In the middle of mundane City Council procedures on Thursday, cheers erupted inside Council chambers.
Supporters were celebrating the passage of a bill that will outlaw horse-drawn carriages in Philadelphia. The ban would take effect after Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signs it into law.
The city’s last operating horse-carriage business, 76 Carriage Co., ceased operations in 2023, but people have taken noncommercial horse carriages to South Street in recent weeks.
Councilmember Mark Squilla, who introduced the bill, and animal-welfare advocates have been working to ban the practice for several years. The advocates have argued that horse-drawn carriages are cruel and onerous to the animals, and dangerous for surrounding traffic and pedestrians.
Philadelphia City Council was slated to vote on the bill last week, but that version would have banned only commercial horse-carriage use. Advocates like Janet White, executive director and founder of Carriage Horse Freedom, successfully pushed for the bill to be amended to include a ban for both commercial and noncommercial uses.
The new proposal allows for some exceptions, which would be regulated and monitored by animal control and the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections. Violations of the ban could result in fines of $1,000 per day for someone operating a horse carriage.
Council voted nearly unanimously for the amended bill’s passage in its last session before summer recess, with Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke casting the lone vote in opposition.
O’Rourke said his nay vote was “benign,” because he has deep respect and connection with horses since his mother taught him how to ride and care for them. His objection came from concern about how the language of the legislation potentially could make it difficult for movies filming in the city to use horse carriages, he said, and he would like to continue talking about the issue over the summer.
White said the bill’s passage made her hopeful, and she believes it will help Philadelphia move into a better future for animal welfare.
“It is a moral and civic milestone — one that reflects who we are today and the humane, forward-looking city we aspire to be,” she said in a statement.
Staff writer Andrea Padilla contributed to this article.
As the Phillies await word on the severity of Adolis García’s right shoulder injury, they made a trade Thursday to add to their thin outfield depth.
The Phillies acquired righty-hitting Derek Hill and international bonus pool money from the White Sox, a major league source confirmed, for double-A outfielder Dylan Campbell and single-A infielder Jose Colmenares. Primarily a center fielder, Hill is expected to see time in right field with the Phillies.
Hill, 30, batted .213 with four homers in 80 at-bats in limited action in Chicago. He went deep against Jesús Luzardo last Friday night in an 8-6 Phillies victory over the White Sox in Citizens Bank Park.
García grabbed his shoulder after making a throw to home plate Wednesday night in Toronto. He exited the game and was diagnosed with a pulled muscle in the right shoulder area, according to the Phillies. García was expected to undergo further testing Thursday. The Phillies remain uncertain how long he will be sidelined.
If García needs to go on the injured list, Otto Kemp, Felix Reyes, and Gabriel Rincones Jr. are potential replacements on the 40-man roster. Neither Kemp nor Reyes has hit much lately in triple A, while Rincones struggles against left-handed pitching. Bryan De La Cruz, who isn’t on the 40-man roster, has considerable major league experience, mostly with the Marlins.
Hill has a .789 OPS against left-handed pitching this season and could form a right-field platoon with Rincones.
Calling it “frivolous,” a Chester County judge on Thursday quashed a land use appeal seeking to halt the construction of a 1.5 million-square-foot data center proposed for East Whiteland Township.
It’s the second time this week Court of Common Pleas Judge Anthony Verwey has denied appeals challenging approvals of the controversial data center project, proposed for a Superfund site near a residential development and the popular Chester Valley Trail.
“None of the four ‘errors’ complained of by the Appellants constitutes a decision subject to review by this Court,” Verwey wrote in his order denying the challenge to East Whiteland elected officials’ approval of the development plans. “… Appellants are attempting to collaterally attack an approval, that had ‘no deficiencies.’ The appeal, filed well out of time, is frivolous.”
The appeals challenged the zoning hearing board’s 2018 decision to permit for a data center at 13 S. Bacton Hill Rd., and the board of supervisors’ 2024 approval of the development plans.
Lou Colagreco, an attorney representing the developers Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers, said they “are pleased that the court acted quickly and decisively in dismissing” both appeals. Colagreco said work is underway for the project’s stormwater management facilities in adjacent West Whiteland, and that the developers are securing the perimeter of the East Whiteland site in advance of construction.
The location of the two-building data center project in East Whiteland, Chester County.John Duchneskie
The judge’s denial is a hit for residents who have for months shown up adamantly against the data center.
Attorney Andrew Schneider, a resident of the nearby development Malvern Hunt who argued on behalf of other neighbors, said he “respectfully disagree[d] with the Court’s decisions.” Schneider has another case filed in opposition to the data center project.
