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NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar left their spring training game on Saturday with a jammed left wrist.
Profar got hurt in the fourth inning against Pittsburgh. It looked as if he landed awkwardly on his arm while trying to make a diving catch on Jack Suwinski's sinking liner to left field.
Initial X-rays on Profar were negative, and the Braves said he would undergo further testing.
The 32-year-old Profar agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract with Atlanta in January. The switch-hitter is coming off a career year, batting .280 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs for the San Diego Padres last season.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Art Schallock, a left-handed pitcher who in 1951 replaced future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle on the Yankees' roster and had been the oldest living former major leaguer, has died.
He was 100, having celebrated with a big birthday party when he became a centenarian last spring. His assisted living home announced Saturday that Schallock died Thursday, also providing confirmation from the family.
"He passed away peacefully in his loving care community in Sonoma, California, at the age of 100. He would have been 101 in April," the family said.
"A beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, Art lived a remarkable life, from serving his country in World War II to achieving his dream of playing Major League Baseball. As a pitcher for the New York Yankees, he was part of a historic era in the sport, contributing to multiple World Series championships. Beyond baseball, Art was known for his kindness, humor, and deep appreciation for the people around him. He lived a life filled with cherished friendships, family, and a passion for the sport that defined much of his journey."
When New York optioned the then-19-year-old Mantle to Triple-A in 1951, Schallock got his shot in the major leagues at age 27. He and Yogi Berra were roommates and Schallock was the one who picked up Berra's daily delivery of "funnies" as they called them.
The Bay Area native went to Tamalpais High in Mill Valley, then College of Marin before becoming the 10,823rd major league player when he debuted July 16, 1951. He pitched 2 innings for the Yankees that day at Detroit, then earned his first career win one month later at Washington.
The lefty won three World Series rings from 1951 to 1953, although he pitched in only the '53 Series, retiring Brooklyn's Jackie Robinson during a two-inning outing in Game 4.
"That was quite a thrill, quite a thrill playing with those guys," Schallock told The Associated Press last year in an interview ahead of his 100th birthday. "I roomed with Yogi Berra when I got up there and he knew all the hitters. We went over all the hitters on each team. Besides that, I had to run down to the lobby and get his funny books. Every morning. Yogi knew all the hitters, how to pitch to them, whether it's low, high or whatever, he knew how to pitch to them. And I had to learn from him."
Serving for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Ocean during World War II after enlisting in 1942, Schallock narrowly escaped harm when the neighboring aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in November 1943 and 644 were killed -- accounting for the majority of the casualties in the Battle of Makin.
"I never thought I would get back to the highest level. I wanted to play baseball, yes," he said during the interview last year. "I did it in junior college. In those years, the Bay Area was full of baseball. When I say full of baseball, semi-pros. Every town had a team."
Over a five-year big league career primarily with the Yankees before finishing with Baltimore in 1955, Schallock went 6-7 with a 4.02 ERA over 58 games with 14 starts spanning 170 innings. He struck out 77.
Schallock was born April 25, 1924, in Mill Valley outside San Francisco.
His age didn't set a record: Negro Leagues pitcher Si Simmons of the 1926 New York Lincoln Giants lived to 111, while another ex-Yankees pitcher, Red Hoff, reached 107.
"The community at Cogir of Sonoma Plaza is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved resident, Arthur 'Art' Schallock, on March 6, 2025," the facility said in a statement. "At the age of 100, Art was a cherished member of our community, bringing warmth, humor, and an inspiring life story to all who had the privilege of knowing him."
Yanks' Cole concerned about right elbow soreness
TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had imaging on his right elbow and expects to know more about the situation in the next couple of days.
Cole, 34, was tagged for six runs and five hits in 2 innings during a spring training start against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. He told reporters that he felt good during the outing but got more and more sore after it was over.
"Something wasn't right," he said Saturday.
Cole told reporters, including one for MLB.com, that the imaging had been distributed, and he is waiting for second opinions.
"I've still got some hope," he said.
Cole missed the start of last season because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The six-time All-Star went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts then was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.
The right-hander signed a nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 season. He won the 2023 American League Cy Young Award after going 15-4 with an AL-best 2.63 ERA in 33 starts.
The Yankees have been hit hard by injuries during spring training. Right-hander Luis Gil, the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, is going to miss the start of the season because of a lat strain. Giancarlo Stanton also will begin the season on the injured list because of pain in both of his elbows. Infielder DJ LeMahieu has a left calf strain.
Stanton is going to have a third round of platelet-rich plasma injections. Speaking to reporters in Florida, the slugger described his elbow injuries as severe, but better than it was at the beginning of spring training.
You've seen the spring training strikeout celebrations -- now meet the pitcher behind them
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- You have seen him, on X and Instagram and TikTok and YouTube and every other platform capable of taking whole people and shrinking them to 10-second clips. In these snippets, Jefry Yan is always celebrating a strikeout by jumping, his knees rising to his chest, until he lands and punctuates the revelry with a fist pump, a pantomimed strike-three call, a pelvic thrust, a twirl or a dozen other spasmodic movements, depending on what has inspired him at that particular moment.
Yan, a 28-year-old left-handed reliever with the Colorado Rockies, is a baseball Rorschach test -- to some a burst of color in a monochromatic sport, to others an affront to the game's unspoken code of decorum. Either way, Yan possesses a quality shared by few others in baseball: In an instant, he makes you feel something.
Few players elicit emotions at the level of Yan, which is saying something, particularly because he has not played in a major league game. And beyond those 10 seconds of social media stardom is where the real story of Yan exists. In the decision that left him out of professional baseball for six years, and in the long, long days that guided him back to it, and in the opportunity that now presents itself as Yan finds himself on the cusp of the big leagues.
"They are already expecting the same thing from me: celebrating and doing my show," he said. "As I told [batters]: When you hit your home run, enjoy it, do what you want. For me, there is no problem.
"Now, when my moment comes, I am going to enjoy it, too."
Day after day, Yan woke up at 5 a.m., worked out, slogged through a 10-hour shift as a roofer in the unforgiving Arizona sun, returned home to shower and rinse off the dirt and sweat, grabbed a quick bite to eat, hopped back in the car and drove 45 minutes from Surprise to Phoenix, where he would spend two hours on a dusty field chasing the impossible. No matter how many people scoffed or laughed or doubted him, he would play Major League Baseball.
"I know I'm going to make it someday," Yan liked to say.
The first time Maria Torres heard Yan utter his mantra, she was among the skeptics. They met at a club in downtown Phoenix in 2017, his incandescent smile and effortless dancing -- he does a spot-on Michael Jackson impersonation, moonwalking in every direction -- leaving her smitten. Yan didn't mention that he played baseball when they met, but it soon became apparent when he would disappear in the early evening or spend Sundays playing beer league ball. Torres was practical, a healthcare administrator and Realtor with an MBA, and as much as her instincts left her wondering whether her boyfriend was really that good or just another Uncle Rico, she became a believer.
"No one does this just for fun," Maria said. "His passion and dedication -- I had to support it."
Long before he debuted his kinetic strikeout celebration, Yan was a hard-throwing kid from the southeast corner of the Dominican Republic whose projectible 6-foot-3 frame intrigued the Los Angeles Angels enough to sign him at 16 in 2013. Yan struggled in his first Dominican Summer League season the next year but followed with a breakout 2015 before blowing out his elbow. He spent 2016 and 2017 at the Angels' Arizona complex rehabilitating. When the Angels told Yan they planned to send him back to the DSL, he refused, didn't report and was put on the restricted list.
Unable to play professional baseball until the Angels removed him from the list, Yan joined a Phoenix-area semi-pro team called the Expendables, comprising mostly players previously in affiliated ball. Yan told friends on the team he was looking for a job, and he began to tag along with a group of players from Mexico who worked in landscaping. Through the Expendables, he met Victor Silverio, a former Angels minor leaguer. Yan asked Silverio to train him. Silverio wanted his high school-aged son, Joseph, to face higher-level competition in weekend games, and every day at 5 p.m., the three met at Cielito Park in Phoenix.
"He's consistent, he's hardworking, he's a nice man," Silverio said. "He always takes care of whatever he has to take care of. Responsibility is the No. 1 thing in baseball."
Sometimes, Yan would sleep at the Silverios' home. He ached for another opportunity. Yan would call the Angels almost daily asking for his release, knowing he'd burned that bridge but hopeful he could build another. Finally in 2019, four years after he'd thrown his final in-game pitch for the organization, the Angels granted Yan his request. By then, he was long forgotten, even with that electric fastball. He sent video to every scout he knew. None offered Yan a shot. He married Maria in 2019 and kept training, still convinced he would make it someday.
Finally, before the 2021 season, Yan got his break. His fastball -- now consistently registering in the high 90s -- was too good to ignore. The New York Yankees showed interest, prompting the Miami Marlins to move quickly and offer Yan a minor league contract. Little did Miami realize at the time the sensation that later would blossom.
Yan memorialized strikeouts with flair, sure, but more in the mode of former Montreal Expos left-hander Carlos Pérez, who in the 1990s gussied up each of his punchouts with a 360-degree spin off the mound -- and infuriated hitters along the way. Now was a different time, the Let The Kids Play era of baseball, in which bat flips were encouraged and on-field celebrations caused a fraction of the consternation they had previously.
With a 2.61 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 31 innings between Single-A Jupiter and Double-A Pensacola, Yan earned an invitation to the prospect-rich Arizona Fall League. Struggles to throw strikes limited Yan's effectiveness there and the next season at Double-A, but nobody doubted the quality of his fastball, and Yan remained an intriguing prospect accordingly, starting the 2023 season in Pensacola, where he first introduced the jump.
"I thought he was going to get in trouble -- like, dude, you're going to get kicked out," Maria said. "He was like, 'Relax. It's all good. They didn't say anything.'"
Yan struck out 91 hitters in 51 innings and saved 13 games, earning an invitation to play alongside Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar, Robinson Cano and 30 others with big league experience for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League. Broadcasts of the games captured Yan in full high-jump mode, and even by the standards of Dominican baseball -- known for its passion and outsize merriment -- he stood out.
Social media ate it up. Not only was Yan redefining what a pitcher could do on the field, he did so with a fastball that now touched triple digits. His agent, Gustavo Vazquez, started contacting Japanese teams in hopes of getting Yan a higher-paying gig than the $35,800 salary Triple-A players received last year. The Seibu Lions signed Yan to a minor league contract and he made their Nippon Professional Baseball team, playing at Japan's highest level and earning more in one season than he had his entire career.
Maria spent two months with Yan in Japan, where he posted a 5.58 ERA, and followed him back to the D.R., where he struck out 26 in 21 innings with a 1.71 ERA for Estrellas. With his experience in NPB and his success in the winter, Yan readied himself to return to Arizona, latch back on with a big league organization and fulfill his prophecy.
"I'm really proud of him," Maria said. "A lot of people don't realize the way him and a lot of people from his country grow up. To see that to where he's at now is incredible. He's almost there."
Finally, after the six-year wait, the minor league bus rides, the time spent halfway across the world, the doubt and the pressure and the recognition that every baseball career is an exercise in fragility, Yan's moment has come.
The Rockies were the most aggressive team in pursuing Yan this winter and signed him to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He threw a scoreless inning in his first game on Feb. 22, returned three days later and sandwiched three strikeouts around a hit and walk, and followed that with a third scoreless outing. While Yan's fastball sat at 95 mph, that was plenty effective, particularly if he feathered the strike zone with his slider.
Yan ran into his first roadblock Wednesday, entering the game in the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead. He proceeded to give up a single, a walk, a single, a wild pitch and a groundout that cut Colorado's advantage to 4-3. When Rockies shortstop Aaron Schunk snagged a scorching 106 mph line drive from Mike Brosseau, Yan secured his first save of the spring for a Rockies team that just lost its closer from last season, Justin Lawrence, to a waiver claim by Pittsburgh.
Perhaps the only thing separating Yan from the Rockies' Opening Day roster is his control, with 153 walks in 204 minor league innings. For an organization always in need of swing-and-miss stuff to mitigate the altitude in Denver, though, Yan's 284 strikeouts make him an alluring option.
Whether it's on March 27 or later in the season, Yan recognizes his opportunity will come because of what he learned along the way, not his moves on the mound. He still gets up at 5 a.m., sending Vazquez videos of his predawn workouts. He ate at the Silverios' house last week, and later in the week they met him on the field after a game, hopeful to do the same in an even bigger ballpark.
They're all waiting for the day they've spent nearly a decade foretelling, when Yan gets his call to MLB. Maria and the Silverios and the Expendables will be there to toast Yan the person and not just the persona that turned him into a sensation.
"They contributed to what I am today," Yan said. "They helped me, they supported me a lot and they told me that if I was going to have a career in professional sports I had to take it seriously. I had to put a lot of effort into it to be able to succeed one day.
"And today, thank God, we are doing it."
ESPN's Juan Arturo Recio contributed to this report
Winger Darcy Graham returns to the Scotland side having missed the match with England with concussion and replaces Glasgow Warriors' Kyle Rowe, who drops to the bench.
Prop Rory Sutherland has recovered from the back spasm that forced him out before kick-off against England to take his place amongst the replacements. Centre Huw Jones came off with a tight Achilles at Twickenham but is also fit.
Scotland: 15-Kinghorn; 14-Graham, 13-Jones, 12-Jordan, 11-Van der Merwe; 10- Russell (co-capt), 9-White; 1-Schoeman, 2-Cherry, 3-Z. Fagerson, 4-Gray; 5-Gilchrist, 6-Ritchie, 7-Darge (co-capt), 8-Dempsey.
Replacements: 16-Ashman, 17-Sutherland, 18-Hurd, 19-Brown, 20-M Fagerson, 21-Horne, 22-McDowall, 23-Rowe
England aim to thrill on their own terms against Italy
Victory in comfort and a bonus point in some style should be the aim.
Against an opponent they have beaten in all 31 of their previous meetings, England are strong enough to take the possibility of an upset out of the visitors' hands.
An awkward bounce, a refereeing call, a moment of Azzurri genius - the hosts should have amassed enough points to insulate themselves against all such eventualities by the business end of the match.
The outcome certain, the bonus point secure; boring, but in a better way.
England have benched their most exciting player in pursuit of this goal.
Marcus Smith's name registers the highest decibels when England's team is announced before kick-off. If you ask any young fan who they are looking forward to seeing, invariably it is the Harlequins playmaker.
His nose for a gap, jagging step and instinctive unpredictability were England's surest sources of tries throughout the autumn.
His faked drop-goal and blind-side dart produced the first against South Africa. His poked kick in behind Australia's defence set up the opening score against the Wallabies. His interception and canter upfield put them ahead in the second half against New Zealand.
Each time though, they were pyrotechnics in losing efforts.
In search of more sustainable scoring, England have brought in some pre-heated cohesion, installing Fin Smith at fly-half and, after a year out the side, Fraser Dingwall at inside centre.
They are two of five Northampton players in the backline.
Had George Furbank been fit, Saints would surely be only one slot away from a full house.
"I watched the relationship between 9,10 and 12 in training this week and have an understanding with each other that doesn't take any communication," said head coach Steve Borthwick this week.
"They seem to know what each other is going to do."
Ireland, of course, faced - and toppled - a 'Bomb Squad' before in their World Cup pool-stage win over South Africa in 2023.
Here, Irish interim boss Simon Easterby has reverted to a six-two split for the first time since last year's loss to England.
In that game, Ireland lost starting wing Calvin Nash and his replacement Ciaran Frawley to failed head injury assessments, leaving influential scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park on the wing for the last 30 minutes.
Against France, Easterby has picked Conor Murray and Jack Crowley as the backline replacements and Jamie Osborne - a left-footed full-back - on the right wing in Mack Hansen's absence.
Again, it is a gamble: Osborne has never played there, but his versatility - he can also cover 15, 12 and 11 - has convinced Easterby that this is the best path to victory.
Osborne will come up against France's jet-heeled winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who already has five tries in this year's tournament. Bielle-Biarrey is faster than Osborne, but the Irish coaches must feel the Leinster player can win the aerial battle.
James Lowe v Penaud on the opposite wing should prove equally fascinating.
Penaud is one try off equalling Serge Blanco's French record of 38 tries. He will be fired up after being dropped against Italy, but Lowe is enjoying a fine tournament, leading Ireland in try assists (four), line-breaks (eight), metres carried (299.5) and metres gained (199.5).
Brown, Beckman, Anderson & Herrera Lead The Way In Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown started his 2025 with the provisional No. 1 qualifier position at Gainesville Raceway, taking the top spot on Friday at the 56th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Selections were also made for the opening round of the big-money Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race, which takes place on Saturday. Top seed Steve Torrence selected Tony Stewart as his opening-round opponent, while Doug Kalitta picked Clay Millican for his first-round matchup. Shawn Langdon and defending world champion Brown will face off, while the final first-round pair features Justin Ashley and Brittany Force.
Brown went 3.685-seconds at 334.24 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster during the second session, starting the year strong after earning his fourth world championship in 2024. If Fridays run under the lights holds, the 80-time event winner would pick up his 51st career No. 1 qualifier.
We werent trying to go out there and kill it, but we knew the track could hold anywhere in the mid-60 range, and we just wanted to be in the top half the field, Brown said. Lo and behold, it ran really strong out the back door. It was smooth all the way down, it just went straight as an arrow and I got to the finish line.
Tripp Tatum also went 3.685 at a slower 326.58 to take the second spot and Langdon is third after going 3.690 at 335.23.
Funny Car
Funny Cars Jack Beckman was the quickest in both sessions on Friday, slipping past Bob Tasca III under the lights with a stellar run of 3.832 at 334.65 in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS. Named the full-time driver for John Force during the 2025 campaign, Beckman picked up where he left off last year, following his NHRA Finals victory with a pair of terrific runs on Friday.
When the season ended last year, I wasnt sure if Id be back. I thought Id get the nod but I wasnt sure, Beckman said. There is a part of me that expected to see someone run 3.81 but Im happy with a 3.83. We were low of both sessions in completely different conditions.
I cant put into words how awesome it is to be strapped into John Forces Funny Car and have John walk by and give you a thumbs up before they fire up. I am unbelievably lucky.
Tasca was also strong on Friday, going 3.833 at 333.82 and Capps 3.857 at 335.73 puts him third after the first day of qualifying.
Pro Stock
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson made NHRA history in an unbelievable performance on Friday under the lights at Gainesville Raceway, going 6.443 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to set the Pro Stock world record. Its the quickest pass in Pro Stock history and made for a surreal moment for the reigning world champion.
He ended the 2024 season with a winner-take-all pass to get the championship in Pomona and then started the first day of qualifying at the Gatornationals with a historic performance, putting Anderson in line for his 133rd No. 1 qualifier. This one will be remembered for a while, as the six-time champ set a new gold standard in the category.
This is beyond cool and thats because I didnt expect it, Anderson said. I watched my team cars with Deric Kramer and Eric Latino run 6.46 ahead of me and I started to think maybe we could run 6.45, but I surpassed them both.
It feels good to be back. I live for runs like this and I love Gainesville. I came here with my dad when I was 10-12 years old, and Ive loved this place ever since. Coming to Gainesville this the first race of the year and you always wonder how you stack up. So far its been successful.
Deric Kramer took the second spot after a career-best run of 6.463 at 212.23 and Dallas Glenn is right behind after going 6.466 at 212.56.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Gaige Herreras domination at Gainesville Raceway continued on Friday, as the back-to-back world champion took over the top spot during the second session on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with a run of 6.670 at 202.97. Herrera has rolled to Gatornationals wins at the last two events at the legendary facility and appears poised to try and make it three in a row.
Herrera hasnt let up after two straight championships, continuing to post one standout run after another. If it holds, it would be Herreras 24th No. 1 qualifier since the start of the 2023 campaign.
I have a lot of fun racing in Gainesville. I got my first win here two years ago in my debut with the Vance & Hines team and Ive got a lot of great memories here, Herrera said. Before that run, Andrew [Hines, crew chief] said This is all weve got. I hope it sticks. It did and we made a nice run.
I think youll see me and Matt [Smith] go back and forth all season and it wont just be us. You can see that Angie [Smith] was close and Richard [Gadson] was close. Weve got a lot of good bikes out here and that includes some new guys.
Matt Smith is currently second with a pass of 6.679 at 203.49 and Angie Smith is third after going 6.709 at 201.01.
Qualifying continues at 12: 15 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Opening day for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season began on Friday as two qualifying sessions were the focal point of on-track action.
After two rounds, Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) lead the way.
Fan Turnout
Theres a reason the annual Gatornationals is a crown jewel event on the NHRA schedule every season.
Fans arrived early as traffic was already backed up to get through the gates of Gainesville Raceway by 8:30 a.m. Once unloading began in the pits, attempting to maneuver through the nitro area was near impossible at times.
Perhaps the most eye-opening aspect was how jam-packed the stands were from the time qualifying began at 2:00 p.m. until the final pass well into the dark of night.
Despite lulls in the action due to on-track incidents, the fans remained.
Anderson Keeps Making History
Fresh off his dramatic championship in Pro Stock last season, KB Titan Racings Greg Anderson laid down the quickest pass in Pro Stock history with a 6.443 ET at 212.06 mph.
Optimal conditions under the lights allowed for the record-breaking pass as Anderson continues to show no signs of slowing down.
