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In Frankfurt, the host nation Germany made an excellent start to the 2025 World Cup of Darts on Thursday night. Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko were far too strong for Portugal, winning 4-2 in their first group match. Tonight they will play for the group win against Singapore.
For Pietreczko, this year marks his debut at this year's World Cup of Darts. "The crowd was very cool," he says in his post-match press conference afterwards. "There was no whistling, no booing, they were just supporting us so it was very good."
Alongside the support that comes from being a host nation, there is also extra pressure attached. "It would probably have been easier to play somewhere like Australia!" Schindler laughs. "But honestly, you have to take the situation as it is, so we are playing in front of a home crowd and we have the fans' demand."
With this being Pietreczko's debut, it is also, of course, the first time the German pair have teamed up on the big stage. "Right now, we are the two best to represent Germany. We are trying to do our best and obviously, we don't want to fail," says Schindler. "If we succeed then great, if we don't then yeah, we'll probably not be happy."
Despite Schindler being the more experienced of the pair and the captain, it was notable Pietreczko who took the lead in the match, throwing first. "It's just normal for me to be scoring first," 'Pikachu' explains.
If Germany are to claim a first ever World Cup of Darts title, it's likely they will at some point have to stop the English superstar duo of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. Clearly though, confidence is high, with Pietreczko even joining the growing list of England's rivals to try and start some mind games. “I think it will be a very funny game against both Lukes," he smiles. "Luke Littler said he'll never come back to Germany.”
️ “I think it will be a very funny game against both Lukes because Luke Littler says never come back to Germany.”
— Oche180 (@Oche180) June 12, 2025
Ricardo Pietreczko pokes fun at Luke Littler ahead of a potential future clash against England in the World Cup. #darts
See full interviews on our YouTube… pic.twitter.com/Hd5yGvPV6j
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Two-time Stanley Cup champion announces retirement
13-year veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement from the NHL via his Instagram. Johnson’s last professional game will be marked on Dec. 12 when the Boston Bruins faced the Seattle Kraken. It’s fitting that Johnson’s last game came against the Kraken. A native of Spokane, Washington, Johnson’s professional career began with humble beginnings, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. Joining an organization that’s had overwhelming success with undersized and undrafted players in the past, Johnson excelled immediately in the Lightning organization. During his first season, he scored 31 goals and 68 points in 75 games for their AHL affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals. He would only spend one more season primarily playing in the AHL. Finally earning his chance at full-time duties at the NHL level, Johnson impressed greatly during his rookie campaign, scoring 24 goals and 50 points in 82 contests during the 2013-14 season, finishing third in Calder Trophy voting. Capitalizing on his breakout year, Johnson and the Bolts agreed to a three-year, $10M contract the following offseason. Despite a few battles with injuries, Johnson sustained his quality two-way efforts throughout that deal, scoring 62 goals and 155 points in 212 games, with a few votes for the Selke Trophy along the way. His playoff exploits earned him a spot as a fan-favorite in Tampa Bay, scoring 20 goals and 40 points in 43 games from 2015-16, helping the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup Final in 10 years during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he couldn’t help the Lightning get over the hump against a dominant Chicago Blackhawks team, the Lightning were ready to invest in Johnson for the long haul. Johnson eagerly signed a long-term extension with Tampa Bay, securing a seven-year, $35M contract beginning in the 2017-18 season. For a deal that looked like a bargain when it was time, Johnson quickly wore out his welcome with the Lightning. His offensive output cratered, finishing with 72 goals and 150 points in 281 games since signing the contract, as well as 11 goals and 23 points in 69 additional games. Although Johnson helped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup rings in 2020 and 2021, multiple players had passed him on the team’s depth chart. Needing more salary cap space after the second half of their back-to-back, the Lightning traded Johnson and a 2023 second-round pick to the Blackhawks the following offseason for Brent Seabrook’s contract (which they would later place on LTIR). Playing on a far worse team in Chicago, Johnson’s offensive output continued in the wrong direction, finishing the remaining three years on his contract with 32 goals and 70 points in 149 games. After his contract expired, Johnson needed to convert a professional tryout agreement with the Bruins to secure a spot on an NHL roster. With his name on the Stanley Cup twice, Johnson likely won’t have many regrets about his NHL career. He finished with 193 goals and 433 points in 747 regular-season contests with a +19 rating, 49.4% faceoff percentage, 49.7% CorsiFor% at even strength and 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength. In the postseason, and only with Tampa Bay, Johnson concluded his playing days with 32 goals and 65 points in 116 contests with a +7 rating. We at PHR wish Johnson the best in the next phase of his life and career, and we congratulate him on a successful career that includes two Stanley Cup rings.