The data center project has been through a winding saga, after it secured initial approvals years ago with little community fanfare. But when it approached the township to amend its original plans — at first requesting to scale up the project by 600,000 square feet — it kicked off a slew of contentious public meetings. When too many people showed up to one planning commission meeting in February, officials had to postpone it.
Developers Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers abandoned attempts to amend the plans when “it became apparent to us … that it was simply data center vs. no data center,” Colagreco said previously.
During a hearing last week challenging the board’s approval of the project, Schneider argued that the township had erred in its decision to approve the plans, saying that the final plan was deficient and didn’t meet conditions the municipality initially laid out. Allowing the construction would cause irreparable damage to the health of the community, he said.
Colagreco dismissed those arguments, saying the residents hadn’t produced enough evidence to support their allegations. But delaying the project was a threat to the developers being able to complete the data center on time and risked them losing approvals, he said.
Colagreco and an attorney representing the township argued that the appeal came too late, and the township’s decision shouldn’t come before the court.
Verwey ultimately agreed.
“Appellants cite not a single case to support the proposition that any of the four ‘errors’ are appealable,” he wrote in Thursday’s order.“This is likely because no such citations exist.”
Verwey wrote in his order regarding the 2018 zoning decision that the appeal, “filed 8 years after issuance, is out of time and must be quashed.”
As data centers are beginning to populate Pennsylvania and surrounding states, residents have become stauncher opponents. In nearby East Vincent, the community saw an early victory when supervisors denied a proposed data center at the historic Pennhurst State Hospital and School site last month. It will also likely end up before a judge, as the developer there plans to appeal the decision.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
If you ask some Philadelphia fans, Taylor Swift’s claim to the city should be revoked.
On Wednesday, Swift sat on Madison Square Garden’s celebrity row to watch the New York Knicks, who swept the Sixers out of the playoffs last month, claw back from a 29-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs to take a three-games-to-one series lead in the NBA Finals. Swift, who’s from Reading and spent her childhood summers in Stone Harbor, N.J., cheered on New York despite her strong ties to the Philadelphia area.
The pop star wore a blue T-shirt with “Stevie Knicks” — a nod to Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks — printed in Knicks orange. She was seated between friends and fellow musicians Este and Alana Haim, who sported “Knickole Kidman” and “Knickelback” shirts, and Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, whose character, Olivia Benson, inspired one of Swift’s cats’ names.
So, what’s actually going on? Did Swift ever rep the Sixers or has she always been a big Knicks fan?
In April 2002, a 12-year old Swift performed the national anthem before the Sixers tipped off against the Detroit Pistons at the First Union Center (now Xfinity Mobile Arena). Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord, who retired after this past season, introduced the future global star as “Taylor Swift from Reading, Pa.”
Swift, who also performed the anthem before Game 3 of the 2008 World Series at Citizens Bank Park, recently reflected on singing at her hometown NBA team’s arena during a December appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but she did not mention where her NBA fandom lies. She instead focused on the American flag-themed attire she wore.
“You know, when you’re like 11 and you’ve got that one outfit that you just know goes so hard,” Swift said. “You just know that when you put this on, you’re like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m unstoppable today.’”
In 2014, Swift told Time magazine that she began to root for New York earlier that year when she moved to the Big Apple. That year, the “Process Sixers” went 19-63, but the Knicks were not worldbeaters either, finishing 37-45. Her reason for embracing the Knicks evidently was not because of how the team was playing. Instead, it was because of a friendship she formed with New York big man Amar’e Stoudemire.
“So you run into a bunch of different, interesting types of people at the Met Ball,” Swift told Time. “I’ve gone the last four years. And the most normal people at that event, every single time, are Amar’e Stoudemire and his wife Alexis. I talk with them and hang with them every time I’m there. So I’ve always had this sort of love of the Knicks, just because Amar’e is so cool.”
It also seems the Sixers did not claim a special place in Swift’s heart because they invited her to sing, either. In fact, as she told Time, she also performed at Madison Square Garden as a child. The Mecca seemed to leave a greater impression on her than the Sixers’ South Philly arena.
“And also I performed at the Knicks’ — at Madison Square Garden’s kids talent competition at halftime when I was 12 or 13,” Swift said. “And ever since then, I’ve had this kind of sparkly, magical opinion of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks, since they let me sing when I was a little kid.”
