Prime Video is set to take on a bigger role in NHL local coverage in the United States, with six teams moving their regional streaming home there starting in the 2026-27 season. The list includes the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes, along with the Ducks, Blue Jackets, Stars, Wild and one more team that was cut off in the announcement.
The shift comes as Victory+ dissolves, or at least that appears to be part of the chain of events, and it has triggered movement across multiple leagues. The WHL has already found its landing spot for the time being, announcing that regular-season games will move to YouTube for the start of the 2026-27 season.
That setup still leaves a lot of room for confusion, so it helps to separate the U.S. and Canadian versions of Prime. Prime in the USA is not the same service as Prime in Canada, or in any other country. That means Canadian Prime subscribers will not get these U.S. games, and American Prime subscribers will not get the Canadian teams that Prime carries north of the border.
It works the same way as other cross-border broadcast splits, with Sportsnet or TSN handling games in one country while ESPN and NHL Network carry them in the other. The difference here is that Prime games in Canada are exclusive to Prime, while the U.S. games are being carried under local streaming rights, which means the same game could still be available on television in another form.
There were also some updates on the Leafs side, where the team website has been getting daily changes, including a lot of tiny formatting tweaks and some staffing movement. The Marlies are seeing a reshuffle, too.
Denver Manderson is listed as an assistant coach for the Marlies in addition to his job as Director of Minor League Development, giving Steve Sullivan three assistants. That may have already been announced earlier.
One of the more notable promotions is Chris Bourque, who has moved up from scout to Assistant General Manager of the Marlies. Bourque came to the organization in 2022, and his hire drew strong reaction from people who cover the minor leagues.
Colin McBride is also no longer listed as head of media relations. It is not clear whether he still has a role at MLSE in the same area through the MLSE Partnerships side of the business.
The overall management picture looks different from the previous big turnover under Brendan Shanahan, and also different from the breakup that followed Kyle Dubas’s departure. There have been plenty of changes, but not the kind of sweeping one-day purge that happened before.
Elsewhere, longtime Leafs scouting executive Dave Morrison has taken a job with a new NHL club for the first time in 23 years.
And then there was the NBA’s punishment of the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap with Kawhi Leonard: a five first-round pick forfeiture from 2029 through 2033, a $30 million fine, a one-year suspension for the owner and president of business operations, and a $700,000 fine for Leonard.
Finally, there is one more item that is sad, but still carries hope with it.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Already Look Smarter For Moving On From This Prospect
Leo Jimnezs stint in Miami never really got the traction the Marlins were hoping for after Toronto sent him over earlier in the year. The former Blue Jays prospect got into 66 games and struggled to produce at the plate, finishing with a .199 average and only limited power and run production before Miami designated him for assignment and eventually released him.
For Toronto, the move now looks even more sensible in hindsight. The return for Jimnez brought back infielder Dub Gleed and international bonus money, and with Jimnez no longer in the Marlins plans, the Blue Jays at least appear to have turned a once-promising prospect into something more useful for their organization. [Read more 🡒]
Former Blue Jays Coach Is Suddenly Tied To Arizonas Biggest Mess
The Diamondbacks uneasy handling of Ketel Marte has only added to the noise around a team trying to steady itself through a frustrating stretch. Marte was placed on the injured list after a no-show incident, then surfaced at a casino during his absence, and the episode has fed a broader sense that Arizona is dealing with more than just one awkward roster matter.
For a former Blue Jays coach now linked to the mess, the bigger issue is what happens next inside the organization. Rival executives and scouts are already floating the possibility of change, with Torey Lovullos contract set to expire after the 2026 season and the clubs repeated trouble managing Martes absences leaving plenty of room for an offseason reset if things do not calm down. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Pitching Depth Could Get A Huge Late Boost
Patrick Corbins season appears to be over before it really had a chance to matter in Toronto, with Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirming the left-hander is unlikely to pitch again in 2026 because of a teres major strain. Corbin went from the 15-day injured list in July to the 60-day IL in August, a familiar kind of late-summer move that usually signals the path back is getting longer, not shorter. For a Blue Jays club watching the broader injury picture around the league, it is one more reminder of how thin pitching depth can get in a hurry.
Around the division, there are still a lot of moving pieces worth monitoring, from Toronto arms Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber to Red Sox pitchers Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo. The Red Sox also have other names in the injury mix, along with Mets reliever Nate Lavender and Nationals catcher Drew Millas, who may need another surgery on his left index finger. For Toronto, the immediate takeaway is less about one rivals bad luck than the bigger reality of September baseball, where every recovery timeline can shift the shape of a pennant race. [Read more 🡒]