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2 years ago

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7:00 AM ET

  • Paolo UggettiESPN

LOS ANGELES — The Rose Bowl press box was shaking. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson had found wide receiver Logan Loya on a crossing route across the middle and the receiver had turned it into a 70-yard touchdown. The score put the Bruins up 10 points on No. 11 Utah and sent the crowd on hand — most of the season-high 42,038 sitting in the shaded side of the stadium — into a frenzy.

If it took a second for those inside the box to notice the movement, it’s because the Rose Bowl press box hasn’t moved much, if at all, this season. After two games with fewer than 35,000 fans in attendance, the Bruins’ 4-0 start had more people gawking at half-empty stadium pictures online than witnesses on hand.

But the sport’s most storied venue got more crowded when UCLA upset Washington on Sept. 30 to earn a No. 18 ranking in the polls and a host of national attention. The snowball effect carried over to Saturday’s kickoff against Utah. Before the game, the Rose Bowl sidelines were peppered with a plethora of alumni, former players, boosters and guests that had shown up to watch the Bruins warm up and eventually move to 6-0.

“The energy and excitement around this team is palpable,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond told ESPN. “Best ball in the country is being played at the Rose Bowl.”

About 14 miles southwest of the Rose Bowl, a few hours after the Bruins pulled off their second upset in two weeks, USC athletic director Mike Bohn and USC president Carol Folt stood at the south end zone of the Los Angeles Coliseum and continued what has become tradition: greeting players and coaches after wins. On Saturday night, a lei-wearing Lincoln Riley shook hands with Bohn and Folt before greeting recruits as he walked off the field 6-0 as USC head coach after beating Washington State. The program hasn’t been 6-0 since 2006 — or as people around these parts more commonly know it, the Pete Carroll days.

“I think it’s really positive,” Bohn told ESPN of the two schools being undefeated. “This is what makes L.A. sports great.”

Saturday marked a unique day in the city: Over the course of eight hours, across multiple L.A. freeways filled with traffic, UCLA proved it belonged in the upper echelon of college football, while USC continued to display traits of an elite team. The last time both teams were undefeated through the first six games was 2005. A lot has changed since — at each program, in the city (there are two NFL teams now!) — but after a handful of down years for college football in L.A., things are looking up on both sides of town.

“To succeed in L.A., you not only need to win,” said Jeff Fellenzer, a professor of sports, business and media at USC who grew up in a UCLA household. “You need to win and be entertaining when you win, and you need to have star power, and [both teams] are checking all those boxes.”

ON THE CONCOURSE level of the stadium, just below the Rose Bowl boxes and suites that were filled Saturday, UCLA has a plaque labeling its biggest donors. In the “$100,000 or more” category, one name stands out above the rest: Troy Aikman.

The former Bruin and NFL Hall of Famer called UCLA’s attendance issues “an embarrassment” just a few weeks ago but said those issues even plagued his UCLA team when it was No. 1 in the nation. Aikman called for a smaller, on-campus stadium, but if you’ve ever been to Westwood — or the west side of L.A. for that matter — you know that’s probably not happening any time soon.

Attendance has been a running theme for the Bruins, whose campus is 30 miles across the city from the Rose Bowl. The recent L.A. heat wave and lackluster opponents meant the first three games’ attendance didn’t reach 40,000, with the opening game against Bowling Green featuring only 27,143. Tarps covering large sections of the stadium have remained even through this week. As coach Chip Kelly pointed out recently, the Bruins also have to deal with the fact that the UC school system is on quarters, not semesters, which means students don’t arrive on campus until about Week 3 of the season.

“It would be like holding a home football game at USC in late July. I mean, it seems silly,” Fellenzer said. “That’s a real factor.”

Fellenzer, who has missed only one (non-pandemic season) UCLA-USC game in person since 1964, was in the press box earlier this season when UCLA faced South Alabama and recalled seeing virtually no student section because school was not in session. He has since returned as a fan against Washington and Utah.

“There was more energy,” Fellenzer said of the game against Utah. “There was a feeling that maybe something special was around the corner.”

Indeed, the vibe among fans at the Rose Bowl on Saturday was that of anticipation. If this Bruins team was going to keep beating teams the rest of the country said were better, they wanted to be there to witness it.

