The Iron Bowl, The Game and beyond: What makes a perfect rivalry?
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ESPN staff
Welcome to that most glorious time of the year, when we gather with family, stuff ourselves with food and then ungather from that same family, angrily stomping off to our own private corners of the house because we refused to endure the treasonous slander that our supposed loved ones just spoke about a place and a people that they damn well know we hold near and dear to our hearts.
Thanksgiving? No. Rivalry Week!
When teams play the latest edition of games in which they have competed for a century or more. When schools fight for cups and buckets and other brass mementos that look like they came from the back shelf of a junktique store. When thousands of people pay hundreds of dollars to sit in the snow and lose their voices as they watch all that happen. And during this high holiest of college football weeks, that makes all the sense in the world.
But what really makes a rivalry a rivalry? What factors combine to take an annual game to a whole different level of intensity and fun? As it turns out, there are many to consider, and we’ve documented a few here.
So what’s the best and strangest of Rivalry Week? Grab a turkey leg, read on and find out.
Jump to:
Bad blood | Geography | Tradition
Iconic plays | Bizarre moments
Title implications | Bands and game-day atmosphere
Trophies and game names
BAD BLOOD
Florida State-Florida
0:27
Florida and Florida State players nearly break out into a scuffle on the field prior to their heated rivalry match.
There’s the Choke at Doak, 1994. First, the setup. Earlier that year, multiple Florida State football players went on a shopping spree at Foot Locker, paid for by an agent in violation of NCAA rules, leading to one of the all-time great quips from Florida coach Steve Spurrier.
“You know what FSU stands for, don’t you? Free Shoes University,” Spurrier said. Needless to say, those connected to Florida State were not amused.
Then, the game. Florida held a 31-3 lead after three quarters. Easy going from there, right? Not so fast. Florida State stormed back to tie the game at 31, leading to one of the greatest nicknames ever given to a game anywhere. Period. After the game, late Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said, “It is a pretty dang good win … I mean tie.”
In 1996, Florida State handed the Gators their first loss of the season, and Spurrier accused Bowden and his players of taking “cheap shots” and trying to injure quarterback Danny Wuerffel. Bowden said his team would “hit until the echo of the whistle.” The teams played a rematch in the 1997 Sugar Bowl for the national championship, where the Gators stomped the Noles 52-20.
But there was more to come. In 1997, Florida used a two-quarterback system to shock No. 1 Florida State to ruin the Seminoles’ undefeated season and national championship hopes. In 1998, there was a pregame brawl in which Florida quarterback Doug Johnson nearly hit Bowden in the head with a football (Johnson later apologized and said he was not aiming at Bowden). Star safety Tony George was ejected for throwing a helmet after two walk-ons taunted him.
In 2001, Spurrier and running back Earnest Graham accused Darnell Dockett of intentionally injuring Graham. The following year, Mo Mitchell admitted to chop blocking a Florida State player, injuring his knee. Dockett believed it was retaliation for the previous year. Then in 2003, Florida State players celebrated a win in Gainesville by jumping up and down on the Florida logo at midfield, leading to a brawl.
???? love this moment. pic.twitter.com/NYaXRkCo60
— SeabeeNole85 (@NW_GA_Nole) November 13, 2022
While the animosity between the schools reached its greatest heights in the Bowden-Spurrier years, the bad blood extends to 1947, when Florida State went from being an all-girls school to co-ed and shortly thereafter decided to play collegiate athletics. As the flagship public university in the state, Florida was less than thrilled and refused to play Florida State. The animosity grew so heated Florida governor LeRoy Collins had to broker a deal to get the schools to begin playing each other. Their first game was in 1958, and they have played every year since except 2020 (due to the pandemic).
“There was an overriding feeling of disrespect from the Gator program and fan base as looking down on Florida State’s program through the years,” said Mark Richt, who was Florida State offensive coordinator for 14 years under Bowden, and is a Miami graduate and former Georgia head coach. “From my personal experience, being at Florida State, Miami and Georgia, it was hard to find any love for the Gators.”
“I think there is a big brother-little brother dynamic that exists in the state,” former Florida receiver Chris Doering said. “It’s kind of like a mini Alabama-Auburn vibe. Even though FSU has grown to an equal in college football, that dynamic has been passed along from the older generations to the next. FSU focuses on UF because they don’t really have any other true rivals. We have rivalries with UGA, [Tennessee] and LSU that are at least as important to us as the FSU game is. The difference is that there is an underlying respect that exists for those SEC rivals. We don’t respect our little brother a bit. It’s just complete disdain.”
“From my experience, there’s a level of healthy bad blood,” former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel said. “Being an implant from Virginia, I didn’t feel the weight of the rivalry until I played in the game. Simply put, [there were] in-state bragging rights that would be remembered for a lifetime.” — Andrea Adelson
HONORABLE MENTION
Ole Miss-Mississippi State: A big Mississippi State fan and owner of a website covering the Bulldogs, Steve Robertson, was involved in exposing some of the phone calls to escort services that was the last straw in bringing down former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze in 2017.
Alabama-Auburn: There’s a lot of ground to cover here, but it can be summed up with one name — Harvey Updyke, the Alabama fan who did prison time for poisoning the iconic oak trees at Toomer’s Corner in 2010.
Michigan-Ohio State: Don’t dare wear anything that’s remotely red in or around the Michigan football complex or dare say the word “Michigan” in or around Ohio State’s football complex, or you could find yourself doing pushups. And of course there’s Woody Hayes’ famous quote when he explained that he went for two against Michigan late in the 1968 game while leading 50-14 “because I couldn’t go for three.”
Clemson-South Carolina: In 1992, South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill drew the ire of Clemson fans by pretending to autograph the famed Tiger paw at midfield at Death Valley after throwing a touchdown pass. Clemson fans still fume any time it’s brought up.
Georgia-Georgia Tech: The tradition of Georgia Tech players tearing up some of the hedges around Georgia’s Sanford Stadium and parading around with pieces in their teeth following wins over the Bulldogs would qualify in this category, but for these rivals, the bad blood extends even into the record books. The Georgia records reflect two fewer Bulldogs losses in this series than the Tech record book, thanks largely to longtime UGA sports information director Dan Magill. In 1943 and ’44, during World War II, Georgia Tech was used as a training school for the U.S. Navy, and its student body included officer candidates and prospective sailors. Georgia’s teams, however, had to draw primarily from students who were too young or physically unable to enter the military. Tech posted lopsided wins both years, 48-0 in ’43 and 44-0 in ’44. After the war, Magill decided to remove those games from the series record because he thought the Bulldogs were at an unfair disadvantage, and those games are still marked with an asterisk in the Georgia media guide.
