The New York Knicks are the new NBA Cup champions, and their players just got a nice little bump in the bank.

Behind a decisive effort to crash the offensive glass in the fourth quarter, the Knicks built a lead, pulled away and toppled the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113, Tuesday, Dec. 16 in the 2025 NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.

OG Anunoby recorded an efficient night, leading all players with 28 points on a clean 10-of-17 shooting night. He was also impactful on the boards, hauling in 9.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson poured in 25 points on 11-of-27 shooting, though San Antonio limited his effectiveness from the free throw stripe, as Brunson shot just 4 attempts from there, making only 2.

Though the Spurs had seven players score in double figures, Victor Wembanyama’s minutes restriction as he continues his recovery from a calf strain limited his impact down the stretch; as New York mounted a 15-3 run early in the fourth, Wembanyama spent much of that stretch on the bench.

The Knicks outrebounded the Spurs 59-42 and took a massive 56-44 edge in points in the paint. San Antonio shot just 5-of-18 in the fourth quarter.

This is New York’s first NBA Cup championship, after the Lakers won the inaugural event in 2023, followed by the Bucks in 2024.

Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Cup final highlights

San Antonio is starting to crumble

The Spurs are getting worked on the offensive glass and have struggled to hit shots in the fourth. The Knicks, meanwhile, extended their run to 15-3 and opened a 104-97 lead with 7:40 left to play. The Spurs missed their first 3 field goal attempts of the period, while the Knicks took 14 over the same period.

Knicks come alive to start the fourth

New York is not going away quietly. The Knicks raced out to a quick 8-0 in the first minute-and-a-half of the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead. This should be a tight finish. Buckle up.

End Q3: Spurs 94, Knicks 89

Victor Wembanyama took over the third quarter. And the San Antonio Spurs, coincidentally, built a solid lead headed into the final quarter of the 2025 NBA Cup.

Wembanyama drained a couple of 3s, hit a mid-range jumper and impacted the defense. He now has a team-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

Both teams have been pushing pace, looking to catch the opposing defense in a compromised position. And while the Spurs opened an 11-point lead in the third, New York had its answers to close the gap headed into the final frame.

OG Anunoby continues to lead the Knicks with 22 points, while the Spurs guards have done a tremendous job on Jalen Brunson, limiting him to 19.

One thing to watch for New York: Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to hurt his knee and was seen on the bench, favoring the area.

Spurs open lead behind Wemby highlight dunk

The Knicks started the third just 2-of-8 from the floor, allowing the Spurs to open a double-digit lead. New York would bring it back down to single digits, but the highlight was this Victor Wembanyama reverse alley-oop slam.

End Q2: Spurs 61, Knicks 59

The battle for the NBA Cup is intensifying.

The Knicks have cooled off from 3, but OG Anunoby has been active from all three levels of the floor, dropping a game-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Jalen Brunson has added 15 points, though San Antonio has done a solid job of keeping him off the line; he has attempted just 3 free throws but is shooting 6-of-15 overall.

Both squads are attacking the paint, and both are protecting the ball, but it’s San Antonio’s bench that has an early edge; the Spurs’ bench has chipped in 18 points, compared to New York’s 5.

Stephon Castle has been dynamic for the Spurs, slashing into the paint to compromise the New York defense and either getting high-percentage looks or feeding his teammates. Castle has scored 6 points and has dished 7 assists. Yet, he’s not the team’s leader in assists, as De’Aaron Fox has collected 8 to go with his 9 points.

The Spurs are shooting 47.1% from the floor, while the Knicks are shooting 45.3%.

Spurs go on a run

San Antonio has launched a modest 7-3 run, culminated by a pair of dunks, to take a 50-43 lead. The seven-point margin marks the largest Spurs lead of the game.

The first slam came off an offensive rebound, when Stephon Castle found a streaking Devin Vassell who soared over OG Anunoby for the dunk. The second came after a Victor Wembanyama steal. After ripping the ball away from Josh Hart, Wembanyama tossed it ahead to Castle on the fast break for the uncontested slam.

