If a player is good enough to stick around in the NHL for a while, teams will come calling. That’s the case for former Notre Dame defenseman [autotag]Ian Cole[/autotag], who will be playing his 15th season in the league in 2024-25. He also will be on his ninth different team after the Utah Hockey Club signed him to a one-year contract.
Ever since Cole was traded early in the 2020-21 season, he hasn’t spent more than one season with any team he’s played for. Last season, he was a veteran presence for a Vancouver Canucks team that made it to the Western Conference semifinals, which resulted in a loss to eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
For the Canucks, Cole scored 11 points, nine of them on assists, and recorded 61 penalty minutes. He added two assists and six penalty minutes during the playoffs. Let’s hope he’ll have an 11th straight playoff appearance with his new team.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
As you’ll see below, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that McDavid won the award, but the Oilers captain didn’t come out to accept it. And, honestly, I can’t blame him. The heartbreak of losing in the way the Oilers lost is understandable.
Connor McDavid did not come out to accept the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Connor McDavid won the Conn Smythe without the Stanley Cup to go with it. Here’s why.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid wasn’t able to hoist the Stanley Cup on Monday night but winning the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy is a pretty good consolation prize.
Per NHL analyst Frank Seravalli, McDavid became the first NHL player since 1976 to win the trophy without his team taking home the Stanley Cup, as Reggie Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers accomplished the same feat nearly a half a decade ago.
While the Oilers went home without the series win, the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded to the player with the best performance over the entire playoffs, not just the Stanley Cup Final.
McDavid pretty easily was the best player on the ice throughout this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, which paved the way for his earning the trophy.
It’s just the tough luck of the draw that his team wasn’t able to totally match what he was able to accomplish.
#Oilers Connor McDavid is the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoffs MVP.
He is the first skater to win the Conn Smythe in a losing fashion since #Flyers Reggie Leach in 1976.
Here are the 4 best prop bets for Friday’s Stanley Cup Final Game 6 between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
The Florida Panthers visit the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of their best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final on Friday. The Panthers lead 3-2. Puck drop from Rogers Place is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook’sStanley Cup Final Game 6 prop bet odds and lines, and tab the 4 best Panthers vs. Oilers prop bets to make among SportsbookWire’s expert NHL picks and predictions.
After taking a 3-0 series lead, the Panthers have dropped back-to-back games with the series heading back to Edmonton for Game 6 Friday. The Oilers scored just 4 goals through the 1st 3 games, but have scored 13 goals combined in the last 2 matchups. Will they be able to survive another night or will the Panthers win the cup on the road?
McDavid has had 3 goals in his last 2 games including 2 goals in Game 5. With 6 goals in his last 11 games, he has been one of the most involved skaters for Edmonton. With a win-or-go-home scenario, McDavid is who Edmonton will look to for another big night.
Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky UNDER 25.5 SAVES (-110)
Bobrovsky has somewhat fallen apart the last 2 games, as has the confidence of the Panthers defense. He has went Under 25.5 saves in 4 of his last 6 games and 7 of his last 9. The Panthers defense has allowed 24 or fewer shots in 8 of their last 12.
Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!
OVER 5.5 (-115)
The Over has hit in 3 consecutive games with each side scoring 3 or more goals in 2 of the 3 games. Edmonton has scored 13 goals in its last 2 games while the Panthers have scored 3 or more goals in 4 of the 5 games. With both goalies becoming increasingly worn out with each game, more pucks have been finding the back of the net. In a critical Game 6, expect both sides to be on high-attack.
Team to score 1st goal in 1st period: PANTHERS (+130)
Although they still have the series lead, the Panthers have been dominated in each of the last 2 games, including Tuesday’s Game 5 at home. On Friday, they will be looking to control the pace of the game and the quickest way to draw an advantage on the road is for Florida to score the 1st goal.
Edmonton Oilers superstar center Connor McDavid made one of the sharpest moves of his career on Tuesday night to set up teammate Corey Perry for a goal during Game 5 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
McDavid navigated staunch defense from the Florida Panthers to weave his way down the ice and set up Perry for the goal with an absolutely outrageous assist in front of the net.
When people talk about McDavid as an all-time talent down the road, this is one of the plays that’s going to come up in his career highlight reel.
