NEW YORK -- Former NHL defenceman Stephane Quintal is the NHLs new senior vice-president of player safety. Hes been doing the job on an interim basis since Brendan Shanahan left the position in April to become president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The league says it interviewed many qualified candidates but determined the player safety department would be "served best under Quintals continued leadership." "Stephane Quintal has been dedicated to the mission of the Department of Player Safety since its creation for the opening of the 2011-12 season and has demonstrated over the last several months that he is uniquely suited to lead the department going forward," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "Brendan Shanahan established and built a highly functioning and well-run department in his three years at its helm. Among his most important decisions was hiring Stephane Quintal to be part of his supervisory team." Bettman said Quintal proved himself during last seasons playoffs. "Tasked with running the department last spring during the most intensely competitive and closely scrutinized part of our season -- the final regular-season weekend and the entire Stanley Cup playoffs -- Stephane proved that he clearly was up to the challenge," said Bettman. "I am confident that he is the right man for the job." During his 16 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, Quintal recorded 63 goals and 180 assists with 1,320 penalty minutes in 1,037 career games. . Forsman closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Sunday for his third Champions Tour title. He beat Jay Don Blake by two shots. . TSNs Farhan Lalji reports the Edmonton Eskimos non-import DT has a workout scheduled with an NFL team next week and isnt expected to sign a deal with any team until then.
http://www.authenticbasketballshopheat. ... at-jersey/. It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. . -- Desperate to stop Tom Bradys latest comeback bid, the Miami Dolphins sought help from a reserve safety making his NFL debut after being signed Tuesday off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday.PORTLAND, Ore. -- Dorell Wright hadnt hit a game-winner since high school, and certainly hed never had a winner that was his only basket of the game. But on Wednesday night, Wright hit a 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds left and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the late-charging Sacramento Kings 100-99. The three points amounted to his final total. "That was pretty cool right there," the nine-year NBA veteran said after the game. "Especially since I was mad at myself for not making my shots the whole game." Ray McCallum missed a 21-foot jumper as time ran out for the Kings and Portlands Robin Lopez grabbed the rebound and held it tight for the victory. LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points to lead the Blazers, who have won six of their past seven games. "It was an exciting way to win a game," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "Dorell picked a good time to make his shot." Portland, which has missed the playoffs for the past two seasons, clinched a post-season berth with a 100-94 victory over New Orleans on Sunday. The Blazers were fifth in the Western Conference with three games left. DeMarcus Cousins had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings, who were without injured guard Rudy Gay. Sacramento has lost four straight and sit near the bottom of the conference in front of the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah. Sacramento trailed by as many as 15 points late in the first half, but the Kings pressured the Blazers in the second and tied it at 84 on McCallums 3-pointer with 8:17 left in the game. Damian Lillards 3-pointer put Portland up 91-86, but Cousins layup tied it again at 93 with 3:12 left. Aldridge dunked, but Travis Outlaws jumper tied it again before Cousins scored to make it 97-95 for the Kings with 1:31 left. It was Sacramentos first lead of the game. Lopez made two free throws for the Blazers to tie it at 97 with 42.3 seconds to go. Cousins made a pair of free throws to give the Kings back a 99-97 lead with 14.8 seconds left before Wright made the 3 for the win. AAfter the game, Wrights Blazers teammates nicknamed him "Little Robert Horry.dddddddddddd" "We didnt get a great shot, didnt get great execution on that last play, but a great opportunity for Ray to make a play," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "But he came up a little bit short." Lillard had 19 points and 10 rebounds. "We made it a lot tougher than it should have been," Lillard said. Gay also missed Tuesday nights 107-92 loss at Oklahoma City because of a lower back strain. Guard Isaiah Thomas missed his ninth straight game because of a right quad injury. Former Blazer Travis Outlaw got his fourth start of the season for the Kings. The Kings appeared worn out after playing the night before and Portland pulled away in the second quarter with a 10-0 run that made it 48-35. The Blazers extended the lead to as many as 15 points and went into the break with a 56-46 lead. But the Kings closed the gap to 68-65 on Jason Thompsons dunk midway through the third quarter. Cousins hook shot got Sacramento within 70-67. But Portland responded with a 9-0 run capped by Thomas Robinsons jumper to pull back ahead 79-67 before the quarter was over. Sacramento had a nine-point run to narrow it to 79-77 with 10:45 left. Lillard answered with a 3-pointer for the Blazers. "Were playing against great teams that are playing for something and its not like they arent giving it their all," McCallum said. "So to know that we can compete with some of these top teams should give us a lot of confidence." Notes: The Portland Trail Blazers -- as well as owner Paul Allen -- are appearing on Thursday nights episode of Portlandia on the IFC channel. All-Star forward Aldridge previously appeared on the show as Penny Marshalls boyfriend. ... Former Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham was playing the final game of a 10-day contract with the Kings, although Sacramento could keep him until the end of the regular season. ... It was Blazers rookie Alan Crabbes birthday. ' ' '