GEOGRAPHY
NC State-UNC
Carter-Finley Stadium, home of the NC State Wolfpack, and Kenan Memorial Stadium, home of the North Carolina Tar Heels, are only 22 miles apart. That stretch of Tobacco Road serves as the DMZ that divides one of the nation’s most under-appreciated rivalries. It doesn’t have a trophy or a name (it’s just “Carolina-State”) and only recently was it finally moved to its rightful scheduling slot here amid Rivalry Week.
It also isn’t a basketball game. But spend an afternoon driving along those 22 miles, through Cary, Morrisville, and even the southern edge of Durham, and you can feel the tension of rubbing all of that red and black up against all of that light blue. You can see it in BBQ joint parking lots via the opposing bumper stickers on pickup trucks and BMWs (“That ain’t tar on those heels”), neighboring but not neighborly yard signs, opposing porch flags flapping in the fall Piedmont wind or even — gulp — mixed marriages!
Since 1894, when the schools first played and did so twice in one week, Carolina and State have represented the two dueling personalities of the state known as Carolina, the tech and agricultural giant in Raleigh repping the country and the lawyers and bankers of Chapel Hill symbolizing the city folk. Is that a gross oversimplification of two diverse universities? Absolutely. But did that keep UNC quarterback Drake Maye from joking “people who go to State just can’t get into Carolina” or Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren describing an interaction with a Heels fan as they waited in line to pick up their dry cleaning as “you know, typical, in his khakis, shoes and a fancy belt with UNC things on it and a light blue shirt with the collar up.” Absolutely not. — Ryan McGee
HONORABLE MENTION
Oregon-Oregon State: 36 miles from Eugene to Corvallis
Georgia-Georgia Tech: 61 miles from Athens to Atlanta
Louisville-Kentucky: 70 miles from Louisville to Lexington
Kansas-Kansas State: 73 miles from Lawrence to Manhattan
Ole Miss-Mississippi State: 75 miles from Oxford to Starkville
UCF-South Florida: 77 miles from Orlando to Tampa
Purdue-Indiana: 89 miles from West Lafayette to Bloomington
Source: distance-cities.com
TRADITION
Notre Dame-USC
For the nearly 100 years the USC-Notre Dame rivalry has been played, there has been plenty of memorable moments on and off the field. This is a rivalry that began when teams were still traveling by train — famously, Knute Rockne argued for keeping the rivalry despite the long travel times in anticipation that air travel would soon be ubiquitous — once had 120,000 fans in attendance at Soldier Field, won eight national titles combined from 1960 to 1982 and features a trophy that is a bejeweled club made of oak from Ireland.
But no discussion of the rivalry can begin or end without a mention of the 2005 “Bush Push” game (more on that in the “Game-Changing Plays” section). Games when Rockne and Howard Jones patrolled the sidelines were legendary in their own right, even as scores sometimes barely cracked double digits, but in the modern era, no matchup between the teams is as memorable as this one.
This game marked a stretch of USC dominance in the rivalry throughout most of the 2000s when players like Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Carson Palmer and Mark Sanchez fueled the Trojans to an eight-game winning streak from 2002 to 2009. The Irish, however, have the overall edge in the game, with a 56.7% winning percentage.
There’s little to no reason a yearly game between a Pac-12 team and an independent should exist, let alone be this big of a rivalry, but the fact that it is underlines the kind of national prominence both teams have. There is no regional connection, just two teams who won a combined 11 national championships each. In other words, the history and tradition is in the winning. — Paolo Uggetti
HONORABLE MENTION
Minnesota-Wisconsin: The real granddaddy of them all. This rivalry has had 131 meetings and was first played in 1890.
Purdue-Indiana: 123 meetings; first played in 1891
Oregon-Oregon State: 125 meetings; first played in 1894
Kansas-Kansas State: 119 meetings; first played in 1902
South Carolina-Clemson: 118 meetings; first played in 1896
Ole Miss-Mississippi State: 118 meetings; first played in 1901
Michigan-Ohio State: 117 meetings; first played in 1897
Georgia-Georgia Tech: 115 meetings; first played in 1893
Washington-Washington State: 113 meetings; first played in 1900
North Carolina-NC State: 111 meetings; first played in 1894
Virginia-Virginia Tech: 103 meetings; first played in 1895
Arizona-Arizona State: 95 meetings; first played in 1899
ICONIC PLAYS
Auburn-Alabama
1:04
On Nov. 30, 2013, Auburn improbably beats Alabama as Chris Davis returns a field goal attempt for a touchdown as time expires.
“Chris Davis is going to drop back into the end zone. A single safety. I guess if this comes up short, he can field it and run it out.”
Rod Bramblett, Auburn radio’s play-by-play announcer, remarked on what few others had noticed in real time when Adam Griffith lined up a potential game-winning 57-yard field goal with 1 second left in the 2013 Iron Bowl. Alabama’s kicking team certainly wasn’t prepared for the possibility of anything other than a win or the game going into overtime.
“All right,” Bramblett said right before the snap, “here we go.”
The rest is history. The kick fell short, defensive back Chris Davis caught it and took off, veering left and then hugging the sideline. Once he got past the holder, Cody Mandell, he was home free.
Pick your favorite Bramblett line after that. Here are a few:
“There goes Davis!”
“They’re not going to keep them off the field tonight!”
“Holy cow! Oh my God! Auburn wins!”
Stan White, Bramblett’s partner as color analyst, was astonished. Listen closely, he said, and you can hear the sound engineer turn down his volume because he was shouting too loudly, “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”
White has witnessed some incredible Iron Bowls. He was Auburn’s starting quarterback in 1993 when the Tigers knocked off the defending champs and secured an undefeated season. But 2013 stands alone.
White said Bramblett’s call of Davis’ return has to be among the best in sports history — alongside Al Michaels and the “Miracle on Ice.”
What makes it especially poignant is how it has become a reminder of the life and legacy of Bramblett, who died alongside his wife in a car crash in 2019. Bramblett was beloved and respected at Auburn and throughout the SEC before that night in 2013. But voicing the “Kick Six” made an entire country aware of his gift for finding the right words, at the right decibel, at the exact right moment.
White remembers being at the SEC championship game the week after the Iron Bowl when someone knocked on the door. It was Kirk Herbstreit. Then another knock. It was Verne Lundquist. Both came to congratulate Bramblett.
