Destiny 2 will not be getting any more content after the scheduled Shadow & Order release in June 2026. One of the longest running looter-shooters in the market will no longer recieve new expansions and seasons, as Bungie announces that it will start working on next games, and focus turns towards a new beginning for the company.
The game has had ten major expansions from 2017 to 2025, with the Shadow & Order being the last content update the game gets. Much like Destiny 1, however, the Destiny 2 servers will also stay on, allowing players to hop onto older Raids, Dungeons, PvP, and other activities.
End of content service announced for Destiny 2 after June 2026
Renegades expansion’s only major update, Shadow & Order, is scheduled for June 9, 2026. However, this particular update will be Destiny 2’s final content patch ever, as Bungie have decided to stop services on this renowned looter-shooter title, after almost 10 years. On March 21, the official X account of the game uploaded their weekly blog, but only this time, it wasn’t the TWID.
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Their blog is titled “Every End is a new Beginning,” with the the official post stating:
“As our focus turns towards a new beginning for Bungie, we will begin work incubating our next games. To that end, on June 9, 2026, we will release the final live-service content update for Destiny 2 to begin that new journey as a studio.”
The team further states that although any content development will stop in the meantime, the game will be left in a playable state, similar to Destiny 1.
With that in mind, however, players are hopeful for a Destiny 3 in the future, although no official announcement have been made from Bungie’s end yet.
And understandably so. The Fever have WNBA title-contention aspirations and do not want a repeat of last season, when Clark played in just 13 games due to lingering injuries. The latest episode of this apparent mission came when the Fever sat Clark down for a game against the Portland Firebecause of a back problem that was actually part of a larger strategy.
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We’re seeing the Clark strategy coming to fruition. The superstar guard is officially probable for the Fever’s next game against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night. Sometimes, you just need a night off amid health maintenance:
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Through four games played so far, Clark is averaging 24.3 points, five rebounds, and nine assists on 42-32-100 shooting splits. That is, quite obviously, elite. And for it to continue, the Fever will have to be as proactive as possible about Clark’s health all season.
It’s not easy saying no to the president, but Tom Fazio did.
When President Trump asked the acclaimed course designer late last year if he’d be game to renovate East Potomac Golf Links — a nearly century-old D.C. municipal course just south of the National Mall — Fazio didn’t need long to mull the offer.
“A quick ‘no,’” he said the other day, recalling his conversation with the president. “Because I don’t deal with aggravation.”
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By aggravation, Fazio, who is 81, meant the extensive permitting, approvals and other red tape that often accompany municipal projects. Trump’s vision also would mean unwinding plans already underway by D.C. nonprofit National Links Trust. In 2020, the Department of the Interior had granted NLT a 50-year lease to manage and restore East Potomac and D.C.’s other two munis, Langston and Rock Creek. For the East Potomac redo, NLT had tapped another marquee designer in Tom Doak. Stepping over that work was certain to draw opposition from the local golf community.
But then, by sheer coincidence, Fazio’s wife Sue intervened. Sue had a D.C. trip scheduled to visit a friend and urged Tom to join her. Tom, who was busy with work, at first resisted but then relented and used the getaway as an opportunity to tour East Potomac, which sits on a manmade peninsula with the Washington Channel to the east, the Potomac River to the west and Washington Monument views to the north.
“I thought, ‘Holy mackerel, this is awesome,’” Fazio said.
He called the president.
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“I told you no,” Fazio told Trump, “but you were right.”
The site was too good to turn down.
East Potomac sits on a manmade peninsula.
getty images
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FAZIO HAS KNOWN TRUMP for decades. He has designed four courses in Trump’s portfolio, including the first course at Trump Bedminster, the president’s New Jersey hangout. (Fazio’s course-designer nephew, Tommy Fazio, and Tommy’s course-designer father, Jim, also have their names on Trump courses.) In November, Fazio visited the White House, where he and the president talked golf. They do that occasionally, but mostly by phone and only on weekends. “He’s got other things to do,” Fazio said with a laugh. “He’s running the world.”
