Michael Whitaker Articles - Page 2

The 2025-26 NHL season has officially been confirmed as being the last in the career of Anze Kopitar, one of the longest tenured members of the organization who was a principal member of both Stanley Cup-winning squads of 2012 and 2014. Kopitar announced his intentions to retire after the upcoming campaign, citing the desire to […]

Not many people believed that a Walt Disney film would inspire a professional sports franchise. Still, the NHL was introduced to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in time for the 1993-94 season following the success of the eponymous movie starring Emilio Estevez. The franchise enjoyed periods of brief success that culminated in a Cinderella-style run […]

Since joining the NHL in the 2000-01 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets have had a challenging history, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs just six times in 24 years. Despite featuring some talented players over the years, the team has never quite managed to come together as a true championship contender. Despite their struggles, the […]

Edmonton Oilers team captain Connor McDavid has the chance to become arguably the most high-profile unrestricted free agent to hit the open market perhaps in NHL history next offseason if things remain as they are right now. As it currently stands, McDavid is without a contract beyond the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, which will be […]

The Los Angeles Kings will soon experience the end of an era with their franchise. Team captain Anze Kopitar announced on Thursday, the opening of training camp, that the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season will be the last of his career. It will mark the farewell tour of not only one of the great Kings players, […]

The 2024-25 NHL season was a volatile one for the New York Rangers, who failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs only a year after having won the President’s Trophy. Not only did they trade away team captain Jacob Trouba after reportedly threatening to waive him, but they also traded away forward Filip Chytil […]

Training camp has officially begun for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it’s a bit of an unfamiliar situation after the so-called “Core Four” of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander was split up for good with the major sign-and-trade deal of Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. Now, the Maple Leafs are […]

One of the handful of acquisitions that the Edmonton Oilers made at the 2025 NHL trade deadline was defenseman Jake Walman, who had previously spent the entire season with the San Jose Sharks following a surprising trade from the Detroit Red Wings. Walman arrived in Edmonton having already scored six goals with 26 assists with […]

The Colorado Avalanche were introduced to the NHL in time for the 1995-96 season as they relocated to the Rocky Mountains after their identity as the Quebec Nordiques was no longer financially viable. They won the Stanley Cup in their first season of play in Colorado and remained a force in the Western Conference for […]

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys are still understandably upset after the trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers shortly before the 2025 NFL season began. Parsons and the Cowboys were unable to come to terms on a new contract, a problem that was immediately solved upon his arrival in Green Bay, as he […]

The Philadelphia Flyers continue to trudge along in their rebuilding process under general manager and former Stanley Cup Playoff ace Daniel Briere, though many Flyers fans would argue that it’s not moving at a pace that they’re comfortable with. The latest season for the Flyers ended with upheaval in its closing days, with the termination […]

The Florida Panthers once again reached the mountaintop as Stanley Cup champions, claiming a second straight victory over the Edmonton Oilers. It was the first Stanley Cup Final rematch since 2008 and 2009, but unlike those series, where the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins each won once, Florida completed a clean sweep over the […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated a pair of wins over the weekend, starting with the revised contract for AP NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward on Saturday, followed by their season-opening 34-32 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon. It was also the regular-season debut in a Steelers uniform for former Jets quarterback Aaron […]

Michigan football’s quest for an undefeated season will not come to reality, as they suffered their first loss of their 2025 schedule by dropping a 24-13 decision to the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. The loss dropped the Wolverines to 1-1, while the Sooners improved to 2-0. It was only the second-ever meeting between the two […]

The Dallas Cowboys stunned their fans last week by trading All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Immediately after the trade, Parsons signed a four-year, $188 million deal, which included $120 million fully guaranteed. It’s a significant blow to the Cowboys, who failed to qualify for the playoffs last season. Even though […]

The Los Angeles Kings have been unable to get over the hump of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last four consecutive seasons, having lost on each occasion to the Edmonton Oilers. It’s enough to drive even the most passionate of fans mad knowing it’s been their fate to fall at […]

The bad news for the Winnipeg Jets is that, during their Game 6 series-ending loss to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Semifinal, they lost defenseman Josh Morrissey to a leg injury, something that he also experienced two years prior in the postseason against the Vegas Golden Knights. The good news is that Morrissey […]

The version of the Toronto Maple Leafs that hits the ice for the 2025-26 NHL season will look different than the team that skated off the ice at Scotiabank Arena in dejection following their latest Game 7 postseason loss to the Florida Panthers. The most notable change for the Maple Leafs was the sign-and-trade of […]

The Calgary Flames have not played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season since the 2021-22 NHL season, when they advanced to the Western Conference Semi-Final against the provincial rival Edmonton Oilers. During that postseason, the late Johnny Gaudreau scored what was the biggest goal of his career in overtime of Game 7 in […]

