Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 PM EDT Venue:Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Venue Overview
Paycom Center has been one of the most formidable home courts in the NBA this season. The Thunder are 32‑7 at home, combining elite defense with high‑efficiency scoring to create a difficult environment for visiting teams.
Recent Form
Los Angeles Lakers (Last 10 Games)
Record: 9‑1
Averages: 120.0 PPG, 41.3 RPG, 25.0 APG
Defense: Allowing 111.9 PPG
Shooting: 52.1% FG The Lakers have won 16 of their last 18, powered by Luka Dončić’s historic scoring run.
Oklahoma City Thunder (Last 10 Games)
Record: 9‑1
Averages: 117.4 PPG, 45.8 RPG, 24.3 APG
Defense: Allowing 106.1 PPG
Shooting: 48.1% FG OKC has won 15 of their last 16, maintaining the top seed in the West.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET Venue:Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Venue Overview
Little Caesars Arena is Detroit’s premier basketball venue and home to the Pistons. The Pistons have been dominant at home this season, posting a 30‑9 home record, making Detroit one of the toughest environments for visiting teams.
Recent Form
Detroit Pistons (Last 10 Games):
Record: 7‑3
Averages: 118.7 PPG, 43.7 RPG, 30.4 APG
Defense: Allowing 109.7 PPG
Shooting: 50.2% FG
Minnesota Timberwolves (Last 10 Games):
Record: 6‑4
Averages: 114.8 PPG, 45.1 RPG, 26.5 APG
Defense: Allowing 111.2 PPG
Shooting: 47.5% FG
Injury Report
Detroit Pistons:
Cade Cunningham: OUT (lung)
Isaiah Stewart: OUT (calf)
Marcus Sasser: Day‑to‑day (hip)
Minnesota Timberwolves:
Jaden McDaniels: OUT (knee)
Anthony Edwards:Questionable (knee) — recently returned after a six‑game absence and played 23 minutes vs. Dallas.
Series History
This is the second meeting of the season.
Last matchup (March 28): Pistons won 109‑87 in Minnesota.
Pistons leader: Tobias Harris (18 points)
Timberwolves leader: Donte DiVincenzo (22 points)
Detroit also recently defeated Minnesota during a stretch where the Pistons have gone 6‑2 since Cade Cunningham’s lung injury diagnosis.
Key Player Matchups
Anthony Edwards (MIN) vs. Ausar Thompson (DET)
Edwards: 29.3 PPG, explosive scorer, questionable but impactful if active.
Mahoning Valley Race Course Youngstown, Ohio (655 N Canfield-Niles Rd, Youngstown, OH 44515) Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026 Race: 7 – Howard B. Noonan Stakes (Stakes) Scheduled Post Time: 3:03 PM ET (approximate; first post 12:15 PM ET) Distance/Surface: 6 furlongs, Dirt Purse: $75,000 (includes $26,250 from Ohio Thoroughbred Fund) Eligibility: For accredited Ohio-registered 3-year-olds. Weight: 122 lbs (non-winners of a stakes –2 lbs; non-winners of two races –4 lbs; maidens –6 lbs).
Expected Weather Conditions: Overcast with isolated thunderstorms possible. Game-time temperatures in the mid-50s to low-60s°F (13–17°C), with highs potentially reaching the upper 60s°F. Winds light from the north/northwest 5–10 mph. Chance of rain 40–60%, which could leave the dirt track sloppy or sealed if showers hit before or during the card. Fans should prepare for cool, damp conditions—layer up and monitor live track updates.
Track Conditions: Dirt (previously reported sloppy from overnight/prior rain; expect off track if precipitation materializes). Mahoning Valley’s one-turn sprints favor speed and inside posts on a fast or sealed surface, but rain could flip the bias toward stalkers/closers with stamina. This $75,000 stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds is a key early-season test at the 6-furlong distance. A field of 10 heads to the gate, headlined by a trio of sharp recent performers. Mark My Words brings the strongest recent Beyer and recency edge, while Sun of War and Water Into Wine offer proven speed and consistency. The race shapes up as a competitive sprint with several live longshots from hot barns.
Full Field with Post Positions, Morning Line Odds, Jockeys, Trainers & Analysis
Post 1 – Leavetheninetynine (gelding by Keen Ice out of Lena Love) ML Odds: 20/1 • Jockey: Jose A. Bracho • Trainer: Jeffrey A. Radosevich • Weight: 118 lbs Recent finishes include a win at 6f here last December (by 5 lengths). Has shown flashes but inconsistent at stakes level. Radosevich is a local stalwart, but this one likely needs a career-best effort from the rail. Speed figure upside limited; needs pace to collapse.
