Picks #9 and #25: Steve Staios’ cell phone rang during a press conference

Senators General Manager Steve Staios spoke with the media early this afternoon.
And I don't think I need to spell it out for you to understand why he was in front of the reporters to answer their questions.
Things are pretty chaotic in Ottawa right now, after all. Especially since last night's Brady Tkachuk trade…
In the opening minutes of his press conference, Staios confirmed that the younger of the two Tkachuk brothers had asked to be traded. The two men met in New Jersey in recent we

Anna Biller’s 2016 film The Love Witch has ascended to cult status over the last decade, and now she is back with a new, extremely aesthetic film, this time set in medieval England and done in the style of Technicolor schlock horror (think of all those Edgar Allen Poe movies Roger Corman made in the 1960s, like The Mask of the Red Death and The Fall of the House of Usher, or the work of Mario Bava such as The Whip and the Body). Biller writes, directs, produces, and acts as her own costume

What should we make of the Group B lines during practice?
Let's be honest: they aren't as easy to analyze as Group A's lines might be. Chris Kreider is on the first line, and no one doubts that.
But the last two lines—the guys from Group B? That's a different story.Group B is on the ice this morning in Brossard. Just for your enjoyment. Here are the lines and pairs.Bolduc-Dach-Texier
Newhook-Evans-Berard
F. Xhekaj-Danault-Anderson
Poulin-McKown-MesarMatheson-Dobson
Engström-Reinbacher

The Toronto Blue Jays currently have only a 25.4% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs.
This low percentage is due in part to the fact that the Blue Jays didn't have the series they'd hoped for against the Detroit Tigers earlier this week, having lost the first two games in dismal fashion before winning the final game 5-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
That victory brought the Jays' record to 76 wins and 77 losses this season, putting them two games behind the Clevelan

Never heard about this series until yesterday but now that I know, I’m in. Also, it’s HBO Max, and George Kay (Lupin etc) is the showrunner so it’s giving prestige…but with a healthy amount of trash. And it should be a little trashy considering the subject matter.WAR is about a tech billionaire and a movie star who are getting a divorce, and the legal battle that ensues. So, the lawyers and their legal strategy is also part of the story. If I were pitching it, then, it w

Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton were set to begin training camp without having added a single NHL-caliber player to their roster… until the day the Ducks placed Chris Kreider on waivers.
We know how it went from there: several teams expressed interest in Kreider, but his agent let just about every NHL team know that his client wouldn't be joining them.
Kreider had a list of three or four teams in mind—that's it.
He really wanted to play for the Montreal Canadiens.(Credit: Screenshot / Y

TIFF has a television section called “Primetime” (I will keep my opinion about TV shows playing at film festivals to myself but I will also mention that television festivals DO exist), and the highlight of this year’s Primetime program is Yaga, the Crave series starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo, and, of course, Hudson Williams in his first post-Heated Rivalry role.I liked the look of the Yaga teaser released during Comic Con, and they’ve also released a th

Things can change quickly in the NHL.
As Frank Seravalli mentioned on Jason Gregor's podcast yesterday, Samuel Montembeault has quickly gone from a goaltender who represented Canada at the Four Nations Tournament to one who is in danger of leaving the Canadiens.
Right now, he isn't among the two goaltenders that many people close to the Habs consider reliable.
That's why Seravalli believes not only that the Canadiens will trade him, but that he'll be the first player to find himself in that posi

Dear Gossips,I could write about the latest billionaire shenanigans threatening Hollywood (read here and here if you want), but you know what? It’s Friday. It’s my first few days back in the office after the respite of TIFF—as crazy as TIFF is, it’s better than f-cking work—let’s go into the weekend on a better note than whatever rich guy is ruining our good time today.
Let’s enjoy, instead, Jalen Brunson with Mariska Hargitay on the set of Law & Ord

Foo Fighters founder Dave Grohl’s concert history in Vancouver stretches back to his teens when Scream played at the long-gone underground venue called Luxury Bob’s.Anyone who happened to be in the room that night remembers how hard the drummer in the D.C. hardcore unit hit his drums.When Scream disbanded in 1990, Grohl found his way to Seattle where he would replace Chad Channing in a trio called Nirvana. A year later, his pounding playing style was immortalized in the hit Smells L