Lundquist’s CBS television partner, Gary Danielson, came to Auburn for a memorial held for Bramblett and his wife years later. Before the service ended, Bramblett’s call of the Kick Six was played in Auburn Arena. Hearing the joy in his voice — rising as Davis passes midfield — you couldn’t help but smile.
If they had played video from the booth, they would have shown White hugging Bramblett in celebration.
“It’s rare to have that type of call and that type of moment in a broadcaster’s lifetime,” White said. “And he captured it so eloquently and he relayed the energy that everyone was feeling, but he was so professional about it.
“When you think about that play, you have to think about Rod. It’s a call that will stand the test of time.” — Alex Scarborough
HONORABLE MENTION
Notre Dame-USC: With seven seconds to play in the 2005 game, USC trailed 31-28 but was on the Irish 1-yard line. Trojans coach Pete Carroll appeared to call on quarterback Leinart to spike the ball so USC could go for a tying field goal, but that was a decoy. Instead Leinart attempted a QB sneak but was stopped cold — until running back Reggie Bush gave him a forceful nudge around the end of the goal-line pileup, which was illegal but not called. Hence the “Bush Push” was etched into the rivalry’s lore.
Michigan-Ohio State: Desmond Howard’s 93-yard punt return and celebratory Heisman pose in 1991 remains the most famous play from one of the sport’s greatest rivalries.
BIZARRE MOMENTS
Ole Miss-Mississippi State
1:18
Elijah Moore’s touchdown cuts Ole Miss’ deficit to one point, but an unsportsmanlike penalty pushes the Rebels’ extra-point attempt back and it’s missed by Luke Logan.
In 2019, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, who had completed a fourth-and-24 play from the Rebels’ own 14 to start the final drive, threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Moore with four seconds left to ostensibly tie the game against Mississippi State.
But Moore celebrated his touchdown by mimicking a dog urinating in the end zone in a nod to DK Metcalf, who did the same to the Bulldogs two years before. Moore was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, forcing Ole Miss to attempt a 35-yard extra point.
The Rebels missed, of course, losing the game 21-20 and falling to 4-8 on the season. The fallout was swift as Rebels coach Matt Luke was fired, followed shortly after by MSU coach Joe Moorhead, who was fired after a loss in the Music City Bowl and a 6-7 finish.
“It just happened spur of the moment,” Moore told ESPN in advance of the 2020 Egg Bowl. “It wasn’t planned. A lot of people thought it was planned. It wasn’t planned.”
Lane Kiffin was hired to replace Luke, and Moore was one of the first players Kiffin sought out after taking the job.
“You hear people say, ‘Well, that’s not who he is,’ or, ‘Man, that was so out of character for him,’ and maybe you think they’re just making excuses for a guy, trying to have his back,” Kiffin said ahead of the 2020 game. “But the moment I met him, I knew that was for real. Anyone who knows Elijah knows that’s not who he is.” — David Wilson
HONORABLE MENTION
Notre Dame-USC: In 1977, Notre Dame coach Dan Devine had a plan to fire up his team. After the Irish warmed up in their traditional blue jerseys, they returned to the locker room to a surprise — new bright green game jerseys. The players loved it, as did the fans, who roared as the team stormed out of the tunnel trailed by a giant Trojan horse. Irish receiver Kris Haines said some USC players told him years later, “We knew it was all over at that point.” Right they were: Notre Dame rolled over No. 5 USC 49-19 and went on to win the national championship.
Oregon-Oregon State: In 1983, the field was swamped with rain and the game included four missed field goals, five interceptions and 11 fumbles. Oh, it ended in a tie. It’s why the game earned itself the name, the “Toilet Bowl.”
Washington-Washington State: A legendary snow game in 1992, an ugly incident including bottle throwing after a Wazzu loss in 2002 and a sophomore running back quitting and changing into street clothes at halftime: The Apple Cup has rarely been dull.
LSU-Texas A&M: In 2018, the teams played an epic, seven-overtime, 74-72 Aggies win, setting a record for the most points scored in a single game and the most OTs. There also was a brawl on the field after the game, with LSU offensive analyst Steve Kragthorpe saying he got punched in his pacemaker by Cole Fisher, A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s nephew.
CHAMPIONSHIP IMPLICATIONS
Michigan-Ohio State
The game that became The Game first took place in October 1897. Michigan and Ohio State began playing annually in 1918, but the introduction of the AP poll in 1936 added a new element to the rivalry. The 1941 game marked the first in which both teams were ranked. The following year, Michigan came in at No. 4 and Ohio State at No. 5.
There were three more top-10 matchups in the 1940s, but the series reached a new stratosphere when Michigan hired Bo Schembechler as coach after the 1968 season. Between 1970 and 1977, Ohio State and Michigan had five top-five meetings. Schembechler’s first 10 games against Ohio State coach Woody Hayes were labeled the “Ten-Year War,” where Michigan held a 5-4-1 edge. But the most memorable result came in 1973, as the teams both came into Michigan Stadium undefeated and played to a 10-10 tie.
Which team would go to the Rose Bowl? Big Ten athletic directors voted to send Ohio State, in part because Michigan quarterback Dennis Franklin sustained a broken collarbone against the Buckeyes. But Michigan had seemingly been the better team, and Schembechler lashed out, saying “petty jealousies were involved” in the decision.
The rivalry had provided just about everything except a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup, which arrived in 2006. The day before the game, Schembechler collapsed and died, adding drama to a game that needed none. Ohio State won 42-39 and advanced to play for the national title.
Ten years later, The Game came down to a controversial fourth-down spot, where No. 2 Ohio State was awarded a first down and went on to beat No. 3 Michigan in overtime. Michigan lost eight straight to the Buckeyes and 15 of 16 before shocking Ohio State in the snow last year to reach its first Big Ten championship game, followed by the College Football Playoff semifinal. And the stakes are sky high again this year. — Adam Rittenberg
HONORABLE MENTION
Auburn-Alabama: The Tigers and Crimson Tide have met as top-10 teams eight times, including 2017 and 2013, when Auburn knocked off No. 1 Alabama. From 2009 to 2013, five consecutive Iron Bowl winners went on to play in the BCS national title game.
Florida-Florida State: No rivalry can match the high stakes of Gators-Seminoles from 1990 to 2000. In that span, the teams met 13 times, and every one was a top-10 matchup, with six of them a top-five matchup. That includes the Sugar Bowl in 1995 and 1997, which served as the Bowl Alliance’s national championship game. Florida rolled 52-20 in that one, but Florida State had the upper hand overall, 8-4-1.
