Technically hockey is still being played for one more day, as Development Camp for the Colorado Avalanche continues on Friday, but this next story is very much an off-season one, so be warned.
Remember Pierre-Edouard Bellemare? The veteran forward spent two seasons with the Avalanche, and was a fantastic interview in the locker room. He’s smart, well spoken, and genuinely hilarious. His wife, Hannah, has a YouTube series called “Cooking With NHL Players” where she teaches people how to pair food and wine, and does so while having other NHL players over for dinner. In her most recent episode, she had Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen over for dinner, and it was a pretty entertaining watch.
In the episode, you get to see the three NHL players just have fun chatting about various different topics, while Hannah teaches all of them about why they’re pairing the specific wine with the food. It’s a different side of the players that you don’t always get to see on a regular basis. You learn about how Mikko Rantanen is building a new home back in Finland, and some of his favorite meals. Bellemare asks the two Avalanche forwards about the locker room remodel at Ball Arena and recalls how he used to catch his old teammates doing some unsanitary things because of the old setup. He also discusses some of the contract offers he had to decide on over the course of his NHL career, which didn’t start until he was 29. You’ll also see MacKinnon discuss potentially becoming a father in the future.
Considering we’re about to enter the abyss of the summer, where we aren’t likely to get much in terms of hockey news, I figured it was worth posting. You get to see how these guys are away from the rink, and might learn a thing or two about pairing food and wine. I’ve been to wine country a few times myself and found the 20 minute episode pretty entertaining.
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The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
Emma Jacob was a 22-year-old woman who went missing in Platteville, WI. Details are scant about her disappearance, but tragic news was delivered by a woman on Facebook, who says she is Jacob's sister. And Lafayette County sheriff's officials confirmed to Men's Journal that Jacob is deceased. On July 22, Sydney Wiltsie wrote on Facebook, "My little sister Emma Jacob has been missing since around 9:30 this morning. Her last pinged location was near the mound, or the 'big M' in Platteville, WI. Her car, phone, keys, and purse were all found there. Police are involved and we ask that everyone in the Platteville area keeps an eye out for her and that she is found safe. Please keep her and our family in your prayers. 22 y.o. Female, roughly 5’6”, 120lbs, dark brown curly hair." Then, in an update, she wrote, "Update: She has been found. At this time we ask you please respect our families privacy as we grieve the loss of our daughter, sister, and auntie. Thank you." "My beautiful baby sister and my best friend in the whole world. I love you so much," she wrote on July 23, sharing another photo. That comment thread filled up with people offering their condolences. That hasn't stopped people online from speculating, without evidence, that Jacob's case could be linked to the disappearance of Viterbo college student Eliotte Heinz, who vanished on July 20 after a night in a bar in downtown La Crosse, WI. To be clear, there is no information to tie them together, and they're not even located in the same city. There is no evidence at this point that foul play was even involved in Jacob's death, and searchers are hoping to find Heinz alive. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department confirmed to Men's Journal that Jacob died, but could not provide additional details on any cause of death, other than saying she was found in "rural Platteville" and that investigators "don't think it's related" to the disappearance of Heinz. Wiltsie limited comments on her post. "I understand everyone wanting to relate this to the other missing girls in Wisconsin but it’s very insensitive to Sydney and her family so maybe take those conversations private and keep this post strictly for information you may have directly related to Emma or prayers for a safe return. I am sure the police are aware of the other cases and working to connect any pieces," one woman wrote on the comment thread. La Crosse and Platteville are more than 100 miles apart, and there is no known link between the two women, with the exception that they are both 22 and from college towns in the Universities of Wisconsin system. Men's Journal contacted Platteville police on July 23 and asked about the Jacob case. Police said that case is being handled by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Police Department. However, that police department told Men's Journal to contact the UW-Platteville public relations spokeswoman, who has not yet responded to a request for comment.
New York Yankees fans know all too well how long it's been since the club last won a World Series title. If general manager Brian Cashman doesn't successfully wheel and deal ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline, it's entirely the title drought will continue in the Bronx. And that's not even the worst of it. "The Yankees, even without ace Gerrit Cole, were comfortably cruising along towards another AL East title when the wheels came off, and they have less than two weeks to see if they can find the right mechanic to get them rolling again," USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday. "This is a team that had a seven-game lead in late May, were 17 games over .500 in mid-June, but then were swept by the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, and still haven’t been the same, losing 19 times in the last 30 games," Nightengale continued. "They are desperate to find a third baseman and another starter in the next 12 days. If they come up empty, they may have trouble just slipping into the postseason," Nightendale concluded. "Sitting home in October would be nothing short of disastrous," Nightengale added for emphasis. The Yankees last missed the playoffs two years ago before returning to the World Series last fall. In seeking its first title since 2009, New York lost the 2024 Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. This year, the Yankees have a 42% chance of winning the American League East, according to FanGraphs. New York has a 49.4% chance of winning an AL wild card, giving them a 91.4% chance overall of reaching the playoffs. The Yankees have a 10% chance of winning the World Series, which is tied with the Detroit Tigers for the best odds in the American League. The Dodgers remain the overall World Series favorites with a 20.8% chance of winning another title. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees in Mix for Pirates All-Star Pitcher Yankees Trade Rumors: All-Star Closer On The Market? Yankees Have Competition for Diamondbacks Star
WNBA players sent a message to the league with T-shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday night, but the ratings for the game did not exactly strengthen their stance. Prior to the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark and other players warmed up in shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us” across the front. The message had to do with the current state of collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and WNBA Player’s Association. Unfortunately for the players, the television ratings for the game were not very good. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that the WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, which was down roughly 36% from a year ago. Last year’s game featured the WNBA All-Stars against the Team USA squad that was preparing to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. The dip in ratings is likely another example of the type of impact Clark has had on the WNBA. Although she was a team captain for this year’s All-Star Game, Clark did not play due to a groin injury. Clark played in last year’s game for the All-Star side, as she did not make the Team USA Olympic roster. Many fans were outraged that she was snubbed from the Olympic team, which added an element of intrigue to the All-Star Game. There is no way of knowing for certain whether more fans would have watched the All-Star Game on Saturday night had Clark played. It is a safe guess, however, especially when you look at some recent trends for the league.
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