FIFA Rankings -Canada #63

BRAZIL RETAINS TOP SPOT IN FIFA RANKINGS; CANADA STILL 63RD

ZURICH, Switzerland - Brazil will head to the World Cup as the No. 1 team, according to the latest FIFA rankings.

The five-time world champion retained top spot ahead of European champion Spain in Wednesday's release of the final monthly rankings before the June 11 World Cup kickoff.

Portugal is third followed by the Netherlands and world champion Italy. Germany is sixth, ahead of Argentina and England.

France moves up one to No. 9, trading places with Croatia which did not qualify for the World Cup.

The United States, at No. 14, heads up the three World Cup qualifiers from CONCACAF.

Cameroon at No. 19 is best of the six African World Cup teams, and No. 20 Australia leads Asia's four qualifiers.

Host South Africa is No. 83, and No. 105 North Korea is the lowest-ranked qualifier.

Canada remained unchanged at No. 63.

A Hard Pill to Swallow...

This picture made my stomach turn this afternoon following pranzo. All that can be said, is thank goodness Roy did not get traded to a division rival.

Good Luck in Philly!!

"Thank you Roy! Thank you Roy!"

HALLADAY SHUTS OUT MARINERS IN POSSIBLE LAST START

A little note to show my gratitude for all the wonderful games pitched in a Jays uniform over the years. He is probably the only reason why I still kept an interest in the Jays throughout their many losing seasons. I hope it is not the end of his days in Toronto.

TORONTO -- The chant came from a group of fans above the dugout.

"Thank you Roy! Thank you Roy!" they shouted as Roy Halladay walked off the Rogers Centre field, perhaps for the final time as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Then, in a rare display of emotion from the ace right-hander, he tipped his cap, offering a little love back to the fans who adore him so. They'd all been through this "possible last home start" exercise before, but this time, it felt different.

"Regardless of what happens this winter, it means a lot to me," said Halladay, who delivered another gem in a 5-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. "To have that many people that supportive and chanting, I think it would mean a lot to anybody.

"Especially walking off, I can't remember many times walking out for the ninth where people were cheering and standing up before the inning starts. Maybe I was more aware of it, I don't know, but you definitely feel the excitement and show your appreciation."

MANNING'S LATE TD RALLIES COLTS

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Peyton Manning needed the 37th game-winning drive of his illustrious career to surpass Johnny Unitas as the franchise leader in wins among quarterbacks, and the Indianapolis Colts secured a 27-23 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Land Shark Stadium.

Manning's offense had the ball for only 14:53 in the entire game, the lowest total for a winning team of any game since 1977 -- Indianapolis ran only 35 plays, while the Dolphins totaled 84. But the reigning NFL MVP completed 14-of-23 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns on the way to getting his 119th career win -- all with the Colts.

"I'm very proud to wear the same uniform as (Unitas)," Manning said. "He was very nice to me the times I was around him. I never saw him play, but my dad told me how good he was and what he meant to the city of Baltimore. It's very humbling to be mentioned with (Unitas), but it's a team record."

Indianapolis (2-0) has won its two games this season by a combined six points, and extended its regular-season winning streak to 11 games -- the longest active one in the league.

FLEURY MARKS COMEBACK WITH SHOOTOUT WINNER AGAINST ISLANDERS

This picture and game wrap up was too good not to paste and have as a memory. Theoren Fleury was one of my favorite hockey players growing up. I have lots of memories studying his statistics while reading the sports section everyday when coming home after school. Hopefully the Flames have a good season.

CALGARY -- In a pre-season game with playoff intensity, there were plenty of storylines in Calgary on Thursday night.

Topping them all was 41-year-old Theoren Fleury, who scored the shootout winner as the Flames beat the New York Islanders 5-4.

Playing in his first NHL game in six years, Fleury scored the only goal of the shootout, deking to his forehand and tucking the puck behind rookie goaltender Kevin Poulin.

"I don't miss those chances ever," the five-foot-six Fleury declared. "Not in the big moments. Never have, never will."

Fleury was first off the bench to hug goaltender David Shantz after he turned aside Greg Moore's final attempt, clinching the victory.

As chants of "Theo, Theo" filled the Pengrowth Saddledome, Fleury acknowledged the supportive crowd.

Another storyline on the night was a second period hit by Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf on the Islanders' Kyle Okposo.

The 21-year-old Okposo, the seventh pick in the 2006 Draft, remained motionless on the ice for over six minutes as he was attended to by trainers from both teams and other medical personnel.

"I thought it was a clean hit," said Phaneuf. "I stepped up and used my shoulder. You don't like to see guys get hurt, but that's part of my job when the hits are there, to take them."

Immobilized onto a spinal board, he was taken off the ice by stretcher to the quiet applause of the crowd of 19,289.

An Islanders spokesman said after the game that Okposo did have movement in his fingers and toes, but that he had been taken to a Calgary hospital.

After the hit, New York forward Pascal Morency jumped off the Islanders bench and charged Phaneuf but was intercepted by Calgary's Mark Giordano. A small melee ensued, that included Islanders goalie Martin Biron. Morency was given a game misconduct.

"From what I saw -- and it happened really fast -- but I saw Phaneuf kinda go up in the air," said Biron. "I'd like to see the replay on that but it definitely looked like feet went up and he came across head hunting and those kinds of hits are what the league is trying to take away from the game."

Olli Jokinen with a pair, David Moss and Nigel Dawes also scored for Calgary (1-1-0). Matt Moulson had two goals to lead the offence for New York (0-2-1). Also scoring was Blake Comeau and Trevor Smith.

Phaneuf remained the target of the Islanders the rest of the period as the intensity picked up and two more fights took place, but the blue-liner refused to drop the gloves, despite being approached on several occasions.