Notre Dame-USC: The Irish and Trojans have met as top-10 teams 18 times, the first in 1938 and the most recent in 2006. The teams staged a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in 1988 at the L.A. Coliseum, with Notre Dame winning 27-10 en route to the national title.
BANDS AND GAME-DAY ATMOSPHERE
Grambling-Southern
It’s just good planning to have your annual rivalry game a mile or so from Bourbon Street. New Orleans gives itself to the Bayou Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, and thousands make a weekend of it. The game itself tends to draw well over 65,000 to the Superdome, which is impressive enough. But Friday night’s Battle of the Bands and Greek show can draw up to 30,000 by itself.
The Battle is a sight to behold. The crowd — filling up nearly half the Superdome just to watch two bands play — is engaged and loud. The bands, both great and both huge, are even louder. They march in to hype videos. They trade songs for over an hour. Their fans talk smack to each other, then they all wander down to fill Bourbon Street for the rest of the night. It has been a uniquely full and worthwhile weekend before the game, which is often very close, has even started.
You might remember the 2014 Classic. It went viral when a former Southern fullback, Calvin Mills Jr., proposed to his girlfriend during the halftime show with Southern’s band, the Human Jukebox, spelling out “Marry Me.” (The game itself was incredible, too, with Southern winning via a last-second goal-line stand.)
Afterward, he gave the best possible summary of what makes the weekend — from the Battle to Bourbon Street to the game — so special.
“People plan their whole Thanksgiving around the Classic,” he said. “It’s like one big family reunion. It’s a fun rivalry. You have families with kids who have gone to both schools.” And both schools have an absolute blast before, during and after the game. — Bill Connelly
Clemson-South Carolina
Clemson and South Carolina like to kick off their rivalry week with fire. Lots and lots of fire.
The current iteration of “Cocky’s Funeral” at Clemson and the “Tiger Burn” at South Carolina dates to 1902. According to South Carolina, the idea started after students from both schools had a standoff following the game that year, in which the Gamecocks upset the Tigers 12-6 — winning for the first time since they began playing in 1896.
At issue was a poster depicting a gamecock standing on top of a tiger and holding its tail. Clemson students found the poster to be insulting, and fights between both sides broke out. They agreed to burn the poster to ease the tensions — hence, the tradition of both sides setting their rivals’ respective mascots on fire.
To accomplish this, student-led organizations at both schools spend months planning. At Clemson, there is a group of 35 students on the alumni council responsible for creating a Gamecock out of wood, chicken wire and tissue paper. This year’s Gamecock is set to be 13 feet tall.
In the past, a casket has been involved and a eulogy read before they light their Gamecock on fire. (Not to worry, fire marshals are on hand to ensure everyone’s safety at both schools). But this year, students have given Cocky’s funeral more of a pep rally feel. It’s the first time they’re able to hold the event in their traditional way since 2019, before the pandemic. Anne Horton, assistant director of Cocky’s funeral, has a long line of Clemson alumni in her family, dating back to her great-grandfathers in the 1930s. She always dreamed of being a part of the event.
“In my application to the alumni council, I wrote I wanted to be the one to light Cocky on fire,” she said. “It always stood out to me. I’ve always loved the rivalry. I love that friendly competition that USC and Clemson have and how cool it is that we all get to get together on that Saturday.”
At South Carolina, the school’s chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is in charge of building their large scale tiger, with the help of a few other organizations. This year’s tiger is going to be its largest yet, about 32 ½ feet tall. The build started in July. The day of the burn, it is transported to a large field outside Williams-Brice Stadium, then put together to reach its full height. At this year’s event, the university president, coach Shane Beamer, the band and cheerleaders are scheduled to attend.
“The whole goal in building something is for it to be strong and stand up,” said Jackson Goldsmith, president of the ASME. “But there’s nothing more satisfying than watching the tiger get caught on fire.” — Andrea Adelson
HONORABLE MENTION
Ohio State-Michigan: Yes, the Wolverines have an iconic fight song, but the Ohio State marching band has a “signature” move, with a veteran sousaphone player stepping out to dot the “i” of his bandmates’ script “Ohio.”
Notre Dame-USC: Yes, the Irish have an iconic fight song, but the Trojan marching band has a platinum album from its 1979 collaboration with Fleetwood Mac, “Tusk.”
The Ramblin’ Wreck, Georgia-Georgia Tech: The 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe that leads the Georgia Tech football team onto the field adds a touch of whimsy and nostalgia. (Rumor has it Georgia fans have stolen the Wreck on at least two occasions.)
TROPHIES AND GAME NAMES
Minnesota-Wisconsin
Paul Bunyan’s Axe. It wasn’t the first prize at stake for Minnesota and Wisconsin. Beginning in 1930, the rivals played for a slab of bacon, but the trophy — actually a slab of black walnut wood with a carving of a football — disappeared after the 1943 game, only to be found in 1994 inside a storage room at Wisconsin. Needing a replacement, Wisconsin’s lettermen group, the National W Club, introduced the axe, named after the mythical Midwestern lumberjack and featuring Wisconsin cardinal and Minnesota gold on each side.
Scores of all the games lined the axe’s handle until filling it, prompting the first trophy to be retired after the 2003 game, and donated to the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, the current axe debuted with a six-foot handle. Wisconsin won it that first year and didn’t relinquish it until 2018, the longest win streak by either team in a rivalry dating back to 1890.
The most dramatic axe moments come when it exchanges hands. Players sprint across the field, grab the axe, congregate around each goal post and begin to chop. In 2013, Minnesota players tried to prevent the “chop” around their goal post, leading to an altercation. The following year, the axe was not kept in the bench area, but presented in the end zone, as Wisconsin won again.
“In the celebrations, you see the creativity come out,” Wisconsin interim coach Jim Leonhard, an All-America safety/returner for the Badgers who went 2-2 in Axe games, told ESPN. “It’s one of those trophies that everybody recognizes. It’s been fun to be a part of it. It’s never a good feeling to be on the losing side, but it really is an amazing experience to keep the axe or to run across to get it back from the other team.” — Adam Rittenberg
HONORABLE MENTION
The Old Oaken Bucket, Purdue-Indiana: In 1925, the Chicago chapters of Indiana’s and Purdue’s alumni associations decided to introduce a rivalry trophy, and agreed that a bucket from an Indiana well would meet their vision. They found one on the Bruner family farm in southern Indiana, and created a chain with blocks in the shape of a “P” or an “I” for each team’s rivalry win.
