Aaron Ekblad may be the most mature 18-year-old hockey player on the planet. "Not only does he have a 30-year-olds physique under his equipment but he also thinks and acts like a 10-year NHL vet," said Dan Stewart, scouting director for the independent scouting service Future Considerations. Ekblad, a two-way, right-shooting defenceman, knows what he wants to be not only in this weeks NHL draft but as a professional. Hed love to go No. 1 and continue to mould himself in the images of Shea Weber, Alex Pietrangelo and Duncan Keith. More than anything, though, the Barrie Colts captain wants to be considered reliable on and off the ice. "I dont do too many things that are going to surprise anyone," Ekblad said at last months scouting combine. "Im going to be the kind of player that you know what youre going to get from me." Steady and dependable doesnt put butts in seats, but Ekblad isnt touting himself as a flashy kind of player. Instead, and more importantly, he has the potential to develop into a franchise cornerstone. Because of that, the Belle River, Ont., native is the front-runner to be the top pick Friday night in Philadelphia, whether the Florida Panthers choose to keep it or trade it. Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray said last week he expected Ekblad to go No. 1 regardless. If that happens, Ekblad would be the first defenceman to be selected with the top pick since Erik Johnson in 2006, and the first Canadian-born blue-liner in that spot since Chris Phillips in 1996. Ekblad knows it has been a "long time" since a defenceman was drafted first. But it would come as no shock to NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr. "Aaron Ekblad is a hard player to go past in the draft, I think, for any of the teams, and they know that," Marr said at the combine. "There doesnt seem to be a will to take a defenceman high because a lot of times you dont get the quick bang for your buck." Ekblad wants to provide that, just as 2013 No. 4 pick Seth Jones did for the Nashville Predators. "A hundred per cent" he wants to be in the NHL next season, and he told that to all 16 teams that interviewed him. "Thats the way I believe in myself," Ekblad said. "I wouldnt say Im cocky, but Im confident and I believe that if I work hard and I do all the little things and pay attention to details, I can be in that league next year." With that confidence in mind, Ekblad still watched games this past season and recognized the NHL is a hard league to crack and that getting drafted is just a foot in the door. "It means nothing until you prove that youre ready to do it," he said. Scouts believe Ekblad is prepared to prove it. In the six-foot-three, 213-pound prospect, Ross MacLean of ISS Hockey, another independent scouting service, sees someone with skills to insulate himself from making mistakes and the maturity to be able to adjust to the next level. "Hes a kid that I think probably couldve played in the NHL this year, let alone next year," MacLean said. "I think we saw that with Seth Jones, as well, last year. Theyve just been put into positions where theyve been able to acclimatize and get comfortable and confident and develop their skills at the appropriate pace, and theyre ready for the next step." Typically, theres a learning curve for even the best young defencemen before they can become NHL regulars, let alone stars. But a handful from the top 10 of the 2012 draft, including the Toronto Maple Leafs Morgan Rielly, Anaheim Ducks Hampus Lindholm and Columbus Blue Jackets Ryan Murray, played the full 2013-14 season and showed it may not be as steep as it once was. During the season, then-Predators and now Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz theorized that its because junior hockey has more pro systems designed to help defencemen adapt quicker. Stewart thinks Ekblad can adjust on the fly because of his awareness. After being given the captaincy in Barrie, Ekblad "was trying to do everything," Stewart said, before recognizing his weaknesses and dialling back to what hes good at. "He has shown time and time again that he learns from mistakes," Stewart said. "Ekblad is always thinking and while he does make some mistakes from time to time, he also shows an ability to compensate for any situational deficiencies. Because of his slower feet, while defending speedy forwards attacking the zone, he gives himself a little larger gap than say if he were going up against someone he feels he can easily wedge off the puck. "Its his advanced thinking on the fly and understanding of his position that should benefit him quickly at the next level." Physically, Ekblad is undoubtedly NHL-ready. After earning exceptional status to play in the OHL at the age of 15, he has gone through three junior seasons in Barrie and held his own at the world junior championship. Stewart was impressed with how Ekblad handled pressure situations and defensive responsibilities while playing for Canada at the world juniors. In Barrie, Colts teammate, roommate and best friend Brendan Lemieux — a projected first- or second-round pick in his own right and the son of former NHL agitator Claude Lemieux — saw Ekblad show even more. "Ek really showed that he was willing to stand up and answer the bell, even with his gloves off. I watched him pound a few guys this year," Lemieux said at the combine. "He might not show that physical presence and how big he is and how tough he can be, but hes a tough guy, too. Hes not just a super-skilled big guy, hes a super-skilled big, tough guy." Ekblad is certainly better known for his 23 goals and 30 assists than his three fights, and it was that offence balanced with defensive acumen that earned him OHL defenceman of the year honours. Its hard to be upset about that kind of season, but Ekblad insisted hes not satisfied with what he showed scouts. "Thats kind of the way everyone here should be thinking: I believe I can always be better," he said. "You look back on some games, some shifts and (think), What if you did this instead of that? I wouldnt say I have any regrets, per se. I think I had a pretty good year. But theres always things you couldve done." --- Follow @SWhyno on Twitter .com) - Maria Sharapova reached her 10th career grand slam final after beating Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets at the Australian Open on Thursday. .com) - Oregon wasnt going to let Arizona ruin its national title dreams for a second straight season.
