Legacy Weekend In Tampa Bay

In the final weekend before the all-star break, the Tampa Bay Rays honored one of the very best players to ever step on the diamond at Tropicana Field. Evan Longoria was inducted into the Rays Hall of fame on Saturday and followed that up with having his #3 retired on Sunday. It was an honor befitting not only the face of the Rays franchise, but one of the biggest faces of Tampa Bay Sports.

We've already discussed, at length, what Longoria has done for the Rays during his ten-year playing career here in Tampa Bay. So, we are going to pass that for the time being. What the events this weekend at the at Tropicana Field did for me was twofold. One it led me to wonder who the next version of Evan Longoria for this Rays franchise could be. The other is who besides Longoria is that athlete here in Tampa? Who was that guy that helped elevate Tampa Bay sports to the next level in the national spotlight.

As for who's the next possible Longoria for the Rays, that seems like a fairly obvious answer. That's the guy who's currently at third base here in Tampa, and the starting third baseman for the American League at the All Star Game, Junior Caminero. The numbers that Junior have at this point in his career are almost an exact mirror of what Longoria did during that same time frame. If Junior can stay healthy, and improve his defensive game just a little, he has all the ability in the world to be the next version of Longoria and what he did for baseball in this town. Here's hoping that Rays management finds a way to keep Junior here and playing at third for his entire career and properly build around the guy.

That's what Longoria did for the Rays. When he came up in 2008, it was the first of two world series trips in Tampa. And from that Longoria put his stamp on this town and this team because of how good he was. He wasn't going to be the greatest player in the league, but he was for this team. He was such a solid all around player and person, that he helped make Tampa a place to watch baseball. He really helped put Tampa Rays baseball on the map and that's his greatest achievement.

Now it is safe to say that Longoria is the best player that the Rays have ever had and he helped really put them on the map in the game of baseball. What other Tampa athletes seemed to do that for the teams they played for. For the Bucs, there's three names that come to mind right away for what they did for this city and this franchise. LeRoy Selman is the first name to think of for how bad the Bucs were at that time. Sane thing can be said for either Warren Sapp or Rhonde Barber when they got here. And Mike Evans did that on the offensive side of things for the Bucs, and Mike Alstott as well.

For the Lightning, the three names that really come to mind as being the legacy for that franchise are Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Lecavalier got them on the map as being the main guy to build the Lightning around and turn that franchise around. Same thing can be said for the two guys who passed him on the points list in Stamkos and Kucherov.

So it's been a big weekend in Tampa Bay and there's more to come in the future.

Bronx Bats Whiffed

Being a hitter in Major League Baseball is a tough thing to do. Doing it as a collective team needs to be done if you hope to win games at that level. Striking out is a part of the game. But at the rate the New York Yankees have gone the last couple of days, well it's quite alarming if we are being honest with ourselves.

Over the last two games in Tampa Bay against the Rays, the Yankees struck out a total of 34 times combined, and yet still came away with a split of the first two games. It was 17 strikeouts on Monday in a 5-1 win, followed up by ANOTHER 17-strikeout game in a 6-4 loss last night.

Ian Seymorew and Griffin Jax had done the most damage against Yankees hitter. Seymopre struck out 12, while Jax fanned 10 the night before. During Jax start, the Yankees made up for the swing and misses by hitting home runs to get their runs across the plate. Again, that's turning into an alarming number. The Yankees are still nine games above .500 (as of this writing) and four games back of the Rays for first place. To be fair, the Rays have had a good pitching staff this year, and showed it off the first two games against the Yankees. And it proves the old adage that good pitching beats good hitting.

It is a scary observation that they are swinging and missing that much, which is a possible explanation for why they have won just two out of their last ten games. It's not going to get any easier for the Yankees for having to deal with Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen the final two games of the series. It won't get much easier going against Zach Littelle and Cade Cavalli as two of the three starters in the Washington series heading into the All Star Break.

Thankfully the Yanks have built themselves enough of a cushion to get through this bit of a rough stretch. At the same time, it's starting to set off alarms with what the offense is going through. Not only in the Bronx but around baseball as well. The trend that its either strikeout or home run for hitters around the league.

