Intro for September 2, 2026

Dear Gossips,Apart from BTS, and they are the standard, it’s rare that what’s trending in western pop culture, or from western pop culture, is similar to what’s trending in pop culture that’s coming out of East Asia. This week there’s common ground – a dog breed: the Samoyed.In the west, the most famous Samoyed is now, of course, family, Wendy Peffercorn Kelce Swift, the baby Showgirl, who just starred in her first fashion campaign for Tommy Hilfiger. Since We

All in all, the 2026 MLB season is already starting to wind down. There are only three weeks left on the schedule before the real season begins—the season of October baseball.
As a result, we're starting to get a good idea of who the potential contenders are for the various individual awards. One player whose name continues to grab attention is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Chicago Cubs star seems to be solidifying his MVP claim a little more with every game, at the expense of his closest rival

In recent years, several big American stars have requested trades and want to play only in the United States (and eventually leave).
I'm thinking of the Tkachuks, Dylan Larkin, and Connor Hellebuyck. The latter two haven't been traded yet, but it's only a matter of time.
One player who has never complained about Canada is Connor McDavid. He's currently in Edmonton, but he'd like to play in Montreal and Toronto. The Queen City is in his home province, and today on the podcast The Leafs Convo, Mic

After Cale Makar, the next player to sign a $20 million-a-year contract will likely be Quinn Hughes.
I say “probably” because Nikita Kucherov doesn't have a contract lined up for next season either.
Jeff Marek (Sekeres & Price Show) believes there's a chance it could happen soon.Jeff Marek on the Sekeres & Price Podcast about the next $20M player:“I do think that Quinn is your next $20M player unless Julien Brisebois (Tampa Bay's GM) wants to just blow us out of the wat

Spencer Arrighetti in the pen?
That's the question.
“I don't think it has to be done right now. Maybe there's a place for him in the bullpen.” @KPILLAR4 breaks down why Spencer Arrighetti doesn't have to be in the rotation right now as the Blue Jays sprint to the finish for a playoff spot. pic.twitter.com/y0By8J6uR9
— Blue Bird Territory (@BlueBirdTerr) September 7, 2026
On the other hand, Michael Lorenzen could be in the rotation.
Should Michael Lorenzen be part of the Blue Ja

The Wings will begin training camp on September 17. That's in 10 days.
And as of this writing, they don't have a general manager, their captain doesn't want to play for them, one of their best defensemen (Simon Edvinsson) doesn't have a contract, and the organization hasn't made the playoffs in a thousand years.
That's great. It's hard to blame Larkin for wanting to leave.This is actually crazy to me as well.
Yzerman was “let go” on July 15. Almost two months later, with training cam

Today, Gleb Pugachyov, the Canadiens' most recent first-round pick, played his first game of the season. For the occasion, the kid was on his team's first line in the MHL.
He may eventually play in the KHL, but for now, he'll start out in the MHL.
It's worth noting that Pugachyov ultimately failed to register any points today. He was unable to help his team avoid defeat, as they lost 5-3 to Irbis.
However, what really caught everyone's attention was a play late in the game in which Pugachyov too

Aaron Judge's last game was on May 31. So it's now been more than three months since the Yankees have been without their captain… and a little over four months since he suffered his injury.
Remember that at the end of April, he injured his ribs while diving to catch a ball… and he played through the pain for a month.
But over the past few days, it really feels like his return is getting closer. And this afternoon, we got another hint suggesting he might be back as early as tomorrow

The Los Angeles Rams are preparing to try a new approach for their trip to Australia.
While most
NFL teams prefer to arrive several days before an international game to help adjust to the time difference, Sean McVay has chosen a radically different approach.
The California-based team will leave the United States on Tuesday evening and arrive in Melbourne on Thursday—just a few hours before their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Kickoff
is scheduled for Friday at 10:35 a.m. local ti

This morning, our colleague Maxime Truman noted that all of the CH players have now returned to the city. Many of them spent the summer in Quebec, but others took advantage of the past few months to recharge away from Montreal.
The last one who hadn't returned yet, Juraj Slafkovský, did so yesterday. He arrived on a flight that departed from Vienna, where he likely made a stopover on his way from his native Slovakia.
That's where he spent the summer, after all.
And clearly, Slaf had no in

