Michael Whitaker Articles - Page 21

With no resolution in sight, the contract standoff between the Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman continues as the regular season approaches. But despite public callouts from both sides, Swayman has emphasized that he does not want his time with the Bruins to end. While appearing in Episode 3 of the soon-to-be-released Amazon series “FACEOFF: […]

The Montreal Canadiens lost forward Patrik Laine during Saturday night’s game against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs after a knee-on-knee collision with forward Cedric Pare, which many interpreted as a dirty hit. Laine couldn’t put weight on his left leg and had to be assisted off the ice. This marks another setback for Laine, who […]

For the second consecutive season, the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference Final, only to face a disappointing setback just as they appeared on the verge of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in a full NHL season since 2000. However, that hasn’t done anything to change the minds of fans and pundits who […]

What exactly are the Minnesota Wild heading into the 2024-25 NHL season? Right now, it’s hard to pin down. For starters, they’re a team that missed the postseason in 2023-24, largely due to injuries to key players. Captain Jared Spurgeon was limited to just 16 games, and emotional leader Marcus Foligno was sidelined after 55 […]

One of the Dallas Stars’ key additions for the 2024-25 NHL season was defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, who signed a three-year, $9.75 million deal with the team after splitting last season between the Anaheim Ducks and a second stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And as Lyubushkin explained, he chose to move on from the Leafs […]

The Minnesota Wild have found themselves in a difficult salary cap situation following General Manager Bill Guerin’s decision to buy out the remaining years of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s identical contracts in 2021. As a result, the Wild faced over $12 million in dead cap space for the 2022-23 season, followed by two consecutive […]

Fans of the San Jose Sharks held their collective breath during Tuesday night’s game at SAP Center against the Utah Hockey Club, following the announcement that first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini would not return after crashing awkwardly shoulder-first into the boards. Macklin Celebrini left tonight's game with a lower body injury after crashing into the […]

The San Jose Sharks may face a major setback to their 2024-25 season before it officially begins, as first-overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s game at SAP Center against the visiting Utah Hockey Club and did not return to action. Celebrini lost his balance and slid hard into […]

The Boston Bruins are deep into their exhibition schedule, but one key player is still missing from the ice. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman remains a restricted free agent, having missed all of training camp and every preseason game. And there is no indication that this situation will be resolved before the start of the regular season. […]

The New York Rangers already endured an injury scare earlier this exhibition season when star forward Artemi Panarin left a game against the New York Islanders, though fortunately, it wasn’t serious. However, Panarin has once again exited an exhibition contest, and the latest update from the Rangers suggests this time, the situation may be more […]

The Chicago Blackhawks have faced a challenging transition, missing the postseason for several consecutive years. Yet, few sympathize with them given their dominant run of three Stanley Cup titles in seven seasons, along with two additional trips to the Western Conference Final. With former franchise cornerstones Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane gone, 2023 No. 1 […]

The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, which moved them to 4-0 in the 2024 season, was overshadowed by the potential season-ending injury to wideout Rashee Rice. The concern is that Rice may have suffered a torn ACL, a major blow to Kansas City’s Super Bowl defense. No official diagnosis has been […]

It’s a sad day for Major League Baseball as legendary hitter Pete Rose has died at the age of 83. His agent, Ryan Fiterman, confirmed the news to TMZ while noting that “the family is asking for privacy at this time.” Rose, who holds MLB’s all-time record for hits, also leads in at-bats, plate appearances, […]

The Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season in 2021-22 was as expected—solid, but not spectacular, with the team missing the playoffs. However, they turned things around in their second year, making a surprising postseason run that included a first-round upset over the Colorado Avalanche and pushing the Dallas Stars to seven games in Round Two. Seattle regressed […]

Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine was forced to leave Saturday night’s game at Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs after a knee-on-knee collision with Leafs forward Cedric Pare. Laine needed assistance to reach the bench and went straight to the dressing room for treatment. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj quickly came to his teammate’s defense, […]

The New England Patriots fell to 1-3 in the 2024 NFL season after a 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett ultimately finished 19-of-32 passing for 168 yards with a touchdown and interception in the losing effort. But there were scores of frustrated […]

The “No Fun League” has struck again, with New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard learning the hard way. During the third quarter of Sunday afternoon’s game at MetLife Stadium against the visiting Denver Broncos, he was hit with a 15-yard penalty for his finger gun celebration after securing a first down. Allen Lazard got […]

While Montreal Canadiens fans anxiously await an update on injured first-year Habs forward Patrik Laine, the NHL has taken disciplinary action against his teammate Arber Xhekaj for his actions following the injury. Xhekaj has been fined US$3,385.42, the maximum amount allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for grabbing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Cedric Pare and […]

As the Toronto Maple Leafs gear up for the 2024-25 NHL season, they’re facing a challenging salary cap situation. Currently, they are over $1 million above the cap limit ($-1,069,667), meaning general manager Brad Treliving will need to make a move to become compliant. The Leafs are also grappling with significant financial decisions regarding the […]