KAT dishes the pass of the night (so far)

End Q1: Spurs 30, Knicks 28

In what has been a back-and-forth first quarter, it was the Spurs who gained an early edge by clamping down on defense down the stretch.

San Antonio forced New York to miss 4 of their last 5 attempts to end the quarter.

The Spurs had several starters contribute. Devin Vassell (7 points) led the way, while De’Aaron Fox (6) and Harrison Barnes (6) also made timely shots.

Interestingly, and unlike his performance in Saturday’s semifinal upset against the Thunder, Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama didn’t have quite the impact off the bench against the Knicks. Playing 5:13, Wembanyama shot just 1-of-4 for 2 points, struggling to find a rhythm. After posting a +21 in 20:39 against Oklahoma City, Wembanyama was -6 in his first stint on the floor.

For the Knicks, it has been Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby who have sparked the offense. The two have combined for 19 points and 5 assists.

The Knicks are shooting 48% from the floor, including going 4-of-10 from 3-point range.

The NBA Cup final is underway

Watch NBA Cup games with Amazon Prime Video

Just because Victor Wembanyama is coming off the bench doesn’t mean the Spurs are planning to start slowly.

San Antonio opened the game shooting 7-of-11 from the floor (63.6%) to open a small, 17-12 lead at the first media timeout. Though the Knicks entered Tuesday ranked fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game (45.9), it’s San Antonio that has taken an early edge on the glass, outrebounding New York, 8-3.

The Spurs have also taken advantage of a pair of offensive rebounds, and picked up 4 second-chance points early in the game.

How to watch Spurs vs. Knicks NBA Cup final: TV, live streaming

The 2025 NBA Cup Final between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 16
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT)
Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
TV: N/A
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

What time is Spurs vs. Knicks NBA Cup final today?

The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will compete for the third annual NBA Cup title on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. local) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Knicks starting five

Jalen Brunson
OG Anunoby
Mikal Bridges
Josh Hart
Karl-Anthony Towns

Spurs starting five

The San Antonio Spurs will once again bring Victor Wembanyama off the bench. Here’s their starting five:

De’Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle
Devin Vassell
Harrison Barnes
Luke Kornet

Spurs, Knicks injury updates for NBA Cup final

The San Antonio Spurs will have their full complement of players for tonight’s game.

The New York Knicks, meanwhile, will be without guard Miles McBride, who is out with a left ankle sprain, and guard Landry Shamet, who is out with right shoulder sprain.

NBA Cup odds for Spurs vs. Knicks

The New York Knicks are considered favorites over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup championship game.

Odds according to BetMGM as of December 16:

Spread: Knicks (-2.5)
Moneyline: Knicks (-140); Spurs (+115)
Over/under: 233.5

NBA Cup final predictions

Three USA TODAY Sports NBA experts picked the winners of the game between the Spurs and the Knicks. To read each of their break downs, click here.

Lorenzo Reyes: Spurs 111, Knicks 106
Mark Giannotto: Knicks 125, Spurs 121
Jon Hoefling: Knicks 118, Spurs 110

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is off to the NFL.

The Heisman Trophy finalist announced in a post on his personal Instagram page on Tuesday, Dec. 16 that, after three seasons in South Bend with the Fighting Irish, he is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.

‘Those who know me best know I’m very direct, so I am going to get straight to the point and share that I have made the decision to declare for the NFL draft,’ Love wrote. ‘… It is with a wealth of gratitude, I will take the many experiences Notre Dame has given me and apply those lessons learned as I move onto the next level. I look forward to representing my family and Notre Dame in the NFL.’

Love is coming off one of the all-time great seasons by a Notre Dame running back, as he finished with 1,372 rushing yards, which ranks fourth among all Division I FBS players. He also broke Jerome Bettis’ single-season team record for most touchdowns in a season this year, with 21.

His production on the field earned him an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York this past weekend, the first Notre Dame player to be sent to The Big Apple since Manti Te’o in 2012. Love finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting with 719 points, 1,643 votes behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who took home the trophy.

The 2025 Doak Walker Award winner finishes his career at Notre Dame with 2,882 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns in 41 career games. Notre Dame opted out of playing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against BYU after the Fighting Irish were left out of the College Football Playoff.

