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College Sports

NCAA select team to participate in 2025 Spengler Cup

A new type of team will be participating in the 2025 Spengler Cup. For the first time in the tournament’s 102-year history, a team comprised of the best NCAA college hockey players in the country will compete in the tournament this winter. College Hockey to Send First-Ever Team to 2025 Spengler Cup Squad of Select […]

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A new type of team will be participating in the 2025 Spengler Cup.

For the first time in the tournament’s 102-year history, a team comprised of the best NCAA college hockey players in the country will compete in the tournament this winter.

“The 2025 tournament will be the first time a select team representing college hockey has ever competed in the event,” according to a joint announcement made Tuesday by Spengler Cup Davos, the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) and College Hockey Inc. “Officially named the U.S. Collegiate Selects, the team will be comprised of active NCAA Division I players of any nationality representing all six conferences and the Division I independent programs.”

The players, as well as the coaches and support staff, will be named at a later date, according to the statement.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be sending a college hockey team to participate in the Spengler Cup,” said HCA President and Hockey East Commissioner Steve Metcalf. “The players that get selected will have an unforgettable experience at the oldest club tournament in the world.”

While the University of Minnesota (1981) and University of North Dakota (1982) both competed at the Spengler Cup, this is the first time a hand-picked squad of college hockey’s best players will compete in Davos.

“We are honored by the invitation to participate in the Spengler Cup, one of the most prestigious hockey events in the world,” said Sean Hogan, College Hockey Inc. executive director. “The opportunity to field a team of NCAA student-athletes is a testament to the elite level of play within college hockey and represents an incredible experience for everyone involved—players and staff alike.”

The Swiss league’s HC Fribourg-Gotteron won the 2024 Spengler Cup, defeating Germany’s Straubing Tigers in the championship.





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College Sports

NHL Draft Analyst Pits 22-Year-Old Panthers Winger’s Salary vs. Gavin McKenna’s NIL Deal With Penn State

The Florida Panthers just won their second straight Stanley Cup, but here’s what nobody saw coming: one of their young players is making barely more than a college kid who hasn’t even been drafted yet. Mackie Samoskevich signed for $775,000 while 17-year-old Gavin McKenna just landed a $700,000 NIL deal at Penn State. That’s a […]

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The Florida Panthers just won their second straight Stanley Cup, but here’s what nobody saw coming: one of their young players is making barely more than a college kid who hasn’t even been drafted yet. Mackie Samoskevich signed for $775,000 while 17-year-old Gavin McKenna just landed a $700,000 NIL deal at Penn State. That’s a $75,000 difference between a Stanley Cup champion and a teenager.

Why Is Mackie Samoskevich Making Only $75,000 More Than Gavin McKenna?

The Panthers lifted the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive time in 2024-25, beating the Edmonton Oilers again. The Panthers kept their core together, including the star trio of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand. GM Bill Zito delivered on his promise of retaining all three and pulled off what seemed impossible.

Along with keeping the big names, the team re-signed right-winger Samoskevich to a contract worth $775,000 with a cap hit of the same amount. His deal runs through 2026, after which the 22-year-old will become a restricted free agent.

Meanwhile, college NIL deals keep reaching jaw-dropping numbers. McKenna’s NIL deal with Penn State has left many in the hockey community speechless. The NIL deal is worth $700,000 and played a significant role in McKenna’s decision to choose the school. His commitment to join the Nittany Lions came months after the NCAA lifted its ban on Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players from competing at colleges in the United States in November 2024.

Penn State’s NIL offer doubled Michigan State’s $300,000 proposal. The choice was clear for McKenna. However, the 17-year-old said his decision to commit to Penn State went beyond just the money. He explained that while the Western Hockey League is great, he wanted to be part of a more challenging and competitive environment to become NHL-ready.

“Both options were great, but I just think going to college, being in such a great conference, it’ll really challenge me and prepare me,” said McKenna.

McKenna’s decision ultimately came down to more than just the financial package. But when you look at the numbers side by side, the contract comparison becomes even more eye-opening.

What Makes This Contract Comparison So Striking?

McKenna’s time with the WHL was short but packed with highlights. After his standout performance, in which he recorded 129 points in 56 regular-season games, he was named the CHL Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. Given his talent level, the Penn State NIL deal makes sense.

But as The Athletic’s Jesse Marshall points out, Samoskevich of the Panthers only earns $75,000 more than McKenna. Given the Panthers’ championship status, you’d expect the 22-year-old to command a much higher salary.

The reality is that Samoskevich isn’t eligible for an offer sheet yet, which significantly hurts his bargaining position. Without enough experience, the Connecticut native can’t benefit from offer sheet leverage. The lack of offer sheet eligibility gave the Panthers complete control over contract negotiations, keeping other teams out of the picture entirely.

The winger, who has 31 points in 72 regular-season games in 2024, was offered the league minimum salary of $775,000. From the Panthers’ perspective, their hands were tied. Zito likely stretched the budget to its limits after working to retain Bennett, Ekblad, and Marchand. Zito’s decision to re-sign Samoskevich shows the team’s confidence in the 22-year-old’s future, even if the contract doesn’t reflect typical market value for a Stanley Cup winner.



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James Hagens’ underlying numbers show even more potential

Poll anyone in the hockey community and they would say that James Hagens’ freshman season at Boston College was a disappointment. However, it’s safe to say that expectations are rising with some of the freshmen who come into the NCAA now, and Hagens’ season was a massive success by most standards. Imagine starting your NCAA […]

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Poll anyone in the hockey community and they would say that James Hagens’ freshman season at Boston College was a disappointment. However, it’s safe to say that expectations are rising with some of the freshmen who come into the NCAA now, and Hagens’ season was a massive success by most standards.

Imagine starting your NCAA career as a 17-year-old, being in contention for the first overall pick in the NHL, recording a point-per-game over the entire season, and then having people say that your year was a disappointment. While some freshmen do enter a situation like Boston College and put up more points, Bruins fans should be dancing in the streets that a player of Hagens’ calibre was available to them at seventh overall.

Suppose the points aren’t enough to keep the experts from calling Hagens a disappointment. In that case, NHLFoley on X has recently released a set of NCAA player cards, which show some of the underlying numbers that you won’t find on an EliteProspects page. If there was anyone in Boston who still wasn’t sold on their newest top prospect, this card should tell the whole story.

Hagens had some eye-popping numbers this past season, which includes an 86% generation statistic. It helped that he played with Ryan Leonard and Oliver Moore for most of the season, but the fact that the coaches trusted him to be on the ice with those players for the entire season shows that he was an essential cog in that line. Foley’s card shows that Hagens was the fourth-best forward in Hockey East, which is only reserved for the best of the best as a freshman.

Drop The Mitts Hockey summed up everyone’s thoughts when looking at this player card. It’s easy to see the areas where Hagens has to improve and possibly why six other teams passed on him, but the good news is that they are things he can fix. Hagens was abysmal in puck battles and turnovers, but that comes from not being the most massive player at 5-foot-11, 176 pounds.

Hagens has a desire to sign with the Bruins this summer, but it’d be in his best interest to return to Boston College and work on getting bigger and stronger in a league that has more time to practice and hit the weight room. If Hagens can make that happen this season, his battle numbers are bound to rise.

If the rest of the numbers stay the same and those rise, we could be looking at the Bruins’ next generational player.





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Paige Spiranac Grabs Attention On Golf Course Friday In ‘Perfect’ Outfit

Paige Spiranac Grabs Attention On Golf Course Friday In ‘Perfect’ Outfit originally appeared on The Spun. Paige Spiranac continues to prove she’s simply better than most content creators. Prior to becoming a full-time social media influencer, Spiranac played college golf at San Diego State. She earned all-conference honors twice and won a Mountain West title during […]

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Paige Spiranac Grabs Attention On Golf Course Friday In ‘Perfect’ Outfit originally appeared on The Spun.

Paige Spiranac continues to prove she’s simply better than most content creators.

Prior to becoming a full-time social media influencer, Spiranac played college golf at San Diego State. She earned all-conference honors twice and won a Mountain West title during her time with the Aztecs. Her success at the collegiate level led to her competing on the developmental Cactus Tour.

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Despite retiring from professional golf at a young age, Spiranac hasn’t abandoned the sport. For starters, most of her social media content revolves around the game she grew up loving. Additionally, she helps out the Grass League, a high stakes Par 3 league that’s currently in its second season.

“I am joining the front office at Grass League, yay!” Spiranac said on her YouTube channel earlier this year. “I will be joining the front office which means that I will be focusing on brand development, fan engagement, marketing, content strategy, seeking out new talent, team owners, and acquiring sponsorships.”

Speaking of her social media content, Spiranac left some of her fans speechless heading into the weekend.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Paige Spiranac attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2024 Issue Release and 60th Anniversary Celebration at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)Mike Coppola/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Paige Spiranac attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2024 Issue Release and 60th Anniversary Celebration at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)Mike Coppola/Getty Images

On Friday afternoon, Spiranac went viral for sharing a slow-motion video of her driving the ball in a pink Alo dress,

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Unsurprisingly, the latest video showcasing Spiranac’s attire received plenty of attention from her followers. Most of the complimented her appearance.

“Love that dress,” one fan commented.

“It would be a dream come true to play a round of golf with you,” a second fan wrote.

“If you wear that to the Creator Classic I like your chances,” another fan declared.

Spiranac is getting herself ready for the Internet Invitational. She’ll compete in a field that features former NBA champion J.R. Smith, comedian Andrew Santino, former NHL players Keith Yandle and Ryan Whitney among others.

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There’ll be plenty of eyes on Spiranac when this tournament begins on Aug. 12.

Paige Spiranac Grabs Attention On Golf Course Friday In ‘Perfect’ Outfit first appeared on The Spun on Jul 11, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.



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Livvy Dunne Gets Celebrity Troll Treatment While Attending Twins Game at Target Field

The Minnesota Twins are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday night, in the first of a three-game weekend series at Target Field. On a beautiful summer night in Minneapolis, with Nelly scheduled to perform after, the Twins’ home stadium was at capacity by first pitch. But it wasn’t just the 2000s postgame rap concert that fans […]

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The Minnesota Twins are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday night, in the first of a three-game weekend series at Target Field. On a beautiful summer night in Minneapolis, with Nelly scheduled to perform after, the Twins’ home stadium was at capacity by first pitch.

But it wasn’t just the 2000s postgame rap concert that fans flocked to Target Field for this evening. In fact, there may have been just as many people there for tonight’s starting pitcher matchup between two 2025 All-Stars, the Twins’ Joe Ryan and the Pirates’ Paul Skenes.

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It’s one of the better pitching matchups the Twins have hosted in recent memory. Ryan entered the night with a 2.76 ERA and 0.891 WHIP in 104.1 innings. Skenes is one of the only pitchers in baseball who’s looked better than Joe this season, posting a 1.94 ERA and 0.922 WHIP in 116 innings.

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Livvy Dunne in town watching Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates

One of the more notable fans in the house tonight, possibly to watch both Nelly and Skenes, is internet sensation and former LSU gymnast, Livvy Dunne, who started dating the Pirates’ 23-year-old phenom starter when the two were both attending Louisiana State University.





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3 most interesting non-conference matchups for Gophers hockey in 2025

We’re just over 80 days away from Gophers men’s hockey beginning their 2025 season on Oct. 3 against Michigan Tech. They have a loaded non-conference slate, so let’s break down the top three matchups. The greatest rivalry in college hockey returns after one year off. Minnesota will travel to Grand Forks on Oct. 17 and […]

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We’re just over 80 days away from Gophers men’s hockey beginning their 2025 season on Oct. 3 against Michigan Tech. They have a loaded non-conference slate, so let’s break down the top three matchups.

The greatest rivalry in college hockey returns after one year off. Minnesota will travel to Grand Forks on Oct. 17 and 18 to face a much-improved North Dakota squad. The Fighting Hawks are coming off a disappointing 21-15-2 season, but they let go of long-time head coach Brad Berry.

North Dakota promoted within and hired Dane Jackson as a replacement. They completely revamped their roster this offseason, and they look like a serious contender in the NCHC. Minnesota will need to be on its best if it wants to leave Grand Forks with any points to its record.

Before hitting the road to face North Dakota, Minnesota will have a marquee non-conference tilt at 3M Arena at Mariucci when Boston College comes to town. It will be the Eagles’ first trip to Minneapolis since 2013, and the first time the teams have faced since 2016.

Related: Is Gavin McKenna’s commitment a warning sign for the Gophers?

Boston College was the No. 1-ranked team in the country for much of last season, and they finished the year 27-8-2 before losing to Denver in their regional final. The Gophers’ second series of the season will give up an early look at what level of team Bob Motzko has for 2025-26.

Minnesota will travel west to face the Pioneers in Denver on Nov. 28, but the game will be played at Ball Arena, the home of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets. It will be the Gophers’ first game against Denver since 2011, which projects as one of the most talented teams in the country again.

The Gophers have five total non-conference games against teams that expect to be in the NCAA Tournament this season. Their record in these five games could set the tone for what we might see in conference play.



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Big 12 Coach Calls for Major Change When Paying Players

(Nathan Breisinger, Pittsburgh Sports Now) – The landscape of college sports appears to be changing daily and one of the most polarizing head coaches in college football is calling for more changes to help deal with revenue sharing and NIL payments. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is advocating for a salary cap to provide an […]

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(Nathan Breisinger, Pittsburgh Sports Now) – The landscape of college sports appears to be changing daily and one of the most polarizing head coaches in college football is calling for more changes to help deal with revenue sharing and NIL payments.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is advocating for a salary cap to provide an even playing field in a sport that is new to paying athletes.

“I wish there was a cap,” Sanders said during the Big 12 Media Days this week. “Like, the top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know you’re not going to make that. That’s what the NFL does.

“So the problem is, you got a guy that’s not that darn good, but he could go to another school and they give him a half million dollars. You can’t compete with that. And it don’t make sense.”

Sanders, who is now in his third year with the Buffaloes, is looking for a system that resembles the NFL.

“I wish it was truly equality,” he said. “Now they go back to doing stuff under the table. They go back to the agents. Now you’ve got parents trying to be agents, you’ve got the homeboys trying to be agents, you’ve got the friends trying to be agents. You got a lot of bull junk going on. And quite frankly, we’re sick of it. I’ll say it for everybody: We’re sick of it.”

Starting on July 1, 2025, universities were allowed to start sharing revenue with student-athletes for the 2025-26 school year, per the House Settlement. Schools can share up to $20.5 million with a majority of athletic departments expected to allocate 75 percent of that to the football program.

WVU director of athletics Wren Baker recently detailed how West Virginia will distribute the money.

Wren Baker Details How WVU Will Distribute Money in Revenue Sharing Era

However, programs will still work with third-party NIL collectives to bring in bigger deals for student-athletes that can surpass the revenue-sharing money. ‘NIL Go’ was created by the College Sports Commission and Deloitte to help ensure fair market value for deals.

Most of this story initially appeared on our partner site Pittsburgh Sports Now.





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