Inside Chandler Stephenson’s rise to stardom with the Golden Knights
-
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter
HENDERSON, Nev. — All it takes is walking a few paces to discover the dressing room at the Vegas Golden Knights‘ training facility is designed to attract attention.
Everything about this cavernous space is sleek. From the team’s alternate logo etched in black within the steel gray wooden dressing room stalls, down to the contemporary carpet tile patterns that are largely black, steel gray and white along with slivers of red and gold that match the full array of the Golden Knights’ color scheme.
Nothing about this room is subtle, which makes Chandler Stephenson‘s presence even more ironic. Then again, subtlety is the prism through which Stephenson operates. Consider all the names that are on the Golden Knights’ roster. It’s likely Stephenson’s might not be among the first, second or even third to get mentioned.
At 6 feet, he’s one of the shortest players on the NHL’s fourth-tallest roster, and his salary-cap hit isn’t even in the top 10 on the team. Now, guess who led all Golden Knights forwards in the regular season in 5-on-5 and power-play minutes while being second in short-handed minutes?
It’s the same person who led the Golden Knights in assists, was second in points and currently leads them in postseason goals. He also has more goals (six) through nine playoff games this year than he had in his previous 66 postseason contests combined (five) — and that’s with a Stanley Cup on his résumé.
“He has no ceiling. His ability to do what he does, his skill set, the way he handles the puck, the way he reads the play, he’s a star,” Golden Knights forward Brett Howden said of Stephenson. “He’s a star in this league. He was given the opportunity here to play with confidence, make mistakes, have that be all right and to push past that, and it just adds to his confidence.”
Again, subtlety. How Stephenson operates is why his play has become one of the more fascinating stories in these Stanley Cup playoffs. Further evaluating that impact is complicated by the realization that there are other ways of quantifying his contributions.
Teammate Jack Eichel rattles off all the details that make Stephenson such a strong player, to the point Eichel shares how he told his dad one day, “This Stephenson is a player.” Mark Stone speaks about Stephenson, who is one of his close friends and also his linemate, on a level that is both grand and granular. Howden, who sits next to Stephenson at the practice facility, can do more than just rave about Stephenson’s game. He’s also forthcoming about how Stephenson has become his mentor.
“I think the thing that a lot of people don’t understand is he creates a lot of space for his linemates by skating to the middle of the ice,” Stone said. “He gets deep, gets the defense on their heels and that’s what he’s done a really good job with here. You put him in the middle of the ice at center and he backs people off with his speed. He’s also able to handle the puck at that speed, which is something not a lot of people can do.”
Some wondered if the 64 points that Stephenson scored in the 2021-22 season might have been an anomaly for a forward who entered that campaign with 90 career points in five seasons. He silenced those concerns with 65 points this season and made his first NHL All-Star Game appearance.
Stephenson is, much like Nevada itself, “battle born,” as one of the state’s nicknames attests.
“I think it’s just I got a really good opportunity when I came here,” Stephenson said. “It was just sort of this, ‘Let’s see what you got’ and they just let me play. I already had three years with Washington. I knew what to expect, knew how the games were played, how fast it was, physical and all that stuff. But when I came here, I felt like myself and that I could just play.”
TO FULLY UNDERSTAND Stephenson’s place in Vegas, one must consider the circumstances that led to him coming to the Golden Knights in the first place.
In the 2010s, the Washington Capitals were at a perpetual convergence point. Armed with a pair of franchise cornerstones in Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals had to compete with the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins, all of whom won multiple championships in the span.
Trying to keep up meant hitting in the draft, then developing those homegrown talents into significant contributors. Travis Boyd, Andre Burakovsky, Filip Forsberg, Philipp Grubauer, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Zach Sanford, Vitek Vanecek, Jakub Vrana and Tom Wilson all were drafted by the Capitals over a five-year window.
