While the majority of the Flyers still have a little time to enjoy the fleeting moments of summer before reporting to training camp on Sept. 17, the countdown for others is down to just over a week.
On Thursday, the Flyers released the roster and schedule for the team’s rookie camp, which will commence on Sept. 11. This year, the team’s rookie camp will begin at the PPL Center in Allentown, where the Flyers will play games on Sept. 12 (7:05 p.m.) and Sept. 13 (5:05 p.m.) against the New York Rangers. The camp then shifts back to the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees for three practices beginning on Sept. 14.
The 27-man roster is highlighted by several players who are expected to be key contributors for the big club, led by forwards Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey. The 19-year-old Martone, who tallied four goals and 10 points in nine games to help the Flyers make the playoffs, will be participating in his first rookie camp. He was heading off to college at this time last year and thus was not eligible to attend.
Former first-round picks Oliver Bonk (2023), Jett Luchanko (2024), and Maksim Sokolovskii (2026) will also be present, with Bonk expected to push hard in main camp for a spot on the Flyers’ blue line after getting into a couple of games late last year. The 6-foot-7 Sokolovskii will head back to juniors with London in September, so this will represent the final chance to see the defenseman up close this season.
Speaking of Luchanko, he figures to be desperate to build some positive momentum for training camp on the heels of an underwhelming season in the OHL. The speedy center is likely ticketed to start the season with Lehigh Valley, as are a couple of organizational favorites in defensemen Ty Murchison and Spencer Gill, and center Cole Knuble. The three listed goalies for the camp are 2023 second-rounder Carson Bjarnason and 2026 draft picks Martin Psohlavec and Marek Sklenička.
Forwards Jack Nesbitt, Jack Berglund, NUShane Vansaghi, and Jack Murtagh, defenseman Carter Amico, and goaltender Egor Zavragin are among the most high-profile absences. Nesbitt is off to the University of Michigan for his freshman season, while Amico and Murtagh are heading back to Boston University. Vansaghi will be a junior at Michigan State this fall. The Flyers revealed last month that Berglund would play this season on loan at his hometown club Färjestad BK, while Zavragin remains under contract in Russia and was recently traded to Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Flyers prospect Jack Berglund, seen here playing for Sweden, will not be at rookie camp as he prepares for his pro season in Sweden.Matt Krohn
One Russian player who will be present is Ilya Pautov. The winger, who was a sixth-round pick in 2024, signed with the Flyers in June and is making the move to North America this season. Phoenixville’s Owen McLaughlin, a seventh-round pick in 2021, will also participate after wrapping up his collegiate career last season at BU. Forward Sawyer Dingman, the son of former NHLer Chris Dingman, is one of two camp invites alongside defenseman Riley Steen.
The Rookie Camp on-ice sessions in Voorhees are free and open to the public. Fans interested in attending the Rookie Series games can purchase tickets at PPLCenter.com.
The Eagles’ regular season roster is set – for now. How ready is the team for the new year, and will the talent be enough for the Eagles to get back to Super Bowl contention? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski examine general manager Howie Roseman’s final roster decisions in the aftermath of cutdown day.
00:00 Eagles’ 2026 regular season roster overview
04:10 How ready is the wide receiver group after A.J. Brown’s departure and Makai Lemon’s injury?
11:51 Is tight end the biggest area of concern?
21:10 The importance of the run game and offensive line
28:04 Could the defense carry the day?
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season.
An internal investigation by The Athletic found that the relationship between Dianna Russini, its former senior NFL reporter, and Mike Vrabel, the coach of the New England Patriots, was a “clear violation” of the company’s standards.
In a report released Thursday detailing findings of its monthslong investigation, The Athletic said that it was unable to determine the “nature of their full relationship” but that it gave the appearance of a conflict of interest.
“Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic,” The Athletic said in the report, “it was a breach and should have been disclosed.” The Athletic is owned by The New York Times Co.
The Times Co. and The Athletic declined to comment beyond what is in its investigation. A Patriots spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for a comment from the team or Vrabel. Russini did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Revelations about Russini’s relationship with Vrabel emerged nearly five months ago and ricocheted around the sports and media worlds, raising questions about the journalistic ethics of a prominent NFL reporter. The controversy also highlighted Russini’s role as an NFL insider, a type of reporter hyperfocused on getting scoops about players and coaches.
The investigation was prompted by photographs published in the New York Post on April 7 showing Russini and Vrabel together at an exclusive resort in Sedona, Ariz.
Russini, according to the report, told her editors at The Athletic that the relationship was “close” but “strictly professional.”
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel before a joint practice with the Eagles last month at Gillette Stadium.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Initially, The Athletic publicly defended Russini. But days after the photographs were published, the company began an investigation into her work. On April 14, Russini resigned from The Athletic, saying in a letter to the company, “I have built a body of work I am proud of.”
In its report, The Athletic said it had not “reached any conclusion about the nature of the full relationship between Vrabel and Russini, but the totality of the public photographs are enough to conclude a violation of company policy.”
Specifically, The Athletic said Russini had failed to comply with its policy that requires its journalists to “reveal those sources or affiliations that may put into question our ability to be credible.”
The report also noted, without elaborating, that Russini had shared with them “a story to explain the photos that did not align with facts, raising issues of trust.”
After she resigned, more photos of Russini and Vrabel emerged, including images of the pair at a New York bar in March 2020.
After she stepped down, The Athletic stopped its look into her personal conduct, the report said, “but continued its investigation into her journalism.”
Mike Semel, The Athletic’s editorial director for standards and editorial quality, conducted the company’s review of Russini’s work.
