Jun. 27—GRAND FORKS — Carson Carels was sitting at his Manitoba farm, watching the NHL Draft with family and friends on Friday night.

He watched Hockey Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald walk up on stage at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., take the microphone and call his name.

Carels, who has signed to play at UND next season, went No. 6 overall to the Calgary Flames in the 2026 NHL Draft, kicking off a memorable night for the Fighting Hawks.

Three picks later, U.S. Olympic gold medalist Laila Edwards announced the San Jose Sharks selected UND freshman defenseman Keaton Verhoeff with the No. 9 overall pick.

And UND's big night closed when the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Liam Ruck, another UND signee, with the No. 22 overall pick. Ruck is a 2027 commit.

UND head coach Dane Jackson and general manager Bryn Chyzyk were in attendance, watching their players and recruits fly off the board in a nearly unprecedented way.

The only other time three UND-bound players have been taken in the first round was 2005, when Brian Lee went No. 9 to Ottawa, T.J. Oshie went No. 24 to St. Louis and Joe Finley went No. 27 to Washington.

"It was a fun night," Chyzyk said. "I think once you're in the building, you feel the adrenaline and the nerves of all the agents, families and kids. At the end of the day, to see everyone so excited to be picked is a cool experience. I'm happy those three got to see their names called."

The next step is getting all of them to campus to make it official.

Carels said the UND staff hopes to have him in Grand Forks on July 9 for summer training.

"It's really close to home," Carels said on why he committed to UND. "When I went down there, there were a lot of great people. It's a smaller hockey town like Prince George, where I was playing. It's going to be a great fit for me if that's the situation I need to do. It's going to be awesome."

Only two UND players have ever been selected higher than Carels — Jonathan Toews went No. 3 to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006 and Jake Sanderson went No. 5 to the Ottawa Senators in 2020.

"When you watch his game, he's physical, he skates really well, and he's so well-rounded," Calgary general manager Craig Conroy said.

The Flames have now selected UND and Michigan State recruits in the first round in back-to-back years.

Last summer, they took UND's Cole Reschny with the No. 18 pick.

They took Cullen Potter with the No. 32 pick last year and Jack Hextall at No. 30 this season. Potter and Cullen will be teammates at Michigan State.

"It's easy for the development guys," Conroy said. "They're only going to have to go to a couple of teams. You know what? Great programs. Both are great programs and we believe they're going to thrive there and be that much more ready when they come to Calgary. It's exciting to have, and it's easier for me to watch, so that's nice."

Verhoeff joined his old junior hockey coach, James Patrick, as well as John Marks and Brian Lee as No. 9 overall picks from UND.

Verhoeff was one of three first-round picks by the Sharks, who also took winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 and Denver-bound defenseman Ryan Lin at No. 21.

Verhoeff wore a custom suit coat with photos on the inside, including a few UND team pictures with the North Dakota hockey logo and a geometric Sioux head.

"I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaches there — especially my teammates," he told the Sharks website. "Coming in as a younger guy, having those older players around me, especially our defensive corps, was super special to teach the ins and outs of college hockey. UND has done so much for me both on the ice and as a person as well."

Verhoeff said he was excited to join an up-and-coming organization.

The Sharks have added five top-10 picks to their organization since 2023 — forward Macklin Celebrini, forward Will Smith, forward Michael Misa, Stenberg and Verhoeff.

"I think everyone can see it. . . the players they have there, the people they have there," Verhoeff said. "It's exciting. The future is bright there. You look at that young core they have, the high skill and the pace they play with, it's super cool to watch."

Verhoeff said he wanted to discuss his future with general manager Mike Grier before saying anything publicly, but acknowledged his journey is just beginning.

"When I eventually make that jump to pro, I want to be able to make an impact and be someone who can help the team," Verhoeff said. "There are going to be lots of learning curves. This is just the start. You hear people say the draft is just the start. It's kind of the bottom of the mountain. You've got to work your way and climb. I'm looking forward to getting back into the gym and on the ice and continuing to grind to eventually make that jump."

The Penguins selected Ruck at No. 22 after his 104-point season in the Western Hockey League with Medicine Hat. He is planning to return there next season and come to UND in 2027.

"Physical development will be the key," Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas said. "That will allow them to build power and build their skating. If they can unlock that, we think that will be a major development for them. Their bodies and strength, as you'll see, they're skinny guys who are at the rink all the time and love hockey. We'll build the power with them."

Ruck attended the NHL Draft with his family, including his twin brother, Markus, who is expected to go on Day 2 of the NHL Draft (10 a.m. Saturday, NHL Network).

The Ruck twins informed NHL teams they want to play together. Pittsburgh's next pick is in the second round, No. 39 overall.