As some on social media have pointed out, Swift also attended Game 3 of the Knicks’ Eastern Conference finals matchup at the Cleveland Cavaliers. At that game, seated next to her fiancé and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, she appeared to root for the Cavaliers — not the Knicks. Kelce and his brother, retired Eagles great Jason Kelce, are from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and have been public in their support for the Cavs.
Am I tripping or was she not just rooting for the Cavs against the Knicks in the last series lmaoo https://t.co/aCoFWt359F
Swift’s relationship with the Eagles does not leave many clues to where her loyalty lies, either. Despite previously performing in Eagles jerseys and mentioning the team in her 2020 song “gold rush,” Swift seemingly ditched the Birds after she began to date Kelce. Since then, she has supported Kansas City.
This is a very important reminder to everyone that Taylor Swift is an Eagles fan. 🦅 pic.twitter.com/Sw4viIt8MV
It seems that Swift will have to correct the record on her favorite teams. Until then, a small sect of Philadelphia Swifties will likely hold out hope. The rest? They seem to have given up.
City Council approved a bill Thursday to encourage denser and taller development around Philadelphia’s transit stations.
The legislation, a part of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s housing agenda, expands an existing law that offers development incentives to most non-single-familyproperties within a 500-foot radius of transit stations. Thursday’s Council vote expands that radius to a quarter of a mile.
It also boosts eligibility for the incentive, allowing it to include not only SEPTA rail stations but also intercity bus, PATCO, water taxi, and some bus or trolley stops.
The legislation is meant to allow more people to live near transit and boost SEPTA ridership. Mass transportation works best when more people live within walking distance of stations.
The law comes with a very Philadelphia caveat, however: City Council must opt stations into it. In most other states or cities that have this kind of transit-oriented development policy, it automatically applies to all eligible stations.
“I have not heard of that for transit-oriented development laws,” said Yonah Freemark, a lead housing policy researcher at the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank.
“If you look at what Chicago, New York City, or Los Angeles has, it’s across the city. There aren’t special exemptions for aldermen or council members” to control which stations are included, Freemark said.
Under the existing law, Council members in West Philadelphia have opted in most Market-Frankford Line stations to the west of the University of Pennsylvania.
Many of the stops in Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Kensington, and Frankford are included as well, although heavily used stations like Front-Girard, York-Dauphin, and the Arrott Transportation Center are left out.
The stations already covered by the zoning incentive’s existing 500-foot radius will be automatically expanded to a quarter mile.
No stations on the Broad Street Line are currently included. Those to the south of City Hall are half in Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s district and half in Councilman Mark Squilla’s district, complicating the politics of adding the stations.
To the north, former City Council President Darrell Clarke and his successor, Jeffery Young, have not opted any of the stations on Broad Street into the transit-oriented development program and have often been skeptical of high-rise development.
“The problem with this approach is that it essentially allows City Council members who are recalcitrant to allow development to block” the transit-oriented development law, Freemark said. “It entrenches that resistance.”
Several Council members said in interviews that they hope to make use of the new law and add stations in their districts.
Councilmember Mike Driscoll, who represents much of the Lower Northeast, said he plans to use it at the two Market-Frankford Line stops in his district that are not already covered, including the Arrott Transportation Center.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents much of West Philadelphia, has long championed the legislation and said she is studying the new language to see whether she can opt in more stations.
Squilla, who opted in the Spring Garden station in Northern Liberties, said its application is more complicated on South Broad Street.
A screen shot of a Philadelphia Planning Commission study showing how many more properties will be covered by the overlay under the new law.Philadelphia Planning Commission
“Broad Street is tough because it is two separate Council districts, and [we] need to get input from the community on both sides,” Squilla said. “I would consider it but do my usual community outreach first.”
But Council President Johnson said that he is interested in adding all the South Broad stations to the expanded transit-oriented development law.
“I have no objection to transit-oriented communities, so all of mine will be in,” Johnson said. “It’s great for development and the surrounding area. I’ll probably look at it just to make sure … there’s a level of affordability.”
On North Broad Street, Young is still studying the legislation and “assessing which stations would make sense to include,” the Council member’s spokesperson said.
Properties zoned for single-family housing are not affected by the law. It also bans certain kinds of development from the area around transit stations, including one-story buildings, parking garages, and curb cuts.
The urbanist group 5th Square hadbeen meeting with City Council members in advance of Thursday’s final vote on the bill strengthening transit-oriented development.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson says he is interested in including all of the South Broad Street subway stops in the transit oriented development law. Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Activists with the group say there is support for adding many more SEPTA stops to the law, although they think areas like North Broad Street will be much harder to get stations opted in.
