If Kevin Bieksa would've tested the free-agent waters, he probably would've found them to be warm and relaxing as he did backstrokes around more money than he's ever imagined.

Instead, the 30-year-old defenseman put his family first and likely took less money to stay with the Vancouver Canucks, signing a five-year, $23 million contract Tuesday. Bieksa would have had plenty of suitors for his services with the free-agency period starting Friday, but instead opted to stay with the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2001 Saints Drew Brees Jersey Entry Draft and community his wife and children have to come to love.

"I never really thought about leaving Vancouver," Bieksa said. "If the opportunity was here for me to come back, I was going to do everything I could Blackhawks Jonathan Toews Jersey to make it happen. My family is very happy in Vancouver and I've been here my whole career. I don't think there's many cities in North America that can beat Vancouver. It was an easy decision to commit to them."

Bieksa made his debut in 2005, playing in 39 games as a rookie. In 347 career games, the native of Grimsby, Ont., has 34 goals and 113 assists. He's coming off a Replica Gary Brackett Jersey season in which he was plus-32 while mostly playing alongside Dan Hamhuis. In the playoffs, Bieksa had 5 goals and 5 assists in 25 games, including the series-clinching goal in double overtime against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Final.

For GM Mike Gillis, keeping Bieksa and Hamhuis together was a top priority.

"We felt that he and Dan were a really solid pair for Replica A.J. Hawk Jersey us," Gillis said. "They've had an opportunity to play together for a long time. We consider both guys core players here. We wanted he and Dan to be in a position to be play together for the next five years."

Yet at the start of the 2010-11, there were few who didn't believe Bieksa eventually would be traded.

The Canucks loaded up along the blue line during the summer, Authentic Joe Namath Jersey picking up Hamhuis via free agency and Keith Ballard via trade with the Florida Panthers. Bieksa looked to be the odd man out at that time, but an offseason injury to Sami Salo appeared to be the phone call from the governor that spared Bieksa.

Still, rumors swirled that when Salo was healthy Authentic LeSean McCoy Jersey enough to return during the season, it would spell the end of Bieksa's time in Vancouver. Instead, Bieksa put together his most complete season as a pro and has a new long-term contract -- and a no-trade clause -- to show for it.

"I'm sorry to all the media members out there, specifically TSN, that's made a living on some of these rumors the last couple summers," Premier Hines Ward Jersey Bieksa cracked. "All joking aside, I'm going to be here for five years and I'll do my best to help this team win."

Bieksa told anyone that would listen he wanted to come back to Vancouver. It's something that made everyone involved happy -- fans, management, players. But there was one person who could've done without all of the loyalty being expressed publicly -- Bieksa's agent.

"I probably didn't make his job the easiest," Bieksa said. "At the end of the day, I told everybody it wasn't about money. That wasn't a determining Penguins Tyler Kennedy Jersey factor. I probably made his job a lot harder. But I think it was a pretty easy deal to get done and we got it done pretty quickly."

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Another hockey season is behind us.  The good news is, the NHL has the shortest offseason of any sport, and players report to training camp in roughly 60 days.

As always, this season brought us many memories.  For the second straight year, and third in the last four, we had an Original 6 Stanley Cup Champion.  For my novice hockey readers, Original 6 refers to the six teams that comprised the NHL from its early years in the 1920’s until the league’s first expansion in 1967: New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens, (or Les Premier Gary Brackett Jersey Habitants de Montreal, Habs for short if you’ve ever wondered the little “H” inside the big “C” stands for in their logo.

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins, keeping the Stanley Cup safely in America’s hands, under the protection of Navy Seal Team 6 for an incredible 18th straight year.  From mites and squirts, to the plethora of big time college hockey, and of course right up to the Bruins, Boston is a true hockey town.

The morning after my Rangers @ Bruins road game in October, the Boston Globe had four glorious full pages of coverage including a lengthy article strictly about the four fights in the game.  And by the way, the article was an in-depth, blow-by-blow analysis of the bouts, and how they shaped the course of the game.  Because like I said, Boston is an intelligent hockey town, and like anyone who knows the game, their sports media knows that fighting is an absolutely necessary part of the game, and should stay exactly as it is.