The Territorial Cup, Arizona-Arizona State: Certified by the NCAA as college football’s oldest rivalry trophy, the Territorial Cup dates to 1899, when Arizona wasn’t yet a state but a U.S. territory (hence the name). In that first game, the University of Arizona played the Arizona Territorial Normal School, which evolved into Arizona State. (The “Normals” won 11-2.) The trophy’s whereabouts were unknown for close to 80 years until it was found in the basement of a church near the Arizona State campus. The tradition of the cup being passed to the winning team each year started in 2001.
The Egg Bowl, Ole Miss-Mississippi State: The Golden Egg trophy, a regulation-size gold-plated football — which looks like a golden egg — mounted on a wooden pedestal, was introduced in 1927 in an effort to calm fans and add dignity and decorum with a postgame ceremony after a chair-throwing brawl broke out following the previous year’s game. What was called “The Battle of the Golden Egg” was dubbed the Egg Bowl by The Clarion-Ledger newspaper in 1978, when neither team was bowl eligible, and the name stuck.
The Apple Cup, Washington-Washington State: Why the Apple Cup? Washington state produces more than 10 billion apples each year. (Sometimes it’s that simple.)
The Game, Michigan-Ohio State: If the game is known as The Game, it must be pretty important.
The Iron Bowl, Auburn-Alabama: Auburn coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan is credited with coming up with this name in 1964. It references the influence of the steel industry in Birmingham, home of Legion Field, the neutral site where the game was most often played through the early 1990s.
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, Georgia vs. Georgia Tech: What says Thanksgiving weekend more than clean, old-fashioned hate?
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Rachel Doerrie
The 2025 NHL draft that took far too long has mercifully finished. Any of the 26 teams that voted to hold a decentralized draft, you get a Z grade for that. Not an F, a Z. Let’s never do that again. Back to centralization, please.
Every team is getting a draft grade, regardless of how many players they selected. The grades are based upon the value each team extracted with their picks. So, a team with three first-round picks might have a lower grade than a team with three total picks because they reached on players and could’ve added significantly more talent to their organization, while the team with three picks added value and talent with each selection.
The grade is weighted against the expectation of what teams could reasonably have done with their selections based on my model and team need. Reaching on a player to address a team need while leaving a higher-value player on the board is going to lower the grade. When a team is drafting in the top 16, it is because that team wasn’t good enough for the playoffs and the organization needs talent. Ditto for teams with multiple first-round picks — those aren’t acquired unless valuable players are being traded away for purposes of rebuilding or retooling.
Trade scenarios will be considered, because it is a good strategy to accumulate value by moving down, or acquiring players that fit the organizational timeline. A team that trades back, acquiring multiple selections and extracts value with those selections will likely be graded higher than a team that traded up to select its “guy.” A team like the Montreal Canadiens, who traded multiple picks to acquire and extend a top-4 defenseman in Noah Dobson will have that factored into their grade because they entered the draft with those assets and used them to acquire an asset that aligns with their organizational goals.
Here is every team’s grade for the 2025 draft:
‘A’ grades
For Day 1 alone, the Islanders are getting an A+. If there were a higher grade possible, they’d be getting it. It’s incredible to add a franchise defenseman in Matthew Schaefer who will not only impact the organization positively through his play but is likely to become a future captain. However, it was also the trading of Noah Dobson, who was not going to re-sign, and using those selections to nab the falling Victor Eklund and potential middle-pairing defender Kashawn Aitcheson that boosted the grade.
The Isles didn’t overthink anything. You have to hit on your first-round picks, and every time they made a selection, they took quality players who confidently project to be impactful. There’s a real chance the Isles added a franchise cornerstone, a top-six forward with a blend of hard and soft skill, and a tough-to-play-against defender with raw offensive potential.
On Day 2, GM Mathieu Darche continued stockpiling projectable NHL talent. Daniil Prokhorov has the potential to become a high-end power forward, and Luca Romano should play NHL games in a middle-six role. Tomas Poletin is a reasonable bet on upside and Burke Hood in the late rounds is excellent value. This could be a franchise-changing draft for the Islanders.
The Bruins were the beneficiaries of some interesting decisions at the top of the draft, and managed to secure their top-line center for the future — and the third best player in the draft — in James Hagens. The Bruins have needed help up the middle for a few years, and Hagens is not far off from becoming an NHL star. He was one of the most valuable picks in the draft, simply because players with his talent and skill aren’t available at No. 7 very often.
Following that up by drafting Will Moore and Cooper Simpson were value picks in their range, and both have legitimate NHL upside. They will take longer to get to the NHL, but I like Boston’s accumulation of talent in the draft with those two as well as Liam Pettersson on the back end. There’s a fair chance Boston gets four NHL players from this draft, including one potential star on their top line.
1:48
Adam Sandler announces Bruins pick at NHL draft
Adam Sandler gives a nod to his famous “Happy Gilmore” character to announce the Bruins picking Boston College’s James Hagens with the seventh pick.
I feel like we say this every year, but my goodness the Carolina Hurricanes did it, again. They got tremendous value in their trade back with the Canadiens, using those picks to draft two projectable NHL talents in Semyon Frolov and Charlie Cerrato. Frolov’s stock grew as the season progressed, and he has a real chance at becoming a 1B goaltender in a tandem. Both Ivan Ryabkin and Kurban Limatov provided a ton of value at their spots, and both have legitimate paths to becoming NHL players. Ryabkin in particular could become a real gem if he improves his consistency.
In the late rounds, I loved the Filip Ekberg and Viggo Nordlund selections as both are smaller, but highly skilled wingers with scoring potential in the NHL. There’s a boom-or-bust quality to both of them, but if they hit, there’s top-six scoring upside and those are exactly the types of players you should be swinging for in the late rounds. It’s likely the Canes have to wait a few years for these players to have an impact, but they should get at least two or three from this draft class.
Any time you add the best forward (Michael Misa) and best goalie (Joshua Ravensbergen) in the draft, you’re going to be happy. There’s a real chance the Sharks come away with a starting goalie and an elite forward who scores over a point per game. That alone, would find them graded with at least a B+. Add in Simon Wang, the highest-drafted Chinese-born player in NHL history, with elite skating ability and a 6-foot-6 frame, and the Sharks bolstered every area of their prospect pool.
I thought Blake Fiddler would have been a more sound selection at No. 33, but the Sharks like Wang’s raw ability and upside which is a decision I can get behind. If Wang hits, he’s going to be an impactful defender in the NHL that many teams wish they’d drafted.
