Browsing: step

By Ella Jay

Oct. 12, 2025 10:30 am EST

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

At the top of WWE’s creative department currently sits Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the Chief Content Officer. Years from now, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes sees himself, CM Punk, or Seth Rollins potentially stepping into the same role. During a recent episode of “Something To Wrestle,” WWE Hall of Famer John “Bradshaw” Layfield backed up that idea.

“Triple H is pretty young. He could be there quite a while, but yeah, I think all three of those guys could do a great job with it,” JBL said. “I’ve told you many times, when you walk into a wrestler’s meeting, they’re going over a finish, going over an angle or storyline or something, there’s always one guy that talks. You just have certain respect and a certain guy has the acumen that everybody cedes to him. These three guys are those guys. I think they all do a wonderful job. They’re all smart guys. It’s a tough job. They all have the intelligence to do it.”

According to JBL, former WWE CEO Vince McMahon had long trained Levesque to take over WWE someday, with the foundational principle that WWE was to be run like an entertainment company, rather than a professional wrestling one.

“I think Triple H has a huge lead on these guys, but what Vince did for Triple H, Triple H could do for one of these guys,” JBL added.

Following his eventual in-ring retirement, Rollins foresees himself taking on a backstage role somewhere in WWE. Meanwhile, Rhodes already has backstage experience through his previous role as an EVP for AEW. Both he and Rollins also once stepped in as producers for a WWE live event. In the case of Punk, he continues to lend words of wisdom to WWE’s young talents in “WWE NXT” and on the main roster.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Something To Wrestle” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

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CALGARY — His opening night ovation was loud, and greatly appreciated.Â

The welcome wagon has been circling Zayne Parekh from the day he was drafted, leading up to his Dome debut Saturday.

Whether they gathered for the red carpet players†arrivals, or simply tuned in on TV, Flames fans had been clamouring for a glimpse of the organizationâ€s most exciting prospect since Matthew Tkachuk.

Those who clearly hadnâ€t seen him struggle in the late stages of the pre-season had spent the first two games lighting up social media and the local sports radio station with angry rants about how misguided Ryan Huska was to sit Parekh in Edmonton and Vancouver.

But after he finished his first game of the season Saturday, Parekh himself weighed in on the debate, insisting he wasnâ€t bothered in the least by starting the year in the press box.

“I thought I kind of deserved to be up there, if I’m being honest,†he said, flashing his megawatt grin.

“I mean, I understand it. I didn’t have enough of a good end to pre-season. It was really good to watch that Vancouver game, just to kind of see what (Quinn) Hughes does and how it looks from up top.â€

Sure, itâ€s the savvy thing to say, but it also seemed genuine from a refreshingly candid 19-year-old who has been the first to admit from the day he went ninth overall that his defensive game needed work.

Still does, which is why the coach refused to feed him to the sharks in Edmonton or Vancouver, where a kid playing the toughest skating position in the game could be exposed.

At least at home, with the last change, Huska felt he could shelter Parekh somewhat while he paired up with Brayden Pachal, who was moved to his off side.

If not for a familiar inability to bury Grade-A chances, the Flames might have fared better Saturday against an opportunistic Blues team that turned Joel Hoferâ€s stellar performance into a 4-2 win.

It says plenty about how comfortable Huska was with Parekhâ€s game that he and fellow teen Matvei Gridin were out on the ice in the final minute, trying to close the gap.

When the dust cleared on an outing in which he played four-and-a-half of his 17:21 on the power play, Parekh had two giveaways and two shots on goal, which didnâ€t include a point shot tipped slightly by Morgan Frost off the post.

Many of his breakout passes were crisp, his gap control was noticeably better, and there were no egregious pinches or missed assignments.

“I thought it was a step in the right direction,†said Parekh, who admitted he was more nervous for the home opener than his NHL debut in the final game last season.

“I didn’t really have my game, like, all pre-season, and to go in there tonight, I thought I played a pretty good game.

“It kind of brings my confidence back, a lot. It’s a good feeling. I mean, obviously we didn’t win, but I thought it was a good start for me, at least.â€

Working hard to try taking pressure off himself, he tried to put things in perspective.

“There’s bigger things than hockey, so just try to have fun with it,†said Parekh, who will have to navigate this whole season with the Flames as heâ€s too young for the AHL and too talented to go back to junior.

“I just tried to have fun with it, like, the worst thing that could happen is maybe I end up not playing the next game.â€

It certainly felt and looked like he was good enough to earn another start Tuesday when Vegas comes calling.

“I thought Zayne was good, I thought he was fine,†said Huska, whose offensively-challenged club couldâ€ve really used some help with the man advantage Saturday, going one for six.

“You know, there were a few plays in his own zone where I think the more that he gets in, you’ll see a little bit more composure there with the puck. But I thought he had a fine game.â€Â

Buoyed by the fans, supportive teammates who keep things positive, and a coaching staff working hard to help him in his own zone, Parekh is going to get better all season long.

With hands, a stride, and a mind like his, NHL stardom awaits.

But only once he demonstrates a defensive proficiency that the coach can trust will he be an everyday NHLer.

“We’re trying to help him focus on a couple of things that will help more on the defending side than the offensive side,†said Huska.