With the exception of the few Chris Authentic Hines Ward Jersey Simons of the hockey world, players respect each other, and respect the rules of engagement.  Players only pick fights with others in the same weight class, never throw a punch until all gloves are off and the other guy is ready, back off when one’s foe has been defeated, Eagles Jeremy Maclin Jersey and occasionally, warn their opponent of a trip hazard before the fight begins.

Case in point, take Ryan Reeves (St. Louis) vs. Paul Bissonnette (Phoenix) March 22nd.  The two drop the gloves and square off.  Before any punches are thrown, Bissonnette sees that Reeves is standing right next to one of his discarded gloves, and points to it, giving Reeves time to move to a safer spot, and then they go at it.  It’s almost as if he said, “Excuse me sir, kindly move over a bit so you don’t trip and hurt yourself.  And now I will beat your ass.”  CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GENTLEMEN’S FIGHT CLUB (courtesy hockeyfights.com.)

So anyway, congratulations Boston.  If any American city deserves Lord Stanley, it is you.

Fun fact:  Remember the juggernaut, unbeatable dynasty we know as the New England Patriots?  Would you believe the Replica Drew Brees Jersey Pats are now the Boston (area) professional sports team that has gone the longest without winning a championship?  It’s true.  Bruins 2011, Celtics 2008, Red Sox 2007, Patriots 2004.  This article is mostly pro-Boston, as am I right now, but this has now become a perfect opportunity to throw this in…18-1!!!!

Check out how Beantown celebrates the Cup at the Green Monstah.  To see a great celebration of Lord Stanley’s newest conquering heroes riding into Fenway Park during a Sox game, on Boston-famous duckboats, Holy Grail in hand, CLICK HERE.  Either Big Papi is the Dominican Republican’s biggest (and probably only) hockey fan, or he’s just extremely caught up in the moment.  The Red Sox and Bruins are having a better time than the fans.

This season also brought official notice that the American dollar is completely useless outside of our borders.  Remember the 1990’s exodus of Canadian franchises to the United States?  The Winnipeg Jets became the Phoenix Coyotes, the Quebec Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche, and the Carolina Hurricanes snatched up the…um….Hartford Whalers.  I guess they felt the Whalers were too dangerously close to Canada.  This was due to the NHL experiencing a financial boom due to great attendance and ratings, combined with a Canadian dollar worth about half of our own benjamins.  America was where the money was.  So the stars came here to play, and a few teams came with them.

Well we have officially come full circle, as the Atlanta Thrashers, the weakest link in the Southeast hockey experiment, has been cut, and shipped up to Winnipeg.  I for one, once a big supporter of as many American franchises as possible, am now all in favor of this move, as common sense prevails (occasionally), and I now have the league’s best interests at heart.  And the best thing for the league is as many franchises as possible, as long as they have rock-solid fan bases and the financial means to survive.  If that means Canada, then so be it, as they respect the game like no other.  Speaking of which, Vancouver fans did a wonderful job after their game 7 defeat.  No, I’m not kidding, and yes, I saw the riot videos.  We’ll get back to that, as soon as I’m done tearing Atlanta a new one (sorry Alan).

Atlanta may be the worst sports city in the country.  Yes far worse than even Philadelphia.  At least they’re loyal.  They have two sports interests: Georgia Bulldogs (and Yellow Jackets to an extent) football and NASCAR, which I have to admit, they’re crazy about.  Everything else, like the Falcons, Hawks and Thrashers, don’t exist.  Even the Braves, who won an incredible 11 straight division titles from 1995-2005, may have sold out 3 games during that span.

And so, during the 12-year existence of the Thrashers, Premier A.J. Hawk Jersey Atlanta fans have done for hockey what Twilight has done for vampires: everything they possibly could to destroy it.  Really?  Vampires that have sworn off eating humans, attend high school and fall in love?  All three of those are so wrong to the vampire image, I don’t even where to begin.  Could you possibly de-coolify blood-suckers anymore?  So whatcha hoping to accomplish after high school Eddie…college?  Night manager Premier Tyler Kennedy Jersey at Walmart?  Oh right, you can somehow survive in sunlight now.  Am I the only one praying Wesley Snipes tries to pay off his massive income tax debts by doing a Blade vs. Twilight flick?  So anyway, good riddance Thrashers, welcome back Winnipeg Jets!

We know the good people of Manitoba will take good care of you because the sport is sacred in the true north strong and free.

