury. The only three games he's missed were in 2021-22 due to a positive COVID-19 test. This was Provorov's sixth 82-game season. Impressive. Only twice before have four Blue Jackets players dressed in every game of an 82-game season: 2018-19 — Josh Anderson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Savard and Werenski; and 2016-17 — Atkinson, Boone Jenner, Jack Johnson and Brandon Saad. • Speaking of Savard, raise a glass for the former Blue Jackets defenseman, who announced this week he'll be retiring after this season, or whenever the Montreal Canadiens' playoff run ends. Savard, 34, played in 597 games for the Blue Jackets, the fifth-most in franchise history and tops (for now) among defensemen. His 958 blocked shots are tops on the franchise list, and his 1,117 hits are fourth all-time, tops among blueliners. He scored 40 goals in the regular season for Columbus and only one in 37 playoff games, but it was a freakin' beauty, part of the Blue Jackets' come-from-behind win in Game 1 of their sweep over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019. • Sunday Gathering trivia: The Blue Jackets (40-33-9, 89 points) made a 23-point improvement this season from their 2023-24 record (27-43-12, 66 points). That's the second-largest improvement from one season to the next in franchise history. In what season did they make their biggest climb? • AHL Cleveland will play the Toronto Marlies in a best-of-three first-round series to open the AHL playoffs. Game 1 is Thursday in Cleveland, while Games 2 (Saturday) and 3 (Sunday, if necessary) are in Toronto. The winner advances to play the Laval Rocket, which finished with the AHL's best record under former Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent. • Luca Del Bel Belluz led the Cleveland Monsters with 27 goals, finishing 27-26-53 in 61 games. That's the third-highest goal total for a Monsters player since the franchise became affiliated with Columbus in 2015, trailing only Zac Dalpe (33, 2018-19) and Trey Fix-Wolansky (29, 2022-23). Pretty impressive totals, considering Del Bel Belluz spent a month (Jan. 9 to Feb. 8) with the Blue Jackets when they were crushed with injuries to centers Monahan and Cole Sillinger while Jenner was still recovering from shoulder surgery. Del Bel Belluz was a second-round pick (No. 44) in 2022. • Goaltender Evan Gardner, the Blue Jackets' second-round pick (No. 60) last summer, made his pro debut for Cleveland on Saturday, stopping 16 of 19 in a 3-0 loss. Gardner signed an amateur tryout agreement with Cleveland earlier this month. He's still eligible to return to his junior club, the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, for another junior season in 2025-26. Advertisement • For the third straight season, Fix-Wolansky was Cleveland's leading point-getter, totaling 26-34-60 in 65 games. The one difference this season: no NHL recalls for Fix-Wolansky, who will be a UFA this summer because of his age (25) and because he's played fewer than 80 NHL games (26). If he decides to move along, he will have made quite an impact in Cleveland. Fix-Wolansky is the franchise's all-time record-holder in goals (112), assists (147), points (259), power-play goals (34), game-winning goals (22) and single-season points (71, 2022-23). He's also third in games played (289). • Trivia answer: In 2016-17, the Blue Jackets finished with a franchise-record 108 points (50-24-8), a 32-point improvement over the 2015-16 club, which had 76 points (34-40-8). (Photo of Kent Johnson: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
New York Times
05-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blue Jackets' groggy start costs them dearly in lopsided loss to Lightning
TAMPA, Fla. — It only makes sense that the Columbus Blue Jackets suffered a let-down. The buildup to Saturday's NHL Stadium Series was massive, and the atmosphere and emotions coming out of the Blue Jackets win in Ohio Stadium were overwhelming. At least that's how players and coaches described it over the last 48 hours. Advertisement The Blue Jackets returned to reality on Tuesday, and the Tampa Bay Lightning delivered a hard, cold slap in the form of a 6-2 win before 19,092 in Amalie Arena. The Lightning scored on their first two shots of the game, before Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason had made a third line-change. 'Did we try to do everything to not have a hangover, yeah,' Evason said. 'Were we worried about it? No. It happened, obviously. 'They score those two goals. It sucked, obviously, but we hung in there. We made it 2-1 (later in the first period) and we thought we were going to gather. That's a real good team with a lot of energy. Maybe we did have a hangover, but we can't make an excuse. We should have been better. We should have started better. We didn't.' The loss snaps a four-game winning streak by the Blue Jackets, including a rousing 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday before nearly 95,000 fans, the second-largest crowd to ever watch the NHL game. When the Blue Jackets returned to practice on Monday, players and coaches both talked about how mentally and physically fried they were during an off-day on Sunday. Only six players in the Blue Jackets' lineup on Saturday had played in an outdoor game, which is a truly unique experience. Some hangovers last multiple days. That was fast…Lightning fast 😏 — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 5, 2025 The Lightning went ahead 1-0 only 30 seconds into the game when Mitchell Chaffee redirected a shot a few feet in front of Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. Only 1:07 later, Tampa Bay's most lethal offensive player snuck behind rookie defenseman Denton Mateychuk for a breakaway. Two shots, two goals. It marked the fifth time in Merzlikins' career that he's allowed goals on the first two shots, but neither could be hung on him this time, Advertisement When the Blue Jackets and Lightning met for the first time this season — on November 21 in Nationwide Arena — the Jackets fell behind 3-0 in the first period, but came roaring back the rest of the way to win 7-6 in overtime. That's obviously not a proper game plan. 