There’s a reason you’ve never heard stories about actor Jacob Tremblay getting caught racing around in a supercar, drunkenly misbehaving at music festivals or making any other manner of child-star missteps.“I think a lot of it has to do with the people that I was able to surround myself with,” said Langley’s Tremblay, who began his acting career at age five and was just nine when the 2015 film Room was released to wide acclaim. “I’m really close with my

There’s a reason you’ve never heard stories about actor Jacob Tremblay getting caught racing around in a supercar, drunkenly misbehaving at music festivals or making any other manner of child-star missteps.“I think a lot of it has to do with the people that I was able to surround myself with,” said Langley’s Tremblay, who began his acting career at age five and was just nine when the 2015 film Room was released to wide acclaim. “I’m really close with my

Samuel Blais hasn’t always had it easy in Montreal.
He was first placed on waivers after the 2025 training camp and was claimed by Toronto. He spent a few weeks there before returning to the Canadiens, again via waivers.
He was assigned to the Rocket, and even though Martin St-Louis used him here and there, he certainly didn't have the season he'd hoped for.
He played 21 games in the NHL (including 13 in Montreal) and 40 in the AHL. He didn't get the chance to be the player who could provi

No one wants the last spot in the American League playoffs. At least, that's the impression I've gotten from watching baseball over the past few weeks.
The teams in the race seem to be doing everything they can to lose.
Last night, the Texas Rangers let Trevor Story hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox to clinch a 4-3 victory.
Needless to say, Texas couldn't afford to lose, right?
TREVOR STORY PUTS THE SOX ON TOP THAT’LL WAKE YA UPpic.twitter.com/b2gBDP0YIn
— NESN (@NESN) September

Oliver Kapanen admits he hit a wall during the final months of the 2025–2026 season.
That's why, after spending most of the season on the second line, he finished the season either on the bottom two lines or in the stands.
And in the playoffs, he didn't always see ice time.
Kapanen knows, therefore, that he didn't have enough gas in the tank to finish the season up to expectations. And he wants to change that.
In an interview yesterday, he admitted that he's adjusted his summer training re

The Canadian Football League announced three suspensions following the particularly eventful game between the Montreal Alouettes and the British Columbia Lions.
The penalties come as several incidents during the game have drawn attention.
Lions defensive back Josh Hagerty was suspended for two games for striking Alouettes running back Liam Talbot. According to reports following the game, Talbot suffered a serious injury that required surgery.
Alouettes General Manager Danny Maciocia reacted stro

The Montreal Alouettes are facing a major setback after Liam Talbot suffered a serious injury during their recent game against the British Columbia Lions.
 
The 23-year-old player had to undergo surgery after being struck in the groin during last Saturday's game in Vancouver. (Le Journal de Montréal⁠)
The situation surrounding Liam Talbot's injury quickly drew attention, particularly due to the nature of the incident. According to reports, Lions player Josh Hagerty was responsi

Fans showed Vancouver actor Hudson Williams plenty of love outside of the TIFF world premiere of his new TV series Yaga.The actor , who has been red hot since he showed up as Shane Hollander in the wildly successful gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry — which is currently shooting season two in Toronto and Montreal — stopped and signed autographs and took pictures with fans outside the screening of the first two episodes of Yaga at the Bell Lightbox on Tuesday night.View this post on

David Reinbacher has yet to prove himself in the NHL.
Since being selected fifth overall in the 2023 draft, the defenseman has had to be patient, and his journey certainly hasn't been a straight path.
He is now reaching a crucial point in his development. At some point, we'll need to start seeing what he can really bring to the Canadiens.
Despite everything that's been said about him, Reinbacher seems to have a pretty big supporter behind the bench.
Martin St. Louis actually appreciates the youn

Let’s face it, Chris Kreider’s arrival in Montreal is certainly exciting.
The Canadiens are adding an experienced, imposing forward who has long been one of the New York Rangers' top scorers.
But we also need to keep expectations in check.
That's essentially the message Pierre LeBrun conveyed regarding the Canadiens' new addition. Appearing on “Melnick in the Afternoon” on TSN 690, the insider called Kreider's arrival a very good move. However, he quickly added an importa

In recent weeks, Kent Hughes has really gotten down to business.
He's shored up his top six and taken charge of the team's two remaining unsigned players. Now that training camp has begun, it'll be interesting to see the organization's last major issue: the three-way competition.
We know the Habs aren't expected to start the season with three goalies, but you never know. In any case, there's no bad blood between the three netminders, who are very good friends. Check out what they had to say abou

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has announced its disciplinary decisions following the eventful game between the Montreal Alouettes and the British Columbia Lions.
Three players have been suspended for actions that occurred during the game, which the Lions won 48-29.
Lions linebacker Joshua Hagerty received the harshest penalty: a two-game suspension. He was penalized for striking Alouettes running back Liam Talbot. Talbot suffered a groin injury as a result of the incident, which occurred du

For the first time in the 2026–2027 season, the Canadiens players took to the ice for a practice.
We saw several lineup changes, including Chris Kreider on the first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Juraj Slafkovsky, meanwhile, was demoted to the second line with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. As for Kapanen, the position isn't guaranteed—he has to earn it. Marco D'Amico (The Starr & D'Amico Show) believes the second-line center role belongs to him, at least for now.The

Vancouver’s Roger Lee and Carole Itter were among the winners when the Canada Council for the Arts announced the 2026 Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts (GGArts) on Sept. 16.Lee, an art historian, was the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution Award and Itter, a visual and installation artist and filmmaker, received the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.“I’m absolutely over the sky that I was awarded such an important award in Can

In 2024, the Blackhawks caused a stir when they drafted Artyom Levshunov with the second overall pick.
Two years later, that decision is even more controversial given that a player like Ivan Demidov was selected three picks later. And it's not as if the Russian was a late bloomer.
Today, Levshunov made headlines for all the wrong reasons. He completely froze out his teammate Ryan Donato. LOOK OUT(Via: @bedsysburner98) pic.twitter.com/Gri2zgm11a
— BarDown (@BarDown) September 17, 2026Honest

Shohei Ohtani Is “Almost” Back to Normal
He's not quite at 100% yet, but he's doing better.
We have a “normal…ish” Shohei Ohtani, a closer who isn't returning to the closer role, and more on the State of the Dodgers: https://t.co/I9J7SFbTbd
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) September 17, 2026
That didn't stop the Dodgers from clinching another division title.
For the 5th straight year, and the 13th time in the last 14 seasons, the Los Angeles @Dodgers are NL We

One of the most anticipated Midnight Madness world premieres at TIFF this year was Anna Biller’s The Face of Horror. Anna Biller’s The Love Witch, released a decade ago, is now a cult classic. She is a thrilling filmmaker, an auteur in every sense, with her own signature style and a feminist throughline in her work.The Face of Horror was inspired by Japan’s most famous ghost story, Yotsuya Kaidan, a kabuki play written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV in 1825. It’s about a gold-digg

Chris Kreider has several great qualities in his game.
One of them?
His ability to redirect shots in front of the net. We saw him working on his deflections this morning at practice, and we saw just how good he is at that.First practice, and the newcomer is already bringing a new technique to the table#gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/M7npmGSYU1
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) September 17, 2026But Kreider isn't just good at this—he excels.
Since the 2012–2013 season, he's been the N

Rick Bowness clearly has no intention of kicking off training camp with flowers and flowery speeches.
The coach made it known that two players arrived at the Blue Jackets' training camp in a state of physical conditioning that he deemed… insufficient.
And let's just say he wasn't exactly thrilled about it.
Why? Because it's not as if the guys didn't know what was expected of them.
Do I need to remind you that at the end of last season in Columbus, Bowness threw his players under the bus b

Karla Welch is taking the best possible approach to styling Shailene Woodley in that outfit. And if you look at the elements, each piece is totally fine on its own, it’s mashing it all together that is the issue.
But ultimately, a great week for Shailene and the outfit is kind of the cherry on top. It’s immediately recognizable to pop culture connoisseurs, and I just know some visionary is going to pull this off for Halloween.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Karla Welch (@