Coaching Return in Edmonton

Mike Babcock is returning to an NHL bench as the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, tasked with pushing Connor McDavid and the roster to a championship. The decorated head coach, who captured a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008 and gold medals for Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, returns to the league following a controversial exit from Columbus in 2023 before coaching a game there.

Roster Reshaping in Toronto and Montreal

The Toronto Maple Leafs addressed key positions by adding 38-year-old goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who helped the Florida Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025. Toronto also secured 30-year-old blueliner Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning on an eight-year, $68-million contract to boost their power play. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens added 35-year-old forward Chris Kreider on a one-year deal after the Anaheim Ducks waived him and terminated his contract.

Brothers Reunite and Canadian Captain Moves

Former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers after eight seasons in Ottawa, uniting the 27-year-old winger with his older brother Matthew. In another cross-Canada move, 34-year-old veteran Brendan Gallagher was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks following a career-long tenure with Montreal, bringing veteran presence to a rebuilding franchise.

Blockbuster Contracts Across the League

Several major financial commitments were finalized across the league. The Washington Capitals signed 30-year-old Alex Tuch to an eight-year, $84-million free-agent deal alongside additions Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais. The Chicago Blackhawks acquired 25-year-old defenceman Bowen Byram from Buffalo, signing him to a six-year, $75-million extension while reuniting with Patrick Kane. Additionally, San Jose added 31-year-old defenceman Darnell Nurse from Edmonton to manage salary cap space and support Macklin Celebrini, whom the Sharks made the highest-paid player in the NHL with an extension.

Early Control Struggles Shorten Cease’s Outing

ARLINGTON, Texas — Starter Dylan Cease allowed a career-low fastball velocity and matched a season-high six walks Friday as the Toronto Blue Jays fell 7-1 to the Texas Rangers. Cease managed only 2.2 innings, throwing 74 pitches and striking out three batters while placing just 35 per cent of his deliveries in the strike zone.

Cease opened the game with a 91.1-m.p.h. fastball, followed immediately by a 90.0-m.p.h. pitch. He walked four of the first six hitters he faced. Texas built an early lead in the second inning after an infield throw hit a runner, scoring two runs before a sacrifice fly and an RBI double from Corey Seager made it 4-0. Cease was removed in the third inning after loading the bases with two walks and a single.

“If you don’t have velocity or sharp stuff but you can throw strikes and execute, you can still get outs,” Cease said. “But the walks and not commanding the ball is not a good recipe.”

Manager Evaluates Starter’s Health and Workload

Cease’s fastball averaged 93.6 m.p.h. during the outing. Addressing whether physical issues affected his speed, Cease attributed the drop to the timing of the season.

“I think it’s just late in the year. Obviously, I’m still able to take the ball and throw and all that,” Cease said. “I don’t know if it changes that much. I’m just trying to get it in the zone and execute. Whether it’s 92 or 98, the name of the game is executing pitches. So, that’s all I’m really trying to do.”

Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated the team does not plan to skip Cease’s next scheduled start on Wednesday against Baltimore.

“We’ll see,” Schneider said when asked about Cease’s next outing. “He’s reporting nothing. Feeling all right, feeling good. It’s where we are in the season. Everyone’s battling and grinding to make pitches, grinding to make plays.”

“So, we’ll just be in touch with him. But nothing physically alarming enough to say, ‘hey, we’re going to skip you’ or anything like that. So, just try to manage it, try to work through it in between, and get ready for his next one,” Schneider added.

Bullpen Coverage and Roster Decisions

Five Toronto relievers were required to record the final 16 outs on Friday. The team is currently navigating a stretched pitching staff, with consecutive bullpen days planned for Sunday and Monday. Starter Jose Soriano is set to take the mound Saturday, while 42-year-old Max Scherzer is being given an extra day of rest before pitching Tuesday.

“We’re asking a lot. We’re trying to monitor, when they’re in there, pitch count and number of ups and things like that,” Schneider said. “But we’re going to need Jose to be good tomorrow and reset it a little bit, that’s for sure.”

Spencer Arrighetti is slated to pitch the bulk of Sunday’s game. Trey Yesavage, who recently threw a side session after undergoing knee meniscus surgery, could be activated from the injured list to throw approximately 50 pitches Monday, or as early as Sunday if bullpen usage forces an acceleration. Meanwhile, Toronto recently designated reliever Michael Lorenzen for assignment, leaving open the possibility of calling up additional pitching depth from Buffalo.

Offensively, Toronto’s lone run arrived in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Myles Straw, following walks by Kazuma Okamoto and Josh Smith against Rangers starter Kumar Rocker. Reliever Trevor Williams then held Toronto to two hits over the final four innings to close out the victory for Texas.

Alouettes Secure Victory Despite Fourth-Quarter Rally

The Montreal Alouettes built an early cushion and managed to hold on for a 37-25 road win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Friday’s annual Hall of Fame game. The victory keeps Montreal undefeated in East Division matchups this season, improving their divisional record to 7-0 and overall mark to 11-3.

Quarterback Davis Alexander completed 21 of 27 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns to help build a 24-3 lead by halftime. Running back Stevie Scott provided major assistance on the ground, accumulating 108 yards across 21 carries.

Late Surge Falls Short for Hamilton

Hamilton made a dramatic final push after falling behind 34-3 early in the fourth quarter following a two-yard touchdown run by Caleb Evans. Quarterback Harrison Frost directed three consecutive touchdown drives, scoring 22 unanswered points to trim Montreal’s lead to 34-25. Frost ended the night with 340 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and four interceptions on 33-of-50 passing.

A late interception by Montreal defender Gemon Green with under a minute remaining halted Hamilton’s final drive at the 20-yard line. Jose Maltos Diaz then closed out the scoring with a 33-yard field goal at 14:37.

Key Plays and Divisional Standings

Montreal established control early when Alexander connected with right guard Donny Ventrelli for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Later in the second quarter, Nate Beauchemin returned a third-down fumble 57 yards for a touchdown after Alouettes linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku dislodged the ball from Jake Dolegala. Alexander also added a 12-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Philpot.

With the loss, Hamilton drops to 4-10 overall and 1-5 in division play, committing six total turnovers during the contest. The night also featured a halftime ceremony honoring the 2026 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class, including former players Brandon Banks, Sean Millington, Charleston Hughes, Calvin Tiggle, and Jim Evenson, along with builder Frank (Pop) Ivy.