regain some of his old form playi

TORONTO - Logan Couture doesnt have to look far to be reminded of the San Jose Sharks playoff collapse against the Los Angeles Kings. His surgically repaired right hand still has scars from last months surgery, and the recovery has been slow. He expects the hand, injured in a fight with Kings centre Mike Richards, to be OK by training camp. And Couture works out with Kings defenceman Drew Doughty, who was set to have his day with the Stanley Cup on Friday. Doughty doesnt chirp his good friend, but that doesnt stop Couture from thinking about the painful first-round series loss. "I think every time I see hockey on TV or read about it in the paper," he said. The Sharks were in command of the series, up three games to none. But they proceeded to become the just the fourth team in NHL history to blow that lead. The Kings won the Cup, and the Sharks were left to wonder what went wrong. Couture doesnt ponder what he and his teammates couldve done differently. The thoughts are more simple than that. "I just think about how much it hurts," he said Thursday night at Dominic Moores Smashfest charity event. "The feelings arent going to go away — probably never. Its just something that sticks with you for a long time." In time, Couture thinks the collapse should serve as motivation for the Sharks who remain. For now, at least, that includes captain Joe Thornton and veteran winger Patrick Marleau, whose new contracts start next season and include full no-move clauses. San Jose general manager Doug Wilson has talked about rebuilding and going younger. In the process the Sharks traded 38-year-old defenceman Dan Boyles free-agent rights, traded 34-year-old defenceman Brad Stuart and bought out 33-year-old winger Marty Havlat. In free agency, the Sharks signed enforcer John Scott in an effort to "act as a deterrent and help keep teams and opposing players honest," according to Wilson. The vast majority of the roster looks similar to the one that finished the playoffs, though San Jose hopes to have defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic back after his injury and will move Brent Burns back to the blue-line. "We knew something was going to happen. Every year changes happen," Couture said. "Well see what happens going forward. Some things may happen, some things may not, so well see." One thing that may happen in the not-too-distant future is Couture becoming the captain. The Sharks took the "C" off Marleau four years ago and he has continued to play and produce, so that concept isnt far-fetched for Thornton, as well. Couture, who served as captain of the OHLs Ottawa 67s, has had conversations with Wilson this summer but said he had not been specifically asked to increase his leadership role. "I think its just expected," the 25-year-old Guelph, Ont., native said. "I think each year you play more with an organization youre expected to take on more of that role. Those are kind of the things that dont have to be said." Couture will begin his new US$30-million, five-year contract this season and hopes that his tenure in San Jose is a long one. With that, he anticipates a larger role in the locker-room and on the ice. "I think I learned a lot from the leaders on our team in San Jose the last couple of years and taking small things from them and try to be a leader as much as I can with our team with our young guys," Couture said. "Weve got a lot of leaders on that team, a lot of veteran players, so I think well be fine." --- Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Pat Neshek Jersey . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p. Mitch Williams Jersey . The Detroit Tigers slugger fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the Triple Crown in successive seasons. http://www.baseballphilliesofficial.com/maikel-franco-jersey-c-14/ . "Yes, Id like to get them in," Detroits rookie manager said. "Mother Natures going to have a say in that." Sure enough, the Tigers had their game against the Kansas City Royals postponed because of rain on Thursday. Juan Samuel Jersey . Mueller is the grandson of the late Ron Lancaster, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback and longtime head coach in the CFL. Last season, Mueller was quarterbacks coach of the University of Regina Rams, his alma mater. Michael Saunders Jersey . So it was understandable if he was a little shaky early in his return to the Texas Rangers rotation. He spent most of the outing searching for his best stuff, but still managed to shut down the struggling Minnesota Twins offence.VANCOUVER, BC a€“ When he steps on the ice on Wednesday for the Vancouver Canucks season opener, Alex Burrows will be participating in the 619th game of his National Hockey League career. That total is impressive given his well-documented rise from undrafted junior to NHL regular with stops in both the East Coast Hockey League and American Hockey League sandwiched in between. But the number alone pales in comparison to the achievement Burrows will reach at some point in the 2014-15 season. Alex Burrows is poised to crack the franchisea€?s top-10 all-time games played list later this year. Yes, in 45-years of Vancouver Canucks history, Alex Burrows is closing in on some exclusive territory. The 33-year-old winger starts the season 11th on the list a€“ and seventh among forwards a€“ with long-time teammate