to have brand-new turf this year, as would ev

MONTREAL — Curtis Lazar has every reason to be smiling. Adidas Nmd Sko Dame . The always good-humoured Ottawa Senators rookie on Monday was named captain of Canadas junior hockey team for the upcoming world championship in Toronto and Montreal. Im very honoured to have this opportunity, and Im going to take full advantage of it and go out there and play hard for my country, Lazar told reporters at a hockey charity event in Montreal. I know theres a lot of responsibility that comes along with this, but Im just going to try to take it in stride and be myself. Canadas coaching staff gave Lazar the news Monday morning, shortly after the team arrived in Montreal from Ottawa where Canada beat Sweden 5-2 in an exhibition game on Sunday. True to character, the Salmon Arm, B.C., native was grinning from ear to ear when he was told. As usual, I was smiling, said the 19-year-old, who was drafted 17th overall by the Senators in 2013. Its pretty cool. I didnt know it was coming. Anyone could have it. Im very honoured that my peers and my coaching staff think very highly of me. Im a pretty positive guy for the most part. Im always smiling and trying to keep the guys light. I like to lead by example. I really focus on little details, and I think that goes a long way. I want unity within the dressing room. Regardless of where youre from in Canada, were part of a team now. No one is bigger than the team. Lazar, who has a goal and six assists in 27 games with Ottawa this season, was loaned to Canada by the Senators last week. He is one of seven returning players from last years tournament in Malmo, Sweden, where Canada finished fourth. One year later, Lazar is thinking of redemption. I was disappointed with how we played last year and the result we got, he said, looking back on Canadas semifinal loss against Finland, and the defeat to Russia in the bronze-medal game. Second chances dont come around too often. Were fortunate to have this chance. Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters and Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice will serve as alternate captains for the tournament, which officially gets underway on Dec. 26. McDavid and Reinhart also represented Canada at the 2014 junior championship and were teammates at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship, where the Canadians won the gold medal. The 17-year-old McDavid, who is touted as the best forward in the upcoming 2015 NHL draft, had nothing but praise for his new captain. Hes always positive, and he always has a smile on his face, McDavid said of Lazar. Nothing seems to bring him down. Hes the perfect guy for the job. The ups and downs of this tournament are pretty crazy, but he never seems to go down. Hes going to be a good captain. McDavid, who played for the first time on Sunday since breaking his right hand in November, has a blistering 51 points for the Otters in 18 games this season. Reinhart, meanwhile, played nine games with the Buffalo Sabres at the start of this season before returning to the Western Hockey League in October. To wear a letter is something special, said McDavid. But there are 22 leaders on this team — its not just three guys. The letter is special, but everyone is a leader. Head coach Benoit Groulx knows exactly what kind of player it takes to lead a team to victory. Sam, Curtis and Connor have the same qualities, said Groulx, winner of three Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championships as head coach. Theyre great young men, they want to win, theyre great hockey players, and they want to make a difference. This is what you need in your leadership group. It was an obvious choice. Although hes just 19, Lazar wants to use his world junior and NHL experience to guide some of the younger players on Canadas roster. He says he wants them to pay attention to detail, and to really enjoy the tournament. But overall, Lazar wants to win. He wants to know what it means to wear a gold medal around his neck. It would be very cool, he said. Thats one thing I want to check off my junior resume. Canada plays one more exhibition game versus Switzerland on Tuesday before their tournament opens on Boxing Day with a game against Slovakia at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Notes: The Canadians will also play Germany, Finland and the United States in the group stage. … Canadas junior team gathered at McGill Universitys McConnell Arena in Montreal on Monday to help launch The Big Play program, which aims to get kids across the country in minor hockey. … Lazar also played at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and with Canadas mens under-18 team. … The world junior gold medal game will be played Jan. 5 in Toronto. Adidas Nmd Herre Sort . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. Yeezy Powerphase Fake . Rodriguez, who has steadfastly denied using banned substances while with the New York Yankees, made the decision nearly four weeks after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz largely upheld the discipline issued last summer by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "I think its a good move for him," former Commissioner Fay Vincent said. http://www.dknmdskotilbud.com/adidas-nmd-herre-outlet-danmark/nmd-r2.html . - Alex Dostie scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Gatineau Olympiques to a 5-3 victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action on Sunday.The pressure is on as a retooled Toronto FC kicks off its MLS season today in Seattle against the Sounders. Catch all the action live on TSN and TSN Radio 1050 at 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt.After seven years of on-field failure, new Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke dug deep into a well-stocked corporate pocket to bankroll manager Ryan Nelsen and GM Tim Bezbatchenkos global