Intro for June 26, 2026

Dear Gossips,Today marks the 50th anniversary of Toronto’s CN Tower, one of the city’s most distinguishing landmarks, if not THE most distinguishing landmark. And certainly a pretty familiar sight in Canada overall, although some people from other parts of Canada might argue that they don’t know her because, well, people who aren’t from Toronto like to hate on Toronto – and I get that, since I lived in Vancouver for so long and consider that city home too.Also in To

Marcelo Mayer’s Future in Doubt
The Red Sox are wondering if he's mentally tough enough for MLB. He's also heading to the injured list.
According to @Sean_McAdam, some within the Red Sox organization question Marcelo Mayer's mental toughness, his tendency to withdraw during slumps, and his willingness to play through inevitable minor physical issues. pic.twitter.com/lESzxLKkcq
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) June 26, 2026
Will the Angels make any trades at the deadline?
Who knows.
“Y

Gleb Pugachyov. Let's start right away by learning how to spell his name.
He was the player the Canadiens had their sights set on in the draft. With the 26th overall pick (Kent Hughes moved up two spots), the Habs seem proud of their move.
The Habs wanted to add some size, and with a 6'3”, 225-pounder like him (who hits like a train, too), they've achieved their goal.
They say his floor is pretty high. What that means is that his chances of becoming the player he's capable of being are pre

As we know, the Canadiens have been trying to make trades to improve their roster over the past few weeks. And in the eyes of many, it was only a matter of time before the Habs' first-round pick (28th overall) was traded for that very purpose.
And in the end, they did trade it… to move up two spots.
As a result, the Habs did indeed make a move in the first round tonight, selecting with the 26th pick. It's worth noting that, in return, they sent their 28th pick and their 2027 third-round p

Earlier this evening, it was reported that Kirill Marchenko has no intention of signing a new contract with Columbus. As a result, the forward's name—which had already been making the rounds quite a bit since yesterday—is being mentioned even more tonight.
Will the player, who is reportedly seeking $11 million per year on his next contract, be traded soon? It's not out of the question.
We know that the Habs, according to reports, are really digging into this situation. It's easy to s

Since yesterday, Kirill Marchenko has been the talk of the NHL. The Blue Jackets forward is reportedly on the radar of several teams, and the Habs are often mentioned as one of the teams most interested in him.
Frank Seravalli claims that Montreal has actually made a massive offer to acquire him.
That said, it's important to remember that Marchenko is one year away from full free agency. Any team looking to sign him would therefore have to offer him a new long-term contract… and Kevin Wee

The Mason McTavish situation has finally been resolved.
According to a recent report by Elliotte Friedman, the Ducks have just completed a trade with the Blues involving the forward.
In return, the Ducks will acquire the 15th and 29th picks in this year's draft. Both picks originally belonged to the Blues and will now be used by the Ducks.Mason McTavish is being traded to STL
for the 15th and 29th picks, I believe
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2026It's worth noting that the D

The first round of the NHL Draft kicked off at 7 p.m. tonight. And, as expected, Gavin McKenna was selected first overall by the Maple Leafs.
So, everything went according to plan.
That said, it's worth noting that with the second overall pick, the Sharks selected Ivar Stenberg. He was a quality addition to a young group of forwards that was already formidable… but more importantly, he was just the first of two top-10 picks for the Sharks.
In fact, the Sharks also held the ninth pick in t

Recently, after watching Sean Keys hit his 20th home run of the season (he's actually up to 21 now) in Double-A and Triple-A, his name has been making the rounds in Toronto.
The Blue Jays were even considering giving him some versatility by having him play in the outfield in Triple-A.
Ross Atkins had left the door open for him to be called up, and now it's happening tomorrow. It's unclear what the corresponding roster move will be.
The young player is on his way to Toronto. He won't be active fo

As MC mentioned in his Music Lounge column this week, Chlöe Bailey dropped a mixtape this week, Resurrection, with Timbaland, and the vibes are so Aaliyah which, naturally, means it’s really good. I’ll leave the music analysis to him next week but for now, just know that Resurrection is a solid summer listen, both current and nostalgic in the right way – at least in my opinion.Let me focus instead on Chlöe in NYC this week promoting the record because it’s made