"If you're going to do that, at least respond to the challengers after that," said Biron. "I've never seen Scott Stevens back down to a fight after he hit a guy on the blue-line coming across. If you're going to play that way, then be the whole package and play that way, and that's where we had a big problem with that."

Flames coach Brent Sutter, who coached Phaneuf at in the Western Hockey League with Red Deer, had no problem with the hit.

"That's part of Dion's game. When he sees that open ice, Dion has to use it. It's one part of his game that makes him a unique player," said Sutter. "You never like to see anybody get hurt obviously, and it's too bad that happened, and hopefully we've been told, he's going to be okay. But Dion still can't pass up that hit".

Also standing out for the Flames was Olli Jokinen. With two goals and an assist, he showed Flames fans the kind of offensive presence that abandoned him late last season when he was held off the scoresheet the final 13 games.

"We all start from scratch," said Jokinen. "It's a new coaching staff and we've got a lot of new players, we have a couple more weeks to go and we're all learning every day.

"If you happen to score, that's fine, but the biggest thing is to learn the system, play within the team roles and build some chemistry with linemates".

Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff got his first pre-season action playing the game's first half but he looked rusty, giving up three goals on his first seven shots".

On the Islanders first goal, Bouwmeester got pulled out of position by Josh Bailey as he set up Smith's tip-in and later turned the puck over to Moulson, who was stopped on a breakaway.

Poulin turned aside 16 of 17 third-period shots and all seven faced in overtime as Calgary pressed for the go-ahead goal.

"Poulin did a great job in net, he made some great saves going down to the wire," said Islanders coach Scott Gordon.

Notes: The same two teams meet again Saturday night in Saskatoon. ... Calgary rookie Michael Backlund opened the game playing the left side on a line with Jokinen and Iginla. ... Fleury's linemates most of the night were Dawes and Daymond Langkow... The power-plays for both teams were sharp with Calgary going 3-for-7 and New York 2-for-5.

Stanley Cup Champions

Dear friends,

I had a wonderful experience getting up at four in the morning to catch the third period of game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. Blair Marshall game me play by play updates, and we had a grand time taking in the final moments together. I am already looking forward to watching the game, and the series when I come home in August.

Keys to Canada's Success at 2010 Olympics

Four sports key to Canada's 2010 Olympic medal total

VANCOUVER -- It's hard to think of the Turin Olympics as anything but a success when Canada scored its highest medal totals ever at the 2006 Games. But the haul could have been better, says Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive officer Chris Rudge.

Canada is poised to push beyond the 24 medals won four years ago, but four key sports -- freestyle skiing, snowboarding, figure skating and alpine skiing -- will need to convert their world championship sucesses of 2009 to podium finishes at the Vancouver Games.

Together, athletes in those sports brought a dozen medals home to Canada from the worlds last winter, including the downhill gold by ski racer John Kucera and gold in parallel giant slalom by Jasey Jay Anderson.

"If we're going to do it (finish first) there could be four sports that do it, four sports where we got only three medals in Torino -- freestyle skiing (Jennifer Heil), snowboard (Dominique Maltais), figure skating (Jeff Buttle). In alpine skiing we were shut out," Rudge said on the eve of a massive Canadian Olympic media summit at which more than 90 prospective Olympians and federations will talk about their progress toward making Canada the top medal-winning country at the Games.

"If those four sports carry over their success and the rest of the sports hold their own, we could do it," Rudge said.

Canada finished third in total medals at Turin, behind Germany with 29 and the United States with 25. If gold medals are the criterion for ranking, then Canada's seven in 2006 put it in a fifth-place tie with Sweden, behind Germany (11), the United States and Austria (9 each) and Russia (8).

"Ski-cross is a big opportunity as a new sport. We're great adapters when a new events comes into the Games. In alpine, we have good medal potential (besides Kucera's world championship, Manuel Osborne-Paradis had three World Cup podiums and a win at Kvitfjell, Norway and the Janyk siblings, Britt and Michael grew up skiing at Whistler, B.C.)

"In freestyle, to go with Jen Heil in moguls, Alexandre Bilodeau won the men's World Cup in moguls, the dual moguls world championship and his last five World Cup events in sucesion, and Steve Omischl has a record that's unsurpassed in aerials."

The mass media exposure is intended to provide a glut of background for reporters so the athletes will be left in peace as they prepare for the biggest winter of their lives. It follows a COC Excellence Series session in which athletes have been mentored by predecesors who have been through the Olympic mill and can tell this generation what awaits them.

Luge racer Regan Lauscher said in a Canadian Press interview that it helped her mindset and made her more comfortable to know that two-time gold medal speed skater Catriona Le May Doan had doubts going through her mind as she went into the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

"Just to hear Catriona say 'I broke down and didn't think I could do it' before 2002, to hear someone who you think would never stumble... for them to sit there and listen to you, know who you are and to say 'We support you. You're here for a reason and part of this group and everyone knows you can do it' ... you really feel you have an enormous support group behind you," said Lauscher.

The Vancouver session is also a form of team- building, using cross-sport synergies that can come of past winners inspiring new winners. It's the last time most of the potential Olympians will see one another before they march at the opening ceremonies next February.

Many athletes with medal potential are taking advantage of the COC's Excellence Series and the media exposure. Among others who will be in the Olympic hothouse: alpine skiers Erik Guay, Kelly VanderBeek and Emily Brydon; bobsleigh pilot, Helen Upperton; curling skips Randy Ferby and Jennifer Jones;figure skaters Patrick Chan and Joannie Rochette; women's hockey veterans Jdennifer Botterill and Jayna Heford; breakthrough luger Alex Gough; short trackers Olivier Jean and brothers Charles and Francois Hamelin; the long track armada of Kristina Groves, Denny Morrison and Jeremy Wotherspoon; ski cross athletes Davey Barr, Chris DelBosco and Ashleigh McIvor; and snowboarders Maelle Ricker, Matthew Morison and Jeff Batchelor.