UCLA, for its part, has also tried to make the game experience better for fans so that attendance isn’t solely based on results. Against Washington, it featured fireworks pregame, a halftime fireworks show and lights coordinated to music as well as an in-game MC. The latter is something USC has also had the past few years. Whether those entertainment features are bringing more fans to the stadium is hard to gauge, but the point seems to be to enhance the experience for those who do show up.

Percentage-wise, attendance has been better at USC (averaging just below 80% capacity on home games this season), due in large part to the renewed sense of direction from hiring Riley and bringing in transfers Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison. Players who have been in the program the past few seasons say they have noticed a difference.

“Tonight was electric,” said senior offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees after Saturday’s game, which featured more than 63,000 fans.

Vorhees remembers the 2017 game against Texas when the Coliseum was almost sold out. He’s hoping that if the Trojans keep playing like this, they’ll get close to another sellout this season.

Winning remains king, and with USC and UCLA facing tough road matchups at Utah (Oct. 15) and Oregon (Oct. 22), respectively, away game results might be what set the tone for the home atmosphere the rest of the season. For now, though, the winning has both those in blue and cardinal wearing rose-colored glasses.

After Friday night’s win, one UCLA official was heard yelling through the hallways, “What are they going to say now?” And on Saturday, even Aikman logged back on Twitter to send a congratulatory message to Kelly’s team and give credence to the slow-brewing Heisman hype building around Thompson-Robinson.

“UCLA wins that game, then the sky’s the limit in what you could shoot for this season,” Fellenzer said. “I think that was that feeling in the air, even though it was also a hotter day than I think any of us expected. Everybody was sort of willing to endure that because now there was something to really get excited about.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN modern-day Los Angeles is a vexing proposition. Though both UCLA and USC have fervent fan bases and alumni groups, there’s no centralized hub around either program because of the sprawling nature of the city. USC comes close, with its campus walking distance to the Coliseum, but the proximity to downtown both means there’s plenty of other things around and any fan coming to the game is likely making a serious commute.

Insert the obligatory L.A. traffic comment here.

Sometimes in L.A., though, even winning might not be enough. The way in which that winning is done and with whom, matters, too. It’s cliché, but the city loves its stars.

“I think a big part of it is having these two electric quarterbacks who are worth the price of admission,” Fellenzer said. “It reminds me a bit of those Aikman-[Rodney] Peete matchups in 1987 when you had major star power at quarterback.”

Football, as an entertainment product, has always been about the quarterback first. And both USC and UCLA this season have potential Heisman Trophy contenders in Williams and Thompson-Robinson. So far this season, the two have had their share of highlights and performances, which has been the programs’ most effective form of advertising. Because of the city’s size, transient population and multiple teams for every major sport, there’s no single unifying team. The Dodgers and Lakers are the teams that come closest to turning sports in L.A. into a monoculture. USC and UCLA’s appeal, though, lies at the heart of that very split. Their rivalry is the city’s best. Yet it’s also at its best only when the two teams are playing well. Recently, that hasn’t been the case. With both the Trojans and Bruins struggling on the field the past few seasons, there has been no reason, as far as L.A. sports fans are concerned, to make the trek to downtown or Pasadena.

Riley hasn’t shied away from accepting the reality of being a sports team in L.A., alluding to the fact that he knows the crowds will come if they keep winning.

“We understand that in this city, and I think it’s fair, we gotta go prove who we are as a team,” Riley said after the season opener. “We’re going to do everything we can as a team to keep working so that people can’t even stand the thought of not coming to a USC football game.”

In the span of a few weeks, winning has changed the tone, or at the very least, given the matchup between the two teams in mid-November with a lot more juice. As soon as both teams won Saturday, many, including Fellenzer, scanned the remaining schedule for each team to see what the possibility of both teams going undefeated into that game could be.

Fellenzer was quick to point out, though, that if the two remain undefeated heading into this year’s installment of The Game, it might still not top the 1967 game. That season, UCLA was No. 1 in the country, USC was No. 4, and both teams boasted Heisman candidates — RB O.J. Simpson for USC, QB Gary Beban for UCLA. That game also decided the Pac-8 champion, the Rose Bowl participant and the national champion. The Trojans went on to win the game 21-20, but Beban went on to win the Heisman.