"We'll see how the board shakes out," Dubas said. "I think, for obvious reasons, they said at the Combine they've spent four nights apart their whole lives. They're at Medicine Hat together. They're committed to North Dakota thereafter. Great major junior program. Great college program. They're going to do it together. That would make sense if that's the way the board falls tomorrow."

The Mets described a mixture of shock, sadness and confusion Friday afternoon after learning the club had dismissed manager Carlos Mendoza earlier in the day, and appointed farm director Andy Green to take over in the interim. A team meeting was held shortly before David Stearns, the club’s president of baseball operations, addressed the media, and then the group tried to go about their pregame routines as if everything was normal.

“It hurts,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor. “He’s a great man — a great family man — and somebody that we appreciate. We care for him. We were surprised by the news, but obviously, this is a decision for Stearns, and he felt like it was going to be best for the organization at the moment.”

A popular, well-liked skipper, Mendoza played the role of friend, coach and confidant, while still maintaining the respect of an authority figure. A native of Venezuela, he could relate to the struggles of young Latin players who didn’t speak the language and were unfamiliar with the culture. At 46, he was still young enough to get along with the veterans.

He stood up for his players and stood behind them during tough times, while also protecting them from some of the unfair narratives that can spin out of control in New York.

But even the best managers are only as good as the players on the roster, and while yes, the Mets have immense, and expensive, talent on their roster, the cracks in the foundation eventually exposed its subpar construction.

“We love Mendy, and it’s not his fault,” right-hander Christian Scott told the Daily News. “He’s not going out there and pitching and he doesn’t play. But we’ve got to play better. We’re not oblivious to it.”

The Mets knew that a change was needed, but Stearns wasn’t about to fire himself and he couldn’t overhaul the roster. That left a managerial change as the most impactful move they could make — even if it was the most difficult move to make.

“Andy, just by virtue of his experiences, both before he got here and during his time with the Mets, is going to bring something a little bit different,” a visibly emotional Stearns said. “I think for us it was time to try something a little different.”

The rotating door of managers in Queens spins once again. There’s no doubt that a lack of continuity in the front office and in the dugout has prevented the team from making progress in Steve Cohen’s stated goal of winning the World Series within the first five years of his ownership.

It wasn’t all that long ago Buck Showalter was dismissed so Stearns could hire his own manager. It’s fair to allow the new lead executive the chance to choose his own manager, but it also would have been fair to at least talk to Showalter before making a decision, something Stearns did not do. Since Terry Collins moved from the dugout to the front office following the 2017 season, the Mets have fired five managers, including one who didn’t even manage a single game, Carlos Beltran.

And since then, the Mets have gone through several general managers and interim general managers. Cohen chased after Stearns for so long that he may be willing to give more leeway to the club’s first POBO. Back in spring training, the hedge fund billionaire said he had entered into a different phase of his ownership — a more patient phase. He doesn’t want to meddle; he wants to trust the people he hired to do their jobs.

So often, the players on the field are the ones who bear the brunt of the decisions made above them. New voices, new philosophies, new ways of teaching and new sets of data to parse through. The benefit of using Green to finish out the season is that he’s familiar with the team, having worked as the farm director since 2024.

“Every time there’s a move, it is a little bit of a change, and this feels like a change,” Lindor said. “However, Andy’s been in the organization for three years now, so he knows most of the guys here. He understands Stearns, he understands his philosophy, and to be honest, I think he’s probably helped a couple of the younger players [who are in] the big leagues today.”

“A lot of guys have a lot of trust in him, especially on the minor league side with the guys that know him,” Scott said. “He’s a great dude.”

The Mets haven’t decided whether to sell at the trade deadline or not, with Stearns saying their only goal is to win as many games as possible the rest of the season. Firing a manager guarantees nothing, but it’s crucial that the Mets show they’re capable of winning before the end of the season. With a lockout coming, fans who lack trust in the organization could abandon their fandom completely.

“Obviously, this year hasn’t gone the way that we wanted it to go so far, but we do have time left,” Scott said. “The season’s not over yet.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — Sigh.

The hated Heat have done it again.

Yes, the Miami Heat have managed to once again overshadow the Orlando Magic.

It’s no secret the the NBA has always felt a little different in Florida. Two franchises entered the league within a year of each other, both trying to carve out an identity in a transient state better known for beaches than basketball. Yet somehow, nearly four decades later, one franchise has become a global brand while the other remains trapped in a cycle of “maybe next year.”

And now, with the Miami Heat landing superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, the branding gap between Florida’s two NBA teams just became impossible to ignore.

For Orlando Magic fans, this isn’t just another blockbuster trade. It’s another reminder of how the basketball universe seems to always bend in Miami’s favor.

The Heat have four championships and a culture that attracts stars and commands national attention. Every few years, when it appears Miami is headed for a rebuilding phase, Pat Riley reaches into his bag of tricks and somehow pulls out another superstar.