Stephenson was also part of that group. He was a third-round pick in 2012 who projected as a potential middle-six forward at a time when the Capitals were drafting and developing players like a factory trying to meet a deadline.
Those promising prospects became NHL contributors, with a number of them — including Stephenson — playing a role in the Capitals winning the Stanley Cup following the 2017-18 season. Led by Ovechkin and Backstrom, the Caps had 15 homegrown players on the team that won the first title in franchise history.
Having those players, however, came with a cost. Whether those players were seeking an increase in their role, salary or both, the Capitals could not afford to keep everyone. Stephenson fit into both categories — the Caps wanted to get his $1.05 million cap hit off the books and he was in a limited role on a team that already had Backstrom, Kuznetsov and Lars Eller down the middle.
So the Capitals parted with a future All-Star, sending Stephenson to the Golden Knights during the 2019-20 season for a 2021 fifth-round pick.
“The team we had in Washington was loaded,” Stephenson said. “It was tough to slot into some of those spots. Just as it went on, it was tough for me to just play there toward the end because you’re not really just playing. You’re thinking more about trying to stay in the lineup, get up in the lineup, you’re overthinking things.”
Stephenson said when he came to Vegas, there were no expectations, meaning he could just play his game.
The results were instant. He went from having four points in 24 games with the Capitals to eight goals and 22 points in 41 games with the Golden Knights while receiving nearly four minutes more ice time per game.
How he followed that up in the pandemic-truncated 2020-21 season might have previewed what was to come. Stephenson scored a career-high 14 goals and a career-high 35 points in 51 games while averaging 18:05 in ice time, the most of his career. The next season (2021-22) saw Stephenson top those marks with career highs in goals (21), assists (43), points (64), games played (79) and ice time (19:18).
“I remember when I came here last year and you only play Vegas a few times a year and when you are on the East Coast, you don’t watch them a ton,” Eichel said. “I was taken aback by how good he was. Just getting on the ice with him in practice and seeing how fluid his skating is and seeing how effortless his skill is, his hockey IQ and his strength.”
Stephenson is one of those complete, two-way centers executives want on their roster — and with good reason. Depth might be the Golden Knights’ strongest asset. They have 12 players who scored more than 10 goals in the regular season, and one of them — Paul Cotter — has yet to even play a game in the postseason.
Vegas has the sort of depth down the middle that allows it to have Eichel anchoring the top line, Stephenson driving the second line, William Karlsson on the third line and Nicolas Roy on the fourth. That’s four centers who each finished with more than 14 goals in the regular season and can be trusted to play in a number of scenarios.
Stephenson is one of several players who have blossomed after coming to Vegas and become an integral part of the franchise’s success.
“You ask a lot of guys around the league, and it’s nice when you get to play with a guy for an extended period of time,” Stone said. “That’s not just 10 games, 20 games. That’s years. You see it with [Patrice] Bergeron and [Brad] Marchand in Boston. [Reilly] Smith, Karlsson and [Jonathan] Marchessault here. They’re not playing together now, but they’ve played together for four or five years and they’ve had success. … That’s how you develop that high-end chemistry that allows you to know where a guy is going to be.”
NEED ANOTHER WAY to measure Stephenson’s impact? Go ask Howden. He will describe how Stephenson is one of Golden Knights’ quieter personalities but is capable of delivering a good one-liner when the time is right.
Howden will also share how their relationship has gone from that of teammates to something far more meaningful than just wearing the same sweater. It started when Howden was traded by the New York Rangers to the Golden Knights before the start of the 2021-22 campaign.
“I was pretty nervous, and having him to look up to and for him to help me out made me feel comfortable,” Howden said. “He’s been great to me.”
Would it be fair to say Stephenson has mentored Howden?
“Yeah, for sure he has,” Howden said. “I think as I got more comfortable and he helped me get out of my shell a little bit, I was just able to be myself. Whether it was him sitting next to me when I was fresh and new here last year, I’m more of a quiet guy and I’m shy. I think he kind of helped me get me out of my shell. … He’s really helped me come a long way.”