http://www.cheapbengalsjerseyssale.com/ ... ersey-sale. The D-Backs came into being in 1998 and appear destined to finish second in the AL West after the Tsunami that is the Los Angeles Dodgers swept over them. I thought it might be interesting to see what the D-backs have done over their 16 years compared to what the Blue Jays have done over their past 16 campaigns. .ca. Kerry, In the first period of Saturdays Montreal-Ottawa game, Brendan Gallagher is called for goaltender interference. Craig Anderson is outside the blue paint trying to make the save. . After rookie right-hander Alex Colome excelled in a 5-2 victory in the opener, the Rays fell to Chris Tillman and the Orioles 4-1 on Friday night.TORONTO -- Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre says he has been obsessed by challenger Johny (Bigg Rigg) Hendricks ahead of their UFC 167 showdown. Hendricks not so much. "I dont go that route, because heres the thing: I cant do nothing about it today," Hendricks told The Canadian Press. "I cant do nothing about it tomorrow. The only time I have to do something about it is Nov. 16." Thats when the No. 1 challenger takes on St. Pierre at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. For Hendricks, theres nothing personal against the Canadian. Its business and his stock is on the rise. "Im not going to say nothing bad about him," said Hendricks. "I just think its time for my turn to be the new champ." St-Pierre (24-2) is listed as slightly more than a 2-1 favourite, more competitive odds than in most of the 32-year-old Montrealers title defences. GSP is currently riding an 11-fight win streak. But Hendricks (15-1) has one-punch knockout power backed up by NCAA championship-calibre wrestling. Hendricks divides his fight training into three parts: the actual fight camp, weight-cutting and then "the enjoyment, the fight." "The fight is the fun part," he said. The enjoyment has been short-lived for his opponents. Jon Fitch lasted 12 seconds. Amir Saollah exited after 29 seconds. Charlie Brenneman survived for 40 seconds. Martin (The Hitman) Kampmann lasted 46. T.J. Waldburger was stopped in 1:35. While the 30-year-old Hendricks has made his marks in the cage with his fists, he entered the sport as a stud wrestler. He was a four-time all-American and two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State where he went 103-12. "Thats what my father bred me for," he said of his wrestling success. "Thats what he prepared me for." After his collegiate wrestling career finished in 2006, Hendricks turned to MMA. About three months into his training, he discovered he was good at hitting people. But the technique wasnt there. "My striking was good, my power was good. I just didnt know the accuracy. Accuracy is everything." Hitting with maximum power is just a matter of connecting. But he soon learned that you can knock someone out with less power, providing the accuracy is there. And that effectively extends the threat of his fists. "If I can knoock you out at 80 per cent (power), then all of a sudden the skys the limit," he explained.dddddddddddd "If I can do it at 80 per cent and be very active with it, it just means less power to use and the longer I can maintain my output." The success of Hendricks striking -- and the often short fights that ensue -- has meant he has not had to use his wrestling skills much. But he landed 12-of-15 takedown attempts against Carlos Condit last time out at UFC 158, blunting Condits kickboxing arsenal. Condit connected on just 42-of-145 significant strikes while Hendricks was good on 30 of 71. Hendricks expects St-Pierre to try to do what he did against Josh Koscheck, another acclaimed collegiate wrestler with power, at UFC 124 -- hurt him with a jab and then take him down. "Hes going to jab. And then hes going to jab. Then hes going to do some more jabbing," said Hendricks, an Oklahoma native who now makes his home in the Dallas area. "And then hes going to try to get me off balance, for sure. I think thats his main game plan. And to try to take me down as much as possible. Thats what Im preparing for." St-Pierre leads the UFC in significant strikes landed (1,153), takedowns (84), takedown accuracy (75 per cent) and ranks fourth in significant strike defence (75.1 per cent) and seventh in takedown defence (88.0 per cent), according to FightMetric. In comparison, Hendricks converts 50 per cent of his takedown attempts, stops 63 per cent of his opponents takedowns and has a significant strike defence rate of 58 per cent. St-Pierre is thought by many to possess the best MMA wrestling in the sport and Hendricks acknowledges the champion has adapted his wrestling skills to the fight world. "Watch how he hits his jab," Hendricks said. "Hell actually lean into it, four to five inches when he throws his jabs. He leans in hard, boom, boom. And whenever he does that, hell take half a step back and whenever he takes that half-step back, people miss. And whenever they miss, they start lunging in. When they start lunging in, hes got the eyes and the timing to take them off of it. "Thats what GSP has done very well." Hendricks has never been taken down more than twice in a UFC fight. St-Pierre has only been taken down twice in his last 10 UFC fights, by Koscheck. ' ' '
