12-28-2019, 12:57 AM
Canadian Way is not a new mantra for Hockey Canada. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . It is a method for helping players understand whats necessary to be part of Team Canada so that both the team and the individual can achieve success. And this applies to all the things celebrated in Canadian Hockey - team play, unselfishness, sacrifice, commitment, skill development and following the game plan to name but a few. They just completed the Under-17 Development Camp which brought 108 players from across Canada - the beginning of the process for players as they prepare themselves to compete for Canada on the international stage. And Canadian Way was emphasized throughout the camp in every imaginable form. Canadian Way is not only followed in Canada, but has proven to be a model for other countries to emulate in various shapes and ways. Tim Speltz - the long-time general manager of the WHLs Spokane Chiefs whos part of Team Canadas Under-18 management group - has employed many a successful coach. That includes Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medal-winner Mike Babcock along with 2008 Memorial Cup champion and newly-hired Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters. What many dont know is that Tim also hired Rikard Grönborg. Rikard was with the Chiefs in 2004-05, but is now the head coach of Swedens world junior team. He was an assistant coach when Sweden won gold in Calgary in 2012 and was also an assistant on Swedens silver medal team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. To paraphrase Tim, "Rikard felt that the Swedes had to find a way to improve their game in the very hard and demanding areas - along the boards and in and around the net. Without the ability to compete strongly in these areas, it would be very difficult for Sweden to be successful against teams that exhibited these qualities." And Sweden has produced excellent players for a long time. But now when they enter international competition, they are always among the favorites because they have developed qualities and attributes that are important to team success. The Under-18 team competes at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup every August and this is the 24th year that Canada has competed at this tournament - winning 18 gold medals, two silvers and one bronze. This includes a streak of six consecutive gold medals and nine in the past ten years. The only other team to win gold during that span is Sweden. That said, Canadian Way has certainly traveled around the world. And we know the world has influenced Canadian Hockey as well, so when you watch any game between Canada and Sweden, know that Canadian Way will be on display not only by the Canadian players but also by their opponent. Success ultimately breeds imitation and as we know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Craig Button is TSNs Director of Scouting, producing rankings and analysis of the top players eligible for the NHL Draft. He started in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars and became Director of Player Personnel, helping lead them to a Stanley Cup in 1999. He also served as Vice President and GM of the Calgary Flames and later joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a scout. Craig is covering the Ivan Hlinka tournament in Slovakia and the Czech Republic this week and his daily reports can be seen on SportsCentre and on TSN.ca. Stitched Hurricanes Jerseys . The thunderous cheers quickly changed to an appreciative chant: "Ma-son! Ma-son! Ma-son! Headed to New York with new life, Mason sure earned this curtain call. Carolina Hurricanes Shirts .85 million contract with the two-time Gold Glove outfielder. Parra earned his second Gold Glove last season when he set a club record with 17 outfield assists. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons. OKLAHOMA CITY -- It took a fraction of a second for the Memphis Grizzlies to take control of their first-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. With 2.9 seconds remaining in overtime, Oklahoma Citys Kevin Durant missed a long 3-point attempt. Teammate Serge Ibaka tipped the ball in on the rebound, sending the crowd into a celebration. The shot was reviewed, however, and it was determined that it was released just after the buzzer, giving Memphis a 100-99 victory Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the series. "I had a good look at it and I thought it was good when it left my hand," Durant, the NBAs scoring champion, said. "And then Serges follow shot was just late. It was a tough finish but weve got to come back." It was a record fourth straight overtime game in the series, and Memphis has won three of them. The seventh-seeded Grizzlies can close out the second-seeded Thunder on Thursday night at home. "Nothing comes easy for us," Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said. "We get it out of the mud, we grind and were underdogs. Its what we do." Before the final overtime sequence, Durant made the first of two free throws with 27.5 seconds left to cut Oklahoma Citys deficit to 100-99. Before his second shot, referee Joey Crawford took the ball from Durant and walked over to the scorers table. Moments later, Crawford was screaming at the scoreboard operator, asking him to make a change. After the delay, Durant, an 87 per cent free throw shooter during the regular season, missed the second attempt. "Im not sure what happened, but Ive got to focus and Ive got to make that foul shot," Durant said. The Grizzlies didnt understand what was going on, either. "We just looked at Joey and we were like, What is Joey doing?" Memphis guard Mike Conley said. Mike Miller scored 21 points, Randolph had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Conley added 17 points for the Grizzlies. Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, but he made just 10 of 31 shots from the field. Durant scored 26 points on 10-for-24 shooting. He has struggled throughout the series, but Thunder coach Scott Brooks said hes not worried. "Hes going to get his shots and hes going to make his share," Brooks said. "Hell get himself ready for the next game.&quoot; Overall, the Thunder shot just 39 per cent. Wholesale Hurricanes Jerseys. The Thunder, one of the leagues most potent offensive teams in the regular season, have shot below 40 per cent in four of the five games in the series. "We understand this team very well," Memphis guard Tony Allen said. "Weve been playing against this team the last four years with this group. We understand their plays, we understand who theyre trying to run their offence through. We know Kevin Durant is going to take his shots and Russell Westbrook is going to take his shots. We have to contest those shots and stick to our defensive coverages for 48 minutes." Oklahoma City trailed by 20 points in the third quarter but trimmed its deficit to six by the start of the fourth quarter and finally took a 79-78 lead on a 3-pointer by Durant. Memphis maintained its composure. Consecutive baskets by Conley put the Grizzlies up 87-82 with just under 4 minutes to play. Oklahoma Citys Caron Butler was fouled by Randolph as he hit a 3-pointer with 2:40 to play. He made the free throw to cut Memphis lead to 87-86. Oklahoma City, trailing 89-88, had a chance to take the lead in the final minute of regulation, but Durant was stripped, and the ball was stolen by Conley. Allen made the first free throw with 30 seconds left. He missed the second, but Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies got the rebound with 20.3 seconds to play. Conley was stripped by Westbrook, and Westbrook dunked with 4 seconds left to tie the game at 90. Memphis didnt get a shot off in time at the end of regulation and the teams went to overtime again. Miller hit two early 3-pointers in the extra period for the Grizzlies. "Defensively, we made a few mistakes at the end of regulation," Gasol said. "But we came out in overtime, made a couple of 3s, and that gave us a big lift in confidence. We were able to manage it and control from there." NOTES: The Grizzlies wore their warmups inside out and the Thunder wore black socks and shoes in protest of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterlings incendiary racial remarks. ... The Grizzlies shot 60 per cent from the field in the first quarter to lead 30-25. ... Oklahoma City made 6 of 9 3-point attempts in the first half, but just 9 of 34 shots inside the arc. ... Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins attended the game. ' ' '