As part of the process, the report said, Semel looked into 903 articles, 77 videos, 204 episodes of the podcast she hosted, and about two dozen appearances she made on other platforms. He also interviewed Athletic employees who worked with her.
Russini, seen here interviewing Mark Ingram before the 2020 Pro Bowl, worked at ESPN before The Athletic.Gregory Payan / AP
The review found that 5% of her work product included mention of Vrabel or his teams — and that none carried inaccuracies. It also said her professional relationships were numerous: “It was clear Russini was sourced up around the NFL, not just with Vrabel or the Patriots.”
Semel recommended that The Athletic include an editors’ note on one of her columns and three of her videos. In one of the videos, Russini described how Vrabel intervened in a fight between players on the Patriots and the Washington Commanders. “He comes out as somewhat heroic,” the report said of Vrabel.
The report also described the tone of some of her work about the Patriots coach as “gushing” and “effusive” and provided examples of Russini “writing glowingly of Vrabel that in hindsight are awkward or even uncomfortable.”
The report does not mention a widely publicized incident in which Russini used her position as an Athletic reporter to avoid a speeding ticket and then bragged about it on a podcast, saying she had a video call with the police officer’s favorite head coach in her successful attempt to win the officer over. Body camera footage later revealed she never called the coach. This spring, a Times spokesperson called her behavior “unacceptable conduct.”
In its report, The Athletic recommended a series of steps the publication should take to “safeguard the confidence of our audience,” including requiring that all new newsroom employees meet with the standards editor.
The report also recommended that “editors should stay vigilant about their reporters’ sourcing.”
“Recurring use of the same sources should spark additional conversation between reporter and editor about the nature of the source relationship,” the report said.
Three members of Congress renewed their criticism of FanDuel Sportsbook on Thursday, accusing the company’s leaders of providing “misleading and incomplete” responses to a recent inquiry about the VIP services and rewards that it offers to customers.
In a letter to FanDuel chief executive officer Christian Genetski, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) and U.S. Reps. Paul D. Tonko (D., N.Y.) and Valerie P. Foushee (D., N.C.) wrote that they “remain unconvinced that FanDuel is making an active effort to protect bettors from harmful gambling and instead appears to be promoting addiction.”
The lawmakers had initially sent letters on Aug. 10 to FanDuel, Major League Baseball, and the Major League Baseball Players Association, and demanded that each make policy changes following an Inquirer story about a personal video greeting from Phillies star Bryce Harper that a FanDuel VIP manager sent in 2024 to a bettor who had a gambling addiction.
In response, the MLBPA said last week it would support banning players from doing promotional work for sportsbook VIP programs in the union’s next collective bargaining agreement.
The lawmakers had called on FanDuel to eliminate its VIP rewards and disclose information about those services, including whether the company had sent videos of other athletes to VIP bettors, or offered promotions to gamblers who experienced losing streaks and attempted to cut back on wagering.
In an Aug. 14 response, FanDuel wrote that it is “committed to being a transparent and cooperative partner” but did not directly respond to many of the lawmakers’ questions.
The company said it spent $158 million on responsible gaming in 2025, and that it extensively reviews customers’ betting history before offering them VIP status.
Though professional sports leagues were once deeply opposed to legalizing sports betting, leagues and many franchises have now entered into lucrative partnerships with gambling entities.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“Sports wagering is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the United States,” wrote Cory Fox, a FanDuel senior vice president, “and FanDuel operates a licensed online sportsbook in 26 U.S. jurisdictions.”
The lawmakers seized on this point, writing that FanDuel also has a prediction market, FanDuel Predicts, “which undermines the integrity of — if not bypasses — those very regulations.”
A FanDuel spokesperson said he was looking into the matter Thursday morning, but did not respond to follow up requests for comment.
Prediction markets allow customers to wager on a range of subjects: sports, politics, Hollywood award shows, the weather. They’re regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which thus far has enforced few limitations on companies like Kalshi and Polymarket.
Critics — including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who works as a strategic adviser to the American Gaming Association — contend that prediction markets are running illegal sports betting operations. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport earlier this week petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether states should have the authority to regulate the markets.
In their latest message to FanDuel, the lawmakers described the company’s “VIP perks, constant push notifications, and personalized promotions” as exploitative, and demanded the company provide a written response to eight questions by Sept. 17.
Sportsbook VIP rewards and push notifications are a central thread in a lawsuit that the nonprofit Public Health Advocacy Institute filed in March in Common Pleas Court of Philadelphia against FanDuel, DraftKings, the NFL, and the data company Genius Sports on behalf Montgomery County resident Terry Thompson and Delaware County resident Christopher Sage, VIP bettors who each developed ruinous gambling addictions.
FanDuel, DraftKings, the NFL, and Genius Sports have each sought to have the case dismissed.
Thompson, who received the 21-second video of Harper, lost more than $1.8 million on sports bets, and planned to die by suicide earlier this year, rather than reveal to his family the scope of his losses.
Harper has said that he recorded the message through the video service Cameo, but didn’t know that Thompson had an addiction, or that FanDuel intended to use it as a VIP reward.
The Inquirer will continue to report on issues related to the growth of gambling addiction — among teens and adults — across Pennsylvania. If you, or someone you know, wants to speak with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com and wbender@inquirer.com
For the last three seasons, since the 76ers traded James Harden in October 2023, Tyrese Maxey has been the team’s point guard whenever he has been on the floor. As his usage rate increased, so have his production and accolades (two All-Star Games and being named to the All-NBA third team).
The arrival of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, two other All-NBA talents who like to have the ball in their hands, is going to shift things for Maxey. James, who averages 7.4 assists per game in his career, is likely to take over some of those point guard duties.
