This And That

 

A weekly collection of thoughts from this muddled mind in no particular order.

19??!! 19? Rod Pedersen flattened me Wednesday when he said the Jock Sanders signing to Calgary was the 19th player to leave the Grey Cup edition of the Riders. It can't be can it? Lets do the math.  Players no longer around are Drew Willy (WPG), Chris Garrett (released), Kory Sheets (Oakland), Jock Sanders (Calgary), Weston Dressler (KC), Zack Evans, Keith Shologan, James Lee, Kierrie Johnson, Aaron Hargreaves (Ottawa), Craig Butler, Abe Kromah (Hamilton), Jermaine McElveen (Montreal), Diamond Ferri (released), Graig Newman (Winnipeg), Ricky Schmitt (BC), Graeme Bell (retired), Milt Collins (released),Khari Jones (BC), Johnny Holland (Calgary). I count 20. Oh my god, its worse than I thought. Cancel the season!!!!!!

Now I look at what's returning as of today---Durant, Smith, Bagg, Getzlaf, Simon, the entire o-line, Chick, George, Foley, Brackenridge, Peters, Rey Williams, D-A, Brown, Maze, Milo, George, Macho Harris, Hurl and Russ. That's still a damn good nucleus and training camp isn't till June. In other words, three words for ya......quit yer bitchin! Lets start evaluating this team in May as they are about to head to training camp and while you're at it, tell me how much Calgary and BC have improved going into 2014.
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Marty St. Louis wants to get traded. Sending him to the Blues would be epic!
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What did Carey Price do to suffer a lower body injury in Sochi and do the Dupont-Lapointe sisters have anything to do with it?
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Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has let it be known he would like to own a pro team someday? Didn't he own the Denver Broncos on Super Bowl Sunday?
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It was revealed this week Regina's population grew by three percent, but our seniors population is declining. This just begs the question as to who then is responsible for the majority of accidents in our fair city.
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Is it too much to ask for the Brandt Centre to have a crowd of 5-thousand people in it for Game 1 of the WHL playoffs?
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Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Undertaker will go to 22-0. If the greats couldn't beat him, Lesnar isn't. Not a shot against Lesnar, but Austin, the Rock, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, etc. etc. are all better than Lesnar in my mind.
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It is said Target's foray into Canada has been a failure. Go into Target and you will see why. I don't think I've heard one favourable thing said about them since they opened.
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Did I really see Keri Russell doing what I think she was doing on "The Americans" this week. Well then..........
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If you are a volleyball fan, the best volleyball you will see in a long time will be on display at the University this weekend at the CIS national championships. Get out there and check it out.
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One bad thing about the volleyball championships is I will miss the U of R Rams dinner and miss the opportunity to hear Joe Theismann speak. I bet the former Argos-Redskins quarterback delivers a great speech. How long until someone asks him about the infamous broken leg?
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The boys (and I guess the ladies) too threw another outstanding High Impact Wrestling out there Thursday night. For those wondering when the epic broadcasts will be on Access 7, they will start this Tuesday night, but you won't see my contributions until late March seeing I missed the first set of tapings. It was highly enjoyable with the exception of sitting by a door that was somewhat open on a night where it was close to minus 40. It took a while to thaw.
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Alright spring, you can come at any time now.
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Have a great weekend. Stay warm! Hope to see you at the U of R this weekend.

Riders Sign QB And Receiver

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today that import quarterback Seth Doege and import receiver Brett Swain have signed with the team. As per club policy financial details of the contracts were not released.

 

Doege (6’1 – 197) joins the Riders following a standout career at Texas Tech University. The 25-year-old completed his collegiate career with a school record 69.0% completion rate while ranking second all-time in school passing yards with 8,646 and touchdown passes with 69. He finished his 2012 senior season second in NCAA touchdown passes with 39 and passing yards with 4,215, while being named the Meineke Car Care Bowl Most Valuable Player.

 

Last year, Doege attended training camp with the Atlanta Falcons after originally signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in April, 2013. He spent the season with the Falcons practice squad.      

 

Swain (6’0 – 200) is a veteran of six NFL seasons after originally being selected in the seventh round (217^th overall) by the Green Bay Packers during the 2008 Draft. The California native spent three years with Green Bay – playing in the Packers 2010 Super Bowl XLV win – before joining the San Francisco 49ers for 2011 and signing with the Seattle Seahawks prior to the 2013 season. In 27 career regular season games he totaled eight receptions for 87 yards.   

 

The 28-year-old played four seasons at San Diego State University before entering the NFL, totaling 133 career collegiate receptions for 1,893 yards.   

U of R Action This Weekend

Home Events
Women’s Volleyball – Trinity Western vs. Dalhousie, Friday (1:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Quarterfinal #1
Women’s Volleyball – Manitoba vs. Ottawa, Friday (3:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Quarterfinal #2
Women’s Volleyball – UBC vs. Regina, Friday (6:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Quarterfinal #3
Women’s Volleyball – Laval vs. McMaster, Friday (8:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Quarterfinal #4
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Saturday (1:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Consolation Semifinal #1
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Saturday (3:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Consolation Semifinal #2
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Saturday (6:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Consolation Semifinal #3
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Saturday (8:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Consolation Semifinal #4
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Sunday (1:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Consolation Final
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Sunday (3:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Third-Place Match
Women’s Volleyball – TBA, Sunday (6:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Championship Final

 

Away Events
Wrestling – at CIS Championships, Friday and Saturday in Fredericton, N.B.
Women’s Hockey – at Saskatchewan, Friday (7:00 p.m. MST) in Saskatoon, Sask. – Game 1
Women’s Hockey – at Saskatchewan, Saturday (7:00 p.m. MST) in Saskatoon, Sask. – Game 2
Women’s Hockey – at Saskatchewan, Sunday (7:00 p.m. MST) in Saskatoon, Sask. – Game 3 (if necessary)

 

Women’s Volleyball – The Cougars host the eight-team 2014 CIS Women’s Volleyball Championship from Friday through Sunday at the CKHS. The Cougars will meet No. 1-ranked UBC in their opening match at the tournament, which is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on Friday. The winner will meet the winner of the Laval/McMaster quarterfinal on Saturday (8 p.m.), with the winner of that to advance to the championship final scheduled for Sunday night at 6 p.m. For a complete tournament schedule and a list of participating teams, visit www.reginacougars.com.

 

Track & Field (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 5) – The men’s team won its third Canada West title in program history last weekend, as the Cougars combined for 11 medals to finish with a total of 83 points. Connor MacDonald was the team’s top individual scorer with medals in all three jumps, while Jeremy Eckert set a new Canada West record in the high jump and earned Men’s Performance of the Meet honours. Merissa Margetts won the lone medal for the women’s team with a bronze in the 60-metre dash, while head coach Bruce McCannel was named the Canada West Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year. The Cougars will have a weekend off before returning to Edmonton for the CIS Championships beginning on Mar. 6.

 

Women’s Hockey – Tori Head scored two goals on Sunday as the Cougars defeated the No. 5-ranked Alberta Pandas 2-1 in the deciding game of their best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. Both of the other two games in the series were also 2-1 affairs, with the Cougars winning in Game 1 on Friday and the Pandas forcing a third game with a Game 2 win on Saturday. The Cougars advance to the Canada West finals, where they’ll meet the University of Saskatchewan Huskies starting on Friday in Saskatoon. The winner of the best-of-three series will not only be named the conference champion, but also will earn a berth to the 2014 CIS Championship hosted by St. Thomas University.