Post 2 – Water Into Wine (gelding by Always Dreaming out of Intercoastal) ML Odds: 7/2 • Jockey: Rocco Bowen • Trainer: Timothy E. Hamm • Weight: 118 lbs Placed in tougher company last year (including Best of Ohio Juvenile) and has won/placed in most starts. First-up after a layoff but Hamm barn is sharp. Solid closer with tactical speed; strong candidate to hit the board at a square price. Form: multiple top-3 finishes in statebred stakes.
Post 3 – Sun of War (colt by Basin out of Rush to War) ML Odds: 5/2 • Jockey: Luis Raul Rivera • Trainer: Nestor R. Rivera • Weight: 120 lbs Unbeaten in two starts with an impressive recent 6f/5f win here (by 7 lengths last month). Trainer/jockey combo is in excellent form (Rivera barn winning at ~25–28% clip recently). Speedy front-runner who could wire the field if he gets an easy lead. Top contender on pedigree and current form.
Post 4 – Ripman (gelding by Zipman out of Riproaring) ML Odds: 20/1 • Jockey: Brandon Tapara • Trainer: Richard Zielinski • Weight: 118 lbs One win from limited starts; recent 4th at 6f here (beaten ~7 lengths). Zielinski is one of the hottest trainers in the state (16 wins last 21 days). Inconsistent but has upside in a field with several question marks. Could improve with a clean trip.
Post 5 – Global Event (gelding by Global Campaign out of Blazing Bling) ML Odds: 10/1 • Jockey: Laureano Sosa • Trainer: Timothy E. Hamm • Weight: 118 lbs Third in the Best of Ohio Juvenile last year; mixed recent form but Hamm stablemate to Water Into Wine. Has early speed and could factor if the top choices overpace. Respectable but needs a step forward for stakes win.
Post 6 – Unbridled O’Brien (gelding by Beau Liam out of Ultimate Holiday) ML Odds: 20/1 • Jockey: Fernando Salazar Becerra • Trainer: Ivan Calderon • Weight: 118 lbs Multiple starts with one win at 5f; recent poor effort (last of 9 at 6f in February). Longshot with limited stakes experience. Likely needs pace meltdown to contend.
Post 7 – Mark My Words (gelding by Thousand Words out of Helluva Notion) ML Odds: 2/1 • Jockey: Erik Barbaran • Trainer: Robert M. Gorham • Weight: 120 lbs Top selection. Romped by 10 3/4 lengths in a March 10 allowance sprint here (Beyer 76, best or near-best in field). Won 3 of 6 lifetime starts, including a prior victory over Water Into Wine. Gorham barn in good form; recency and class edge make him the one to beat. Strong inside speed from post 7.
Post 8 – Workstation (gelding by Cloud Computing out of Jumpin Jett) ML Odds: 15/1 • Jockey: Luis Alberto Batista • Trainer: Jason DaCosta • Weight: 118 lbs Third in recent 5f sprint here (beaten ~11 lengths by Sun of War). DaCosta has a couple of live runners today. Tactical but may struggle against the top speed.
Post 9 – Rico Suave (gelding by Cupid out of Dark Darling) ML Odds: 20/1 • Jockey: Victor R. Fernandez • Trainer: Richard Zielinski • Weight: 120 lbs Track specialist (two wins at 6f here); recent 4th in 5f sprint (beaten 12 lengths by Sun of War). Zielinski hot barn again. Could be a sneaky exotics play if he returns to best.
Post 10 – Miss Elecktra (filly by Jimmy Creed out of Force of Passion) ML Odds: 8/1 • Jockey: Alexander Chavez • Trainer: Jason DaCosta • Weight: 115 lbs (filly allowance) Consistent (1 win, multiple placings); recent 2nd at 6f here (beaten ¾ length). DaCosta knows the track well. The only filly and gets weight relief—live longshot who could close into a slow pace.
* Wednesday showed once again that anything can happen in the NHL, with late rallies in all three games including a sequence in California that saw three teams hold Wild Card 2 in the West during a span of 30 seconds (NSH, SJS & LAK).
* With 14 game days to decide 14 playoff spots, every matchup on tonight’s schedule includes at least one team either inside the bracket or within three points of it, with intraconference matchups in 13 of 14 games – including both contests airing on ESPN+ and Hulu (WSH at NJD & UTA at SEA).