But this doesn’t have to be a bad thing for the Sixers or Maxey’s usage. In fact, getting Maxey off the ball could mean more efficient shots for him in an important area: his three-point shooting.
Turning back the clock
The last season Maxey played with Harden in 2022-23 offers a clue into how the Sixers can utilize him slightly differently with Brown and James on the floor at the same time.
According to the website Cleaning the Glass, Maxey played 53% of his possessions that season at shooting guard, 47% at point guard. The previous season had Maxey listed at shooting guard 21% of the time. Once Harden was gone, Cleaning the Glass logged every possession Maxey played from that point onward at point guard.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey is shooting 37.7% from three-point range in his career.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The 2022-23 season was Joel Embiid’s MVP year, and he played 66 games, helping the offense to have the third-best efficiency in the league. Harden played 58 games and led the league in assists. The offense was humming, and it had a slightly higher efficiency with Maxey at shooting guard than point guard. What was different about Maxey that changed once Harden left? Take a look at his shooting.
Three-point shooting spike
From 2021-23, Embiid played in 134 regular-season games, more than any two-year stretch of his career. With Embiid playing a lot and Harden being a ball-dominant point guard, Maxey averaged 17.5 points per game in 2021-22 and then 20.3 points in 2022-23. He also had the two best three-point shooting seasons of his career, by percentage (42.7% and 43.4%, respectively).
In the latter season, that 43.4% came on 6.2 attempts per game, up from 4.1 the previous season. Maxey excelled, and has always excelled, at taking catch-and-shoot threes, the kind of looks offenses can generate with an athletic player like Maxey playing off ball. In 2022-23, Maxey shot an excellent 45.5% on 3.5 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts per game. Keep that number in mind if and when Maxey plays more off ball this season.
Once he became the team’s full-time point guard, his three-point volume increased, but his percentages took a step back.
2023-24: 37.3% on 8.1 attempts per game
2024-25: 33.7% on 9.2 attempts
2025-26: 36.7% on 8.6 attempts
A deeper look into the type of threes Maxey was taking shows the number of catch-and-shoot threes did not increase; he has never topped those 3.5 attempts per game from 2022-23, according to tracking data from NBA.com.
Instead, Maxey was taking more pull-up threes, which is the kind of shot he, and many other shooters, are not as efficient in taking. Last season, Maxey took 5.2 pull-up threes per game and hit them at a 33.5% clip. His catch-and-shoot threes: 41.7% on 3.4 attempts per game.
What does the future hold?
The ideal role for Maxey next season might be playing more off ball, running off screens and getting more catch-and-shoot threes. When he is getting those shots on a regular basis, he can be an elite shooter. For instance, the Minnesota Timberwolves have found the same with another member of Maxey’s 2020 draft class, Anthony Edwards. They made a trade to get point guard LaMelo Ball this summer to get Edwards more of these catch-and-shoot looks.
LeBron James will likely take on more ballhandling responsibilities when he joins the Sixers, allowing Tyrese Maxey to step away and focus on scoring. Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-I
Edwards shot nearly 50% on catch-and-shoot threes last season, 35.3% on pull-ups, an even more exaggerated split than Maxey’s numbers. The underlying theme is those shots, when a player gets them in rhythm, are as close to a practice shot as players get in a game.
A cliché of coaching across all sports is that it’s the coach’s job to put players in the best positions to succeed. The revamped Sixers roster offers Nick Nurse a chance to do this with Maxey. Maxey having the ball less and having less on his plate as a ballhandler doesn’t have to be a negative for him individually and the Sixers as a team. The gravity of Brown, James and Embiid could do wonders for Maxey off ball, and it could end up getting him a higher volume of the type of shot he can be lethal at converting.
Over the last decade, there was one team the Philadelphia area was measured by in high school football: St. Joseph’s Prep. That changed last year. The 2025 season marked a historic shift in power for several programs.
Roman Catholic won its first PIAA state football championship, taking the Class 5A title with a dominant team that defeated Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg) in the state finals, and beat Philadelphia Catholic League and Class 6A state champion La Salle during the regular season.
La Salle had its greatest team in school history, beating two state powerhouses twice in one season, Pittsburgh Central Catholic and, locally, St. Joe’s Prep, en route to its first PIAA Class 6A state championship and first state title since 2009 — the 4A title in the PIAA’s four-class structure. Before last year, the Explorers had only beaten the Prep three times in the previous decade.
Plus, Springfield (Delco), Cardinal O’Hara, and Class 1A Belmont Charter won state playoff games for the first time, each reaching their respective state semifinals. Springfield (District 1 5A) and O’Hara (District 12 4A) also achieved their programs’ first district titles.
It all sets up for an intriguing 2026 season, without a clear-cut dominant team in the area. The usual suspects — La Salle, St. Joe’s Prep, and Roman Catholic — will be good again, but so will Bonner-Prendergast, O’Hara, Archbishop Wood, and Archbishop Ryan.
The talent gap between the powerful Catholic League and PIAA District 1 has narrowed. Central Bucks West, Downingtown East, and North Penn return a wealth of talent, enough to attract Power Four programs.
Malvern Prep is well stocked again, looking to claim its fourth straight Inter-Ac championship, but the Friars will first have to deal with a tough nonleague schedule that includes La Salle, St. Joe’s Prep, and perennial Public League power Imhotep Charter.
As for the Public League, Imhotep will once again be the standard, although the Panthers will drop from Class 6A to 5A this season, opening the doorfor several schools in 6A like rebuilding Northeast and Lincoln to make postseason runs.
Here are the top 10 area teams — in descending order — to watch this season.