“The idea that all of the stations will be opted in at once is unlikely,” said Jay Arzu, housing organizer with 5th Square and the founder of the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Movement.
“They made the intention clear that they’ll look at it on an individual, case-by-case basis, which is disappointing for transit advocates,” Arzu said. “But we recognize it’s another step in the right direction. Sometimes you just got to take what you can get.”
SEPTA is extending Route 45 to provide direct daily bus service to the Navy Yard for the first time in more than a decade, a move aimed at helping to grow both the development and transit ridership.
The new service is scheduled to begin in August, with buses operating at about 20-minute intervals, starting at 12th and Noble Streets in North Philadelphia, through Center City, and to stops inside the Navy Yard itself.
More than 150 employers have facilities in the Navy Yard, with more than 16,000 people working on the campus. There are 614 units of housing and plans for more residential and commercial development.
“Our goal is to provide as many safe, reliable, efficient ways to get to the Navy Yard as possible,” said Alex M. Smith, vice president of Navy Yard strategic initiatives at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. It has built a path alongside South Broad Street to accommodate bike commuters and pedestrians.
“The 45 just provides another level of service for folks that may think otherwise than to take an Uber or their own car,” Smith said.
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The Navy Yard’s master plan projects about 3,000 people will be living there within 15 to 20 years. About 450 jobs are expected to be added at Rhoads Industries, a maritime company in the western part of the former military base.
Colin Foley, the chief of service planning and schedules at SEPTA, said a 2023 survey of the Navy Yard workforce found that 86% did not use transit, and 60% of those said they would use SEPTA if more options were offered.
After months of talking about the much-hyped international sports event and festival, we’re finally living it. I am excited to see how it all unfurls after literal years in the making, and you should be too.
Not the sporty type? There’s Sunday’s Odunde Festival, which typically draws around 500,000 visitors to the Graduate Hospital neighborhood in celebration of the African Diaspora.
Also, for lovers of city nightlife, Thursday marks day one under the extended 4 a.m. curfew. It marks the first time Philly bars can stay open past the state’s 2 a.m. cutoff since the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
There’s a lot more that’s in store this weekend. Read on!
A rendering of the Philadelphia FIFA Fan Festival’s “vendor village” at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park. From June 11 to July 19, the festival will serve as the official fan experience for the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia.(Courtesy of Philadelphia Soccer 2026)
Starting Thursday, the Fan Festival opens to 15,000 fans to the festival grounds at Lemon Hill, which has been transformed into an extravaganza of global soccer, writes reporters Henry Savage and Isabel Maney.
The free daily festival is intended for fans of all ages and promises to be a kid and family friendly affair.
The main draw will be a 60-foot screen that takes over the main stage.
What happens when all that cheering gets you hungry? There will be more than 80 local food trucks, serving dishes from the many cultures across Philadelphia, including local faves like cheesesteaks, pretzels, and more.
More than 50 live acts will take the stage at Lemon Hill, including the opening night concert with headliner Luis Fonsi of “Despacito” fame.
You can even get some shopping done. The Philadelphia Festival Marketplace will showcase artisans and makers in the region, offering soccer swag, accessories, jewelry, original artwork, and more.
Scenes from the opening night of Bok Bar — initially called Le Bok Fin — in 2015.Michelle Gustafson
🌭 Eating good: The most iconic dishes in Philly! Check out The 76 list for must-try bites around the city. Our top 10 drops tomorrow!
💃🏽 Enjoy Ballers After Dark: A new sports social club in Fishtown is transforming into a nightlife destination this Friday. Stop by to enjoy cocktails and sounds by DJs Quino, TJ Groover, and Shaka Sounds.
🎉 Meet me at the Bok party: The 10th annual B[L]OK Party is celebrating a decade of Bok and the South Philly creative community. There will be a bouncy castle, live music, face painting, food trucks, art demos, and other family-friendly happenings on Saturday.
🖼️ An affordable art fair: InLiquid’s annual Art for the Cash Poor returns to South Kensington on Saturday. More than 120 local artists will be at Crane Arts, offering original artwork priced at $250 or less.
🏳️🌈 Karaoke brunch and drag magic: Among the many phenomenal Pride Month events in the region includes Pride on Passyunk. Join the fun this Sunday. There will be food and drink specials, karaoke brunch, drag performances, Pilates sessions, and other fun activities all day.
📅 My calendar picks this week: Sounds of the World at Records Forever, A Lady Gaga Pride Party at Warehouse on Watts, Northeast Philly Beer and Drink Festival.