Stephenson speaks with a level of context and depth that can leave the person he’s speaking with wanting to hear more. Howden knows this, and he said it’s why he has leaned on Stephenson for advice about what comes with being a first-time father trying to juggle a career as a pro hockey player.
Exactly how does Stephenson manage that himself? How does he balance having the success he has sought for years while also handling what comes with being a father?
“Having a little guy now, that’s kind of everything,” Stephenson said. “In a way, that’s the only thing that matters.”
Stephenson and his wife, Tasha, became first-time parents last May. They were going through possible names, and in the last three months of Tasha’s pregnancy, they came up with the name Ford, which Stephenson liked.
“Just seeing him and his personality, he just looked like a Ford,” Stephenson said. Does that mean he looks like a Mustang?
“He’s an F-150!” Stephenson said with a giant grin. “He’s now the reason why I do it. He’s the reason I play games. He’s the reason why I am excited to have a long career. Having him around now, that’s kind of everything. Hockey is second. Family is No. 1 for me.”
-
Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
The midway point of the 2024-25 NHL occurred recently, which led to a slew of content this week: Midseason grades for all 32 teams, the Panic Meter, and the Wyshynski Awards at midseason.
But which fantasy players have been the MVP at this juncture?
In this week’s edition of the Power Rankings, we have identified that player for each club. And a reminder, it’s not too late to sign up for a team!
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 10. Points percentages and paces are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 72.22%
Tom Wilson, RW. It’s honestly hard to pick one Capital for this fantasy MVP award, as it’s been such a great season. Logan Thompson, Connor McMichael, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun … even an injury-shortened run from Alex Ovechkin has been epic so far. But Wilson is the team’s fantasy leader as of Wednesday, with one more fantasy point than Thompson, so let’s acknowledge the effort.
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 18), @ EDM (Jan. 21), @ SEA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 70.65%
Connor Hellebuyck, G. He’s not just the Jets’ fantasy MVP, he’s easily the NHL fantasy MVP this season! Hellebuyck has a 35-point lead on Nathan MacKinnon for the most overall fantasy points and is pushing into territory we haven’t seen in the modern NHL. Carey Price has the 15-year water mark at 313.6 fantasy points in 2014-15 and Hellebuyck is on pace to beat it.
Next eight days: vs. CGY (Jan. 18), @ UTA (Jan. 20), @ COL (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 69.32%
Jack Eichel, C. Health has been a big reason why, but it’s still a shock to think that Eichel hasn’t scored more than 82 points in a season. Well, he’s going to blow the doors off that career mark this campaign as he’s well on his way to triple digits!
Next eight days: @ CAR (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 18), vs. STL (Jan. 20), @ STL (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 67.78%
Leon Draisaitl, C. Chicken or egg, we may never know, but Draisaitl is the easy pick from the Oilers even though he’s on a team with the consensus best player on the planet. His fantasy returns are through the roof and he’s dominating in the offensive categories at a per-game rate only eclipsed by two other players. No one is sad even if he was picked first overall at the draft — which he probably wasn’t.
Next eight days: @ VAN (Jan. 18), vs. WSH (Jan. 21), vs. VAN (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 64.77%
Jake Oettinger, G. It hasn’t been a straight line to get there, but here at the halfway mark, Oettinger is the top-five goaltender we drafted. That’s worthy of fantasy MVP on a team with most of the other personnel putting up totals that lag behind last season.
Next eight days: @ COL (Jan. 18), vs. DET (Jan. 19), vs. CAR (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 64.44%
Kirill Kaprizov, LW. He’s missed 10 games and still has the lead in fantasy points for the Wild, though Filip Gustavsson might catch him). Actually, if Kaprizov wasn’t so extremely dialed in, Gustavsson may have been worthy of the nod here for answering the bell as the unquestioned starter after a down season in 2023-24.