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The world, and other things. One of the first signs that East Potomac was on Trump’s radar came in October when dump trucks full of dirt from the president’s East Wing renovation project began showing up at the facility and depositing tons of debris in an area near the 4th and 9th holes on the nine-hole executive course. (The property also has a 18-hole regulation course and nine-hole par-3 course.)
A more obvious indicator of Trump’s interest came at the end of December, when the Interior Department broke the NLT’s lease, alleging the organization had failed to pay rent and was underdelivering on maintaining and improving the courses; NLT roundly disputed the claims.
The Interior Department’s decision left the three munis’ futures in an awkward, unsettling limbo that extended through the first four months of 2026. Then, on May 9, the administration provided some clarity, announcing it had reached a deal with several private and public entities, including Fazio Design, to begin “immediate renovations” of East Potomac, while returning oversight of the Langston and Rock Creek renovations to the NLT.
None of this activity has come without resistance. In February, two D.C.-area golfers, in tandem with the D.C. Preservation League, sued the administration for threatening to undermine East Potomac’s role as a public park. Earlier this month, in response to a different filing, a federal judge ruled the administration could proceed with maintenance work on the course but was prohibited from overhauling it without prior notice and proper approvals. Save East Po, an advocacy group that has been protesting Trump’s plan, describes itself as “people who love East Potomac and want to make sure the character of this special place continues for the next generation of DMV residents.”
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Trump’s East Potomac plans have not come without resistance.
getty images
Some of the public’s pushback has made its way into Fazio’s inbox. “I’ve gotten some emails and requests from people telling me, ‘Don’t work on that project,’” he said. “Some of them were very insulting; some of them are what I’d call ridiculous. But that’s beside the point. I guess you get used to that when you deal with a lot of different opinions and personalities.”
Whatever criticism Fazio weathers or whatever obstacles he’ll need to overcome to see this rebuild through, he believes the payoff will be worth it. The site, in his mind, is that special.
“It’s Pebble Beach quality land in terms of environment, in terms of setting,” he said. “The president’s idea is to upgrade it to be literally a national monument — and there’s no reason it can’t be a national monument.”
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***
FAZIO KNOWS AND APPRECIATES what the existing version of East Potomac means to D.C. residents. He has friends in the area whose children grew up playing the course; they have expressed to him their concerns about what might become of their beloved muni, the same concerns you’ll hear from many East Potomac regulars. What will happen to green fees, which now are capped at $48? Will the new design, which can play to nearly 7,700 yards — and which Trump has said he’d like to see host majors and a Ryder Cup — box out beginners and shorter-hitters? Will the facility assume an upscale or exclusive atmosphere that could alienate some golfers? Will it lose its ties to its rich history and to the original reversible Walter Travis design that the heralded Golden Age architect laid down in 1921?
“It’s controversial,” Fazio allows, adding of the president, “Anything he’s involved with becomes controversial.” But, Fazio said, it’s also too early to jump to conclusions. “Facts have been not put out yet,” he said. Indeed, the administration has offered few specifics about its plans for the property. Last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared Fazio’s preliminary design for the site but accompanied only by a brief message that read in part, “Like iconic public courses of Bethpage Black & Torrey Pines, East Potomac will offer locals — of the National Capital Region — championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted rates.”
Fazio has no insight into what those rates might be but suspects that the fees will be subsidized for locals, as they have been at other high-profile muni rebuilds in recent years, including The Park in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Memorial Park in Houston; and The Patch in Augusta, Ga., where Fazio led the re-design along with Beau Welling.
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Fazio has little experience working with municipalities or, as he puts it, “the processes that go along with getting lots of different opinions.” But his job, as he sees it, is to build the best possible golf course and facility he can within the parameters that are provided to him by the Interior Department. Ideally, he said, he’ll work quickly, which aligns with Trump’s wishes. “The president happens to be a guy of action,” Fazio said. “He wants to get this thing done so people can enjoy it play it, and not one of these ‘10 years down the road and drag it out forever’ things. He wants to get it done now.”