X-Men clinch 1st place with double OT win over Capers

Boy do I ever love hearing news like this. I remember going to many of the games during my four years at X, and seeing Tylet Richards play his first two years.
Good Luck in the Playoffs!

The X-Men basketball team clinched first place Thursday night with a 93-84 double overtime win over the Cape Breton Capers in an action-packed game in front of a full house at the StFX Oland Centre.

The battle for top spot in the AUS began with a very close first half as the two teams were deadlocked at 17-17 after the first quarter and 32-32 at half-time. The Capers then went on a scoring run in the third quarter and led by as much as 14 points at one point, but the hometown X-Men clawed their way back and held the Capers scoreless in the final three minutes of the third quarter to pull to within a point after three quarters of play, with the score 54-53 for CBU.

The fourth quarter featured more close play with the lead no greater then 3 points for either team throughout the final 10 minutes. The game closed out with the two teams tied at 67-67, much to the excitement of the boisterous Oland Centre crowd which featured a mix of both blue and white X fans and orange Caper fans.

Fans were not disappointed with the first overtime period either as the two top teams in the AUS went end to end exchanging baskets. As the Capers came down court in the final seconds, Chris Noodle was fouled and went to the free throw line for 2 shots with a chance to win the game as the Capers were down by one point. He made good on his first shot but missed the second, sending the game into a second overtime period as the score remained tied at 76-76.

The X-Men got off to an early four-point lead in the second overtime and held the lead for the remainder of the five-minute frame. Chad Warren hit a key three-pointer to increase the X-Men lead to 6 points and the Capers could not catch up and were left trying to foul the X-Men to get the ball back. The final outcome was a 93-84 decision in favor of StFX.

X-Men Subway Player of the Game Terrence Taylor led all scorers with 27 points, and also posted 11 rebounds. Christian T-Bear Upshaw scored 18 points for X while Tyler Richards scored 17. Dwyane Johnson had 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Five different Capers hit the double scoring figures, including Philip Nkrumah who had a double-double with 18 points and a whooping 19 rebounds. Ryan Roper scored 14 points, Scott Jaspers-Fayer had 12, Chris Noodle scored 11 and Lasario Burrows contributed 10 for the Capers.

With the win, the X-Men clinch first spot overall in the AUS conference with a 17-3 record and 46 points. The Capers (15-5) wrap up second place and earn the other first round bye in the playoffs with 40 points. Third place is up for grabs between the Dalhousie Tigers and Saint Mary’s Huskies as they will play against each other Saturday in the final regular season game. UPEI and Acadia have locked up the final playoff spots.

The AUS championship is slated for March 5-7 at the Halifax Metro Centre.

Hockey stick may be national treasure

MONCTON - Scientists in a New Brunswick laboratory are trying to determine whether an old hockey stick is a national treasure and an historic sports icon, or just an old hockey stick.

Experts at Mount Allison University have started analyzing what some historians believe is the world's oldest hockey stick, dating back at least 180 years.

The hand-carved stick is thought to be from a Cape Breton sugar maple which grew on a slope, giving it a perfect, natural curve. It is believed to date from the 1830s or even earlier.

Tree-age specialists at Mount Allison, working in Atlantic Canada's only dendrochronology lab, are now studying the wood to fix its true age.

The findings could prove that the piece of lumber is a coveted, historic relic of this country's favourite game.

"We could have an answer in as early as a month or we could have the answer in a year," said Colin Laroque, head of the university's dendrochronology lab, which studies tree-ring growth patterns.

"But we're going to be doubling our checks on this one. We know the significance of this."

Scientists spent the day with the stick on Sunday, logging photos and scans of the potential treasure.

They will next travel to Pottle's Lake, near Cape Breton, to find specific tree ring patterns in the area where the maple stick was believed to originate.

Preliminary tests have revealed the stick may have enough pattern rings to be identified accurately to within five years.

Laroque and Amanda Young, a Mount Allison lab researcher, along with the help of other scientists and experts, will then attempt to match the patterns to determine the stick's age.

Laroque said the Mount Allison lab will be meticulous in studying the stick which makes a timeline difficult to predict.

The stick was thrust into the national spotlight on Saturday, when Nova Scotian Mark Presley, the owner of the stick, appeared in Campbellton for Hockey Day in Canada.

Presley purchased the stick from a barbershop in North Sydney, N.S., last March when the business shut down. The stick had adorned the shop's wall for more than three decades, displayed without knowledge of its possible significance.

A collector of historic memorabilia, Presley had his eye on the stick. But he thought it dated from the late 1800s, at best.

Geneology told a different story when he purchased the stick and the shop owner gave its provenance.

The stick is said to originally belong to the Moffatt family. Hockey historians have tracked this family into the dim mist of the past and know they were shinny enthusiasts in Nova Scotia in the mid-1800s.

It also carries the initials "W.M," dug into the blade of the stick. Presley's research has found three Moffatts with the first initial "W" dating back to the 1780s.

The stick has been analyzed by a carpentry tool expert, who believes the stick was shaped in the 1800s.

Last fall, it was quietly brought to Kingston, Ont., to be analyzed by a team of experts from the Society for International Hockey Research.

"For me it's about bringing a level of respectability to this kind of research from the early parts of the game," Presley said of his hockey stick's history.

"If this is a game we hold so dear, it just makes so much sense that we learn everything we can about it. Maybe that will help us understand why we hold this game in such esteem."