It's the NHL Draft tonight, with the first round of the 2026 draft taking place tonight in Buffalo.
As a reminder, once again this year, the draft is being held in a decentralized format. 
And with the first pick, the Toronto Maple Leafs made their move. The club won the lottery… and that allowed John Chayka to begin his tenure by selecting the prospect of his choice to kick off the draft.
Unsurprisingly, Gavin McKenna was the team's pick. He was the favorite throughout the process,

MaxMara is synonymous with the camel coat but that’s not what Florence Pugh is advertising here, this is an announcement for a fragrance campaign. Not sure about this styling choice though, it’s a little office casual.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Max Mara (@maxmara)
There’s a huge Vampire Diaries fandom online, so I imagine they are excited for Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley to reunite in an Alex Cooper (of Call Her Daddy) production. It’s based on the book &l

The 2026 NHL Draft is set to begin in a few minutes. And as of now, the Canadiens still hold the 28th overall pick.
We expected that pick to be traded… but it's still in Montreal.
The question is whether the Habs will actually end up making a pick at that spot. We know the team is active and talking to many teams, so there's still a possibility of a trade tonight.
And Kent Hughes, in an interview with TVA Sports before the draft began, was asked whether he would be able to make a trade to

Despite the apparent fairytale that has become Alex Cooper’s life, even before her picturesque wedding in Riviera Maya in 2024 and her recent pregnancy announcement, things are not looking too good on the career front. Not according to a recent piece in Vanity Fair , which chronicled the nightmarish experiences of dozens of Unwell employees.The exposé provided a thorough background on the origins of Call Her Daddy, which anyone who has listened to the podcast some time between its 2

Every year, the NHL conducts a short survey of the league's top prospects who are about to be drafted.
It's no different in 2026.
Among the questions asked of the players was this one: Who is the best goaltender in the NHL? And let's just say the answers are… really interesting.
I say that because 8.4% of the players named Jakub Dobes.
We don't know how many prospects answered the questions, but it's clear that quite a few young players see Dobes as the league's best goaltender. And I'm s

This morning, the New York Mets parted ways with Carlos Mendoza as the team's manager. David Stearns fired him.
Is this a surprise? Not necessarily, no.
It's worth noting that Mendoza, with his usual class, took the time to thank everyone in New York for his years with the Mets.
Well done.
Statement from Carlos Mendoza: pic.twitter.com/T2tu1IJ8gk
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) June 26, 2026
Right now, the pressure has just gone up a notch in New York. David Stearns, who hasn't been able to re

After swooping in to pick up her dog at the end of Superman, Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock), Clark Kent’s wayward cousin, into her adventures in outer space. Though Clark (David Corenswet, as much a scene-stealer here as Alcock was in his film) wants his cousin to find her place on Earth, like he did, it’s harder for Kara. She is one of the last survivors of Krypton, and though she is only 23 Earth years, she lived long enough to see the end of her people. She is strick

After several disappointing seasons without a playoff appearance, the Cincinnati Bengals took advantage of their salary cap space to thoroughly rebuild their roster.The organization has been particularly active in the free-agent market, adding several players who are expected to make an immediate impact in the 2026 season.
Despite the loss of some key players, the team looks much more balanced and competitive on paper. This transformation has even prompted star quarterback Joe Burrow to say that

NEW RELEASES1. What We Can Know,by Ian McEwan.2. The Someday Garden , by Ashley Poston. 3. Trash!: A Garbageman’s Story , by Simon Pare-Poupart. 4. The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield , by Claudia Gray. 5. I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World , by Sarah Wilson.6. A Murder in Springtime: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel , by Martin Walker. 7. Tropesick: A Love Story , by Lauren Okie. 8. An Enemy in the Village: A Mystery of the French Countryside,by Ma