The Vancouver Canucks are entering the 2024-25 season off the back of a Pacific Division title and an impressive 50-win campaign, which was cut short in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the eventual Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers. Injuries struck at the worst time, with goaltender Thatcher Demko sidelined in […]

While athletic teams often aim for humor in social media posts, many believe the Michigan football social team went too far ahead of their matchup with Minnesota with a now-deleted graphic interpreted by some as insensitive to those affected by Hurricane Helene in the southeastern United States. The official X, formerly Twitter, account of the […]

The New Jersey Devils are gearing up for a strong comeback in the 2024-25 season after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. Despite reaching the second round of the playoffs in 2023, they failed to build on that success and didn’t even qualify for the postseason this past spring. However, with notable additions like the acquisition of […]

A former bitter rival of Michigan football is weighing in on the Wolverines’ current quarterback situation. Ex-Ohio State Buckeyes coach and current Fox analyst Urban Meyer has shared his thoughts on what he feels is a lack of effectiveness in Michigan’s passing game. While appearing on “The Triple Option” podcast, Meyer stated his belief that […]

One of the risks teams face when dressing their key players in exhibition games is the potential for injury, a situation the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently experiencing with forward William Nylander. During Thursday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena against the rival Montreal Canadiens, Nylander’s head collided with the knee of a Canadiens defender after […]

The Dallas Cowboys have had a rough start to the 2024 NFL season, currently tied for last place in the NFC East with a 1-2 record after back-to-back losses. A defeat on Thursday against division rival New York Giants would drop them to last place with a 1-3 record. Notable figures within the organization, including […]

With the National Hockey League’s exhibition schedule now in full swing, several unsigned free agents are still hoping to secure deals for the 2024-25 season. Among them is three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel, who remains eager to extend his professional career. Kessel hasn’t played since his time with the Vegas Golden Knights during the […]

The Los Angeles Kings are now grappling with the potential long-term absence of veteran defenseman and assistant captain Drew Doughty, who suffered a left fractured ankle in last night’s preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights as confirmed by initial x-rays. The Kings are hoping that the damage to Doughty’s ankle isn’t anything more than […]

The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a precarious position heading into their Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants. After dropping two consecutive games, frustration is mounting among their fan base, which is growing increasingly impatient with the team’s performance. The frustration is palpable among the Cowboys players as well, with star linebacker […]

It’s a new era for the Buffalo Sabres, who have announced that defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has been named the 21st captain in franchise history. He’ll be hoping to lead the Sabres back to the postseason and end their lengthy drought, which is currently the longest in the National Hockey League. Rasmus Dahlin has been named […]

The Philadelphia Eagles have been hit with another injury blow, as wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey revealed that he’s suffered a broken scapula. He is expected to be sidelined for several weeks while the injury heals, adding to the team’s growing list of key absences. Covey won’t require surgery but is struggling with […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter the 2024-25 NHL season with heavy hearts following the shocking and tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau late last month after a drunk driver struck him while cycling. The unimaginable loss has led to an outpouring of tributes and support from across the hockey world, along with notable tributes from other […]

The New York Rangers are already facing injuries to two key players before the regular season has even started. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Lindgren were sidelined during Tuesday’s exhibition game against their in-state rival New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. According to Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette, Panarin is dealing with a […]

The NFL lost one of its legendary figures in May of last year with the passing of former Cleveland Browns star Jim Brown at 87. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, Brown was equally known for his civil rights activism and community work. While the Browns have already retired his […]

The Dallas Cowboys are facing a challenging start to their 2024 NFL season. They’ve suffered consecutive losses and now sit at 1-2, putting them in a difficult spot in what was viewed coming into the year as a critical campaign in the wake of their latest early postseason exit. Players, management, and the coaching staff […]

The Calgary Flames are heading into the 2024-25 NHL season with uncertainty surrounding one of the most crucial positions — goaltender. After trading Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils, they now have a trio of Dustin Wolf, Dan Vladar, and Devin Cooley vying for the starting role. In the words of general manager Craig […]

The first three games of the 2024 Dallas Cowboys season have not gone as planned. Dallas has suffered two consecutive losses at AT&T Stadium, including a humiliating defeat against the New Orleans Saints, leaving team owner and general manager Jerry Jones visibly frustrated. Following Sunday’s loss to the previously winless Baltimore Ravens, Jones drew the ire […]

The Minnesota Wild have been dealt a significant blow with the start of the 2024-25 season now just over two weeks away. Forward Matt Boldy has suffered an injury and will be out of action for the immediate future, the team announced. Sidelined with a lower-body ailment, Boldy’s availability for the Wild regular-season opener against […]

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones promised to go “all in” during the offseason, a pledge that most fans feel went unfulfilled after the lack of meaningful additions to the roster. Following their 1-2 start in the first three games of the 2024 season, former head coach Jason Garrett is calling them out. […]

The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs displayed their swagger on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, overcoming two separate deficits to secure a 22-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons and improving to a perfect 3-0. However, the health of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes became a major concern for Chiefs fans. On one of the game’s […]