 

Wrestling (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 8 / Women’s CIS Ranking: No. 10) – The wrestling teams will send 11 athletes to the CIS Championships this weekend, which are scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Fredericton, N.B. Kristine Longeau, Danielle Anderson, Kayla Brodner and Emily Foerster will represent the women’s team, while the men’s team will send Lucas Hoffert, Matt Fedler, Rylan Petterson, Isaac Lubiak, Conner McLachlan, Reza Mosallat and Sean Belisle.

 

Women’s Basketball (CIS Ranking: No. 4) – The Cougars punched their ticket to the Canada West Final Four with two straight wins over the University of Victoria last weekend in the conference quarterfinals. Regina topped the Vikes 82-67 on Friday night and 82-68 in Game 2 on Saturday. The Final Four will be hosted on Mar. 7 and Mar. 8 at the University of Alberta if the Pandas win their quarterfinal series this weekend against Thompson Rivers.

Swimming – Sabrina Wielsoe had the best result for the U of R’s teams at the CIS Swimming Championships over the weekend in Toronto. The first-year swimmer qualified for the ‘B’ final in the 200-metre butterfly and placed fourth in the race, giving her a 12th-place finish in the event overall. She had a time of 2:18.63 in the preliminaries and 2:19.31 in the final, scoring the team’s only five points at the meet.

10 MLB Names You Might Want To Know

Every year, players get themselves on a major league roster and they make an immediate impact with their team. St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha was a prime example last year as he threw some gems in getting the Cards to the National League pennant. Here are 10 players who should crack their respective teams opening day roster and make an impact in 2014

 

1.       Masahiro Tanaka –P (New York Yankees)

The Yankees paid big dollars to get the Japanese sensation who went 24-0 with the Rakuten Golden Eagles leading them to the Japanese World Series. The Yankees aren’t expecting Tanaka to go 24-0, but they are hoping to see the same type of positives as the Texas Rangers saw with Yu Darvish in 2012.

 

2.       Jose Abreu -1B (Chicago White Sox)

The talk in MLB in the 2^nd half of last season was LA Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig. Many are wondering what type of numbers Puig will put up in his first full season.  Like Puig, Abreu is Cuban and many scouts feel he is a better hitter than Puig. If that is the case, the White Sox have a first baseman for the future.  If he adapts to North American pitching, he will be a major league problem for teams in the American League Central

 

3.        George Springer –OF ( Houston Astros)

The Houston Astros have many players ready to make the jump to the majors. They should seeing they were the worst team in baseball last year. Springer will patrol centerfield for the Astros and the 24 year old should be a pleasant surprise seeing he averaged 37 homers the last two years while playing solid defence.

 

4.       Xander Bogaerts – SS ( Boston Red Sox)

Bogaerts was a big part of the Red Sox team that won the World Series down the stretch. The 21    year old played 3^rd base in the final couple of weeks and in the playoffs and while he contributed, the Red Sox expect that contribution to be greater this year as he starts the season at 3^rd base.  Its expected he will hit close to or above 300 with enough power to turn some what would be doubles to flyballs over the Green Monster

5.       Sonny Gray – P (Oakland Athletics)

He was a late-season sensation as Oakland pushed to the playoffs, and he'll enter this season with a rotation spot. He's expected to be fine after surgery to fix a ligament problem in his thumb, suffered when he tried to field a ground ball in the playoffs. He took a quantum leap forward last year with his control, aggressively attacking hitters and quickly moving through Class AAA to the majors. He has a full collection of pitches he'll use anytime and effectively induces plenty of ground balls.

 

6.       Taijuan Walker – SP- (Seattle Mariners)

The Mariners have made many additions this year. Its hoped in the Pacific Northwest players like Robinson Cano, Corey Hart and Fernando Rodney can have Seattle baseball fans thinking championship like their football brothers who play next door.  Felix Hernandez might be one of the best pitchers in the majors and there is hope Walker is ready to step in to be the number three man in the rotation. If the 21 year old has his fastball working, the Mariners will have a solid 1,2,3 punch----perhaps none better in all of the game.

7.       Nick Castellanos -3B –(Detroit Tigers)

The trade of Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers may have made Nick Castellanos the happiest man in the Tigers organization. The move allowed Miguel Cabrera to go back to 1^st and opened up a spot for the 22 year old to play every day. He hit 276 last year with 18 homers in Triple A and its felt by many he can equal or surpass those numbers if given an everyday shot. If he lives up to his billing, Castellanos may be the front runner for this year’s AL Rookie of The Year

8.       Kolten Wong – 2B – (St. Louis Cardinals)

The Cardinals just keep inserting young players into the lineup who succeed. David Freese was one of those young players, but St. Louis moved their third baseman allowing Matt Carpenter to move to 3^rd from 2^nd allowing Wong to step in to the everyday nine.  Wong is an exceptional hitter with everything but big-time power. He has a bit of speed, an effective, spark-plug style defensively and a calm approach to the game. St. Louis has the lineup versatility to protect him if he struggles early, but Wong has been efficiently consistent everywhere he has been.                   

9.       Matt Davidson -3B – (Chicago White Sox)

If both Davidson and Abreu pan out, the White Sox will give the Tigers a run for the pennant in the American League Central. Davidson comes to Chicago courtesy the Arizona Diamondbacks and while a free swinger, he can hit the ball a long ways when he connects and its expected he will be able to hit quite a few homers in a home park that is friendly to hitters.  The fact he is about to turn 23 doesn’t hurt either. The White Sox expect him to have triple digit strikeout totals, but they also expect about 15-20 homers and 70-80 RBI’s as well.

 

10.   Jarred Cosart – P- (Houston Astros)

 

Cosart made just enough of an impression on a bad Houston team last season to make people think what the future could hold. He had 10 solid starts for the worst team in baseball and is thought to be a cornerstone of their future. While it would appear Cosart will be a member of the starting rotation, there is still a thought he would be a better asset at this point coming out of the bullpen. It is expected he will start and deal with the difficulties that come his way to start 2014.

 

 

Jock Sanders Heads To Calgary

Calgary Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel is pleased to announce the signing of free-agent import kick returner and running back Jock Sanders. As per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Sanders, 25, spent the past two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders after making his CFL debut with the BC Lions in 2011.

Sanders saw action in 12 regular-season games for Saskatchewan in 2013 and accumulated 1,485 all-purpose yards. The total included 787 yards on 35 kickoff returns (an average of 22.5 yards per return), 505 yards on 64 punt returns (7.9-yard average), 78 rushing yards on 21 carries and 115 yards and one touchdown on nine receptions. The kickoff-return and punt-return yardage totals were both career highs.

The St. Petersburg, Fla., native played all three post-season contests for the Riders including the Grey Cup, during which he accumulated 72 yards in punt returns. In the three games, he had 75 rushing yards, 126 punt-return yards and 119 kickoff-return yards. He also made three catches.

“Jock is a dynamic and versatile player who has been a threat both on special teams and on offence during his time in the CFL,” said Hufnagel. “I’m very pleased that he has chosen to join the Stampeders and I look forward to seeing him in action with the Red and White.”

In 22 career regular-season games in the CFL, Sanders has amassed 2,694 all-purpose yards including 1,287 on kickoff returns, 773 on punt returns, 373 on receptions and 261 on rushing carries.

In college, Sanders played four seasons at West Virginia and became the Mountaineers’ all-time leader in receptions with 206. He amassed 3,398 all-purpose yards at West Virginia including 1,980 receiving, 622 rushing, 281 on punt returns and 515 on kickoff returns. He had 20 career touchdowns including 14 receiving majors.

