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The Western Michigan University Broncos are the 2025 Men's Division 1 Ice Hockey Champions. Following a 6-2 victory over the Boston University Terriers in the Frozen Four Championship, WMU can call themselves national champions for the first time in program history.
WE ARE ON TOP OF THE COLLEGE HOCKEY WORLD! NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!! #BroncosReign pic.twitter.com/mq5IcnC7lt
— WMU Hockey (@WMUHockey) April 13, 2025
It was an excellent game, start to finish, for the Broncos, who surprised and overwhelmed the Terriers from the opening whistle. WMU had developed an ability to get to their game early in the NCAA tournament. They did the same thing against their previous three opponents, and they dictated play against BU for the vast majority of the game.
The standout player for the Broncos was winger Owen Michaels. He recorded two goals in both the semi-finals and finals, and his clutch goal scoring was consistent throughout the tournament. The 22-year-old winger capped off an explosive sophomore season with WMU and is likely drawing some attention as an undrafted free agent.
Speaking of undrafted free agents, all eyes continue to focus on WMU captain Tim Washe. The senior forward was a two-way force in all four games, and his style screams NHL. He's an undrafted free agent and could be signing his first NHL contract.
Broncos goalie Hampton Slukynsky was another standout performer. The rookie netminder and Los Angeles Kings draft pick allowed two goals or fewer in all four starts in the NCAA tournament. His play has elevated him from an impressive player to a can't-miss NHL prospect. To make things even better, he celebrated a national title with his brother Grant, who was also a key piece of their championship puzzle.
For BU, the defeat is another bitter end. They had one of the most talented teams in the country, filled with future NHL talent like Shane LaChance, Cole Hutson, Cole Eiserman, Ryan Greene, and Mikhail Yegorov. Greene is expected to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks and begin his NHL career.
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New York Rangers’ All-Time Starting Lineup
There have been plenty of New York Rangers legends since their founding in 1926 as one of the Original Six teams. In this exercise, I will create a “starting six” of one goalie, two defensemen, and three forwards that represent the best Rangers players in history at their respective positions. Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist This was essentially a battle between Henrik Lundqvist and Mike Richter, with Lundqvist ultimately winning out because of his durability and consistency. Drafted in the seventh round, he went on to become a lifelong Ranger, playing 887 games for them and amassing a career .918 save percentage (SV%) and 2.43 goals-against average (GAA). He was a Vezina Trophy winner in 2012, a five-time NHL All-Star, and was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023. There were several seasons in the middle of his career where he almost single-handedly dragged an otherwise mediocre team into the playoffs. Richter, though he was a bit more inconsistent over the course of his career than Lundqvist and did not put up quite the sterling numbers, is likewise a Rangers legend. He was able to capture a Stanley Cup in 1994, a feat that Lundqvist was unable to accomplish. Defensemen: Brian Leetch and Harry Howell Brian Leetch is the obvious first choice. He is second in all-time points scored by a defenseman for the Rangers and was one of the most prolific offensive defensemen in NHL history. An elite skater with great offensive skill and vision, Leetch was an 11-time All-Star, two-time Norris Trophy winner, and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1994 with a spectacular playoff performance to lead the Rangers to the Stanley Cup. Harry Howell does not possess the point totals of other Rangers defense legends, players like Brad Park or Ron Greschner. His contributions to the Rangers came via defensive prowess, elite puck-moving ability, and durability. Howell leads all past and present Rangers with 1,060 games played in a Blueshirt uniform. He won the Norris Trophy in 1967 before Bobby Orr dominated the award for the next decade. Howell was a mainstay on the Rangers blue line for the 50s and 60s, and his number was retired in 2009. Forwards: Mark Messier, Rod Gilbert and Jean Ratelle Mark Messier was only a Ranger for six seasons, but his time there was memorable. He was the captain all six seasons, was above a point per game each season, and led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup in 1994. He was a fearless leader and had so many legendary moments during the Rangers’ 1994 Cup run, perhaps none bigger than guaranteeing that the Rangers would win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final versus the New Jersey Devils. Rod Gilbert is the all-time leader in goals and points for the Rangers, with 406 and 1,021, respectively. He played his entire career with New York, a career that spanned 18 years and 1,065 games. While he never won a Stanley Cup, he is perhaps the first truly great Ranger, and he was the first to have his number retired, a feat that occurred just two seasons after he announced his retirement. Jean Ratelle was one of the most dynamic offensive players in Rangers history. He is a member of perhaps the most dangerous line in Rangers’ history with Rod Gilbert and Vic Hadfield. His elite offensive production was at its peak in the mid-1970s, headlined by the 1971-72 season that saw him produce 46 goals and 109 points in just 63 games. How Close Are Current Players? There are a few current Rangers that are on the outside looking in of this starting six, but the reality is that no one is particularly close to breaking through. Artemi Panarin actually leads all Rangers in points per game at 1.28, but he has only played seven seasons in New York and has not had enough playoff success. Igor Shesterkin has put up great numbers, but, similarly to Panarin, has not played enough seasons or done enough in the playoffs to challenge Lundqvist for his spot here. Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Adam Fox are also somewhat close, but still a step away from the efficiency and leadership elements that the players above possess.