Of course, because of the Pac-12’s new rules this season, there is a chance that UCLA and USC face each other twice — once in their normal regular-season matchup (this year’s will be at the Rose Bowl) and then potentially on Dec. 3 in Las Vegas — Thompson-Robinson’s hometown — with the Pac-12 championship on the line.

“Even if one of them loses, I still think it will be a massive game this year,” Fellenzer said. “I don’t know how many tickets would be available for the Rose Bowl, but I think you would get a huge crowd.”

AFTER THE CLOCK hit zero at The Rose Bowl on Saturday, UCLA fans stayed. They crowded the stands near the tunnels, gave ovations to Kelly and Thompson-Robinson — the former was uncharacteristically happy postgame, inviting more questions even after he was supposed to be done — and basked in the glory of success that felt overdue.

As the rest of the team and Utah trickled into the stadium tunnel, one UCLA fan stayed back and made sure to get the visiting team’s attention. He wasn’t thinking about the bye week. Or about playing No. 12 Oregon in Eugene after that.

“Hey Utah!” he called out to the remaining players and fans. “You go beat SC next week! Beat SC!”

Much like at USC, where the band plays “Tusk,” which features the “UCLA sucks” chants at the end of every victory, the two rivals never seem to be far away from each other’s thoughts. Should they both keep winning, that sentiment will only continue to heighten and from downtown to the eastside, the crowds should continue to get louder, too.

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Bell rings up first Cup 3-race win streak since ’21

Published

8 hours ago

on

March 10, 2025

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Bell rings up first Cup 3-race win streak since '21

  • Associated Press

Mar 9, 2025, 08:17 PM ET

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoenix Raceway history Sunday.

Bell started 11th in the 312-mile race after winning at Atlanta and Circuit of America the previous two weeks. The JGR driver took the lead out of the pits on a caution and stayed out front on two late restarts to become the first driver to win three straight races since Kyle Larson in 2021.

The second restart led to some tense moments between Bell and Hamlin — enough to make their team owner feel a bit queasy.

“I was ready to upchuck,” JGR Racing owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell became the fourth driver in Cup Series history to win three times in the first four races — and the first since Kevin Harvick in 2018. The last Cup Series driver to win four straight races was Jimmie Johnson in 2007.

“We’ve had four races this year, put ourselves in position in all four and managed to win three, which is a pretty remarkable batting average — something that will be hard to maintain, I believe,” Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens said.

The Phoenix race was the first since Richmond last year to give teams two sets of option tires. The option red tires have much better grip, but start to fall off after about 35 laps, creating an added strategic element.

A handful of racers went to the red tires early — Joey Logano and Ryan Preece among them — and it paid off with runs to the lead before they fell back.

Bell was among those who had a set of red tires left for the final stretch and used it to his advantage, pulling away from Hamlin on a restart with 17 laps left.

Hamlin pulled alongside Bell over the final two laps after the last restart and the two bumped a couple of times before rounding into the final two turns. Bell barely stayed ahead of Hamlin, crossing the checkered flag with a wobble for his 12th career Cup Series win. He led 105 laps.

“It worked out about as opposite as I could have drawn it up in my head,” Bell said. “But the races that are contested like that, looking back, are the ones that mean the most to you.”

Said Hamlin: “I kind of had position on the 20, but I knew he was going to ship it in there. We just kind of ran out of race track there.”

Larson finished third, Josh Berry fourth and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.

Katherine Legge, who became the first woman to race on the Cup Series since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 seven years ago, didn’t get off to a great start and finished 30th.

Fighting a tight car, Legge got loose coming out of Turn 2 and spun her No. 78 Chevrolet, forcing her to make a pit stop. She dropped to the back of the field and had a hard time making up ground before bumping another car and spinning again on Lap 215, taking out Daniel Suarez with her.

“We made some changes to the car overnight and they were awful,” Legge said. “I was just hanging on to it.”

Logano, who started on the front row in his first race at Phoenix Raceway since capturing his third Cup Series at the track last fall, fell to the back of the field after a mistake on an early restart.

