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MIAMI -- In their fitful, laborious search for a general manager, the Miami Dolphins finally found someone to say yes: Dennis Hickey. The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive accepted the job Sunday, ending a search that lasted nearly three weeks. Hickeys hiring came after the Dolphins were rejected by several candidates. New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and Tennessee Titans vice-president of player personnel Lake Dawson turned down job offers only hours before Miami reached out to Hickey, while Cleveland Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer withdrew from consideration Thursday. Several others declined invitations to interview as a replacement for Jeff Ireland, whose six-year stint as general manager ended Jan. 7 when he and owner Stephen Ross agreed to part ways. Hickey has been with the Buccaneers for 18 seasons, including the past three as director of player personnel. He was their director of college scouting for six years. He was not interviewed for Tampa Bays GM job when it became open after this season. The Bucs won four division titles and one Super Bowl championship during his time with them, but went 28-52 over the past five years and had spotty draft results during that span. Hickey was among eight candidates interviewed by Miami, with Ross aide Matt Higgins and executive vice-president of football administration Dawn Aponte helping the owner with the screening process. The other finalist was Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine, who worked under Ireland. Some candidates and potential candidates expressed concern about the Dolphins power structure, including the role of Aponte, who clashed with Ireland. In a news release to announce the hiring, the Dolphins said Hickey will oversee all aspects of football operations and report directly to Ross. Coach Joe Philbin will continue to report directly to Ross as well, while Apontes place in the chain of command wasnt spelled out. Ross loyalty to Philbin, who is 15-17 in two seasons with Miami, may have been a stumbling block for some candidates. In a statement, Ross cited Hickeys willingness to work with Philbin as a factor in the hiring. "When we started the search, I outlined qualities that I was looking for in this position," Ross said. "These included a collaborative team-first person who can work with Joe, demonstrated player evaluation expertise, and someone who is open-minded and creative. Dennis fit all of these criteria." The Titans Dawson released a statement saying he had declined Miamis job offer. "I felt Stephen is a great owner, passionate and wants to win, but the details of the offer didnt align with my vision," Dawson said. "I turned it down because it wasnt an ideal fit for my family and me." So Ross turned to Hickey, who was interviewed for the first time 10 days into the search. The protracted process reinforced Ross reputation for having difficulty closing deals with the Dolphins. In the past, the New York real estate billionaire has unsuccessfully courted Peyton Manning, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Fisher. Hickeys task will be to upgrade the roster after Miami collapsed late in the season to blow a playoff berth and finish 8-8. The Dolphins havent been above .500 since 2008, the longest such stretch in franchise history. The tumultuous 2013 season included a locker-room bullying scandal that drew national scrutiny, and a report on the NFL investigation into the case will be released after the Super Bowl. "The Dolphins certainly have talented players," Hickey said in a statement, "and I am eager to hit the ground running with our personnel and coaching staffs. We will all work together to construct a team that will make our organization and fans proud." Hickey will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday. AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tenn. contributed to this report. . Gaborik was acquired in a trade with Columbus on Wednesday and skated on the top line with centre Anze Kopitar and right-winger Justin Williams. "We created some things," said Gaborik, who logged 16:38 of ice time. . But when it was all over they had wasted another lead, seen another pitcher flame out on the mound and lost their fourth straight at home. . The veteran NFL receiver received his work permit and is in Montreal for the start of the Alouettes rookie camp. Johnson even took in the Montreal Canadiens Game 5 win over the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre Tuesday night. . -- Jake Paterson made 39 saves as the Saginaw Spirit halted the Guelph Storms seven-game win streak with a 6-3 victory on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. . "Ive still got it," Seattles ace said with a sly grin. Riding that fastball carrying a little more zip, Hernandez took a shutout bid into the ninth inning as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Wednesday night. On the verge of a brilliant shutout and first complete game since Aug.Should the Montreal Canadiens appear in front of an arbitrator on Friday, they will have the unenviable task of making a case against the value of P.K. Subban. The Norris Trophy-winning defenceman is a restricted free agent coming off a two-year bridge deal worth $5.75 million and is looking at a sizable raise in the neighbourhood of the NHLs elite defenders. What general manager Marc Bergevin must do (hypothetically for the time being, unless a deal is signed) is come up with a list of knocks against his No. 1 defender in order to determine a fair price. Subban has already made his case to be considered among the NHLs elite defenceman. He won the Norris Trophy in 2013, an Olympic gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Games in February and is an offensive threat every time he hits the ice. The question is, what can the Canadiens say about Subban in arbitration that would keep the price south of the elite-level salary he would likely fetch on the open market? NORRIS TROPHY When Subban won the Norris in 2013, he did so after just 48 games (42 played of 48, actually) due to the lockout. Could the Canadiens argue that a strong half season is not enough time to crown a player among the games elite? Subban tied for the league lead in scoring among defenceman with 38 points - 26 coming on the power play - and finished second in goals and third in assists. By comparison, when Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson won the Norris in 2012 he did so by outscoring his counterparts by 225 points and leading defenders in both goals and assists.dddddddddddd OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL Subban was a constant topic of discussion leading up to the selection of Canadas mens Olympic hockey team for Sochi and throughout the early stages of the tournament as well. As Team Canada searched for offence in the group stage, many wondered whether it was time to inject a full dose of the electric Subban into the lineup. The verdict? Subban played one game and Canada shut down opponent after opponent en route to a second straight gold medal. His selection is a boost, but does his contribution, or lack thereof, hurt the cause? P.K. THE SCORER Subban is an exciting player with a stellar combination of size, speed and creativity. His biggest assets come on the offensive side of the puck, and more particularly the power play. He has 167 points in 284 career games, giving him the third best points per game average (.588) among active players behind Sergei Gonchar (.636) and Mike Green (.626) and tied with Dan Boyle. His high-risk, high-reward style has burned the Habs on occasion in the past, but does his production outweigh a few bad plays? As mentioned, its an ugly part of the business when a team has to give reasons why one of its stars is not worth a particular amount of money. But since it has to be done, the question remains. What evidence, if any, can the Canadiens use in arbitration to make Subbans payday more reasonable for the club? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '
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