'When you start down 2-0, it's tough to come back from,' Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. 'I know we're capable of it, but you don't want to start the game that way, especially right now when you're fighting for points (in the standings) and teams are fighting for positioning in the playoffs. 'They have some players who can make you pay, and they did that tonight. We're in a spot now where we can't dwell on it.' Despite the loss, the Blue Jackets held on to the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey and Detroit both lost, so Columbus remains four points behind the Devils for third place in the Metropolitan Division and two points ahead of both Detroit and the New York Rangers in the wild-card race. Werenski scored both goals for the Blue Jackets, giving him 20 on the season, which matches his career high set during the 2019-20 season. At 17:20 of the first, Werenski skated the puck out of his own zone and found very little resistance, carrying it through the left circle and beating Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson to the far post. That pulled the Jackets to within 2-1 and sent them into the first intermission feeling OK. But the Lightning's Jake Guentzel made it 3-1 only 1:37 into the second when he redirected a puck past Merzlikins while standing right in his kitchen. It was 4-1 at 6:36 of the second after Victor Hedman's wrist shot deflected off Yegor Chinakhov and sailed past Merzlikins. There was a brief flicker of life when the Blue Jackets scored a short-handed goal to make it 4-2. Werenski made a break to the net front and got his stick on a perfect pass from Adam Fantilli, giving Werenski his second short-handed goal in 546 career games. Z GETS HIS 20TH OF THE SEASON! 🚨 @FanaticsBook | #CBJ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 5, 2025 But that was it. Hedman scored again in the third, and so did Guentzel. It was an empty net by Guentzel, but him scoring against Columbus is nothing new. He now owns a 15-game point streak against the Blue Jackets, one that dates back to his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. He has 9-13-22 in those 15 games. Advertisement It's tied for the second-longest point streak by one player against a single opponent. The only player with a longer streak is Leon Draisaitl, who has a point in 22 straight vs. Chicago. Werenski acknowledged last month that it was difficult to get back into an NHL rhythm after he returned from playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. For other players in the room, Tuesday's game may have had a similar feel. 'It definitely feels a little bit different when you're walking out for warm-ups and the start of the game and your energy isn't quite the same,' Werenski said. 'It's not an excuse. We're in a spot where we can't let that be an excuse. 'Once the puck drops, no matter what you have to do to get into the mindset to win a hockey game, you have to do it. Maybe we were a little slow at the start, down 2-0 and then 4-1. I don't think there's any excuses. Even if it did affect some guys, you have to simplify your game, or take shorter shifts, or block shots … whatever it takes, you have to find a way to impact the team the right way.' (Photo of Zach Werenski: Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Stadium Series 2025 Livestream: How to Watch Detroit Red Wings vs. Columbus Blue Jackets Online Without Cable
Variety and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The NHL Stadium Series 2025 features two NHL eastern conference rivals battling for ice cold glory on Saturday, Mar. 1. More from Variety How to Watch 2025 WWE Elimination Chamber: Toronto Live Online Tank Davis vs. Lamont Roach Pay-Per-View: How to Watch the Premier Boxing Champions Live Online Golf Course Style: From Polos to 'Skorts,' Here's What to Wear to Watch the Pros The outdoor pro hockey game has the Detroit Red Wings taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Livestream NHL Stadium Series 2025 on ESPN+ The NHL Stadium Series broadcasts live on ESPN, as well as livestreaming simultaneously on ESPN+ and Disney+ for subscribers only? Not a subscriber? Sign up now for ESPN+ for just $11.99/month and get instant access to watch the pro hockey game live online from home. Your subscription price renews at $11.99 monthly. But, if you don't want to go monthly, then you can go with an annual ESPN+ subscription for $119.99/year. This is about a 15% savings from the month-to-month price and the best deal to watch the NHL Stadium Series 2025 (as well as, ESPN+ live sports, originals, programming, documentaries, events and much more) online. Livestream NHL Stadium Series 2025 on ESPN+ As for Disney+, plans start at $7.99/month to access the Red Wings-Blue Jackets game online. The streaming service also comes with access to hit movies and TV shows from