* For the first time this season, there are Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios in the Eastern Conference: Buffalo can secure its first appearance since 2011, while perennial contenders Carolina and Tampa Bay also can ensure playing past game No. 82. Click here for details.
* Three NHL games were played Wednesday shortly after the launch of Artemis II, including one in San Jose – which has a tieback to outer space. At the 1997 NHL All-Star Game held in San Jose, the ceremonial puck drop originated from the Space Shuttle Columbia (2:45 mark of this video).
COMEBACK ATTEMPTS ACROSS THE BOARD ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT The unpredictability of NHL games was on full display Wednesday as 19-year-old MacklinCelebrini tallied four points to spark a late rally and help the Sharks momentarily overtake three teams to move into a playoff spot. A mere 27 seconds later, 343 miles away in Los Angeles, the Kings claimed an overtime win – after surrendering a third-period lead – to displace the Sharks as Wild Card 2. That sequence of events also prevented the Wild (idle) from securing a playoff spot, something only two teams have done with only 14 game days left in the season. Earlier in the night, Vancouver – one of only two teams eliminated from postseason contention – scored eight goals to defeat Colorado, the League’s No. 1 seed since Nov. 1.
* After hitting the 100-point milestone in his last outing, Celebrini (2-2—4) added another long list of achievements Wednesday by factoring on all four goals to rally the Sharks to within a point of a playoff spot, with a game in hand. The NHL sophomore became the fourth teenager in the past 30 years to score 40 goals in a season and the first Sharks player of any age to hit the milestone in a dozen years. Teammate WillSmith (1-2—3) added three points of his own as San Jose scored a go-ahead goal in the final minute of regulation for a second straight game – a first in franchise history and the sixth instance in NHL history, following the 2018-19 Bruins (March 7-9, 2019), 2005-06 Red Wings (April 15-17, 2006), 2002-03 Senators (March 22-25, 2003), 1999-00 Maple Leafs (Jan. 27-29, 2000) and 1976-77 Sabres (Nov. 17-20, 1976).
* AnzeKopitar and DrewDoughty, the only remaining players from the Kings’ two Stanley Cup wins, both assisted on the overtime winner to help the Kings (30-26-18, 78 points) overtake the Predators (34-31-9, 77 points) for Wild Card 2. Nashville held that position entering play and will look to regain it tonight when the teams clash in one of two upcoming head-to-heads between the clubs (also April 6). Wednesday marked the Kings’ 29th overtime game of the season, one back of the League benchmark.
* Nathan MacKinnon became the first player to reach the 50-goal mark this season, but Brock Boeser netted his seventh career hat trick to help Vancouver win 8-6 – despite Colorado erasing a four-goal deficit to tie the game in the third period. MacKinnon, who now holds a three-goal lead in the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy race, became the second player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to be the NHL’s “first to 50” in a season, following Milan Hejduk in 2002-03.
With 14 game days and only 122 contests remaining in the 2025-26 NHL regular season, there still are 28 clubs in contention to secure the 14 remaining berths in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs – which begin Saturday, April 18. Every matchup on tonight’s schedule includes at least one team either in a playoff spot or within three points of one.
Thirteen of 14 games Thursday are intraconference battles, including both airing on ESPN+ and Hulu:
* Sabres at Senators: The 100-point Sabres can clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2011, ending the longest wait between appearances in NHL history. The Senators, who clinched on April 8 last year to end the lengthiest stretch between postseason appearances in their history, have an opportunity to jump back into Wild Card 2.
* Penguins at Lightning: The No. 2 seeds in their respective divisions, two clubs who have claimed back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in the past 10 years will continue their push for both a playoff spot and home ice in the First Round. Tampa Bay will be in line to clinch with a win and some help. Sidney Crosby needs one point to tie Steve Yzerman for seventh place on the all-time list and three to guarantee yet another point-per-game season (he set the NHL record last year with his 20th).
* Bruins at Panthers: Sitting in Wild Card 1 since St. Patrick’s Day, Boston can secure a fifth straight win as it aims to distance itself from the rest of the pack. The Bruins’ current six-point edge ahead of the Blue Jackets is the largest lead Wild Card 1 has had over Wild Card 2 in the Eastern Conference the entire season. That difference has been two points or less for 88% of the 2025-26 campaign.