Which brings me back to Vancouver fans.  We learned that 1994 was no fluke.  No, I’m not talking about the Canucks’ ability to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, I’m talking about the city protesting their team’s game 7 loss the same way they did in ’94….violently.

So how exactly did they impress me?  No need to bring up the boob flash again…oops, too late.  So here is Mr. Ice Guy’s top 4 reasons Vancouver fans impressed me.  Why not a top-5 like everyone else?  Like I said before, I have the conch, so it’s 4.  Deal with it.

4)  The Canadian National Anthem.  A Canadian opera singer named Mark Donnelly sang Oh Canada for the Vancouver home games.  After the first verse, he stopped singing and let the crowd take over and it reminded me of Eddie Vedder doing that during Betterman at Pearl Jam concerts. Completely gave me chills.  Have a look-see.  It truly is amazing.  CLICK HERE.

3)  Booing Gary Bettman.  Every year, Commissioner Bettman comes out to present the Stanley Cup to the champions.  And every year, he is booed considerably by the fans, as he too is doing everything he possibly can to destroy our great league.  This year was the loudest yet.  The fans were so loud in fact, he literally had to scream out his announcements, he was visibly rattled and upset by the end, and had to cut short his introduction of Bruins captain Zdeno Chara to take the Cup.

2) Staying and cheering for the final 2 minutes.  With a 4-0 final in game 7, Canucks fans knew this game was over before the third period even began.  Nobody (at least not enough to notice empty seats) left the arena.  Fans sucked up the heartbreak of coming so close and cheered for the final 2 minutes, getting a team-wide, raised-stick salute in return.  They also gave a hearty ovation to Vancouver-born, Bruins tough guy Milan Lucic, when it was his turn to raise the Cup.

1) The Riot:  Yes I’ve seen the videos.  A bunch of people in Canucks jerseys behaving very badly.  And of course, the now world-famous photo of the couple making out on the ground in front of the riot police has become the Canadian version of the U.S. Navy Sailor kissing the Nurse in Times Square on V-J Day in 1945.  But there are true fans, and there are local townies.  And like I mentioned above, the true fans were respectful of their team, the sport, and the Stanley Cup.  From what I’ve heard from people who have been to Vancouver, while it is a beautiful city with many good people, also a good portion of the locals are a mix of Detroit and Seaside Heights.  So all Vancouver fans are now demonized in the news, especially since this is not the first time.  Why is it hockey only that makes for a national story when it’s something negative?

I personally went through a similar situation in College Park, Maryland for the 2002 NCAA Final Four.  As a loyal Terrapin Premier Jonathan Toews Jersey alum, I was in town for the national semis.  After the victory over Kansas to advance to the finals, there was a joyous and PEACEFUL celebration throughout route 1, the main strip along campus.  The road was closed and it was wall-to-wall people having a blast.  And then it turned violent with fires, store-front windows smashed, fights, riot police and arrests.  The same joyous-to-melee scene was repeated two days later when the Terps knocked off Women Dustin Keller Jersey Indiana to win it all.  And so, the newspapers and news sites had plenty of harsh words for the “Maryland students gone wild.”  But what you didn’t read in the ultra-PC news, is that the melee began about the same time hundreds of Washington D.C. teens and young adults made the short 15-minute drive to College Park to get involved in the celebration.  So Vancouver was a similar situation.  “Real” hockey and Canucks’ fans are innocent here.  Like I said, well done.

I was going to include my thoughts on the big news of the Rangers finally making the upcoming Winter Classic.  With how much I’ve whined about their exclusion, one would think I’d have been all over this by now.  But of course I still have lots to bitch about.  Everything to this point has been positive, so that will be a story for another time.

Tags: Respectfully Rubbing It In Canada's Face

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During a conference call Tuesday to discuss the signing of free agent defenseman Kevin Bieksa, Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis didn't sound optimistic about his chances to re-sign fellow free agent defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. About two hours later, the Canucks gave up any hope of re-signing Ehrhoff before July 1.

The New York Islanders gave the Canucks a 2012 fourth-round pick Youth Aaron Rodgers Jersey in exchange for the exclusive rights Premier Jeremy Maclin Jersey to negotiate with Ehrhoff in the days leading up to the start of the free-agent period, which gets under way Friday.

