According to ESPN, Boston has emerged as a leading destination in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. No deal is on the table (that we know of), but the mere possibility might raise a few concerns.
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NESN Releases 2024-25 Boston Fleet Broadcast Schedule
BOSTON — NESN announced Wednesday its broadcast schedule for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) 2024-25 season, featuring coverage of every Boston Fleet regular-season game. The season begins with the Fleet hitting the road against the Toronto Sceptres on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2 p.m. ET.
In an unprecedented partnership, Bauer has been named the presenting sponsor of NESN’s PWHL broadcast coverage. This marks Bauer’s first integrated sponsorship with a regional sports network around PWHL programming, granting the company exclusive sponsorship rights to all PWHL games airing on NESN throughout the season.
Along with the 30 regular-season Fleet games, which will be broadcast on NESN or NESN+, the network will also air 31 other PWHL games throughout the year.
“At NESN, we are committed to becoming the home for women’s sports in New England, and we’re excited to continue our partnership with the PWHL to showcase the passion and energy of professional women’s hockey,” said Cosmina Schulman, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at NESN. “This season we’re thrilled to welcome Bauer as the presenting sponsor of our PWHL coverage, adding a dynamic partner to help elevate the visibility and impact of women’s hockey. The PWHL captured the attention of the sports world with an electrifying inaugural season last year, and we’re excited to play a part in building on that momentum.”
“NESN is not only a strategic partner because of its impactful platform, but also because our values are aligned,” said Mary-Kay Messier, VP of Global Marketing at Bauer Hockey. “A key priority for our team at Bauer has been investing in and elevating the women’s game. This includes expanding our PWHL partnership, introducing new authentic and replica jerseys for this season, and a campaign to celebrate both the players and fans that will launch with this new media agreement. Through our collaboration with NESN, we will further elevate the women’s game and provide well-earned exposure to the athletes and the league. We can’t wait for the puck to drop.”
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“NESN is the premier destination for sports in New England, and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership as the Boston Fleet return for Season Two of the PWHL,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL Senior Vice President of Business Operations. “In our inaugural season, NESN played a vital role in connecting fans to the league. Looking ahead, their coverage will provide outstanding visibility for our teams and players, and it’s fitting to have our Official Jersey Partner, Bauer, included as part of the broadcasts.”
The Fleet’s home opener will take place Dec. 4 against the Minnesota Frost at Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass., in a rematch of last season’s PWHL Finals. The regular-season finale for the Fleet will also feature the Frost on May 3 at Tsongas Center, and the PWHL playoffs are scheduled to begin May 6.
See the full Boston Fleet schedule below (all times Eastern):
Saturday, Nov. 30: at Toronto Sceptres (2 p.m., NESN)
Wednesday, Dec. 4: vs. Minnesota Frost (7 p.m., NESN)
Sunday, Dec. 8: vs. New York Sirens (4 p.m., NESN)
Tuesday, Dec. 17: vs. Ottawa Charge (7 p.m., NESN+)
Friday, Dec. 27: at Toronto Sceptres (7 p.m., NESN+)
Monday, Dec. 30: at Montreal Victoire (7 p.m., NESN)
Thursday, Jan. 2: at Minnesota Frost (7:30 p.m., NESN+)
Sunday, Jan. 5: vs. Montreal Victoire in Seattle (4 p.m., NESN+)
Wednesday, Jan. 8: at Minnesota Frost (7:30 p.m., NESN)
Saturday, Jan. 11: at Ottawa Charge (2 p.m., NESN)
Wednesday, Jan. 22: vs. Toronto Sceptres (7 p.m., NESN+)
Sunday, Jan. 26: at Minnesota Frost (3 p.m., NESN)
Friday, Jan. 31: vs. New York Sirens (7 p.m., NESN)
Wednesday, Feb. 12: at New York Sirens (7 p.m., NESN)
Friday, Feb. 14: at Toronto Sceptres (7 p.m., NESN)
Sunday, Feb. 16: vs. Minnesota Frost (1 p.m., NESN)
Monday, Feb. 17: at New York Sirens (4 p.m., NESN)
Thursday, Feb. 20: at Ottawa Charge (7 p.m., NESN)
Sunday, Feb. 23: at New York Sirens in Buffalo (4 p.m., NESN)
Saturday, March 1: at Montreal Victoire (TBA, NESN+)
Wednesday, March 5: vs. New York Sirens (7 p.m., NESN+)
Saturday, March 8: vs. Montreal Victoire (TBA, NESN+)
Saturday, March 15: at Ottawa Charge (2 p.m., NESN+)
Tuesday, March 18: vs. Montreal Victoire (7 p.m., NESN)
Wednesday, March 26: vs. Toronto Sceptres (TBA, NESN)
Saturday, March 29: vs. Ottawa Charge in St. Louis (2 p.m., NESN)
Wednesday, April 2: vs. Ottawa Charge (7 p.m., NESN+)
Saturday, April 26: vs. Toronto Sceptres (TBA, TBA)
Monday, April 28: at Montreal Victoire (TBA, NESN)
Saturday, May 3: vs. Minnesota Frost (TBA, TBA)
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Presented by Bauer Hockey: Proudly supporting greatness in women’s hockey.
Concern numero uno is obvious. Giannis is one of the handful of players capable of altering the championship picture by himself. Pairing him with Jayson Tatum would create an impressive combination of size, athleticism, versatility, and star power. The question is whether Brad Stevens and the Celtics can actually pull it off without creating a new set of problems for themselves.
Boston’s path to Giannis is narrower than it first appears. The Celtics would almost certainly need to move Jaylen Brown, either directly to Milwaukee or through a third team. Reports indicate Brown has little interest in joining the Bucks (in paraphrase: “Milwaukee?! Yuck!”), which complicates matters further. We start moving from a blockbuster trade to a three-team puzzle involving contracts, draft compensation, and competing agendas.