North America’s largest African American street festival has returned
An image of past iterations of Philly’s Odunde Festival. The free public festival is the largest African American street festival in North America, drawing up to 500,000 attendees each year. This year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of its founding.Courtesy of ODUNDE Festival
The Odunde Festival, founded in 1975 by Lois Fernandez, makes its welcomed return.
The weeklong cultural celebration culminates with a daylong celebration on Sunday.
It begins with a spiritual procession that starts at 23rd and South Streets, and moves toward the Schuylkill, where participants make traditional offerings to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river.
Participants then return to South Street, where they can enjoy an array of foods, arts and crafts, and musical performances celebrating the African diaspora.
Legendary band Bel Biv DeVoe is slated to headline this year’s festival. A variety of additional acts will perform across two stages. For more information about this year’s Odunde celebration, read my colleague Dugan Arnett’s story here.
Spring fun this week and beyond
🎶 An early Juneteenth celebration: Bartram’s Garden is hosting the Juneteenth Jubilee on Sunday. The event, recognizing the true emancipation of enslaved African Americans, will be a free, family-friendly event at Eastwick Pavilion filled with poetry readings, biking, music, and more.
🇺🇸 Raise your flags: Flag Day Weekend 2026 is happening at the Museum of the American Revolution. The two-day celebration includes presentations of the original “suit of colors” set to a first-person theater performance.
🎭 The key to a new production: Pig Iron Theatre has a new production opening at Plays & Players Theatre this Saturday. It’s the Barrymore Award-winning production, Franklin’s Key, which explores what it would be like to discover Benjamin Franklin’s secret ability to change the weather during the War of Independence.
🎸 Thursday: Stereo League, the Philly band that Alex Savoth leads with Dan King, will take the stage at Johnny Brenda’s on Thursday. The group will be joined by openers Max Davey and James Clark.
🎤 Friday: Surrealist British songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, who mixes psychedelia with garage rock, is touring with an electric band that includes Philadelphia drummer Patrick Berkery. Hitchcock performs at Ardmore Music Hall on Friday.
🎸 Saturday: Jack Antonoff is producer to the stars, but the New Jersey singer-guitarist also fronts Bleachers. The Antonoff-led band will hit the stage at the TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann this weekend.
🎤 Also Saturday:Multi-talent Nick Jonas stops into Atlantic City to finish off his “A Night with Nick” tour at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena.
Look, even if fútbol isn’t you’re thing, there’s plenty of places to kick it this weekend.
Don’t miss out on all the festivities, and keep an open mind — you may just score a new find.
Word began to spread quickly around the NHL scouting combine on June 4. It started as whispers and then grew to a roar as everyone heard about Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman’s report that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin wanted a trade.
A week on from that report, here’s what we know.
What is the latest on the Dylan Larkin trade request?
Larkin is set to begin Year 4 of an eight-year contract he signed in March 2023, with a cap hit of $8.7 million. The contract makes his trade request sticky, as according to Puckpedia he has a full no-trade clause until July 1, 2028. At that time, it becomes a modified no-trade clause with a 10-team trade list.
On Tuesday, the Detroit Free Press reported that Larkin submitted three teams to general manager Steve Yzerman for which he was willing to waive his no-trade clause. The three teams — the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights — are all Stanley Cup contenders, with Vegas currently in the Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, and each team has some of his closest buddies on the roster.
Friedman added on his “32 Thoughts: The Podcast” on Wednesday that there are two more teams possibly in the running — the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars — that are also considered 2026-27 Cup contenders.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is believed to have a tense relationship with Dylan Larkin. Carlos Osorio
How and why is Larkin suddenly available?
Larkin grew up in the Detroit suburb of Waterford, Mich., played for the U.S. National Development Team in nearby Plymouth, and was drafted 15th overall in 2014 by his hometown team before heading to the University of Michigan for a season. Larkin has never played hockey outside of his home state, skating in 808 games and ranking 10th all-time in points (643) on a list littered with Hockey Hall of Famers like Gordie Howe, his general manager Yzerman, and Sergei Fedorov, for the winged-wheel club.
For the captain of the Red Wings, who will turn 30 at the end of July, maybe it’s time to leave the comforts of home? Or maybe it’s a breakup that has been brewing for some time.
Last year, Larkin hinted that he wasn’t too thrilled with how the trade deadline came and went without much action as the Red Wings were in the hunt for a playoff spot for the second straight year. “We didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline, and guys were kinda down about it,” Larkin told reporters last April. “It’d be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice and maybe a morale boost as well.”