* Canadiens at Rangers: The Canadiens could move within two points of first place in the Atlantic Division as they take the League’s longest active winning streak (6-0-0) into Manhattan. Cole Caufield (47 goals) and Nick Suzuki (92 points) are tracking down the first 50-goal and 100-point seasons by a Canadiens player in 35-plus years. The last time Montreal had players hit each milestone in the same campaign was 1979-80 (50 goals: Guy Lafleur & Pierre Larouche; 100 points: Lafleur).
* Red Wings at Flyers: After holding a playoff spot for more than three months (Dec. 8-March 21), Detroit could have an opportunity to jump back into the bracket Thursday when they face Philadelphia – a team that now shares their point total after a recent surge. The Flyers, an NHL-best 8-2-1 since March 11, last held a playoff spot on Jan. 12 when they ranked third in the Metropolitan Division.
* Blue Jackets at Hurricanes: The scenarios are plentiful for both Columbus and Carolina as they complete a home-and-home set. The Blue Jackets could move into third place in the Metropolitan Division, maintain Wild Card 2 or fall out of the bracket on Thursday as they seek their first playoff appearance since 2020. Carolina, meanwhile, will be in position to clinch a playoff spot for a franchise-record eighth straight season.
* Capitals at Devils (ESPN+, Hulu): With only seven games remaining on their schedule, AlexOvechkin and the Capitals continue their playoff push after claiming points in nine of their past 11 games (7-2-2 since March 9). Washington can’t jump back into the bracket – a place they last found themselves Jan. 14 – on Thursday but they could have a chance to move within a point of Wild Card 2. As the anniversary of his NHL record-setting goal approaches, Ovechkin has added more accolades recently, passing Jaromir Jagr for the most game-winning goals in NHL history (including playoffs) on Tuesday, climbing into fourth place on the all-time hat tricks list March 26 and joining Wayne Gretzky in the 1,000-goal club (including playoffs) March 22.
* Jets at Stars: After battling for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season, Dallas and Winnipeg are on opposite sides of the playoff race this year – the Stars were the second team to clinch and the Jets have surged into the race thanks to a 10-4-4 record since Connor Hellebuyck returned from the Olympics with a gold medal. Winnipeg’s .667 points percentage since the Olympic break ranks second in the Western Conference over that span.
* Canucks at Wild: Former Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes will face his former team for the first time as he and the Wild aim to clinch a playoff spot. Hughes needs one assist and three points to claim the single-season franchise records among Minnesota defensemen. In the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44), only two defensemen have set a major single-season franchise record (goals, assists or points) after being acquired in-season: Dmitri Mironov in 1996-97 (G, A, PTS for ANA) and Jim Mair in 1972-73 (G, A, PTS for NYI). The last player of any position to achieve that feat was forward Joe Thornton in 2005-06, who established a new Sharks record for assists in one campaign after being acquired from the Bruins.
* Blackhawks at Oilers: The second-place Oilers (38-28-9, 85 points) look to close the gap on the Pacific Division-leading Ducks (41-29-5, 87 points), who they defeated during their current four-game winning streak. Connor McDavid can extend his goal streak to at least six games for the third time in his career – only three Oilers skaters have recorded as many runs of that length: Wayne Gretzky (7x), Jari Kurri (4x) and Glenn Anderson (4x).
* Flames at Golden Knights: Vegas will look to move to 2-0-0 under new head coach John Tortorella as they push for an eighth playoff berth in nine NHL seasons. Captain MarkStone (254-445—699 in 759 GP) sits one point shy of 700 in his career and has done so thanks to 131-257—388 (393 GP) with Vegas – the most by any Golden Knights player since joining the franchise on Feb. 25, 2019.
* Mammoth at Kraken (ESPN+, Hulu): Just like the East, the difference between Wild Card 1 and Wild Card 2 has been two points or less for 88% of the season in the West. Utah’s depth has been on full display throughout their first two seasons as LoganCooley (45-53—98 in 121 GP) sits two points shy of becoming the franchise’s fifth 100-point performer. The Mammoth can become the third franchise in NHL history to feature five triple-digit producers through their first two campaigns, alongside the Nordiques (6) and Whalers (5).
* Predators at Kings: Los Angeles (30-26-18, 78 points) leapfrogged Nashville (34-31-9, 77 points) for the second Wild Card spot last night with a win against St. Louis, marking the first time that Kings have occupied a playoff spot since March 20. The Kings and Predators face off twice in the next five days as they jockey among a group of six teams separated by four points in the Western Conference.
ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS FREE AGENT SIGNINGS TENNESSEE Hooker, Hendon QB Tennessee McCutcheon, Lance WR Montana State Osborn, K.J. WR Miami
FREE AGENCY SYSTEM TRANSACTIONS SIGNINGS: UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS ATLANTA Holmes, Darnay DB UCLA – Old Club: LAS VEGAS Malone, DeAngelo LB Western Kentucky DALLAS Bullard, Jonathan DE Florida – Old Club: NEW ORLEANS LOS ANGELES CHARGERS Jefferson, Tony DB Oklahoma TENNESSEE Carter, Michael RB North Carolina – Old Club: ARIZONA
OTHER TRANSACTIONS/COMMENTS TRYOUT TENNESSEE Carter, Michael RB North Carolina
Defending AFC Champion New England Patriots to Headline the Summer Training Camp Series in 2027
NEW YORK – HBO and NFL Films will re-team this summer for the HBO Original Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks. The five-episode series debuts Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes will premiere subsequent Tuesdays leading up to the finale on Sept. 8. This will be the first time since Hard Knocks launched in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens that the series has documented the defending Super Bowl champion.
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks marks the franchise’s first appearance on the 19-time Sports Emmy®-winning series. Its signature all-access coverage will unfold this summer at the Seahawks training camp in Renton, Washington and will feature head coach Mike Macdonald, quarterback Sam Darnold, 2025 Associated Press (AP) NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and defensive standouts Devon Witherspoon and Byron Murphy II.
Looking ahead, the New England Patriots – Super Bowl LX runner-up and six-time champions – will be the show’s featured training camp team in August 2027.
Since its debut in 2001, Hard Knocks has documented training camps of the Baltimore Ravens (2001), Dallas Cowboys (2002, 2008, 2021), Kansas City Chiefs (2007), Cincinnati Bengals (2009, 2013), New York Jets (2010, 2023), Miami Dolphins (2012), Atlanta Falcons (2014), Houston Texans (2015), Los Angeles Rams (2016, 2020), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017), Cleveland Browns (2018), Oakland Raiders (2019), Los Angeles Chargers (2020), Detroit Lions (2022), Chicago Bears (2024) and Buffalo Bills (2025).
Winner of 141 Sports Emmy® Awards, NFL Films remains a gold standard in sports television, providing unprecedented access to and legendary storytelling about the sport of professional football.
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks will be narrated by Live Schreiber.
NFL programming is the most valuable content in all of sports and entertainment. NFL programs ranked as 86 of the top 100 shows on television during the 2025 calendar year.
NEW YORK – Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of March presented by GEICO.
FIRST STAR – NIKITA KUCHEROV, RW, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Kucherov, despite missing two games, led the NHL with 9-17—26 in 14 contests to power the Lightning (46-22-6, 98 points) to an 8-6-2 month as they neared their second straight 100-point season and third in the past five years (also 2021-22). He found the scoresheet in 11 of his 14 appearances to additionally rank among the top March performers in assists (1st; 17), even-strength points (t-2nd; 18), even-strength assists (t-3rd; 11), goals (t-8th; 9), even-strength goals (t-8th; 7) and plus/minus (t-8th; +10). The two-time defending Art Ross Trophy winner registered four assists on March 7 at TOR to hit the 100-point milestone for the fourth straight season and sixth time overall – tied for the seventh-most in League history. He finished the month with six total multi-point performances, including a trio of games with at least four points (also March 17 at SEA: 3-2—5 and March 21 at EDM: 2-2—4), while ultimately reaching the 120-point mark for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall – a total achieved by just eight other players in NHL history: Wayne Gretzky (14), Mario Lemieux (8), Marcel Dionne (6), Phil Esposito (6), Guy Lafleur (5), Jaromir Jagr (4), Connor McDavid (4) and Bobby Orr (4). The 32-year-old Kucherov sits second in the League with 40-81—121 through 68 overall games this season, also placing among the leaders in points per game (1st; 1.78), assists (2nd; 81), power-play assists (t-3rd; 29), plus/minus (4th; +42), goals (t-5th; 40), game-winning goals (t-5th; 7) and power-play points (6th; 36).