Meanwhile, Orlando is still waiting for its first title and hasn’t won a playoff series in 16 years.

That’s what makes this so frustrating.

The Magic weren’t supposed to be the forgotten franchise. They arrived in the NBA essentially alongside Miami. In the early 1990s, Orlando looked like the organization with the brighter future. Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway were supposed to deliver championships. Instead, Shaq left town, headed west to Los Angeles, took the Magic’s championship dreams with him and helped build a Lakers dynasty.

To make matters worse, Shaq was later traded to the hated Heat and helped them win their first championship.

The Magic did manage to reach the NBA Finals in 2009 behind Dwight Howard, but the Magic’s championship window officially closed a year later when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade with the hated Heat, creating one of the most talented teams in league history and turning Miami into basketball’s center of gravity.

For Magic fans, the past fifteen years have largely been spent watching Miami dominate headlines, playoff races and championship conversations, while Orlando has endured rebuild after rebuild.

Now comes Giannis.

The Magic finally have a promising young core. Paolo Banchero looks like a franchise superstar. Franz Wagner is one of the league’s most versatile players. Orlando has built patiently and intelligently. There is genuine hope.

Yet the moment the Magic begin to rise, Miami pulls off the Giannis trade and appears ready to leapfrog them again.

That’s the part that stings.

It’s not that Orlando can’t become a contender. It’s that every major basketball story in Florida somehow seems to end with Miami standing in the spotlight. The Heat have spent decades proving they are the destination franchise in Florida. The Magic have spent those same decades trying to convince everyone they belong in the same conversation.

Sigh.

CHICAGO — Caleb Wilson took less than three days before he threw down the gauntlet.

He needed just enough time to finish celebrating his selection by the Bulls with the No. 4 pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft in New York, to pack up his family for a flight to Chicago and to tour his new digs on Madison Street.

By the time Wilson sat down in front of the media Friday morning at the Advocate Center for his introductory news conference with fellow first-rounder Dailyn Swain, the forward from North Carolina was ready to announce his expectations for his first NBA season.

“I expect to have Rookie of the Year, honestly,” Wilson said. “I’m going to work hard. I’m going to do what it takes. I feel like the team is really good for me and how I envision to play. I know I’m a hard worker, so whatever I need to fix and work on throughout the season and before the season, I’m going to work on it so I can be a great player.”

Wilson spent most of the predraft whirlwind on the outside looking in. The mass consensus — by the media, by experts and ultimately by the draft order itself — was that the 2026 draft class featured a clear top trio. Wilson was the next man up.

He tried not to take it personally. But as a rookie, Wilson doesn’t plan to abide by that hierarchy.

Experience helps buoy Wilson’s confidence in his standing with the top three picks. He scored 24 points in North Carolina’s 13-point victory over Darryn Peterson’s Kansas team in November. And he scored 23 in a three-point win over Cameron Boozer and Duke in February. (Wilson was sidelined for the rematch in March, a five-point loss for the Tar Heels.)

Wilson’s sole loss against the top three came at the hands of AJ Dybantsa and BYU by a 78-76 score — and Wilson scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

This friendly rivalry will fuel Wilson throughout his rookie season. It also will fuel the league around him as the NBA sets a clear priority to showcase its newest talent.

Wilson and the Bulls will face each of the top three picks in their first three summer league games in Las Vegas: July 10 versus No. 3 pick Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies (7 p.m., Prime Video), July 13 against No. 2 pick Peterson and the Utah Jazz (8 p.m., ESPN) and July 14 versus No. 1 pick Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards (7 p.m., Prime). The Bulls’ fourth summer league game will be July 16 against the Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m., Prime).

“I played all of them now,” Wilson said. “You know what happened when I played them, so it don’t really matter. I don’t really care about the media. I’m a competitor. I’m going to play them in summer league too. So whatever needs to be done to prove that I’m on the same level or that I’m better, we’ll do it.”

Three days into his tenure as a Bull, Wilson’s bold proclamations already have become the norm around the Advocate Center. There’s a magnitude to the rookie’s vision — for himself, for the future, for the Bulls as a franchise.

Wilson is young, quick to smile and relaxed in front of media. But he’s not soft-spoken. And he doesn’t balk at setting the bar an inch or a mile above his reach.

“I have a lot of fun with it, but I want to be legendary,” Wilson said. “I want to be remembered after I finish playing. That’s what pushes me every day to be a great player.”

When Wilson talks about greatness, he means the upper echelon of NBA history. In Chicago, playing under the six banners won during a dynasty that ended eight years before he was born, that means something different.

Is it a risk to reach for GOAT status while playing in Michael Jordan’s shadow? Wilson believes that’s a myopic way to view his idealism.