IT's kind of scary what the game of baseball has become. Don't get me wrong I love dominating pitching performances around the game, but this is a little much. I'm old school in that I'd rather see a guy take the mound, go seven innings and make the ball move, rather than blowing people away with straight gas. That's why we won't see another 300 game win in the sport. Same thing goes for 3,000 hits by hitters. It's because its home run or nothing. It's rare we see good all around hitters in this sport anymore now a days. And what we've seen from the Yankees the first two games in this series in Tampa Bay have proven that.

Play Like An All Star

We are a little over a week away from the 2026 Major League Baseball All Star Game. July 14th, the best of the best will gather in Philadelphia for the 96th midsummer classic. It's one of the rare times we get to see the games best line up with different lineups and it really does lead to some fun scenarios and matchups.

We don't have to wait any longer. Here's the full roster and lineups for the All Star Game this year.

American League:
Starters:
Catcher: Shea Langeliers Athletics (1st)
1st Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Blue Jays (6th)
2nd Base: Ernie Clement Blue Jays (1st)
3rd Base: Junior Caminero Rays (2nd)
Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr. Royals 3
Outfielders: Byron Buxton Twins (3rd), Aaron Judge Yankees (8th), Mike Trout Angels (12th)
Designated Hitter: Yordan Alvarez Astros (4th)

Reserves:
Catchers: Dillon Dingler Tigers (1st), Adley Rutschman Orioles (3rd)
1st Base: Nick Kurtz Athletics (1st), Ben Rice Yankees (1st)
2nd Base: Travis Bazzana Guardians (1st)
3rd Base: Miguel Vargas White Sox (1st)
Shortstop: Kevin McGonigle Tigers 1
Outfielders: Randy Arozarena Mariners (3rd), Cody Bellinger Yankees (3rd), Riley Greene Tigers 3rd)
Designated Hitter: Yandy Díaz Rays (2nd)

Pitchers:
Bryan Baker Rays (1st), Dylan Cease Blue Jays (1st), Aroldis Chapman Red Sox (9th), Jacob Latz Rangers (1st), Parker Messick Guardians (1st), Drew Rasmussen Rays (2nd), Joe Ryan Twins (2nd), Cam Schlittler Yankees (1st), Cade Smith Guardians (1st), Ranger Suárez Red Sox (2nd), Louis Varland Blue Jays (1st), Michael Wacha Royals (2nd)

National League:
Starters:
Catcher: Drake Baldwin Braves (1st)
1st Base: Freddie Freeman Dodgers (10th)
2nd Base: Ozzie Albies Braves (4th)
3rd Base: Max Muncy Dodgers (3rd)
Shortstop: CJ Abrams Nationals (2nd)
Outfielders: Brandon Marsh Phillies (1st), Andy Pages Dodgers (1st), Juan Soto Mets (5th)
Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani Dodgers (6th)

Reserves:
Catchers: William Contreras Brewers (3rd), Hunter Goodman Rockies (2nd)
1st Base: Bryce Harper‡ Phillies (9th), Matt Olson Braves (4th)
2nd Base: Luis Arráez Giants (4th)
3rd Base: Sal Stewart Reds (1st)
Shortstop: Otto López Marlins (1st)
Outfielders: Corbin Carroll Diamondbacks (3rd), Pete Crow-Armstrong Cubs (2nd), Jordan Walker Cardinals (1st), James Wood Nationals (2nd)
Designated Hitter: Kyle Schwarber Phillies (4th)

Pitchers:
Chase Burns Reds (1st), Jhoan Durán Phillies (1st), Raisel Iglesias Braves (1st), Max Meyer Marlins (1st), Mason Miller Padres (2nd), Jacob Misiorowski Brewers (2nd), Eduardo Rodríguez Diamondbacks (1st), Chris Sale Braves (10th), Cristopher Sánchez Phillies (2nd), Paul Skenes Pirates (3rd), Logan Webb Giants (3rd), Yoshinobu Yamamoto Dodgers (2nd)

So what do you think? Did anybody get snubbed from the game?

Hockey Hall Makes Call

Getting induction into a hall of fame, in any endeavor, means you are one of the very best at whatever you do. There are six new names that are getting enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2026. Going into the builder's category will be Brian Burke. In the players category we will see the induction of Cindy Curley, Keith Tkachuk, Pekka Rinne, Carey Price and Patrice Bergeron. All of these members will take their place in the hall on November 9th in Toronto.