Trying to get a jump on Byron, Logano barely dipped his No. 22 Ford below the yellow line at the start/finish. NASCAR officials reviewed the restart and forced the Team Penske driver to take a pass through on pit road as the entire field passed him on the track.

“No way,” Logano said on his radio. “That’s freakin’ ridiculous.”

Logano twice surged to the lead after switching to the red tires, but started falling back on the primary tires following a restart. He finished 13th.

Preece took an early gamble by going to the red option tires and it paid off with a run from 33rd to third. The RFK Racing driver dropped back as the tires wore off, but went red again following a caution with about 90 laps left and surged into the lead.

Preece went back to the primary tires with 42 laps to go and started dropping back, finishing 15th.

The series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend.

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NHL playoff watch: Is Jets-Hurricanes a Stanley Cup Final preview?

Published

22 hours ago

on

March 9, 2025

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NHL playoff watch: Is Jets-Hurricanes a Stanley Cup Final preview?

There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.

Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.

Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.

Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?

There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Saturday’s schedule
Friday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Calgary Flames
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Sunday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers, 1 p.m. (TNT)
Seattle Kraken at Washington Capitals, 3:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Minnesota Wild, 3:30 p.m. (TNT)
Winnipeg Jets at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers, 6 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 8 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks, 9 p.m.
New York Islanders at Anaheim Ducks, 9 p.m.

Saturday’s scoreboard

Ottawa Senators 4, New York Rangers 3 (OT)
Seattle Kraken 4, Philadelphia Flyers 1
Boston Bruins 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Florida Panthers 4, Buffalo Sabres 0
Colorado Avalanche 7, Toronto Maple Leafs 4
Calgary Flames 1, Montreal Canadiens 0
Nashville Predators 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 2, St. Louis Blues 1 (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 5, Dallas Stars 4
New York Islanders 4, San Jose Sharks 2

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 106.3
Next game: @ BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: @ UTA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 19
Points pace: 101.5
Next game: @ CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 20
Points pace: 91.3
Next game: vs. DET (Monday)
Playoff chances: 85.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85.9
Next game: @ OTT (Monday)
Playoff chances: 8.3%
Tragic number: 37

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85.9
Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 19.8%
Tragic number: 37

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 83.3
Next game: vs. FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.5%
Tragic number: 33

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 71.4
Next game: vs. EDM (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 27

Metro Division

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 19
Points pace: 117.1
Next game: vs. SEA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 101.5
Next game: vs. WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 92.3
Next game: @ PHI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 86.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 20
Points pace: 89.9
Next game: @ NYR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 27.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 88.5
Next game: vs. CBJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 31.1%
Tragic number: 39

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 86.0
Next game: @ LA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 29.7%
Tragic number: 38

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 79.4
Next game: vs. NJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 9.5%
Tragic number: 31

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 73.1
Next game: @ MIN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 25

Central Division

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 117.9
Next game: @ CAR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 109.3
Next game: @ VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 99.9
Next game: vs. CHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 19
Points pace: 98.9
Next game: vs. PIT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 94.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 87.1
Next game: @ PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 37.2%
Tragic number: 34

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85.9
Next game: vs. TOR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 26.4%
Tragic number: 35

Points: 55
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 71.6
Next game: @ SJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 24

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 62.8
Next game: @ COL (Monday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 16

Pacific Division

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 20
Points pace: 108.5
Next game: vs. LA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 101.5
Next game: @ BUF (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.7%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 21
Points pace: 98.1
Next game: @ VGK (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 84.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 91.1
Next game: vs. VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 27.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 91.3
Next game: vs. DAL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 30.9%
Tragic number: 40

Points: 61
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 80.7
Next game: vs. NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 32

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 74.3
Next game: @ WSH (Sunday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 25

Points: 43
Regulation wins: 12
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 8

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.

Points: 43
Regulation wins: 12

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 55
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 16

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 61
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 29

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23

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Who aced the NHL trade deadline? Eight winners and seven losers

Published

22 hours ago

on

March 9, 2025

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Who aced the NHL trade deadline? Eight winners and seven losers

  • Multiple Contributors

Mar 7, 2025, 08:20 PM ET

The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.

After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.

Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:

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