That has been Trump’s m.o. with projects all over town, ranging from the White House ballroom addition to his remodeling (and renaming) of the Trump Kennedy Center to his plans for a statue park along the Potomac River. He seems determined to leave his physical legacy on the city.
At East Potomac, though, Fazio can’t just snap his fingers. He needs engineering, environmental and legal clearance before he can break ground. In terms of an estimated start date, he said, “We’ll probably know in a month or so from now based on the steps that have to be taken through the permit approval process and the regulations that have to be done.”
Best case, Fazio said, he’d start construction later this summer, grass the course next summer and have it ready for play in the spring of 2028. “That’s, like, the most optimistic schedule that anybody can have, right?” he said.
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Barring a third term, Trump’s last day in office will be Jan. 20, 2029.
Excited to unveil the design for the East Potomac Golf Links renovation from Fazio Design.
Like iconic public courses of Bethpage Black & Torrey Pines, East Potomac will offer locals—of the National Capital Region—championship-quality golf at affordable, highly discounted… pic.twitter.com/foLZAAcsj3
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) May 14, 2026
***
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WHEN FAZIO DOES GET MOVING in earnest, one of his top priorities will be improving drainage and building up the property’s low-lying areas so they don’t take on as much water as they do now — not only from rain but also from tidal surges. “I don’t know what we’re going to do yet,” he said. “We’re evaluating what do we do to keep it from flooding? How do we grow grass on the turf? We’re doing all those studies as we speak.”
Fazio said the president already has asked him what the renovation will cost. Fazio doesn’t know. “I don’t have an idea yet until we evaluate all the conditions and deal with the constraints of the site,” he said. “Certainly, we know more rules and more regulations mean more cost. Just simple facts. That’s what we’re looking at now and evaluating how much dirt are we going to move to elevate the areas that flood.” He said he’ll expect to have a better handle on budget in several weeks.
Some savings will come by way of the more than 30,000 cubic yards of dirt from Trump’s White House renovation project, which, according to National Park Service data, contains low levels of lead, chromium and other toxic metals. Some savings, Fazio said, but not much savings. “It’s nothing,” he said of the volume of soil relative to what the whole project will require, adding the president “was shocked when I told him that.” Fazio said he intends to use the debris to build a couple of greens and a couple of bunkers, but “it won’t raise the land and keep it from flooding.”
The infamous dirt pile at East Potomac has grown to more than 30,000 cubic yards.
craig kalkut
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The current plan has the opening two holes — parallel par-4s — detached from the rest of the layout in the northwest corner of the property, with a sprawling practice range flanking the 2nd hole and, beyond that, a nine-hole par-3 course. The remaining 16 holes will sit on the footprint of the existing course with about half the holes, Fazio said, occupying the existing corridors.
The current holes all run north and south; Fazio plans to change that. “We like to bend and twist and create some variety in different sun angles and those kinds of things,” he said. Given he has limited land with which to work, he called the design process an exercise in “space allocation.” Fazio added that he would have liked to extend the layout all the way to the end of the peninsula but said “that’s not the criteria that I was given to work with.”
From the back tees, the course will play a beefy 7,660 yards. That figure, paired with the president’s desire for the course to test the world’s best players, has some locals worrying about playability. Fazio is keen to allay those concerns. “I’ve never done a golf course that’s not playable for [a high-handicapper],” he said. “I wouldn’t do it any other way.” The course, he said, will, at a minimum, have two sets of forward tees, two sets of middle tees and two sets of championship tees. “If we only put the third tee from the front,” he said, “guys who are serious players would say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a short golf course and I’m not interested in that.’”
But, yes, Fazio is intending for the course, when all stretched out, to challenge elite players. “There’s not one golf course I’ve ever done that [the developer] hasn’t thought that we’d be able to hold a major championship on. We’re going to build the best golf course — the equivalent to the Aronominks and the Quail Hollows and the Shinnecocks. It’s gonna be that quality, whether you have an event or not.”
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Trump wants an event, a big one, and Fazio said his planning has accounted for how galleries might flow through the property, and that some of the contouring he’s envisioning could serve as natural vantage points for fans. How tens of thousands of spectators, vendors and tournament support staff might get in and out of the peninsula is another matter, likely one best suited for logistics experts to solve. Still, Fazio said there is a need for more tournament-ready courses in the D.C. area.
“There are many golf courses in the region that can host a PGA-quality event,” Fazio said, noting such sites as Congressional, TPC Avenel and Caves Valley, which is north of Baltimore. “But most of them don’t want to, because that means you have to give up your golf course.”
The president’s idea is to upgrade it to be literally a national monument .
Tom Fazio on Trump’s vision for the East Potomac site
***
PRESERVING OR PAYING HOMAGE to Travis’s original design was not top of mind for Fazio, he said, partly because maps and references from Travis’s work are scant but more so because the existing design isn’t suited for the modern game. “There won’t be any holes that are exactly the way they are now because they’re not acceptable in today’s golf standards,” he said. “People talk about designing or preserving the old golf courses. If Donald Ross or [A.W.] Tillinghast, the famous great old designers, if they would have had the budgets and equipment we had today, they would’ve done a whole lot of things differently than they did.”
The current clubhouse, with pillars that resemble a D.C. monument, will stay and be refurbished, Fazio said. The addition of a second clubhouse down the line is also a possibility. “Our job and my job always is to look at options and possibilities and what can be done over time,” Fazio said.
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The new range, which will replace the dilapidated double-decker range that now sits on the northwest corner of the facility, will run south to north. That is intentional so late in the day golfers won’t be hitting into the setting sun, as they do now. “When you hit a golf ball, especially on a practice tee,” Fazio said, “you kind of like to see it land.” Fazio said the range will extend to 400 yards from the back tee with players hitting balls toward the Washington Monument. “The president loves practice ranges,” Fazio said, so Fazio and his team are aiming to take full advantage of East Potomac’s dramatic setting.
“Where’s the greatest practice range you’ve ever seen?” he continued. “Well, if you stood on the practice tee at the East Potomac and hit balls, that could be as good as any place in the world. Of course, as an American, I’d say that, because I’m looking at the Washington Monument. But it’s a big deal.”
The par-3 course, which flanks the east side of the property, next to the Blue course, will be nixed and replaced by another nine-hole short course on the northeast corner of the parcel. Fazio said he expects the hole yardages to be line in with the current course, where the shortest hole from the back tees is 64 yards and the longest is 208 yards. East Potomac’s recently restored miniature golf course, which is the country’s oldest continuously operating miniature golf course and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, will remain, Fazio said.
Changes are afoot, and local golfers can expect them to come sooner than later, with a seal of approval from the highest office in the land.
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“As the president says, as a guy who’s a golfer, he’s just not happy with a golf course with very little grass on it, with bad drainage, with bad putting surfaces, with not quality experiences,” Fazio said. “He’s going to fix it.”
The Edmonton Oilers are already getting tied to some bold offseason rumors after another disappointing playoff finish and one possible move is stirring major buzz across the NHL. The chatter around Edmonton picked up after insider talks suggested the Oilers might chase a blockbuster offer sheet for Pavel Dorofeyev this summer.
Now, the whole situation is still complicated but the idea of Edmonton trying to grab one of the league’s rising goal scorers has already stirred up big reactions from analysts, insiders, and fans, in and around hockey.
During a recent episode of The Sheet, NHL insider Jeff Marek described what he called a “maximum chaos” scenario involving the Oilers and Dorofeyev. From Marek’s angle, Edmonton could try a massive offer sheet, for the Vegas Golden Knights forward, but only if the organization is able to shuffle its draft-pick situation this offseason.
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So the proposed deal would reportedly come with a two-year cap hit, somewhere around 11.9 million each year. Dorofeyev—who, on July 1, becomes a restricted free agent, has quickly morphed into one of the NHL’s most dangerous young goal scorers after stacking two back-to-back 35-goal seasons and then topping the postseason in goals.
With projections saying that the winger’s next contract value might reach beyond $70 million long-term extension, well, the chatter around his future has only gotten louder. That rumored number right away kinda split opinions across the hockey world, especially since Edmonton would end up owing multiple top-tier draft picks if Vegas doesn’t decide to match the offer.
Why NHL Insiders Are Divided on Edmonton Oilers Pursuing Pavel Dorofeyev
A few hockey personalities really got behind the idea, even with the huge price tag attached to the whole deal. Analyst Mark said the possible move was a “slam dunk,” and he argued that giving up a few select high draft picks would still be worth it for a proven 25-year-old scorer who’s entering his prime.
Meanwhile, insider Tony Cordasco was saying that Vegas might finally take the hit, for all those years of pretty aggressive salary cap maneuvering. Others, though, wondered if Edmonton can actually pull off every step that’s needed, like all that draft-pick compensation stuff plus the cap management too.
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Even hockey salary-cap outlet PuckPedia jumped into it, saying that Edmonton might not have to reacquire its 2027 first-round pick just to finish an offer sheet. Instead, the Oilers could use a future first-round selection, while still needing to make good on a separate draft asset that’s linked to the Nashville Predators. Whether GM Stan Bowman will really dive into the idea remains unclear, but the chatter has already turned into one of the NHL offseason’s loudest talking points.
Harry Maguire’s mum has taken to social media to share her ‘disgust’ at him being left out of the England World Cup squad. Maguire, 33,has been left out of the 26-man squad for the tournament which will be officially announced by boss Thomas Tuchel tomorrow (Friday).
That is despite him enjoying an impressive second half of the season under Michael Carrick at Manchester United. Maguire confirmed his axe on social media amid outrage from fans who believe that he should’ve been called up.
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In a post on Instagram, the defender said: “I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had. I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players, all the best this summer.”
His furious mum, Zoe, also had her say. On X, she wrote: “Absolutely disgusted.”
One of his brothers, Joe, also fumed: “This might possibly be the worst decision I’ve ever seen in my life. No words.”
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Tuchel will explain his decision regarding Maguire at a press conference on Friday. The centre-back isn’t the only big name to miss out. Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Luke Shaw and Morgan Gibbs-White are also among the high-profile omissions.
It was Maguire’s mum who ‘started crying’ when he was recalled to the England squad in March following an 18-month absence. Discussing his recall, the 33-year-old said: “It’s amazing. It’s something I’ve missed. When you don’t get picked, when you’ve been a regular for six or seven years, it’s tough. I spoke to the manager and he told me I was in.
“I phoned my family. My mum was on holiday and she was crying. I’m in a position now in my career where it is not so much about myself. I’m 33. If I play one minute at the World Cup or every game, I will do everything to make sure this country is successful.”
But now the only football Maguire that will be playing this summer will be during United’s pre-season. The Red Devils are due to travel Europe for a number of friendlies while England battle it out to end 66 years of hurt in North America.
The Cleveland Browns hired Todd Monken as their new coach in January after firing former coach Kevin Stefanski. However, the new Browns coach hasn’t met veteran defensive end Myles Garrett.
Monken was asked whether he has met the Pro Bowl DE after he arrived in Cleveland. The New Browns coach answered with a straightforward “no.”
Thanks for the submission!
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Fans reacted to Browns’ defensive stalwart not meeting their new coach.
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“How hasn’t he yet?!? 😳 just trade him already lol.”
How hasn’t he yet?!? 😳 just trade him already lol
“-100 team chemistry.”
“Your new head coach not even meeting the best defensive player in the history of your franchise is some way to set a tone.”
Your new head coach not even meeting the best defensive player in the history of your franchise is some way to set a tone.
“The way he answers make me think Myles may finally get his wish if things arent going right by the trade deadline.”
The way he answers make me think Myles may finally get his wish if things arent going right by the trade deadline.
“The more coming out ab the browns the more 2nd hand embarrassment I get.”
The more coming out ab the browns the more 2nd hand embarrassment I get
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Garrett, who set the NFL‘s single-season sack record and won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, is not attending the voluntary OTAs for a second year, a potential reason Monken has not met the veteran DE yet.
Browns coach Todd Monken not making a “big deal” out of Myles Garrett missing OTAs
While Myles Garrett is not attending the OTAs, the Pro Bowl defensive end’s availability for the team’s mandatory minicamp next month also remains unclear. However, Browns coach Todd Monken urged not to “make a big deal out of” Garrett missing the OTAs.
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“Hasn’t been a lot. This is voluntary,” Monken said. “We’re making a big deal out of this. We really are. It’s voluntary. We have other guys besides Myles that aren’t here. I wish they were here. They’ll be ready. We expect them to be ready and we’ll be fired up when they’re here.”
The seven-time Pro Bowler is the best player on the roster and is expected to play a crucial role in Monken’s first year as a Browns coach.
The victorious Montreal Victoire lifted the Walter Cup on home soil Thursday morning after winning the trophy for the first time in the team’s history.
The Victoire defeated the Charge 4-0 in Ottawa on Wednesday night to take the best-of-five Professional Women’s Hockey League final in four games, making them the first Canadian team to win the Cup.
Forward Alexandra Labelle said it was the “cherry on top” to win with a shutout.
“It’s amazing and we’re champions,” she said. “Last night was pretty fun … we drank from the Cup.”
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A group of fans welcomed the team as they stepped off the bus in front of the Verdun Auditorium, where they played their first home games when the league was founded in 2023.
Fans clapped and cheered, “Let’s go Victoire!” to welcome the players donning caps and T-shirts with their team logo.
The players, still on cloud nine, couldn’t help but join in on the crowd’s chants of “Olé! Olé! Olé!” as they huddled around team captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who carried the silver trophy.
“It’s pretty heavy,” Poulin told reporters. “It’s been surreal … I’m so excited to come back home, see our fans, our friends and our families. Having done that with such incredible teammates, there’s nothing better.”
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Goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, affectionately nicknamed “le mur” (“the wall” in French), said she barely slept after a night of celebrations.
She said the team had dreamt of winning the Cup at home but were pleased that Montreal fans made the trek to Ottawa to cheer them on and watch them clinch the trophy.
“To see, to meet more fans today, to share a moment with them is truly special. This league doesn’t exist without our fans and the media, so we’re quite happy to share this,” she said.
A group of high schoolgirls stopped by on their lunch break to catch a glimpse of the victorious team and congratulate their idols in the flesh.
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Poulin, who was named the post-season MVP after putting up eight points (two goals, six assists) in nine playoff games, said it’s “incredible” to see the impact she and her teammates have had on young girls.
“Giving them something to dream about, it’s something that motivates us every day,” she said.
She added that players like Olympic gold medallists Kim St-Pierre and Caroline Ouellette — who coaches the Victoire — paved the way for them.
Poulin said she had her “ups and downs” this season — including a knee injury during the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in February — but her teammates got her through the lows.
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“When you head to the arena with teammates like these girls, who lift you up day after day during the toughest moments, it’s easy to bounce back. When you put on that jersey, it’s more than just us — it’s the whole city, the fans, family and friends who’ve been there from the start,” said the team captain.
The Victoire say they plan to celebrate their title and rest before the 2026-27 season starts up.
Even after earning a victory in their series opener against the Colorado Avalanche, the Vegas Golden Knights remain underdogs according to the oddsmakers.
That is a heady concept considering that Game 1 victors historically have won more than 68 percent of Stanley Cup playoff series.
Yet, on the heels of Wednesday’s 4-2 road victory, the Golden Knights are expected to fall short in the Western Conference finals.
Even so, it makes sense.
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Teams that win Game 1 on the road have a .572 series-winning percentage when the dust has settled.
Which means the Golden Knights are not free and clear against an Avalanche squad that came out of the gates strong, but could not maintain momentum until they trailed 3-0 early in the third period of the series curtain raiser.
But when the Avalanche found their footing and mounted a push, they made enough damage to get the Golden Knights and their faithful something to be concerned about going forward.
Whether Makar — who appears to have suffered some form of shoulder injury in the deciding clash against the Minnesota Wild last round — returns for Game 2 or even later in the series remains to be seen. His availability will be a huge boon for the Avalanche, who finished atop the league standings in the regular season.
On the flip side, the Golden Knights have a major injury concern of their own in captain Mark Stone. Stone was hurt in Game 3 of his team’s clash with the Anaheim Ducks last round. He skated in the morning of the game with the scratches, but the team has provided no timetable for his return.
A healthy return for Stone will aid the Vegas cause considerably.
As it stands now, here are predictions for the meeting: Both Makar and Stone will play before the series reaches Game 4, and the Avalanche rebound from losing the opener to claim the best-of-seven series in six games.
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Looking to the other side of the continent, the oddsmakers — rightfully — have the Carolina Hurricanes heavily favored to dispatch the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals.
Sure, the Canadiens have become a great story in this year’s playoffs. Rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes has backstopped his team to two Game 7 victories to reach this point. Alex Newhook scored the winning goal in both deciding games. To top it off, the Canadiens are a young and exciting team that is more likely to play a high-scoring game as a 2-1 affair.
Yet for all their attributes, the Canadiens are facing a Mount Everest-sized task to knock out the Hurricanes, even knowing Montreal swept the regular-season series.
The Hurricanes, who finished atop the Eastern Conference and have swept their opposition in each of the first two rounds, are built to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Their relentless pace of play is at a level the Canadiens have not faced.
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Carolina has the ability to stifle opponents, especially with its forecheck. And after working so hard to create a scoring chance, the Canadiens will need to solve goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has surrendered only 10 goals against in eight playoff games.
Then toss into the mix the fatigue factor. Sure, rust may be an issue for Carolina having waited a dozen days to resume game action, but the Canadiens have arrived to this point from the other side of the pendulum, needing seven games in each of the first two rounds.
Aaron Rodgers announced on Wednesday that this season will be his final year in the NFL.
Rodgers, who turns 43 in December, just inked a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are wandering the quarterback desert without a true long-term plan.
And that’s only part of what makes Rodgers’ retirement announcement feel somewhat unlikely. He’s entering his 22nd season in the NFL, meaning that he’s been in the league half as long as he’s been alive.
A retirement announcement seems expected. He’s going to be 43, he’s played for two decades and has made over $400 million in NFL contracts and bonuses. But Rodgers feasts on attention. Over the last few seasons, his free agency decisions have been long, drawn out processes. But the NFL gives Rodgers that attention that he might not be able to find elsewhere.
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There’s nothing left for Rodgers to accomplish on the field. He’s one of the all-time greats, especially in this generation of quarterbacks. But off the field, stepping away from being an NFL player will dim some of the limelight that Rodgers seemingly desperately craves.
Of course, he could become a television analyst or podcast personality. He’s already had standing segments on the “Pat McAfee Show” that received tremendous ratings. But they delivered big ratings because Rodgers was an active player who wasn’t shy about voicing his hesitations about conspiracy theories including his hesitancy to accept the COVID-19 vaccination to play in the NFL.
Without the status of an active NFL player, Rodgers’ whole shtick turns into just another random ex-athlete with bizarre takes and beliefs. There are plenty of other ex-athletes doing this already. Rodgers being an active player is what made his schtick so unique.
There’s been no shortage of controversies surrounding Rodgers over the last few seasons. At one point, he was a mysterious figure that had a falling out with his parents. In recent years, we’ve seen him show dishonesty to the media surrounding his COVID-19 vaccination status and yearly threats to retire from the NFL in order to host “Jeopardy!”.
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The league will have a void without Rodgers in it. Love him or hate him, he’s a polarizing figure that won’t be the same once he retires, even if he maintains an active voice in football conversation. The NFL has plenty of weird players, and even a few weird quarterbacks, but none of them have the allure and intrigue that Rodgers was able to manufacture over the last two decades.
Maybe the retirement announcement was another exaggeration. This time next year, maybe he’s signing another one-year contract with a Pittsburgh team stuck in neutral. But if it is the end, what a crazy ride it has been.
;)
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