It just shows what a generational distributor of the puck he is outside of his excellent scoring prowess.
For Edmonton fans, this is the kind of play you’ll want plenty more of in the years to come.
The Edmonton Oilers are still alive in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, and superstar Connor McDavid is a big reason why.
The electric center scored the first goal of this Stanely Cup series on Saturday night during Game 4 in front of the Edmonton crowd.
He also managed to set a new record for assists during a single NHL postseason with 32, passing Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky’s 31 assists on the leaderboard.
Edmonton’s 8-1 victory over the Florida Panthers saved the Oilers from elimination, and getting to see more playoff hockey from McDavid is a win for us all. Seeing so much happen for him in a night is just icing on the cake.
While the Panthers still have very good odds of winning it all with the series headed back to Florida, McDavid and the Oilers can point to Saturday night as proof enough that they can still hang in there and make this competitive.
Here are the 5 best prop bets for Monday’s Stanley Cup Final Game 2 between the Oilers and Panthers.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers meet Monday in Game 2 of their best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers lead 1-0. Puck drop from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook’sStanley Cup Final Game 2 prop bet odds and lines, and tab the 5 best Oilers vs. Panthers prop bets to make among SportsbookWire’s expert NHL picks and predictions.
We drilled 3 of the 5 prop bets in Game 1 as Florida took the opener 3-0. The only 2 we missed on were a single SOG by Zach Hyman and Sam Bennett. Those happen, but we hit on Bennett’s Over 0.5 points for +120 and more than came out ahead.
Florida dominated Game 1 despite being outshot 32-18. LW Matthew Tkachuk only spent 13:57 time on ice as the Panthers deployed C Aleksander Barkov‘s line to combat C Connor McDavid and C Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton’s lethal power play went 0-for-3, and the Panthers outhit the Oilers 57-32. What could be in store for Game 2?
McDavid had 6 SOG in Game 1 as he clearly came out motivated to make an impact. That probably had an effect on Hyman not reaching the 4 SOG needed in Game 1. Barkov is one of the best defensive forwards in the league, and he’s playing McJesus tightly. He still managed to fire 6 on net, and I like the odds here to get 4 again.
Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky OVER 24.5 saves (-130)
Bobrovsky stopped all 32 shots he faced in Game 1. The Oilers should break through with a couple in this one. However, for the amount of shots they took in a shutout, they are finding the angles and holes in the defense to get them on net. I look for 26+ saves in this one.
Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!
Panthers C Sam Bennett OVER 0.5 points (+115)
Bennett might have been the most impactful player in Game 1. He had 1 assist, 2 SOG and 11 hits in 15:57 TOI. He has a point in 4 straight and 9 of 13 games played in these playoffs. His plus-money output remains ripe after cashing at +120 in Game 1.
Panthers RW Vladimir Tarasenko OVER 1.5 shots (-150)
We’re going back to the well with this one. Vladi scored the eventual game-winner in the clincher against the New York Rangers. He had 2 SOG and 4 hits in 12:22 TOI. I could see an increase in that playing time, and he has 2+ SOG in 5 straight games.
Draisaitl was kept out of the net for the 3rd straight game Saturday. He is very close to cashing in, though. He had 4 SOG in Game 1, which was the most he had on net in the last 9 games. He’s playing with desperation, and this price is a steal for a superstar itching to score.
He’s basically been an All-Star since he’s come into the league, making the game for seven out of the nine years he’s played. He’s a three-time Hart Trophy winner already at just 27 years old. He’s led the league in total points and assists multiple times. There’s not much more you can say about his time in Edmonton.
Well, actually, there is one thing. He’s never won The Cup.
That’s the only thing missing — that elusive Stanley Cup. The Oilers have never even made the Finals until now during McDavid’s reign. This is the first time Edmonton has been back since 2006.
If McDavid wins this? He’ll solidify himself at 27 years old as one of the greats in the game and he’ll do it with the same franchise Gretzky put on the map.
But standing in his way are the Florida Panthers. And — let me tell you — that is not a team that budges easily. Just ask the New York Rangers.
This is a chance at redemption for Florida. Last season, after making it to the Finals, the Panthers lost 4-1 to the Golden Knights. You can’t blame them — that team was decimated by injury by the time the Finals rolled around. This year, it’s a different story. Florida is healthy and hungry.
