September arrived a little late in this corner of the internet, but the NHL calendar is finally starting to wake up with it. The month brings the familiar shift into hockey mode for a lot of people - kids heading back to school, routines changing, and the league’s quiet stretch giving way to real activity.
For the Bruins, the clock is already ticking toward Opening Night on September 29. That leaves just over three weeks before the season begins, and plenty has to happen before then.
Rookie Camp gets things moving on September 11. This year’s camp will feature the two prospect games against the Buffalo Sabres, rather than the more tournament-style Prospects Challenge used in recent years. A Rookie Camp roster should be out within a few days.
From there, regular training camp opens two weeks from yesterday, on Wednesday, September 16. The first preseason game follows quickly after that, with Boston hosting the Washington Capitals on September 20, just two weeks from Sunday.
It’s that time of year when the schedule starts piling up fast after a long summer, and soon enough everyone will be back to debating the bottom-six line combinations.
Elsewhere around the league, the streaming landscape keeps shifting. On Wednesday, the NHL announced that Prime Video will be the exclusive in-market streaming service for six teams this season: Carolina, Anaheim, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, and St. Louis.
Each of those clubs is taking a different approach to how games will actually be shown, and that makes the whole setup messy. Some teams will still air on cable as well, while others won’t, which only adds to the confusion.
For Bruins fans, though, the situation is still relatively stable. NESN has its issues, and the cost of following every game can still be a headache, but Boston has largely been spared the regional sports network chaos that has hit other fanbases.
Diamond Sports, FanDuel Sports Network, and others have run into major trouble in recent years, while NESN has kept moving along. There’s also growing talk around the league about more teams eventually shifting to centralized streaming models with NHL production involved, but that doesn’t seem likely to change much in Boston anytime soon. With Delaware North part-owning NESN, the local setup looks pretty firmly in place.
In Other News...
Red Sox Pitching Depth Could Get A Huge Late Boost
Patrick Corbins season appears finished before it ever really got going, with Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirming the veteran left-hander is unlikely to pitch again in 2026 because of a teres major strain. Corbin had already been shifted to the 60-day injured list in August after first going on the 15-day IL in July, and the latest update adds another reminder of how quickly a pitching staff can lose a depth arm to a lingering shoulder issue.
For the Red Sox, the broader injury picture is worth watching because it includes several names tied to the pitching mix around the league and in Bostons own orbit, including Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo. In a season where every healthy arm matters, any late movement on that front can ripple through the rotation and bullpen plans, which is why updates like this continue to draw attention even when the news is coming from another clubhouse. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bullpen Just Took A Late-Season Turn Fans Feared
The Red Sox had started to get a little optimism around the back end of their bullpen, but Justin Slatens latest setback has slowed that momentum again. After beginning to throw as he worked back from injury, the right-hander has been shut down once more because of recurring inflammation in his right elbow, a frustrating turn for a pitcher who had been inching toward a return.
Bostons relief corps still owns a strong bullpen ERA, which has helped steady the club even with Slaten unavailable. There is some possible help on the way, though the timeline is still fluid, with Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet both making progress in rehab assignments and potentially factoring into the bullpen later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Prospect Is Easing One Big Adley Rutschman Trade Fear
When Boston sent Adley Rutschman to Baltimore on Aug. 3, one of the immediate worries was whether the Red Sox had given up too much value for the long view. Hayden Mullins has helped quiet that concern some, turning in a strong stretch on the mound since the deal and giving Boston a reason to feel better about the pitching side of the trade return.
Mullins has stacked up a run of efficient outings, trimming his season ERA and sharpening his strikeout-to-walk profile along the way. The broader picture still matters, though, because the players Boston got back have also been performing well in Baltimores system, which means the trade may end up being judged less by one headline name than by how both organizations develop what they received. [Read more 🡒]