Emotions hit Kershaw at parade ‘long time coming’
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw approached the podium on a blue, circular stage set up in center field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, after the downtown parade he’d always wanted, with his teammates bowing from behind, and the emotions hit him.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Kershaw, his voice cracking, told a crowd of 42,448 people who showed up to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ World Series title. “I didn’t have anything to do with this championship, but it feels like I have the best feeling in the world — that I get to celebrate with you guys!”
When the Dodgers last won it all, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from enjoying most of the pageantry presented to Major League Baseball’s champion, most notably a parade. Kershaw, who had spent his prolonged career chasing a title, never got to fully enjoy a moment that admittedly lifted a massive burden off his shoulders. When the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night, it gave the franchise its first full-season championship since 1988 and provided its players with an opportunity to fully celebrate.
It probably meant most to Kershaw, even if a foot injury prevented him from helping.
“I think in 2020 there was like a sense of relief almost,” Kershaw said. “And this one — especially because my role is pretty limited, just to be able to sit back and enjoy it, you know? I think there’s just a lot more happiness, honestly. Just so happy to be able to celebrate finally. That parade was for this season, and I feel that this season was unique in its own, and we’re gonna celebrate accordingly. But 2020, too — it’s a long time coming. We had a long time coming for this parade. So to be able to finally do it — I think the build-up made it even sweeter, honestly.”
Seven double-decker buses consisting of players, family members and coaches took a two-mile route from Gloria Molina Grand Park near City Hall, down 1st Street and through Grand Avenue before making their way to Dodger Stadium at around 12:30 p.m. PT. Ice Cube, who famously kicked off Game 2 of the World Series last week, greeted them with a rendition of his iconic song “It Was A Good Day.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts danced alongside him, then went about introducing some of his key players.
Walker Buehler, who recorded the final out, wore Orel Hershiser’s grey road jersey from the 1988 World Series and yelled expletives into the microphone. Kiké Hernández, in many ways the team’s spiritual leader, stirred the crowd by prompting them to yell “we don’t give a f—,” a reference to his line during an on-field, postgame interview after a pennant-clinching victory. Shohei Ohtani navigated the parade with his dog, Decoy, in tow, then spoke English from the stage.
“This is so special for me,” Ohtani told the crowd. “I’m so honored to be here and to be part of this team. Congratulations, Los Angeles. Thank you, fans!”
Some of the biggest cheers went to Freddie Freeman, who willed his way through a litany of injuries in October and ultimately won World Series MVP. Roberts introduced Freeman as someone who “played with one leg and one rib,” a reference to his sprained right ankle and, as ESPN reported Thursday, the broken costal cartilage he sustained the night before the National League Division Series.
Roberts said the team “got out of the woods” with Freeman’s rib issue in the time off between the end of the NL Championship Series and the start of the World Series, helping Freeman launch a Kirk Gibson-style walk-off grand slam in Game 1.
“But he wasn’t nearly close to 100 percent,” Roberts added.
Neither was Kershaw, of course.
The 36-year-old left-hander underwent shoulder surgery last offseason and didn’t make his 2024 debut until late July. Then, in his seventh start, he aggravated a long-standing toe injury. Attempts to return for the postseason only led to other ailments, forcing him out for the stretch run of the season.
On Wednesday, Kershaw said, he’ll undergo surgery to fix his left foot — consisting of a bone spur and a ruptured plantar plate, among other issues — and another procedure to address a meniscus issue in his left knee.
At some point over these next few days, Kershaw will either exercise his player option for 2025 or sign a new contract to return for his 18th season with the Dodgers.
For 17 years, Kershaw established himself as one of the most monumental figures in the franchise’s illustrious history. He won three Cy Young Awards and an MVP, made 10 All-Star teams, became the all-time leader in strikeouts and accumulated the second-most wins. But he was continually part of star-studded Dodger teams that came up short in the playoffs and, fairly or not, shouldered the blame for much of it.
The 2020 championship brought him vindication.
The 2024 championship allowed him to properly celebrate.
“I knew it was gonna be a special day, all the stuff, but it was a little bit more emotional than I expected,” Kershaw said. “It’s a day that I’ll definitely never forget. You know, baseball is just a game. Everybody says that. But I don’t know, man. You look around and you see how much it means to so many different people. It might be baseball, but it means a lot to a lot of different people. I’m no different.”
The 2025 NCAA men’s hockey tournament is set, with the 16-team bracket in place and all roads leading to the Frozen Four in St. Louis.
Regional play begins Thursday, with regional finals Saturday and Sunday, and the Frozen Four will be in St. Louis on April 10 and 12. All games will air on the ESPN networks and stream on ESPN+.