“I’m very happy to be a Stampeder,” said Sanders. “From my time in Saskatchewan, I have the utmost respect for Calgary and the organization and I’m glad to be a part of that now. The Stampeders have been a very successful team for quite a few years and I’m looking forward to doing whatever I can to contribute to a championship.”

CIS Womens Volleyball Preview

The CIS womens volleyball championships will start Friday at the CKHS on the campus of the University of Regina as the host Cougars and seven other teams look to be Canadian champs.  A complete preview of the event can be found by going here

Riders Add Two Defensive Linemen

 

 

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today that import defensive linemen Richard Sumlin and Trevor Guyton have signed with the team. As per club policy financial details of the contracts were not released.

 

Sumlin (6’2 – 275) will return to the Green and White after spending all of last season on the practice roster. The 24-year-old originally signed with the team in April, 2013 after playing four seasons at the University of Findlay. The Medina, OH native played 31 career collegiate games for the Oilers recording 167 defensive tackles and 12 quarterback sacks. He was named All-GLIAC Second Team in 2012.   

 

Guyton (6’3 – 280) was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round (219^th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old attended training camp and went on to appear in four preseason games registering one defensive tackle.

 

Before going pro, the Woodinville, WA native spent four seasons at the University of California, playing 42 career collegiate games while registering 92 defensive tackles and 11 quarterback sacks.  

 

Tom Higgins To Montreal

According to a source, Tom Higgins will be named the new head coach of the Alouettes either on Monday or Tuesday, ending months of speculation.
The news was first reported earlier Monday afternoon by montrealgazette.com via Twitter (@HerbZurkowsky1).
Higgins, 59, brings a wealth of Canadian Football League experience to the Als, but would be inheriting a team coming off an 8-10 record – a team that’s now without veteran starting quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who announced his retirement last month.
Montreal finished third in the East Division last season and was eliminated by Hamilton in the semifinal, losing in overtime.
Higgins is a former head coach and general manager with the Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders. He served as the Eskimos’ coach and GM from 2001-04. Edmonton captured the Grey Cup in 2003, defeating the Als.
Higgins then moved to the Stampeders, beginning a three-year stint as head coach in 2005.
Twice, Higgins was named the CFL’s coach of the year, in 2003 and 2005.
Higgins, a native of Colonia, N.J., was the head coach at the University of Calgary from 1982-84 before moving to the CFL as an assistant coach.
He coached the defensive line, offensive line and was an offensive co-ordinator with Calgary. He also was the Stamps’ assistant head coach in 1993. He became the Eskimos’ assistant GM in 1994, before being named GM and chief operating officer of the team in 1997.
After attending North Carolina State, Higgins, a linebacker, played three seasons for Calgary, went to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 1979 and then returned to Canada, signing with Saskatchewan.
Higgins has worked for the CFL the last five seasons, serving as the director of officiating. He left that position in December and has let people know he wanted to return to coaching.
Jim Popp, the Als’ GM, replaced fired head coach Dan Hawkins five games into last season with Montreal at 2-3. Popp was interested in retaining both jobs and was expected to be confirmed in the dual roles shortly after the Als’ season ended, last November.
But it appears Popp, who’s entering the final season of his contract as GM, got bogged down in negotiations with owner Robert Wetenhall, the two sides unable to agree on the length of a new deal, not to mention how long Popp would continue coaching the team.

(Montreal Gazette)

Host U of R Cougars In Tough at CIS Volleyball Champ'ships

For the second straight season and the fourth time in five years, the reigning six-time national champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds are pre-tournament favourites heading into the CIS women's volleyball championship, presented by SGI CANADA.

The seeding was announced Sunday evening for the 2014 tourney, which runs from Friday to next Sunday at the University of Regina. All 11 matches from the eight-team competition will be webcast live on www.CIS-SIC.tv, including the gold-medal final on March 2 at 6 p.m. Central Time.

Rounding out the seeding behind Canada West champ UBC are the No. 2 Manitoba Bisons (Canada West finalists), No. 3 Trinity Western Spartans (Canada West bronze medallists), No. 4 Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ champions), No. 5 McMaster Marauders (OUA champs), No. 6 Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champs), No. 7 Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA finalists) and No. 8 Regina Cougars (hosts).

Friday's quarter-finals will see Trinity Western and Dalhousie battle in the 1 p.m. opener, followed by Manitoba vs. Ottawa at 3 p.m., UBC vs. host Regina at 6 p.m., and Laval vs. McMaster at 8 p.m.

The Thunderbirds, who secured their No. 1 status with a straight-set win over Manitoba in Saturday's Canada West final, hope to enter the record books next weekend as the first women's volleyball program to claim seven straight national titles. Should they accomplish the feat, they would equal the longest streak in CIS history in a team sport, matching Victoria's seven consecutive banners in men's basketball from 1980 to 1986.

UBC already holds the all-time mark of 10 CIS women's volleyball titles overall, three more than Winnipeg (1983-1988) and Alberta (1995-2000), the other teams to win six in a row.

In addition to the T-Birds, Manitoba (6), Laval (1) and Dalhousie (1) hope to add to their trophy collection next Sunday, while Trinity Western, McMaster, Ottawa and Regina are still looking for their first crown.

NOTE: In individual sports, the longest CIS championship streaks in history are held by UBC in women's swimming (11), UBC in men's swimming (10), Brock in men's wrestling (10), Guelph in women's cross country (9 and counting) and Guelph in men's cross country (8 and counting)... A complete 2014 championship preview will follow on Tuesday... The CIS all-Canadians and major award winners will be announced Thursday evening.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/wvball/index

SEEDING
1. UBC Thunderbirds (CWUAA champions: 18-4 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
2. Manitoba Bisons (CWUAA finalists: 14-8 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
3. Trinity Western Spartans (CWUAA bronze medallists: 17-5 regular season / 3-1 playoffs)
4. Laval Rouge et Or (RSEQ champions: 13-6 regular season / 4-2 playoffs)
5. McMaster Marauders (OUA champions: 13-6 regular season / 3-0 playoffs)
6. Dalhousie Tigers (AUS champions: 12-4 regular season / 2-0 playoffs)
7. Ottawa Gee-Gees (OUA finalists: 14-5 regular season / 2-1 playoffs)
8. Regina Cougars (Hosts: 12-10 regular season / 0-2 playoffs)

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Thursday, February 27
18:45 All-Canadian Awards Reception (Casino Regina Show Lounge)

Friday, February 28
13:00 Quarter-final #1: No. 3 Trinity Western vs. No. 6 Dalhousie (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
15:00 Quarter-final #2: No. 2 Manitoba vs. No. 7 Ottawa (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
18:00 Quarter-final #3: No. 1 UBC vs. No. 8 Regina (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
20:00 Quarter-final #4: No. 4 Laval vs. No. 5 McMaster (www.CIS-SIC.tv)

Saturday, March 1
13:00 Consolation #1: Loser quarter-final #1 vs. Loser quarter-final #2 (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
15:00 Consolation #2: Loser quarter-final #3 vs. Loser quarter-final #4 (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
18:00 Semifinal #1: Winner quarter-final #1 vs. Winner quarter-final #2 (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
20:00 Semifinal #2: Winner quarter-final #3 vs. Winner quarter-final #4 (www.CIS-SIC.tv)

Sunday, March 2
13:00 5th place (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
15:00 3rd place (www.CIS-SIC.tv)
18:00 Championship final (www.CIS-SIC.tv)

(University of Regina)

--Cougars game Friday night will be shown live on Access 7 as will Saturday's 2nd final and Sunday's final..