That came a little more than a year after his friend Tyler Bertuzzi was traded — Larkin had inked his extension the day before — and Larkin was visibly emotional when addressing the media. Frustration had to be mounting for Larkin, who enters next season with just one playoff appearance — as a rookie — in Detroit. But the GM put the onus on the players, stating at his end-of-season availability, “I’m counting on our best players, our leaders, to give us a bit of a morale boost. That’s what they’re paid for, and that’s the expectations for them.”
“They don’t speak unless they’ve had to, they haven’t for a while,” he quoted the agent. “That’s kind of become common knowledge about the situation in Detroit. Steve and Larkin coexisted, but they didn’t get along at all, and that’s kind of been known by others for a bit now.”
Dylan Larkin (71) is a prolific goal scorer with much-coveted power-play skills.Paul Sancya
What kind of player is Larkin, and what has he accomplished?
Larkin is a perennial 30-goal scorer, having hit the mark for the past five seasons and in six of his 11 NHL seasons. His 34 goals this season would have landed atop the Flyers leaderboard, along with his 14 power-play goals — something the Flyers desperately need help with — and nine game-winners. His 67 points would have finished tied with Trevor Zegras for second, behind the 68 points Travis Konecny dropped.
And the best part? He’s a center — a No. 1 center.
“I think the thing about Dylan is that he is a bona fide, top-six center. He can be the number one center who — the rare thing about him is that he really embraces the head-to-head shutdown role part of it,” Shapiro told The Inquirer at the NHL scouting combine.
“ … When Colorado comes to town, he wants the Nathan MacKinnon matchup, he wants the Connor McDavid matchup. And he’s one of the few players that has the foot speed to actually go into those battles and limit those guys. I think the reason he’s an $8.7 million player, and those guys are $12 million players, is because [while] he could be that offensive guy, he puts so much energy into kind of that defensive end.
“And I think that’s what makes him a little bit rare, is he’s someone who has that ability to be that offensive guy, but has kind of embraced more of that defensive role.”
Danny Danny Brière has explicitly cited an emphasis on the center position within the team’s offseason checklist. Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Would the Flyers be interested, and at what cost?
Multiple sources have confirmed to The Inquirer that the Flyers are interested in the center. And why wouldn’t they be? He brings the speed, can attack down the middle of the ice, and has that scoring touch — and he could be put into that 1C spot — that the organization has desperately needed for years.
“I think the greatest need is a top-six center,” he said. “And we have guys that have really stepped up; Trevor [Zegras] has played center at times, and he has the skill to play in that role.
“We’ve asked a lot out of Noah Cates, Christian Dvorak, and Sean Couturier to play some heavy minutes, and we’ve asked them to play in that role for a big part of the season. But looking at our team, that would probably be the one area that we could improve on.”
Larkin checks that box, whether as a 1C or, as Shapiro said, in a 1A/1B tandem where you run Larkin in a strength-on-strength system where he plays against the other team’s top lines. But the Flyers also need a game-changer. Is he that guy too?
“I think he can be,” Shapiro said in Buffalo. “I think we’ve seen it in stints in Detroit, and I thought last year at 4 Nations was a good example of — I know the U.S. lost at 4 Nations — but he kind of was someone who raised his game in that big element, and then he was really good at the Olympics. He’s done it in those moments.
“I’ve always been curious about Dylan Larkin, just because we’ve only seen him play five playoff games in his career. He feels like he has kind of that ability that can break games in the playoffs, where you have those tight-checking chess-match games, and it’s a bit muddy, and everything like that, but he has that [ability] where he can break things open there.”
But there is also the timeline part. The Flyers are not a true Cup contender just yet and, as noted by the teams Larkin is picking, that’s a high priority for the center. He’s also set to be 30 and the Flyers youngsters, like rookies Porter Martone, Denver Barkey, and Oliver Bonk, are still raising their games. Would he be willing to wait?
“It’s funny because he is 29, but he’s never played a playoff game [since his rookie season]. His season has ended April 18 every single year for the last nine years,” Shapiro said. “I’m not going to pretend to know the physical limitations of age [but] I do think, for what is left on his current contract … I think his game is still going to age well, because it’s not like he’s someone who’s played an extra 20 games in the playoffs.
“If you’re looking for a guy who’s a little bit older, who’s going to come in and set a bit of the tone of being willing to turn defense into offense, which is kind of my understanding of the way the Flyers want to do a lot of things, [then] yeah, Dylan is very open; that’s something that he’s all about. I think the fit is there stylistically. … [And] I think for him the next fit is going to be somewhere where he doesn’t have to lead the marquee. … If there’s talk about Philly, and you talk about a bunch of the guys they’re already trying to build around, and if he can be the third or fourth guy you mentioned, and you’re kind of building around this core, it’s probably the ideal spot for him.”