The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm ('Star Wars') and much more. Learn more about Disney+ here. Get: DisneY+ Another option: Starting at $16.99/month, you can go with a subscription to the Disney Trio — which includes ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ for one price. $16.99 Get: Disney Trio Additionally, cord-cutters can watch the game with any web-based live TV streaming service that carries ESPN, such as DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and Sling TV. However, DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV offer free trials, while Sling TV does not. get: DIrectV Stream 5-day Free Trial Last-minute tickets to the game are still available on TicketNetwork, VividSeats and SeatGeek. In fact, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code VARIETY150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code VARIETY300 at Buy NHL Stadium Series 2025 Tickets at TicketNetwork You can use code VAR2024 to take $20 off your ticket purchase at or you can use promo code VARIETY10 to save $10 at The NHL Stadium Series 2025 live from Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio broadcasts live on ESPN starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. However, the best ways to watch the game online without cable is with ESPN+, Disney+ and DirecTV Stream. Livestream NHL Stadium Series 2025 on ESPN+ Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in March 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
USA Today
02-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Blue Jackets win Stadium Series game vs. Red Wings after both teams honor Johnny Gaudreau
Blue Jackets win Stadium Series game vs. Red Wings after both teams honor Johnny Gaudreau Show Caption Hide Caption Alex Ovechkin may break Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal record this season Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin is so close to the NHL goal record that he may break that record this year, even coming off an injury. Sports Seriously The Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings made sure that the late Johnny Gaudreau was well-remembered during Saturday's NHL Stadium Series game at Ohio Stadium. And continuing this season's pattern, the Blue Jackets used the memory of Gaudreau to pull off another key win that helps them with their surprising run toward a possible playoff spot. Columbus won 5-3 in their first outdoor appearance despite being outshot 46-21. Dmitri Voronkov and Mathieu Olivier scored 23 seconds apart in the second period to give the Blue Jackets a 3-1 lead. Justin Danforth then scored a little more than a minute after Detroit's Alex DeBrincat had tied it 3-3 late in the third period with his second goal of the game. The Blue Jackets moved past the Red Wings for sole possession of the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Few around the NHL had expected that type of performance from the Blue Jackets this season after Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed on Aug. 29 when they were hit by a car while riding their bikes in New Jersey. A look at the tributes to the Gaudreau family during the game: Blue Jackets, Red Wings pay tributes to Gaudreau family NHL players always pick a team outfit theme to enter the stadium for outdoor games. This game was about the Gaudreaus. The Gaudreau family, including Johnny's widow Meredith, led Blue Jackets players toward the stadium complex. Players wore Avalon hoodies, sweatpants and a hat with three stars, just like "Johnny Hockey" used to wear to the rink. Meredith Gaudreau and the family got to play a special part in the @BlueJacketsNHL arrival to Ohio Stadium ❤️ 📺: 2025 @NavyFederal NHL #StadiumSeries TODAY at 6p ET on @espn, FX (Canada), and @TVASports — NHL (@NHL) March 1, 2025 Ollie talks through our #StadiumSeries arrival fit — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 1, 2025 Detroit players wore various jerseys that the Gaudreaus had worn during their careers. They included Boston College, where both brothers played, and Team USA, which Johnny represented multiple times. For the Gaudreaus. ❤️ — Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 1, 2025 The Gaudreau family later led the Blue Jackets players onto the field. Jane Gaudreau, Meredith Gaudreau, and the Gaudreau children lead the Blue Jackets out for the start of the game ❤️ — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 1, 2025 During the game, a giant Gaudreau No. 13 banner was passed around the stadium by fans. "It's just so cool to see everything Columbus has done and everything Detroit is doing in his honor," Meredith Gaudreau said during an interview with ESPN. "It's really, really touching." There has been a season-long tribute to Johnny Gaudreau. The Blue Jackets keep his jersey in their dressing room, and so did Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Honorary captain and "Miracle on Ice" hero Mike Eruzione wore the jersey on the ice before the championship game against Canada. The Calgary Flames, who Gaudreau played for before he signed with Columbus, held a pregame ceremony in December. The family's father, Guy, has helped out at Philadelphia Flyers practices and was included in the USA's 4 Nations team photo. Blue Jackets fans sang happy birthday to Gaudreau's 1-year-old son, Johnny Jr., at a game last month. "These moments help me," Meredith said. "It's so nice to see. It's nice to be a part of and have our whole family be a part of it." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