Something To "Mitch" About

The Winter Olympics end on a high again for Canada as we once again show our hockey dominance. The World Juniors may not be the piece of cake it once was, but when it comes to the pros, Canada is still the best and that was proven again on the Sochi ice. I will be the first to admit I didn't think Canada would blank both the Americans and Swedes to win gold and I will be the first to admit I thought goaltending would be our weak link. We never really got a chance to see if goaltending was our weak link, because Carey Price didn't really have to make any difficult saves against the US and Swedes. He just got in the way of the puck and that is all that matters as we win gold.

Drew Doughty and Shea Weber are definitely the stars of that blueline, but Bouwmeester, Vlasic, Pieterangelo and Keith were all fantastic. Who needs a summit? We don't!

For all the bitching and moaning we did before the tournament about why this guy was on and why this guy wasn't, we forgot Steve Yzerman and Mike Babcock know a little bit about this game. They knew what they wanted and they put together the roster that would produce that. As Canadian hockey fans, we owe a huge debt of gratitude for Yzerman for what he has done the last two Olympics. The guy has proven himself to be as shrewd off the ice as he was on it. If you missed it, Yzerman resigned as executive director in the hours after the gold-medal win saying he didn't want to go another four years doing what he's done. I completely understand that and say thank you Steve for what you have done. You united a country for at least one day and that's a hard thing to do these days.

I think its safe to say seeing the Canadian men get the gold was the marquee moment for us, but what other moments do you take away from Sochi? Marie Phillippe-Poulin's efforts in the womens hockey game, the pure elation on the face of Jennifer Jones as she delivered her last rock knowing she and her team were Olympic champions, Mark McMorris winning bronze with a broken rib. There are so many you can take away. While some like McMorris have turned themselves into a Canadian celebrity with their performance, others like Charles Hamelin, the Dupont-Lapointe sisters, Denny Morrison and Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse will just fade back as their 15 minutes is over. Its 15 minutes we won't forget, but those names are names we won't spend time watching again until the next Olympics if they are still around. All in all, I think we are once again very proud of what was accomplished by our men and women on the international stage.

Saskatchewan started the medal parade with McMorris and ended it with Getzlaf, Kunitz and Marleau.

Not bad!
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I don't think we can really complain about CBC's coverage of the games. They were exceptional as they brought us everything and I mean everything that we needed to know.

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Olympic withdrawal begins now.
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Congratulations to Dave Taylor and his U of R womens basketball team for dispatching of Victoria on the weekend and moving on to the Canwest Final Four. Dave will argue it wasn't, but it was relatively easy for the girls this weekend as the Vikes just looked like they didn't belong on the same court as the powerful Regina girls. Taylor was upset with them after Game 1 as evidenced by his conversation with the Leader-Post's Ian Hamilton in Saturday's paper, but while his second stringers were in the game when Victoria started to get their game together, that is no excuse as Taylor demands excellence from player 1-12 on that lineup. Its why I think that even though they don't have their top player in Nicole Clarke that they will earn another trip to nationals and have a chance to do what happened here last year and do to Windsor what they did to the Cougars and win it all on their floor.

Congratulations also goes out to the Cougar mens track team for winning the Canada West championships, The track team doesn't get the ink the football team, the basketball team or the hockey team gets but they are just as much a piece of the U of R athletics fabric and they deserve their moment. U of R SIO Braden Konschuh says there might not be a harder working bunch than the track team so they deserve every accolade they get.

While we are at it, a big congrats also goes to Sarah Hodges and her womens hockey team. They went into Edmonton and beat the #1 ranked Pandas in Canada West semi-final action. It means the Cougars will head to Saskatoon next weekend for the Canada West finals as they take on the Huskies. Its the first time the team has been to the conference finals since 2003. Nice job ladies.

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There's a couple of weeks left to go and I'm sure this will have some cringing over at the Brandt Centre, but the Scruffy decision desk is giving the WHL Eastern Division to the Regina Pats. I wasn't at either game this weekend due to Cougar commitments, but they knocked off two of the best teams in the league in Victoria and Calgary on home ice. With 10 games to go, they have a solid chance at winning 40 (34 right now), they are six up on Swift Current and eight up on Brandon. One thing is for certain and that's playoff hockey is about to return to the Brandt Centre. When do we start talking Malcolm Cameron for WHL coach of the year and GM Chad Lang for executive of the year. Chad has made two very positive trades with Medicine Hat that worked out with Boston Leier and Daniel Wapple coming over. Cameron has just taken what he was given and made the most out of it. I don't think anyone at the start of the year thought this team could win 20-25 games much less 40. Its been a while since the Pats made the 2nd round of the playoffs, but this just might be the year.
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Hulk Hogan returns to the WWE tonight-----YAWWWWWNNNNNN!!!! He is supposedly coming to WrestleMania 30 as a host. This is good because any thoughts of him taking on John Cena or the  Undertaker may make me decide not to watch the event.  As it is, the WWE has to do something because fans don't want to see Randy Orton against Dave Batista in the main event. Why they won't give Daniel Bryan his time as champ is beyond me.
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It saddens me and baffles me somewhat to think the new Tim Hortons Field won't be ready to go in Hamilton by the time its needed. The Ontario government has apparently told the Ti-Cats to make contingency plans. The Ti-Cats are confident it won't be a problem. Have we not seen this before?  With so much excitement about Ottawa being back, it will be a kick in the gut to the league if Tim Hortons Field isn't ready for the Ti-Cats. Their fan base accepted one  year in Guelph, but I can't see them accepting a second year especially when the future looks so bright for Kent Austin and crew. Lets just hope the field is ready to go. Remember this when the city and the Riders take it slow on building our new facility and don't give a drop-dead date.
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The CFL draft will go five days after the NFL draft. This means CFL teams won't be gambling on players who have NFL aspirations. I'm guessing if the Ti-Cats could do it all over again they wouldn't have taken Linden Gaydosh number 1 knowing he was going to sign with Carolina a few days later.  Teams will maybe now take "flyers" on these guys in hopes NFL dreams fail, but they aren't going to invest high picks in them.
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The story about the Cleveland Browns offering all their draft picks to San Francisco for coach Jim Harbaugh is laughable. A coach? As much as I dislike the guy, Harbaugh is a good coach with talent around him. He wouldn't have that talent in Cleveland and his record wouldn't nearly be what its been with the 49ers. He would be walking into a losing situation. If the Browns were serious with this, they need some help and a lot of it.
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High Impact Wrestling star (and I use that term loosely) El Asesino is using Facebook to chirp myself and High Impact play-by-play man Pete Paczko before the two of us start doing our thing in earnest for Access. Asesino, who is about as Mexican as I am, needs to concentrate on his in-ring battles and not his outside ones if you ask me. The stars of HIW do their thing Thursday at the Hungarian Club in TV tapings. Get out there and support these guys. They work hard and get little recognition. They are also starting to strike a chord with an audience that is seemingly growing with each show.
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That's all I got. Have a great week!

Canada 3 Sweden 0 -- Getting Up Was Worth It

Goals by Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Regina's Chris Kunitz gave Team Canada a 3-0 win over Sweden in the gold medal mens hockey game at the Sochi Olympics as the event ends on a high for Canada for the 2nd straight Olympics.