It doesn’t sound like Larkin agrees, but if the Flyers come with the right package, maybe he could be swayed? Shapiro thinks the package needs to include a combination of prospects — especially center depth — an NHL player, and draft picks.
Could that mean a Jett Luchanko or a Jack Nesbitt, who is off to play college hockey at Michigan in September? The Red Wings were reportedly interested in landing Rasmus Ristolainen at the trade deadline. And Detroit does not have a first-round pick this June after trading it to St. Louis for Justin Falk, so could the team take the Flyers’ top pick this year or that first-rounder they have from the Toronto Maple Leafs in either 2027 or 2028?
Could Teddy Blueger (left) be a Plan B at center for the Flyers? ETHAN CAIRNS
If not Larkin, what other centers could the Flyers target?
The free agent market is thinner than thin this year, especially when it comes to top-six centers, which is why acquiring someone via trade makes the most sense.
Yes, Claude Giroux and Scott Laughton are unrestricted free agents, but neither fit the top-six and would be short-term stopgaps, not the long-term projection the Flyers need. Giroux has also been playing wing in Ottawa.
But if they want to add depth, someone like Teddy Blueger, whom Flyers coach Rick Tocchet had in Vancouver, could be an option.
The other option is the good old offer sheet. Brière told The Inquirer an offer sheet is something the Flyers would consider, but “I would say it’s probably not likely with the cap going up; a lot of teams have extra dollars to spend.” If they do go that route, it needs to be done smartly, but options include centers Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli and his teammate Cole Sillinger, Cole Perfetti, Mavrik Bourque, and Kirby Dach.
If they go the trade route, Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues is the most obvious name out there, although recent reports suggest they are not planning on trading the centerman. Matty Beniers of the Kraken has also been mentioned, as has his teammate Shane Wright; however, The Inquirer has learned that Wright may not be considered a fit by the Flyers, and, per a league source, there is no indication that Beniers is available.
Mathew Barzal’s name has popped up, but sources say that is premature. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun has reported Auston Matthews is fine sticking around Toronto, and centers like Vincent Trocheck, Blake Coleman, and Nazem Kadri are all over 30 and do not fit the timeline.
It’s a good thing for the Phillies that he does, because they have leaned on their closer a lot this season. Even though Duran was on the injured list for 17 days this year with an oblique injury in his left side, he still ranks fourth in baseball in save opportunities.
“I need to be on the mound every day,” Duran said.
But in this week’s series against the Blue Jays, the Phillies asked even more of Duran than usual, when interim manager Don Mattingly used him three nights in a row. The last time Duran had made three appearances on three consecutive nights was from July 14-16, 2023, when he was a member of the Minnesota Twins.
“If I feel good, I want to be in the game,” Duran said. “So that’s me. The more I throw in the game, I feel more comfortable. I feel way better.”
Duran needed just nine pitches to record a save in Monday’s series opener against the Blue Jays. He threw eight pitches on Tuesday but blew his first save of the season as Toronto walked him off. On Wednesday, he rebounded with a 10-pitch save, his 17th of the season.
Mattingly said the process this season for determining Duran’s availability largely has been following the reliever’s lead. He plays catch pregame each day and then informs the coaches how he feels.
Jhoan Duran blew his first save of the season on Tuesday against the Blue Jays but closed out their win the following night to take the series.Sammy Kogan
“Jho’s been pretty good about telling us,” Mattingly said. “There’s been times when we thought he’d be available, and he says he needed a day. [Wednesday] was not one of those days, and he was adamant, and we kind of go with that.”
The “blown save” on the box score doesn’t capture the whole story of what happened Tuesday night. With the Phillies clinging to a one-run lead, things unraveled quickly: a broken-bat single (.070 expected batting average by Statcast) and another ground ball single (.150 expected batting average) put runners on the corners.
The Blue Jays used two pinch-runners, and after a wild pitch brought the tying run home, all they needed to do to end it was to get the ball out of the infield. Brandon Valenzuela delivered with a single, and Duran no longer had a perfect season.
Mattingly said he wanted to get Duran into another game quickly after that. But for Duran, what happened the day before made no difference. Like every day, he just wanted to pitch.
The flame-throwing right-hander has always had a short memory, and regardless of the result, he turns the page quickly. When Duran walked out on Wednesday, he wasn’t thinking about Tuesday at all.