Presley said he plans to write a book about the stick once its historical background is complete. He also said he hopes to use it as a tool to raise money for children to play the game of hockey.

He would eventually like to see it in a hall of fame.

The stick's future rests largely on its authentication.

"To us in the lab, it's just so important," Laroque said.

"I go home and tell my four-year-old son I looked at this really old hockey stick today, and then he goes to the garage and says 'look at mine dad.' Some day I will get to tell him, if it turns out to be the oldest stick, or even if not "¦ what it was like to be involved in something this easy to get excited about."

SEA DOGS TRADE ALEX GRANT

Saint John Sea Dogs Head Coach/General Manager Jacques Beaulieu announced today that Team Captain Alex Grant has been traded to Shawinigan along with a fifth round entry draft pick in 2010 in exchange for 17-year old centre Danick Gauthier as well as the Cataractes’ second round pick in 2009 and a first round selection in 2010.

“It was a difficult decision to trade Alex,” said Beaulieu. “He has been a major part of the Sea Dogs for a long time and has done a lot for this franchise - both on and off the ice. We’re excited to be adding Danick Gauthier to our roster, and we wish Alex all the best in all of his future endeavours.”

Grant, 19, has played in 222 games for Saint John since being selected in the first round (first overall) of the 2005 QMJHL Entry Draft. The Antigonish, NS native was named the Sea Dogs’ 2007-08 Investor’s Group Top Defenseman and was also the recipient of the inaugural Children’s Wish Foundation Fan Choice Award last year. Grant leaves Saint John as the team’s all-time leader in scoring by a defenseman (40G-84A-124P). He signed an entry level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins this past October after being selected by the Eastern Conference team in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

“Alex has been the face of this franchise for four years and we wish him the best of luck in his final months at the major junior level and in his future career as a professional hockey player,” said Sea Dogs President Wayne Long. “He is a truly exceptional young man and we were proud to have him represent our organization throughout his tenure in Saint John.”

Gauthier, 17, was selected by Shawinigan in the second round (26th overall) of the 2008 QMJHL Entry Draft. The 6’0’, 176 lb. centre has recorded 10G-22A-32P in 21 games this season to lead his team, the Montreal AAA Canadiens (QCMAAA), in scoring.

CANADA WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT WJHC

Canada captured its fifth straight World Junior Hockey Championship gold with a 5-1 victory over Team Sweden in front of a record crowd on Monday night.

Canadian netminder Dustin Tokarski saved his best performance of the championship for the final, turning aside 39 shots in the win. While he was shaky at times during the tournament, the native of Watson, SK was very sharp against Sweden.

Tokarski's play coupled with steady pressure from Canada on Sweden's goaltender, Jacob Markstrom, were the difference. Markstrom looked rattled during the game and there were several run-ins with Canadian players.

Head coach Pat Quinn's decision to go with Tokarski in the final was met with some skepticism following rough starts against the United States and then Russia in the semifinal game.

"I knew I had to come out better tonight and I think I did that," Tokarski told TSN after making 39 saves against Sweden.

"Pat Quinn was smart. Dustin Tokarski's pedigree is phenomenal," said TSN's Pierre McGuire. "You think about being the Memorial Cup MVP and when he needed to be at his best, he was in the gold medal game."

Debates over Canada's starting goaltender are nothing new.

"Canada went through this last year too," explained McGuire. "Craig Hartsburg had to make a decision in the Czech Republic, go with Steve Bernier or go with Steve Mason. He ended up going with Mason. He picked right and Pat Quinn picked right tonight."

Following the win, Tokarski was asked about his knack of coming up big in high-pressure games.

"It's all about battling, people can put you down and say you're not good enough but if you believe in yourself you can do anything," said the 2008 Memorial Cup MVP.

The attendance for the game was announced at 20,380, a single game record for the WJHC and the five straight gold medals equals a Canadian record for the tournament (1993-97).

"There's nothing like this," John Tavares told TSN before the medal presentation. "There's nothing like it at all. Listen to these fans. That's five, Canada."

Tavares was named most valuable player and top forward for the tournament and made a strong case to be the top pick in the 2009 NHL Entry draft with his performance in Ottawa.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the game and offered praise Team Canada.

"Throughout the tournament, Canadian players not only produced world-class hockey on the ice, they also represented our country with tremendous dignity and pride off the ice," said the Prime Minister in a statement. "I want to commend all of the players, coaches, volunteers, families and staff who contributed to this successful tournament."

Canada will go looking for a record setting sixth straight gold in the 2010 tournament to be held in Saskatoon and Regina.

The Canadians had a scare in the semifinal, narrowly defeating bronze medalist Russia in 6-5 in a shootout, but went undefeated in the tournament. Canada has won 29 of their last 30 games at the World Junior Championship. Their last loss came against Sweden in the Preliminary Round of the 2008 tournament.

"It feels unbelievable," P.K. Subban said. "The first thing I want to do is thank God. I mean we've been blessed since Day 1."

The action started very early in the first period. Team Sweden's Mikael Backlund took a penalty for roughing and on the ensuing power-play Subban beat Markstrom to give Canada the early advantage after only 38 seconds. Subban took several cracks at the puck during a scrum in front of the Sweden net before putting it past Markstrom. Jordan Eberle and Cody Hodgson drew the assists.

Subban ended the tournament with three goals and six assists and TSN's Bob McKenzie praised the defenceman's contributions to Canada.

"He's got a dynamic presence on offence and in this tournament he really started to buckle down and play some solid defence," explained McKenzie.

Canada scored what would be the game-winner in the second. Angelo Esposito came up with a slick move to get out of the corner, before flipping the puck over Markstrom to put Canada up 2-0. Chris DiDomenico and Tavares had the assists.