Next eight days: @ NSH (Jan. 18), @ COL (Jan. 20), vs. UTA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 61.70%
Jacob Markstrom, G. Forget fantasy MVP, maybe just plain MVP. The Devils knew they needed a reliable goalie to change their fortunes in the standings, and Markstrom has more than filled that void. It’s a bonus for us in the fantasy game that the results have translated well and he’s (distant, admittedly) second to Connor Hellebuyck among all goalies.
Next eight days: vs. PHI (Jan. 18), vs. OTT (Jan. 19), vs. BOS (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 63.04%
Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, G. Maybe the fantasy MVP should be coach Craig Berube, who brought his defensive stylings to a team that seemed to have had an appetite for it all along. Both Stolarz and Woll have proven to be worthy of fantasy rosters — especially in leagues that allow daily lineup changes to pick the actual starter. They rank fourth and 13th respectively for fantasy points per game.
Next eight days: @ MTL (Jan. 18), vs. TB (Jan. 20), vs. CBJ (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 61.11%
Shayne Gostisbehere, D. Averaging half a point per game with the man advantage, Gostisbehere is just what the Hurricanes needed to elevate their special teams this season. He’s not just a great fantasy starter, but he’s lifted all boats for the Hurricanes by making the power play more dangerous. That’s true fantasy MVP status.
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 17), @ CHI (Jan. 20), @ DAL (Jan. 21), vs. CBJ (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 65.48%
Brandt Clarke, D. Though the sun is setting on his time in the spotlight and one could argue it’s been fading since his early season returns, Clarke did a stand-up job of filling in for Drew Doughty as the Kings power-play quarterback until the veteran returns, which for the record, is expected to be soon.
Next eight days: @ SEA (Jan. 18), vs. PIT (Jan. 20), vs. FLA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 59.78%
Nathan MacKinnon, C. One of only two skaters averaging 3.0 fantasy points per game, MacKinnon is a fantasy MVP even relative to his starting value, which couldn’t possibly have been any higher for the top player drafted in most leagues. There are no complaints if you want to give this to Mikko Rantanen or Cale Makar, who are right there with him.
Next eight days: vs. DAL (Jan. 18), vs. MIN (Jan. 20), vs. WPG (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 59.78%
Sam Reinhart, RW. Leon Draisaitl, Alex Ovechkin, Dany Heatley … Reinhart? If he keeps up his current pace, he’ll join an exclusive group of players with consecutive 50-goal seasons in the post-lockout era. How’s that for an answer as to whether he can repeat his fantasy value from his contract season?
Next eight days: vs. ANA (Jan. 18), @ ANA (Jan. 21), @ LA (Jan. 22)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 59.30%
Nikita Kucherov, RW. Life without Steven Stamkos has been just fine for Kucherov, as Jake Guentzel has filled the void on the power play. He joins only Nathan MacKinnon in the rarified air of earning 3.0 fantasy points per game as a skater. Brandon Hagel emerging as a fantasy lock would be another consideration here, but Kucherov is too good to pass on.
Next eight days: vs. DET (Jan. 18), @ TOR (Jan. 20), @ MTL (Jan. 21)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 55.68%
Jonathan Huberdeau, LW. Cast aside after the terrible fantasy showing last season, Huberdeau was widely available for fantasy teams when it became clear he was having a bounce-back campaign. Rookie Dustin Wolf was an equally eligible choice here as he continues his takeover of the crease.
Next eight days: @ WPG (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 54.55%
Kevin Lankinen, G. Although the fantasy value is starting to fade as Thatcher Demko creeps back into the picture, Lankinen was a boon to rosters for months as his replacement. And it was a very late replacement, as he wasn’t even on the Canucks roster until after some fantasy drafts. But with Demko still not seemingly 100 percent, maybe the ride isn’t over.