“I don’t worry about that at all,” he said. “Striving for something is something that we all do. You’re striving to be the greatest ever — it is a bold thing to say, but that’s what I’m striving for. I’m not striving to be an average or mediocre player. If I was to tell you or anyone that, that wouldn’t be good either.

“I’m striving to be the best player that has ever played the game, and I’ve been doing that for a long time. So I’m just going to keep doing that. If I reach that goal, I do. If I don’t, then at least I know I tried.”

For Wilson, establishing himself as a cornerstone of a team on the way up is a welcome luxury. Even as a rookie who doesn’t turn 20 until next month, he sees himself as a leader and galvanizer who can shape the culture of the Bulls locker room.

But rebuilding also means losing. A lot. Wilson must stomach this reality in order to survive the next year — or two or three — as the Bulls undergo the grueling process of reshaping the roster under a new front office and new coach.

Wilson described a symbiotic relationship between his individual growth and that of his new team. The Bulls will get better if he gets better. He will get better if the Bulls get better. Neither can succeed without the other. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I feel like the NBA is better when Chicago is good,” Wilson said. “I’m just trying to be as good as I can be. I’m going to develop and I’m going to keep getting better, and whatever happens will happen.

“But of course I want to be a great team, so I’m trying to get that to happen as quick as I can.”

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had his trademark application for the “Iceman” nickname denied this week, according to documents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Williams applied for the trademark after teammates gave him the nickname “Iceman” for his cool under pressure as he led the Bears to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs last season. The nickname took off, and Williams’ Iceman celebration even landed on a cover of Madden NFL 27.

The trademark for the nickname, however, was denied initially because of a similarity to LaCrosse Footwear’s Iceman boot liner. Williams’ application intended to use the Iceman nickname on sunglasses, trading cards, athletic bags, water bottles, T-shirts, hats and other athletic apparel.

A patent office review ruled that “a likelihood of confusion exists because the applied-for mark and the registered mark(s) create a confusingly similar commercial impression and the goods and/or services are closely related.”

LaCrosse Footwear currently has an Iceman boot liner available online for $16 on its website.

Williams, 24, will have the opportunity to appeal the ruling. He has a separate application pending for an Iceman logo, along with a number of other trademark applications, including several logos.

After Williams submitted his trademark application in March, Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin — who also was known as Iceman during his ABA and NBA playing days in the 1970s and 1980s — also submitted a trademark application for the nickname. Former MMA fighter Chuck Liddell previously had filed for a similar trademark.

“We filed for it,” Williams said in April when asked about his trademark application and Gervin’s response. “The reaction to it? It was a little bit more funny to me. Obviously I’ve been having communication about it and trying to figure it all out. That’s an open-ended thing right now, just trying to figure it out.”

According to patent-office records, Williams filed his application March 16. Gervin filed for his four days later. Liddell’s application for “Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell” was filed in 2022 and remains under consideration.

Williams has three months to file a response to the “nonfinal” denial of his trademark application.

_____

Jun. 25—Gonzaga has now gone two years without a Sweet 16 appearance or NBA draft pick — droughts that probably felt inconceivable during a nine-year run when Mark Few's program didn't miss the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament and churned out 12 total NBA selections.

The Zags hope to break both dry spells next year and NBA analysts forecasting next year's draft class already think GU is in a strong position to have at least one selection — if not multiple — when the draft comes back around next June.

Gonzaga's Davis Fogle and Massamba Diop both appeared in way-too-early mock drafts published by national media outlets hours after Wednesday's 2026 NBA Draft concluded at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Fogle's name appeared most frequently, with multiple publications projecting the sophomore wing as either a first- or second-round pick in 2027. In Bleacher Report's way-too-early mock draft, author Jonathan Wasserman projects Fogle to be picked No. 28 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. CBS Sports didn't include Fogle in its first-round projections, but writer Adam Finkelstein highlighted Fogle as one of the returning college players "expected to make a jump" in 2026-27.

"Essentially, these would be players who weren't viewed as first-round candidates this year, but could be on the verge of a breakout season," Finkelstein wrote. "These are harder to forecast, but some of the players I'll be watching most closely include Duke's Dame Sarr, USC's Alijah Arenas, NC State's Paul McNeil, Texas' Matas Vokietaitis, Miami's Shelton Henderson, Arizona's Ivan Kharchenkov, and Gonzaga's Davis Fogle."

ESPN's Jeremy Woo is bullish on both Zags hearing their names called next June. Woo predicts Diop to go slightly higher than Fogle, penciling the 7-foot Arizona State transfer in at No. 41. Fogle is projected as the 49th overall pick in ESPN's mock draft.

Fogle has been on the radar of NBA scouts since his senior year at Arizona Compass Prep and transformed into one of Gonzaga's top scorers toward the end of his freshman campaign, averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. From Jan. 15, when Fogle cracked Gonzaga's rotation against Washington State, to the season finale against Texas at the NCAA Tournament, the wing averaged 10.6 points and 4.5 rebounds, making 50% of his shots from the field.

Diop comes to Gonzaga as one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal. The 7-foot-1, 230-pound center averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks as a freshman at Arizona State, ranking second in the Big 12 in the final category. A long, athletic rim protector who occasionally demonstrated the ability to play out on the perimeter, Diop chose Gonzaga over St. John's, which reportedly prepared a substantial NIL offer to secure the transfer's services.

Gonzaga's last NBA draft pick came in 2024, when forward Anton Watson — a former Gonzaga Prep standout — was selected No. 54 overall by the Boston Celtics. The Zags had at least one player selected in every draft from 2021-24 and seven total draft picks during that stretch.

Jun. 25—One week after getting the green light to compete in the NBA from the league's fitness-to-play panel, Gonzaga's Tyon Grant-Foster has accepted a Summer League invitation from one of the NBA's top franchises.

Grant-Foster agreed to join the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs at Las Vegas Summer League, Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress reported Thursday.

The Summer League showcase runs July 9-19, with games taking place at the Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion on UNLV's campus.

The 26-year-old wing becomes the second member of Gonzaga's 2025-26 roster to reach an agreement with an NBA team, joining the Spurs one day after teammate Graham Ike inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Golden State Warriors.

Grant-Foster was able to land a Summer League deal despite missing much of the pre-draft process due to ongoing concerns about his medical history. The 6-foot-7 wing previously had not been cleared and was deemed "medically unfit" after his heart defibrillator was activated on multiple occasions during a two-year stint at Grand Canyon.

The defibrillator was installed when Grant-Foster, who deals with a heart condition known as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, underwent two separate cardiac arrest incidents after joining DePaul's roster in 2021-22.

Despite the medical setbacks, Grant-Foster has been on the NBA's radar for years and received multiple letters of support from general managers when he filed a lawsuit against the NCAA after the sport's governing body denied his eligibility waiver last summer.

Grant-Foster was cleared to play at Gonzaga after receiving a preliminary injunction in Spokane County Court and played in all 35 games for Mark Few's team, primarily coming off the bench.

The veteran wing averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks for the Zags, supplying defense and athleticism for a team that won a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season championship and captured the WCC Tournament title.Grant-Foster played a key role in two of GU's wins over WCC runner-up Santa Clara, scoring 20 points both in a Feb. 14 road win over the Broncos and in the Zags' 79-68 victory in the conference title game.

Coming off an NBA Finals appearance, San Antonio is still in the process of building its Summer League team, but the roster is expected to include the Spurs' four draft picks: Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance (No. 20 overall), UConn center Tarris Reed (No. 26), Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie (No. 42) and Duke forward Maliq Brown (No. 44).

Other Gonzaga players such as wing Jalen Warley and guard Adam Miller could be in the mix to sign undrafted free-agent deals or receive Summer League deals in the coming days.

Former Gonzaga wing Michael Ajayi, who spent one season in Spokane during the 2024-25 season between stops at Pepperdine and Butler, agreed to a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets late Wednesday night after the second round of the NBA draft concluded. Ajayi excelled last season at Butler, averaging a double-double of 16.4 ppg and 11.1 rpg while setting the Bulldogs' single-season rebounding record and earning All-Big East honors.

Jun. 25—GRAND FORKS — UND fans probably still have the 2011 NHL Draft tucked away in their memory banks.

Their top recruit, center J.T. Miller, went No. 15 overall to the New York Rangers.

But soon after the draft, Miller signed with the Rangers and played in Canadian major juniors. He never played a game for UND.

UND will have two high picks Friday night, when the first round of the NHL Draft is scheduled for KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

Defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, who is scheduled to be a sophomore, and defenseman Carson Carels, an incoming freshman, are both expected to be selected in the top 10.

Although Verhoeff has indicated he will return to school for his sophomore season — and even posted UND photos on Instagram with the caption, "Story's Not Done" — could there be any reason for UND fans to worry that Verhoeff or Carels could sign NHL deals after the draft?

UND coach Dane Jackson acknowledged there's always a possibility, but feels the Fighting Hawks are in a good spot.

"I believe those guys feel they have a good developmental pathway here," Jackson said. "They both understand, as defensemen, it's extremely hard to play in the NHL as an 18-year-old. It's always a small concern (they'll sign), but we believe we built relationships with those guys and they want to be here competing for a national championship."

The 2026 NHL Draft could go into UND's record books in a few ways.

UND has had two players selected in the top 20 just once in program history. In 2004, Drew Stafford went No. 13 overall to Buffalo and Travis Zajac was selected No. 20 overall by New Jersey.

Verhoeff and Carels will break that mark.