1.A False and Fatal Claim: A Lane Winslow Mystery — Iona Whishaw (Touchwood Editions).2. Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now — George M. Abbott, foreword by Steven Point (UBC Press).3. The Best of Roy Henry Vickers: 80 Selected Works— Lucky Budd, Roy Henry Vickers (Harbour Publishing Co.)4. The Astronaut Children of Dunbar Street: A Memoir— Wiley Wei-Chium Ho(Douglas and McIntyre).5. West Coast Kitchen Garden: Growing, Gat

Where will Brendan Gallagher play next season in the NHL?
Vancouver? Somewhere else?
One thing is certain: we know he won't be returning to Montreal. The veteran wants to move on and is looking for an opportunity to take on a more prominent role on a team—something the Canadiens can no longer offer him, given that other players are taking on increasingly important roles.
There's an obvious connection to the Canucks, but they aren't the only ones interested in Gally.
At least, that's what R

That title is for people in Toronto, an inside pun related to the Toronto Blue Jays because if you miss the game live, you can always watch “Jays in 30”, a condensed version of the game that runs on Sportsnet on game days. It applies to this post because yesterday Jay-Z celebrated the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, and showed up at his pop-up accompanied by his eldest child, the Blue Ivy Carter.It’s a beautiful finish to a week where Blue and Jay’s connection has b

The time for big decisions is approaching for the various National League teams.
In less than three hours, the first round of the draft will begin… and now we're wondering what the various clubs will do tonight.
Reminder: The Leafs hold the first overall pick in the draft. It's safe to assume they'll select Gavin McKenna, but…
But Craig Button (TSN), who has his sources and knows the prospects well, isn't 100% certain that McKenna will hear his name called first. He believes the li

Voting for the All-Star Game has moved to the next level: the finalists among the position players.
At this stage, for each position, the two players who received the most votes face off in the second round of fan voting—and the vote counts are reset to zero for this round.
Among the outfielders, six players are vying for three spots.
The only exception? The player from each league who received the most votes doesn't have to compete—he's automatically a starter. In the National Leagu

Entertainment media outlets, for months how, have been reporting on – or making up stories about – Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding. As the reported date approaches, the coverage has only intensified. But it was the story in The New York Times earlier this week that took it to the next level, because it’s the paper of record and, presumably, their accuracy is a lot better than the Daily Mail. But even they’ve been hedging, including a line in their story abou

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has taken a firm stance regarding young American quarterback Brendan Sorsby.The organization announced that it will not allow any of its nine teams to sign him to a contract or even place his name on a practice roster—an exceptional measure that underscores the importance it places on the integrity of the league.
In a press release, the CFL explains that the allegations against the player are serious enough to warrant this stance. The league states that p

We knew that the Montreal Canadiens would face the Senators three times during their upcoming preseason schedule.
But the full schedule for those games hadn't been officially announced yet.
Now it's out.
Basically, the Canadiens will take on the Sens three times… and they'll also have two games scheduled against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are all the games that will be played:September 19 vs. the Leafs (in Montreal)
September 19 vs. the Leafs (in Toronto)
September 21 vs. the Sens (in

It’s a year of Jane Austen, as Dolly Alderton’s series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is due on Netflix later this year, and now we have a trailer for a new feature film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, too. The new Sens and Sens—is that anything?—comes from Georgia Oakley, whose debut feature film, Blue Jean, about lesbian teachers in 1980s England, won the People’s Choice Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2022. The new film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Eli

All right.
We're just a few hours away from the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft… and in Montreal, we're all hoping for the same thing.
We're all waiting to see what Kent Hughes does, because the Eastern Conference teams have gotten stronger in recent days. We know the Canadiens' GM had big ambitions, and it makes you wonder if he'll be able to achieve his goals.
Reminder: The Canadiens would like to acquire a winger AND a center who can play in the team's top six.
And in Nick Kypreos's

It was inevitable.
After Alex Cora and Rob Thomson, another manager who was on the hot seat has just lost his job.
We're talking about Carlos Mendoza, who was with the Mets.
The New York club has hired Andy Green, who was already working within the Mets' organization. He managed the Padres in the late 2010s and will serve as interim manager in New York through the end of the 2026 season.
Andy Green will serve as interim manager for the rest of the season
. Green, who has been working in the Mets