SECOND STAR – ERIK KARLSSON, D, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Karlsson topped defensemen and placed second in the entire NHL with 9-15—24 in 17 games to propel the Penguins (38-21-16, 92 points) to an 8-6-3 March as they maintained their hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division. His nine goals were the most in a calendar month by a Pittsburgh blueliner, ahead of the eight scored by Paul Coffey in December 1990 (17 GP), while his 24 points ranked second only to Coffey’s 28 in February 1990 (6-22—28 in 14 GP). Karlsson also became the third defenseman this century to score at least nine goals in a single month (for any team), joining Sergei Gonchar (10 in January 2000 w/ WSH) and Mike Green (9 in February 2009 w/ WSH). At 35 years, 304 days on the final day of March, Karlsson became the oldest blueliner in League history to record at least 24 points in a single month – ahead of Roman Josi, who was 31 years, 303 days when he concluded March 2022 with 4-24—28 (w/ NSH). Karlsson, a three-time James Norris Memorial Trophy winner, sits ninth among defensemen with 13-47—60 through 70 total appearances this season – his eighth career 60-point campaign and first since producing a career-high 25-76—101 in 2022-23 (w/ SJS).
THIRD STAR – PAVEL ZACHA, C, BOSTON BRUINS
Zacha paced the NHL with 13 goals in 16 games (13-9—22) to lift the Bruins (43-24-8, 94 points) into the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference on the strength of a 23-point March (10-3-3) – the second-most standings points in the League behind the Buffalo Sabres (11-2-2, 24 points). Zacha became the fifth Boston player in the last 42 years (since 1983-84) to score at least 13 goals in a single month, following Brad Marchand (14 in April 2021), David Pastrnak (13 in January 2023), Jarome Iginla (13 in March 2014) and Cam Neely (13 in January 1994). Zacha scored in half of his 16 March outings, highlighted by his second career hat trick March 8 at PIT. He also picked up points in 13 of his 16 appearances, including seven multi-point efforts. The 28-year-old Zacha, playing in his 11th NHL season, ranks third on the Bruins with career highs in both goals (28) and points (60) through 72 total contests in 2025-26 (28-32—60).
NEW YORK – St. Louis Blues right wing Jimmy Snuggerud, who posted 7-8—15 in 14 games to lift the Blues to a 10-2-2 March – the best record in the Western Conference – and within four points of a playoff spot, has been named the NHL’s “Rookie of the Month.”
Snuggerud edged New York Islanders teammates Matthew Schaefer (4-12—16 in 16 GP) and Calum Ritchie (5-6—11 in 16 GP), New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (4-10—14 in 16 GP), and Montreal Canadiens teammates Jakub Dobes (7-3-0, 2.21 GAA, .927 SV%) and Ivan Demidov (4‑7—11 in 15 GP) for the honor.
Snuggerud collected points in 10 of his 14 appearances to lead March rookies in goals (7), even-strength goals (7), even-strength assists (7), even-strength points (14), plus/minus (+14) and game-winning goals (t-2), while also ranking among the top three rookies in points (2nd; 15), shots on goal (2nd; 45) and assists (3rd; 8). He produced four straight multi-point performances from March 6-12 (5-4—9), a run achieved by only one other rookie in Blues history: Brian Benning (March 21-29, 1987: 2-9—11 in 5 GP).
Snuggerud became the first St. Louis rookie to accumulate at least 15 points in a single calendar month since November 1989, when Rod Brind’Amour totaled 6-9—15 across 14 contests. Snuggerud also became the fourth Blues rookie this century to score at least seven goals in one calendar month, joining Zachary Bolduc (8 in March 2025), David Backes (7 in February 2007) and Marty Reasoner (7 in February 2000).
The 21-year-old Snuggerud, a first-round pick (23rd overall) from the 2022 NHL Draft, has registered 17-22—39 through 61 total games this season to place among the rookie leaders in game-winning goals (1st; 5), power-play goals (t-3rd; 4), goals (t-4th; 17), points (t-4th; 39), shots on goal (5th; 144), assists (t-5th; 22), plus/minus (6th; +8) and power-play points (t-10th; 8). He is on pace to become the third St. Louis rookie in the past 30 years to notch at least 40 points in a season, following Patrik Berglund (21-26—47 in 2008-09) and Jim Campbell (23-20—43 in 1996-97).
Snuggerud – who joins Schaefer (October), Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (November), Demidov (December) and Boston Bruins center Fraser Minten (January) as a recipient in 2025-26 – is the first Blues player selected as a “Rookie of the Month” since goaltender Jordan Binnington in March and February 2019. Snuggerud also is the first St. Louis skater in 13 years to receive the honor, following right wing Vladimir Tarasenko in January 2013.