"It's exciting," Jackson said. "Obviously, the thing for me that's so impressive is the type of people they are. If you have guys who are high-profile guys, but they're all about themselves, it's not great. Both Carson and Keaton are extremely humble, team-first, grounded, sharp young men who people want to play with. That's the really exciting part of it."

UND has only had three first-rounders once. In 2005, Brian Lee went No. 9 to Ottawa, T.J. Oshie went No. 24 to St. Louis and Joe Finely went No. 27 to Washington.

UND can match that if one of the Ruck twins — Liam or Markus — end up going in the first round. If both Ruck twins go in the first, it would mark the first time in program history that UND has four first-rounders. The Rucks, both forwards, will come to UND in 2027.

UND incoming freshman forward Connor Davis has not generated much media coverage as a potential NHL Draft pick this weekend.

But several NHL teams are intrigued.

Is it enough to warrant a draft pick? Or will he get offers to attend NHL development camps as an undrafted free agent?

"I think he might (get picked)," Jackson said. "There are some teams that really like him."

Davis, a 6-foot winger, had 26 goals and 55 points for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the United States Hockey League last season.

There are eight UND-connected players who are potential picks this weekend — Verhoeff, Carels, the Ruck twins, incoming freshman defenseman Ethan MacKenzie, 2027 defenseman commit Brayden Klimpke, 2027 forward commit Cooper Williams and Davis.

Klimpke and Williams, who are teammates with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, have not yet signed with UND, so the school is unable to mention them on its official communications. The coaching staff also is not allowed to comment on them.

The other six have all signed.

This will be one of UND's busiest NHL Drafts of all time.

UND had a program-record nine picks in 1984. UND had seven in 1982, 2005 and 2010.

The last time UND had six picks was 2013, when Adam Tambellini, Keaton Thompson, Tucker Poolman, Luke Johnson, Gage Ausmus and Wade Murphy were selected.

* Verhoeff and the Ruck twins are attending the draft in Buffalo. Jackson and general manager Bryn Chyzyk also will be there.

* The last time the NHL Draft was held in Buffalo was 2016. UND's Tyson Jost went No. 10 overall to the Colorado Avalanche. Rhett Gardner (fourth round, Dallas), Peter Thome (sixth round, Columbus) and Collin Adams (sixth round, New York Islanders) also were selected that year.

* Buffalo also hosted the draft in 1991 and 1998, which is the last time UND did not have a player selected.

Jun. 25—GRAND FORKS — It started with a questionnaire from the Seattle Kraken.

Phone calls, Zoom sessions and one-on-one meetings followed throughout the season for UND freshman defenseman Keaton Verhoeff.

By the time the NHL Combine rolled around, he heard from everyone in the NHL.

"Probably 32 teams," Verhoeff said. "Maybe I'm missing one or two, but it was definitely up there."

It was a season with little precedent for a UND hockey player.

It had been 15 years since UND had a freshman who accelerated his education to come to campus in his first year of NHL Draft eligibility. The last one was Dillon Simpson in 2010-11. Simpson was a fourth-round draft pick.

"I talked to some teams and scouts," said Simpson, now a UND assistant coach. "But Keaton is in a whole other stratosphere."

The last first-rounder to play his draft year at UND was Jonathan Toews. That was 20 years ago.

Verhoeff arrived on campus last summer as a projected first-round pick with a swarm of attention headed his way.

UND's staff reached out to other college hockey teams that recently had draft-eligible superstars on campus to see how they handled the onslaught of NHL attention.

Following the feedback they received, the Fighting Hawks established parameters for those who wanted to speak with Verhoeff.

They made Verhoeff available from the end of Saturday night's series finale until Thursday night. He was unavailable heading into a weekend series to allow him to focus on the games.

"When we were in our game mode, we had him off limits," UND head coach Dane Jackson said.

The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau sent those parameters to NHL teams before the season started — something they did for other top prospects like Penn State's Gavin McKenna as well.

UND general manager Bryn Chyzyk handled a majority of Verhoeff's requests and set up meetings or calls.

When Chyzyk floated dates and times, Verhoeff pulled up his calendar, where he kept his schedule, to fit in the request.

"Teams were flying in to meet with him," Simpson said. "He did Zooms, phone calls, all while trying to prepare to play well. It's not easy for a young kid. I did some testing and interviews (in 2010-11), but Keaton had another level of pressure. He did an exceptional job. I'm really proud of how he handled it. He kept his head on his shoulders. He was super mature."

On top of the team requests, Verhoeff was flooded with media interview requests.

UND sports information director Alec Johnson said he handled 86 interview requests for Verhoeff this season. Johnson denied 12 of them. If you add Verhoeff's in-person interviews at the World Junior Championship, NHL Combine and NHL Draft, he topped 100 media appearances this year.