John Force Racing Still Fast
John Force Racing, the powerhouse of NHRA, continued its tear on Friday. With the team knocking on the door of 300 Funny Car wins, Jack Beckman struck first with a pass of 3.832 ET at 334.65 mph.
Prock would arguably be right with Beckman had he not suffered a rear end failure during Q1 and other issues in the following session. The defending champion sits 15th out of 18 entries.
In Top Fuel, Brittany Force clocked in the sixth-fastest run. She may have a say by the end of Saturday, however, after clocking in the fastest one-eighth-mile speed in drag racing history during testing on Wednesday (302.69 mph).
Even with an offseason where improvements from every team is expected, JFR continues to hold down the top spot until proven otherwise on Sunday in eliminations.
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Cam Fowler grew from a raw teenager into a mature family man during his 14 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.
The fans who watched him for all those years made sure Fowler knew he was coming home when he returned Friday night with the St. Louis Blues.
Fowler got nothing but love when he laced up his skates in Anaheim for the first time since the Ducks traded the longest-serving and highest-scoring defenseman in franchise history to the Blues less than three months ago. During a night filled with tributes and hugs, he also recorded two assists in St. Louis' 4-3 victory, bolstering his new club's playoff hopes with a win over a rival for the West's wild-card spots.
"It was incredible," Fowler said. "I just tried to take a seat on the bench and soak it all in. I'm just grateful. I put my heart and soul into my career here, and the support from the fans and the team along the way means a lot to me, so I'm thankful to everyone in the organization for making it a nice welcome home for me."
During a pregame meeting with dozens of front office workers and Ducks personnel, owners Henry and Susan Samueli presented Fowler with a painting of the defenseman memorializing his lengthy career in Anaheim. Fowler also got to see retired ex-captain Ryan Getzlaf, who attended the game to support his longtime teammate.
"Getzy is a true dear friend of mine, so for him to take the time to come in and support me meant the world to me," Fowler said. "And then I can't say enough good things about Henry and Susan and the whole organization just making me feel welcomed and special in my return."
Fowler was in the Blues' starting lineup, and the Ducks aired a tribute video to Fowler during a stoppage in the first period. He acknowledged the standing ovation with a wave of his arm, and he skated out from the Blues' bench to more cheers.
"A lot of emotion, obviously," Fowler said. "Just wanted to make sure I embraced everything, just took it all in as best I could. But I appreciate the support everyone gave me, and we had a big two points for our team, too. So I tried to focus on that as much as I could once the emotion kind of settled down."
Fowler insists he feels no bitterness or disappointment about the way his 14 seasons in Orange County ended last December, although he acknowledged beforehand that it wouldn't be a normal game for him.
Fowler had been a mainstay on the Ducks' blue line since 2010, when the team selected him with the 12th pick in a draft held in Southern California. Fowler immediately won an NHL job as an 18-year-old rookie, and he remained a dependable two-way contributor for the next decade and a half.
Though he made just one All-Star team for Anaheim and never became a leaguewide star, he steadily rose to become the most prolific defenseman in Ducks history. He also played a key role while Anaheim won five consecutive Pacific Division championships from 2013 to 2017 and reached two Western Conference finals.
Fowler is the Ducks' leader among defensemen in goals (96), assists (361) and games played (991).
The breakup happened after Fowler managed just four assists in Anaheim's first 17 games this season. Fowler and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek say they came to a mutual agreement that a fresh start would be best for Fowler, who still has another season left on the eight-year, $52 million deal he signed with Anaheim in 2017.
The Ducks traded Fowler and a fourth-round pick in 2027 for a second-round pick in 2027 and minor league defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka.
Fowler's production has increased for the Blues. He has seven goals and 14 assists in 34 games while playing more than 22 minutes per night.
Fowler rejects the idea he was motivated by the trade.
"I've had people ask me if it reinvigorated my career or my passion for the game," Fowler said. "I've always been passionate about the game, and I've always been energized to play the game, but sometimes you get to a certain point in your career as a player, and just for both sides it might make sense to find a situation that works better."
Fowler's departure opened playing time on the Ducks' blue line, and the most prominent beneficiary of an increased role has been Jackson LaCombe. The former second-round pick is enjoying a breakout season, leading Anaheim's defensemen with 11 goals and 23 assists.
"Cam is a great person," Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. "He's been a great Duck for a long time. I was happy for him. Happy for his family. Obviously, it was a huge game for both teams, but it's always good to see Cam."
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