Scoring a goal and helping to capture gold was especially sweet for Esposito, who had been cut on three separate occasions at Team Canada's evaluation camp. He joined Dan Cleary as the only players to be cut three times before last year's tournament.

"I've been waiting for this all my life, since I was a little kid, watching the World Juniors," Esposito told TSN following the game. "Being here tonight in front of this crowd in Ottawa it was unbelievable to finally get this gold medal."

Esposito's goal came minutes after he made slight contact with Markstrom while going for the puck in Sweden's zone. The netminder went down and Victor Hedman grabbed Esposito in a headlock. No penalties were called.

Tempers began to flare again later in the period. Stefan Della Rovere collided with Markstrom while the goalie was skating to his bench to give Sweden an extra attacker. Following the scrum after the hit, Della Rovere and Patrice Cormier were assessed interference penalties and Markstrom was called for roughing. The Cormier penalty occurred prior to the contact between Della Rovere and Markstrom.

The penalties continued for Canada as Keith Aulie was given one for a cross-check moments later and just before the end of the Sweden power-play, Canada was hit with another penalty as Subban was sent off for hooking.

Tokarski and the Canadian penalty killers were up the challenge.

Over the course of the game, Canada's penalty killing units kept Team Sweden's power-play in check on every chance with the man-advantage.

TSN's McGuire explained it was Canada's communication that made them so effective while short-handed.

"That was the difference-maker for Canada here in the gold medal game because Tokarski communicated with the defence. They did a tremendous job between defence and forward and their rotation was absolutely awesome," said McGuire.

The two goaltenders, Tokarski and Markstrom, had been a study in contrasts through the tournament. Tokarski had his struggles while Markstrom shined but in the final the roles became reversed. Markstrom jawed repeatedly with Canadian forwards during the game. He made 26 saves.

Canada's third goal came when Cody Hodgson snapped a shot past Markstrom on the power-play early in the final period. The assist went to Ryan Ellis.

Joakim Andersson finally found a way past Tokarski to make the score 3-1 and give Sweden some hope but that was as close as the score would get.

Empty net goals from Eberle and Hodgson in the final two minutes put the game out of reach.

Hodgson ended the tournament with the scoring lead at 16 points. Canada had the top three scores in Hodgson, Tavares (15 points) and Eberle (13).

Third Time's a Charm. Manning named MVP

NEW YORK -- Peyton Manning can tell Brett Favre to move over and make room for him atop the roster of NFL Most Valuable Players.

For the third time, Manning won the award from The Associated Press, tying Favre as the only players in that elite category.

Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It!

THRILLING COMEBACK WIN MOVES CANADA INTO SEMIFINALS

KANATA, ON – Who says Canada’s National Junior Team can't handle adversity?

Down by three goals midway through the first period, the Canadians dug deep and rallied to beat the United States 7-4 in the final preliminary round game at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship on Wednesday night.

"This just shows how much character this team has," said defenceman P.K. Subban.

Canada's fourth straight victory moved them directly into the semifinals on Saturday against the winner of the quarter-final between Russia and the Czech Republic.

The Americans will play Slovakia in the quarter-finals on Friday, with the winner playing Sweden in Saturday’s semifinals.

The highly-anticipated match had something for everyone – goals, hard hits, brilliant saves and tons of emotion.

John Tavares, with a hat trick, led one of the most memorable rallies by a Canadian team ever at the World Juniors. His third goal into an empty net in the last minute of regulation time was his 12th for Canada at the tournament, tying him with Eric Lindros and Jeff Carter for the most goals ever by a Canadian.

"I just want to play well," said Tavares. "We learned a lot about ourselves and what we can do."

The Canadians found themselves in a deep hole shortly after the 12-minute mark of the first period, trailing 3-0 on goals by Kevin Shattenkirk, Jimmy Hayes and Jim O'Brien.

But two goals from Tavares and one from Jordan Eberle had the Canadians even by the end of the period, and had a WJC-record crowd of 20,203 rocking during the intermission and early in the second period.

During a timeout after the third American goal, Tavares tried to calm his teammates down.

"I just said we should play our game," he said. "I thought our emotions were getting the better of us. I said to the guys to relax and it was nice to get those back-to-back (goals) to get us back in."

Zach Boychuk put the Canadians ahead for the first time just 37 seconds into the second period, only to see American captain Jonathon Blum draw the U.S. even just three minutes later.

Canada’s vaunted power play, which is operating at a ridiculous 60% success rate through four games (18-for-30), connected for its fourth of the contest, and the eventual game-winner, when Cody Hodgson got a shot from the face-off circle past American goaltender Thomas McCollum.

Both teams traded chances in the final period before Tavares and Tyler Ennis both scored into an empty net to provide the final margin of victory for the Canadians.

Canadian goaltender Tokarski shook off a shaky start and made a couple of brilliant saves to help his team earn the all-important bye into the semis.

Tokarski made perhaps the best save of the entire tournament late in the second period to send Canada to the dressing room up 5-4.

A breakdown in the Canadian end left Colin Wilson alone in front and the American forward deked Tokarski and went to his backhand, but Tokarski wasn't fooled by the move and snagged the puck with his trapper, leaving Wilson on his knees in disbelief.

"You're supposed to make those saves," said Tokarski. "The guys bailed me out and I did my job."

The win moved Canada to 27-5-3 all-time against the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The Canadians have won the last five meetings.

Canadian WJHC Team Roster

One more defenceman and one less forward makes Canada's junior hockey team unique.

In a departure from the makeup of junior teams of previous years, head coach Pat Quinn kept eight defencemen and 12 forwards instead of the traditional seven and 13 when the team was named Monday morning.