“Yesterday is yesterday,” Duran said. “I was focusing on today, not yesterday. Yesterday is just the past for me.”
His teammates felt the same.
“We got all the confidence in the world in him,” Kyle Schwarber said.
Jhoan Duran and catcher J.T. Realmuto celebrate a victory in April.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Duran threw 27 pitches in three games, not including what he needed to warm up each night in the bullpen. While that total might not seem like much, for a reliever like him who can top 100 mph on the radar gun, each pitch is thrown at a high intensity.
Duran said he handles his workload and recovery by listening to his body.
“I do a lot of recovery in the training room,” he said. “I do it [in] the hotel, too. I always have my recovery machines with me.”
On Wednesday — this time with a three-run cushion — Duran let the leadoff man aboard with a single, but got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground into a double play on the next pitch.
Ernie Clement poked a soft single, just 60.4 mph off the bat, but Duran struck out Kazuma Okamoto on three pitches to seal the win and record another save.
“Insanely [impressive]. His stuff is always elite, and he’s a workhorse, so we love having him in our corner,” said starter Jesús Luzardo. “Seeing him bounce back after [Tuesday] night, which I would call it unfortunate.
“His stuff is second to none. And I think that that’s why he’s the best closer in the game.”
Two years after a Chester man stormed into his workplace with a gun and opened fire in a shooting that left two people dead, he is on trial for murder before a Delaware County judge.
Wilbert Rosado-Ruiz screamed he was “tired of people f— with” him as he fired shots at nearly 50 of his coworkers at Delaware County Linen, injuring five of them, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.
Rosado-Ruiz, 63, is charged with two counts of murder for killing brothers Leovanny Peña Peña, 30, and Giguenson Peña Peña, 26, after reporting for his early-morning shift at the industrial-laundry business.
Three other people were shot during what prosecutors described as a rampage.
Rosado-Ruiz’s attorney, Kevin O’Neill, has said his client fired the shots after feeling threatened during a confrontation with a group of his coworkers. His actions that day, O’Neill said, did not constitute murder.
Polites rested her case Thursday, but the trial is not over: O’Neill will present his defense in July. The delay, he said Thursday, was to accommodate members of Rosado-Ruiz’s family, who need to travel to Delaware County from Puerto Rico to testify on his behalf.
Prosecutors have said Rosado-Ruiz intended to kill more people on the day of the shooting, and would have done so had the 9mm Remington R51 handgun he was carrying not jammed. Investigators recovered the weapon and traced it to Rosado-Ruiz after his DNA was found on it, according to testimony this week.
Rosado-Ruiz’s coworkers told investigators he had a history of abusive, bullying behavior, including threatening people with his gun, in the 10 years he worked at Delaware County Linen before the shooting, according to court filings.
Chester Police search for evidence after a shooting Delaware County Linen on May 22, 2024. Five people were shot in the incident, two of them fatally, according to prosecutors. Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
On the day of the shooting, Rosado-Ruiz got into a verbal dispute with a coworker, Nilamarie Valdivieso.
Valdivieso testified that Rosado-Ruiz “looked very mad” when he arrived at work, and exploded at her when she asked him what was bothering him.
Later, after Valdivieso returned with two supervisors, along with Leovanny Peña Peña, she said, the conversation escalated, and Rosado-Ruiz pulled the 9mm handgun from his waistband.
He shot Valdivieso once in the chest before chasing down and firing at the other victims as they ran and dived for cover, she said. The Peña Peña brothers were both shot multiple times trying to flee Rosado Ruiz, and were pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
Another victim, Charles Doyle, testified that he was fixing an industrial washing machine when he heard several shots ring out in quick succession.
He said he saw Rosado-Ruiz pull a second magazine from his pocket and reload his handgun. Doyle said he yelled out to distract the gunman so that his father, who also worked there, had time to flee.
When Doyle turned to leave, he said, Rosado-Ruiz shot him three times in the back, shattering his right arm and causing severe internal damage to his organs.
Doyle said he is unable to work because of nerve damage in his arms — he said moving his hands feels similar to trying to wiggle his ears.
He testified that he did not see or hear anyone threatening Rosado-Ruiz before the gunfire rang out.
Rosado-Ruiz fled after the shooting, which led police from surrounding departments to lock down streets around the business.
He was taken into custody by an officer from Trainer, pulled over on the edge of Chester as he attempted to drive home. Inside the car, investigators found a backpack with a smaller bag containing additional 9mm bullets, authorities said.
