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The NHL Department of Player Safety issued fines against Ottawa forward Nick Cousins for a pre-game incident that occurred prior to Thursday night’s game three against the Maple Leafs, per a department statement. The Senators were also fined for the incident.
During warm-ups, Cousins wristed a shot at Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz as he stretched in the neutral zone. The action will cost Cousins $2,083.33, the maximum allowable amount under the CBA for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Senators were also fined $25,000. Cousins, who was activated from LTIR on April 13 after missing months with a knee injury, has appeared in two of three games in the series, averaging just 9:34 of ice time per game.
Being pegged as “Warm-up Gate,” TSN insider Chris Johnston believes the league is taking the event so seriously to avoid an additional pre-game incident from taking place in the series, which could cause emotions to boil over. Toronto head coach Craig Berube laughed off the incident (and even shared a story of his playing days when Tie Domi and Ron Hextall got into over a similar situation), while Sens coach Travis Green also made light of the situation.
With the Sens one game away from being swept by Toronto, Green did take a serious tone when noting how “disheartening” the series has been up to this point, per The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie. While games two and three went to overtime, Toronto came out on top in both contests, essentially dashing Ottawa’s hopes of a series win. After an eight-year playoff drought, the Senators are just one loss away from elimination.
With that said, Green noted his team won’t go down without a fight.
“It’s disheartening, to say the least. Sometimes playoff hockey comes down to little inches or bounces, and we were on the wrong end of it tonight,” he said. “The one thing I know about our team is, we’re not going to lie down, we’re not going to go away, we’re going to be ready to play,”
More must-reads:
- Maple Leafs take 3-0 series lead vs. Senators on latest OT win
- Stanley Cup playoffs takeaways: Maple Leafs in control; Hagel should be suspended
- The 'NHL All-Star Game MVPs' quiz
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Red Wings Announce Major Change for Their 100th Season and Fans Are Fired Up
The Red Wings have announced that they are bringing back their iconic 'Hockeytown' logo to center ice at Little Caesars Arena for their 100th year in the NHL. A somewhat familiar look is coming back to center ice at Little Caesars Arena, which has been the home of the Detroit Red Wings since 2017. A special fan polling has resulted in the announcement that the iconic former 'Hockeytown' logo from Joe Louis Arena, their former home, is coming back as part of a new special logo for the team's 100th year. Asia Gholston, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing for Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, released the following statement. The center ice fan vote, launched in partnership with Meijer, was a great way to get fans involved in Red Wings Centennial right from the start. Through an incredible response to this vote, fans have made it clear they're fired up for what's to come in celebrating 100 years of Hockeytown, which is only possible due to their unwavering support for the Winged Wheel. The Red Wings featured the 'Hockeytown' logo at Joe Louis Arena in 1996, which remained until the building's closure in 2017. The Red Wings then used the same logo in their 1st year at Little Caesars Arena, but since then have just utilized a large team logo. The Red Wings celebrate their 100th year in the NHL The Red Wings were founded in 1926, but are in the midst of the longest drought of postseason hockey in their history. Considering that they've now been around for 100 years, that postseason absence is a surprising statistic. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has started to feel some heat for having not been able to get the team to the postseason in each of his first 6 years on the job.
Steelers Rookie Kaleb Johnson Gets Very Honest Rating In First Game Against Jacksonville
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson comes to the Steel City after a tremendous career at Iowa, where he routinely faced stacked defensive fronts and still found ways to excel. The Steelers clearly believe he has the physicality, vision, and work ethic to contribute right away, especially in an offense that prides itself on a strong running game. In the Steelers’ first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh came away with a 31-25 victory. Johnson saw limited but notable action, carrying the football eight times for 20 yards and catching one pass for six yards. While his stat line didn’t jump off the page, his debut provided the coaching staff with an initial look at how he adjusts to NFL speed and physicality. Following the game, former Steelers two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke appeared on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call to give his honest assessment of Johnson’s first NFL outing. Hoke noted that while Johnson showed flashes of his college toughness, he still needs to work on reading NFL-level defenses and hitting the hole with more urgency. He emphasized that preseason is about learning and adapting, and that Johnson has the tools to grow into a productive player for Pittsburgh if he embraces the grind. "On the one sack earlier in the game, Mason [Rudolph] wanted to check it down to him and he stayed in to protect," Hoke said Saturday on the KDKA Nightly Sports Call. "There's been a lot of talk about, 'Can Kaleb Johnson protect?' That's a big part of why he needs to be out there getting these reps, because he needs to protect Aaron Rodgers in the regular season. He stayed in there too long, didn't leak out for the safety valve, but Kaleb Johnson broke tackles." Hoke, as a whole, sounded very pleased with what he saw from Johnson. While the stats were not impressive, the eye test revealed Johnson’s burst and vision. Perhaps his best moment came when he planted Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter into the turf. Hoke acknowledged that Johnson still has plenty to work on but expressed confidence that he can get there. "A lot of times when you are a running back and you get to a hole, you are going to have a guy there," Hoke continued. "You've got to make the first guy miss. He stiffed-arm, he got outside, got some positive yardage when a lot of times we saw last year running backs were going down on contact at the first guy. So, I really like what I see from Kaleb Johnson." The Steelers’ running back room looks noticeably different heading into the 2025 season. Like several other key positions on the roster, it underwent a complete overhaul. Pittsburgh will open the year with a one-two punch of Jaylen Warren and Johnson, though many analysts believe Johnson could begin stealing carries from Warren as the season progresses and eventually emerge as the lead back. Steelers Could Have A Punishing Rushing Attack In addition to Warren and Johnson, the Steelers added veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell in the offseason. Fresh off a Super Bowl victory with the Philadelphia Eagles, Gainwell brings playoff experience and versatility to the group. Together, this trio will be the foundation that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith and Head Coach Mike Tomlin lean on to power the offense. If the Steelers are serious about being legitimate contenders in 2025, their ground game will need to set the tone early and often. With Smith’s physical, run-first philosophy and a backfield that blends youth, experience, and explosiveness, Pittsburgh has the pieces to build one of the most punishing rushing attacks in the league.