Mets' slide continues with arguably their worst loss of the season
The New York Mets are trending in the wrong direction, and their slide continued on Sunday with what might have been their worst loss of the season. The Mets not only were on the losing end of a 7-6 walk-off loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, they blew a 5-0 lead in the process and extended their losing streak to seven consecutive games. Even worse, they have lost 11 out of their past 12 games during a time where the Philadelphia Phillies are starting to pull away in the National League East race. The biggest issue for the Mets for most of this slump has been an offense that has gone ice cold. But that wasn't necessarily the problem on Sunday as they pushed six runs across the plate. The problem on Sunday was a rough start for Sean Manaea (four earned runs in four innings) and a bullpen that was unable to hold on to a late lead. Trade-deadline addition Ryan Helsley allowed the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning when he allowed an RBI single to Joey Ortiz. That set the stage for star closer Edwin Diaz to serve up a walk-off home run to Isaac Collins. The Mets are still holding a playoff spot in the National League, but it is getting more uncomfortable by the day. After Sunday's games they are in the third and final wild-card spot in the National League, and only have 1.5 games of cushion between them and the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets had sky-high expectations this season after making the playoffs a year ago and then adding Juan Soto in free agency. While Soto's bat has ended up being everything the Mets hoped it would be, the rest of the offense has struggled in the heat of the summer and now the pressure is only going to keep mounting if they do not get out of this slump soon. With nine of their next 12 games coming against the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals — two of the worst teams in the National League — there is at least an opportunity for them to maybe get back on track. They need to, because after that stretch they have a three-game home series against the Phillies that could go a long way toward determining the path of their season.
Las Vegas Raiders finally find a solution to a problem that has emerged since the beginning of training camp
When training camp started for the Las Vegas Raiders, they had a ton of depth all around the roster. But, after one week, they did a scrimmage, and that depth instantly went down. During the scrimmage, backup safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. got hurt and suffered an injury that is bound to keep him out for a while. Now, he will be back at some point, because, as head coach Pete Carroll said, the Raiders want and need him. So, they finally made a move in replacing him. The Raiders signed a guy who can give them some experience in a pretty young position group. Raiders sign safety Terrell Edmunds Terrell Edmunds played college football at Virginia Tech from 2015 to 2017, leading to his selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Edmunds spent five seasons with the Steelers from 2018–2022, playing 79 games, starting 75, and racking up 410 tackles, 5 sacks, five interceptions, and 26 passes defended. His best year was 2019 with 105 tackles. After the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, he re-signed for 2022 but moved on in 2023, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans. In 2024, he briefly joined the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, he’s been jumping from practice squad to practice squad, but is looking to be a depth piece on the Raiders. Edmunds adds a veteran pretense to a room that has Chris Smith and Trey Taylor, two young guys who have never really played a full-time role in the defensive backfield. If Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jeremy Chinn went down, those two would be next in line, with little to no experience. So, the Raiders quickly got on the phone with Lonnie Johnson Jr. went down, but are finally making a change to the roster, bringing depth and experience. This is a very solid signing for the new regime.
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.
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