"Keaton was an absolute pro handling each interview request that came in," Johnson said. "For someone at his age to be able to handle that many media requests and do them all with a smile on his face is remarkable. I am one of the lucky group of people to not only witness his special play on the ice, but the special man that he is off it."

Johnson fielded an additional 25-30 requests from TV networks for footage.

By comparison, Johnson said Jackson Blake had 45 interview requests during his Hobey Baker Award finalist campaign in 2023-24.

"For a 17-year-old, it was impressive how he scheduled everything and made it work within his class schedule," Chyzyk said.

UND associate head coach Matt Smaby thought of one comparable.

Smaby was the captain of Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep when Sidney Crosby played there.

"Every night, every game, there are 15, 16, 17 guys there (scouting)," Smaby said. "It reminded me of that scenario, where you have a highly touted guy who is young, who is under a tremendous amount of pressure, and has been for a while.

"I can't imagine what that would be like as a 17-year-old. I'm not sure I would be able to handle that. That was one of the most impressive things I noticed with Keaton this year, was his ability to shelf that stuff, be a kid, a teammate, and keep going."

Verhoeff said most of his meetings and calls with teams lasted about 30 minutes. A couple lasted more than an hour. One took three hours.

About 10 teams flew into Grand Forks to meet with Verhoeff in person. Some flew in and out on the same day.

Most offered to take him to dinner or coffee, but he preferred to meet in a conference room in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

"Chyz did a good job of limiting the interactions on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays," Verhoeff said. "I wanted to focus on the games and the task at hand. I tried to schedule the meetings on weekdays, so I had the weekends to hang out with the boys. It was tough at times, but it also was good, because I've been dreaming of this for 18 years."

Verhoeff was under scrutiny at the NHL Combine earlier this month in Buffalo.

He went through physical testing and met with 18 NHL teams. He went to dinner with the San Jose Sharks, who own the No. 2 and 9 overall picks, and the Seattle Kraken, who are picking No. 7.

"In meetings, it's a little more serious, a little more of sitting there and answering their questions," Verhoeff said. "At dinner, you get to know them a little more, tell some stories and be a little more relaxed. It was cool to see them in that setting."

The draft process is now coming to an end.

Verhoeff will be selected in the first round Friday night.

His rare combination of size and athleticism will make him one of the highest-drafted UND players of all time. The top three are Jonathan Toews (No. 3, Chicago Blackhawks, 2006), Jake Sanderson (No. 5, Ottawa Senators, 2020) and Jason Herter (No. 8, Vancouver Canucks, 1989).

"You look at the NHL game today and you have to be good with the puck as a defenseman," Smaby said. "He is. You cannot teach 6-foot-4, 215, at 17 years old. He is. He has good skating ability. He competes hard. One of the question marks I had, especially with a young guy, knowing and understanding the position myself, is what the defending would look like. All things considered, I thought his defending was quite good throughout the course of the year."

UND's coaching staff was impressed by how Verhoeff handled everything thrown at him.

"He did an outstanding job handling a pressure-packed situation with a lot of poise and presence," Jackson said. "He was never about himself. He was a great teammate. He was well-liked by his teammates. He did a really nice job of handling the stress and also the duties that go with it."

Smaby added: "I'm sure there was pressure and I'm sure it was stressful, but he sure didn't wear it."

Next season, there will be no draft to worry about.

The meetings and calls will be down to just one team — the one that calls his name Friday night in Buffalo.

"I think he'll take a big step, just not having the day-to-day pressure of where you're going to get picked," Jackson said. "It will allow him to play freely. He'll have a lot of confidence to play his game and let his natural gifts come through. He has good competitiveness. He has good defensive habits. He cares about his two-way game. I think he'll take a big jump on both sides of the puck."

After a week of shakeups to the Florida Panthers’ roster, one thing has been set in stone: their preseason schedule.

The Panthers announced their four-game 2026-27 preseason slate Thursday shortly after acquiring Garnet Hathaway in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.

They will start at home against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., and then go on the road to face them again on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Florida will then take on its in-state rival, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers will be on the road Thursday, Sept. 24 at Benchmark International Arena at 7 p.m., before facing the Lightning again at home Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.

Despite the Hurricanes being the ones to hoist the cup, the Panthers fared relatively well against them last season. Florida suffered a 9-1 bashing in their last meeting Jan. 16, but secured victories in the other two contests in December. Florida won 5-2 and 4-3 in those meetings. The pair also faced off in two preseason matchups last season, with Florida securing both wins.

However, against the Lightning, Florida did not hold up quite as well in its 2025-26 campaign, meeting four times in the regular season, with Tampa Bay taking three of the games. Their last meeting was Feb. 5, and the Lightning grabbed a 6-1 rout at home. They also met three times in preseason contests, and Tampa Bay won twice.

