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VANCOUVER - Willie Desjardins has built champions in major junior hockey and the AHL. Bob Gibson Womens Jersey . 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." Trevor Rosenthal Cardinals Jersey . The NBA announced the penalty Friday, two days after Carter threw an elbow and made contact with the head of Oklahoma City centre Steven Adams. Lance Lynn Cardinals Jersey . Sam Carrick and Jerry DAmigo, with an empty-netter, also scored as part of a three-goal third period that broke the game open for Toronto. Josh Leivo, Spencer Aboott and Jerrod Smithson collected two assists apiece in front of an announced crowd of 6,399 at Ricoh Coliseum.DENVER - Unless the nose-diving Denver Nuggets can turn things around, theyll miss the playoff for the first time since 2003, when they got Carmelo Anthony after a 17-65 season. Things have gotten so bad that the Nuggets had to resort to seldom-used reserve Jordan Hamilton running the point during a recent 39-point drubbing at Indiana. Ty Lawson (rib), Nate Robinson (torn ACL) and even Randy Foye (banged knee) were all hurt, and Andre Miller hasnt been around the team since getting into a shouting match with first-year coach Brian Shaw on New Years Day. The Nuggets skidded into the All-Star break on a four-game losing streak, their 10-year playoff streak in serious jeopardy as they stand in 11th place in the Western Conference at 24-27, six games out of the eighth spot. While Lawson is expected back soon, Danilo Gallinari wont be coming to the rescue. The Italian sharpshooter who joined the Nuggets in the blockbuster trade that sent Anthony to New York a few years back, had a major setback in his recovery from a torn left ACL and recently required a second surgery that will sideline him until next season. He blew out his left knee last April and his absence played a big role in another first-round playoff exit after a franchise-best 57-win regular season and the subsequent departure of long-time coach George Karl, part of an exodus that included Andre Iguodala and general manager Masai Ujiri, who was replaced by Tim Connelly. Shaws first season as an NBA head coach has been trying, as evidenced by his spat with Miller, who was initially suspended two games, a punishment that was revoked so he could continue to get paid but which failed to lead to a quick resolution. Throw in the injuries and Shaws had to juggle his depleted lineup. "Ive probably gotten 10 years of experience in this first half of the season," Shaw said. "... In a way, I like to kind of go through everything. Theres a lot worse situations; were just continuing to try to work through it. A lot of guyss that wouldnt be getting opportunities are getting to play now because of the injuries. Adam Wainwright Jersey. So its allowing us to evaluate what we really have and discover who can get it done and who cant. "Im learning as I go. Im learning our team as we go. Im not going to make any excuses; it was the hand we were dealt and we just have to continue to work." Its not just a matter of being short-handed, however. "We havent always just taken pride and gotten mad when our man is scoring. We worry more about how many shots were getting and things that are happening on the offensive end, and I want us to have that same kind of excitement about whats going on on the defensive end," he said. Lawsons return to the floor will go a long way in curing some of these ills. "If I was Tys agent Id be smiling and feeling really good right now," Shaw said, "because it just shows how important he is to our team — not only the speed of our team and the ability to help us score, but just organizing things and giving the other guys confidence that they lack with him not being out there." Miller figures to be gone by Thursdays trade deadline as there are plenty of contenders who could use a veteran point guard with a friendly contract, but the only leverage the Nuggets might gain would presumably be if multiple teams come calling. Unless they reverse their recent slide, the Nuggets will be playing out the string for the first time in more than a decade. J.J. Hickson said that turnaround starts on the defensive end. "Offense is not the problem. We know we can score with whomever, even with Ty out," Hickson said. "Thats a big loss for us, but were the type of team that likes to get up and down, so we know that teams cant keep up with us and we like to put pressure on teams. But it all starts with defence. If you look at the top teams in the league, all of them are top five or top ten in defence, and thats not us right now." AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '
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