The NHL standings could be a little more bunched this season.

Last year, the No. 1 overall team, the Winnipeg Jets, and the No. 32 San Jose Sharks were separated by 64 points. This year, USA TODAY predicts that the gap between first and last will be 47 points.

First, the Sharks and other bottom teams should improve. Also, the league is changing the rules on salary retention in trades. That will make it harder for top teams to load up and for bottom teams to have fire sales during the season.

Another factor is the 2026 Winter Olympics. Top teams will send more players to Italy in February for an intense tournament. Bottom teams won’t send as many players and will get some midseason rest.

USA TODAY Sports makes its annual attempt at projecting the records for all 32 NHL teams (explanations below) before the 2025-26 season starts on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Pacific Division

The Vegas Golden Knights will benefit from landing the best free agent (Mitch Marner) and win the Presidents’ Trophy as the top regular-season team.
The Edmonton Oilers are a threat to get back to the Stanley Cup Final – and win it – because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid’s team-friendly extension will make it easier to build around the two stars.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar will play his final NHL season. It will include a playoff berth and another first-round meeting with the Oilers.
The Vancouver Canucks hope to shake off a disappointing season. They will need more from Elias Pettersson and for goalie Thatcher Demko to stay healthy.
The Calgary Flames missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. They’ll be in the race until near the end.
The Anaheim Ducks hope to take another big step in their rebuild with the hiring of coach Joel Quenneville. They’ll continue improving but fall short of the playoffs.
The Seattle Kraken have a new general manager and coach but will miss the playoffs for the fourth time in their five-year existence.
The San Jose Sharks should end their two-year streak of finishing last but will be among the bottom teams again.

Central Division

The Dallas Stars changed coaches after losing in the conference finals for three seasons in a row. New coach Glen Gulutzan will try to get the team over the top.
Nikolaj Ehlers is gone, but the Winnipeg Jets will be a top team as long as Connor Hellebuyck is in net. He might play less in the regular season with an Olympics to win for Team USA.
The Colorado Avalanche got captain Gabriel Landeskog back during the playoffs and moved out Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood in the offseason.
The Minnesota Wild took care of two priorities by getting forward Kirill Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson signed long-term. Kaprizov got a record deal.
The Utah Mammoth have a new practice facility, a new name and logo and newcomers J.J. Peterka and Nate Schmidt. Things are looking up in their second season in Utah.
The St. Louis Blues clinched the final Western Conference berth last season. They’ll be in the mix again this season.
Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette is on the hot seat after last season’s free agent spree fizzled.
The Chicago Blackhawks‘ rebuild around Connor Bedard will take time. Good thing Gavin McKenna is available to whoever wins the draft lottery.

Atlantic Division

With the Toronto Maple Leafs missing Marner and the Florida Panthers missing Aleksander Barkov, the Atlantic Division title is there to grab for the ultra-talented Tampa Bay Lightning.
It will be hard to replace Marner and his 102 points, but Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is healthy.
No Barkov for seven to nine months. No Matthew Tkachuk early. But the Panthers are deep and coach Paul Maurice always makes the right moves.
The Ottawa Senators have a good mix and should be able to extend their playoff streak to two seasons.
The Montreal Canadiens added Noah Dobson, and Ivan Demidov is a rookie of the year favorite. They will be in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is under pressure to end the team’s 14-year playoff drought. He added depth to the defense and in net but traded No. 2 scorer J.J. Peterka.
The Detroit Red Wings hoped they addressed their goaltending concerns by adding John Gibson.
Was the Boston Bruins‘ missed playoff berth a one-off or a trend? Last season’s sell-off makes it more difficult to turn things around.

Metropolitan Division

The Carolina Hurricanes signed free agent Nikolaj Ehlers and re-signed Logan Stankoven long-term. Could this be the year this group gets to the Stanley Cup Final?
A lot of players had career years in 2024-25. That will be hard to duplicate but the Washington Capitals remain dangerous.
The New Jersey Devils‘ key will be Jack Hughes staying healthy. They made the playoffs by only two points after he had season-ending surgery in March.
The Columbus Blue Jackets jumped from eighth in the division in 2023-24 to fourth last season while honoring the memory of Johnny Gaudreau. They just missed the playoffs but should make it this time.
A lot of New York Rangers players took a step back as they went from a Presidents’ Trophy to a missed playoff berth. Some veterans were moved as a result. New coach Mike Sullivan will need to get the rest back on track.
New GM Mathieu Darche is putting his imprint on the New York Islanders. It helps that the team won the draft lottery and took defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
The Philadelphia Flyers brought in franchise legend Rick Tocchet behind the bench. He won coach of the year in his first full season in Vancouver, but this team isn’t as talented.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a quandary. They could use a rebuild, but that’s not fair to Sidney Crosby and the older core. But if they start slowly, some secondary veterans could end up moving.

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The Milwaukee Brewers weren’t comfortable putting rookie Jacob Misiorowski in their playoff rotation, leaving it up to fans’ imaginations just what a 6-foot-7 rookie who averages nearly 100 mph with his fastball would look like as a bullpen weapon.

Turns out it was beyond almost anyone’s imagination.

Misiorowski entered in the third inning of a tie game in Game 2 of their National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs and didn’t give up the ball until the Cubs were figuratively blown away and he was in line for his first playoff victory. The Miz pitched three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out four to stabilize the Crew in their 7-3 victory Oct. 6.

Misiorowski hit at least 100 mph on the radar gun 31 times and topped out at 104 mph twice facing his first batter, Cubs slugger Kyle Tucker. Since the pitch-tracking era began in 2008, only Reds starter Hunter Greene and two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom have hit 100 more in a single game – and Misiorowski pitched just three innings.

Milwaukee can eliminate its Lake Michigan rivals with one more win in Game 3 at Wrigley Field on Oct. 8. The Brewers overcame a first-inning home run by the Cubs for the second consecutive game to hit three more of their own.

Yet it was pitching they needed badly, and Misiorowski delivered.

Was the kid nervous? Perhaps a little.

When he ended his first inning of work by inducing a comebacker from Carson Kelly, Misiorowski waved off first baseman Andrew Vaughn and sprinted – as a storklike figure only can – toward first base to touch the bag himself.

Misiorowski then journeyed into foul ground, pumped his fist and exulted toward the adoring throng at American Family Field. Just burning off a little extra energy.

Milwaukee is just one win away from breaking a six-series playoff losing streak, even as it appears the club will once again have to take some unorthodox routes to reach its first World Series since 1982.

In just their second playoff game this year, manager Pat Murphy opted for a bullpen game, and lefty Aaron Ashby gave up a three-run first-inning homer to Seiya Suzuki. But Vaughn responded with his own three-run jack in the bottom of the inning – the first time in playoff history multi-run homers were hit in both halves of the first – to square the affair.

Misiorowski was handed a clean inning to begin, and he plowed through the third, fourth and fifth, allowing just a single and one walk. William Contreras and Jackson Chourio hit homers in the third and fourth to put the Brewers ahead for good.

They can go for the clincher with Quinn Priester in Game 3. And should the Cubs manage to stave off elimination once or twice, the Brewers know a towering rookie will once again be available to serve as the hardest-throwing fireman the playoffs have likely ever seen.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were trailing the Kansas City Chiefs 28-24 when a pass interference call against Chiefs safety Bryan Cook put Trevor Lawrence’s squad on the 1-yard line with 30 seconds remaining in regulation.

However, disaster nearly struck on Jacksonville’s first-and-goal opportunity. Lawrence stumbled to the ground after right guard Patrick Mekari stepped on him while the quarterback was coming out from under center to begin his dropback.

As a result, Lawrence found himself on the ground at the 7-yard line with one thing going through his head.

‘Panic,’ Lawrence said of the play to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge after the game. ‘Sheer panic on the ground.’

Despite this, Lawrence remained composed. He got himself back to his feet, knowing a sack would have been disastrous, as the Jaguars had no timeouts remaining.

‘I was like, ‘I gotta get up,” Lawrence described of the play. ‘And I was just gonna throw it out of bounds to stop the clock, but there was nobody really around me. So, I went and made a play.’

Indeed, Lawrence did. Upon getting off the ground, he immediately saw a running lane open to the left. The Jaguars’ starter burst through it just quickly enough to avoid being tackled for a loss by the oncoming Jerry Tillery before powering and diving across the goal line for what would be the game-winning score.

Below is a look at Lawrence’s big-time play:

Lawrence’s scramble and Cam Little’s extra point put the Jaguars ahead 31-28 with 23 seconds remaining in regulation. Jacksonville’s defense managed to stop Patrick Mahomes, giving the Jaguars their first win over the Chiefs since 2009 and dropping the reigning AFC champions to 2-3 in the early stages of the 2025 NFL season.

Lawrence played a massive role in the victory. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also adding a team-high 54 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

All told, the defining moment wasn’t a bad present for Lawrence, who celebrated his 26th birthday Monday.

The NHL once again has a new highest-paid player this season.

And once again, his reign will be short-lived.

The top-paid player for 2025-26 is Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, who will average $14 million in the eight-year, $112 million contract extension he signed in 2024.

But he will be passed next season by Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, whose eight-year, $136 million extension kicks in during 2026-27. The total amount and $17 million cap hit are NHL records.

The highest-paid player title has changed for three seasons in a row. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million) topped Edmonton’s Connor McDavid ($12.5 million) in 2023-24. Toronto’s Auston Matthews ($13.25 million) passed MacKinnon last season, and Draisaitl topped Matthews.

Kaprizov could remain at top for a while. McDavid was expected to regain the title, but he signed a two-year extension with a team-friendly $12.5 million cap hit, his current average.

Here’s a look at the highest-paid players for the 2025-26 season (figures are from puckpedia.com):

Highest-paid NHL players by cap hit

Top 50 plus ties

C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $14,000,000
C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $13,250,000
C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,600,000
C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $12,500,000
RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $12,000,000
RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $12,000,000
LW Artemi Panarin, Rangers, $11,642,857
C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,600,000
D Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
C William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $11,500,000
G Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, $11,500,000
RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
C Aleksander Barkov, Panthers, $10,000,000 (currently injured)
C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $10,000,000
G Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers, $10,000,000
C Tyler Seguin, Stars, $9,850,000
C Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes, $9,750,000
D Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,333
LW Alex Ovechkin, Capitals, $9,500,000
RW Mark Stone, Golden Knights, $9,500,000
RW Nikita Kucherov, Lightning, $9,500,000
D Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
C Brayden Point, Lightning, $9,500,000
LW Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers, $9,500,000
D Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
D Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
G Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, $9,500,000
D Darnell Nurse, Oilers, $9,250,000
C Mathew Barzal, Islanders, $9,150,000
D Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
D Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
LW Jake Guentzel, Lightning, $9,000,000
LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $9,000,000
D Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
D Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
D Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
D Alex Pietrangelo, Golden Knights, $8,800,000 (currently injured)
RW Timo Meier, Devils, $8,800,000
RW Travis Konecny, Flyers, $8,750,000
C Sidney Crosby, Penguins, $8,700,000
C Dylan Larkin, Red Wings, $8,700,000
LW Patrik Laine, Canadiens, $8,700,000
C Sam Reinhart, Panthers, $8,625,000
D Moritz Seider, Red Wings, $8,550,000
D Brock Faber, Wild, $8,500,000
C Mika Zibanejad, Rangers, $8,500,000
C Mark Scheifele, Jets, $8,500,000
C Filip Forsberg, Predators, $8,500,000
C Bo Horvat, Islanders, $8,500,000
LW Nikolaj Ehlers, Hurricanes, $8,500,000
D Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets, $8,500,000
C Pierre-Luc Dubois, Capitals, $8,500,000
D Mikhail Sergachev, Mammoth, $8,500,000
G Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, $8,500,000

Highest-paid NHL players by salary

Top 30 plus ties

C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $16,500,000
C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $16,050,000
G Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, $15,825,000
C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $15,200,000
RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $15,000,000
RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $15,000,000
C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $14,500,000
C William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $13,500,000
RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $12,500,000
D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $12,000,000
D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $12,000,000
C Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes, $12,000,000
C Brayden Point, Lightning, $12,000,000
D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
C Aleksander Barkov, Panthers, $11,600,000
D Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $11,550,000
D Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $11,500,000
C Pierre-Luc Dubois, Capitals, $11,350,000
LW Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers, $11,250,000
D Mikhail Sergachev, Mammoth, $11,050,000
D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
D Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $11,000,000
RW Travis Konecny, Flyers, $11,000,000
D Miro Heiskanen, Stars, $11,000,000
C Seth Jarvis, Hurricanes, $10,950,000
RW Timo Meier, Devils, $10,750,000
LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
D Seth Jones, Panthers, $10,500,000
L Brady Tkachuk, Senators, $10,500,000
C Jordan Kyrou, Blues, $10,500,000
C Robert Thomas, Blues, $10,500,000

Highest-paid NHL defensemen by cap hit

Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,333
Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
Darnell Nurse, Oilers, $9,250,000
Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
Alex Pietrangelo, Golden Knights, $8,800,000
Moritz Seider, Red Wings, $8,550,000
Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets, $8,500,000
Mikhail Sergachev, Mammoth, $8,500,000
Brock Faber, Wild, $8,500,000
Miro Heiskanen, Stars, $8,450,000
Owen Power, Sabres, $8,350,000
Jake Sanderson, Senators, $8,050,000
John Carlson, Capitals, $8,000,000
Victor Hedman, Lightning, $8,000,000
Jacob Trouba, Ducks, $8,000,000
Thomas Chabot, Senators, $8,000,000
Quinn Hughes, Canucks, $7,850,000
Jared Spurgeon, Wild, $7,575,000
Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs, $7,500,000
K’Andre Miller, Hurricanes, $7,500,000

Highest-paid NHL goaltenders by cap hit

Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, $11,500,000
Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers, $10,000,000
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, $9,500,000
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, $8,500,000
Jeremy Swayman, Bruins, $8,250,000
Jake Oettinger, Stars, $8,250,000
Ilya Sorokin, Islanders, $8,250,000
Linus Ullmark, Senators, $8,250,000
Juuse Saros, Predators, $7,740,000
Lukas Dostal, Ducks, $6,500,000
John Gibson, Red Wings, $6,400,000
Adin Hill, Golden Knights, $6,250,000
Jacob Markstrom, Devils, $6,000,000
Jordan Binnington, Blues, $6,000,000
Philipp Grubauer, Kraken, $5,900,000
Logan Thompson, Capitals, $5,850,000
Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets, $5,400,000
Tristan Jarry, Penguins, $5,375,000
MacKenzie Blackwood, Avalanche, $5,250,000
Darcy Kuemper, Kings, $5,250,000
Joey Daccord, Kraken, $5,000,000
Thatcher Demko, Canucks, $5,000,000
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres, $4,750,000
Karel Vejmelka, Mammoth, $4,750,000
Kevin Lankinen, Canucks, $4,500,000
Spencer Knight, Blackhawks, $4,500,000
Petr Mrazek, Ducks, $4,250,000
Joonas Korpisalo, Bruins, $4,000,000
Filip Gustavsson, Wild, $3,750,000
Joseph Woll, Maple Leafs, $3,666,667

What is the NHL salary cap for 2025-26 and beyond?

The 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons could have minor adjustments up or down based on revenues:

2025-26

Upper limit: $95.5 million
Lower limit: $70.6 million

2026-27

Upper limit: $104 million
Lower limit: $76.9 million

2027-28

Upper limit: $113.5 million
Lower limit: $83.9 million

The Milwaukee Brewers bashed three home runs to move within one win of the team’s first playoff series win since 2018, prevailing, 7-3, in Game 2 of its National League Divisional Series against the rival Chicago Cubs on Monday, Oct. 6.

The power display came two days after the Brewers scored nine runs in Game 1 without hitting a four-bagger. Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio each had three-run home runs, while William Contreras had a solo blast, as all seven of the Brewers’ Game 2 runs came with two outs.

On the mound, it was a bullpen game for the Brewers … and it got off to a less-than-ideal start. Aaron Ashby — typically a bullpen piece for manager Pat Murphy’s Brew Crew — gave up a three-run home run to Seiya Suzuki in the first inning. For a fleeting moment, it seemed to be a reversal of fortunate for the Cubs after they gave up six first inning runs in Game 1. Instead, Vaughn hit a three-run dinger in the bottom of the first and the Brewers never trailed in Game 2 again.

After Ashby’s adventurous start, Brewers pitchers Nick Mears, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe help shut down the Cubs. Misiorowski, in particular, had a standout performance, pitching three scoreless innings while firing 100-plus mph pitches at Cubs batters.

Game 3 of the best-of-five NLDS between the Cubs and Brewers is Wednesday, Oct. 8 (5:08 p.m. ET on TBS) as the series shifts to Wrigley Field.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights of Game 2 between the Cubs and Brewers:

Brewers closing in on Game 2 win

Aaron Ashby’s adventurous first inning seems like a distant memory now after five subsequent Brewers pitchers have shut down the Cubs’ vaunted lineup.

After Jared Koenig went four-up, four-down after coming on with one out in the eighth inning, All-Star closer Trevor Megill — who missed a month of the season due to a right flexor strain but pitched in the regular-season finale — came on and got Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ to pop out to close out the inning.

The Brewers now are three outs away from a 2-0 series lead over their NL Central rivals. Score: Brewers 7, Cubs 3.

Brewers dig deeper into bullpen to keep Cubs at bay in Game 2

Jacob Misiorowski pitched three scoreless innings, striking out four, and gave way to another rookie pitcher who was primarily a starter this season: Chad Patrick.

Patrick — the fourth pitcher called on by the Brewers in Game 2 — struck out Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong before getting Dansby Swanson to ground out to first baseman Andrew Vaughn for a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning. The confluence of power hitting, solid pitching and defense is keeping the Brewers ahead of their rivals in this Game 2 of the NLDS. Score: Brewers 7, Cubs 3.

Jackson Chourio extends Brewers’ lead with three-run blast

Jackson Chourio — whose status for this game was uncertain after tweaking his hamstring in Game 1 — crushed a four-seam fastball from Daniel Palencia well beyond the reach of Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong for a three-run home run that gave the Brewers a four-run lead over their NL Central rivals.

In Game 1, Chourio was off to a rousing start, but then re-aggravated his right hamstring — the same injury that caused him to miss a month this season — while legging out an infield single. To the surprise of some, Chourio was back in the starting lineup for Game 2, and the Brewers are delighted to have him in the leadoff spot.

Chourio’s three-run home run drove in Caleb Durbin and Joey Ortiz, and had the Milwaukee fans stomping their feet and clapping their hands. Score: Brewers 7, Cubs 3.

William Contreras solo shot gives the Brewers the lead

After going Game 1 without a home run, the Brewers now have two through four innings.

William Contreras launched a 1-1 pitch from Shota Imanaga into the second deck in left field at American Family Field, sending Bernie Brewer down his slide and the Brew Crew fans into a frenzy.

After then giving up a single to Christian Yelich, Cubs manager Craig Counsell came out and replaced his starting pitcher with Daniel Palencia, who retired Andrew Vaughn to end the inning. And, you can close the book on Imanaga, who allowed four runs in 2⅔ innings while striking out three. Score: Brewers 4, Cubs 3.

Fired-up Jacob Misiorowski keeps Cubs at bay in third inning

Jacob Misiorowski came out of the bullpen and prevented the Cubs from taking a lead in the third.

‘The Miz’ got Kyle Tucker to ground out, then walked Seiya Suzuki. After striking out Ian Happ, Misiorowski fielded a comebacker from Carson Kelly and sprinted to first base to record the third out. An intense Misiorowski pumped his fist and hopped up and down as he headed back to the dugout after the scoreless top half of the third. Score: Brewers 3, Cubs 3.

Second inning goes by without any offensive fireworks

Neither the Cubs nor Brewers managed to get score any runs in the second inning.

The Brewers are in full-on bullpen game mode, as Nick Mears replaced Aaron Ashby to get the final out in the top of the second.

Cubs starter Shota Imanaga put the Brewers down 1-2-3 to end the inning.

Rookie fireballer Jacob Misiorowski is entering the game to pitch the top of the third inning. Score: Brewers 3, Cubs 3.

Andrew Vaughn ties it up with three-run home run

Andrew Vaughn continues to torment the Cubs, and erased the early lead that Chicago briefly enjoyed at American Family Field.

Vaughn hit a two-out three-run home run to tie up the score, driving in William Contreras and Christian Yelich — who had back-to-back singles with two outs.

Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga got two strikeouts to open the bottom of the first inning and looked to be cruising … until Vaughn tied it up.

Back on July 29, Vaughn blasted a grand slam against the Cubs.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB, this is the first time a Major League Baseball postseason game has featured both teams hitting a three-run home run (or grand slam) in the first inning. Score: Brewers 3, Cubs 3.

Cubs storm out to early after Seiya Suzuki’s three-run blast

In Game 1, it was the Brewers with the big first inning. In Game 2, the Cubs stormed out to a big lead as the decision to start left-hander Aaron Ashby — typically a bullpen piece — backfired spectacularly on the Brewers.

Seiya Suzuki crushed a three-run homer to left field after Nico Hoerner singled and Kyle Tucker walked.

Ashby had gone 16 appearances without allowing a home run, with the last dinger allowed coming on Aug. 22 against the San Francisco Giants. Score: Cubs 3, Brewers 0.

What time is Cubs vs Brewers?

The second game of the National League Division Series doubleheader begins at 9:08 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 6, at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

How to watch Cubs vs Brewers NLDS Game 2

TV: TBS, TruTV
Streaming: HBO Max, Sling TV

Watch NLDS on Sling TV

Could Cade Horton pitch a Game 5 for Cubs?

Cade Horton, the sensational Cubs rookie starter who led all of baseball in ERA after the All-Star break, has been sidelined with a cracked rib, with the possibility that he’d be available to pitch later in the division series. Cubs manager Craig Counsell spoke about Horton’s progress before Game 2.

‘Everything is going very well for Cade,’ Counsell said. ‘We are going to kind of ramp up activity as we get back to Wrigley tomorrow. Then we’ll know more. But this has been — I don’t know what day the news came out, Sunday last week, so like 10 days. It’s been all very good news since then, and he’s been pain-free. Every throwing session has been pain-free and pushing it a little bit more. So we keep trying to take steps forward, and we’ll continue to do that with even more intensity tomorrow actually in Wrigley.’

Cubs lineup today

Justin Turner (R) 1B
Nico Hoerner (R) 2B
Kyle Tucker (L) DH
Seiya Suzuki (R) RF
Ian Happ (S) LF
Carson Kelly (R) C
Pete Crow-Armstrong (L) CF
Dansby Swanson (R) SS
Matt Shaw (R) 3B

Brewers lineup vs Cubs for NLDS Game 2

Jackson Chourio (R) LF
Brice Turang (L) 2B
William Contreras (R) C
Christian Yelich (L) DH
Andrew Vaughn (R) 1B
Sal Frelick (L) RF
Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
Blake Perkins (S) CF
Joey Ortiz (R) SS

Jackson Chourio injury update

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, who left Game 1 of the team’s National League Division Series with a tweaked right hamstring, is headed right back to left field in Game 2.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters before the Oct. 6 game between the Brewers and Chicago Cubs that Chourio will indeed be leading off against left-hander Shota Imanaga at American Family Field and playing in his usual spot. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Why is Aaron Ashby starting Game 2 for the Brewers?

He’s closed games. He’s served as a long reliever. He’s pitched in high-leverage situations.

Now on Monday, Oct. 6, Ashby is going to be asked to serve as an opener against the Chicago Cubs in the teams’ Game 2 NLDS matchup as a way to mitigate a group of left-handed or switch-hitters creating a potent top of the lineup for the Brewers’ Central Division rival.

Right-hander Quinn Priester is expected to follow Ashby in the same sort of lefty-righty tandem that the Brewers utilized five times previously this season. — Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was arrested and hospitalized with stab wounds following an altercation in Indianapolis.
Sanchez faces felony assault charges for his role in the fight with a 69-year-old man.
Police said Sanchez initiated the fight, and the other man involved said he acted in self-defense.

The family of Mark Sanchez said Oct. 6 it is has been ‘deeply distressing’ since the ex-NFL quarterback and FOX broadcaster was arrested after an altercation with a 69-year-old man in Indianapolis that left Sanchez recovering in the hospital with stab wounds.

Earlier Tuesday Oct. 6, Marion County prosecutors announced fifth-degree felony assault charges against Sanchez, who initially faced misdemeanors for his role in the fight that took place near a downtown hotel early Saturday morning.

‘This has been a deeply distressing time for everyone involved. Mark and our family are incredibly grateful for the concern, love, and support we’ve received over the past few days. Mark remains under medical care for the serious injuries he sustained and is focused on his recovery as the legal process continues. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders and medical staff,’ Mark’s brother, Nick Sanchez Jr., wrote on behalf of his family, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Police said Sanchez started the fight with the truck driver, who pepper-sprayed Sanchez before pulling out a knife to defend himself. The former New York Jets quarterback pleaded not guilty to his charges, which include unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, public intoxication, battery resulting in bodily injury and battery resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to an affidavit obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Sanchez allegedly threw the man into a wall and onto the ground. The man told the police in a statement that he feared for his life and used his knife in self defense, according to the affidavit, which was updated the morning of Oct. 6 with Level 5 felony battery charges.

Sanchez remained hospitalized in stable condition as of Oct. 6. He joined FOX Sports as a game analyst in 2021 after a 10-year NFL career and was in Indianapolis to call the Colts’ contest Oct. 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

A court date for Tuesday, Oct. 7, has been rescheduled to November.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is opening up about her decision to publicly criticize WNBA commissioner WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s ‘tone-deaf and dismissive’ leadership.

‘I just got to the point where I was fed up,’ Collier said on Monday, nearly one week after delivering a scathing statement following the Lynx’s playoff elimination by the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals. ‘No matter the consequences, I felt like it was something that needed to be done.’

Collier spoke to former Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday during ‘A Day of Unreasonable Conversation,’ a one-day summit held annually in Los Angeles for changemakers, storytellers and activists.

‘I never had planned to do that,’ Collier said. ‘I am on the union for CBA negotiations … and for so long, I felt like I saw what was going on behind closed doors. For so long, we tried to have these conversations and move the needle. … And I saw nothing was changing.’

NAPHEESA COLLIER says the WNBA has the ‘worst leadership’ in scathing statement

Following the Lynx’s 86-81 Game 4 semifinal loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Sept. 28, Collier used her exit interview to air her grievances with Engelbert and the league, which she said has the ‘worst leadership in the world.’

‘The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings or even missed calls or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office,’ Collier said in her prepared statement. ‘We go to battle every day to protect a shield that doesn’t value us.’

On Monday, Collier said she decided to put pen to paper after her frustrations finally boiled over, adding that she was willing to deal with any ensuing consequences because it was ultimately the ‘right thing to do.’

‘Coaches winning and losing alike were complaining about the same things over and over again, players over and over again, and we weren’t seeing a change that our leadership was trying to make,’ said Collier, who wore a boot on her right foot after tearing several ligaments in her ankle and a muscle in her shin on a controversial play in the final seconds of Lynx’s Game 3 semifinal loss to the Mercury.

‘Whether I was going to get annihilated for this or people were going to support me, I felt what I was doing was right. I felt like it needed to be said,’ Collier added.

In her statement, Collier recalled a specific conversation she had with Engelbert about WNBA officiating back in February during the inaugural season of Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Collier and Breanna Stewart.’I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin (Clark), Angel (Reese) and Paige (Bueckers), who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years. Her response was, ‘Caitlin (Clark) should be grateful to make $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.”

Collier continued: ‘In that same conversation she told me players should be, ‘On their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.’ That’s mentality driving our league from the top … The league believes it succeeds despite its players, not because of them.’ 

Engelbert said she was ‘disheartened’ by Collier’s characterization of their conversation in a statement released on social media on Tuesday. During her annual press conference ahead of the WNBA Finals, Engelbert denied making a comment about Clark and said there’s ‘a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say.’

Engelbert said she planned to meet with Collier this week, but Collier reportedly called off the meeting following Engelbert’s press conference.

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The network will air up to 100 regular-season games on NBC and its streaming service, Peacock.
Sunday Night Basketball” or the moniker “Basketball Night in America” will broadcast each week from the game site.
The on-air talent includes broadcasters Mike Tirico and Reggie Miller, with a studio team led by Maria Taylor, Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

STAMFORD, CT — When a media company loses the rights to broadcast an event, even in sports, it’s rare for that company to make another run at those same rights, especially after two decades.

That’s what happened to NBC when Disney took over and outbid the Peacock network for the NBA broadcast rights in 2002. This marked the end of a successful 12-year run that helped boost the league’s popularity to new heights, largely thanks to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ dominance in the 1990s.

When the NBA on NBC signed off for the final time on June 12, 2002, after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 113-107 victory over the New Jersey Nets in Game 4 of the Finals – completing the sweep and the last three-peat among the four major North American sports – the network didn’t go into panic mode..

They still had Grand Slam tennis, Notre Dame football, and the sure moneymakers that are the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. It wouldn’t be until 2006 when the network secured the rights to “Sunday Night Football,” the top-rated program in the United States in each of the last 14 years.

Now, NBCUniversal is back in the hoops game after paying about $2.5 billion a year, which is part of the record 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal the league struck with Amazon and Disney.

“I look back on my early days at the NBA, in the weekly meetings we would have in Dick Ebersol’s office, and he famously had a sign behind his desk that said storytelling,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “That was as a reminder of his people, and I think that storytelling is just as important today with all the technology. I’m really looking forward to this partnership.”

The company’s executives presented their plan at a press event Monday at NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, aiming for a significant return on that investment, and have already exceeded advertising expectations for the season.

“It’s an enormous investment by the company. The NBA came around, and we thought it made sense for us,” Rick Cordella, NBC Sports president, said. “As the NBA fills a time in the schedule in the spring, where the NBA offers a diverse audience, and it’s not often you can take on a big sport and start from scratch.”

Don’t call it a comeback

The theme of the day was not only nostalgia but also advancing the product. Of course, “Roundball Rock,” the iconic theme of the NBA on NBC, is back, but Grammy-winning musician Lenny Kravitz will perform the show open for “Sunday Night Basketball” when it premieres on Feb. 1. 

“A global icon with unmatched style and passion, Lenny is the perfect artist to set the tone for coverage of the biggest game of the week every Sunday night,” NBC Sports Creative Director Tripp Dixon said. “As a fresh addition to our Sunday Night franchise, we’re excited for our Sunday Night Basketball anthem to capture the energy and spirit of the league, and with a superstar like Lenny at its foundation, we can’t wait for fans everywhere to see what we’ve cooked up.”

Up to 100 NBA regular-season games will air on NBC and Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights, with the latter games branded as “Coast 2 Coast Tuesday.’

Mike Tirico, the lead play-by-play broadcaster, Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, and Jamal Crawford will call the network’s first NBA game in over 23 years on Oct. 21 when the Houston Rockets face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Golden State Warriors head to Los Angeles to play the Lakers to complete the Opening Night doubleheader; Noah Eagle and Grant Hill are set to broadcast the nightcap.

It will have been 8,532 days between NBC’s last NBA telecast and this year’s season opener.

“To be back with the league and associated with the league is just heaven for me. The cool part now is I covered Reg, Jamal, and Melo, and all these guys. And now to work with them, it just kind of doubles down on my excitement,” Tirico said to USA TODAY Sports.

‘Some of my best moments were on NBC. Some of the best calls, Tom Hammond, Bob Costas, Marv Albert,” added Miller, who noted that the league needs a villain like he was in the ’90s. “It’s all about the calls for me. Some of my best moments were on this network. Now we get a chance to deliver some of these calls for these younger players.’

Top talent should lure viewers

Besides the games themselves, NBC is banking on the chemistry of the talent they have assembled to broadcast the games.

Part of that job belongs to Maria Taylor, as the lead studio host, along with analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

“Sunday Night Basketball” or the moniker “Basketball Night in America” will broadcast each week from the game site, and while studio shows can be hit or miss, it didn’t take long for Anthony, Carter and McGrady to disagree with just about everything, especially when Anthony said the New York Knicks will be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, which elicited hearty chuckles and negative head nods from his fellow retired coworkers. (Carter and McGrady both said that the Cleveland Cavaliers will rule the East.)

‘Sunday Night Basketball’ will take a break on Feb. 8 and 15, as the network broadcasts the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game and the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics from Italy.

There will also be an ‘on the bench’ portion of the game, where one sideline reporter or analyst will be assigned to each team, providing insight into their strategy.

Anthony acknowledged that he is taking it ‘day by day,’ as there will be a learning curve as a new studio analyst, but he assured viewers that he will approach the role with authenticity, teaching the game while entertaining, and moving the conversation forward.

He said his job was not to criticize players, but he also didn’t want to discuss the other companies that would be broadcasting the league and making any comparisons of content.

“We don’t talk about anyone else in this building,” Anthony said.