Bieksa took what was likely a discount to stay with the Canucks, signing a five-year, $23 million deal. When Gillis was asked about how the negotiations with Ehrhoff were going, he made it sound as though Ehrhoff was pricing himself out of Vancouver.

"We're still taking about different possibilities, but like I said earlier, playing Replica Dustin Keller Jersey on this team is more important than individual compensation," Gillis said. "That's our expectation with everybody. It works with some but it may not work with Blackhawks Duncan Keith Jersey others. I can't tell you what I expect.

"We'll just see how it goes. If he's unwilling to accept what we think is fair and allows us to be competitive, we'll go in a different direction."

Hours later, the Canucks went in a different direction. Gillis even offered the possibility of dealing Ehrhoff's rights, although he never said anything specifically about there being a deal in the works with the Islanders.

"I think if we get to a point in the negotiations where we have an offer to trade someone's rights who won't be signed here, then we'll do that," Gillis said. "If we don't get anything done, we'll explore all our other opportunities."

Ehrhoff is one the game's best at adding offense from the blue line. The 28-year-old had a career-high 14 goals and 36 assists in 79 games last season. He had 2 goals and 10 assists in 23 playoff games, but struggled mightily during the Stanley Cup Final as he played through Colts Dwight Freeney Jersey a shoulder injury he suffered in the Western Conference Premier Franco Harris Jersey Final.

It might be tough to replace Ehrhoff, but Gillis offered a confident Authentic Drew Brees Jersey response when asked if he would try to replace the German defenseman with a free agent. He even mentioned Sami Salo, another free-agent Canucks blueliner, in his potential plans for 2011-12.

"I think Keith Ballard Penguins Sidney Crosby Jersey is going to be a good player for us next year," Gillis said. "I think Chris Tanev can step up and play more minutes and have a more active role. Sami Salo we'll have for all of next season hopefully, not what we just had. We'll take it as it comes. I'm not sure if there will be a defenseman out there that can help us. We'll see what's available."

The Islanders, meanwhile, have two days to work out a deal with perhaps the best offensive defenseman in the free-agent market before other teams can make offers. They are about $27 million under the salary cap for 2011-12, and this move could be a sign the Islanders are ready to spend more money than they have in years past.

The Islanders have six defensemen under contract for next season -- Mark Streit, Milan Jurcina, Mark Eaton, Mike Mottau, Andrew MacDonald and Travis Hamonic.

Tags: Canucks Unable To Keep Ehrhoff

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Looking to get a jumpstart on free agency, the New York Islanders acquired the rights to Authentic Jonathan Toews Jersey pending unrestricted free agent Christian Ehrhoff from the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night in exchange for Authentic Gary Brackett Jersey a fourth-round draft Premier Drew Brees Jersey pick.

Ehrhoff, who turns 29 on July 6, had 50 points in 79 games for the Canucks this season. The steelers Franco Harris Jersey 6-foot-2, 203-pound blueliner also went 2-10-12 in 23 postseason contests.

A former fourth-round draft choice of the San Jose Sharks (No. 106 in 2001), Ehrhoff has posted back-to-back 14 goal seasons with Vancouver. If signed, he would immediately become the Isles' No. 2 defenseman behind Mark Streit. Ehrhoff has 53 goals and 173 assists in 500 NHL games.

The Islanders now have exclusive negotiating rights with Ehrhoff until Authentic A.J. Hawk Jersey noon on Friday, when the free agency market Replica Jeremy Maclin Jersey officially opens. Ehrhoff was a $3.1 million cap hit over his three-year deal with the Canucks.

The trade came down just hours Jets Dustin Keller Jersey after the Canucks announced they signed defenseman Kevin Bieksa to a five-year Authentic Tyler Kennedy Jersey extension. Bieska's deal is worth a reported $23 million.

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Landeskog and Duncan Siemens, selected by the Avalanche with the second and 11th overall picks in last weekend's Entry Draft, were introduced to the local media in the room on Tuesday.
  
The Swedish-born Landeskog, an 18-year-old left wing, was thrilled to see Joe Sakic's retired locker in the corner – it's encased in plexiglass and includes a No. 19 jersey and equipment – and he was especially excited when a reporter pointed to where former star Peter Forsberg's old locker was.

