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There are times when it feels like Arizona Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram materialized out of nowhere, breaking through at 26 years old to become one of the NHL’s top netminders this season.

“You get the guys who are just pure hype machines that go straight to the NHL. And then there’s the guys like us, who grind away for several years before we get an opportunity. I think there’s something to be said for them,” Ingram told ESPN. “Some guys get their opportunities early. Some guys take a couple tries before they figure it out.”

It’s taken seven professional seasons for Ingram to figure it out on the ice, through multiple AHL and ECHL stops, stints with the Nashville Predators and the Coyotes, and nine games in Sweden he’d actually rather forget about.

“Our team over there got accused of throwing games,” said Ingram. “It’s actually a crazy story.”

Ingram has also had to figure things out off the ice, where an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder and lingering depression nearly had him retire from hockey in 2021 — before he sought help.

“I tried to white knuckle it through that kind of stuff. And you can’t,” he said.

Ingram started the season with an 11-5-0 record and a .920 save percentage through 17 games. ESPN analyst and former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes called Ingram “the most underrated goalie” in the NHL this season, and a “top-tier candidate for the Vezina Trophy.” Arizona GM Bill Armstrong called him one of the most important reasons why the Coyotes were a surprising playoff contender two months into the season.

Armstrong claimed Ingram on waivers in Oct. 2022. It was out of necessity, given how thin the team was at the position. But the team’s scouts had also identified Ingram as having all the attributes they were looking for in a goaltender.

The Coyotes felt Ingram played well last season, with a .907 save percentage in 27 games and analytics showed he was above replacement level. Armstrong said Ingram returned this season “in great shape, mentally and physically,” having slimmed down a bit in the offseason.

Armstrong has always seen a similarity between hockey goalies and baseball pitchers.

“As they mature, it comes together at a certain age. Then everybody says, ‘Oh my God, who knew the 26-year-old goaltender could stop the puck?'” he said. “The right opportunity appears and they blow it out of the water.”

Armstrong has a theory that goalies, like pitchers, can get stronger mentally as they improve physically. “They sometimes have to go through all these different ups and downs in their life to learn a little bit at each time,” he said.

Like that situation in Sweden.

“The hockey itself was great,” he said. “But the end of it wasn’t fantastic.”


THE NHL WAS DARK in the fall of 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a delay in the start of the 2020-21 season. Ingram was coaching a youth hockey team in Saskatoon, where he grew up.

After being drafted 88th overall in 2016 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he had been traded to the Predators in 2019. The Predators informed him that they had found a place for Ingram to play ahead of the NHL season. Goalie Kevin Poulin had been injured while playing for Björklöven, a Swedish pro team. They were looking for a quick fix in goal. Ingram took the offer and traveled overseas.

It was December 2020. Björklöven was second in the league standings for Swedish Allsvenskan, a second-tier league. They were playing a lesser opponent in Mora and built a 3-0 lead during the game.

But something odd was happening in the betting markets during the game.

While Björklöven opened on one sportsbook as a -130 favorite, they were only a -150 favorite having built that considerable lead. Normally, the money line remaining that low would indicate that significant money was being placed on the underdog to rally in the game. But logic dictated they would not.

So, it was curious. Very curious. It got to the point where some sportsbooks were taking the game off their boards because of this seeming inexplicable wagering pattern, given the circumstances of the game.

Mora would, in fact, rally. They scored eight straight goals to win 8-4. Six of the goals were scored on the power play. Ingram gave up five goals on 14 shots in the game before being pulled. As Sportsnet noted at the time, it was Ingram’s final start for the team before his loan agreement to the club expired.

In the aftermath of the loss and the suspicious wagering activity, there were accusations made about Björklöven throwing the game. The team’s CEO, Anders Blomberg, was quick to welcome an investigation into the allegations from the league and the betting company.

“If it turns out to be true, it is of course completely unacceptable and something that must never occur in our association,” he said.

Two days after the allegations were made against Björklöven, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced the team and its players had been cleared of any wrongdoing. It found no evidence of match-fixing and reported that the incident was “based on human error” at one of the betting companies.

Unfortunately for Ingram, his reputation had already been seriously damaged. An erroneous report by a Swedish radio station claimed that Ingram had been “fired” after the game by Björklöven for throwing the game.

“This news outlet had our GM’s number. It sent him a text asking if I was involved in [match-fixing], since I was the last guy there on an NHL deal,” Ingram said. “Our GM texted them back and was like, ‘Yep, he already admitted to it. It was totally him. We’ve caught him. He’s going back home or whatever.'”

Except it turned out this was not an SMS conversation between the station and Björklöven general manager Per Kenttä. The unknown person on the other end of the messages answered questions “in a credible way,” as the station later noted in a correction. But it was a wrong number.

“They texted this number thinking it was our GM and whoever this number was just f—ing buried me for no reason. They were just like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna have fun with this’ and it almost ended my career. All this stuff comes out about how I’m throwing games. It got picked up back in North America,” Ingram said.

The investigation had cleared the team, and hence had cleared Ingram. Blomberg told Sports Expressen that the radio station report was made on “completely incorrect grounds and on sloppy journalistic work.”

Ingram said the news outlet reached out to him after realizing its mistake.

“They sent me like an email just being like, ‘We’re so sorry we used your name. We had false information. Like, please don’t sue us,'” he summarized.

When Ingram received that email, he was already back in the U.S. with the Predators. He considered continuing the fight to clear his name but was advised by the team not to bring even more attention to the accusations. No action was taken.

“I don’t even know if I’m allowed back in Sweden. I might be on an Interpol list somewhere,” he said. “So that was a tough couple days in my life.”