Love is expected to be one of the first, if not the first, running backs off the board in the NFL draft. USA TODAY’s Aytron Ostly currently has Love projected eighth overall to the Arizona Cardinals in his latest NFL mock draft.

‘Heading off to college, there are many uncertainties, but I knew Notre Dame was the perfect home for me. When I think about all the people who have impacted me at Notre Dame, it is endless. I am especially grateful to my coaches for pushing me outside of my comfort zone, while also allowing me to be me,’ Love wrote.

‘… Making the decision to attend Notre Dame was easy because of the people. From the amazing football staff, to my fellow students — I could not have picked a better place for me to grow into the man I am today.’

The NFL draft is set for April 23 through April 25 in Pittsburgh.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

For months, Brooke Wilfley raised concerns that the president of her local youth hockey governing board was using his position for profit. 

The Denver-area hockey mom discovered that the president, Randy Kanai, was secretly routing the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s money through his private company. 

She reported his conflicts of interest and mismanagement to everyone she could: board members, club directors, coaches and four USA Hockey leaders who oversee the nonprofit. Little was done. 

Then in January 2023, Wilfley received a letter from the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s attorney. The board, it said, was launching an investigation. 

Into her. 

Seeking evidence of “libelous and slanderous statements,” the letter demanded Wilfley hand over two years of her emails, texts, calendars, phone logs and any other records of her conversations about the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s finances. It gave her 21 days to turn in her cellphones, computers and iPads for a forensic review. 

“This is an important legal duty,” the letter said, “and failure to follow these instructions may subject you to discipline.”  

Whistleblower retaliation occurs in every industry. But in few sectors is the threat more personal than in youth sports, where parents who speak up about corruption and financial exploitation risk repercussions not just for themselves, but for their children.  

Those fears are acute in youth hockey, where across the country, powerful rink operators, club directors and local governing body officials control the pathways by which kids advance to the sport’s highest stages. Many parents who suspect wrongdoing stay quiet out of fear of jeopardizing their kids’ opportunities. What some view as lax oversight from USA Hockey enables bad actors to flourish.

For Wilfley, the ramifications of the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s threats extended beyond her family. As the head of a Denver hockey academy and Tier I club – the top level of youth competition – dozens of parents entrusted her with their kids’ futures. Formal discipline against her club or a libel and slander lawsuit could affect those kids’ ability to play.  

In the face of the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s threats, Wilfley didn’t back down. But it cost her: reputational damage, more than $100,000 in legal bills and three years she can’t get back. 

“This is what happens when you speak up,” Wilfley told USA TODAY. “You get bullied. You get threatened. They’ll hurt your kids.  

“I would never wish this on anybody.” 

Conflicts of interest

Wilfley had never been a hockey fan. She became immersed in the sport when her five kids fell in love with it.  

A law school grad who specialized in child advocacy, she saw how high costs and limited opportunities caused kids to quit the sport or leave the state for better options. She looked for ways to keep kids playing close to home. 

She started a program that partnered with high schools to offer low-cost hockey lessons. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person learning in many schools, she opened Aces Sports Academy, an accredited school where third to eighth graders spend the mornings on ice and the rest of their days in class.  

In early 2022, she partnered with Okanagan Hockey Group, a Canadian youth hockey program, to start a recreational team in Colorado.  

The Colorado Amateur Hockey Association, the regional USA Hockey governing body that regulates the sport in her state, sanctioned her programs. Kanai, its president since 2012, supported them – until they became Tier I.  

Around the same time that Wilfley started her rec team, the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association announced its intent to strip the Colorado Springs Tigers, another local youth hockey club, of its Tier I status unless it fielded two more teams. So in April 2022, Brian Copeland, the Tigers’ president, approached Wilfley about merging their clubs. 

Wilfley jumped at the opportunity. Before ever playing a game, her club ascended to the most coveted echelon of youth hockey. That didn’t sit well with Kanai and some other board members. 

“They never went through the process to formally apply. They just made it happen,’ Kanai said. “We didn’t like that she had found the back door.’ 

Kanai responded with a series of requirements that Wilfley felt unfairly targeted her club. He announced audits of a ‘sampling” of clubs, including hers. He made her restructure parts of her businesses. He said the association would honor her club’s Tier I designation only if her players wear Tigers jerseys and play games in Colorado Springs – an hour drive from Denver.

Wilfley spent thousands of dollars on new uniforms and legal expenses, only for Kanai to announce the board’s intent to eliminate one of the state’s four Tier I licenses. Wilfley felt her club was on the chopping block.  

Suspecting a personal or financial motive for his actions, Wilfley scoured the nonprofit’s tax returns, bylaws and individual board members’ business filings, searching for conflicts of interest. 

She didn’t find the motive she was looking for. What she found was even more troubling. 

She discovered a dozen for-profit companies and trade names registered to Kanai that matched the names of Colorado Amateur Hockey Association programs. One called “Team Colorado” shared the same name as the association’s girls’ hockey teams. Others, like “CO Hockey” and “Rocky Mountain Sport Testing,” she recognized from the association’s website and payments she had made for her son’s hockey camps.  

Wilfley also found that the association had not filed tax returns or held annual board elections in three years. 

Concerned that Kanai was profiting off his volunteer position, Wilfley in September 2022 reported her findings to USA Hockey general counsel Casey Jorgensen and other top officials, emails show. But months passed, and little action was taken. 

That December, with a board vote to potentially eliminate her Tier I status looming, Wilfley hired an attorney to formally request the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s meeting minutes and internal accounting records – as is her right under state law – including all its transactions with Kanai’s companies. She also demanded proper board elections be held.  

That’s when Wilfley received the letter from the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s general counsel, Peter Schaffer. Its title: “Notice of Spoliation and Investigation.”

Hockey mom fights retaliation

Wilfley knew the demand for her private data was likely unlawful. But waiting for the legal system to play out was a luxury she didn’t have.  

With the state championships weeks away, even interim disciplinary action against her club could result in her players’ disqualification. Defending herself from a libel or slander lawsuit – even a frivolous one – could cripple her businesses’ and family’s finances. 

Days before the 21-day deadline to turn over her electronic devices for a “forensic accounting,” Wilfley had not yet responded. Schaffer ratcheted up the pressure. By refusing to comply, he wrote in a Feb. 9, 2023, email, her programs were now “in violation” of their USA Hockey member agreements. 

“We will have no alternative,” his email said, “but to commence disciplinary procedures.” 

Wilfley called a meeting to brief parents on the situation.  

“I had to stand in front of those families and say, ‘I’m so sorry. Your kids have been amazing this season, but I don’t know if they’re going to be allowed to compete in the state championships,’” Wilfley said.  

Meanwhile, she fought back.  

She hired an outside accounting firm to scrutinize the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s finances, based on the limited records Schaffer provided in response to her requests. The firm’s report – which she sent to USA Hockey – found six-figure discrepancies and previously undisclosed transactions with Kanai’s companies. 

The day of the deadline, her attorney sent a lengthy response to Schaffer, the association’s board members and Jorgensen, USA Hockey’s legal counsel. It accused Kanai and Schaffer of whistleblower retaliation and violating the association’s bylaws. Wilfley reiterated her concerns about Kanai’s conflicts of interests and failures to hold annual elections or file tax returns since 2019. 

Finally, five months after she first reported her concerns to USA Hockey, the national governing body intervened. 

“USA Hockey is very concerned with the ongoing governance and operational issues within the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association,” Jorgensen wrote in a Feb. 14, 2023, letter to Kanai.  

USA Hockey would launch its own investigation into the association’s finances and compliance with whistleblower and conflict-of-interest policies, Jorgensen’s letter said. It ordered Kanai and Schaffer to “immediately cease” any disciplinary action against Wilfley’s program, adding that they had no legal authority to demand her records. 

Two months later, USA Hockey hired its own outside accounting firm to forensically audit the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s finances, based in part on Wilfley’s outside firm’s report. USA Hockey President Mike Trimboli appointed three USA Hockey representatives to oversee its annual board election, which Kanai had postponed with less than a day’s notice.  

The association’s members voted Kanai out of office at the rescheduled meeting in May 2023 after more than a decade as president. His successor, Brian Smith – whose son plays for Wilfley’s club – and the board moved to fire Schaffer days later.  

USA Hockey in July 2023 suspended Kanai from all hockey activities for refusing to comply with its audit. The Colorado Amateur Hockey Association sued him that October, accusing him of stealing at least $180,000 of the nonprofit’s money by routing it through one of his private companies – the one Wilfley discovered. 

‘Crazy hockey mom’

Kanai and Schaffer were gone from Colorado youth hockey. But their attacks on Wilfley continued.  

They both subpoenaed Wilfley as part of defamation lawsuits they filed against the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association and two of its new board members: Smith and Bill Brierly, its executive vice president. Schaffer filed a motion to hold Wilfley in contempt of court for refusing to comply. 

Judges ultimately quashed the subpoenas. But Wilfley spent tens of thousands of dollars fighting them, she said – money she hasn’t gotten back, even after Schaffer dropped his case, and Kanai lost his. 

The Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s lawsuit against Kanai went to a civil trial in April 2025 in Jefferson County District Court. In his testimony, Kanai didn’t deny profiting off his position as president. He argued he was allowed to do so.  

He portrayed himself as the victim of a “smear campaign” by Wilfley. In his testimony and subsequent interviews with USA TODAY, he painted her as a parent so hellbent on getting a Tier I team for her kids that she orchestrated a plot to take him down.  

“They weren’t happy with our decision on Tier I, so ‘Hey, let’s figure out what we can do to get these guys voted out,’” Kanai said. “It was all to influence the board vote, and they got what they wanted.” 

He acknowledged in court having “no direct evidence” of that. Of the 10 people called to testify, she wasn’t one of them. His other witnesses, however, spent much of their time on the stand supporting his version of events.  

“She wanted Tier I now, and that’s when the attacks came,” said Jason Schofield, Kanai’s business partner and a fellow board member who also admitted profiting $180,000 from Kanai’s company, in an interview with USA TODAY after the trial.  

Testified Schaffer: “Never before the Brooke Wilfley situation were there any issues about the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association and finances.” 

Judge Chantel Contiguglia didn’t buy it. Her October 2025 ruling found Kanai liable for civil theft, unjust enrichment, conversion and breach of fiduciary duty. She ordered him to repay the nonprofit $579,000 – triple the amount he stole, plus interest – and cover its court costs and attorney’s fees. 

The ruling – which Kanai appealed in November – vindicated Wilfley. Yet many in the Colorado hockey community still accept Kanai’s version of events.  The recent success of her teams – now among the top-ranked in the country – and the election of Smith, one of her player’s fathers, as Kanai’s successor as president only fueled those rumors.   

“’Crazy hockey mom’ is a really easy narrative,” Wilfley said. “It’s been three years of that. It just does not stop.” 

Better oversight needed

Wilfley is grateful to USA Hockey for intervening and to the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s new leadership for pursuing the lawsuit against Kanai. But better oversight by both organizations’ boards, she believes, could have saved her many sleepless nights. 

“The hardest thing for me is the toll it has taken on my family and the time,” Wilfley said. “I would go home and stay up at night worrying about all these other kids, just feeling like the rug was constantly being pulled out from under me.” 

Conflicts of interest and financial exploitation are rampant in youth hockey, said Brierly, the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association’s executive vice president whom Schaffer sued for defamation – a lawsuit Schaffer later dropped. Examining business affiliations of people who serve on the sport’s regional governing bodies should fall on USA Hockey, Brierly said – not individual parents. 

Brierly said USA Hockey should enact better standards and controls to identify mismanagement and abuses of power in the sport long before they become issues. 

“It’s expensive enough to play hockey,” Brierly said. “It’s more expensive when you’re also paying opportunistic individuals who are trying to make a dollar. That’s something USA Hockey should protect people against, but they obviously don’t care about protecting parents from financial abuse.” 

USA Hockey did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

After the trial, Schaffer told USA TODAY that he truly believed he had the legal authority to demand access to Wilfley’s private records and electronic devices. Sending her a notice of spoliation and investigation, he said, “is the least level of aggression you can do.” 

“If they’re not guilty, they would have sent it to us,” Schaffer said. “But they fought us. As much as they fought, it just made me know that they were guilty because they wouldn’t give it to us.” 

Kanai, for his part, acknowledged after the trial that Wilfley’s concerns about his financial entanglements with the association were “legitimate.” Still, he said he and other board members, including his business partner, Schofield, felt they had to take action to protect their reputations as rumors swirled. 

‘We were pretty sure there were slanderous and defamation comments in texts and emails going around, so we were trying to put a stop to it and get evidence that that was truly going on,” Kanai told USA TODAY.  

“Did we go too far? It’s debatable.” 

He maintained that every decision he made as president was guided by what’s best for the kids.  

Kenny Jacoby is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY who covers issues in sports, higher education and law enforcement. Contact him by email at kjacoby@usatoday.com. Follow him on X @kennyjacoby or Bluesky @kennyjacoby.bsky.social.

The NHL draft is full of players with supremely talented skill sets. 

The tools these players have are evident nearly every time they step on the ice. It’s truly remarkable to watch these 17- and 18-year-old kids play hockey and realize they are the future of the sport.

Each player has a standout trait. It’s the primary reason they find themselves near the top of NHL draft lists publicly and privately. In this week’s update of the 2026 NHL Draft board, we’re looking at those standout skills or traits that make each of the top-end players so special. That way, we can begin to understand how they can help an NHL team in the future.

Top 10 NHL draft prospects

1. Frolunda (Sweden) left wing Ivar Stenberg

One of the biggest reasons Stenberg has remained atop the list is his incredible intelligence and versatile game. When Stenberg’s A-game isn’t working, he’s quick to pivot to his B-game and remain an effective player. His capability as a playmaker, a shooter, a defensive winger or a transition-focused forward makes him hard to shut down completely. One game, he’s a skilled and speedy forechecker, and the next, he is a center-driven scorer.

2. Muskegon (USHL) center Tynan Lawrence

Lawrence’s ability to attack head-on and get downhill with and without the puck is truly a marvel to watch. Lawrence can drive the middle of the ice, taking on defenders with his speed and aggressive pace, unlike almost anyone else in the draft class. With and without the puck, Lawrence is a man on a mission. He’s not necessarily a power forward, but he plays a powerful game. 

3. Penn State (NCAA) left wing Gavin McKenna

There is no denying that the pure skill as a puckhandler and playmaking vision that Gavin McKenna possesses are elite. There are things he can do with the puck that most hockey players are simply not capable of. He can stickhandle in a phone booth and find his way out of trouble in open ice so often. His pure offensive skill is more impressive than anyone else’s in the draft class. 

4. North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff

The most intriguing thing about Verhoeff might just be what he could be. He has all of the traits to be a true all-situations defenseman who can control play on the power play, eat minutes at even strength and shut opponents down on the penalty kill. His mobility, escapability and, most importantly, his poise, make him the most well-rounded blueliner in the class. 

5. Spokane (WHL) right wing Mathis Preston

Preston hasn’t produced at the rate most had hoped, but there is so much to like about his game. He can put the team on his back for a shift or two and create offensive chances with his speed and skill, the way few can. No matter who is on the ice, when Preston decides it’s time to be the guy to create something, it’s hard to stop him from at least generating a high-end chance. 

6. Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) defenseman Xavier Villeneuve

Although undersized, the elite on-puck game Villeneuve possesses gives shades of Quinn Hughes at times. He’s agile and powerful while being skilled and controlled as a playmaker. The kind of skill and play-creation Villeneuve brings as a defender is reminiscent of what McKenna brings as a forward. There is so much offensive juice in his game that it’s hard to deny just how special he could be. 

7. Djurgarden (Sweden) right wing Viggo Bjorck

Bjorck’s elite hands and dirty dangles make him so much fun to watch at the junior level, and he’ll be an important player at the World Junior Championship in just over a week. But his ability to work his tail off and diversify his game at Sweden’s pro level has been such a welcome sight. He’s always been skillful and cerebral enough, but adding the motor has made him much more effective this season. 

8. Jukurit (Finland) defenseman Alberts Smits

NHL teams love a player they can mold like a ball of clay, so long as that ball of clay is a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder who can skate like the wind. Alberts Smits has the kind of raw upside that could make him one of the best players in this draft class. He’s already playing big minutes against pros in Finland, allowing him to develop his game at both ends of the ice.

9. Windsor (OHL) left wing Ethan Belchetz

Belchetz’s combination of size and skill intrigues NHL teams more than anything. Not many players can bowl over a defender along the wall and then dangle the goalie from in tight the way Belchetz can. His developing skating has made him all the more dangerous, but it’s the size/skill combo that has scouts drooling. 

10. Tappara (Finland) center Oliver Suvanto

A two-way center is often underappreciated because they may not have the offensive punch of the elite skill guys, even though they can shut down the opposing team’s top players. Suvanto is that kind of player. He’s a massive center who plays down the middle of the ice at both ends, clogging up the middle defensively before getting on his horse and driving the center lane offensively.

Is Travis Kelce going to retire after this year?

It’s one of the biggest questions surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs after they were eliminated from playoff contention in their Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kelce’s brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, shared his perspective on Travis’ decision on Dec. 15 during a pregame segment for ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football’ broadcast.

‘In my opinion, to nail that decision, you gotta step away from the game for a little bit,’ he said. ‘Play these last three games, enjoy them with your teammates, enjoy them with your coaches. The team’s going to be different no matter whether you come back or not next year. So enjoy these last three games.’

‘And then let it sink in. It will come to you with time. There’s so many emotions with this game, right after a season. Especially with the way this one’s been – it’s been so up-and-down … Right now, it’s just too fresh. You gotta step away from it, you gotta think about it, and then it’ll come to you.’

Travis is 36 years old, the same age that Jason was when he decided to retire after the 2023 season. The Chiefs had a tumultuous season that will ultimately end in some disappointment, much like the Eagles did in Jason’s final season in 2023.

In addition, Travis’ contract with the Chiefs is up after 2025 – as Jason’s deal with the Eagles was after 2023 – and his team will need to make some tough decisions as it misses the playoffs for just the second time in his career.

Travis and Jason Kelce are due to release the next episode of their podcast – the first since the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention – on Dec. 17.

Travis Kelce stats

Despite averaging the lowest receptions per game he has had in a single season since 2015, Kelce’s yards per game so far this year have been slightly higher than his average total throughout 2024. The Chiefs’ tight end is also the second-highest-scoring player at his position in fantasy football through 15 weeks.

Here’s how Kelce’s numbers look so far in his 13th season:

Targets: 92
Receptions: 67
Receiving yards: 797
Yards per reception: 11.9
Touchdowns: 7

Kelce will be vying for his 11th straight Pro Bowl nod in 2025, though he is not in a position to earn a fourth Super Bowl ring since the Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15.

Travis Kelce contract

Length: Two years
Value: $34.25 million
AAV: $17.13 million

Kelce is playing on the second and final season of the two-year re-negotiated contract extension he signed in April 2024. The restructured deal bumped the average annual value of his contract from $14.3 million – as it was in the original, four-year deal he signed in 2020 – to $17.125 million.

The 13-year NFL veteran was the highest-paid tight end in history at the time of signing his 2024 extension. Kelce currently ranks third on the list by AAV, behind George Kittle and Trey McBride.

Travis Kelce net worth

There are no reputable sources listing Kelce’s net worth for 2025.

However, Kelce has earned over $111 million during his 13 years with the Chiefs.

The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes came to an end in prime time against the Pittsburgh Steelers on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 15.

Miami had dug itself out of a 2-7 hole to be in contention for a wild-card playoff berth. Monday night’s loss to the Steelers ended the turnaround and leaves the Dolphins with plenty of questions entering 2026.

One of those comes at the most important position: quarterback.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did not rule out benching Tua Tagovailoa after he struggled against the Steelers.

‘Everything is on the table,’ McDaniel said today and added that a decision isn’t final.

But overall, he believes the team has not gotten enough out of its starting quarterback.

‘Not good enough,’ McDaniel said.

Tagovailoa has struggled in 2025 despite starting all 14 games so far for the Dolphins. He leads the NFL in interceptions (15) and is on pace for his worst quarterback rating since his rookie season. His 36.7 QBR is by far the lowest of his six-year career.

Miami’s offense has performed well when Tagovailoa is healthy in recent years. He played at least 13 games in 2022 and 2023 and the offense finished 11th and second in points scored, respectively. He hasn’t missed a game this year and the offense is on pace to finish 23rd in points – the worst standing under McDaniel.

It’s been the running game, not the passing game behind Tagovailoa, that powered the Dolphins’ offense on its four-game winning streak prior to Week 15. The unit was averaging 192 rushing yards per game during that stretch.

Miami is back home in Week 16 to take on another team eliminated from wild-card contention: Cincinnati. Will Tagovailoa be the starter? Here’s what we know.

Are the Dolphins benching Tua Tagovailoa?

McDaniel did not commit to benching the Dolphins’ sixth-year starter on Tuesday but also left the door open for another quarterback to take the starting job ahead of Week 16.

‘All positions are the same,’ McDaniel said. ‘There’s no one entitled to preferential treatment. And when there’s a better option, we have to, you know, it’s my job to attack that. So, you know, I think there’s still a lot left in the day. Like I said before, 14 hours removed from the game. So, you know, I don’t trivialize any decision I make, particularly, you know, one where someone touches the ball every play.’

Who is Tua Tagovailoa’s backup?

Former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson is Miami’s backup quarterback at time of publishing.

The former New York Jets and Denver Broncos quarterback signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Dolphins in free agency to back up Tagovailoa.

He’s played in three games for the Dolphins this year (zero starts) and completed 6 of 9 passes for 32 yards. He also has three rushing attempts for one yard.

Miami also has rookie seventh-round draft pick Quinn Ewers on the active roster. His lone regular-season action came against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7 when he completed 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards.

In the early contest, the Old Dominion heads down to the Sunshine State to meet an opponent from the American playing much closer to home. In the nightcap down on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, it will be a bowl newcomer challenging one of the Sun Belt postseason regular Louisiana-Lafayette.

For what it’s worth, both games managed to pair opponents with matching records. That doesn’t guarantee an even contest, of course, but we can hope. Here are the particulars.

Cure Bowl: Old Dominion vs. South Florida

Time/TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPN, in Orlando, Fla.

Why watch: This first of several contests at Camping World Stadium kicks things off as the home-state Bulls, a Top 25 squad at times this season, square off with the Monarchs, who are seeking their first bowl victory since 2016. Both teams will be led by backup QBs. South Florida’s Byrum Brown is likely NFL bound but will serve as a student coach, handing the reins to journeyman Gaston Moore. Old Dominion’s Colton Joseph is in the portal, but equally dynamic freshman Quinn Henicle will direct the attack. Names to know on the defensive side include Monarchs DB Jerome Carter and Bulls LB Mac Harris.

Why it could disappoint: Though both squads have 9-3 records, the Bulls enter as favorites after negotiating a more challenging slate in an overall stronger conference. Brown’s absence could serve as an equalizer, but the Monarchs still figure to be at a depth disadvantage.

68 Ventures Bowl: Delaware vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Time/TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, in in Mobile, Ala.

Why watch: The Blue Hens, long-time powers of the Championship Subdivision, needed just one year at this level to qualify for a bowl game. They’ll take on the Ragin’ Cajuns, who are usually in the Sun Belt championship mix but struggled through the first half of the season in 2025. Leading the way for Louisiana-Lafayette is dual-threat QB Lunch Winfield, not his given name but a fitting moniker as he feasts on opposing defenses. RBs Bill Davis and Zylan Perry lend plenty of ground support. Delaware counters with QB Nick Minicucci, who isn’t as explosive but still has 10 rushing scores to go with his 22 TD passes. His primary targets are WRs Sean Wilson and Kyre Duplessis.

Why it could disappoint: The Hens are still new to the FBS landscape, and they were on the short end of a blowout or two. This shouldn’t be a mismatch of that magnitude, but the Ragin’ Cajuns won their last four games to get here and will therefore arrive with a high degree of confidence.