The Canadian defense was once again the story as Carey Price did not have to work hard for his 2nd straight shutout making 24 saves.

Canada did not trail at any point in the final or over the course of the entire tournament and finished as the first undefeated gold medallist since the Soviet Union in 1984 in Sarajevo, beating Norway, Austria, Finland, Latvia, the United States and Sweden along the way.

Cougars Mens Track Team Wins Canada West

The University of Regina’s men’s track & field team had nine medals on Saturday at the Canada West Track & Field Championships in Edmonton to secure the third conference championship in program history.



The Cougars clinched the victory after Jeremy Eckert and Connor MacDonald finished one-two in the high jump, the second-last event of the day. They then reeled off a second-place finish in the 4x400-metre relay for good measure, a race highlighted by Tait Nystuen’s anchor leg which moved the team up to second from fourth.



The U of R finished with 83 points in the team standings as the Cougars claim their first Canada West title since their back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011. The Cougars finished with a 16-point cushion over second-place Victoria.



“I’m extraordinarily proud of how the team came together today,” Cougars head coach Bruce McCannel said following the meet. “They needed a huge day and they performed at every level to come away with the title. It was an amazing team effort.”



Eckert’s victory in the high jump highlighted the meet, as he cleared the bar at 2.16 metres to break a Canada West record that had stood since 1979. MacDonald clinched second after clearing 2.01 metres, then upped the bar to 2.09 where he cleared it on the first attempt for a personal best.



Eckert’s gold medal was one of three for the Cougars over the course of the meet. MacDonald had a huge jump of 7.33 metres to win the long jump early on Friday and Connor Bloom, Ethan Gardner, Nystuen, and Tevaughn Campbell combined for a first-place finish in the 4x800-metre relay with a time of 1:28.54 that was good for a CIS standard.



MacDonald was one of two Cougars to pile up three Canada West medals, as he also had a bronze in the triple jump (14.02 m) to go along with his long jump gold and high jump silver. Nystuen had a silver in the 600-metre run (1:19.08), a gold with the 4x200 team, and another silver with the 4x400 team.



Besides second-place finishes for Nystuen in the 600, MacDonald in the high jump, and the 4x400 team, the Cougars also got a silver medal from Arthur Ward in the triple jump (14.15m). Chris Pickering took home Canada West bronze medals in both the weight throw (17.00m) and the shot put (16.53m), while Campbell added a bronze in the 60-metre dash (6.87 s).



Merissa Margetts finished in third place in the 60-metre dash (7.65 s) to win bronze, claiming the lone medal of the meet for the women’s team. Joy Becker tied for fourth in the long jump (5.76m) and Adrea Propp finished fourth in the 300-metre dash (40.90 s), while Elisabeth Fortier (shot put), Chantelle Labrecque (weight throw), and Megan Rumpel (high jump) all had fifth-place finishes.



The women’s team finished in sixth place in the team standings with 23 points. Trinity Western took the women’s championship with a total of 107.



The Cougars will now have a weekend off to prepare for the CIS Championships, which will also be hosted by the University of Alberta.



Men’s Standings
1st – Regina (83 points)
2nd – Victoria (67)
3rd – Trinity Western (66½)
4th – Saskatchewan (53)
5th – Manitoba (50½)
6th – Calgary (40)
7th – Lethbridge (29)
8th – Alberta (21)



Women’s Standings
1st – Trinity Western (107 points)
2nd – Calgary (96)
3rd – Saskatchewan (74)
4th – Victoria (46)
5th – Alberta (31)
6th – Regina (23)
7th – Manitoba (22)
8th – Lethbridge (10)

Torts Wants Sweden To Win

Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella won't be watching the gold medal game on Sunday between Canada and Sweden, but that doesn't mean he's not pulling for a team.

Tortorella told The Vancouver Province he'll be cheering for Team Sweden to win gold when they take on the defending Olympic champions on Sunday morning.

"I hope Sweden wins, cause I don't think Hammer (Dan Hamhuis) is going to play, judging by what's happened. I don't think Lui (Roberto Luongo) is going to play. So, I don't give a s--- about (Canada) right now because they're not playing. I just want them back here," Tortorella told the Province.

Tortorella, born in Boston, Mass., said most of all he hopes the result helps his team when his players return.

"I hope Daniel (Sedin) scores two, (Alex) Edler gets three assists and Sweden wins. So they come back feeling good about themselves because it's going to help us. That's all I'm concerned about right now. The Vancouver Canucks," Tortorella said to the Province.

The Canucks sent seven players to the 2014 Sochi Games, including forward Ryan Kesler, who along with Team USA, lost the bronze medal game to Finland on Saturday. Tortorella said he wasn't concerned about Kesler's return to NHL action after his Olympic letdown.

"That's a tough game. It's a tough one. Especially after US-Canada, to lose that game and come back the next day and play. I'm not trying to make any excuses. I don't even want to get involved in it. But if I know Kes, he's a horse. He'll be ready to play," Tortorella promised the Province.

Tortorella says it's Sedin and Edler that he's more concerned about seeing lose.

"It's the other two guys (Edler and Daniel). Those are important guys for us that we need to get going. Danny has played well. I watched Edler make a couple really nice offensive plays on some highlights. That Alfredsson goal he made a nice play. I hope they fill the net and feel great about themselves," Tortorella told the Province.

Tortorella was an assistant coach for the United States at Vancouver 2010, when the team won silver after an overtime loss to Canada.

(TSN.CA)

Canada 1 US 0 ---On To The Gold Medal Game

For the rematch, Canada skipped the overtime and shelved the theatrics.

One slick goal and 60 minutes of stifling defensive hockey kept the Canadians firmly on top of the U.S. and moved them to the brink of gold again.

Jamie Benn scored in the second period, Carey Price made 31 saves, and Canada beat the United States 1-0 Friday night in the semifinals of the Olympic men's hockey tournament.

Canada advanced to the gold-medal match Sunday against Sweden, which beat Finland 2-1 in the earlier semifinal at Bolshoy Ice Dome.

With an unbeaten run through Sochi, the Canadians are a win away from their third gold medal in four Olympics, and they're guaranteed their first medals outside North America in 20 years.

Although it was fast-paced and well-played, this win had none of the flair of Sidney Crosby's overtime goal to beat the U.S. four years ago. The Canadians didn't care.

"We didn't score a lot of goals, but we didn't have to," Canada forward Jonathan Toews said. "The next game will follow that work ethic. We can check, we can work our tails off, and we can make things real tough for the other team."

After its first loss in Sochi, the U.S. will face Finland for bronze on Saturday. The Americans were hoping for redemption from their gut-wrenching defeat in 2010, but they only got a businesslike reminder of Canada's clout.

"We didn't show up to play," U.S. defenseman Ryan Suter said. "It's too bad. ... We sat back. We were passive. You can't play scared. I thought we sat on our heels and just didn't take it to them at all."

Canada scored early in the second period during a shift by Benn and Anaheim Ducks teammates Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Benn got the puck outside to Bouwmeester, who threaded a pass into the slot for Benn's deflection past Quick, whose aggression sometimes makes him vulnerable to such shots.

Benn, the Dallas Stars captain, didn't get an invitation to Canada's summer Olympic orientation camp and was one of the last players added to the roster. But he's had a great tournament and his goal was all the offense needed by Price, the Montreal goalie who easily handled the Americans' few good chances, including their clunky power plays.