Getting Cole McKinney at No. 53 was great value as well. McKinney’s got more offense to give and at a minimum, he’ll be a bottom-six player who is reliable defensively and on the penalty kill. When all is said and done, there’s a real chance the Sharks get four players from this draft, including a dual-threat, two-way center who is going to make the Sharks a matchup nightmare for teams over the next decade.
Getting Roger McQueen, a player with top-five talent, at No. 10 is tremendous value for the Ducks. They add another big, powerful forward to their stable of young players, and McQueen’s skill set is elite. If McQueen hits his ceiling, the Ducks have a unicorn, and someone who could dominate on both sides of the puck.
Eric Nilson in the second was another valuable selection. He’s a reasonable bet to become a bottom-six contributor whom the Ducks rely on to play secondary matchups and responsible defensive hockey. Elijah Neuenschwander is a more than reasonable bet in goal, and getting him in the late rounds adds to his value.
The Ducks likely added at least two quality NHL players to their organization and got good value all over the board, while finally trading John Gibson — the rumors can end.
Note: If there were bonus points for synergy, the Ducks would be getting an A+ for drafting McQueen, sending him to Disneyland and doing a photo op with Lightning McQueen. Here’s hoping he wears No. 95 because the fun marketing opportunities would be plentiful.
Not only did the Flames address organizational needs with this draft class, they got significant value with the Cullen Potter and Aiden Lane picks, while getting Cole Reschny and Theo Stockselius in the right range. All of those players are going to need development time, but are reasonable bets to play NHL games.
Reschny and Potter are high-end upside picks with NHL attributes who could see them make an impact in the middle six. The Flames needed centers, and there’s a decent chance that at least two of these players provide value at center for them. If Potter moves to the wing, he may flourish as a speedster with an excellent shot.
I liked the swing on Aiden Lane late in the draft, as he’s a late bloomer who has some bottom-six upside. The Flames extracted a ton of value with their selections this weekend and should be pleased with their new group of young talent.
There’s a lot to like about what the Red Wings did this weekend, and they likely nabbed at least two long-term NHL players in Carter Bear and Eddie Genborg. Bear was good value in the teens, and brings a projectable two-way game with high-end playmaking skills. As an added bonus, he has some of the coveted hard skill teams were looking for because he plays in the dirty areas, wins puck battles and creates space for his teammates. He’s two or three years away but should be a quality top-six forward when he’s ready.
I liked the Genborg selection as a good middle-six player who thrives with skill. He’ll be a good complementary player when he’s ready.
Once the top goalies were gone, I really liked the swing on Michal Pradel. The Red Wings aren’t short on goaltending prospects, and he’s another guy who has a chance to be an NHL goaltender. Count me as a fan of the Michal Svrcek pick in the fourth round because of his upside as a speedster with competitive bite. Add in the John Gibson trade — which gives the Red Wings immediate help — and they had a pretty good weekend.
The Predators were a mixed bag for me in this draft. Did they get some high-end talent? Absolutely. Did they leave some high-end talent on the board? Unequivocally.
I understand betting on Brady Martin and why so many teams liked him, but Nashville is starved for elite talent and left James Hagens and Porter Martone on the board. If Martin hits, he’s a valuable playoff player, but there are not many scenarios where he’s more valuable than Hagens or Martone.
I loved their swing on Ryker Lee, who could be an elite top-six forward if his skating improves. His offensive tool kit is one of the draft’s best. Cameron Reid in the 20s was solid value, and he’ll be a quality middle-pairing defender for years. I really liked the Jacob Rombach and Jack Ivankovic selections, too. The Preds needed a goaltender and if Ivankovic grows, he has the foundation of talent to be the best goalie of the crop.
Strap in because this one was a ride!
The Flyers needed a center, passed on Hagens, but got Porter Martone. I love Martone’s game and think he has a ton of potential, but it feels like they went with size. Having said that, I’m not going to dock them grading points because Martone at No. 6 was excellent value. If his skating improves, he’s going to be a star.
The decision to trade up to No. 13 and select Jack Nesbitt not only left a ton of value on the board from a player perspective, but the Flyers lost the pick value trade to their state rival. Nesbitt will be a solid third-line center, but I have some serious concerns about the Flyers drafting for size with a lower ceiling.
Outside of that, I loved the Carter Amico, Jack Murtagh, Shane Vansaghi and Matthew Gard picks. The Flyers clearly had a mission to get bigger and meaner, because every pick was spent on a player with some level of size and competitive meanness that Rick Tocchet is going to love. The Flyers certainly got a lot better this weekend, but there is little doubt that some talent was left on the board.
2:00
Charles Barkley announces Porter Martone as No. 6 pick in NHL draft
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley helps the Flyers select Porter Martone with the sixth pick of the NHL draft.
The Kraken got a lot better this weekend, particularly with their first two picks. Jake O’Brien projects as an offensively gifted top-six playmaking center. Seattle has a ton of quality young centers and whether they move one or two to the wing or trade one to address another need, the Kraken are well positioned because they constantly draft the best available players.
Blake Fiddler is another example of that, with the Kraken grabbing a first-round talent in the second round. He’s very likely to be a middle-pair defender who plays shutdown minutes. Not only does Seattle address an organizational need, it gets excellent value.
I liked the Will Reynolds and Maxim Agafonov picks as well. Both have some NHL-caliber traits and are worthy swings where the Kraken took them. Overall, another good draft for Seattle.
I loved what the Jets did with their draft capital. Adding Sascha Boumedienne to a prospect pool that is razor thin on defense was tidy work. He’s mobile, saw significant development in his defensive play and should become a quality middle-pairing defender and PP2 guy if his decision-making improves.
Viktor Klingsell was a high-value addition when the Jets grabbed him. He was one of the best skilled players taken in the late rounds, and that’s exactly the type of player you take in the fifth. If he fills out, there’s a middle-six player in there.
I also really liked the Owen Martin and Jacob Cloutier picks. Martin plays a pro-style game that should see him develop into a depth player, while Cloutier is a home run hack at a smaller player who is highly competitive and could be a nice addition if his skating improves. The Jets got good value with all their picks, swung on talent and improved their prospect pool.
‘B’ grades
The Blackhawks clearly had a modus operandi here, and it was “big dudes who can skate.”
I liked Anton Frondell at No. 3, but they definitely left talent on the board with Hagens to opt for Frondell’s size. He’s likely going to be a top-line forward, so you can’t be too upset with that organizational decision.
Both Vaclav Nestrasil and Mason West were a little high for my liking, but both of them are very raw, long-runway type projects with sky-high upside. Given the prospect cupboards, Chicago can afford to take those kinds of swings because both of them could end up as middle-six complementary players who are incredibly difficult to play against. At a minimum, they bet on big guys with skill, and I can get behind that.