"Maybe I'll go and stand in front of that locker for a bit," Landeskog said. "I'm very thrilled to be a part of this, not only because of Peter Forsberg – one of the best players to ever play the game – but obviously (because of) Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy and Adam Foote. I'm very excited to be wearing this jersey. It's a tremendous honor and I'm looking forward to Authentic Jeremy Maclin Jersey making an impact."
  
Landeskog, a 6-foot-1, 207-pounder, usually isn't lost for words. But he was tongue-tied after fielding a telephone call from Forsberg, his idol while growing up in Stockholm, while sitting at the Avalanche's draft table Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
  
"I was stuttering at first, to say the least," he said. "I didn't really know what to say. But we had a good talk there. He wished me good luck. It was very exciting. He was a real big role model for me. I'd always seen him on TV, so it was really special to talk to him first hand."
  
Forsberg retired in February following an unsuccessful comeback attempt and the Avalanche believe that Landeskog has the right stuff to become their next Swedish star.
  
"Just the way he approaches the game, we think he's special," said Rick Pracey, the Avalanche's director of amateur scouting. "Gabriel is an extremely focused individual."
  
Landeskog left home for Canada at age 16 to hone his game and improve his English. He played two seasons with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League and was named the franchise's first European-born captain this past season. He finished with 36 goals, 30 assists and 61 penalty minutes in 53 games, missing some time because of an ankle injury.
    
"He was 13 or 14 when he decided to make lifestyle changes to improve himself, to get over here and to learn the language," Pracey said. "It's truly impressive. He has a presence to him. We think he's a professional now. His level of maturity and his ability to make decisions are for the long term and with the right things in mind."
    
Landeskog said it wasn't easy to leave family and friends behind, but he felt compelled to do so in order to improve his chances of fulfilling his dream to play in the NHL.
  
"I felt it was the right thing to do for my development," he said. "I'd been over three or four times for tournaments, but it was the first time I was by myself. I lived with a billet family that really took care of me. I loved it there."
  
Landeskog's father, Women Aaron Rodgers Jersey Tony, played professionally in Sweden Premier Dustin Keller Jersey and is in the insurance business. He made the trip across the Atlantic three times a year to visit with his son. Landeskog's mother, Cecelia, is a chef and teaches a food nutrition class. He Premier Sidney Crosby Jersey has a twin sister, Beatrice, and his brother Adam turned 21 on Tuesday. His mom and siblings were able to visit once a year during hockey Replica Dwight Freeney Jersey season and the entire family attended the draft.
  
The Landeskogs became quite proficient at using Skype to keep in touch between visits.
  
"Today's technology is pretty amazing," he said. "I also talked to my friends that way. At the same time, I lived my life over here. You have to get used to that, too. You can't just sit at the computer all the time and talk to your friends and family back home."
  
Landeskog was heading back to his billet family in Toronto on Tuesday night to work out with a trainer for two weeks before Saints Devery Henderson Jersey flying back to Denver to attend the Avalanche's development camp in mid-July. He'll return to Sweden after that to prepare for a September rookie camp in Colorado.
  
"I'm just racking up the air miles right now and living Premier Duncan Keith Jersey out of a suitcase pretty much, but it's fun," he said. "I'm very fortunate to be a part of this. Not a lot of 18-year-olds get to do this on a daily basis."
  
Siemens, a physical Authentic Franco Harris Jersey 6-3, 197-pound defenseman, doesn't even turn 18 until Sept. 7. The Sherwood Park, Alberta, native collected five goals, 38 assists and 121 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League. He'll attend Canada's world junior development camp in August after taking part in the Avalanche's development camp.
 
"Duncan is very outgoing, very engaging, and he has a clear idea of the type of player that he is," Pracey said. "We were joking when we were in the hallway today looking at all the (NHL) awards on our walls that our players have won. He was looking at the Lady Byng Award (won by Sakic in 2001) and he said, 'That's one I'm never going to get.'"
 
Siemens called it "an honor" just to be inside the Avalanche locker room and is hopeful of makingenough of an impression in training camp to have a crack at making the opening night roster.
  
"I describe myself as the type of player who is willing to go to battle for one of my teammates," he said. "Sometimes that requires getting in there and scrapping. That comes from being a hard, physical guy and some guys on other teams take exception to that. There are times you have to answer the bell and it's something I'm not afraid to do."

Tags: Landeskog Siemens Excited To Be Avs

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