Next eight days: vs. EDM (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 21), @ EDM (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 55.56%
Zach Werenski, D. Mike Green’s 31 goals in 2008-09 still stands as the 21st century mark to beat for a defender. Werenski picked up two on Tuesday to put him on pace for 28. The results are only made better by the fact that he was a typically an 11th round draft pick in most leagues.
Next eight days: @ NYR (Jan. 18), @ NYI (Jan. 20), @ TOR (Jan. 22), @ CAR (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 54.55%
Brady Tkachuk, LW. Five-category forwards are a rare commodity, but Tkachuk checks all the boxes for fantasy production. But he’s not just checking them, he’s filling the boxes in with a permanent Sharpie and signing them. He’s top 10 in both shots on goal and hits!
Next eight days: vs. BOS (Jan. 18), @ NJ (Jan. 19), @ NYR (Jan. 21), @ BOS (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 53.26%
David Pastrnak, RW. Like … who else are we going to pick? Jeremy Swayman and Elias Lindholm are falling way short of high hopes, Charlie McAvoy — just placed on the IR — and Brad Marchand are treading water for value. Pasta hasn’t been as dominant as his recent seasons, but you probably aren’t mad you picked him for your team, which is going to have to be good enough for fantasy MVP here.
Next eight days: @ OTT (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 20), @ NJ (Jan. 22), vs. OTT (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.55%
Lane Hutson, D. It took him a little bit of time, but Hutson climbed the depth chart to the top of the blue line and is reaping the rewards. He has been a top-10 fantasy defenseman for the past month with 2.3 fantasy points per game and leads all Habs in fantasy points over that span.
Next eight days: vs. TOR (Jan. 18), vs. NYR (Jan. 19), vs. TB (Jan. 21), @ DET (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 52.27%
Moritz Seider, D. With the way the offense has turned around after the coaching change, this answer might be different in a couple of weeks (Patrick Kane?), but for now, Seider returning the top-five defenseman value we hoped for is fantasy MVP-worthy.
Next eight days: @ TB (Jan. 18), @ DAL (Jan. 19), @ PHI (Jan. 21), vs. MTL (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 52.17%
Dylan Holloway, C. After getting modest chances in Edmonton with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, it was far from expected that Holloway would start producing once he escaped them. Holloway ranks third on the Blues in total fantasy points and has only been improving his output as the season progresses — as in, this might not even be the ceiling yet.
Next eight days: @ UTA (Jan. 18), @ VGK (Jan. 20), vs. VGK (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 51.14%
Will Cuylle, LW. Frankly, Cuylle shouldn’t be on fantasy rosters anymore since his early-season hot streak inevitably petered out, but giving him the fantasy MVP nod here is a message to the rest of the Rangers. No one has met, let alone exceeded fantasy hopes on this roster this season. Vincent Trocheck is just starting to get to a good place, but it’s thumbs down all around after him.
Next eight days: vs. CBJ (Jan. 18), @ MTL (Jan. 19), vs. OTT (Jan. 21), vs. PHI (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 50.00%
Travis Sanheim, D. While Travis Konecny is the team leader for fantasy, he was also a popular pick at drafts. Sanheim was a bench addition defenseman in most leagues — if he was even drafted at all. Well, here he is, sandwiched between Quinn Hughes and Roman Josi for total fantasy points from the blue line at the halfway mark.
Next eight days: @ NJ (Jan. 18), vs. DET (Jan. 21), @ NYR (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 48.86%
Ian Cole, D. Cole is easily having the quietest fantasy campaign in the league. He ranks 19th in fantasy points among all defensemen, yet remains available in 60% of leagues. The fuel for his performance are his 124 blocked shots, which rank second overall to Jacob Trouba. Cole even has more fantasy points than any forward on Utah’s roster.
Next eight days: vs. STL (Jan. 18), vs. WPG (Jan. 20), @ MIN (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 47.83%
Rickard Rakell, RW. He was on radars at the start of the season, but he may not have even been in many top-five lists for Penguins with the most fantasy potential. So to have Rakell not only doing well, but leading the entire team in fantasy points — by a healthy margin — is fantastic news for those that picked him up in the early going. Heck, Rakell is 11th among all skaters in fantasy scoring!