Nathan Behm and Julius Sumpf provided good value at their respective slots, and I think there’s a chance that one of them plays NHL games. Certainly, the Blackhawks should get two or three NHL players from this crop of picks, but their development staff is going to be tested.
The Canadiens had themselves a weekend. Trading away the selections that amounted to Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson to acquire Noah Dobson fit their timeline, but that may turn out to be a hefty price.
They love Alexander Zharovsky and it is easy to see why, but gave up quite a bit of pick value to get him. Nevertheless, I like Zharovsky’s game, and he should be a quality complementary player in the middle six.
In the middle rounds, I absolutely loved the selections of Hayden Paupanekis, Bryce Pickford and personal favorite — L.J. Mooney. All of those players have legitimate NHL upside to varying degrees. Mooney is small, but his compete level and offensive abilities provided outstanding value. Paupanekis should become a bottom-6 player and Pickford is a great bet on an overage defenseman with scoring ability.
All in all, it’s hard not to be happy with the weekend, even if they parted with some very valuable assets to get their guys.
Friday night was a banner night for the Senators. Trading back two spots and acquiring the pick that allowed them to trade for Jordan Spence while extracting tremendous value with Logan Hensler at No. 23 is high-end asset management. I really like Hensler’s game and believe he has the tools to become a solid second or third defender who would complement Jake Sanderson very well. The fact that he’s right-handed and very mobile with an NHL frame makes him very valuable.
The Senators are thin in goal, and taking a swing on Lucas Beckman was a decision that made a lot of sense. Bruno Idzan is a high-upside bet, and a worthwhile one based on his USHL production. He has the potential to be a late bloomer who contributes in a depth role.
The Capitals extracted excellent value with their first two picks in the draft, and both players are solid bets to become middle-six contributors at the NHL level.
Lynden Lakovic has the potential to be a big, dual-threat producer and would be even more exciting if he learns to use his 6-4 frame to physically impose himself on opponents. The ceiling is high for Lakovic, and getting a top-15 player at No. 27 is good work.
Milton Gastrin is one of the more complete players in the draft and shouldn’t be far off from the NHL. He’s got third-line center written all over him and could provide more offense than most think.
Outside of that, I liked the selection of Maxim Schaefer, who has more skill than most of the players taken in the fourth round. Given what they had, the Caps got good value and came away with at least two players who should play impactful roles in their lineup.
The Kings had a fine draft — nothing to be overly excited about and nothing to be disappointed with, either.
They got some value with Jimmy Lombardi, who has projectable NHL play-driving ability and skill. If his speed improves, he could really pop. Petteri Rimpinen was another value-added pick in the late rounds, and worth the swing based on his development curve. Kristian Epperson provided value in the third round as an overager, and should fit nicely in a third-line role when he’s ready.
Henry Brzustewicz was a fine pick, but the Kings took him a little early considering some of the other valuable defensemen on the board at No. 31. They’re betting that his development skyrockets in London, which they’ll need if he’s going to provide value in a second-pair role. Vojtech Cihar was a bit rich for me in the second round because he lacks upside, but I don’t doubt he’ll be an NHL contributor in the bottom six.
The Wild didn’t give Judd Brackett a lot to work worth, but there was value to be had with their selections.
There’s more offense to give with Theodor Hallquisth, and next season in the SHL will go a long way to determining what his NHL projection is likely to be. At minimum, he’s a reliable puck mover who has the tools to be a depth defender if his skating improves.
The real value came from selecting Adam Benak, who is one of the best skaters and smartest players in the draft class. But he’s small, so of course he fell. He was by far the most skilled player available in the fourth round, and if he grows a couple inches, he has the special talent to be a top-six player. I liked the Justin Kipkie selection; he was one of the best overage defensemen available in the draft and a worthwhile bet.
The Devils were a mixed bag, drafting guys with good value and a few head-scratchers — including a player who didn’t play a single game this season (Sigge Holmgren).
I loved the Ben Kevan selection at the end of the second round. He’s a great skater with good offensive qualities. Conrad Fondrk was another good upside bet with good passing and shooting skill. Both could become valuable members of a third line that contributes offensively.
I liked the Mason Moe and Gustav Hillstrom selections as well. They have a longer path to becoming NHL players, but both are good bets and decent value for the draft slot. The Devils did well for what they had.
Wes Clark loves to take big swings and he did it again. I absolutely love Benjamin Kindel as a player; he has real upside as a top-six forward, but I’m not convinced he’s going to be better than some of the players they left on the board. Trading down to acquire a third first-round pick was great, but again, value was left on the board.
There is little doubt Bill Zonnon is going to be an NHL player. He was in the right range and should be a valuable middle-six asset. I thought the Penguins could’ve traded back with the Will Horcoff pick, but I understand why they like him. If he hits his ceiling, he’s going to be a solid complementary player in the middle six. Failing that, he’s likely to top out in a depth role.
On Day 2, the Pens got excellent value in Charlie Trethewey, who could blossom into a fourth or fifth defender with excellent puck movement. Peyton Kettles and Quinn Beauchesne were two other selections I liked, and both have legitimate NHL upside.
Given the Mammoth’s stated goal of adding size and tenacity up front, it was not surprising to see them draft Caleb Desnoyers. I would’ve elected for Martone if size was their goal, because he’s got higher offensive upside, but Desnoyers is a solid bet to become a second-line, two-way center. He’ll shoulder all the matchup pressure and free up the likes of Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton to play offensively. It’s a very understandable pick for the Mammoth.
I loved the selection of Max Psenicka in the second round. I think he’s got a higher offensive upside than he’s given credit for, with potential to become a quality shutdown defender on the second pair. Their other selections don’t project to be NHL players, but the first two selections should be stalwarts in their lineup for years to come.
They didn’t have a lot to play with, but I loved the Jakob Ihs Wozniak and Mateo Nobert selections. Ihs Wozniak has one of the best shots in the draft and should score 20-25 goals per season in the NHL. Trading up to get a prospect who will have value around the league (before they inevitably trade him) is smart business. Getting a player with high-30s talent in the late stages of the second round is quality value.
Nobert is another offensive talent and could become a quality complementary player down the line. He was a more than reasonable bet in the third round. For what they had to work with, the Golden Knights should be happy with how they fared.
The Blue Jackets addressed a need and got great value by adding Jackson Smith in the middle of the first round. If Smith’s offense continues to develop, there’s a real chance the Blue Jackets drafted the second-best defender of the class much later than he should have gone.