Crosby still has no goals through five games in Sochi, but the Canadian captain had his best overall game as Canada beat the Americans for the fourth time in five Olympic meetings since the NHL players joined the party in 1998. The showdown might have been the last Olympic meeting of these nations' best players for a long while if the NHL keeps players out of the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, forcing the rivalry to move to a World Cup or world championship.

(ESPN.com)

U or R Action This Weekend

Home EventsWomen’s Basketball – vs. Victoria, Friday (7:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Game 1
Women’s Basketball – vs. Victoria, Saturday (7:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Game 2
Women’s Basketball – vs. Victoria, Sunday (7:00 p.m.) at CKHS – Game 3

Away EventsSwimming – at CIS Championships, Thursday to Saturday in Toronto, Ont.
Track & Field – at Canada West Championships, Friday to Saturday in Edmonton, Alta.
Women’s Hockey – at Alberta, Friday (7:00 p.m. MST) in Edmonton, Alta. – Game 1
Women’s Hockey – at Alberta, Saturday (6:00 p.m. MST) in Edmonton, Alta. – Game 2
Women’s Hockey – at Alberta, Sunday (6:00 p.m. MST) in Edmonton, Alta. – Game 3

Women’s Basketball (CIS Ranking: No. 4) – The Cougars (20-2) finished in second place in the Prairie Division after defeating Brandon twice last weekend and now turn their attention to the postseason. The U of R hosts Victoria (15-7) in a best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport starting on Friday. Game 2 will be played on Saturday and Game 3, if it’s needed, will be held on Sunday. All games will have a 7 p.m. tip with the winner to advance to the Canada West Final Four at the highest remaining seed.

Swimming – The Cougars send four athletes to the 2014 CIS Swimming Championships hosted by the University of Toronto from Thursday to Saturday. Eva Madar and Sabrina Wielsoe represent the women’s team, while Brent Hill and Chris Myers will compete on the men’s side. Links for live results and webcast of all finals are available at www.reginacougars.com.

Women’s Hockey – Kylie Gavelin had points on four of the U of R’s five goals as the Cougars defeated Manitoba in two straight games to win a best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series in Winnipeg. Gavelin, who was named the Canada West Second Star of the Week for her efforts in the team’s first playoff series win since 2003, had a goal and an assist in the team’s 2-0 win on Friday and also registered a goal and a helper in the 3-1 Game 2 win on Saturday. The Cougars advance to the Canada West semifinals, where they’ll play the No. 5-ranked Alberta Pandas starting on Friday in Edmonton.

Track & Field (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 7 / Women’s CIS Ranking: No. 10) – The Cougars travel to Edmonton this weekend for the Canada West Championships to be hosted by the University of Alberta on Friday and Saturday. The men’s team is looking for its first conference championship since winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and the Cougars enter the meet as the No. 1-ranked team in Canada West, slightly ahead of Victoria. Tevaughn Campbell (60-metre dash), Jeremy Eckert (high jump), Lex Ewen (long jump), and Chris Pickering (shot put) each enter the meet as the top-ranked athlete in the conference in their respective events, while Merissa Margetts is a medal contender in both the 60-metre dash and the 60-metre hurdles for the women’s team which ranks fourth in Canada West.

Wrestling (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 8 / Women’s CIS Ranking: No. 10) – Both Cougar wrestling teams placed third at the Canada West Championships in Saskatoon. Kristine Longeau led the women’s team with a gold medal at 72 kg, while silver medalists Danielle Anderson (59 kg), Kayla Brodner (67 kg), and Emily Foerster (82 kg) also qualified for the CIS Championships hosted by the University of New Brunswick next weekend. Four men’s wrestlers garnered silver medals, including Lucas Hoffert (68 kg), Matt Fedler (72 kg), Rylan Petterson (82 kg), and Isaac Lubiak (120 kg). All four move on to the CIS Championships along with Conner McLachlan (54 kg), Reza Mosallat (61 kg), and Sean Belisle (90 kg), who all finished third to earn Canada West bronze medals.

Women’s Volleyball – The Cougars were eliminated from the Canada West playoffs after losing their best-of-three conference quarterfinal series in two straight matches to No. 3-ranked Trinity Western. The team will now have a weekend off to prepare for the 2014 CIS Women’s Volleyball Championship, which the University of Regina hosts for the first time starting on Feb. 28 and running through to Mar. 2 at the CKHS.

Men’s Basketball – The Cougars finish the 2013-14 season with a 5-17 conference record after their second consecutive home split. The U of R fell 81-67 to Brandon on Friday, but held off the Bobcats for a 69-66 victory on Saturday to close out the campaign with a win. The team will lose just one fifth-year player from the roster, as Addison Docherty finishes out his U of R career which saw him play for three seasons in a Cougar uniform.

Men’s Hockey – The Cougars (11-15-2) needed just one point last weekend to qualify for the Canada West postseason, but were swept by a ranked Saskatchewan team in a home-and-home to close out the schedule. The Huskies won 7-2 in Saskatoon on Friday night before coming up with a 4-1 victory in Regina on Saturday which eliminated the Cougars from playoff contention.

This And That

--The weekly assortment of thoughts running through my muddled mind and once again, they are in no particular order


 --Are you ready for what will likely be the best hockey game you see this winter. Canada and the U-S with the winner going to the gold medal game at the Sochi Olympics. Canada has been less than stellar, but the Americans have been fabulous. Does that trend continue? Don't be surprised if the Americans are a little too cocky because its been too easy and don't be surprised to see a Canadian team that is now ready to play since its for all the marbles. I can't wait.

 --Words just don't describe the Canadian win in womens hockey. That game appeared to be over for Canada, but they found a way---did they ever! There were five of us in the CKRM newsroom watching when Marie Phillippe Poulin ended it. Phil Andrews came close to breaking my hand with a high five, but that was OK. It was great seeing our girls get gold and hearing O'Canada play. I can only imagine what it would have been like though if that puck that hit the post had gone in thanks to the major league oops move by the linesman.

 --Perhaps its Olympic karma. I couldn't help but think back to the Summer Olympics when our womens soccer team got jobbed by the refs allowing the Americans to win. It was a chintzy call to say the least on the Amerian girl for slashing, and I don't know if it was a penalty on Hayley Wickenheiser or not, it sure looked like it wasn't, but it did and allowed Canada to win it much like the bogus call on our soccer team allowed the US to tie it and win it when perhaps they shouldn't of. It all comes around.

--Heather Moyse and Kaillie Humphries had their bobsled gold medal effort basically go unnoticed because of the Canada-Latvia hockey game. That's too bad. Those girls work their ass off for four years to repeat as champs only to have hardly anyone speak about it because of the hockey game. What can you do?

--Is it just me or is there a lot of bitching about the NHL season being broken up because of the Olympics this year. Were hockey fans moaning about this four years ago? If you can't suck it up for two weeks every four years, too bad for you. That being said, I don't know if the NHL will be going to South Korea in 2018. I wouldn't blame them for that, but they need to return in 2022 if the games are played in a nation that plays hockey.

--Congrats to Jennifer Jones and her rink for winning Olympic gold. Jenny and crew have cemented themselves as one of Canada's all time greats. I have to wonder now though if that's the last competitive game they play. I don't think anyone would bat an eyelid if this team decided to call it a career with Jennifer handing things over to Kaitlyn Lawes. Why not?  I also think perhaps we've seen the end of the Kevin Martin rink and maybe the Glenn Howard foursome as well.

--What I've learned from these Olympics is that the rest of the world is catching up to us in mens hockey, but we are catching up to the world in many other sports.

--Who is penciled in as the Jays starting 2nd baseman this year? This team needs to make a deal to get a 2nd baseman whether it be Nick Franklin or Dustin Ackley who were both found out of a job after Robinson Cano signed with Seattle, Rickie Weeks from Milwaukee or go big and make a deal for Brandon Phillips in Cincinnati. A definite upgrade is needed though.

--Long ways to go until the start of the NFL season, but right now I think the Oakland Raiders would have Kory Sheets starting for them at running back.

--Paul McCallum should write a book about the 101 previous Grey Cups. He's been around for all of them hasn't he? The 44 year old has seen a lot in his 20 some years in the CFL.

--Looking forward to seeing the CIS womens volleyball championships at the U of R. Access and the U of R want me to do some play-by-play of this event. I just hope they provide me with someone who knows the game. I'm not exactly up on my volleyball, but I'll be studying up on it. Set, bump, spike!  That's next weekend though, this weekend its the Cougar womens basketball team against Victoria in 1st round playoff action and likely the last home action for the team this year. Get out there and support the Cougs if you can.


--That's all I got. Have a great weekend!

Still Golden

 

 

Marie Phillippe Poulin is Canada's sweetheart in Sochi today. The Canadian womens hockey player scored late in the 3rd period to send the game into overtime and scored again in overtime as Canada repeats as Olympic womens hockey champions with a 3-2 win. Canada trailed the game 2-0 with less than five minutes to play. but they rallied to tie it and win it to take gold at the Olympics for the fourth time in a row. 

Riders Announce Coaching Staff--Lose Another Free Agent

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to announce their coaching staff for the 2014 CFL season.

Head Coach: COREY CHAMBLIN
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach: GEORGE CORTEZ
Defensive Coordinator: RICHIE HALL
Special Teams Coordinator: BOB DYCE
Offensive Line: DOUG MALONE
Defensive Line: TODD HOWARD
Receivers: JASON TUCKER
Defensive Backs: BARRON MILES
Linebackers Coach: BRAD MILLER
Quality Control: CHAD HUDSON





BRAD MILLER JOINS RIDERS COACHING STAFF

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to announce that Brad Miller has joined the staff as linebackers coach for the 2014 CFL season.

Miller joins the Riders after spending last season with the Edmonton Eskimos as defensive backs coach. The California native brings 13 years of CFL coaching experience with him having previous stops in Edmonton, Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal and Birmingham.

He also spent five seasons (2001-2005) with NFL’s Green Bay Packers where he was a defensive and special teams assistant.


Meanwhile, the BC Lions announced today they have signed free agent punter Ricky Schmitt. His return seemed unlikely when Josh Bartel was acquired via trade from Hamilton on Monday.

Tyler Bozak Is Torn Going Into Olympic Semi

If it's possible to have too much rooting interest, Tyler Bozak might find himself in that situation Friday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs center will watch the semifinal game between Canada and the United States at the 2014 Sochi Olympics (noon ET, NBCSN, CBC) knowing NHL linemates Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk could lead the Americans to a win against his home country.

"I've got my two wingers on U.S. and I'm Canadian," Bozak said Wednesday when the Maple Leafs returned to practice. "I guess I'm cheering for both; I just hope Phil and JVR play really well and maybe Canada wins, I don't know."

Kessel leads the tournament with five goals and eight points. Van Riemsdyk has a tournament-high four assists. It's a continuation of their season with Toronto, when the pair combined for 55 goals (31 by Kessel) and 57 assists.

Bozak rejoined Toronto's top line when he returned from injury Dec. 29. He said he's not surprised by what Kessel has shown in Russia.

"We all believe that he's able to do it in here," Bozak said. "Who knows what other people think outside of our locker room, but we believe in him to be one of the best players in the League, and he's proving it yet again."

Bozak, a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, is one of 20 Canadian-born players on the Maple Leafs roster, yet none is playing in the Olympics. Kessel, van Riemsdyk and forward Nikolai Kulemin (Russia) are the Toronto players who competed in Sochi.


"It's going to be an exciting game to watch, for sure," he said. "I really can't make any predictions; I don't know, the U.S. has been playing great, Canada's kind of snuck by with a few wins, but every game is different, and it should be a fun one to watch."

Kory Sheets Talks About His Journey In The CFL

There is a lot of excitement in Oakland over the signing of Kory Sheets by the Raiders. He spoke with an Oakland radio show this week about his excitement in being back in the NFL and his time in Saskatchewan. You can listen to that interview right here

NHL Looking At Seattle

 

It has been reported the NHL is looking at expanding to perhaps Seattle with officials from the city getting ready to head to Vancouver after the Olympic break to learn more about what it may take to give Seattle another pro sports tea. The complete article can be found right here                                                                       

Canada 2 Latvia 1

Shea Weber scored a tiebreaking power-play goal with 6:54 to play, and Canada survived an enormous scare from Latvia to advance to the Olympic men's hockey semifinals with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night.

Carey Price made 15 saves for the defending Olympic champion Canadians, who were stretched to the limit by Latvia goalie Kristers Gudlevskis.

The 21-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning prospect made 55 saves in a spectacular performance, nearly pulling one of the biggest upsets in hockey history largely by himself. But Weber unleashed his peerless slap shot late in a power play, and Canada finally took the lead on its 54th shot against Gudlevskis.

Canada advanced to a semifinal meeting with the United States on Friday in a rematch of the gold-medal game in Vancouver four years ago.

One night after Latvia recorded its first Olympic victory in 12 years to reach its first quarterfinals, Buffalo Sabres coach Ted Nolan's team improbably tested the champs. Lauris Darzins scored a breakaway goal in the first period for Latvia, which lost all three of its preliminary-round games before surprising Switzerland 3-1 on Tuesday to advance for the first time.

The Baltic nation of 2 million people has been in the last four Olympic fields after a 66-year absence, but hadn't won a game since 2002. With just one current NHL player, Buffalo's Zemgus Girgensons, and 41-year-old captain Sandis Ozolinsh leading the way, Latvia nearly did even better than fellow underdog Slovenia, which also reached the quarterfinals in Sochi before losing to Sweden.

Gudlevskis, who has mostly played for Syracuse in the AHL this season, mostly stymied the powerful Canadian offense with his scrambling, alert style.

Patrick Sharp scored in the first period for the Canadians, who cruised unbeaten through the preliminary round with three victories.

Canada also lost forward John Tavares to a leg injury in the second period. He will miss the remainder of the tournament, coach Mike Babcock said.

(ESPN.com)

CHL Staying With Sportsnet

 

 

 

Sportsnet today announced it has reached a 12-year partnership extension with the Canadian Hockey League through the 2025-26 CHL season, continuing its tradition as the exclusive broadcaster of the CHL and MasterCard Memorial Cup in Canada.
The new agreement, which begins with the 2014/15 season, features a comprehensive suite of multimedia rights including television, online and mobile, delivering more than 50 CHL games each year, including CHL playoff games and the Memorial Cup.

Sportsnet has been broadcasting CHL games since the network’s inception in 1998.

“We are committed to serving hockey fans and growing the game of hockey across Canada like never before. In combination with our ground-breaking NHL agreement, this truly cements Sportsnet as Canada’s home of hockey,” said Scott Moore, President, Sportsnet and NHL, Rogers Media. “Our partnership with the CHL is a strong and important one. Together, we will build on the already strong foundation of our Friday Night Hockey brand, and weave the CHL even deeper into the fabric of Canadian hockey culture. In addition to our game coverage, we will continue to tell the stories of major junior hockey in Canada, build stars, and remain with them on their journey through the NHL.”