“Nobody’s talking about the offensive side — (there) he can do his thing.â€

While Huska admits heâ€s willing to have patience with young players like Parekh, Sam Honzek and Matvei Gridin, it comes with a limit. Â

“There’s a fine line, because it’s not a league that you want guys to develop in because it’s gonna cost you points from time to time,†said Huska.

“They’re good players, and we want them to be really great players for us as we move forward. So, I think that’s our job as coaches is to make sure we put these young guys in good positions to succeed, and they each bring something that I feel can help our team win games. So we’ll continue to do that.â€

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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty has missed all of training camp and the preseason with an upper-body injury.

General manager and president Kyle Dubas announced before camp started that McGroarty would be out indefinitely with this injury, which was a tough blow to the team. He was set to compete for a spot on the opening-night roster after looking NHL-ready during his second stint in the league at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Despite being out with the injury, he made progress in his quest to return on Friday, skating on the ice for the first time during training camp.

It’s unlikely that he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season on Tuesday, but it’s still great news that he’s back on the ice. McGroarty showed instant chemistry with Penguins captain Sidney Crosby at the end of the 2024-25 season and could get more reps with him once he’s ready to return.

McGroarty played in eight NHL games last season, compiling one goal and three points. He also played in 60 games for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, compiling 14 goals and 39 points.

The Penguins will play their final game of the preseason on Friday at 7 p.m. ET against the Buffalo Sabres.

Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

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EDMONTON — Suddenly, there are only three pre-season games remaining. If you are Noah Philp, or David Tomasek, or even Josh Samanski — and youâ€re planning on showing the Oilers brass something — time is running out.

On a day where 14 hopefuls were Bakersfield bound, those three all made their mark in a 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

Philp had a nice snipe and played a solid defensive game, Tomasek showed some offensive flair and created a goal off a nifty steal, and Samanski buried a puck right under the bar for a goal and added an assist.

There is a world in which we can see Tomasek and Philp on Edmontonâ€s roster when the season starts. Samanski, however, will be taking his talents to Bakersfield, where heâ€ll do his best to learn the North American game while auditioning for a spot on Germanyâ€s Olympic roster come February.

Could Samanski find himself in Italy on Leon Draisaitlâ€s national team?

“For sure,†he said after the game. “If you donâ€t think that way, youâ€re in the wrong sport.

“I think I presented myself pretty well at the world championships. I just want to make the coach have a hard decision not to pick me.â€

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GM Stan Bowman may have a nice find in Samanski, the six-foot-two, 195-pound, free-agent signing. Heâ€s big, skates well, and comes off as an intelligent young man — a huge part of figuring out what oneâ€s role should be in order to succeed as an NHL player.

But the 23-year-old Samanski is a project. At 27, Philpâ€s time to crack an NHL lineup has arrived.

“Iâ€d love to,†Philp said. “Thatâ€s why Iâ€m here. Thatâ€s the goal.

“They always tell you — and itâ€s true — that itâ€s up to you.â€

Philp has a couple of goals this camp, and is working diligently with new assistant coach Paul McFarland on his faceoffs. The Oilers need a righty to take faceoffs — particularly on the penalty kill — and Philp just might be that guy.

“Last year I struggled offensively,†he said of 2024 training camp. “For me itâ€s usually a defensive focus. But now Iâ€m feeling pretty confident, trying to work on the offensive side as well.â€

Calvin Pickard went the distance, stopping 21 shots for the shutout.

Darnell Nurse and the Oilers’ blue-line are getting some long awaited respect around the National Hockey League, with Jake Walman starting this season on the second pairing.

Itâ€s not often that the pre-season pundits are grading Edmontonâ€s D corps out as one of the better bluelines in the NHL, but they are this season, after two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

“Weâ€re a group that played together in the playoffs last year, so you get a lot of familiarity with each other in tough situations,†said Nurse, the longest-serving Edmonton defenceman, who wired a shot off the post and in for the first goal of the game Friday. “It makes the game easier when youâ€re able to play with guys youâ€ve played with over the past few seasons.â€

Theyâ€re back again, fresh off another disappointment in the Final. The last team to start a season after two straight Final losses was the 1978-79 Boston Bruins, who lost both previous years to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs made it back to win the Cup in â€79, but the Bruins did not make the trip.

“To a man, we are a very motivated group,†Nurse promised. “Thereâ€s the disappointment of losing the first time (in the Cup Final). The second time is disappointing as well, and you donâ€t get over it.

“With that being said, there is a motivation in our group, and you could tell from even before camp.â€

The theme here in Edmonton isnâ€t about getting back to the Cup, however. Not yet at least.

Right now theyâ€re focused on finding their game earlier than they have the past two autumns — grabbing hold of the Pacific Division early, instead of chasing it all season long as they have the past two seasons.

“An area where weâ€ve preached but havenâ€t been good enough at, is the start of our season. For us, it started on Day 1 of camp, and weâ€ve got to continue it into the regular season,†said Nurse.

He was asked about the Olympic team, a perk that Nurseâ€s name is seldom associated with.

“Is it a dream of mine to play for Canada? Of course it is,†he said. “Itâ€s everyoneâ€s dream in our room to represent their country, and play in those big moments. But that doesnâ€t come from fantasizing over it every day. It comes from work, and taking it one day at a time.â€

The first cuts of camp came on Friday, with 14 players directed towards AHL Bakersfield:

Placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Bakersfield

Released and will report to Bakersfield

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