Next eight days: @ BUF (Jan. 17), @ WSH (Jan. 18), @ LA (Jan. 20), @ ANA (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 46.59%
Anders Lee, LW. With only Lee and Noah Dobson approaching 2.0 fantasy points per game — and barely — across the Islanders’ entire roster, we don’t really have a choice but to go with Lee for the fantasy MVP, as we expected more from Dobson. But long story short, if Ilya Sorokin isn’t the fantasy MVP in an Isles season, we know things aren’t going to plan.
Next eight days: vs. SJ (Jan. 18), vs. CBJ (Jan. 20)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 44.57%
Joey Daccord, G. Look, the Kraken are an example of playing above the sum of its parts, but it means there are no superstars here. No player averages more than 1.7 fantasy points per game, which means some shallow leagues might be better off with no Kraken on any rosters. That said, Daccord has been an above average secondary fantasy goaltender when deployed with focus.
Next eight days: vs. LA (Jan. 18), vs. BUF (Jan. 20), vs. WSH (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 46.67%
Jackson LaCombe, D. Before the season, if you had to guess the young defender that would the Ducks’ fantasy MVP at the halfway mark, LaCombe might have been your third guess. He’s playing top-pair minutes with Radko Gudas and patrolling the blue line on the power play to the tune of 1.9 fantasy points per game.
Next eight days: @ FLA (Jan. 18), vs. FLA (Jan. 21), vs. PIT (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 44.32%
Jason Zucker, LW. A prime choice in deep-league fantasy games, Zucker has a lot going for him amongst a disappointing showing from his teammates in fantasy. A freebie pickup with 1.7 fantasy points per game? Nice. Gets most of his points on the power play? Excellent. Eligible at both LW and RW for leagues that use those? Beauty!
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 17), @ SEA (Jan. 20), @ VAN (Jan. 21), @ CGY (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 42.05%
Roman Josi, D. Even though he ranks ninth among blueliners for fantasy points and is behind his pace from last season, Josi is as close to a fantasy MVP as we’ll get with this club. Maybe better days are ahead, but the Predators are a lesson in not betting too strongly on fantasy returns based on offseason moves.
Next eight days: vs. MIN (Jan. 18), vs. SJ (Jan. 21), @ SJ (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.17%
Jake Walman, D. An extraordinarily pleasant surprise on the Sharks’ blue line, Walman is running the power play, firing shots, scoring goals and blocking shots. He wasn’t on any preseason shortlists as a sleeper, so to be getting quality production out of him as a free-agent addition has been helpful to those who jumped on board.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 18), @ BOS (Jan. 20), @ NSH (Jan. 21), vs. NSH (Jan. 23)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 34.44%
Alex Vlasic, D. The results are dipping of late, but Vlasic was a solid play overall this season, especially when Seth Jones was out of the lineup. Vlasic ranks second on the team in fantasy points and was even tied with Connor Bedard for the lead as recently as Dec. 27.
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 18), vs. CAR (Jan. 20)
-
Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
LSU freshman quarterback Colin Hurley was found unresponsive but breathing by LSU police and the Baton Rouge Fire Department just before 3 a.m. on Thursday following a car crash near the gates of the LSU campus, according to a crash report.
Hurley was taken out of his Dodge Charger by EMS and fire department personnel and transported to a Baton Rouge area hospital.
The cause of the crash has not been released. LSU school officials said they were unable to comment because Hurley, 17, is still a minor. Hurley’s parents were on their way to Baton Rouge.
“We are working through proper protocols with his family before we can have any comment,” LSU senior associate athletic director and chief communications officer Zach Greenwell told ESPN via text message.
Hurley, who is from Jacksonville, Florida, signed with LSU as part of the 2024 recruiting class and did not play this season as a true freshman.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports10 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway