The Eagles are adding an option for their vacant third receiver spot, agreeing to terms with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on a one-year deal worth up to $6.5 million, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer on Tuesday.
Brown, who turns 29 in June, is a seven-year NFL veteran who spent the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Though he missed all but the tail end of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, he played in 16 games (six starts) in 2025.
Against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, Brown caught two passes for 15 yards, playing on 41 snaps.
In that span, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound receiver posted 587 yards (No. 2 on the team behind Travis Kelce) and five touchdowns (tied for the team high) on 49 receptions. Brown has been dependable when healthy, dropping just two passes since 2024 in the regular season and postseason combined, according to Pro Football Focus.
Brown began his career with the Baltimore Ravens, the team that drafted him No. 25 overall in 2019 out of Oklahoma. In his seven NFL seasons with Baltimore (2019-21), the Arizona Cardinals (2022-23), and Kansas City, Brown has played 90 games, collecting 4,322 yards and 33 touchdowns on 371 receptions.
He has established himself as a vertical threat who can line up out wide or in the slot. Last season with the Chiefs, Brown took 37.8% of his snaps in the slot (159) and 61.8% out wide (260), according to PFF.
Come training camp, Brown figures to contend for the third receiver role occupied the last two seasons by Jahan Dotson, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. The receiving depth chart is currently led by A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and Hollywood Brown would join a depth receiver corps that also includes Darius Cooper and Johnny Wilson.
LAKELAND, Fla. — A name like “Chuck King” almost demands a career as a baseball pitcher.
And that’s exactly what the Phillies minor leaguer who answers to it chose, though his path had a few detours.
King, who spent the 2025 season in the double-A Reading starting rotation, is not on the 40-man roster, nor was he extended an invite to major league spring training. When he pitches in Grapefruit League games as a call-up, his jersey doesn’t have a nameplate on the back.
Even so, King, 28, is taking the opportunity to learn as much as he can from the experience. And that includes Monday’s brutal outing, when the Tigers tagged him for 10 runs while he secured just four outs.
“I could choose to hang my head,” King said. “I got 10 hung on me today. Never a good feeling. But it taught me something. I learned something from it. And ultimately, that’s the goal of this entire thing.”
In another life, King wouldn’t have been on a mound at all on Monday. After five years pitching for Texas Christian University, he felt burned out. He wasn’t finding the same enjoyment in the game that he used to, and in 2021 he considered leaving it behind entirely.
Chuck King had a 4.38 ERA in 123⅓ innings at double-A Reading last season.
But when a career in biology — his college major — didn’t appear likely either, King decided to return to baseball in a completely different capacity. The Padres hired King to work in their sports science department.
King suddenly had access to information and data, like TrackMan software, that he couldn’t have imagined back in college. And he started to get the itch to get back on a mound again.
“I think the base reason as to why I re-fell in love with the game is because I found clarity and direction as to where to go,” he said.
On his own time, King would play catch with San Diego minor leaguers and apply the mechanical changes he had gained insight into through his day job.
Of all things, it was an explosion that changed everything. In 2023, King was working for the Padres’ single-A affiliate, the Lake Elsinore Storm, when a gas line sparked in their stadium and caused a natural gas explosion. The Storm’s scheduled games were canceled over the weekend, but the team still had a workout that Sunday.
With not much else going on that day, King found himself back on the mound.
“I thought, ‘Well, it’s a laid back kind of deal, right?’ So I’m gonna go up there and just see what comes out,” King said. “And it was, boom, 96 [mph]. Boom, 96. Boom. I was like, ‘OK, whatever I’m doing is working, and I’m in a really good place mentally, and I think that this is an opportunity for me to jump.’”
King’s fastball had been in the 92-94 mph range in college. After seeing the payoff on the radar gun, he quit his job and moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., to dedicate himself to his training at Driveline, a data-driven baseball performance center.
While there, he revamped his arsenal, adding a splitter, and when their pro day rolled around in 2024, King’s fastball touched 98 mph in front of scouts. It landed him a deal with the Phillies. After three years away from pitching, he appeared in 34 games across four levels of their minor league system as a 26-year-old in 2024.
“I think with where he came from, from analyst to getting himself in shape, getting back on the mound, I mean, he’s got nothing to lose,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “ … He’s got to get ahead in the count, because he’s got good stuff. Split’s good, the cutter’s good, fastball plays. May have to add another pitch, different pitch.”
Delving deeper into the analytics side of baseball led King to fall back in love with the game. But a desire to learn has been a hallmark of his entire life. He also has an interest in botany and genetics, and is a hobbyist bird-watcher and wildlife photographer.
King has garnered some attention for the spelling of his middle name, Fuggitt (pronounced FEW-git). He was named after his great uncle, who was a fighter pilot in World War I.
It may not be very common for a professional baseball player to spend his spare time logging bird photos and identifying wildlife species on an app on his phone, but King doesn’t mind being different.
Phillies pitcher Chuck King gave up 10 runs on seven hits — including two homers — and four walks against the Tigers on Monday.
“At the end of the day, you have to remain authentic to who you are as a person,” he said. “And I think people always respect authenticity, and so I’m not going to be inauthentic to what I enjoy doing.”
King pitched 123⅓ innings for Reading last year, posting a 4.38 ERA. His first three call-ups to the major league side this spring went well. He didn’t allow a run over his first five innings of work, and recorded nine strikeouts to one walk.
One of the most valuable takeaways from his call-ups has been the conversations he’s had with Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham.
“That dude has blown my mind on seven different occasions,” King said.
They had a few of those conversations on Monday. Facing a Detroit lineup that included several regulars, including Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Colt Keith, as well as top prospect and Delco native Kevin McGonigle, King’s fastball command was erratic. He gave up 10 runs on seven hits — including two homers — and four walks.
“We talked about making bullpens more gamelike, and understanding when I’m trying to execute this pitch, what’s my thought process?” King said. “What am I telling myself? And all these little fine micro details that you don’t think about until you have a lineup like that.”
After the game, King went back to minor league spring training and will remain there until the next call-up arrives.
He’s not dwelling on it. If the last five years have taught him anything, it’s that detours are part of the journey.
“I got punched in the face and I stumbled back, and then I got hit again, and I got hit. And that’s how it goes,” King said. “But I can guarantee you that I will use that next time and say, ‘OK, like I’ve been here before. I’ve gotten punched in the face. I’ve gotten 10 hung on me.’
“Good! I will come back with a better mindset and a better perspective to now turn that 10 into five, and then turn that five into three, and then turn that three into one. And that’s the whole goal of it.”
CLEARWATER, Fla. — It usually takes about a day for social media to ruin everything. In the case of Jesús Luzardo, it’s right on time.
Monday was one day after the news broke that Luzardo and the Phillies decided it would be best for him to decline an invitation from Team Venezuela to pitch in the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday if Venezuela made it that far.
Luzardo was born in Peru, but his family is from Venezuela, for whom he pitched brilliantly in the 2023 WBC and who placed him on the reserve list. He also grew up in the Miami area, where the semifinal and final are being played. That’s why he told two reporters Sunday that it “breaks my heart not being able to be there.”
On Monday morning, his heart was breaking for another reason. Many Venezuelan fans were angry that he didn’t accept the invitation.
“I feel like sometimes, you get painted as a traitor, or, you know, you get painted in this, like, negative light, because of some things that people say — you know, not only me, but my family,” Luzardo said Monday morning. “And I think that that’s tough. People from Venezuela are, like, ‘Why aren’t you helping us out?’”
Jesús Luzardo signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension with the Phillies last week.
Traitor? Really? A quick scan of popular social media outlets uncovered zero references to Luzardo as a traitor.
I asked Luzardo at lunchtime if he was sure about all the negative feedback.
“It’s there,” he replied, with a pained smile. “I know.”
Where? Twitter? Instagram?
“I’m not on social,” he said. “I just know what I saw and what I heard.”
Hmm. Here’s a thought: Maybe he was hearing it in Spanish, not English.
Bingo.
And there it was.
Comments under Instagram posts announcing Luzardo’s decision were … harsh.
They questioned his commitment to Venezuela, and many told him to pitch for Peru. They questioned his manhood. One poster dropped a poop emoji.
It’s important to understand the significance of the tournament to Venezuelans, for whom baseball is not just the national sport, but a pastime bordering on the religious. It’s sort of like Jalen Hurts turning down a Team USA for football.
To be fair, some folks understood and supported Luzardo’s decision. There were several rational replies. A few commented on comments and defended Luzardo’s decision. But the majority of the reactions were negative, personal, and hurtful.
It wasn’t just the mean tweets and nasty ’grams, either.
“When a headline came out the other day, and said [Team Venezuela] called me, and I just said, ‘No,’ because I didn’t want to — couldn’t be further from the truth, right?” Luzardo asked. “I think that really kind of rubbed me the wrong way, because that wasn’t truth.”
The truth is, Luzardo loves the World Baseball Classic, and he loves representing Venezuela.
The truth is, he said in 2023 that he’d fulfilled his grandfather’s dream by pitching for Team Venezuela.
Former Phillie Ranger Suárez joined Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic.
The truth is, after missing time in 2019, 2022, and 2024 with injuries, Luzardo enjoyed a superb 2025 and is finally fulfilling the immense promise that made him the No. 18 prospect in all of baseball when the Athletics called him up in 2019. After being traded to Philadelphia from Miami on Dec. 22, 2024, Luzardo went 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA, finished seventh in National League Cy Young Award voting, and pitched well as a starter and a reliever in the Phillies’ brief playoff run.
The truth is, Luzardo logged a career-high 191⅓ innings including playoffs, he has a history of injuries, and he is on a precise buildup program this spring. That’s partly because Luzardo’s profile in the rotation this year will be two clicks higher to start the season: Staff ace Zack Wheeler is coming back from thoracic outlet decompression surgery that will cost him at least the first month, and Ranger Suárez has departed to the Red Sox via free agency.
Yes, two weeks ago, as Luzardo declined his initial invitation, he said that if Venezuela made the final four, “If they need me, I’ll go.” That gave Venezuela reasonable hope.
Things change.
“When I spoke to Venezuela about being on the reserves, I said, ‘No promises,’” Luzardo said Monday. “They said, ‘We’ll understand if you’re not able to come.’ … It was for multiple reasons, it wasn’t able to come to fruition. Not only the contract situation, but other situations here that, you know — my obligations to this team. They want me to be ready to go. I have to make those [obligations] right.”
The truth is, it would have been foolish for Luzardo to risk an appearance in the WBC, no matter how important the tournament might be to Venezuela, or to him.
“I’m hopeful that in the next Classic, you know, they’ll take me into account,” Luzardo said. “I’d love to be there again.”
The NFL’s 2026 free agency period is ongoing — even as the lion’s share of the league’s headline-grabbing signings have come off the board. The Eagles are one team for whom the situation remains fluid, but enough has occurred to take stock of the post-free agency picture nonetheless.
The Inquirer’s Eagles reporting team of Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner and Jeff Neiburg got together for a roundtable with a week of free agency movement in the rear-view mirror.
What has been your biggest surprise of the Eagles free agency period to date?
McLane: Nothing the Eagles have done or not done so far qualifies as surprising from this vantage point. Howie Roseman essentially laid out his plans ahead of free agency. He would be selective in retaining his own players, prudent in signing others, and continue to build from within via the draft. I thought that maybe the Eagles would make an effort to keep safety Reed Blankenship considering the relatively affordable contract he signed with the Texans at $8.25 million a year. But I guess the greater shock was that Roseman would make a cornerback his first free agent signing.
There isn’t some rule that general managers have to fill roster spots by order of need. And signing Riq Woolen indicated that Roseman saw value in inking the 26-year old to a one-year contract worth up to $15 million. In theory, that is good business. But the third corner spot behind Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean is a luxury. Woolen has enviable attributes in size and speed, if not issues with consistency and temperament. He could be a steal on a “prove-it” deal. But he’s essentially a rental with Mitchell and Cooper slated for extensions next offseason. The Eagles have time to address holes at edge rusher, safety and find the next generation on the offensive line and at tight end. So this isn’t a critique of Roseman’s initial choices. Just an early assessment.