10. Springfield (Delco) (14-1 last season)
The Cougars had their best season in program history in 2025. Eight starters are back on defense and seven on offense for the three-time defending Central League champions. The program won its first PIAA District 1 Class 5A championship last season and returns a core group that includes junior quarterback John Hopkins, senior running back/linebacker TJ Valletti, two-way senior lineman Zion Culbreth, and junior running back/defensive back Michael DePetris.
Games to watch: Oct. 9 at Ridley; Oct. 30 at Strath Haven.
9. Central Bucks West (7-4)
The Bucks return eight starters on offense and seven on defense for one of the better coaches in the area, Rob Rowan. CB West lost in the first round of the PIAA District 1 Class 6A playoffs last season to Neshaminy. The Bucks are led by senior quarterback Josh George, senior center Jake Stranix, senior middle linebacker Nick Miletto, senior safety Louie Cipollo, senior defensive back Mason Darrows, and senior defensive ends Liam Laphen and Ryan Zadroga. It is a senior-led team that is well aware of the last time the Bucks won a District 1 championship: back in 2000 under Mike Carey (as a Class 4A program before the Class 6A system took over in 2016).
Games to watch: Sept. 18 at Pennridge; Sept. 25 vs. North Penn.
8. Pope John Paul II (10-2)
The Panthers reached the PIAA District 1 Class 4A finals, where they lost to Bishop Shanahan (42-21) last year. This was a young team that made some amazing strides for coach Darrell Scott in his first year. Junior quarterback TJ Dozier, junior tailback Kassidy Jackson, senior WR/DB Eric Green, and four offensive linemen (senior Dan Tammaro and juniors Nate Seasholtz, Julian Betts, and Griffin Kaczerski) return. The Golden Panthers will move this season from the Pioneer Athletic Conference small-school Frontier Division to the large-school Liberty Division.
Games to watch: Sept.18 at Bishop Shanahan; Sept. 25 vs. Owen J. Roberts.
7. North Penn (12-3)
The Knights won the District 1 Class 6A title last year, beating Pennridge (21-14), and reached the state semifinals, losing to eventual state champion La Salle (49-14). North Penn, under legendary head coach Dick Beck, has a strong nucleus back, led by three-year starters, senior running back Rylei Gray, who rushed for close to 1,200 yards last season, senior WR/DB Sal Colella, and junior RB/DB Ziyon Smith, who will combine with Gray to make up one of the area’s best backfields. Senior London Evans is the leading candidate at quarterback.
Games to watch: Sept. 25 at Central Bucks West; Oct. 9 vs. Pennridge.
The Cougars reached the PIAA District 1 Class 6A quarterfinals, where they lost to eventual district finalist Pennridge, 21-9. They feature one of the best players in the state, game-changing Notre Dame-bound edge rusher Abraham Sesay, along with senior quarterback Ethan Ellis, senior tight end/H-back Michael Schlachter, and junior running back Juelz Robinson.
Games to watch: Oct. 9 vs. Downingtown West; Oct. 23 at Coatesville.
5. Imhotep (8-5)
The Panthers won their 13th straight Public League championship (the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season), and second straight PPL Class 6A championship, The Panthers lost to eventual 6A state champion La Salle in the District 12 championship (31-16). Joey McLeish, Imhotep’s three-year starting quarterback, will lead the offense, with support from junior running back Kassan Chappelle. On defense, 6-1, 170-pound junior cornerback Kaleb Woseley, the younger brother of former Imhotep star Kenny Woseley, now at Virginia Tech with James Franklin, and Tristan Alexander, a 6-4, 250-pound sophomore edge, will carry the load. The Panthers are young and open against Camden, DeMatha Catholic, and Malvern Prep.
Games to watch: Sept. 5 vs. DeMatha Catholic (Md); Sept. 12 vs. Malvern Prep.
Joey McLeish has been a three-year starting quarterback at Imhotep.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
4. St. Joe’s Prep (5-5)
The Hawks had a highly uncharacteristic season last year, going 5-5, the first time they finished .500 or worse since 2010, when former coach Gabe Infante went 4-7 in his first year at The Prep. It’s still a prideful program that has produced nine PIAA state championships (two Class 4A under the 4A system and seven under the 6A system), which is more state titles than any other Philadelphia area program. Five of the Hawks’ nine state titles came under current coach Tim Roken and his staff. It’s a program that plays under high expectations, and this season will not be any different. The Hawks have possibly the best linebacker in the state in Oregon-bound senior Brandon Lockley, and one of the nation’s best receivers in 6-1, 180-pound Ohio State-bound Jett Harrison, a junior who is the son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Max Rogers, a 6-foot, 190-pound junior, will take over at quarterback and Army-bound senior Jake Wilson, a 6-5, 240-pound tight end and the younger brother of former Archbishop Carroll basketball stars Taylor and Brooke Wilson, both now playing for Army, will be a large target down the middle of the field.
Games to watch: Sept. 19 vs. Malvern Prep at Franklin Field; Oct. 10 at La Salle at Central Bucks South; Oct. 31 vs. Roman Catholic at Franklin Field.
3. La Salle (13-1)
The Explorers were pounded by graduation but still return a good chunk of talent to defend their Catholic League, District 12, and 6A state crown. La Salle will have back a solid foundation in junior wide receiver Owen Johnson, one of the best in the state, UCLA-bound senior cornerback Trey Hopkins, and senior offensive guard Andrew Sorge. Luke Gordon, a 5-11, 170-pound junior and son of Explorers’ coach Brett Gordon, will take over at quarterback and knows the system. Tailback Ahzir Nelson will carry an impact this season, taking some of the load off Luke Gordon. Watch for 6-foot, 185-pound sophomore receiver Jordan Reid, and 6-3, 235-pound sophomore edge Jye Walter.