The winners of the six conference tournaments win automatic NCAA berths, while the top 10 at-large teams (based on the PairWise rankings) round out the field.
Boston College, the overall No. 1 seed, will play in the Manchester, New Hampshire, regional — with Big Ten champion Michigan State (Toledo, Ohio), Hockey East champ Maine (Allentown, Pennsylvania) and NCHC champion Western Michigan (Fargo, North Dakota) earning the other three top seeds.
Denver, last year’s national champion, will defend its title as the No. 3 seed in Manchester, while UConn (No. 2 in Allentown) and Bentley (No. 4 in Manchester) are in the NCAA tournament for the first time.
Below is the schedule for entire tournament, which will be updated with results as games are played, plus a look at each of the 16 teams.
Every NCAA tournament game will be available on ESPN+. Subscribe to watch.
Schedule
All times Eastern
Toledo (Ohio) Regional
Semifinals, March 27
Boston University vs. Ohio State, 2 p.m., ESPNU
Michigan State vs. Cornell, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Final, March 29
Semifinal winners, 4 or 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Fargo (N.D.) Regional
Semifinals, March 27
Western Michigan vs. Minnesota State, 5 p.m., ESPNU
Minnesota vs. UMass, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Final, March 29
Semifinal winners, 4 or 6:30 p.m., ESPNU
Manchester (N.H.) Regional
Semifinals, March 28
Boston College vs. Bentley, 2 p.m., ESPNU
Providence vs. Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Final, March 30
Semifinal winners, 4:30 or 7 p.m., ESPN2
Allentown (Penn.) Regional
Semifinals, March 28
UConn vs. Quinnipiac, 5 p.m., ESPNU
Maine vs. Penn State, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Final, March 30
Semifinal winners, 4:30 or 7 p.m., ESPN2
FROZEN FOUR
at Enterprise Center, St. Louis
National semifinals, April 10
Manchester winner vs. Fargo winner, Time TBD, ESPN2
Toledo winner vs. Allentown winner, Time TBD, ESPN2
National championship game, April 12
Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Teams at a glance
Toledo Regional
No. 1 Michigan State
Record: 26-6-4
PairWise rating: No. 2
How the Spartans got here: Big Ten champion
Last 10 games: 6-3-1
History lesson: This is Michigan State’s 29th NCAA appearance. The Spartans have been to the Frozen Four 11 times and have won three national titles, the last in 2007. Michigan State lost to Michigan in the regional finals last season, which was its first time in the tournament since 2012.
No. 2 Boston University
Record: 21-13-2
PairWise rating: 7
How the Terriers got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 6-3-1 (lost Hockey East semifinal to Maine)
History lesson: This is BU’s 40th NCAA appearance, including three of the past four years. The Terriers have been to the Frozen Four 24 times and have won five national titles, the last in 2009. The Terriers lost in overtime to Denver in the national semifinals last season, the second straight year they lost in the national semis.
No. 3 Ohio State
Record: 24-13-2
PairWise rating: 10
How the Buckeyes got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 5-5 (lost Big Ten final to Michigan State)
History lesson: This is Ohio State’s 12th NCAA appearance and its second in three years. The Buckeyes have been to the Frozen Four twice, most recently in 2018, and have never won the national title.
No. 4 Cornell
Record: 18-10-6
PairWise rating: 17
How the Big Red got here: ECAC champion
Last 10 games: 8-2
History lesson: This is Cornell’s 27th NCAA appearance, including the past three years in a row. The Big Red have been to the Frozen Four eight times and have won the national championship twice, most recently in 1970. Cornell lost to Denver in the regional finals last season.
Fargo Regional
No. 1 Western Michigan
Record: 30-7-1
PairWise rating: 4
How the Broncos got here: NCHC champion
Last 10 games: 8-2
History lesson: This is Western Michigan’s 10th NCAA appearance, including the past four years. The Broncos lost in overtime to Michigan State in the first round last season, falling to 1-10 all time in NCAA tournament play.
No. 2 Minnesota
Record: 25-10-4
PairWise rating: 5
How the Golden Gophers got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 5-4-1 (lost Big Ten quarterfinal series to Notre Dame)
History lesson: This is Minnesota’s 42nd NCAA appearance, including the past five years. The Gophers have been to the Frozen Four 23 times and have won five national titles, the last in 2003. Minnesota lost to Boston University in the regional finals last season.
No. 3 UMass
Record: 20-13-5
PairWise rating: 11
How the Minutemen got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 5-2-3 (lost Hockey East quarterfinal to BU in overtime)
History lesson: This is UMass’ seventh NCAA appearance, including five of the past six tournaments. The Minutemen have been to the Frozen Four twice and won one national title, in 2021. UMass lost to Denver in double overtime in the first round of last year’s tournament.