We start with the builder's category and the only new member in the form of Brian Burke. Burke began his career in professional hockey in 1987 as vice president and director of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. He held that role until 1992 when he took over as GM of the Hartford Whalers, lasting there for a year before moving to the NHL offices as senior vice president and director of hockey operations for the league. It was a position he held until 1998, when he ended up back in Vancouver as the GM of the Canucks. He then went on to become team president for the Ducks, Maple Leafs, Flames and Penguins. Some of the moves that Burke made during his career have drawn some ire from fans, but more often than not, Burke did an admirable job of being able to build and run teams.

Now starting with the players category, we have to look at Cindy Curley. She helped put women's hockey on the map in the US. She starred at Providence College from 1981 to 1985, winning back to back national titles in 1984 and 1985. During her time there, she scored 110 goals and 115 assists for 225 points. She joined the US national team in 1987 after a successful tryout for the team. She had a big impact on the global stage during the inaugural 1990 IIHF Women's Hockey Championships. She also won silver in 1992, 1994 and 1996. Knee troubles cut her career short, but doing what she did in not only college but at the national level, helped put women's hockey on the map before it truly went global.

Coming from the NHL level, we have to start with Keith Tkachuk, who after 15 years, finally got his induction. He w3as drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 19th overall in the 1990 draft and made the jump to the big club in 1991. He played in Winnipeg until 1996, when he moved with the franchise to Arizona. He stayed with the Coyotes until halfway through the 2000-01 season, when he was traded to the Blues. He played in St Louis until 2007 when he spent half a season in Atlanta. He then went back to St Louis for his final three years, retiring in 2010. Tkachuck played 1,201 games, scoring 538 goals, 527 assists and 1,065 points, to go along with 2,219 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he played 89 games, scoring 28 goals, 28 assists for 56 points and 176 penalty minutes. Keith played in five all star games during his career and made his legacy as one of the top power forwards in the history of the game. Before his induction, Tkachuk had the 2nd most goals of anybody not already in the hall (behind only the 566 scored by Patrick Marleau). He could hit, he could score goals and was a very hard man to move from in front of the net. HE played almost with a sense of a bull in a China shop.

Another big name, getting in on his first year on the ballot, was at the opposite end of the spectrum in Patrice Bergeron. Picked 45th overall in 2003 by the Boston Bruins, Bergeron joined the team that first season, and became a fixture in Boston after the lockout in 2006. He spent his entire career in Boston, retiring  in 20923. While in Boston, he played 1,294 games, scoring 427 goals, 613 assists for 1,040 points and just 494 points. Come playoff time, Bergeron played in 170 games, scoring 50 goals and 78 assists for 128 points. Bergeron played in three all star games, won the Mark Messier leadership award in 2021, the Stanley Cup in 2011 and a six time winner of the Selke Trophy for the best defensive forward in the game. That's what made Bergron successful during his career. Not only was he a great leader, having been Bruins captain for the final two years of his career. He had the offensive skill to be a top six forward in Boston and was one of the elite defensive forwards the sport has seen.

Going from forwards we go to the goal, where we have two netminders getting induction. First is Carey Price, who was taken 5th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2005. Price joined the team that first year out of the lockout and played all 15 years of his NHL career in Montreal. He played in 712 games in Montreal, winning 361 times, with a career .917 save percentage and a2.51 lifetime goals against average. During his career, Price was a seven time all star, winning the Jennings Trophy, Vezina Trophy and most importantly of all the Hart Trophy in 2015. Playing internationally for Canada, he won gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics, the World Cup of Hockey 2016 and the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship. He had such q1uick movements in the nets he was hard to be able to really get a read on what he was going to be able to do.

A guy that he inspired was fellow hall inductee Pekka Rinne. Rinne was drafted by the Predators 258th overall in 2004. He joined the Preds in 2008 and played his entire 13 year career in Nashville, retiring in 2021. He played 683 games, collecting 369 wins, had a .917 save percentage and 2.43 goals against. He was a four time all star and winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2018. He is tied for seventh in NHL history in GAA and tied for fifth in save percentage among goalies with 500 games played. Rinne may not have been as technically sound as a guy like Price, but what got him to the level he did was his athletic ability. He had made some pretty athletic saves during the course of his career that are highlight material.

So, what say you. Did the hall get this right? Any big snubs left out this year?

Star Hanges Up Skates

Spending sixteen years playing in the National Hockey League is quite a long time. And doing it at one of the highest levels in the sport says a lot. That's what Jonathan Toews did during his career. After a long and lengthy career, coming back after missing two years cause of illness, Toews is going out on his own terms. 

Toews was drafted 3rd overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006 (only Erik Johnson and Jordan Staal drafted ahead of him). Toews started in the big leagues with the Hawks in 2007 and played there until 2023. He then stepped away from the game for two years to deal with health issues. He finally came back for the 2025-26 season to go out on his own terms with his hometown team the Winnipeg Jets.  

Toews won three Cups with the Hawks, won the Conn Smyth Trophy in 2010, a Selke Trophy in 2013 a Mark Messier Leadership award in 2015m he played in six all star games. He played in 1,149 games, scoring 383 goals and 529 assists for 912 points. He played in 137 games, scoring 45 goals and 74 assists for 119 more points in the playoffs. HE's also got a few records to go along with all those point totals. He's the fastest to ever be appointed a team captain in just 64 career games. He holds Blackhawk records for most career OT goals with 16, most assists in a playoff year with 22, most points in a playoff year with 28 (both done in 2010) and most overtime goals in a season with 5.

While he may not have been the flashiest player on his team while in Chicago, that tittle went to Patrick Kane, he was probably the best all around player on those Hawks teams. That's why they were able to really build around him. He had a good head for the game, was a good skater and had great ability to move the puck to the right guys. Oh, and his shot was pretty good as well.

He did things quite well at both ends of the rink, as his point totals and the best defensive trophy win in 20134 suggests. To be able to take over as the leader of the Hawks at 20 years old and in just his second season in the league speaks volumes to how not only mature a player he was, but the type of leader he was as well. Toews was and is a great ambassador for the game and great example of how to go about playing the game of hockey the right way.

We know one thing for sure, his #19 will be hanging from the rafters of the United Center within the next few years. And its also a pretty fair shot that he might just see an enshrinement in Toronto too.

NHL Hands Out Hardware

In the game of hockey, or any other team sport for that matter, the logo on the front is considered more important than the name on the back. Rightfully so. However, at the end of each year, the National Hockey League does honor the individual accomplishments in the great team game. As the Stanley Cup Playoffs wore on, the NHL handed out the hardware for the 2025-26 regular season. It was a way of honoring the best of the best from the year that was around the NHL. We take a look at that right now. Here's the full list of NHL award winners from the season that was.

All Rookie Team
Goalie: Jakub Dobes (Montreal Canadiens)
Defense: Matthew Schafer (New York Islanders), Alexander Nikishin (Carolina Hurricanes)
Forwards: Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens), Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks), Jimmy Snuggerud (St Louis Blues)

All Star Teams:
First Team:
Goalie: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Defense: Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Forwards: Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), Jason Robvertson (Dallas Stars)

Second Team:
Goalie: Logan Thompson (Washington Capitals)
Defense: Evan Bouchard (Edmonton Oilers), Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres)
Forwards: Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins), Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens)

Now, here's the full list of the hardware handed out for the 2025-26 season.

William Jennings Trophy (Lowest Goals Against Average): Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood (Colorado Avalanche)

Rocket Richard Trophy (Goal Scoring Leader): Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche 53 Goals)

Art Ross Trophy (Leading Scorer): Conor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers 138 Points)

Mark Messier Leadership Award: Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche)

Bill Masterton Trophy (perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication): Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado Avalanche)

Lady Bing Trophy (sportsmanship and excellence): Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)

King Clancy Trophy (leadership and humanitarian contribution): Marcus Foligno (Minnesota Wild)

Ted Lindsey Award (Outstanding player as voted on by the NHLPA): Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)

Selke trophy (best defensive forward): Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens)

Jack Adams Award (Best Coach): Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Calder Trophy (Top Rookie): Matthew Schafer (New York Islanders)

Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman): Zach Werenski (Columbus Ble Jackets)

Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender): Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Hart Trophy (League MVP): Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning)

So now the big question is, did they get the award winners right? It was a close race for the Hart, but it rightfully went to Kucherov. it was nothing against McDavid or MacKinnon, both of whom had fine seasons. But there were stretches where Kucherov carried things in Tampa with all the injuries and what not that the Lightning had to deal with and when scoring goals at times was hard to come by. Same thing with Vasilevskiy getting the Vezina for top goalie. The only thing that kept Sorokin from getting his hands on it was the team around him faltering down the stretch and leaving him out to dry, which is why he looked off at the end of the year. Schafer winning the Calder, rightfully so, was a runaway win. 3rd leading scorer among all rookies, and playing heavy minutes for the Islanders all as an 18-year-old, What Werenski did in Columbus was pretty impressive. 81 points to finish 2nd to Bouchard in defenseman scoring and helping the Jackets to a playoff spot while playing shut down D was good enough to take the award.

The ONLY award that I think was given to the wrong guy, and it feels weird to even be writing that honestly, was the Jack Adams. No disrespect to the man who won it in Jon Cooper of the Lightning. Despite all the injuries and missing key guys for stretches, Cooper guided the ship in Tampa to keep them in a playoff spot almost the entire season after a bit of a slow start. And the fact that it took 14 years for Cooper to finally win the award, when in years past, he's been runner up when he should have won was a crying shame. Don't get it wrong it's a great thing that he finally got it and the recognition that he finally deserves for the coaching job he's done here in Tampa. But in all honesty, it should have gone to Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres this season. Buffalo was in last place in early December. They had also gone without a playoff appearance since 2011 and hadn't won a division title since 2007. All of those things changed as the season went along. Buffalo ended not only the playoff drought but won the division for the first time in almost twenty years and won a playoff round. Lindy did a marvelous job guiding that team with the talent they have and getting the most out of them. The Adams should be residing in Buffalo not Tampa this year, that's the only award that was given to the wrong person this year.

Carolina Climbs Mountain

Twenty years is a bit of a wait, but for the Carolina Hurricanes, the wait is worth it. Carolina has had one Stanley Cup title, that being in 2006 with a win over the Oilers. Since then, the Hurricanes have come close a few times, but they haven't gotten to the top of the mountain since then. Until now. For the second time in their history, the Carolina Hurricanes are the Stanley Cup Champions, having beaten the Vegas Golden Knights in six games to claim the title.

Before we dive into things with the Champions, let's not take anything away from what Vegas did on their run. Going six games in each of the first two rounds and then sweeping the Presidents Trophy winners in the Western Conference Finals is a huge accomplishment. Then they took the opener in the series and even held a two games to one series lead thanks to the double OT win in game three. Mitch Marner proved he was worth what Vegas paid him in that sign and trade in the offseason. After that, Vegas seemed like they ran out of gas. But hey, the fact they have played in the finals now three times in their nine years of existence says a lot. It speaks to how well the team is being run and how they are able to keep themselves in the hunt with smart player moves at the right time to keep them in the race in the West.

But they ran into a better team in Carolina. The Hurricanes have been one of the most consistent teams in hockey over the last number of years. After an eight-year stretch of missing the playoffs, Carolina has made the post season eight straight years, going at least two rounds in each of those years. Oh, and they've gone to at least the conference finals in three of the last four years, with winning the title this year.

And this year, Carolina had the 2nd best record in all of hockey, behind only Colorado. Finishing the year with 53 wins, the 2nd most in team history (behind the 54 wins they had in 2022). And some of the moves that went on in this finals were impressive. For as good as Freddy Anderesen was during this playoff run, when he faltered at the end, Brandon Bussi came in and cleaned up. Bussi play proved that he's ready to take the reigns in the Hurricanes net. And with Pyotr Kochetkov the 3rd option in goal, Carolina won't have to worry about having a problem in net anytime soon.

As the finals wore on, the Hurricanes system and style of play seemed to take over and wear down the Golden Knights. Vegas looked out of gas by the time game six really got rolling. They had nothing left in the tank. It was a good mix of veteran and young guns doing what they had to do to fill the back of the opposing net.

Congratulations to the Hurricanes for winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in their history!