Games to watch: Sept. 4 vs. Malvern Prep at Ocean City, N.J.; Oct. 10 vs. St. Joe’s Prep at Central Bucks South; Oct. 17 vs. Roman Catholic.
2. Malvern Prep (8-2)
The Friars won their third consecutive Inter-Ac championship last year, sharing the title with Springside Chestnut Hill after winning the Inter-Ac outright in 2023 and 2024. The Friars will be going for their seventh Inter-Ac title in the last nine years. This is a loaded team, arguably the best in the area, returning LSU-bound receiver Cade Cooper, Duke-bound offensive tackle Tyler Graham, and major Division I junior edge recruit George Parkinson IV.
Games to watch: Sept. 12 at Imhotep at the Germantown Supersite; Sept. 19 at St. Joe’s Prep at Franklin Field.
Malvern Prep coach Dave Gueriera addresses his team during practice on Aug. 18.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer
1. Roman Catholic (12-3)
Like La Salle, the Cahillites enjoyed their best season in school history last year, winning its first state championship; Roman beat La Salle last season and almost beat St. Joe’s Prep for the first time since 2011 (a 45-17 Roman victory in a Catholic League semifinals) and during the regular season for the first time since 1999 (a 27-24 Roman victory). Coach Rick Prete has opted for a national schedule, so the Cahillites may be roughed up early. One thing is certain, Roman will have a stout defense that features stalwarts Victor Ezeukwu, a junior edge rusher, and Pitt-bound senior linebacker Walter Hudson. Junior Jahmil Hawkins will step in for graduating all-time Roman passing leader Semaj Beals, now at Akron, who threw for over 12,000 yards in his four-year career. The Cahillites will make the jump this season from Class 5A to 6A, with La Salle and St. Joe’s Prep in the Catholic League Red Division.
Games to watch: Oct. 17 at La Salle; Oct. 31 at St. Joe’s Prep at Franklin Field.
Honorable mention: Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Wood, Bishop Shanahan, Belmont, Bonner-Prendie, Cardinal O’Hara, Central Bucks South, Chester, Downingtown West, Garnet Valley, Haverford School, Lincoln, Neshaminy, Neumann Goretti, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Pennridge, Pennsbury, Plymouth Whitemarsh, Springside-Chestnut Hill, and Upper Dublin.
No, we’re not just talking about the start of the NFL season. Flyers hockey also returns this month, with the Orange and Black opening up training camp on Sept. 17 before officially dropping the puck on the season on the 30th against the Penguins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
So on theheels of the team’ssurprising run to the second round of the playoffs and the increased expectations that come with it, how willRick Tocchet line up his upstart team for opening night? Here’s our suggestion for what lineup we’d like to see — not necessarily what we expect to see — to start the season.
Forward lines
Here’s how The Inquirer would like to see the Flyers line up on opening night against the rival Penguins.Steve Madden
The Flyers enter the season, at least on paper, with their strongest roster in quite some time. There is serious competition for spots at forward and on defense, and not a ton separating the two wingers who will play on the first line from the four that will comprise the second and third lines.
Trevor Zegras remains entrenched as the team’s No. 1 center, although who his wingers will be remains up for debate. We like the idea of pairing Zegras with the team’s other creative mastermind, Matvei Michkov, especially with the Flyers hell-bent on getting the latter back on track after an up-and-down sophomore season.
Michkov and Zegras also showed instant chemistry during the preseason and had some success in sporadic minutes over the course of the year. According to Natural Stat Trick, in 169 minutes together at five-on-five, the pair earned basically an even share of the shot attempts, outscored opponents 7-6, and created 38 high-danger chances compared to 30 against. The Athletic recently reported that the Flyers are intrigued to see if the two can develop chemistry.
Rounding out our top line is a volume shooter in Tyson Foerster, who would relish a first extended chance to be set up by playmakers of the ilk of Zegras and Michkov. Foerster’s defensive responsibility would also offset some of the risk/concerns with Michkov’s game away from the puck.
Travis Konecny, Christian Dvorak and Porter Martone stay together on our second line after a quietly impressive run in April. The trio logged a Corsi percentage of 50.93% and won the scoreboard battle 5-1 in 80 minutes together last season at five-on-five. This line wouldn’t be a ton of fun to play against either, as Konecny and Martone both play in-your-face hockey and thrive at getting under opponents’ skin. This could just as easily be considered the top line depending on how you look at it, too.
After Porter Martone’s impressive late-season cameo, the Flyers have high hopes for the 19-year-old as he enters his first full NHL season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Our third line is centered by Noah Cates, who continues to develop into one of the league’s better defensive forwards. On one flank he’d have speedy power forward Owen Tippett, who raised his game a level last year and could finally be poised to crack the 30-goal plateau.
The other wing will likely come down to a battle between goal scorer Alex Bump and diminutive playmaker Denver Barkey. While Barkey is ahead of Bump in the pecking order, if the Flyers want to squeeze their 12 best forwards into one lineup, Barkey’s feistiness and versatility to play up and down a lineup make him a more natural fit on the fourth line than Bump. Bump could also play out of his element on the fourth line or be the odd man out altogether if the Flyers believe Barkey, who they are extremely high on, needs to play in the top nine and Nikita Grebenkin is healthy enough to start the year.
Sean Couturier, who thrived in a bottom-six role in the postseason, is poised to slot in as the team’s fourth-line center. Veteran free agent acquisition Noel Acciari represents an upgrade on Garnet Hathaway and should provide some beef and nastiness at right wing, as well as the versatility to take some draws at center when needed. That leaves Barkey, Grebenkin, and the speedy Carl Grundström competing for the final spot in what could be a rotation at least out of the gate. Grebenkin’s health remains a question mark, but he is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab from an upper-body injury.