Even if Boston finds a way through that maze, there’s no guarantee the resulting team will succeed.
Giannis may be a better asset than Brown, but championships are not won by comparing players one-for-one. They’re won by building complete teams (case in point: YOUR WORLD CHAMPION NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS ).
Brown averaged more than 28 points per game last season while defending multiple positions. He can create his own offense, punish smaller defenders, and absorb primary scoring responsibilities when Tatum is unavailable (as Tatum was for most of last season, recovering from a torn Achilles). Replacing him with Giannis raises Boston’s ceiling, perhaps, but also changes the structure of the roster.
The Celtics have spent years building an ecosystem around two star wings. Remove one and the supporting cast suddenly becomes more important, which means Stevens would have many more decisions to make before the start of training camp.
What catches me up is, if the Bucks believed that Giannis has more great years ahead of him, would they so quickly offload him to a conference rival? Might he actually be a distressed asset?
Giannis will turn 32 this season. He has generally been durable over his career but has dealt with increasing lower-body issues (especially calves and knees) in recent years, leading to more missed time. To wit:
• 2022–23: 63 GP / 19 missed
• 2023–24: 73 GP / 9 missed
• 2024–25: 67 GP / 15 missed
• 2025–26: 36 GP / 46 missed
Wouldn’t that just be the worst if the Celts parted with Brown to get him, and then Giannis missed extended time due to injury? Like, the absolute worst? (Insert diabolical laughter.)
A healthy Tatum-Giannis pairing would present unique challenges for New York. The Knicks would need to defend relentless downhill pressure while also containing one of the league’s best bucket creators. But, given their depth, New York may be better equipped than most teams to handle it.
So if the Celtics’ pursuit of Giannis causes an initial flutter of worry, you can let that just drift on by. The scenario only noses toward Red Alert if Boston nabs him while somehow also acquiring a guard who makes up for what they’d lose with Brown’s departure.
But wait! This just in: Chris Haynes has pushed back on the idea that a Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-Boston deal is close. He writes that Boston does not appear to be a promising destination and suggested the situation could extend into July. Additionally, Marc Stein reported that the Celtics are frustrated by speculation involving Jaylen Brown, while Brian Windhorst said Brown has not been formally offered in a trade. So, to quote the great William Goldman (also a Knicks fan), “Nobody knows anything.”
It’s worth noting that the Miami Heat are also reportedly in the mix. We’ve heard that the lack of income tax is alluring to the Greek Freak. Plus Florida offers sunny, warm weather, which is not a defining feature of Wisconsin. In the end, though, joining Boston would allow Giannis to keep all his favorite green-themed items in his wardrobe, and shouldn’t looking good be a priority, too?
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins said Thursday they are retiring Patrice Bergeron’s No. 37 as part of a ceremony next season.
The date will be shared later, following the NHL schedule release that is expected next month.
Bergeron is set to join fellow 2011 Stanley Cup champion Zdeno Chara with his number in the rafters. Bergeron, when it happens, will be the 14th player to have his number retired by the storied franchise.
He spent his entire 19-year career in the league with the Bruins, playing 1,464 games counting the regular season and playoffs. That included the title run in 2011 and more trips to the final in ’13 and ’19.
“Patrice was the kind of rare, generational talent that every team wanted,” owner Jeremy Jacobs said in a statement. “He was a deftly skilled playmaker and the undeniable greatest defensive forward in the NHL’s history. But it was the leadership he provided on the ice and in the locker room that made him truly stand apart and an all-time legend of the Boston Bruins.”
Bergeron succeeded Chara as captain in 2020 and served three seasons in that role before retiring. He called this an honor that is difficult to put into words.
“When I arrived in Boston as an 18-year-old, I could never have imagined receiving this recognition one day,” Bergeron said. “I have always believed that any success I had was only possible because of the people around me. I was fortunate to play alongside incredible teammates, learn from outstanding coaches and staff and be supported by an organization that believed in me from the very beginning.”
Craig Ferguson set out on foot from Los Angeles with a remarkable goal: to walk 3,500 miles across America. It took him 109 days.
Last week, I had the privilege of joining him for his final steps into Boston. In those first moments after completing his journey, I asked him what the experience had been like. Without hesitation, he called it the hardest thing he had ever done.
What began as a mission to raise money for SAMH, a Scottish charity that provides mental health and social care support, became something far greater. Along the way, Craig inspired thousands of people and helped raise more than $1 million. His arrival in Boston also came amid the excitement surrounding Scotland’s appearance in the World Cup, giving his home country even more reason to celebrate.
Craig’s commitment to mental health advocacy is perhaps best expressed in his own words: “Mental health doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from. It can meet you along the road, sometimes when you least expect it.”
Those words resonate deeply with me. I was raised by a mother who faced significant mental health challenges, and I know firsthand how important support systems can be for individuals and families. Organizations like SAMH provide hope when people need it most. Equally important is continuing to normalize conversations about mental health and recognizing that it is a health issue that touches every community and every walk of life.
There are countless routes Craig could have taken and many cities where he could have chosen to conclude this extraordinary journey. The fact that he finished in Boston is something we should be proud of.
Boston has always been a city defined by resilience, compassion, and perseverance. Those qualities are why “Boston Strong” means so much to so many people. Craig Ferguson may be Scottish by birth, but through his determination, his generosity, and his commitment to helping others, he has embodied that spirit.
As we welcome him to our beautiful and sports-loving city, we thank him for reminding us that even the longest journeys begin with a single step, and that no one should have to walk through life’s struggles alone.
Craig Ferguson is Boston Strong.
Anne Brensley is the Republican-endorsed candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.
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