Chicago Bears have troubling storyline emrge on starter after Dolphins’ preseason game
A Chicago Bears cornerback is running out of opportunities to show he can mature under a new coaching staff. 2023 second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson spent much of last season in the dog house for his antics before and during the Hail Mary that allowed the Washington Commanders and rookie Jayden Daniels to top Caleb Williams and the Bears last year. Nothing good happened for the Bears from the moment Stevenson told the Commanders crowd to hush until the season finale, when Chicago upset the Green Bay Packers. Stevenson had a blank slate with new head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. But the 25-year-old is back to his old tricks in training camp. Tyrique Stevenson is back to his old tricks Per Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, Stevenson lacked self-control during Friday’s joint practice with the Dolphins, and it was unclear before the game if the cornerback started in the game on Sunday because he’s fighting for the CB2 job or as a punishment. “CB Tyrique Stevenson is one of the few 1st-stringers playing for the Bears in a sweltering noon kickoff against the Dolphins,” Lieser posted. “Not clear whether it is because he’s in a position battle or if this is a consequence for fighting and lack of self-control in the joint practice Friday.” The Chicago Bears have a tough decision to make Stevenson’s hard hit on Jaylen Waddle led to a minor injury for the Dolphins receiver. Because of the undisclosed injury, Waddle did not play in the preseason contest that resulted in a 24-24 tie. Stevenson has a reputation for being immature and a liability to have flags thrown his way. The competition for the CB2 job is more than being able to swat balls and intercept passes. The Bears need him to play clean football. Based on his work Friday, Stevenson has more to do in the mental aspect of his game before his third regular season.
Report: Teams reluctant to discuss key offseason move with Bulls
After an impressive debut season with the Chicago Bulls, you could have been forgiven if you believed Josh Giddey's restricted free agency was a mere formality. The playmaking guard established himself as a key member of Billy Donovan's rotation. Furthermore, he ended the season looking like the cornerstone of the team's rebuilding efforts. Instead, Giddey and the Bulls have been at an impasse throughout the summer. If reports are to be believed, the issue is that Giddey is seeking a deal in the region of $30M per year. Chicago, on the other hand, is working in the $20M per year range. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, that impasse has led some teams from around the league to register their interest in Giddey. However, any potential move to sign him would need to be a sign-and-trade. Unfortunately for Giddey, those teams are "reluctant" to enter negotiations with Chicago, as they've become a notoriously difficult franchise to deal with in trade discussions. "Sources say Giddey has managed to attract some external interest from rival teams since free agency began, with multiple Eastern Conference teams contacting Giddey's representation to register sign-and-trade interest," Fischer reported via The Stein Line Newsletter. "Yet it's likewise true that more than one rival front office has indicated a reluctance to try to engage the Bulls in sign-and-trade discussions, sources say, with Chicago having messaged for some time that it is not eager to discuss such scenarios." For Chicago, the interest in Giddey should be a wakeup call. His unique style of play and ability to impact a game in a host of different ways should make him borderline indispensable. At 22, he's likely to continue improving for the best part of a decade. Chicago can't let such a talent slip through its fingers. As such, the Bulls must try to meet Giddey closer to where he's at. A deal in the region of $25M or $27M per year would likely go a long way to getting him back to the negotiating table. If other teams are starting to test the waters, Giddey could be tempted to sign his qualifying offer. That would make him an unrestricted free agent and all but ensure his time in Chicago is short-lived. The Bulls front office must act now after Giddey has proven himself. While his contract requests are undoubtedly high, the Bulls would be securing his future, and that alone is worth paying a premium for.
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