They’d just get tougher for Ingram.


INGRAM HAD RETURNED TO Nashville after that Sweden debacle, around Christmas time. He wasn’t feeling right. He hadn’t been for a while.

The NHL opened its 2020-21 season in January, a 56-game campaign shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each team was allowed to expand its roster to include a taxi squad in anticipation of COVID-related absences. Ingram was on the Predators’ taxi squad during an early season road trip to Dallas. That’s where he had a heart-to-heart with goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok.

“I just said I didn’t want to do it anymore. That I was ready to go home,” Ingram said.

The two talked more, in depth, about everything that Ingram had been thinking and feeling about his life.

Vanderklok suggested Ingram enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program for help. Ingram credits that as a turning point in his life and career.

“He sent me there instead of letting me retire, and I wouldn’t be here without him,” the goalie said.

He arrived at the program ready to work on what he perceived to be a problem with alcohol.

“I got there and the lady was like, ‘You don’t have a problem with this. You don’t drink every day. You have an OCD problem,'” he said. “And I was like, ‘Whoa, wait, what does that mean?'”

Ingram learned that he had been living with undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder. He then learned how to define those aspects of his life that were spiraling. He learned about completion tendencies and his “all or nothing” feelings. He came to understand his fear of contamination. He learned where his idiosyncrasies as a goalie ended and his OCD began.

“They obviously overlapped for me. I’m a big routine guy and there’s a line between routine and superstition, where if things don’t go right, then it can cause problems,” Ingram said. “Having a routine is a good thing. Having superstitions of what time you go to bed or what numbers are bad are obviously a different story. At the time, I had no idea of the difference and now like I kind of decipher and decide what’s real or not.”

Ingram said he learned that along with his OCD, he was dealing with depression, much of it linked to the 2018 bus accident involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team.

Sixteen people were killed and 13 more were injured when a semi-truck that failed to yield at a flashing stop sign struck a coach bus carrying the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team. Ingram, a native of Saskatchewan, briefly played in the SJHL during the 2013-14 season.

“I was close with a lot of those Humboldt Broncos guys. I lost some really good friends,” he said. “Those kids are my age. A lot of guys I played with.”

While people around the hockey world were leaving sticks outside their front doors in honor the Broncos, Ingram left his goalie mask outside of his as tribute. Logan Schatz, the captain of the team, was a friend.

The only loss Ingram had experienced at that point in his life was losing his grandparents when he was younger. He had never even conceived of a loss like the Humboldt tragedy, or how he’d react to it.

“That was something that I just kind of buried and went about my life,” Ingram said. “It wasn’t great. I was trying to [deal with] it on my own, and obviously I couldn’t.”

Armstrong said the Coyotes were aware of Ingram’s personal history when they claimed him on waivers.

“But we were also aware of the new Connor,” Armstrong said. “We were impressed by who he was on the day that we took him. He’s really at a good place in his life.”


ARMSTRONG SAID INGRAM’S greatest attribute is his hockey IQ, which can be a deciding factor in a goalie’s NHL success. It’s something Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur helped Armstrong understand when they were both executives with the St. Louis Blues, working on their draft board.

“I went to watch this particular goaltender in the draft, and he said that goalie could never be a starter. I asked him why, and Marty said that he used too much energy to make saves,” Armstrong recalled. “That there was no way he could play the next night or in back-to-back games because he uses too much energy.”

“Connor doesn’t use a lot of energy because his reads are so accurate,” he continued. “When he’s on, the game is very simple for him, and he makes all the saves look extremely easy because of his hockey IQ and tracking the play. It’s off the charts.”

His strong play early on has helped steady the Coyotes, enabling them to contend in the West.

The Coyotes’ season started off unusually, with their preseason trip to Australia for two exhibition games to playing 11 of their first 17 regular-season games on the road. They were a team with a ton of new faces, from veteran offseason acquisitions like defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Jason Zucker to rookie sensation Logan Cooley, who left college to join the Coyotes this season.

Off the ice was the usual uncertainty about the franchise: Voters rejected an arena plan for Tempe, the team vowed to bring an alternative plan to the NHL by midseason, and the Coyotes are playing their second straight season in Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University.

“I think the team was really kind of fragile. Kind of searching for how good they were,” Armstrong said.

Through 27 games, they’ve learned they’re pretty good. The Coyotes, who have made the playoff once in the last 11 seasons, entered Tuesday with a 13-12-2 record (.519 points percentage) that had them in the first wild-card spot in the West, six points behind the Winnipeg Jets for third place in the Central Division.

“It’s been good. I mean, the vibe is always better when you’re winning,” Ingram said. “Just being around the guys when things are going well has been a lot of fun.”

It’s taken a while for the Coyotes to contend again. It’s taken a while for Ingram to make his mark as an NHL goalie.

“You can’t make a seed grow,” said Armstrong. “It kind of does on its own, when it wants to.”

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.

On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.

With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet

Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.

Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.


2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.


2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.


2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.


2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet

Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.

Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.


2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet

Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.

Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.


2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.

Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet

Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.

Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.

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Reds’ Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

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Reds' Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.

He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees.

An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.

The Reds were 7-4 in his absence.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who hasn’t played since Noelvi Marte returned from the IL on July 4, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

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Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

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Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen was scratched from Saturday’s start due to an illness.

Left-hander Angel Zerpa replaced Lorenzen for the game against the visiting New York Mets.

Lorenzen, 33, is 5-8 with a 4.61 ERA through 18 starts this season.

Zerpa, 25, is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 40 appearances out of the bullpen this season. His last start was in August 2023.

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