Ryan Kesler (655 games) immediately ahead of him on the ladder. New assistant coach Doug Lidster (666) along with Dennis Kearns (677) could also get passed as the season unfolds. In fact, if Burrows stays healthy a€“ and thata€?s a big if given his misfortune a season ago a€“ and suits up for all 82 games, he will finish the year with exactly 700 games on his NHL resume. a€?It says that Ia€?m old now,a€? Burrows said with a laugh when told hea€?s on the verge of joining the teama€?s top ten. a€?When I came in, my goal was just to play a little bit and try to stick around as long as I could. Wea€?ve had good teams and Ia€?ve been fortunate that the twins made me a pretty good player. Ita€?s been fun, but the most important thing is we want to win a Stanley Cup at some point and thata€?s why wea€?re all still here and thata€?s our goal.a€? Things will surely be different for Burrows this season. No longer a staple on the wing with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the 33-year-old native of Pincourt, Quebec may have to re-invent himself to contribute in ways other than he has in recent seasons. But the one thing the Canucks can count on from Burrows is the same strong work ethic hea€?s demonstrated since he burst onto the scene as a midseason call-up from the minors for the first time on January 2, 2006 in St. Louis. a€?I remember flying all day and missing the morning skate and walking into the locker room and seeing Trevor and Nazzy and Todd and Mo and Jovo -- those were some of my idols growing up -- and here I was playing with them,a€? he recalls of his Canucks debut. a€?It was special. It wasna€?t a very good game, we lost 4-1 and I just wanted to make sure that if I played in one game in the NHL I would get my name on the scoresheet. So I got in a fight (with Dennis Wideman) at the end of the game.a€? As fate would have it, Burrows first NHL game just happened to be the 1,200th game of Trevor Lindena€?s National Hockey League career. And the Canucks new President of Hockey Operations vividly remembers the fresh-faced rookie arriving at the rink just prior to puck drop. a€?He walked in and I was like a€?excuse me, are you a player?a€? Hea€?s bigger and stronger now than he was, but back then he was just a kid,a€? Linden says. a€?But he made a play by our bench in the second period and I was like this guy knows the game.ddddddddddddAnd from that point forward, everything he did showed hea€?s really smart.a€? Ita€?s that hockey savvy that has kept Burrows in the best league in the world since 2006. In fact, this will be his 10th NHL season and in addition to the games played list, Burrows is creeping up the franchise scoring lists, too. He begins play this year 14th in goals with 157 and 21st in points with 309. And despite the frustrations of a season disrupted by three separate injuries a year ago in which he was limited to just five goals and 15 points in 49 contests, Burrows says he loves the game as much today as he ever has. a€?Maybe even more because I know that ita€?s getting to the end a little bit,a€? he says. a€?You look around, there are a lot of young guys coming in and playing big minutes for their organizations. When I first came in there were a lot more older guys in the league who were prolonging their careers into their late thirties, but I think ita€?s a little bit different dynamic now. But for me, I obviously enjoy it a lot and seeing the young guys come in and have fun. Ia€?m not looking forward to the end.a€? Alex Burrows is nowhere near the end of his career. He may no longer be the player that once scored 35 goals in a season, but he certainly sees himself as a leader and a veteran on a Canucks team that feels it has something to prove after a second-half tailspin a year ago. And his new boss has full confidence that his former teammate will continue to do the things that earned him his chance in the NHL in the first place. a€?Ita€?s a real credit to the individual to do it the way Burr has done it,a€? says Linden. a€?Ita€?s a long road. He played hard, he worked his ass off, he was smart and he made really good decisions. And coaches love those guys.a€? Marc Crawford was the first to give Burrows a chance. Alain Vigneault made him a front-line player. Like many on the team, Burrows struggled to find his way under John Tortorella. But hea€?s confident that he can regain some of his old form playing this season for Willie Desjardins. And with the curtain about to rise on a new NHL season, Alex Burrows continues to cement his place in Vancouver Canucks history. Within two years, ita€?s possible that only Linden, the Sedins, Markus Naslund and Stan Smyl will have played more games in a Canucks uniform than the guy who once split a season between the Greenville Grrrowl and the Baton Rouge Kingfish. That was a long time ago, but it also reinforces just how far Alex Burrows has come to get to where he is today. a€?Ia€?ve always just tried to play hard and have always respected everyone in the organization,a€? Burrows says of his longevity with the only NHL organization hea€?s known. a€?At the end of the day, if you come in and work hard and people notice that youa€?re working hard and youa€?re a good human being and positive and fun to be around, I think thata€?s what attracts people to keep you around.a€? Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '