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Tensions heightened on Friday night when the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights took on the Sarnia Sting in the annual 402-rivalry series, leading to the suspension of Knights forward Max McCue.
The Knights forward has been handed an indefinite suspension following the events that transpired and for abusing an official, in which he was ejected, according to the game report.
The initial incident occurred when Sting forward Daylen Moses cross-checked Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkley in the face, resulting in the forward receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
As emotions strained, Sarnia netminder Karsen Chartier stepped away from the goal crease and struck Knights forward Keaden Johnston, igniting the brawl between Ryder Boulton and Chartier with Stings’ Cooper Way and Boulton following suit.
Well it is Sarnia-London after all.. lol. #OHL pic.twitter.com/pQATE1xW39
— @StingUpdates (@StingUpdates) December 30, 2023
McCue, however, was ejected at 18:34 for abuse of an official; although no information has transpired on what exactly was said, it’s been assumed that it was regarding the cross-check to Barkley.
McCue holds the longest active point streak in the OHL with 13 goals in nine games. The streak ties him with Jared Knight and trails behind Patrick Kane, who scored in 13 straight games in the 2006-07 season. Before being removed from the game, McCue scored two goals to contribute to the Knights’ 5-1 victory, adding their fifth straight win.
“I’m upset with their antics and how they’re allowed to do them,” Sting interim head coach and former NHL player Michael Haley said, who will be filling in for Alan Letang, who is currently serving as the head coach for Canada’s U20 team at the World Juniors.
“I’ve had a lot of fights in my life and I don’t think you’re allowed to go around and celebrate (in a demonstrative fashion). It is what it is. The refs called it. We accept it, move on and go on to the next game.”
The Knights sit third in the Western Conference with 45 points. Meanwhile, the Sting sit ninth in the West with 25 points.
THE NHL NOTEBOOK IS PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski to miss 4-6 weeks
The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially announced that defenceman Zach Werenski will be sidelined for four to six weeks following an ankle injury.
Werenski was initially injured on Wednesday night when the Blue Jackets took on the New Jersey Devils. The defenceman got tangled up with Ondrej Palat around the halfway mark during the second period and was unable to put weight on his left leg, causing him to leave the game.
#CBJ says D Zach Werenski is likely to miss 4-6 weeks with his ankle injury.
D Jake Christiansen recalled from @monstershockey. F Sean Kuraly placed on injured reserve.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) December 30, 2023
The defenceman will likely return around the time of the All-Star break in February. Still, it will cause him to miss the next 10-14 games for the Blue Jackets.
Werenski has contributed one goal and 25 points across 34 games so far in the 2023-24 campaign, which would have had him on track to secure a 60-point season in the case he was to play the full 82 games. Unfortunately, Werenski has not played the entire season since 2018-19 due to injuries, health issues, or shortened seasons.
In response, the Columbus organization has called up defenceman Jake Christiansen from the American Hockey League. The Blueliner has scored five goals and 22 points in 28 games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Last season, Christiansen played 24 games with the Blue Jackets, contributing four assists.
The Blue Jackets have also announced that forward Sean Kuraly will be placed on the injured reserve after suffering an abdominal injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 23rd. Kuraly has six goals and 11 points throughout 35 games.
The Blue Jackets look to build on their 6-5 win over the Maple Leafs on Friday as they take on the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
More must-reads:
- Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
- Browns quarterback race has now dramatically changed
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
All signs point to the Minnesota Wild signing All-Star winger Kirill Kaprizov to a massive extension this summer. Recent reports suggest that the Wild will likely sign Kaprizov to an eight-year, $120M contract. This deal would surpass Leon Draisaitl’s contract for the league’s highest average annual value (AAV). Still, it would fall $4M short of Alex Ovechkin’s record for the largest contract ever signed in the NHL. This raises the question: Is Kaprizov worth such a significant investment? Unfortunately, Kaprizov is coming off the worst season of his career thanks to injuries. He finished the campaign with 41 games played in the regular season, and another six in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he missed half the season, he scored 25 goals in 56 games, finishing third on the team in scoring and 16th in Hart Memorial Trophy voting. Finishing that high in team-scoring for a playoff team while losing half the year to injuries is a testament to Kaprizov’s value. Since joining Minnesota for the 2020-21 NHL season, he’s scored 185 goals and 386 points in 319 games, far and away the highest on the team over that stretch. Kaprizov’s contract demands ultimately come down to one equation. Assuming he’s signed to the $15M figure, Minnesota must ask if he’s worth 14.4% of their cap for the 2026-27 season, and even less throughout the subsequent years. It’s a fairly easy equation to sort through. Over the past five years, Kaprizov has been directly involved in 386 goals scored by the Wild. To understand his impact, we can analyze his point contribution to the total number of goals the entire team has scored during that period. Since Kaprizov began his career, Minnesota has scored 1,197 goals. Factoring in Kaprizov’s contributions, it’s easy to ascertain he’s been involved in 32.2% of the Wild’s goals, despite missing many games due to injuries. Given that he’s accounted for one-third of the team’s offense since coming into the league, it seems like an easy investment to make for the Wild. Unfortunately, his injuries are cause for concern, and they could become an issue throughout negotiations when agreeing to a final dollar amount. Regardless, the good news is that Minnesota appears to realize exactly what they have in Kaprizov. Their only pathway to contention runs through him, and they’re seemingly ready to recognize him financially for that. His hypothetical $15M AAV won’t last long as the league’s highest, with Connor McDavid prepared to earn more on his next contract with the Edmonton Oilers, or elsewhere. Still, although it’s not commonplace to make wingers some of the league’s highest-paid, Kaprizov is worth every penny.
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Makes Big Admission About Sudden Trade to Padres
As it turned out, veteran pitcher Nestor Cortes’ time with the Milwaukee Brewers was just a short one. Cortes, who was acquired by the Brewers via a trade with the New York Yankees in December and signed a one-year, $7.6 million contract with the Brewers nearly a month later, has been sent by Milwaukee to the San Diego Padres ahead of last week’s trade deadline. Cortes opens up about trade from Milwaukee Brewers to San Diego The 30-year-old Cortes recently shared how he learned he was on the move to San Diego, which came just minutes before he was to board the team bus for a road trip. “It’s been a little crazy, I was in Milwaukee and flew in last night,” Cortes said on Monday (h/t Marty Caswell of The Sporting Tribune). “But as soon as I got traded, a bunch of people reached out and made me feel like I was really welcomed here. And walking into the clubhouse today, obviously a lot of guys came up to me and presented me to all these places that we have here. It’s amazing for me now. Just happy to be here, happy for the opportunity.” Getting traded wasn’t exactly a surprise for Cortes, and he also seemingly got to an ideal situation with the Padres despite parting ways with a Milwaukee squad that is leading the big leagues in the standings with 67 wins through Sunday. “I was a little surprised. Even though I felt if there was a chance to get out of Milwaukee, it was going to be to a contender and I’m just happy to be here and happy to compete,” added Cortes. “I want to get the ball every five days hopefully and be able to give the best that I can.” Cortes appeared in only two games with the Brewers, as he landed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow flexor strain before getting placed on the 60-day IL.
Illegal tackle causes Colts RB to suffer 'severe leg injury'
The Indianapolis Colts had a scary moment on Sunday when a running back went down during an 11-on-11 team period. Per James Boyd of The Athletic, practice had to be stopped for 10 minutes while trainers attended to running back Salvon Ahmed, who suffered a "severe leg injury" after he was brought down via an illegal tackle by safety Trey Washington. "The injury occurred when Ahmed broke a long run during an 11-on-11 period," Boyd wrote. "He was tackled from behind by undrafted rookie safety Trey Washington, but when Washington grabbed Ahmed, who kept his legs churning, Washington used a hip-drop tackle to bring Ahmed down and landed on his lower right leg. Ahmed immediately grabbed his lower right leg and screamed in agony. "Steichen said the players in the developmental periods (essentially third-stringers and players lower than them on the depth chart) were instructed to tackle during 11-on-11. However, Steichen emphasized, Washington’s hip-drop tackle was obviously the wrong way to bring Ahmed down." Steichen said the coaching staff doesn't encourage hip-drop tackles, and claimed Washington is "down in the dumps" after his tackle led to Ahmed's injury. The unfortunate incident highlights how difficult it can be for NFL defenders to make a tackle. The league made the hip-drop tackle illegal to try and curb injuries, as offensive players thought it was a dirty hit. In Washington's case, the undrafted rookie free agent from Ole Miss wasn't trying to make a dirty hit but trying to make a football move in a competitive environment to keep his job. Before the injury, Ahmed was trying to make a case for the practice squad, where he spent time on during 2024.
Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Gone, Standout Rookie 3B Has Emerged as Gem from Would-Be Lose-Lose Trade
Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.
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