The Pyotr Andreyanov pick was a head scratcher — not because I don’t believe in his potential, but because he wasn’t the top goalie on the board, and the Blue Jackets could have traded back to get him. Trading back would’ve been best if they wanted a goalie. They had an opportunity to grab the likes of Lakovic and Hensler, who would’ve been great organizational fits. Andreyanov is five or six years from playing in North America, which is a long time to wait for a first-round pick, but upside as a 1B starter is attractive.
I also think the Malte Vass selection provided value.
2:50
Johnny Gaudreau’s wife announces the Blue Jackets’ draft pick
Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau’s widow, joins the NHL draft to announce the Blue Jackets selecting Jackson Smith with the 14th pick.
The Dallas Stars’ ability to get a top-40 player despite not selecting until pick No. 94 is very Dallas Stars of them.
Cameron Schmidt, who had more than 40 goals in the WHL, is one of the best goal scorers in the draft. But he’s short, so teams decided to draft players with lower upside and projectable talent. He’s a quality skater, and players with two separating skills are almost never available at that spot. If Schmidt hits, we’re going to be talking about how the Stars “did it again” just like they did with Logan Stankoven.
Outside of that, the Stars had nothing to write home about. The selection of Schmidt alone provided the highest value in the draft from ranking and projection to selection, something the Stars are all too familiar with. At some point, the skill and upside need to outweigh the height, because too many taken before him are far less likely to become NHLers.
For what the Blues had to work with, they got some good value. I loved the selection of Justin Carbonneau at No. 19. If he puts it all together, he could be a premier power forward in the NHL with his size, skill and ability to create scoring opportunities. He has some of the best upside in the draft and could be a quality top-six forward for the Blues.
They didn’t select until much later on Day 2, but I liked the Mikhail Fyordorov selection as a reasonable bet given his production in the MHL. He’s got a long way to go, but his offensive creativity is exactly what the Blues should be swinging for.
The Canucks’ draft was fine. They left value on the board to take Braeden Cootes, but he’s going to be a solid middle-six contributor and addresses the organization’s pressing need for centers. They tried to trade that pick for immediate help, but in the end, Cootes was right in that range.
I loved the selection of Alexei Medvedev, a pick that has Ian Clark’s fingerprints all over it. He’s big and moldable and has the mental makeup to be a tandem goalie in the NHL.
In a departure from previous years, the Canucks used most of their picks on players with scoring profiles and skill, something their prospect pipeline needs. They made reasonable bets on upside picks in the middle rounds who will test their development staff. They left value on the board with Kieren Dervin and could’ve swung on Schmidt or Mooney, but overall, it was a reasonable draft.
‘C’ grades
Buffalo had a modus operandi that was quite a bit different from previous drafts, and it showed.
Radim Mrtka is a reasonable bet to play top-four minutes in the NHL and fits the profile of big and hard to play against. That was a bit high for him and left significant talent on the board, but the Sabres clearly identified Mrtka as an organizational need.
David Bedkowski was a good selection as one of the most violent, physical defenders in the draft, and if he makes it, he will fill a depth role and be a nightmare to play against. There’s a real chance that those are the only players who play NHL games for the Sabres in this draft class, as they departed from their previous MO of drafting high-end skill.
For a team that didn’t have any high picks (or many picks at all), I liked the swings the Oilers took, particularly on Tommy Lafreniere and David Lewandowski. They don’t have strong NHL projections by any means, but betting on their upside is a smart thing to do. I had those players going earlier than they did, giving the Oilers good value with their selections. If either Lafreniere or Lewandowski hit, they should provide complementary scoring in depth roles, something the Oilers will absolutely need while their contention window is open.
I debated docking the Oilers for not outbidding the Red Wings for John Gibson and addressing a significant organizational need, because the probability of Gibson helping the Oilers out in their contention window far exceeds the probability of any draft picks doing the same. With Joel Hofer re-signing with the Blues as well, the Oilers are going to have a tough time improving an area that desperately needs immediate help.
This entire grade hinges on Malcolm Spence, who provided tremendous value for the Rangers in the second round. There is little doubt he will become a middle-six pest, and if the Rangers can sort out their development issues, he’s got the chance to be a second-line winger.
Sean Barnhill is a fine selection, but probably a little high. There’s NHL potential there with his skating, but he’ll need to improve his decision making to be a depth NHL defender. I liked the swing on Mikkel Eriksen. He could fill a depth role and at least become a quality AHL player. The Rangers left value on the board at every other selection.
There’s not a ton to write home about when it comes to the Lightning’s draft class, but I really liked the Ethan Czata selection. Lightning fans love Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel, and Czata is built in that mold. He’s got good touch around the net, and if he adds speed, has all the tools to become a pesky middle-six contributor who is a nightmare to play against because of his physical nature.
I liked the swing on Benjamin Rautiainen because if he fills out, he’s a brilliant shooter with good puck skill. If he hits, he’s got the potential to be a complementary scorer in the NHL. Outside of that, he’s likely a high-end AHL player who can fill in when injuries occur.
‘D’ grades
When you win back-to-back Stanley Cups, you’re probably not going to have an elite draft because you don’t have many picks.
I’m a fan of the Shamar Moses pick: I think he provides value at that spot with an outside chance to play NHL games. The Panthers are unlikely to get NHL players from this crop of prospects, but the Moses pick bumps their grade up because he has an NHL projection in a depth role, something the Panthers will need if they intend to keep their contention window open for the next few years.
They didn’t have many picks, and I didn’t love what they did with any of them. I thought they left talent on the board with each of their selections and didn’t take any players with an NHL projection. Given their contention window and few draft picks, I would’ve liked to have seen them swing on higher upside, because contenders need to hit on those players to keep that window open longer.
Francesco Dell’Elce has a chance to be a depth defender, but as an overager, his development runway is shorter. It’s probable the Avs don’t get any NHL players from their draft, with Dell’Elce being the only one with an outside shot at bottom-pair minutes.
It seems like the Maple Leafs hired one of the best talent evaluators in hockey, but then gave him an edict instead of letting him cook. GM Brad Treliving has made it very clear that he wants size in this lineup, but the Leafs left far too much skill and upside on the board to accomplish that.
There is a very real possibility the Leafs got one depth NHL player (Tyler Hopkins) from this draft class, and that’s it. A lot of the players they selected are very raw, with size being their best attribute. When you leave players like Behm, Limatov, Thretheway, Mooney and Schmidt on the board who have legitimate NHL upside in valuable roles, it feels like a choice.
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