Windsor Spitfires defenceman Ryan Ellis will be the first 17-year-old defenceman to play for the Canadian junior team since Jay Bouwmeester in 2001. He's expected to be a power-play specialist.

Also, Montreal Junior forwards Angelo Esposito was named to the team on his fourth try after he was cut three previous years.

Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans and Dustin Tokarski of the Spokane Chiefs will be Canada's goaltenders at the 2009 world junior hockey championship in Ottawa.

The forwards are Esposito, John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals, Medicine Hat's Tyler Ennis, Jamie Benn of the Kelowna Rockets, Zach Boychuk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Patrice Cormier of the Rimouski Oceanic, Stefan Della Rovere of the Barrie Colts, Chris DiDomenico of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats, Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion, Brett Sonne of the Calgary Hitmen, and Dana Tyrell of the Prince George Cougars.

The eight defencemen are Ellis, Keith Aulie of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Cody Goloubef of the Wisconsin Badgers, Thomas Hickey of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Kelowna's Tyler Myers, Alex Pietrangelo of the Niagara Icedogs, P.K. Subban of the Belleville Bulls and Regina's Colten Teubert.

The world under-20 championship is a tournament for the world's best 19-year-olds, but eight of the Canadians are 18 and Ellis pulls the average age down further.

Ten players were drafted in the first round of the NHL draft in either 2007 or 2008. Tavares and Ellis are eligible for the 2009 draft.

Canada opens defence of the gold medal it has won four straight years Dec. 26 versus the Czech Republic.

Cut Monday were goaltenders Tyson Sexsmith and Jake Allen, defencemen Travis Hamonic, Kevin Marshall, Patrick Wiercioch, Jared Spurgeon, Brendan Smith and Tyler Cuma, plus forwards Evander Kane, Riley Nash, Jamie Arniel, Nazem Kadri, Matt Duchene, Brayden Schenn, Taylor Hall and Matt Calvert.

Kane, Duchene, Schenn and Hall are 17 and need more development before they're ready for the under-20 level.

Cuma suffered a knee injury in the first intrasquad game of selection camp and Calvert was never able to play because of a back injury he suffered prior to camp

OTTAWA — Canada's roster for the 2009 world junior hockey championship Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Ottawa (with hometown, club team and league):

Goaltenders

Chet Pickard, Winnipeg, Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Dustin Tokarski, Watson, Sask., Spokane Chiefs (WHL).

Defencemen

Keith Aulie, Rouleau, Sask., Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Ryan Ellis, Freelton, Ont., Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Cody Goloubef, Oakville, Ont., Wisconsin Badgers (WCHA)

Thomas Hickey, Calgary, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

Tyler Myers, Calgary, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Alex Pietrangelo, King City, Ont., Niagara Icedogs (OHL)

P.K. Subban, Toronto, Belleville Bulls (OHL)

Colten Teubert, White Rock, B.C., Regina Pats (WHL)

Forwards

Jamie Benn, Victoria, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

Zach Boychuk, Airdrie, Alta., Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

Patrice Cormier, Cap-Pele, N.B., Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Stefan Della Rovere, Maple, Ont., Barrie Colts (OHL)

Chris DiDomenico, Woodbridge, Ont., Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

Our Very Own...And First Sea Dog to make Team Canada

Jordan Eberle, Calgary, Regina Pats (WHL)

Tyler Ennis, Edmonton, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Angelo Esposito, Montreal, Montreal Junior (QMJHL)

Cody Hodgson, Markham, Ont., Brampton Battalion (OHL)

Brett Sonne, Maple Ridge, B.C., Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

John Tavares, Oakville, Ont., Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Dana Tyrell, Airdrie, Alta., Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Olympic torch relay a Canadian affair

Route planners say the torch will pass within an hour's drive for more than 90 per cent of everyone in the country, including 115 aboriginal communities
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VANCOUVER — The emotional, heart-tugging torch relay for the 2010 Winter Olympics will last 106 days, cover 45,000 kilometres and pass through more than 1,000 communities across the country, from Victoria on the West Coast to Cape Spear on the eastern tip of Newfoundland.

The relay's detailed itinerary, worked on for more than a year by organizers of the 2010 Games, were released Friday before a pumped audience at an arts auditorium in posh West Vancouver, where snowboard and aerials competitions will be held.

Route planners said the torch will pass within an hour's drive for more than 90 per cent of all Canadians.

The ambitious, $30-million relay will begin Oct. 30, next year in Victoria, after arriving from Greece where the official flame for each Olympics is lit. The route includes more time in the host province of British Columbia than any other province, with five days at the start and 22 days at the end, concluding with its spectacular entry into B.C. Place in downtown Vancouver on Feb. 12 for the lighting of the official Olympic flame.

The torch will take 25 days passing through Ontario and 14 days traversing Quebec. The far north is also on the route, with a stop scheduled at the Canadian Forces Station in Alert, the northernmost settlement in the world.

A total of 115 aboriginal communities will take part in the relay.

The route is touted by the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee as the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history. The flame will cover 26,000 kilometres by land, 18,000 by air and 1,000 kilometres by water.

“When designing this route, we wanted to include as many Canadians as possible,” said VANOC president John Furlong. “We will share the Olympic flame with young and old, northern and southern, eastern and western – and everyone in between – in order to make these truly Canada's Games and ones where everyone can celebrate with glowing hearts.”

Canadians wanting to be one of the estimated 12,000 torchbearers required for the long run can apply through several programs organized by the relay's two corporate sponsors, Coca-Cola and RBC.

Coca-Cola, which has adopted the slogan “live Olympic on the Coke side of life,” will select torchbearers who demonstrate a commitment to active living and sustainability, particularly teenagers who join the company's active youth program.