There is perhaps no more hands-on executive in the four North American professional sports leagues than Jerry Jones, the team owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. While the Cowboys enjoyed tremendous success in the 1990s under Jones’ ownership, which included two straight Super Bowl wins, Jones has garnered increased criticism and scrutiny for […]

While the Seattle Kraken missed the postseason last year, there is reason for optimism moving forward. The Kraken hired former New York Islanders coach Lane Lambert as the full-time replacement for Dan Bylsma, who was dismissed after just one season, while former Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment is now a Kraken forward after being acquired […]

The San Jose Sharks endured yet another losing campaign in the 2024-25 NHL season, finishing at the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference while also making multiple trades along the way. One of the new players they brought in during the regular season was former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who was included […]

The frustrating refrain for the Minnesota Wild continued earlier this spring, as they once again failed to make it out of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Minnesota hasn’t advanced to the Western Conference Semifinal since 2015 when they defeated the St. Louis Blues in Round 1. The current Wild roster looks far […]

It wasn’t very long ago that the Chicago Blackhawks not only experienced the end of the dynasty that produced three Stanley Cup victories, but also began their slide toward the bottom of National Hockey League standings. There have been some frustrating times in recent years in the Windy City, but some of the consolation prizes […]

The Seattle Kraken weren’t overly busy this offseason in free agency, though general manager Jason Botterill did acquire a handful of players via trade. They acquired forward Mason Marchment in a deal with the Dallas Stars, while also landing former Detroit Red Wings first-round draft selection Joe Veleno in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. […]

The 2024-25 NHL season was nothing short of a difficult experience for the Boston Bruins, who are just two seasons removed from resetting the league’s regular season victory record with an astounding 65 wins. Of course, fans would prefer not to talk about how that particular season ended, and they’re feeling the same way about […]

It looks as though the relationship between star defensive end Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys could be coming to a close, as the latter has officially requested a trade from the former. Parsons, who the Cowboys selected in the opening round of the 2021 NFL Draft, took to social media earlier on Friday and […]

The Utah Mammoth are coming off their very first season in Salt Lake City since the move from their former identity as the Arizona Coyotes, and they’ve already made an indelible impression on the community that had never experienced professional hockey before. Initially known simply as the Utah Hockey Club for their inaugural campaign, they’ve […]

Former Chicago Blackhawks team captain Jonathan Toews, who was the leader of the franchise that won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015, has officially found the next stop in his professional career. Toews recently agreed to a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets, his hometown team. Toews has not played since April 2023, […]

The Chicago Blackhawks once again came nowhere close to a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the recently completed 2024-25 NHL Season, finishing with a 25-46-11 record and landing the third overall selection in the NHL Draft Lottery. The Blackhawks utilized the third overall selection on Swedish forward Anton Frondell, who has the potential […]

The Carolina Hurricanes made it back to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in the last three seasons, but were once again dispatched by the Florida Panthers. In an effort to get them over the hump moving forward, the Hurricanes have made a handful of notable additions to their roster, including the acquisitions […]

The Philadelphia Flyers, who have not been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020, are banking on the latest moves from general manager Daniel Briere that their drought could soon come to an end. The Flyers have re-signed a handful of their current players, including Noah Cates and Cam York. Additionally, they acquired Trevor Zegras […]

The Vegas Golden Knights traded defenseman Nicolas Hague to the Nashville Predators along with a 2027 conditional third-round pick in return for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. The Predators then immediately locked Hague up with a four-year contract worth $22 million, good for a $5.5 million cap hit. It was their first major […]

Despite basically everyone thinking Brock Boeser was leaving Vancouver, the Canucks managed to get a new contract hammered out with the forward after he all but said his unofficial goodbyes to the team near the end of the 2024-25 NHL regular season. The Canucks and Boeser agreed to a seven-year, $50.75 million deal with a […]

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired a major upgrade on the blue line, trading for defenseman K’Andre Miller from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Scott Morrow, a conditional first-round draft pick and Carolina’s 2026 second-round draft pick. Not only this, but the Hurricanes also locked Miller up with an eight-year contract that carries […]

40-year-old defenseman Brent Burns isn’t done playing just yet, as he’s decided to take his talents from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Rocky Mountains and has joined the Colorado Avalanche. Burns, who has played in every regular season game for the last 11 consecutive seasons, agreed to a one-year contract. He will make a $1 […]

The St. Louis Blues have already unveiled a new, updated uniform look for the 2025-26 NHL season, and now they’ve made a key addition to their lineup for the next two seasons. Former Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter has agreed to join the Blues, signing a two-year, $8.25 million contract with a $4.125 million cap […]

The Anaheim Ducks have taken a significant step forward, grabbing one of the top forwards that was available on the free agent market on the opening day of the NHL’s free agency period. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has announced that the club has signed Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract with a $7 million cap […]

The Florida Panthers continue to live it up after repeating as Stanley Cup champions, having once again defeated the Edmonton Oilers in what was the first Cup Final rematch since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins met in 2009. Most fans and analysts figured that the Panthers would be unable to re-sign all of […]