Shohei Ohtani has suffered several injuries that caused him to miss four consecutive games this week for the first time since he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
And this could have more serious repercussions than just missing four games. In fact, according to manager Dave Roberts, the Japanese star will likely not take the mound again this season.Obviously, if you look at the schedule, I think we can all do the math.Even if it's just for one inning as a starter.I think that's unlikely.Oh

The price of a ticket to an NFL game can vary significantly from one team to another.
To compile its annual rankings, TickPick does not rely on the official ticket prices listed by the franchises, but rather on the average price actually paid on the secondary market. And the 2026 edition holds several surprises.
The biggest one involves the Buffalo Bills, who top this year's list with an average ticket price of $610. This is a particularly high figure, more than double the average from the previ

In recent days, rumors had been circulating that Gleb Pugachyov would not be starting the season in the KHL.
That made sense, considering he wasn't going to travel with his KHL team for the first games of the regular season, which is already underway in Russia.
But nothing had been confirmed.
Now, however, it's official: the Canadiens' first-round pick in 2026 is suiting up for Chaika, the junior team that holds his rights.
The game started at 6:30 p.m. local time.Pugachyov will take the ice in

That's it—we're almost there. The Canadiens Children's Foundation Golf Tournament will take place in exactly one week, and training camp will begin two days later in Brossard.
Sorry, but I won't be very interested in the rookie camp this year. The team's top prospects won't be participating.
Juraj Slafkovsky was the last player who hadn't yet returned to Montreal, but he did so yesterday. He arrived at YUL from Austria, most likely because he made a stopover in Vienna on his way from Slova

The New England Patriots may have to cope with a significant absence right from their first game of the season.
With just a few days
to go before their matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, running back TreVeyon Henderson's status remains uncertain due to an ankle injury.
The young running back has not participated in his team's recent practices, raising questions ahead of the season opener. When asked Monday about Henderson's
chances of
playing in the game, head coach Mike Vrabel declined to sp

As of yesterday (Sunday), it was clear that Giancarlo Stanton would not be returning to the New York Yankees this season.The 36-year-old has been on the injured list since late April with a strained right calf. He seemed poised to return late last month until he injured his other calf.
However, ahead of the Bombers' final game of the series against the San Diego Padres, manager Aaron Boone brought a glimmer of hope back to the Bronx. According to Garry Phillips of New York News Sports on X, the

I was in the stands at Stade Hébert yesterday when I saw the news break: Ivan Demidov's agent publicly stated that if it were up to him, Ivan Demidov wouldn't have left (as much, at least) money on the table when signing his eight-year contract.
Basically, Dan Milstein—who also represents Alexandre Texier, Gleb Pugashyov, and Alexander Zharovsky—told The Gazette that his client wanted to leave money on the table so that Montreal could sign other players.“If it had been u

Is the Canadiens heading toward a three-way goaltending situation?
If everyone stays healthy and Samuel Montembeault isn't traded, the Canadiens will have some big decisions to make regarding their goaltenders.
Everyone knows it.
Jakub Dobes will be the No. 1 goaltender, and we're wondering what the Habs' plan is for Jacob Fowler. Does the team want him to log minutes in Laval?
I don't think it's impossible, even though he was the No. 2 in the playoffs. But I don't know if it's likely, either.
A

Did you know that an American League team could make it to the World Series by using only three starting pitchers in the playoffs?
And that's true even if the team in question had to play in the wild-card games…
This is a specific scenario that would require a team to play only two games in the American League’s second-place series.
Mitch Bannon, who covers the Blue Jays, raised this scenario on X.This is so, so, so far down the line. And a lot has to happen before it's relevant, bu

Mike Vrabel is heading into a new season with a clear priority: putting football back at the center of every conversation.
After turning
the New England Patriots into Super Bowl contenders in his very first year as head coach, the former linebacker has nonetheless had a particularly tumultuous summer.
Controversy erupted after photos were published showing Vrabel with Dianna Russini, then a reporter for The Athletic. The images, taken at an adults-only
resort, quickly went beyond the realm of s

In a week, it will be the Canadiens' golf tournament. In many ways, this marks the start of the season.
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will face the media after a few months away from the cameras. And inevitably, they'll have to answer a few questions.
Among them: Why hasn't anyone been added via trade or free agency? Who will play alongside Lane Hutson? Who will be the team's second-string center when the season gets underway?
 
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Last Sunday, the NHL website began its countdown of the top 50 NHL players.
From No. 50 to No. 41, there were no Canadiens players in sight. Today, the league continued the countdown, ranking players from No. 40 to No. 31.
Cole Caufield is ranked 31st. He narrowly missed the top 30, despite having been voted among the top 10 wingers just a few weeks ago.If you score goals like Cole Caufield, you make the NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list!The @CanadiensMTL star comes in at #⃣3T

Tonight, the league continued to reveal its top 50 NHL players.
Leo Carlsson came in… at No. 38. The Ducks paid $18 million per season (thanks to the Flyers) for the 38th-best player in the NHL.
That's a lot.A big year for Leo Carlsson (@AnaheimDucks) earns him the #⃣3⃣8⃣ spot on NHL Network's Top 50 Players Right Now list!: #NHLTopPlayers on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/5HJ6LkwefN
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) September 6, 2026This summer, the contracts are crazy.
But th

The Blue Jays faced the Kansas City Royals this afternoon. The team had already won the series, but every game counts at this point.
Except it didn't go well.
Spencer Arrighetti, who hasn't been doing much of anything since the trade that brought him to Toronto, gave up no fewer than six earned runs, including three to the first three batters of the game.
I don't need to tell you that in a (heavy) 6-1 loss, that made all the difference in the worst possible way.
Nothing was working, really. Jesu

When will Arber Xhekaj's contract be extended?
That's one of the most frequently asked questions in Montreal, along with the situation involving Zachary Bolduc, who is also still without a contract.
It's a shame that these two situations haven't been resolved yet, since they risk creating distractions in the locker room.
Some Habs fans believe that Arber Xhekaj can become a solid third-pair defenseman. He's very imposing and intimidating, and he allows other players to play with greater peace of

Luis Robert Jr. Injured
What a surprise…Orioles Place Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-Day IL https://t.co/7feBVBNkmM pic.twitter.com/kuSQuyAMgN
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) September 6, 2026Ceddanne Rafaela is also injured.
BREAKING: The Red Sox have placed OF Ceddanne Rafaela on the 10-Day Injured List (retroactive to September 3) with a right quadriceps strain.To fill his spot, Boston has recalled INF/OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Worcester. pic.twitter.com/BOkli8w3GD
— NESN

Montreal Canadiens fans will have another prospect to watch this year in the KHL.
Last year, there were already Alexander Zharovsky, Bogdan Konyushkov, and others, but now we can add Gleb Pugachyov to the list. However, it's not yet clear whether he'll see much ice time in the KHL.
He should get his chances, but all signs point to him shuttling back and forth between the Russian junior league (MHL), the KHL, and the VHL (the Russian equivalent of the AHL).
Grant McCagg closely follows the Habs'

Even though he's no longer at the helm of the Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott continues to follow his former team closely. And clearly, he has a lot of faith in their chances for the upcoming NFL season.
The former Bills head coach didn't hesitate when asked to predict which two teams will make it to the next Super Bowl. His answer? Buffalo versus the Los Angeles Rams.
“Bills-Rams,” McDermott said during his appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, adding that it would be an excellent matchu

In early August, the Blue Jays decided to trade Kevin Gausman. At the time, it was the right thing to do.
Why? Because the team was heading for a crash.
One might wonder if the team regrets the trade today, given that it's missing (at least) one starting pitcher in Toronto's race for the playoffs 2.0.
That said, Brett Bateman (acquired in exchange for Gausman) is proving to be a valuable asset right now.
The Chicago Cubs have secured his services. It makes sense, since the Illinois team was in d

The Montreal Canadiens, as we know, have their core players signed to long-term contracts at reasonable prices.
Ivan Demidov is the most recent core player to extend his contract, to $9.15 million per season for eight years.
There seems to be a trend within the organization where players are taking less money to help management build a better team.
Demidov's agent, Dan Milstein, gave an interview to The Montreal Gazette and discussed his client.
Milstein also mentioned that he had wanted a diffe