Johnson, Leiter headline Mets Hall of Fame class
NEW YORK — Howard Johnson and Al Leiter were inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame prior to the team’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
Johnson played for New York from 1985 through 1993. He ranks third in team history with 202 stolen bases and fourth in homers (192) and RBIs (629). Leiter grew up a Mets fan in New Jersey before pitching for the team from 1998 through 2004.
The 62-year-old Johnson played his first big league game in 1982 for the Detroit Tigers and his last one with the Chicago Cubs in 1995.
“There’s probably not a day goes by that you don’t think about that — being able to play the game that we did when we were 25, play at that level,” Johnson said. “Every time you get out of bed is a reminder that was a long time ago. It’s almost like two different people. And the older we get, that person goes further and further away.”
Johnson and Leiter were joined in the 2023 class by broadcasters Gary Cohen and Howie Rose, who have called the team’s games on radio and television since 1989 and 1995, respectively. Longtime media relations executive Jay Horwitz also was honored with a Hall of Fame achievement award.
Johnson had three seasons with the Mets with at least 30 homers and 30 steals, fourth-most all time behind Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds and Alfonso Soriano.
“There are very few players in the history of the game who have been switch hitters with the power and speed that HoJo brought to the table,” Cohen said. “To be a three-time 30/30 player is an extraordinary feat.”
Leiter ranks sixth on the team lists for wins (95) and starts (213) and eighth in strikeouts (1,106). He started Games 1 and 5 of the 2000 Subway Series, throwing 142 pitches in the latter game and taking the loss when Luis Sojo hit a two-run single in the eighth inning to give the Yankees their third straight championship.
“I truly gave everything on every pitch,” said Leiter, who ended his acceptance speech by referencing “Meet The Mets,” the team’s famous rally song. “I wasn’t the best, but I gave you my best.”
Rose and Cohen each grew up in Queens as Mets fans attending games at Shea Stadium and watching and listening to the team’s original broadcasters — Bob Murphy, Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner.
“Well, the whole thing is more than just a little bit surreal,” Rose said.
Cohen was Murphy’s radio partner from 1989 through 2003, when Murphy retired and was replaced by Rose, who moved over from the television booth.
“I am just a kid from Queens,” Cohen said during his acceptance speech. “I got lucky. I am one of you.”
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Ryan S. Clark
Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno will miss four weeks after injuring his hand Saturday in his team’s 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, coach Jeff Blashill said.
Foligno, 38, suffered the injury with 90 seconds left in the second period when he was skating near the top of the Blackhawks’ defensive zone and Jake McCabe‘s shot on net deflected off Foligno’s hand.
Foligno immediately hunched over and favored his hand while skating back to the Blackhawks’ bench. Foligno, who did not return for the third period, finished with three shots on goal and logged 10:41 in ice time.
The absence of Foligno, who has six points in 15 games, means the Blackhawks will be without their fourth-line center who was anchoring a combination featuring Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert. His injury is also the second to impact the Blackhawks’ forward group with winger Jason Dickinson currently on injured reserve.
After finishing last season with the second-fewest points in the NHL, the Blackhawks (9-5-4) have emerged into one of the biggest surprises through the first quarter of the regular season. With their win against the Maple Leafs, they enter Sunday third in the Central Division and a point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken in the Western Conference wild-card race.
New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes had successful surgery on his finger Saturday, the team announced. The expected recovery time is eight weeks, though he will be reevaluated in six weeks.
According to sources, Hughes injured his hand in a “freak accident” that involved getting cut by glass at a team dinner Thursday.
Hughes’ procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
The 24-year-old was off to a terrific start for New Jersey, which is 12-4-1 and atop the Metropolitan Division entering Friday. The American-born star has 10 goals and 20 points in his first 17 games.
The injury will create an interesting predicament for Team USA ahead of the 2026 Olympics in Milan. Hughes’ brother, Quinn, has already been named to the team while the Devils star was expected to be a front-runner for the roster. Federations must submit rosters by Dec. 31. The Devils’ projected return-to-play timeline is around the second week of January. The Olympic men’s hockey tournament begins Feb. 11.
Olympic rosters feature 25 players, which is two more spots than teams had at Four Nations.
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Ryan S. Clark
Center David Kampf signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, just a day after the Toronto Maple Leafs terminated his previous deal.
Kampf, whose deal with the Canucks will carry a $1.1 million cap hit, was entering the third year of his four-year contract with the Maple Leafs that was worth $2.4 million annually.
The Leafs waived Kampf before the season, and he began the year with their AHL affiliate. Kampf played four games in the AHL before taking a voluntary leave of absence, which wasn’t sanctioned by the Leafs, to evaluate his options.
Kampf, who scored 5 goals and 13 points in 59 games last season, gives the Canucks a two-way center who has logged more than 110 short-handed minutes in seven straight seasons.
The Canucks have faced defensive challenges under first-year coach Adam Foote, who already has had to navigate injuries to Filip Chytil, Thatcher Demko, Derek Forbort, Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes, among others.
Entering Saturday, the Canucks were allowing 3.53 goals per game, which is the fifth most in the NHL, while their penalty kill is the worst in the league at 66.1%. The Los Angeles Kings set the NHL record for the worst penalty kill in league history with a 68.2% success rate in the 1979-80 campaign.
Kampf also provides a veteran presence at center for the Canucks, who entered the season with questions at the position. Those concerns have intensified with Teddy Blueger and Chytil on injured reserve.
Entering Saturday, the Canucks (8-9-2) had the second-fewest points in the Pacific Division but were two points behind the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets for Western Conference wild-card spots.
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