RBC, under the banner of “Help create a better Canada,” will give any Canadian a chance to carry the torch who shares an online pledge to do something – large or small – to make the country a better place to live.

Prominent Canadians and community leaders are also expected to be among the thousands of torchbearers.

Among the planned stops are Old Crown in the Yukon (the relay's westernmost point), the Igloo Church in Inuvik, Anne of Green Gables House on Prince Edward Island, and Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump in Alberta.

The highest point of the relay, apart from its air passage is 1,770 metres as it winds through Kootenay Pass in the Canadian Rockies.

More than two-thirds of the cost of the relay will be paid for by the increasingly hard-pressed federal government.

Tewanne Joseph, executive director of the Four Host First Nations, on whose traditional territory the Games are being staged, praised the widespread inclusion of aboriginal communities.

“This is an exciting opportunity for all of us,” said Mr. Joseph. “As a result of our partnerships and in the spirit of unprecedented aboriginal participation in the 2010 Winter Games, the Olympic flame will reach across the country, travel to aboriginal communities and celebrate the diversity and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.”

Each day along the route, there will be two special ceremonies at larger locations where people can gather to celebrate the Olympics and the torch relay.

For many, the Olympic torch relay is the first and most visible evidence that the Games are just months away. The 2010 Winter Olympics are the first to be held in Canada since the 1988 Games in Calgary.

However, few expect the relay to be untouched by protests, and security is likely to be tight. The widespread publicity attached to the well-known Olympic torch is a magnet for those with a cause and a grievance.

Nash Suspended for altercation againist the Rockets

Phoenix Suns forward Matt Barnes and Houston Rockets guard Rafer Alston have each been suspended two games without pay for their participation in an altercation on November 12. Suns guard Steve Nash has been suspended for one game without pay for escalating the altercation, Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations, announced today.

In addition, Suns center Shaquille O’Neal has been fined $35,000 and Rockets guard Tracy McGrady $25,000 for their roles in the altercation. The incident occurred with 27.6 remaining in the third period of the Sun’s 94-82 loss to the Rockets on November 12.

Alston will serve his suspension beginning tonight when the Rockets visit the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center and will serve the remainder of his suspension when the Rockets host the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday, November 15.

Barnes will begin serving his suspension this evening when the Suns travel to Sacramento to face the Kings at ARCO Arena. Nash will also sit out tonight’s game serving his one game suspension.

Barnes will serve his second game of the suspension on Sunday, November 16, when the Suns host the Detroit Pistons at US Airways Center.

The Suns will also be without the services of guard Leandro Barbosa, who left the team to fly home to Brazil after the passing of his mother.

St. Francis Xavier University Sports Teams Rippin' It Up Ol'School

X-Women defeat Laval, will play for CIS gold

November 1, 2008 (LETHBRIDGE, AB) - The StFX X-Women are heading for the CIS women's rugby championship game after a convincing 36-5 semi-final win over the Laval Rouge et Or Saturday afternoon in Lethbridge, AB.

"The girls played well today and we stuck in defensively for the full 80 minutes," commented X-Women head coach Mike Cavanagh. "Our offense started to play and our best players were our best players out there today."

Asya Bartley and Lisa Gauthier each scored two tries a piece as the X-Women established a 19-0 lead at half-time. CIS Player of the Year Ghislaine Landry opened the scoring in the game for X with a try 8 minutes in, and Courtnay Malcolm made good on the convert. Three minutes later Lisa Gauthier increased the StFX lead with a try and Malcolm scored the conversion, building up an early 14-0 first half lead.

Kim Armstrong scored another try for the X-Women just before the end of a first half which saw the blue and white creating most of the pressure and dominating the play.

Gauthier scored her second try of the game early into the second half to increase the StFX lead to 24-0. Asya Bartley was next to cross the touch line for the X-Women as they continued their dominating play throughout the second half.

Bartley scored her second try of the game at the 13 minute mark after the X-Women moved the ball well down the field. Malcolm scored on the conversion to increase the StFX lead to 36-0.

Catherine Carrier of Laval broke the shut out in the final minutes of the game and scored the only try for the Rouge et Or, who will now face the Guelph Gryphons in the bronze medal game.

The X-Women move on to face the host and Western conference champion Lethbridge Pronghorns in the championship game Sunday at 2:00 pm (5:00 pm AST). The Pronghorns defeated Guelph 39-3 to earn their spot in the gold medal match. The gold medal game will feature a live audio webcast on SSN Canada www.ssncanada.ca, with a webcast video tape delay of the game.

Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, Coach Cavanagh commented, "Lethbridge is a good team, they are talented and well-coached and will be difficult to beat but we are up for the challenge."

The Pronghorns are the defending CIS champions while the X-Women were national champions in 2006 and are looking to bring the Monilex trophy back home.

X-Men march over Mounties, advance to Loney Bowl

November 1, 2008 (ANTIGONISH, NS) - The StFX X-Men scored early and often on their way to a 52-12 victory over the Mount Allison Mounties in the Atlantic University Sport semifinal game in front of 1,850 fans at Oland Stadium.

Steve Snyder led StFX, completing 11-of-16 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. James Green also had 168 yards and touchdown on the ground for an X-Men offense that had 643 yards in total offense. Jeremy Marchand, Akeem Foster, Peter Giannikopolos and Pat Coristine added touchdowns for StFX.

The X-Men defense also shut down a potent Mount Allison offense by limiting them to 267 yards. Most importantly, game-breaker Gary Ross only had 102 all purpose yards and quarterback Kelly Hughes was limited to 156 yards passing.