Nobody on that side cares about McDavid’s place in NHL history. The Panthers only care about making up for lost time. And, let me tell you, they’ve been playing like the NHL owes them one all postseason long. The Panthers have been beating up opponents and fighting to get back. There was no way Florida was going to miss these Finals.
This is going to be an excellent series. Lock in. It all starts on Saturday.
Caitlin Clark has more to worry about than being bullied
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a call during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Grainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Once again, this weekend, we got a bunch of whining from the outside about somebody being a little too physical with Caitlin Clark.
Give me a break with the copious amounts of hand-wringing here. You’d think none of these folks have watched — let alone played! — professional sports before. Rookies struggle. Sometimes, things get physical. Sometimes, players don’t like each other! It is what it is.
Clark and the Fever have much bigger problems. Both Clark and Aliyah Boston suffered minor injuries against the Liberty on Sunday. They’ll both recover. But, more importantly, Clark can’t seem to figure out how to beat WNBA defenders and the team’s offense runs through her right now.
That’s the bottom line when it comes to their problems. Figure that out and, I guarantee you, the extra stuff won’t feel half as important as everyone is making it out to be.
Straight cash, homie
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Justin Jefferson is laughing straight to the bank, folks. The Minnesota Vikings wideout just signed a deal making low-level quarterback money.
Jefferson inked a four-year, $140 million deal with the Vikings that includes a $110 million guarantee. That includes $88.7 million due at the deal’s signing, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
This is the biggest non-QB deal in NFL history, according to Schefter, just eking out Nick Bosa’s deal with the 49ers by $1 million. He’ll be making $35 million annually.
Welp. I guess folks can cancel all of those trade talks surrounding Jefferson. He just cashed out, folks. Good on the Vikings for finally getting this done. It’s about time.
Quick hits: The greatest NBA Finals ever … An incredible baseball trick … and more
A list of superstars who dominated but weirdly didn’t get universal MVP praise.
Winning a unanimous MVP in sports is one of those eccentric, niche milestones that seemingly only truly great superstars can achieve. But with these honors usually voted on by media members — who are fans of the sport they cover first — sometimes, perspective can be lost in the shuffle.
Because to be a unanimous MVP means you were the undisputed best player in the world in your respective league or sport. No questions asked. At least, that’s what a clean-sweep vote essentially dictates.
You were a cut above, and everyone else paled compared to your brilliance. (Never mind that all of these votes are inherently subjective.)
Despite a historic 2022-2023 NHL season, Connor McDavid wasn’t a unanimous MVP. It’s mind-boggling as to why. But McDavid certainly isn’t the first major sports star to lose out on this distinction that would probably only bother Hall of Famers. There’s a laundry list of athletes who put on an all-time show for an entire year, only for some people to say their excellence actually wasn’t the best.
Across four of the major American sports leagues — the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL — here’s a look at a few stars who probably should’ve received unanimous MVP honors. Note: This list is not a ranking of egregiousness. It is in chronological order by year from top to bottom.
Stars from other sports should get this cool spotlight, too.
With the release of Quarterback (and Captains, Drive to Survive, and Full Swing before it), Netflix has now created four inside-look documentaries at the lives of different professional athletes.
That got me thinking. Now that the NFL, Men’s soccer, F1, and golf have all been covered by the relentless streaming-service machine, what other significant sports trios should get this up-close-and-personal treatment? There’s so much room for flexibility and creativity that I almost think it’d be a mistake for Netflix not to branch out elsewhere. Honestly, I’d probably gobble up anything that lets me see the day-to-day life of a sports star.
But maybe that’s just me. (I don’t think it is.)
From a few baseball stars and WNBA dynamos to the next Big Things in the NFL at the college level, here are a few ideas for Netflix to tackle next in the first-person sports documentary world.
My parameters for my selections are simple:
An athlete can be a big name/star in their respective league or sport.
An athlete can be merely Very Good as a member of a contending and/or championship team.
An athlete can be some kind of rising star or young phenom with a seemingly impossible amount of hype behind their professional prospects.
Athletes in one league or sport are grouped together as a trio to offer three contrasting kinds of day-to-day perspectives.
Above all, I suspect that the names I picked would simply present the most interesting stories to learn about. That’s why I chose them. Point blank.