The preseason schedule is much lighter than in past seasons. Last year’s consisted of seven matchups with three opponents. The Panthers played an extra game against the Lightning and faced the Nashville Predators twice. In the 2024-25 season, they played another against the Los Angeles Kings.

This year’s preseason contests can be seen on the Scripps Sports South Florida broadcast network and are available to stream for free on PanthersPlus.TV ahead of the regular season. Preseason tickets will go on sale in July through SeatGeek.com.

Shortly after Izaiyah Nelson learned Wednesday night he had been selected by the Magic in the second round of the NBA draft, the University of South Florida senior couldn’t contain his excitement.

On a phone call with team officials, including president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, Nelson said he planned on driving from Tampa to Orlando on Thursday morning with the intention of beating them into the building for workouts at the AdventHealth Training Center.

“He’s just about the work,” Weltman said about the No. 51 pick in a phone interview following the draft. “He’s a breath of fresh air in that most of the time when you’re looking through the draft lens, you’re looking at younger guys who are really going to need to develop personal routines and habits.

“And Izaiyah comes in really mature, understanding that it’s going to take a lot of work for him to get to where he wants to get, understanding that winning comes before all else,” Weltman added. “I think he’s got a lot of that stuff that he brings with him that you don’t have to kind of wait on and develop and hope that he finds it.”

Orlando entered the second round only with the No. 46 pick, but later completed a three-team trade with Washington and Milwaukee that netted the Magic both Nelson at No. 51 from the Wizards and cash considerations from the Bucks.

As part of the deal, Washington acquired the draft rights to University of Tennessee forward Felix Okpara (No. 46), while Milwaukee acquired the draft rights to Malique Lewis (No. 60), who played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League.

Nelson stood out to Orlando because of his ability to impact the game on both ends of the court. The 6-foot-9 forward, who turns 23 on Oct. 1, became the first player in American Athletic Conference history to be named the league’s player of the year, defensive player of the year and newcomer of the year when he transferred to USF after three years at Arkansas State.

The Marietta, Ga. native, who helped the Bulls earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2012, recorded the ninth-most double-doubles in the country (18) and ranked 18th nationally in rebounding (9.6 rebounds per game) this past season.

But where does Nelson fit into Orlando’s plans moving forward under new head coach Sean Sweeney? That remains unclear.

While he’s proven to impact the game in more ways than one, he doesn’t help the Magic in a dire area of need: 3-point shooting. As a senior at USF, he shot 14.3% from distance on 1.4 long-range attempts per game.

Still, he led the AAC in field-goal percentage (56.1%), while averaging 15.9 points per contest. Nelson also boasts a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan and has been heralded for playing with a relentless motor by chasing after loose balls, crashing the glass and outworking opponents.

“I think it’s too soon to talk about stuff like that,” Weltman said about Nelson’s fit on the Magic. “Obviously, we’ve got a roster full of talented players and we have to figure out how that’s all going to work with Sean. There’s a long way to go before we kind of get to the end of summer and understand what our team looks like.

“But most importantly (Wednesday night), it’s about just bringing in talent, character, toughness and integrity, and we’ll figure the rest out as we go,” Weltman added.

As a late second-round pick, it also wasn’t immediately clear which type of contract Nelson will sign with the franchise.

The Magic enter the summer with three standard contract roster spots open and two of three two-way contracts available, but not much room financially to add to the roster through free agency compared to the past. That’s because Orlando has signed key young players, such as Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, to large rookie extensions in recent years.

Two-way players go between the NBA and the G League, but they’re limited to being active for just 50 NBA games and can’t play in the playoffs. Nelson wouldn’t face those restrictions if he signed a standard contract.

Orlando signed last year’s second-round pick Noah Penda to a standard contract, but he was picked 19 spots higher (No. 32) than Nelson was Wednesday.

“These days you want to leave yourself as flexible as possible and obviously different commitments have different financial implications. So as we piece together the roster, we’ll make sense of all of that,” Weltman said when asked by the Orlando Sentinel if Nelson would sign a standard contract or a two-way deal. “It all kind of fits together.

“But the most important thing for us is we just want to get him in the gym soon, get him working with our guys and getting to know our organization,” Weltman added.

Nelson will hit the court soon for Las Vegas Summer League, which runs July 9-19 out west. The second-round pick will be joined by last year’s pair of Magic draft picks, Jase Richardson and the French forward Penda, Weltman confirmed.

Regardless of what the future holds for Nelson, it’s clear why the Magic made a move to draft him Wednesday night.

“This guy is a worker,” Weltman said. “He’s tough. He’s a hit-first guy. He’s about self-improvement. He’s about winning above everything else. (A) monster competitor, monster athlete.

“Just the kind of guy you want to bring into an organization.”

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com