Snyder was named the player of the game for StFX while Mounties safety Callan Exeter picked up that honour for Mount Allison with 10.5 tackles (nine solo, three assisted).

StFX now advances to the 2008 Loney Bowl to take on the first place Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax next Saturday, November 8th. The Loney Bowl is scheduled for 1:00pm and will be broadcast live on EastLink Television.

Saint John Seadogs Win Sixth in a Row

The Saint John Sea Dogs matched a franchise record on Friday night by registering their sixth consecutive win, defeating the Acadie-Bathurst Titan by a score of 2-1 in front of over five thousand fans at Harbour Station.

Import goalie Robert Mayer continued his strong play in backstopping Saint John to the home victory, turning aside 22 of the 23 shots sent his way. The 19-year old has allowed only ten goals during his team’s current winning streak.

Veterans Alex Grant and Ryan Sparling provided all the offence the home team would need on Friday, while star centre Chris DiDomenico assisted on both Sea Dogs goals. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect now has 4G-10A-14P in nine games played this season.

“This was a big win for us,” said DiDomenico following the competitive intra-provincial showdown. “Games against the Titan are always tough and tonight was no exception. Our defence really stepped up for us out there tonight and Robert was obviously great between the pipes yet again. We’re playing very well as a team right now and I’m confident that we can continue to build on this momentum moving forward.”

For the fourth consecutive game, Saint John emerged victorious on the pivotal special teams front, keeping their opponents from converting on any of their five power play chances while producing the eventual game-winner with the man-advantage late in the second period.

Head Coach/General Manager Jacques Beaulieu is extremely pleased with how his penalty killing unit has performed recently.

“Everyone is working hard four-on-five and we’ve been getting great results thanks to that hard work,” said Beaulieu following Friday’s victory. “All of our guys are blocking shots and Robert has been making big saves for us when we need him to, which is obviously huge. Special teams are a big part of major junior hockey, and hopefully we can maintain the level of success we’ve been having for a while yet.”

St. Francis Xavier X-Men Basketball Preview

The 2008-09 edition of the StFX X-Men return a strong nucleus from a team that last season won 24 games and two tournaments but failed to win a playoff game for the second straight year.

Atlantic Conference first-team All-Star and league leading scorer (19.7 ppg) Tyler Richards, a 6’2” fifth year senior, will lead the way, joined by five juniors who formed the promising recruiting class of two years ago. They include mercurial 5’10” point guard Christian (T-Bear) Upshaw (14.7 ppg), versatile 6’3” swingman Dwayne Johnson (9.8 ppg), 6’6” athletic forward Terrence Taylor (7.0 ppg), 6’9” mobile center Alberto Rodriguez (3.0 ppg), and 5’9” sparkplug point Will Silver (4.3 ppg).

The X-Men will look to four players in their second year to provide depth: three-point threats Sean Nickel (46%) at 6’5” and 6’2” Blake Poritz (44%), along with 6’5” swingman Chad Warren and 5’10” backup point guard Rhett Thompson.

Forming this year’s recruiting class are four players from high schools from across the country. Close to home, 6’5”physical forward Jeremy Dunn comes from Horton HS in Wolfville, N.S., where he helped lead the Griffins to 64 straight victories and back to back Provincial titles. Coming from Citadel HS in Halifax, the provincial runners-up, is 6’2” combo guard Eamon Morrissy, co-MVP of the Metro high school league last season. From Notre Dame HS in Calgary, Alberta, comes 6’5” guard Jordan Hope, who brings athleticism and a fine shooting touch, while 6’1” Will Donkoh of Notre Dame in Ottawa combines defensive tenacity with some strong moves to the hoop.

Joining the veteran StFX coaching staff of Head Coach Steve Konchalski (34th year) and Associate Coach Doc Ryan is former X-Men standout Garry Gallimore, who played four summers with Canada’s National team program as well as playing professionally last season in Belgium.

St. Francis Xavier University Men's Basketball Site

http://www.xmenbasketball.com/

Halladay goes distance for No. 20

TORONTO -- It seemed fitting that Roy Halladay would be on the mound for the Blue Jays' final home game this season. With Rogers Centre's dome open to welcome in the warm Toronto night on Thursday, Doc did what he does best, delivering another gem to complete what's been a dominating season for the ace.

It was more of the same, as complete-game victories are commonplace for the methodical Halladay, but this time was a little different as well. Moments after sealing the Blue Jays' 8-2 win over the Yankees, Halladay quickly shed his usual grimace and wore a wide grin while his teammates flooded the field to offer hand shakes and hugs.

"It's like all the hard work and there it is -- relief," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said.

It was a little more than that for Halladay. This win was his 20th of the year -- a plateau he has only reached once previously, when he captured the American League Cy Young Award in 2003. If Gaston had any say in the matter, Halladay would take home the same honor this season.

Halladay has been the leader of a stellar starting staff this year for the Blue Jays (84-75) and he showed precisely why in his effort against the Yankees (87-72). The right-hander sliced his way through New York's lineup, completing the game in 96 pitches, inducing 17 outs via ground ball and retiring the final 13 batters he faced in order.

There were also the two runs he allowed along the way, but the effort still dropped Halladay's season ERA to 2.78 -- the second-best mark in the league. When it was all said and done, and New York's Johnny Damon grounded out to second base to end the game, Halladay made his way off the field to a standing ovation, waving his hat as he walked.

"It just goes to show the type of year that he had and the type of pitcher that he is," Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells said. "He's one of the few guys in baseball where you know every time he steps on the mound what you're going to get.

"It's always a pleasure playing behind him."

Often this season, the problem was that Halladay (20-11) didn't always know how much support he was going to receive from his offense. In his 11 losses, the right-hander was given only 23 total runs to work with.