Crosby passes Lemieux assist record

 

Sidney Crosby notched his 1,034th career helper to pass Mario Lemieux as the Pittsburgh Penguins' all-time leader in assists Sunday.

Crosby fed Michael Bunting from behind the net for the record assist against the New York Islanders.

Rod Brind’Amour 300 wins!

 

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour made history in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night, becoming the fastest bench boss in league history to notch 300 victories.

He accomplished the feat in his 488th game as a coach. He has a 300-143-45 record over his career. 

The 54-year-old eclipsed Bruce Boudreau, who held the previous mark for nearly 11 years. Boudreau nabbed his 300th win in his 496th contest while coaching the Anaheim Ducks in February 2014. He hasn't been an NHL head coach since the 2022-23 campaign.

Red Wings FINALLY fire Derek Lalonde

 

The Detroit Red Wings dismissed head coach Derek Lalonde and tabbed Todd McLellan to replace him, the club announced Thursday.

Detroit signed McLellan to a multi-year contract and brought in Trent Yawney as an assistant coach while firing associate coach Bob Boughner.

Lalonde was in his third season behind the Red Wings' bench. Detroit is 13-17-4 in 2024-25, which puts the club second-last in the Atlantic Division.

LeBron James claims Christmas

 

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James took aim at the NFL's schedule-makers Wednesday immediately following an epic Christmas Day bout against the Golden State Warriors.

"I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day," James said after the Lakers eked out a narrow 115-113 win in San Francisco in an instant classic that saw the future Hall of Famer drop 31 points.

Warriors Stephen Curry

 

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is well aware that he's closer to the end of his illustrious NBA career than the beginning.

"It's okay to accept and acknowledge that the end is near," Curry told ESPN's Malika Andrews. "But only because it allows you to enjoy what's happening right now. But I think the more you talk about it and the more you acknowledge it, the more it levels up the sense of urgency in the moment, now."

Curry, 36, is in the 16th season of his career. He's enjoying another strong campaign for the Warriors, averaging 21.8 points, five rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game across 23 appearances.

Red Sox sign Walker Buehler

 

Yet another big-name pitcher is shipping up to Boston.

The Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $21.05-million contract with right-hander Walker Buehler, sources told Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports.

The deal, which is pending a physical, also contains $2.5 million worth of performance bonuses, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Rickey Henderson passes away at 65

 

Rickey Henderson, MLB's all-time stolen bases leader and a baseball icon, died at age 65, the league announced Saturday.

Rangers trade Kakko

 

The New York Rangers traded forward Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2025 sixth-rounder, the teams announced Wednesday. 

Kakko has put up four goals and 14 points in 30 games this season while averaging 13:17 of ice time.

He missed Sunday's 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues as a healthy scratch. Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said the decision was about "putting fresh legs in the lineup," but Kakko expressed frustration with the move Tuesday.

Maxx Crosby season ending surgery

 

Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury that requires surgery, he confirmed Saturday.

"As much as it pains me to write, I will not be playing the rest of the season," Crosby said in an Instagram post. "Second time this year getting rolled up on the same ankle and now it will require surgery."

He'll meet with Dr. Rob Anderson and undergo arthroscopic surgery Monday, and that will determine the extent of the damage to Crosby's ankle and whether he needs additional medical procedures, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Juan Soto signs with Mets

Juan Soto is crossing town.

The superstar outfielder has agreed to a 15-year, $765-million contract with the New York Mets, sources told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Soto's deal is the largest contract in professional sports history, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Yankees and Mets offer Soto $700M+

 

Juan Soto looks poised to beat Shohei Ohtani's MLB-record 10-year, $700-million contract.

The New York Yankees and New York Mets upped their offers to Soto into the range of $710 million to $730 million with a decision potentially coming in the next day or two, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

It's believed the Mets made the higher offer to the 26-year-old superstar, per Heyman.

Rangers sign Shesterkin $11M

 

The New York Rangers are signing goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $11.5 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports.

It's the richest contract handed to a goalie in league history, eclipsing Carey Price's eight-year deal with a $10.5-million AAV signed in 2018.

Shesterkin was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He reportedly turned down an eight-year, $88-million offer from the Rangers in October and previously said he didn't want to negotiate a new deal during the season.

Lions clinch Playoff spot

 

Detroit went for it on fourth down for a fifth time to set up Jake Bates’ 35-yard field goal as time expired, Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.

Campbell has been perhaps the NFL’s most aggressive coach since taking over what was a league laughingstock in 2021, but he turned it up a notch against the Packers with a short-handed defense that he wanted to keep off the field.

Blackhawks fire Coach Richardson

 

The last-place Chicago Blackhawks fired head coach Luke Richardson on Thursday, the team announced.

Rockford IceHogs head coach Anders Sorensen will take over Richardson's post on an interim basis.

Richardson was in his third season on the job, but the club didn't seem to be making progress. Chicago sits last in the entire NHL with 18 points. The team owned a 57-118-15 record under his stewardship.

Red Sox sign Chapman

 

The Boston Red Sox and free-agent left-hander Aroldis Chapman agreed to a one-year contract worth $10.75 million, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Blue Jays chase Juan Soto

 

It looks like the Toronto Blue Jays are serious about their pursuit of free-agent outfielder Juan Soto.

There's widespread belief among Soto bidders that the Blue Jays will come in with the highest offer for him, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Soto would reportedly be willing to join the Blue Jays, as a source told Martino that the 26-year-old is willing to play for any team that's involved in the final bidding process.