talent search. Many zeros later, Toronto FC is now home to England striker Jermain Defoe, U.S. international midfielder Michael Bradley, Brazilian international goalie Julio Cesar and forward Gilberto, and veteran Canadian star midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. Toronto stocked up on so many designated players, it had to trade incumbent DP Matias Laba to Vancouver to get down to the league limit of three. The shopping spree has prompted a return to the clubs early days, when season tickets were hard to come by. BMO Field should be full this season, although Leiweke has acknowledged the team will still lose money in 2014 because of the outlay on players. With demand exceeding supply, top football talent is not cheap and MLSE likely had to overpay to convince such elite players to choose MLS over more established leagues.Fullbacks Justin Morrow and Bradley Orr and Brazilian midfielder Jackson have also joined the party, meaning Toronto will likely have eight new faces in its starting lineup when everyone is healthy. And theres the early season rub. Torontos pre-season was hit by injury, particularly at fullback and forward. Defoe, meanwhile was a late arrival due to club and country commitments.Gilberto, troubled by an upper leg injury, was been left out of the travelling party for Seattle. Nelsen hopes to have him back for the home opener March 22 against D.C. United. The Brazilian actually returned to training this week but Nelsen doesnt want to rush him in case he aggravates the injury. The artificial turf at CenturyLink Field was likely a factor in that decision. The good news is Defoe and Bradley are both available for selection. Bradley has been nursing a foot injury while Defoe simply hasnt had much time training with his new team. But Nelsen says the 31-year-old English forward has adapted well. "He feels pretty good, to tell you the truth," Nelsen said. "So well see how he is."Defoe could well come off the bench. Nelsen, in his second year at the Toronto helm, is mindful that this is a marathon, not a sprint.Other clubs kept their stars in cotton wool in Week 1 of the season. New York rested French forward Thierry Henry rather than expose him to the artificial turf at B.C. Place Stadium while Seattle sent in U.S. international striker Clint Dempsey off the bench. As for Bradley, Nelsen said: "Hes come through this week pretty good. I think Michael will be a definite." Thats good news for Toronto, which went 6-17-11 last season. Bradley looks to be the straw that stirs the TFC drink. Most everything will run through the American, a box-to-box midfielder who manages to be both cerebral and driven. Other injured players like Morrow and Orr have also returned to training. Their concern is game fitness rather thann health. Adidas Nmd Danmark. Nelsen is taking the long view."This game is not going to define us," he said. "Its going to take a bit of time to get everybody kind of on the same wavelength. Even Seattle, when they brought Clint (Dempsey) over -- just one piece -- were a bit of a different team last year. "Everybody has to kind of get used to each other and weve done it with several big pieces and several other pieces as well. This game is not going to define who we are. The next probably five or six, seven games are going to define who we are." Still, he hopes the progress is rapid, starting Saturday. With the playoffs a stated goal, Toronto cannot wait too long to start making its move up the standings, especially since Bradley, Cesar and possibly Defoe will be away for considerable time this summer on World Cup duty. When Toronto FC does not have possession, Nelsen expects his team to play the same kind of game it did last year -- with players pressing the opposition. The difference should be more noticeable when the team has the ball, given the influx of talent."Your options become a lot more with the quality thats on the field. Last year we had to be a bit more conservative because of the personnel we have," Nelsen said. "But when you have good players, you can start being a bit more expansive." While Toronto had a bye last weekend, a rain-soaked crowd of 39,240 saw Seattle win its season opener 1-0 over defending champion Sporting Kansas City with a stoppage-time goal by former Toronto forward Chad Barrett. Former Toronto keeper Stefan Frei was in goal. And on Thursday Seattle coach Sigi Schmid confirmed Frei as his No. 1 goalie ahead of veteran Marcus Hahnemann. The state of the Seattle turf at CenturyLink Field became an issue in the buildup to the Toronto game after Nelsen said of the surface: "Youve got not just an artificial field -- its a bad artificial field." Schmid took umbrage at the suggestions Seattles turf is bad, saying all the artificial surfaces are about the same in the league."Let me say this first, tell me which turf field is good in this league. There is no good turf field in this league," he told reporters. "I dont disagree, necessarily, with Ryans statement."Id love to have brand-new turf this year, as would everybody else. But I disagree with the point of making it seem like Seattles is worse than the others. I think the others are equally as good or as bad -- however you want to look at it." Scottish defender Steven Caldwell retains the Toronto armband as captain. Cesar starts in goal. To put Torontos woeful league history into perspective, a win Sunday would only be its 15th road victory since the teams debut in 2007. Seattle is one of seven MLS cities where Toronto has yet to win. NOTES: Torontos record in season openers is 1-6. All have been away from home to escape the weather. That record includes a 3-1 loss in Seattle to open the 2012 season. TFCs lone season-opening win was in 2009 when Toronto defeated Sporting Kansas City 3-2 ... MLSE boss Tim Leiweke is expected to take in the Seattle season opener. ' ' '

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