“This is a very exciting day for the Canadian Hockey League as we continue to grow our relationship with Sportsnet and TVA Sports over the next 12 years,” said CHL President David Branch. “The CHL’s partnership with Sportsnet began 16 years ago and in that time the league has enjoyed extraordinary growth by building the brand of our national events and our entire league through Sportsnet’s outstanding and passionate nationwide coverage. We look forward to working together to grow the game of hockey and continue showcasing the league’s next wave of talent to the National Hockey League and Canadian Interuniversity Sport for our fans, players, and their families.”

In addition, Sportsnet today announced a 12-year sub-licensing agreement with TVA Sports for exclusive French-language multiplatform rights for CHL games, beginning with the 2014/15 season.

“Our partnership with the CHL and QMJHL allows TVA Sports to strengthen its commitment to tomorrow’s stars and hockey in Quebec. Over the next 12 years, by presenting major junior hockey and more than 300 NHL games, TVA Sports confirms its position as the number one destination for hockey in Quebec,” says Pierre Dion, TVA Group President and CEO. “This new agreement confirms, once more, the great partnership between Sportsnet and TVA Sports which we are very proud.”

Today’s announcement strengthens Sportsnet’s hockey leadership in Canada and complements Rogers’s 12-year partnership with the NHL, which also begins with the 2014-15 season. Beginning in 2014-15, Sportsnet is the official national broadcast partner of the CHL and NHL, and is also the regional broadcaster of the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vancouver Canucks.

Former Rams QB Joining Hufnagel's Coaching Staff in Calgary

Calgary Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel is pleased to announce the addition of Marc Mueller to the coaching staff as a defensive assistant.

Mueller and previously announced newcomers Rich Stubler (defensive coordinator) and Pat DelMonaco (offensive line coach) join holdovers Dave Dickenson (offensive coordinator and assistant head coach), Mark Kilam (special teams coordinator), Pete Costanza (receivers), Brent Monson (running backs/strength and conditioning), Tony Missick (defensive backs) and DeVone Claybrooks (defensive line) to form the Stamps’ 2014 coaching staff. In addition, retiring all-star offensive lineman Dimitri Tsoumpas remains with the Red and White as a strength and conditioning assistant.

In 2013, Mueller served as quarterbacks coach of the University of Regina Rams, his alma mater. Under the 24-year-old Regina native’s guidance, the Rams led Canada West in passing offence with 359.4 yards per game.

“Marc is a young, dynamic individual with a keen football mind and I know he will be an excellent addition to our veteran group of coaches,” said Hufnagel. “With Marc, Rich and Pat as well as the six returning coaches, I believe this will be an excellent staff.”

“I’m excited and thankful for this opportunity and I look forward to working with Coach Stubler on the defensive side of the ball,” said Mueller. “I’m also looking forward to getting a chance to learn from great coaches like John Hufnagel and Dave Dickenson and the rest of the coaching staff.”

During his playing career, Mueller spent six years (2007-2012) at the University of Regina and was the Rams’ starting quarterback for three seasons. During his first two years as a starter — 2009 and 2010 — Mueller finished first in the conference in completions (176 in 2009, 182 in 2010) and passing yards (2,308 in 2009, 2,437 in 2010) and finished second in touchdown passes (nine in 2009, 14 in 2010).

Mueller left Regina with several school records including career pass-completion percentage (62.1), single-season records in pass attempts (310 in 2009), pass completions (182 in 2010) and pass-completion percentage (67.8 in 2012) and single-game records in most attempted passes (55 in 2012 against Manitoba) and pass-completion percentage (78.4 in 2012 at Saskatchewan).

Mueller is the grandson of the late Ron Lancaster, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback who was a longtime head coach in the CFL.

(Calgary Stampeders Football Club)

Name the Mascot

This is the mascot for the Ottawa REDBLACKS. All he needs now is a name. Can you help? I don't know what to name this individual. (RedJack the RedBlack??),  but I already know I like this guy more than Worksafe Bob. Will he be here for Ottawa's pre-season game? Will he take that axe to WS Bob? One can dream! One can dream.

Kory Sheets Has Something To Prove With Raiders

Kory Sheets has gone from Rider Nation to Raider Nation, and couldn’t be happier about it.

The running back, who helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League win the 2013 Grey Cup, signed last week with Oakland as a free agent after spending two seasons in Canada.

So what are the Raiders getting in Sheets?

Sheets, who is 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds, rushed for 1,598 and 1,277 yards in his two seasons for the Roughriders, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. And, in the Grey Cup championship game, he rushed for 197 yards and was named Most Valuable Player.

But his success in Canada came after failed stints with the 49ers, Dolphins and Panthers, in which he only got to play in two NFL games. Those came with Miami in 2009, when he had just one carry for 5 yards.

Now 28, Sheets says he was able to earn a starting job in Saskatchewan by becoming a better all-around player.

“I’m a more complete player,” Sheets told 95.7 The Game in an interview after signing, talking about his previous time in the NFL. “I’m a lot more patient runner and a lot better blocker.”

Though he’s not a big running back, Sheets said he can run the ball on any type of play.

“I can run through a guy or shake them,” he said.

Signing Sheets gives the Raiders a bit of depth at running back ahead of free agency and the draft. The Raiders seemingly would like to retain Rashad Jennings, who played well in 2013, and have Latavius Murray, who was drafted last season but didn’t play because of injury. Starting running back Darren McFadden, however, is expected to leave in free agency.

Sheets said the Raiders have only promised him an opportunity to earn a spot, and that’s all he wants.

“They didn’t say anything about (being) a featured guy yet but they did say I’d have a chance to compete for a position,” he told The Game, adding: “This is a perfect place for me. I’m happy.”

Sheets played four sold seasons at Purdue, rushing for 3,341 yards and 48 touchdowns. His best season was 2008, his senior season, when he rushed for 1,131 yards for 16 TDs and had 37 catches for 253 yards. He had 108 catches at Purdue.

He was signed by the 49ers as a free agent and spent time on their practice squad before being picked up by the Dolpins. He was injured and eventually waived by the Dolphins, the signed by the Panthers to their practice squad in 2011. After being released, he signed with Saskatchewan.

In his MVP performance in the Grey Cup, Sheets broke the rushing record for the Canadian championship game (169 yards) that had stood since 1956.

Sheets’ breakthrough in Canada proved what he had always believed, that he could be a standout, every-down back. In the NFL, he never really got the chance to show his skills. When he was with the Dolphins, Miami brought in Ricky Williams and Reggie Bush, but Sheets was determined to be the team’s No. 1 back.

“I don’t care who they bring in,” he told the Miami Herald in August of 2011. “I don’t care who they draft. In my head, they’re going to be the No. 2 back. And I’m going to be the starter.”

He was also talked about as a change-of-pace running back, but Sheets believed he should be a starter.

“Everybody wants to label me as a third-down back,” he told the Herald. “That’s not who I am. I’m an every-down back. There’s not one person in this league that can tell me I’m just going to play on third down.”

Sheets had to go to Canada to prove his worth. Now, he’s getting one more shot at the NFL.Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, who covers the Raiders, considers the signing a no-lose propositon for the team.

Wrote Gutierrez: "If nothing else, the CFL's Grey Cup MVP is going to be very hungry to prove he belongs in the NFL after starring up north. As as such, he's going to provide some competition at running back."

 (Bayarea NBC)