Reiner: Jaelan Phillips was always going to get paid this offseason, it was just a question of how much. He was a young, talented player at a premium position within a relatively underwhelming free-agent class. While the Eagles had interest in bringing him back, it seemed unlikely that they were going to overpay him, given the team’s need to reward homegrown defensive players who are eligible/will become eligible for extensions. Plus, Phillips had just five sacks last season (two with the Eagles) and hasn’t yet eclipsed his career best of 8½ sacks set during his rookie season in 2021.
He signed with the Carolina Panthers for four years, $120 million, good for a $30 million average annual value. While I figured his AAV would be high, I didn’t anticipate it would be that high. That’s a pretty significant projection, especially for a player not too far removed from a pair of serious injuries. I’m not surprised the Eagles were outbid, but I am surprised that they were outbid by that much.
Neiburg: My surprise is that it’s March 17 and the only addition to the edge rushing corps has been Arnold Ebiketie. There is, of course, plenty of time for that to change. But I expected Phillips to be back — though not at that number — and if not, expected the Eagles to bring in another top-end talent like Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby. It’s the lone position on the team right now screaming for an infusion of talent, so I’d expect something to change relatively soon.
New Eagles tight end Johnny Mundt (86) arrives from Jacksonville with a sterling reputation as a blocker.
Which new Eagles face needs to be the most immediate difference-maker?
McLane: The pickings are slim here so I’ll go with Ebiketie. I don’t imagine the Eagles will go into next season with the former Falcon as the third outside linebacker behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. But right now that’s where he lines up in the pecking order. Ebiketie dropped down the depth chart in Atlanta after new faces arrived last season, but he was still effective. He had a solid 16.4% pressure rate, if only two sacks. He had six sacks in each of the two previous seasons, though.
Ebiketie projects as more than a serviceable rotation edge rusher. The same could have been said for Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche — two outside linebackers the Eagles signed to one-year contracts a year ago that didn’t exactly pan out. It wasn’t all their fault. They weren’t given much of chance. Roseman traded for Phillips and Brandon Graham was lured out of retirement. As stated above, the GM is likely to add more bodies at the position, even if it isn’t a No. 1 guy. Until then, Ebiketie will have to do the heavy lifting as the projected No. 3.
Neiburg: The answer for me right now is Johnny Mundt, which probably says more about the quiet nature of the free agent class so far. The second tight end isn’t all that sexy. But I think Mundt’s job with the Eagles is a more important one than Woolen’s. Sure, Woolen is the high-profile name, but we saw last year that CB2, in this defense, with Mitchell and DeJean, wasn’t that much of an issue. Adoree’ Jackson did fine, and Woolen is better. The running game, on the other hand, suffered from poor blocking from the tight ends. That needs to change, especially in this new scheme, to get the offense back on track. Mundt needs to be as advertised. Woolen, meanwhile, can get away with just being OK.
Reiner: With Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra now under contract in 2026, the addition of the 31-year-old Mundt is all the more important. Howie Roseman admitted in advance of the combine that the Eagles needed a more diverse skill set in the tight ends room last season, given Goedert, Calcaterra, and Kylen Granson were stronger receivers than they were blockers.
That’s where Mundt comes in. The Eagles’ run game is poised to lean more into a wide-zone scheme under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Mundt should be familiar with the revamped run game and the coaches installing it. He played with Mannion with the Rams in 2017 and 2018 and the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and 2023. New Eagles offensive line coach Chris Kuper also served in the same role in Minnesota while Mundt was on the team. Given the struggles of last year’s unit, Mundt has the potential to make a positive impact on the ground as a blocker. After all, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell once called him “the best third tight end in the NFL.”
Jordan Mailata (left), Lane Johnson (center) and Landon Dickerson (right) are the present of the Eagles offensive line. The Eagles know they must think about the future in the trenches.
Name a position that concerns you heading into next month’s draft.
Reiner: Edge rusher. The Eagles could still use some more pass-rush prowess on the edge, especially after a quiet wild-card showing from the group (no sacks, just one quarterback hit, according to Pro Football Focus). Last year, the Eagles went into the season with Smith and Hunt as their top two edge rushers and ended up acquiring Phillips at the trade deadline to lead the group. Roseman ought to take a more proactive approach this year and add an impact player at the position before the season begins. Then, the Eagles should be set at the position for 2026 (and potentially beyond), as Smith and Hunt are promising, yet still developing.
Neiburg: In the immediate future, it’s edge rusher, but the long-term future of the offensive line is my primary concern for the state of this Eagles roster, and one they will need to help address in the draft. Lane Johnson’s career is winding down. Injuries and pain could soon force Landon Dickerson to retire before he hits 30. Cam Jurgens, like Dickerson, just got a treatment for his ailments in Colombia that they don’t do in the U.S. A position that has long been a strength of the Eagles has a lot of question marks as they enter the 2026 season.
McLane: I’ve mentioned the holes at edge rusher and safety, but I’m looking at a position with a longtime returning starter with question marks: left guard. We know that Dickerson will be back for a sixth season. Will he be able to finish it? I think that’s a fair question considering doubts he expressed about his future at the end of the season, and from sources close to Dickerson who know the full extent of injuries he’s played through the last several seasons. There might not be a tougher player on the roster, but a nowhere-near-100-percent Dickerson was often a detriment to the offense in 2025.
As Jeff mentions, he addressed his ailing body by receiving stem cell treatment, following Jurgens to Colombia earlier this month. Jurgens doesn’t get off scot-free. His regression last season wasn’t solely because he wasn’t full recovered from back surgery. He needs to bounce back. But the Eagles didn’t reduce the number of years left his contract like they did with Dickerson. They clearly know the end is nearing for the former Pro Bowler. They don’t have an obvious backup at this point after Brett Toth and Matt Pryor left in free agency. Roseman will likely add a veteran. But he may have to start thinking about finding a replacement in the draft, and that’s on top of preparing for Johnson’s retirement, which could be coming in a year.
Will the Eagles have regrets over whatever their decision is on A.J. Brown?
Crystal ball: What will we be saying about A.J. Brown at the end of the 2026 season?
Neiburg: Hello from late January. The Eagles just lost in the NFC title game despite A.J. Brown’s eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles never got an offer worthy of parting with Brown, and so they kept him on the team and ran it back with Brown and DeVonta Smith at the top of the depth chart. Mannion’s offense opened up the passing and running games a bit, and Brown did fire off a few cryptic social media posts, but he went over 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season.
Reiner: Brown is still a great player … whether he is on the Eagles or not. Lately, it seems like “not” is the more likely outcome for the two parties. Perhaps the Eagles will wait to move him until after June 1, when they can spread out his dead cap charge over the next two seasons. Regardless, whoever ends up with Brown in 2026 is the better-off team. Even a 29-year-old Brown can make a difference in an offense, given he posted a paltry 1,003 receiving yards in a relatively down season in 2025.
McLane: I doubt there will be one uniform statement said about Brown, whether he’s with the Eagles or not. I suspect there will be a growing chorus, however, suggesting that he has taken another slight step back. We saw glimpses of that last season and perhaps that is why Brown voiced his frustrations in the middle of last season. He was still great at times. And it wasn’t like his average separation numbers when targeted dropped. He actually had a slight increase from 2.1 to 2.2 yards, per Next Gen Stats. But dropped passes and an occasional lack of effort were concerning. Jalen Hurts and Kevin Patullo weren’t solely to blame for last season.
Roseman wouldn’t be open to trading Brown if there wasn’t evidence that he’s slipping in his age-29 year. Every team knew about his knee concerns before the draft. The Eagles are the only ones to know how they’re holding up as he enters his eighth season. Any potential partner would perform a physical before signing off on a trade. But Brown isn’t coming off knee surgery like Maxx Crosby. There’s an uncertain expiration date with chronic injury. And some receiver-needy team is likely to take that risk. The Patriots or some other suitor will have to meet Roseman’s demands, but the asking price could drop post-June 1, especially if the Eagles draft a receiver.
Villanova is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, but the moment will be bittersweet for one of the Wildcats’ best players. Matt Hodge averaged 9.2 points at power forward for the ‘Cats, but his season ended Feb. 28 when he suffered a torn ACL in a game against St. John’s.
Hodge is optimistic about his recovery from surgery, but in truth his family must feel a bit cursed: His brother Jayden, a high school star, suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in January.
Without Hodge, Villanova’s depth has taken a hit, especially in a frontcourt where only two players, centers Duke Brennan and Braden Pierce, are taller than Hodge, who is 6-foot-8. Hodge is keeping his chin up, saying the pain is “more mentally than anything physically.” Jeff Neiburg has his story.
Xfinity Mobile Arena will host four first-round games on Friday and two second-round games on Sunday from the East and Midwest Regionals as the NCAA tourney returns to Philadelphia for the first time since 2022. Here’s the info on who’s playing, tickets, and more.
On the women’s side, Villanova is preparing to face Texas Tech in the opening of the NCAA Tournament. The four top seeds in the bracket — Connecticut, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas — are so far ahead of the field that they’ll all be clear favorites to reach the Final Four, Jonathan Tannenwald writes.
Kyle Schwarber (right) has been lauded for his veteran leadership during Team USA’s run to the World Baseball Classic final.
During his yearlong recruitment of players to form an American baseball dream team, Mark DeRosa didn’t seek a full-time designated hitter.
But he couldn’t quit Kyle Schwarber.
“When you’re building out a roster like this, having just a cemented DH is probably not the way to go with just the construction and trying to make every piece fit,” DeRosa said Monday. “But he’s just so special to the group that he trumps all that.”
And not only because Schwarber will be Team USA’s cleanup hitter tonight in Miami for all the World Baseball Classic marbles. It won’t surprise anyone within the sport, least of all Phillies fans, that his gravitational pull as a leader exists even on a team packed with superstars.
Aaron Nola left no doubt in his final WBC appearance for Italy after allowing one run across four innings during a 4-2 loss to Venezuela in their semifinal matchup. Nola will return to the Phillies with a fastball that has more life and a curveball with more bite.
Otto Kemp, who was banged up last season, knew there would be an “adjustment period” this spring. He’s healthy, and the results are starting to follow, as he showed on Monday.
MLB announced that Johan Rojas has been suspended 80 games. Here’s how the Phillies reacted and when they can expect him back.
Next: The Phillies return to Clearwater today to face the Twins at 1:05 p.m. (NBCSP+). Jesús Luzardo is scheduled to start.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe has taken on new responsiblities as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Kelly Oubre Jr. miss time.
The 76ers are down four starters, which means shifting roles and responsibilities for players at all levels of the roster. That extends to rookie VJ Edgecombe, who has been thrust into life as the first option on offense and a trusted closer on defense. Edgecombe lived up to those expectations on Sunday night, knocking down clutch shots to help the Sixers defeat the Portland Trail Blazers and posting his fourth double-double with 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
“I’ve got to just go out there and just try to will my team,” Edgecombe says. “Just bring energy. Create energy. Instill confidence in my teammates.”
The additions of Trevor Zegras, assistant coach Jaroslav Svejkovský, and head coach Rick Tocchet have not yielded improved results for the Flyers on the power play.
The Flyers haven’t had a good power play since before the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has finished in the bottom four of the NHL in each of the last four seasons, including in the basement in three of those years.
This year was supposed to be different, as new coach Rick Tocchet arrived with a reputation for overseeing successful power plays, while Trevor Zegras, one of the most skilled offensive players in the league, figured to provide a jolt of his own. But 66 games in, the Flyers at 15.2% sit in an all-too-familiar place with the man advantage: dead last.
What can they do to fix their longstanding Achilles’ heel? Our Jackie Spiegel has some ideas.
Speaking of the power play, team president Keith Jones addressed the team’s struggles in that area, as well as some other key questions, during a local radio appearance on Monday.
Arnold Ebiketie factors in as an important player off the edge for an Eagles team that faces attrition at the position.
Arnold Ebiketie remembers his time at Temple, joining the celebration after the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018. “If I recall, that’s exactly when I became an Eagles fan, partially,” says the edge rusher, who’ll be more than just a fan next season after signing a one-year contract with the Birds.
We asked: What’s your greatest college basketball memory? Among your responses:
My greatest college basketball memory was easily Kris Jenkins shot with no time on the clock to win the national championship for Villanova in 2016. Nothing comes close to that one! — Tom E.
When Jenkins hit the 3-pointer, after a pass from Archie, and Villanova wins the NCAA championship. — Tom G.
April 1985 — Villanova beats Georgetown in NCAA final. — Lyn S.
Villanova beating Georgetown in ’85 was a solid performance, there was no quit in the Wildcats that night. There have been others since then but for some reason the first is always the sweetest. — Bill B.
How can any NCAA basketball moment top the upset by Villanova of Georgetown for the 1985 NCAA tournament championship? Villanova incredibly upset Georgetown in the final game on April Fools’ Day, 1985 with a 66-64 victory. As an 8th seed, Villanova executed a perfect game plan, shooting a record 78.6% from the field to defeat the heavily favored Patrick Ewing-led Hoyas who were seeded #1. My memory includes Harold Jensen coming off the bench to drill 5 of 5 outside jumpers. — John W.
Ed Pinkney (right) greets his Wildcats teammates in a ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of Villanova’s NCAA title last year.
December 2012, we traveled to Madison Square Garden to see Temple-Syracuse (ranked #3) in the Gotham Classic. The Owls rallied from 10 down late to upset the Orangemen. Khalif Wyatt scores 33 points to lead the Owls’ comeback. — Bob C.
Talking to my father, a Villanova alum, on the phone, after Villanova won it’s first national championship. I know he had a drink in his hand and tears in his eyes. — Brad L.
Of course Villanova winning in 2016 and 2018, but the best moment was North Carolina State winning in 1983 with Jim Valvano running around the court looking for somebody to hug. — Bill M.
My first outstanding college basketball memory was Tom Gola and the La Salle Explorers beating Bradley in 1954 to win the first national championship for a Big Five team. And the 2nd was Rollie Massimino’s Villanova Wildcats stunning highly favored Georgetown on April 1, 1985, my 47th birthday. Probably the most tense game I ever watched. — Everett S.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Jonathan Tannenwald, Owen Hewitt, Olivia Reiner, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Gustav Elvin, Jackie Spiegel, and Gina Mizell.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thank you for reading. Bella will be back to bring you the newsletter on Wednesday. — Jim
Villanova is the only school representing the Big 5 in the women’s NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats, a No. 10 seed, are set to play No. 7 seed Texas Tech on Friday (8:30 p.m.) in Baton Rouge, La.
But players connected to the Philadelphia area are competing on rosters across this year’s March Madness bracket.
Here are the local women’s basketball players to watch:
While many know graduate guard Olivia Miles as one of the nation’s top players with No. 3 seed TCU, Miles got her start with the Philadelphia Belles, an AAU team. The Phillipsburg, N.J., native is a three-time All-American who spent her first four years of college at Notre Dame.
Several Catholic League standouts will also be taking the court during March Madness.
Three players will represent Cardinal O’Hara: senior forward Annie Welde of Villanova, Richmond senior forward Maggie Doogan, and Fairfield’s Sydni Scott, a senior guard. From Archbishop Wood, sophomore guard Ava Renninger will compete with Fairleigh Dickinson and senior guard Ryanne Allen with Villanova.
James Madison forward Grace McDonough was a standout at Lansdale Catholic.
Also for Villanova, senior guard Maggie Grant is an Archbishop Carroll graduate. And freshman forward Grace McDonough, who attended Lansdale Catholic, will compete with James Madison.
No. 1 seed Connecticut looks to defend last year’s national championship with Tonya Cardoza on staff as an assistant coach. Cardoza was Temple’s head coach from 2008 to 2022.
The NCAA women’s tournament is usually pretty chalky, and this one likely won’t be any different. But that’s not just because of the perennial early-round home advantage for the top four seeds in each region. Or even because the bracket hasn’t set up many potential upsets where they more likely happen: in games between two teams traveling to someone else’s floor.
This time, it’s because of the strength of the four No. 1 seeds: Connecticut, UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas. They are so far ahead of almost the entire rest of the field that they’ll all be clear favorites to reach the Final Four. And if they do, that will make up for some of the dullness along the way.
The alignment of regions means there would be a UConn-South Carolina matchup in the semifinals, which has never happened. Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley have met three times in the tournament before: the 2025 and 2023 title games and the 2018 East Regional final.
Connecticut’s star trio of (from left) KK Arnold, Sarah Strong, and Azzi Fudd.
Who can challenge the top quartet? The list starts with No. 2 seed LSU. The Tigers are led by veteran guards Flau’jae Johnson and South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley, and coached by four-time national champion Kim Mulkey. She’s as controversial as she is successful, but she knows how to win in March.
LSU finished fourth in the ultra-competitive SEC, thanks to a January swoon when they lost to Kentucky and Vanderbilt. They also lost at Texas and twice to South Carolina, at home in the regular season, then in the conference tournament semifinals. But the rest of the record is stacked with big wins: at Duke, home vs. Texas, and two over Oklahoma.
Expect the Tigers to eat up either Villanova or Texas Tech in the second round, on the way to the Elite Eight. (And yes, Villanova can win that first-round game.)
No. 2 seeds have interesting stories
UCLA might be quite annoyed that the best No. 2 seed landed in its region. Not only would anyone want to avoid the Tigers, but the 31-1 Bruins believe they deserved the No. 1 overall seed.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts goes up for a basket during the Big Ten women’s tournament title game.
They took the regular season and tournament in the Big Ten, a tougher conference than the Big East, with 12 wins over teams ranked at the time of the contest. Their only loss was to Texas on a neutral floor, and it was back on Thanksgiving.
LSU might in turn be annoyed that a rematch with Duke looms in the Sweet 16. Though the Blue Devils had six nonconference losses — including South Carolina, UCLA, and LSU in one seven-day stretch — they won the ACC regular season and tournament. They finished No. 8 in the NCAA’s NET rating, and the fourth No. 2 seed, Iowa, finished 10th.
Another No. 2 seed, Vanderbilt, will get a lot of attention. Guard Mikayla Blakes is the nation’s top scorer at 27 points per game, and also averages 4.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.9 steals.
The Commodores started the season 20-0, including wins over LSU at home and Michigan on a neutral floor. Then came a trip to South Carolina, and Staley reminded them who runs the show with a 103-74 flattening.
Vanderbilt’s head coach is UConn legend Shea Ralph. If you think the selection committee has a sense of humor, you might think it’s no coincidence that the Huskies are the No. 1 in that region.
Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes is the nation’s leading scorer.
Michigan is the No. 2 in Texas’ region, and has a high-ceiling pair of sophomores in Syla Swords and Olivia Olson. But the Wolverines could be tested early by the N.C. State-Tennessee winner, with a little extra juice if it’s the Lady Vols.
Further down the field
There are storylines among the No. 3 seeds, too. We’ve mentioned Duke already, and two others deserve attention.
First is TCU. Guard Olivia Miles earned fame at Notre Dame, and this season led the Horned Frogs to the Big 12 regular-season title. She’ll be another marquee WNBA draft pick, and forward Marta Suárez could join her in the first round. Add that to Iowa being arguably overseeded, and there’s a recipe for an Elite 8 run.
The other is Ohio State. The Buckeyes are stuck with Notre Dame as the nearby No. 6 seed and Vanderbilt as the No. 2. But Jaloni Cambridge has pro potential, and Notre Dame will have its hands full with Fairfield.
Olivia Miles could take TCU on a long March run before heading to the WNBA.
That’s the cue to turn to where the real upsets could lurk.
Fairfield went 28-4 this season, won at Villanova early, and tested itself later with losses to North Carolina on a neutral floor and at Iowa. The AP poll’s voters recognize the Stags’ quality, putting them two spots outside the top 25.
South Jersey native Hannah Hidalgo has the Fighting Irish getting back on track after some ugly stretches in conference play. She’s third in the nation in scoring at 25.2 points per game, is leading the nation again with 5.41 steals per game, and is averaging 5.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds too.
How will it go on a neutral floor? Well, let’s see how neutral it actually is. The game will be played at Ohio State right after the Buckeyes’ opener, and if the home fans stick around, they’ll give Notre Dame an earful.
Hannah Hidalgo (center) lining up a pass during the ACC tournament.
Richmond, led by former Cardinal O’Hara star Maggie Doogan, got stuck in the play-in game after losing to George Mason in the conference semifinals. But we’ll back the Spiders to beat a Nebraska team that got in despite finishing 12th in the Big Ten with an 18-12 record, including 7-11 in conference play. After that, if Doogan’s on, the Spiders can take a swing at Baylor in a game that Duke will host.
If you don’t count an 8-9 game as an upset, then you won’t count Princeton beating Oklahoma State. But we will on the principle of an Ivy League team beating a Big 12 team, even if that Ivy League team is deservedly No. 23 in the AP poll. The Cowgirls didn’t even receive votes this week, though they are 29th in the NET to the Tigers’ 38.
Matt Hodge stared up at the screen Sunday night at a private Selection Sunday watch party and smiled and cheered with the rest of his Villanova teammates when their name and number were called.
Villanova’s return to March Madness, the first NCAA Tournament appearance by the men’s basketball team since 2022, is a first for much of the team, and would be for Hodge, a redshirt freshman, if he didn’t have his right leg heavily wrapped in a brace following surgery last week to repair a torn ACL.
He was understandably dealing with mixed feelings on what was a celebratory night for players, coaches, their families, and program donors.
“It’s fun to get to see our name get called,” Hodge said, “but at the same time I won’t be able to go and I won’t be able to play. So it’s a feeling of regret and of timing.”
His season came to an abrupt end early in the second half of Villanova’s Feb. 28 loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. Hodge, a power forward who started in all 29 Villanova games to that point, got the ball in the post against Big East player of the year Zuby Ejiofor and tried to make a move.
Instead, he collapsed to the floor and writhed in pain.
“It was a typical basketball play,” Hodge said. “I just knew the moment I planted my foot and I tried to spin off Zuby, I felt something and I knew right away it was wrong.”
Villanova forward Matt Hodge reacts in pain after suffering a torn ACL during the game against St. John’s on Feb. 28.
His mind went instantly to his younger brother, Jayden, a high school star who suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in early January.
“The first thing I said was, ‘I think I tore my ACL like my brother,’” Hodge said.
Further testing proved his words to Villanova’s athletic training staff true. It’s a cruel result, but Jayden’s experience and recovery have given Hodge someone close to talk to and go through the emotional roller coaster with. The brothers, born in Belgium, came to the U.S. and won a state championship together at St. Rose High School in Belmar, N.J. Jayden, a senior who now plays at Montverde Academy in Florida, is committed to Northwestern.
“I ask him every day for tips and stuff,” Hodge said. “We can go through it together. He’s a little bit ahead of me, but he also tore his meniscus, so in like a week or so I’ll be ahead of him.”
St. Rose’s Jayden (left) and Matt Hodge watch their team play Bishop Eustace during the fourth quarter of a playoff game on March 4, 2024.
Hodge’s recovery right now is mostly just relaxing in the immediate aftermath of surgery. He walks by using crutches and keeps his right leg stiffened. Soon, he’ll begin flexing the knee more and will work on building back strength in his quadriceps since his surgery required a nerve blocker. In about six weeks, he said, he’ll shed his current brace to a walking brace and can begin activities like riding a bike.
It’s a long road back to the basketball court, but Hodge reiterated what Villanova coach Kevin Willard said earlier this month, that the aim is for him to be back to normal basketball activities by mid-to-late October and the goal is to be ready for the beginning of the 2026-27 basketball season.
“I feel like obviously it’s still a long way ahead of me, but I want to have a goal and I think that goal is pretty realistic,” Hodge said. “I’m just working toward that and I know, in my head and deep down, anything is possible. I might not be ready yet, or I might be ready quicker.”
Of course, he wishes he was ready by Friday afternoon, when eighth-seeded Villanova faces No. 9 Utah State in a first-round West Regional game in San Diego. The Wildcats could certainly use him. After missing his freshman season because of an NCAA ruling on his academic eligibility following his high school transfer from Belgium to St. Rose, Hodge had an impressive first season of college basketball.
He averaged 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting nearly 37% from three-point range.
From left, Villanova’s Acaden Lewis, Matt Hodge, Duke Brennan, and Bryce Lindsay after a 79-61 win against Pittsburgh on Dec. 13,
Without him, Villanova’s depth has taken a hit, especially in a frontcourt where only two players, centers Duke Brennan and Braden Pierce, are taller than Hodge, who is 6-foot-8. Villanova starts Malachi Palmer (6-6) at the power forward spot and sometimes has lineups on the court with four guards and one center, harkening back to the early days of Jay Wright. This quartet, however, doesn’t sing the same way as that one did.
Willard has mentioned changing things up. He said again Sunday said he could see Villanova opting to have Brennan and Pierce on the floor at the same time, but they haven’t done so in the three games since Hodge went down. But Villanova’s first-round loss in the Big East tournament featured a rebounding disadvantage of 46-25, and it might be time to adjust against a Utah State team that isn’t huge but attacks the offensive glass.
A win on Friday likely means a date Sunday with top-seeded Arizona, the ninth-best offensive rebounding team in the country that has a 7-2 center and a pair of 6-8 forwards who cause havoc on the glass.
Hodge was at home watching Thursday night as Villanova crumpled under the bright lights. The days after the injury have been isolating, but his family has been in town, his girlfriend is on campus, and his teammates and coaches have been supportive.
The pain is “more mentally than anything physically,” Hodge said.
“I just got to keep my head up now and support the team.”
MIAMI — As a way of summarizing Aaron Nola’s two-start guest spot with Italy’s national baseball team, let’s borrow a phrase that fans in his adopted country can appreciate.
Venit, vidit, vicit.
Because Nola came from Phillies camp. He saw lineups filled with major league stars. And he did his part to help Italy conquer, leaving with a one-run lead after four innings in the World Baseball Classic semifinal here Monday night.
As it turned out, though, this wasn’t Julius Caesar at the Battle of Zela. Fueled by a potent, relentless, and frenetic offense, Venezuela ran down Italy’s Cinderella run, scoring three times in the seventh inning for a 4-2 victory that kicked off a party among a partisan — and deafeningly loud — sellout crowd in South Florida.
Next up for the Venezuelans: Team USA for the gold medal — yes, they actually receive medals — at 8 p.m. Tuesday night.
And for the Italians (or in most cases, Italian Americans)? Only fond memories from what many described as two of the best weeks of their careers. That included Nola, a veteran of 11 major league seasons and four consecutive playoff appearances with the Phillies.
“It was super cool. Super cool,” Nola said. “We had the time of our lives, man. Some of the best times I’ve ever had.”
Say this for Team Italy: It was the darling of the two-week tournament, with an espresso machine in the dugout and contributions up and down the lineup. (Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori, for instance, went 8-for-20 with two homers and an 1.185 OPS.)
Initially, manager Francisco Cervelli planned to roll with Michael Lorenzen against Venezuela, but with a taxed bullpen, he went with Aaron Nola on regular (four days) rest.
And Nola was more than a pitching ringer, even if his initial interest in competing was, in part, to use the intensity of the WBC as a testing lab after making adjustments to his throwing program off the worst season of his career.
On that count, Nola was mostly, well, eccelente.
Last Wednesday, he cranked up his fastball to 94.5 mph, uncorked his signature curveball, and dominated Mexico for five scoreless innings to push Italy to the top seed in pool play over the U.S. Against Venezuela, he wasn’t as sharp. He topped out at 94.1 mph, got only two swings and misses, and left a curveball up for Eugenio Suárez’s solo homer in the third inning.
Yet, he struck out three batters, all on curveballs. He got longtime nemesis Ronald Acuña Jr. (16-for-52 with four homers and a 1.025 OPS in his career against him) looking at a curveball in the third inning. And he left with a 2-1 lead.
“I kind of felt out of whack today, but battled as best as I could,” Nola said. “I tried to get the sinker down later on. Felt like that was kind of the only thing working. I got some ground balls with it and kept the guys in the game as best I could.”
Nola also threw only 59 pitches, 10 less than his previous start. The plan, he said, was not to go more than five innings or 80 pitches. But manager Francisco Cervelli opted for a pitching gambit to compensate for a taxed bullpen.
Rather than starting former Phillies righty Michael Lorenzen against Venezuela and saving Nola for the final, if Italy advanced, Cervelli split the game between them. He used Nola for four innings and tried to get four from Lorenzen. But Jackson Chourio, Acuña, Maikel Garcia, and Luis Arraez notched consecutive singles in the seventh to nearly blow the retractable roof off loanDepot Park.
Regardless, Nola said he was satisfied with the workload in what amounted to his penultimate start before the season.
“Overall, my body and arm feels good,” he said. “I mean, I’m built up.”
Phillies prospect Dante Nori was among the standout players for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
Besides, as Nola discovered, the tournament was about something bigger than tuning up for the season.
“There was a lot of people watching — watching in Italy,” he said. “That was a big goal, to bring more baseball to Italy. And we did. I think most of the American guys in this clubhouse don’t really understand what we did for that country.”
Nola hasn’t been to Italy. He qualified to represent the country in the WBC because his great-grandparents on his father’s side were from Italy (the Campania region in the south, to be exact). It was supposed to be a family affair. Nola’s brother, Austin, signed up to play but withdrew after getting hired as the Mariners’ bullpen coach.
But as Nola put it, he left the tournament with two dozen new brothers. And before they went their separate ways, they spent about 90 minutes together in the clubhouse after the game to reflect on the last two weeks.
“Nobody thought we were going to make it this far, and we did,” Nola said. “We’ve got a great group of guys. I love all those guys in there. I’m really glad I played.”
Flyers management has long said that the players would dictate how the organization approached the NHL trade deadline and whether the Flyers would be sellers or buyers.
Well, when the clock struck 3 p.m. on yet another deadline for president Keith Jones and general manager Danny Brière, the Flyers were a seller of sorts as Bobby Brink was traded home to Minnesota, and Nic Deslauriers was moved to chase a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Moving Brink from a top-nine spot was necessary to create space on the wing, as the players in the system, notably Porter Martone and Alex Bump — Brière said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the latter gets called up before the end of the season, although reading the tea leaves, it could come sooner than later — are close to being NHL-ready.
But while they added David Jiříček as the return for Brink, and have Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Carter Amico in the system — all big, right-shot defensemen — Brière did not move his most exploitable trade piece, veteran right-shot defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
“You guys [the media] made a big story. I didn’t know I was trying to sell him,” Brière said on Friday after the deadline. “You guys made it sound like we were dumping Risto for next to nothing.
