Calgary Flames rookie Connor Zary is at risk of facing a suspension for his vicious hit on Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson Wednesday night.
With less than twenty games in the regular season for every team in the league, the NHL is heating up fast as it nears the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This proves no different in the Western Conference, in which the second Wild Card spot still remains a close battle.
Two of those battling teams were the Vancouver Canucks, who have had to pick themselves up after locker room drama, and the Calgary Flames who have maintained a middle-standing position throughout the season.
With both Canadian teams within a point of one another, tensions on the ice were high, but possibly too high for one rookie in particular.
2020 first-rounder Connor Zary took to the ice with the Flames tonight with a vengeance, seeming to try playing an enforcer over a point producer.
During the game, he violently hit newly controversial Canuck forward Elias Pettersson in the neck region before holding him down on the ice following the impact.
Based on the intensity and purposefulness of the collision, fans and analysts believed that Zary was deserving of suspension and would most likely receive one.
'Well, I think he should be kicked out of the game. If that would have gotten kicked out, I think that's a suspendible play. I really don't like that.'
Despite the clear hunger from Calgary, the Vancouver Canucks were victorious in the end, taking the 4-3 win in the shootout.
After their success on the road, the Canucks are now tied with the Flames in points, falling just behind in point percentage for the final Western Conference playoff spot.
With no confirmation yet on Zary's fate hopefully, the battle will not be already fought and over for either Canadian team.
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Connor McDavid has yet to sign a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers, but according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, there’s no reason for fans to panic. In a recent video shared by Bleacher Report, Seravalli said that negotiations are still in their early stages, with neither side at the point where numbers have been exchanged. Seravalli reports: “To give you a quick update, it’s been a very busy social summer for Connor McDavid, as everyone saw on social media. He was overseas in Europe at best friend Leon Draisaitl‘s wedding. We all saw the videos of him on jet skis with Leon Draisaitl and the now infamous photo that he posted of himself smoking a dart at his own wedding… numbers haven’t even been exchanged yet they’re still kind of very early on in the process.” He adds that there doesn’t seem to be any hint of nerves, panic, or fear from the player or the Edmonton Oilers side of things. Seravalli explains: “As best as I can tell, I’d expect in relatively short order here, whether it’s in the next week or two, that that process will begin to ramp up and that essentially the way it’s been explained to me is, the minute that Connor McDavid picks his head up off the pillow and decides that he would like to have a contract extension done, that’s the day that it’ll happen.” He says, it could be that quick because there’s not really much of a negotiation here. Time for Oilers Fans to Breathe This report should provide reassurance to Oilers fans concerned about the timing of the McDavid extension. His extension is the most important thing on the team’s to-do list, and any worry he might not want to stay has fans concerned. While the absence of a signed deal may attract headlines and speculation, insiders suggest the situation does not indicate the sky is falling. As the summer progresses, don’t be shocked if a McDavid announcement comes out of nowhere. It’s the kind of situation where there could be crickets one day and a done deal the next.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.
A new era of coaching is underway for the Chicago Bears, with Ben Johnson taking his first head coaching gig in the Windy City this offseason. Johnson was brought in to help Caleb Williams, and one way to do that is to lean on star wide receiver D.J. Moore. One wrinkle Johnson has hinted at in the preseason is using Moore out of the backfield as well as a wide receiver to get the ball in his hands more. Moore told the media that as he gets ready for his eighth NFL season, he’s ready for the challenge. “Just do it all, and just attack it,” he said. “It’s daunting, but I get paid the big bucks to do it, so why not?” Which brings us to today’s quiz. Moore saw his receiving yards from his first season with the Bears (1,364 to 966), but he still led the way for Chicago’s receiving corps in 2024. With that being said, can you name every team leader in receiving yards for the 2024-25 NFL season? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
It was clear soon after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded that the Washington Commanders were locked in on Josh Conerly Jr. at No. 29 overall. However, one prospect who went a few picks later is already filling people around the league with immense regret. Adam Peters faced a nervous wait for Conerly. The general manager thought his primary offensive tackle target might go a lot higher, and he didn't hesitate to pull the trigger when given the chance. It's been a rocky transition for the Oregon product so far, but nothing to overly concern. Conerly's starting to put it together en route to potentially securing the starting right tackle job. Even if he achieves this objective, there will be some growing pains based on what fans have seen from the first-year pro so far. Josh Simmons is already making Commanders (and everyone else) pay for overlooking him Things are going a lot better for Josh Simmons, who was taken No. 32 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was widely considered among the most prolific tackles in this class, but a serious knee injury suffered during his final season at Ohio State saw his stock take a major hit. Simmons immediately silenced his doubters. He's shown no ill effects from the complication this summer. He's instantly locked down the starting blindside role in Kansas City, and his performance in their preseason opener only raises optimism further about what he could be capable of long-term. This didn't go unnoticed by Andy Reid. The Chiefs' head coach was suitably impressed by Simmons' contribution, crediting his exceptional work ethic and ability to take on coaching without fuss as reasons behind his early surge. I wasn't screaming at him, so I figured he did okay. He looked like he had a solid day, especially for his first game; he's been working his tail off. That kid never complains about anything; he just goes.Andy Reid via USA Today If Simmons continues with the rapid ascent, he could become Patrick Mahomes' blindside protector for the rest of his career. There were legitimate reasons for other teams, including the Commanders, to look at alternatives. However, they were not based on his athletic ability and consistency on the biggest stages. The Commanders had conviction in Conerly. Hopefully, he'll end up having a profitable career in Washington. But if he and other draft picks don't meet expectations, Peters won't be the only one kicking himself about passing up the chance to take Simmons. Time will tell. But make no mistake, there's a long way to go and a lot of football to play before those judgments can be made. More Commanders news and analysis
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