Defensive pairs
The Flyers’ defensive pairs will look quite similar to last year, if Rasmus Ristolainen sticks around that is.Steve Madden
Any discussion about the Flyers blue line starts with Travis Sanheim, who has elevated himself into a bona fide top-pair defenseman and is playing the best hockey of his career at age 30. Sanheim played the 10th-most minutes in the NHL last season and posted career highs in goals (11) and plus-minus rating (plus-12), all while shutting down opposing teams’ top lines.
His partner to start the year is projected to be Rasmus Ristolainen, who is still around despite the latest cycle of trade rumors swirling around his name. The rugged and defensively solid Finn complements Sanheim well and allows his partner the increased freedom to jump into the rush. Ristolainen, who is a free agent at season’s end, might not be here come March, but for now he remains a big part of the Flyers’ blue line.
Rasmus Ristolainen remains a Philadelphia Flyer for now despite widespread speculation that he would be traded during the summer.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Jamie Drysdale and Cam York have long been close off the ice, so it came as no surprise that they thoroughly enjoyed their time playing together on the second pair last season. In almost 500 regular-season minutes, the results were mixed, while in the playoffs the two got caved in at points, particularly against Carolina (31.76 Corsi %). This pairing probably isn’t ideal long-term given their size and lack of physicality, but they’ll get another shot to prove they can play together in 2026-27. The Flyers are counting on both, particularly Drysdale, to take another step forward this season.
As long as Ristolainen remains in Philadelphia, the third pair figures to feature some sort of rotation. The selfless Nick Seeler is the most veteran option on the left, while former Toronto Maple Leaf Simon Benoit, beyond being Ristolainen insurance, could push for playing time due to his combination of size, skating, and snarl. The Flyers also like Ty Murchison, who impressed before suffering a season-ending injury last season, quite a bit on the left as well.
Former top-10 pick David Jiříček, 22, will try to revive his career with his third NHL team after being acquired from Minnesota last March for Bobby Brink. The towering Czech, who can handle the puck and possesses a booming shot, was tasked with working on his defensive game in the American Hockey League last year and figures to get the first shot on the right given he’s no longer waiver-exempt. He also should get a look on one of the power-play units given the team’s longstanding ineptitude in that area. Righty Oliver Bonk, 21, will push hard for a roster spot as well, but he’ll have to blow the Flyers’ doors off to usurp Jiříček given the team has the option to send him to Lehigh Valley without waivers.
Goaltenders
Projected Flyers goaliesSteve Madden
Long the biggest sore spot in the organization, goaltending improbably became the team’s biggest strength last season thanks to the revelation that was Dan Vladař. The 29-year-old career backup enjoyed a breakout season, starting a career-high 51 games and posting a .906 save percentage (eighth among goalies with 40 starts) and saving 13.8 goals above expected (10th-best), according to Money Puck. Now, after signing a five-year, $27.5 million contract in the summer, the question becomes: Can Vladař do it again?
All signs point to yes based on his mental makeup, play in the postseason, and the way this team is set up to defend under Tocchet. Vladař also may not have to, as the Flyers significantly upgraded the backup position by swapping Sam Ersson for Joseph Woll.
Woll, 28, has a .906 career save percentage and, when healthy, has shown the capability of being a No. 1 goalie in this league. Woll’s presence should not only ease the physical burden on Vladař but also allow the Flyers to feel much more confident about their chances on days the Czech netminder gets a rest.
In his first year with the Flyers, goaltender Dan Vladař came out of nowhere to finish sixth last season in the Vezina Trophy voting.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A bullpen game for the Arizona Diamondbacks; a sparkling game from Phils starter Andrew Painter. But the offense didn’t rise to the occasion.
And in the end, one swing by D-backs catcher James McCann (on the first pitch by reliever Jonathan Bowlan, no less) made all the difference in the series finale as a six-game winning streak came to an end.
Despite the lackluster finish — and subpar production from the top two spots in the lineup — the Phillies went 6-3 on the trip and are heading into a day off with some breathing room in the National League wild-card race.
But it doesn’t get easier from here. The Phillies are four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East standings and will welcome them to Citizens Bank Park on Friday. It’ll be a battle of aces in the series opener as Cristopher Sánchez (16-4, 2.52 ERA) faces Chris Sale (13-9, 2.06) on Friday (6:40 p.m., NBCSP)
Bryce Harper was the DH on Wednesday, but he’s been on a roll since his move back to the outfield. He and his wife, Kayla, also recently offered a rare glimpse into their home life.
Jonathan Greenard’s status for Week 1 may be unclear, but his impact on the Eagles is obvious, his position coach says.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Jonathan Greenard is not starting the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but the veteran pass rusher’s status is going to be kept “close to the vest” as he works his way back from a pectoral strain, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said.
Even if his status for Week 1 is unclear, his impact on the team is certain, according to his position coach, Jeremiah Washburn.
“We’ve been blessed with a lot of guys that can play, and guys just kind of carve out their roles as we go, and we figure that [out] week-to-week,” Washburn said. “But, man, I’ve been here since ’19, and we’ve just been blessed with depth and different guys that can play. So it’ll look a lot similar to what we’ve done in the past.”
Some of that depth is in the developmental ranks, and Washburn also shared what’s next for practice squad players like Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru.
Off the field, New Heights is back, and former Eagles star Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis, discussed Travis’ wedding to pop megastar Taylor Swift, the Birds’ offensive line, and more.
Next: In case you need a reminder, the Eagles’ season kicks off vs. the Washington Commanders on Sept. 13 (4:25 p.m., Fox29).