“Look, at the end of the day, Risto has a lot of value to our team. I wasn’t trying to dump Risto. I wasn’t trying to get rid of him. I think the media turned it into a little bit of a circus, to be honest. And that’s OK. I get it. It’s part of my job to deal with that. But the reality is, Risto is an important part of our defense.”
Unlike the winger position, Brière doesn’t think his defensemen-in-waiting are ready to slot into the top four and play the big minutes that Ristolainen has played; he played more than more than 27 minutes on Monday and 22 more on Thursday. “We need to protect them a little bit,” Brière said.
Sources have told The Inquirer that the Flyers wanted a first-round pick for Ristolainen, the physical defenseman who just had an impressive run for the bronze-medal-winning Finnish squad at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and has been a standout since.
But while several teams did check in on the 6-foot-4 blueliner with term (he has one more year on his contract), no one matched the Flyers’ ask. And Brière would not confirm if a first-round pick was ever on the table, stating, “All I can tell you is, the value wasn’t as high as we needed for us to move forward.”
“I did get a lot of calls, and we took them seriously,” he added. “We went through all the teams that were serious, but at the end of the day, it just did not make sense value-wise. … We listened, but it made more sense to have Risto with us.”
Here are three other questions the general manager addressed.
Why did the Flyers want Jiříček?
The Flyers were in the mix to get the 6-4, 204-pound defenseman when the Columbus Blue Jackets were shopping him a year and a half ago. And Brière was a bit shocked he was available now, but Minnesota recently added Quinn Hughes, which changed the Czech native’s outlook in the State of Hockey.
Although he hasn’t had the track many expected when the 22-year-old was drafted one slot after Cutter Gauthier in 2022, the Flyers see high potential in Jiříček. Patience was asked by Brière, and while he is a different style of player from Jamie Drysdale, the GM sees similarities when it comes to their development arc.
“They both came in at 18 years old, probably a little too early to turn pro yet,” he said. “They go through some ups and downs, probably lose their confidence along the way. So he’s going to need some love. He’s going to need some reps. Especially, he needs time. He needs to play a lot of minutes and build his confidence.”
Jiříček will head to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League to start. The GM said he didn’t make any promises but said that at some point, if they have a chance, they’d like to give him a look with the big club. Jiříček has played 84 NHL games across four seasons with Columbus and Minnesota.
Why did the Flyers not trade for a center?
Another season and trade deadline came and went, and the Flyers are still without a No. 1 center. Sure, these types of players do not grow on trees, and yes, several who were expected to be available as free agents this summer have since signed extensions.
But if the Flyers want to take the next step, they need to upgrade down the middle.
“A few of the high-end centers that were in the trade market, or their name, we checked on that,” Brière said. “We had some discussions right now. It’s been tabled to closer to the draft [and then] we’ll look back into that. But we looked into it.
“We are aware; we know that it’s an area we’d like to improve. It’s all about timing, value, and when is the best time that you can get the best value for it. But, yeah, we’re aware. We’ve never hid from the fact that we’d like to improve that position.”
So the door isn’t shut, and there is some expectation that the Flyers could be busy around the draft. As Brière reiterated on Friday, it took almost two years to acquire Trevor Zegras.
Speaking of Zegras, he came to Philly excited for the opportunity to play center again, but has primarily played on the wing. The door isn’t closed on him pivoting, but it’s not as wide-open as before.
“He’s been at his best when he played the wing this year — that’s just the reality. I wish I could say the opposite,” Brière said. “I wish I could say he’s much better when he plays center, but the reality is, he’s been at his best when he plays with [Travis Konecny] and [Christian] Dvorak. So, that line has been our best line for a while now, so that’s why … when I mentioned the wingers, that [I] put his name on there, because he’s been mostly on the wing.”
What does the future now hold for the Flyers?
With the Flyers selling, the writing is all but permanently inked on the wall that they will miss the postseason for the sixth straight season. They entered Friday six points back of the Boston Bruins for the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and eight points back of the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins for second and third in the Metropolitan Division.
“I think what’s unfortunate about the trade deadline is the moment you start trading players away, is the realization that, unfortunately, you’ve missed your goal in a sense,” forward Garnet Hathaway told The Inquirer on Friday. “In no way am I saying that we’re not in a position to get in, but it changes things. But we were in a spot that we put ourselves in, and I think that’s what’s frustrating, and it kind of adds on to the fact that you’re sending friends, teammates to a different organization.”
The Flyers decided to keep defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at the trade deadline.
So what happens now?
In the short term, the general manager wants to see his team continue to play the right way, stay competitive, and play hard. Long-term, the Flyers are still a work in progress, and “the plan never changed as far as looking for the future.”
Brière thinks the difference now is that the Flyers can change that.
“Three years ago, we almost had nothing to work with as far as good young players coming,” Brière said. “So it wasn’t enticing for other teams to trade guys to us, but more and more, the way our young guys are coming along and a lot of centers, those are always a lot of value.
“We have more and more assets that are going to hopefully give us the chance to get in on a player. Or sometimes one of those players [in the organization already] is going to come and take it, kind of like [Denver] Barkey did this year.”
News and notes
Barkey and defenseman Adam Ginning were sent down to the Phantoms before 3 p.m. to make them eligible to compete in the Calder Cup playoffs. According to the AHL transactions page, Barkey has already been recalled. The new collective bargaining agreement says players must play one AHL game before being recalled but there is an exception on deadline day.
Brière said they weren’t trying to trade Deslauriers, “but if you want to have the chance to go chase a Cup, we would give you that opportunity.” Deslauriers was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2027.
Veteran forward Luke Glendening, 36, was picked up on waivers from the New Jersey Devils to stabilize the fourth line and win face-offs. He has a 55.6% career winning percentage in the circle.
Tyson Foerster is on track with his rehab after surgery to repair an upper-body injury (Brière would not disclose what the injury was). The winger has started skating and shooting pucks, and the GM said, “I know he’s going to start knocking on my door soon to get back in the lineup.” But he is not expected to play again this season unless the Flyers make the postseason.
Defenseman Nick Seeler is day to day with a lower-body injury and is not expected to play on Saturday against the Penguins (5:30 p.m., NBCSP).