No. 4 Minnesota State
Record: 27-8-3
PairWise rating: 14
How the Mavericks got here: CCHA champion
Last 10 games: 9-0-1
History lesson: This is Minnesota State’s 12th NCAA appearance, including six of the last seven tournaments. The Mavericks have been to the Frozen Four twice and are still looking for their first national championship. Minnesota State didn’t make the tournament last year and lost to St. Cloud State in the first round in 2023.
Manchester Regional
No. 1 Boston College
Record: 26-7-2
PairWise rating: 1
How the Eagles got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 6-3-1 (lost Hockey East quarterfinal to Northeastern)
History lesson: This is BC’s 39th NCAA appearance. The Eagles have been to the Frozen Four 26 times and have won five national titles, the last in 2012. BC lost to Denver 2-0 in last year’s championship game after not making the tournament the previous two years.
No. 2 Providence
Record: 21-10-5
PairWise rating: 8
How the Friars got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 5-4-1 (lost Hockey East quarterfinal to UConn)
History lesson: This is Providence’s 16th NCAA appearance, its first since 2019. The Friars have been to the Frozen Four five times and won the national title once, in 2015.
No. 3 Denver
Record: 29-11-1
PairWise rating: 9
How the Pioneers got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 7-3 (lost NCHC final to Western Michigan in double overtime)
History lesson: This is Denver’s 34th NCAA appearance, including 15 of the past 16 tournaments. The Pios have been to the Frozen Four 18 times and won 10 national titles, the most ever. Denver beat BC for the national championship last season, its second title in three years.
No. 4 Bentley
Record: 23-14-2
PairWise rating: 22
How the Falcons got here: Atlantic champion
Last 10 games: 8-2
History lesson: This is Bentley’s first NCAA appearance in the program’s 26th season in Division I and the second year with Andy Jones as coach. The Falcons have set a school record for victories and are enjoying their first winning season since 2020.
Allentown Regional
No. 1 Maine
Record: 24-7-6
PairWise rating: 3
How the Black Bears got here: Hockey East champion
Last 10 games: 6-2-2
History lesson: This is Maine’s 21st NCAA appearance. The Black Bears have been to the Frozen Four 11 times and have won two national titles, the last in 1999. Maine lost to Cornell in the first round last season, its first tournament appearance since 2012.
No. 2 UConn
Record: 22-11-4
PairWise rating: 6
How the Huskies got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 8-1-1
History lesson: This is UConn’s first NCAA appearance in the program’s 27 years in Division I. The Huskies set a school record for wins as a Div. 1 team in Mike Cavanaugh’s 11th season at the helm.
No. 3 Quinnipiac
Record: 24-11-2
PairWise ranking: 12
How the Bobcats got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 7-3 (lost ECAC semifinal to Cornell in overtime)
History lesson: This is Quinnipiac’s 11th NCAA appearance, including each of the last six tournaments. The Bobcats have been to the Frozen Four three times and won one national title, in 2023. Quinnipiac lost to Boston College in overtime in the regional finals last season.
No. 4 Penn State
Record: 20-13-4
PairWise rating: 13
How the Nittany Lions got here: At-large bid
Last 10 games: 7-2-1 (lost Big Ten semifinal to Ohio State in overtime)
History lesson: This is Penn State’s fifth NCAA appearance. In 2023, the Nittany Lions lost in the regional finals to Michigan in overtime. Penn State has never been to the Frozen Four.
ST. LOUIS — Three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Maroon said he is retiring after this season.
Maroon, who turns 37 next month, made the announcement in a pregame television interview before he and the Chicago Blackhawks played at his hometown St. Louis Blues.
“Sometimes, you’ve got to give up everything you know and everything you dreamed of your whole life,” Maroon told Darren Pang on Chicago Sports Network. “I just know it’s time for me and it’s time for my family to go start a new chapter in our lives.”
Maroon helped the Blues win their first championship in franchise history in 2019. He then joined the Tampa Bay Lightning and won back-to-back in 2020 and ’21.
Maroon became the fourth player in NHL history and first since 1964 to win the Cup three years in a row with two different teams. It was not a coincidence he revealed that he’s calling it a career while in St. Louis with family in attendance.
“It’s tough,” Maroon said. “It’s hard to go through things like this. You can’t really process it, but I think it’s special for me and my family to go start a new chapter.”
Maroon has played 1,002 regular-season and playoff games with Anaheim, Edmonton, New Jersey, St. Louis, Minnesota, Boston and Chicago after getting drafted in the sixth round in 2007 by Philadelphia.
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