NFLPA executive director should be on hot seat after explosive collusion findings confirmed
While in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX this past February, NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. celebrated the union's communication with members under his watch. However, less than a month earlier, he worked with the league office to keep players in the dark over an explosive collusion decision. On Wednesday, ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler wrote about findings from an NFL collusion hearing held in July and August 2024 that were first reported two weeks ago by Pablo Torre on the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast. Van Natta and Kahler wrote that on Jan. 14, an arbitrator found "there wasn't sufficient evidence of collusion by owners," while also noting "that the NFLPA showed 'by a clear preponderance of the evidence' that commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's general counsel Jeff Pash had urged owners to restrict guaranteed money in player contracts." Despite those findings (or, better yet, because of them), Lloyd and other senior NFLPA leaders agreed to a confidentiality agreement with the league to keep the decision private. Van Natta and Kahler reported that on Tuesday, July 8, Howell and the NFLPA decided to appeal the January ruling. "The union declined to answer questions Wednesday about why the decision to appeal took nearly six months," ESPN wrote. That shouldn't be a surprise. After all, NFLPA leadership has been grossly inept at being transparent for years, dating back to the hiring process that led to Howell becoming the Players Association's fourth executive president. In 2023, the NFLPA elected Howell following a tight-lipped process that kept several people close to the search in the dark. "It's so secretive... It's hard to get any information," one source told The Washington Post. "There's just too much secrecy with this one," added Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" two days before the NFLPA voted to make Howell executive director. "Someone should know by now. We should know by now who the finalists are," Florio said. Ahead of this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, Howell touted "the union's significant progress over the past year to ... improve communications with members, and more effectively advocate for their priorities. "The players are the heart and soul of this sport and this business — they need to be at the center of every decision that is made about the League's future," Howell said. "More than ever, we are taking a data-based approach to bring fairness, transparency and the player perspective to every aspect of this game," he added, before ending, "The NFLPA and its members are more engaged and more unified than ever." The shady confidentiality agreement stands in direct opposition to his words, which should shred any credibility Howell has with players. The three previous NFLPA executive directors each spent over a decade in their post, beginning with Ed Garvey (1971-83) and followed by Gene Upshaw (1983-2008) and DeMaurice Smith (2009-22). A little over two years after being elected, it would be a shock if Howell lasts nearly as long.
Oilers eye trade to clear space for 'biggest wild card' of 2025-26 season
"Oilers Now" host and Edmonton Oilers insider Bob Stauffer has singled out Czech forward David Tomasek as the team’s biggest wild card heading into the upcoming NHL season. He’s a wild card for two reasons. First, it’s unclear where the Oilers will slot the 29-year-old, who led the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 47 games last season. Second, with recent signings and trades, it appears the Oilers might have to move another forward to make room for Tomasek in his first NHL campaign. Stauffer noted, “Not sure how his game will translate to the NHL. Teams tried to sign him in the Spring of 2024 after he led the SHL in goals with 25.” However, Jonathan Willis of The Athletic notes that “Tomasek brings something that the Oilers sorely missed in the playoffs this spring…” As the Oilers get younger and faster, it appears they have the right-shot center pegged to play, outbidding other teams and spending $1.2 million on him. So far this summer, the Oilers have added Andrew Mangiapane, Curtis Lazar and Isaac Howard. Roster spots are being filled, and cap space is becoming an issue. If Tomasek is going to play over names like Matt Savoie or Noah Philp — both chomping at the bit for regular NHL duty — something has to give. Could the Oilers Trade Janmark to Make Room for Tomasek? Willis notes that the SHL is a strong league — certainly tougher than the AHL — and while there’s no guarantee that Tomasek will jump in and make an immediate impact, he’s on a one-year contract before he becomes a UFA. It’s time to find out what he can do, and that could mean trading a player whose impact has declined in recent seasons — Mattias Janmark. Janmark is a strong two-way player and a smart penalty killer, but he’s not producing offensively. He’s no longer a regular in the lineup, and one area where Tomasek could make an immediate impact over Janmark is in the faceoff circle. Edmonton’s faceoff struggles were costly in last season’s playoffs, where it ranked near the bottom in defensive zone and penalty kill draws. Tomasek, a right-shot center, won an impressive 58 percent of his faceoffs in Sweden, including a league-best 55 percent in defensive zone draws. Janmark went 40 percent on 239 draws. Moving Janmark means removing $1.45 million off the roster. That’s helpful for the Oilers, who, with both Janmark and Tomasek on the roster, have only $225K in cap space. While it’s unclear whether Tomasek will slot into the top six, center the third or fourth line or provide depth scoring, this is the season he needs to get a look. If it doesn’t work, the Oilers can try something else, but they need to know if it will work. That’s what makes Tomasek such a wild card. He could be a significant addition, but it’s impossible to know that until they put him in, sink or swim.
Red Sox Linked to Trade With Phillies Involving Eight-Time All-Star
Barring any drastic developments over the next few weeks, the Boston Red Sox are expected to move at least one or two players. They’re 8-2 in their last 10, but there’s reason to believe that still trading certain players makes sense. Aroldis Chapman is at the top of the list of options that have continued to come up. Chapman has continued to be one of the better closers in Major League Baseball, and given where prices have been over the past few years on that front, there isn't much of a reason for the Red Sox to keep him, even if they believe they have an opportunity to make the postseason. Sure, if they keep Chapman, the Red Sox might have the best closer in baseball, but it isn't a guarantee that they'll get there, so moving on from him now seems to make a bit more sense. When searching for trade deadline possibilities at the deadline, the Red Sox were recently linked to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies involving Chapman from The Athletic, naming them one of three possible teams for the left-handed flamethrower. “Chapman’s fastball still regularly hits triple digits at age 37 and he continues to be one of the league’s most dominant relievers, with the added wrinkle that he’s working in the strike zone more than ever. “He’s capable of dramatically altering a contender’s bullpen as a setup man or a closer. And this is nothing new for Chapman, who was traded mid-season in 2016 and 2023, winning the World Series with his new team in both years,” they wrote. Frankly, the Phillies' bullpen just hasn't been where it's needed to be throughout the year, and with Jose Alvarado out for the entire postseason due to his suspension, it'd be a wise decision from Philadelphia to go out and add a player like Chapman.
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