The offseason is winding down for Sean Couturier (14) and the Flyers.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Flyers enter the season, at least on paper, with their strongest roster in quite some time. There is serious competition for roles; not a ton separates the wingers who will play on the first line from the four who will comprise the second and third lines.
Other spots — such as goaltender — are more secure. So where do established stars like Travis Konecny, stalwarts like Sean Couturier, and newer faces like Porter Martone or David Jiříček fit into the puzzle?
Bringing in the likes of LeBron James will have ripple effects on Tyrese Maxey’s role going forward.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Ever since James Harden was traded in 2023, Tyrese Maxey has been the Sixers’ primary ballhandler. An increased usage rate led to bigger accolades.
But, as things go when your team signs LeBron James, things are changing for Maxey. James, who averages 7.4 assists per game in his career, likely will take over some of those point guard duties. Sixers beat writer Chris Hine takes a look back at the early seasons of Maxey’s career to predict how the point guard’s role could evolve after a seismic offseason.
Scottie Scheffler hits from the fairway on the 18th hole during the final round of the PGA Tour Championship on Sunday in Atlanta. Colin Hubbard
Sunday’s Tour Championship seemingly had it all: Drama, history on the line, and a lot of money at stake. So why change?
Just look at the schedule: All the really good stuff (think the Players Championship and the Masters) is in the front half of the year. By the time the sports world has turned its attention to football and the MLB stretch run, all but the most rabid golf fans are burned out.
The PGA’s solution? A convoluted playoff, starting in 2028, that culminates with a single-elimination, 16-player match-play tournament to determine a winner.
We’ll let the experts explain that one. Marcus Hayes takes us inside the new system and why changing the format won’t fix the root problem.
What you’re saying about Week 1 vs. opening day
We asked: Which is more exciting, NFL Week 1 or MLB opening day? Why?
The Phillies may be America’s most historic one-name sports franchise — but football own Opening Day in Philly. It’s a sport that has become beloved in this town since the days of the Frankford Yellow Jackets and Bert Bell’s struggling Eagles of the 1930s. Sports have been a part of the City for over 150 years — and while we want the Phillies in the World Series — it’s football that is Philly. — Michael L.
As a diehard baseball fan, I have to say the NFL opener is more exciting. The build-up to the NFL season is fantastic, with the draft, schedule release and training camp with only 3 pre-season games. The NFL’s 17 game regular season slate (vs. MLB’s 162) makes every game count more! — Bob C.
Just my opinion of course, but I think the beginning of the baseball season has always been more important to me than the NFL start. Baseball is still America’s Game and now played throughout the world. An individual NFL game is more exciting than most individual baseball games generally, but baseball is a game of stats that are so interesting to all baseball fans who so look forward to the new season. MLB plays 2,430 games vs 272 for the NFL. — Everett S.
Well for me MLB opening day even though I am an Eagles fan. Somehow the NFL with all their greed has made it opening week. — Bill M.
Neither! The 76ers’ OPENING GAME is going to be like no other opening game this city has ever witnessed. Press from all over the world will be covering the game. We have our tickets and Mary can’t wait. — Ronald R.
What about the NHL? The last week of September will be huge for the Flyers. The Gritty 5k, a huge fundraiser and a ton of fun on the 26th, plus the home opener against PGH that Wednesday and then the next day we play the Devils for their home opener. Hopefully you remember how things went against the Pens out last game! Should be wildly exciting with a team that has a lot of hype around them. NBA a month later! — Kitty H.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Lochlahn March, Olivia Reiner, Gustav Elvin, Mia Messina, Chris Hine, Gabriela Carroll, and Marcus Hayes.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading! Kerith will be back in your inboxes tomorrow morning to close out the week. — Maria
It was a historic Sunday afternoon at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club in the penultimate Tour Championship in its present form, which begged the question: Why change?
With the exception of contrived, boorish, international gimmickry, golf will never be relevant after majors season ends. With apologies to the British Open, golf’s not particularly relevant after Father’s Day and the final round of the U.S. Open. This was proved again last weekend when everything was up for grabs: golf’s biggest money, its MVP trophy, a Tiger record, all swirling around the game’s biggest star.
And all most sports fans cared about was if Bill Belichick’s lousy college football team would win in Ireland (they did; ugly), how many NFL teams would keep four quarterbacks (four teams did, including the Eagles), whether Aaron Donald would unretire to join Myles Garrett with the Rams (he did; yikes), and if the Brewers and Rays are for real (TBD).
Meanwhile, golf’s most monied weekend delivered. It was a closed, $40 million tournament with mostly the same old names, but it delivered more drama than any 16-man, single-elimination tournament will deliver when the latest format begins in 2028, the year after FedEx’s deal expires with the Tour.
This is the brainchild of a panel of existing Tour stars and new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, the latest attempt of Big Golf to extend interest to compete with MLB’s stretch run, the NCAA’s kickoff frenzy, and the NFL’s annual four months of dominance. Past formats have included cumulative points systems that rendered playoff events (as many as four of them) moot, as well as a system that awarded the best players with pre-tournament handicaps that absurdly skewed the odds of winning the Cup.
Currently, players compete for FedEx Cup points to determine the field for a playoff tournament for the top 70, which winnows the next field to the top 50, which winnows the next field to the top 30, the winner of which wins the Cup and the $10 million first-place check.
It is imperfect, but it is simple, and it is elegant.
Beginning in 2028, a bifurcated series of Tour events will assign qualifying points to determine the top 90 golfers, who will compete in a stroke-play tournament to determine a top 32 in points. That group will compete for a week in round-robin, match-play in pods of four. The two top players from each pod advance to a Sweet 16, single-elimination, match-play tournament to determine a playoff winner.
The problems:
Match play is boring, even if it winds up at non-traditional venues like Pine Valley or Bandon Dunes. The Ryder Cup is the only exception, but that’s more about jingoism and theater than it is about golf.
Stroke play is a truer test of quality. There’s a very real chance that Min Woo Lee and Viktor Hovland would have been the finalists had the 2028 format been used this year. Yawn.
This year’s tournament absolutely delivered.
Got it right
The best golfer of his generation came from three strokes down for a three-stroke win to claim his second FedEx Cup title and surpass the winnings of the best golfer of any generation.
Scottie Scheffler passed Tiger Woods and became the all-time leading money winner in PGA Tour history.
The win, Scheffler’s third of the season, his second of the playoffs, and his 22nd of his career, surely secured his fifth straight Player of the Year award. It will be announced in December, and the five in a row ties him with Tiger. (The award has only existed since 1990, so it postdates Jack and Arnie and Gary Player, but Tiger also won it three times in a row and 11 times overall.)
Tiger Woods, who won the FedEx Cup three times, was the tour’s player of the year 11 times.AP
Before the 30-man Tour Championship there was, incredibly, some debate over whether Scottie should win it over a handful of other players. This, even though Scheffler had a lead of more than 1,400 points over the next closest Tour Championship qualifier; had won two tournaments; and led the Tour in second-place finishes (five), top-5 finishes (13), scoring average (by nearly three-quarters of a stroke), birdie average, greens in regulation, scrambling, and, with more than $20 million in the bank, had earned more than $6 million more than his closest competitors — Matt Fitzpatrick, Wyndham Clark, and Cameron Young.
Uphill battle
At any rate, Scheffler took care of business — a business that he has dominated. Since Official World Golf Rankings began 40 years ago, his 207 weeks at No. 1 are third-most in history, including the last 172 weeks, the third-longest streak in history. He recently ended a streak of 78 consecutive cuts made, sixth-best in history.
In a world of self-promoting social media wankers, he’s about as interesting as warm skim milk.
It’s not his fault. In the midst of golf’s most divisive era, Scheffler won’t say anything controversial. In the midst of America’s most heated political climate in 60 years, Scheffler is apolitical. He’s a retiring Christian family man who tries to play the best golf he can every time he plays.
Bryson DeChambeau is always interesting, no matter how he plays.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
He lacks the additive abrasion of Bryson DeChambeau. He lacks the international appeal and frank assessments of Rory McIlroy, a glib Northern Irishman, or Jon Rahm, a prickly Spaniard.
Exhausted
More than anything, the Tour’s long, top-heavy schedule is its own worst enemy.
Its best tournament, the Players Championship, happens in March. Its most beloved tournament, the Masters, happens in April. Its best major tournament, The PGA Championship, now comes in May. Its toughest test, the U.S. Open, is in June. Its oldest and coolest tournament, the British Open, is played in July.
By August, all but the most rabid golf fans (hand raised) are burned out. Every other year the casuals need the eight weeks between the British and the Ryder Cup to refuel. (We’ll keep ignoring the President’s Cup until it matters.)
As LIV dies and its prodigals return, the Tour Championship in its present form only would have become better. Now, instead of being virtually assured of having DeChambeau, Rahm, LIV stud Joaquin Niemann playing against Rory and Scottie at East Lake on the final Sunday of the 2028 season, you’re guaranteed to have no more than two of them.
LOS ANGELES — The NBA imposed a sweeping punishment against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday for violating salary cap circumvention rules, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year and forcing the team to forfeit five draft picks.
Also, two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard was hit with a $700,000 penalty, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was banned for six months and team president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended for one year.
The league came down hard on the organization after a nearly yearlong investigation led by an outside law firm.
The Clippers had said multiple times that they had done nothing wrong and expected to be exonerated.
The team maintained that stance after the league’s announcement.
“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence,” the team said in a statement. “What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner (Adam) Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure its fairness and accuracy.”
The Clippers said they will “now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence. We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”
The league said it and the players’ union agreed to confirm the penalties as final and binding on all parties. It said the outside law firm continues to receive information involving the investigation, and the league “will consider further action as appropriate.”
“I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct,” Silver said in a statement. “The severity of the penalties reflects the seriousness of the violations.”
The NBA began investigating in September 2025 whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy last year — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. Earlier this year, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.
The league said Ballmer knowingly sought to help Leonard obtain off-court income deals, approved a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement contract with Leonard, and for failing to create conditions under which his team followed league rules.
“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” Leonard said in a statement issued through his new agent, Harrison Gaines.
The NBA said Leonard, through his former business manager and uncle Dennis Robertson, “violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities, and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses.”
“I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap,” Leonard said in his statement.
The league said Ballmer was suspended for “knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities,” among other issues.
Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors has been on hold pending the outcome of the investigation. The Raptors had said they still want Leonard, and he apparently is just as eager to return to the team where he won an NBA title and was Finals MVP in 2019.
“As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate,” Leonard said in his statement.
The Clippers and their personnel will be under a compliance and monitoring program by the league for five years and Robertson was banned from doing business with NBA teams for five years.
The league penalized Frank for his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Leonard and his family. Zucker was banned for being primarily and directly culpable for the illegal endorsement arrangements and for lying to investigators. Both will lose their salaries during their bans.
It’s not the first time the Clippers have run afoul of NBA rules under Ballmer, who bought the team for $2 billion in August 2014.
They were fined $250,000 a year later for violating rules against offering unauthorized business or investment opportunities to players during their courting of free agent DeAndre Jordan. A presentation to him improperly included a $200,000-per-year deal with luxury carmaker Lexus.
Ballmer, 70, was CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014.
