VANCOUVER - Willie Desjardins has built champions in major junior hockey and the AHL. Now hell get the chance in the sports biggest league. Desjardins was hired as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Its his first NHL head coaching job, and hell join new president of hockey operations Trevor Linden and first-time NHL general manager Jim Benning as the Canucks rebuild following a disappointing 2013-14 campaign. "Ive been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time," said the 57-year-old Desjardins, whose coaching career has taken him from Japan to the Canadian national program, and from the WHL to the minor leagues, since he was first hired as an assistant with the University of Calgary in 1985. "To be part of such a great organization and NHL city is just a real honour." Desjardins was also rumoured to be a candidate to take over in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins boast a roster that includes superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The former coach of the WHLs Medicine Hat Tigers said a chance to return to Canada was too good to pass up. "Sidney Crosbys a heck of a hockey player obviously, but for me, when I looked at what was here — I looked at the two guys who are leading this (Benning and Linden), I looked at the quality of the players ... Canadian market, Vancouver fans — it was the right choice to come here." Desjardins, a native of Climax, Sask., most recently led the AHLs Texas Stars to a Calder Cup championship. He spent two years with Texas, winning the AHLs coach of the year award in 2012-13 when he led the Stars to their first ever South Division regular season title and the number one seed in the Western Conference for the 2013 playoffs. Prior to his tenure in the AHL, Desjardins spent two seasons as an associate coach with the Dallas Stars from 2010 to 2012. He also served as head coach (2002-2010) and general manager (2005-2010) of the Tigers, where he led the team to two Memorial Cup tournaments, including an appearance in the 2007 final. Desjardins was named WHL coach of the year for the 2005-06 season, and was also the recipient of the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award as the top coach in the Canadian Hockey League in 2006. Desjardins resume also includes stints on Canadas staff at two world junior tournaments and one world championship, as well as time coaching with the University of Calgary and in Japan. "Ive watched Willies teams play over the last 12 years," Benning said. "His teams play fast and work extremely hard. They play an up-tempo hard-skating kind of game. His teams play with that relentless attitude that we want our players to play with." Desjardins becomes the 18th head coach in club history and succeeds John Tortorella, who was fired after just one year behind the Canucks bench. Tortorella and former Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis were casualties of Vancouvers disappointing season that saw the Canucks miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Desjardins says he thinks the Canucks can become a playoff contender again. "We have so many great leaders on this team, and to get to be part of that group, Im looking forward to it," Desjardins said. "Theyve won in the past, theyll win again." .Y. - Peyton Manning made his fifth MVP award a family affair. . Louis Cardinals continued their offensive tear with a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series.
http://www.cheapramsjerseyssale.com/?ta ... ersey-sale. Jacobs scored two in the first end, but Jahr briefly took charge with two in the second end and two more in the third. Jacobs, from Sault. Marie, Ont., gave Canada some breathing room, following his big fourth end by adding two more points in the fifth to go up 7-4. .com) - Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 12 points in the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 70-55 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. . Messis 75th-minute goal answered some of the criticism the clubs all-time leading scorer had received for his lacklustre performances in the teams recent losses in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey final. MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australian Jason Day shot a 5-under 66 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the World Cup at Royal Melbourne. Day had a three-round total of 9-under 204 playing in his first tournament since finding out eight relatives, including his grandmother, died in Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines on Nov. 9. The wind picked up Saturday, taking away any advantage some morning rain did to slow down the slick greens. "You just have to have some patience," Day said. "I like playing difficult golf courses, thats what I do better at." Second-round leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark shot 71 and was in second place, while American Matt Kuchar had 68 and was in third, three behind. "I felt like I was in control, as sharp as I would have liked to be," Kuchar said. "I did miss out on a couple of good opportunities, but I also made a handful and got up and down from some pretty ugly places." Stuart Manley of Wales had an incredible up-and-down day, following a hole-in-one on the third with an 11 on the fourth. But he recovered with an eagle and birdie on the back nine to finish with a 72 and tied for eighth. "The highest high to the lowest low," said Manley, who patted the roof of a car on the tee after the shot, thinking he had won it, but the car is only available for a hole-in-one during Sundays fiinal round.dddddddddddd Australia leads the World Cup team standings at 11 under, one ahead of the U.S team of Kuchar and Kevin Streelman. Italys Francesco Molinari moved up the leaderboard with a 66 and was fourth, while Streelman had a 74 and is in fifth place, five strokes out of the lead. Molinari won the World Cup with his brother Edoardo in 2009. "It was obviously a very good day," Molinari said of Saturdays round. "I seemed to play better on the front nine for some reason and then it was a bit of a battle really coming back in. I dropped a shot on 16 and holed a few nice putts for par." Masters champion Adam Scott also was tied for eighth after a 68. After an opening 75 that included an 11 on one hole, the Australian has slowly moved up the leaderboard as he attempts to win his third straight tournament. But Scott said the Royal Melbourne greens are wearing him down. He won last weeks Australian Masters at Royal Melbourne after winning the Australian PGA the week before and will try to win the Australian Open next week at Royal Sydney to capture the so-called Triple Crown. "Ive hit so many putts from 50 and 60 feet in the last two weeks, its hard to make them all the time," Scott said. "Its hard to even just two-putt them around here because youre fearful of knocking it seven or eight feet by all the time." ' ' '
