Post by lingzi on Sept 12, 2012 8:29:13 GMT 1
DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings were in rough shape nearly three decades ago when Mike Ilitch bought the NHL franchise. Matt Schaub Jersey . They were irrelevant enough in the Motor City that cars were given away to fans who bothered to show up to see the team known as the Dead Wings likely lose. Jim Devellano changed that. Ilitch hired Devellano to be the teams general manager in 1982 and he helped turn the franchise into one of the best in sports, winning four Stanley Cups during a still-active streak of 19 straight postseasons. Of course, he knew what he was doing: He earned three of his seven Stanley Cup rings with the Islanders as their assistant GM. In a builder category that seems to fit perfectly, the Red Wings senior vice president will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night in Toronto along with Dino Ciccarelli, Cammi Granato, Angela James and the late Daryl Doc Seaman. Its a nice culmination of a pretty long career - 44 straight years in the NHL with three teams, said Devellano, who started as a scout in 1967 in St. Louis. As long as the Red Wings want me to continue to work, Im happy to do it. Its difficult to imagine Ilitch ever telling the man known as Jimmy D that his services are no longer needed. Devellano shaped the future of the franchise by drafting Steve Yzerman in 1983 and Nicklas Lidstrom six years later. He hired current GM Ken Holland and helped get coach Scotty Bowman to work behind Detroits bench. Hes been critical to the success of the franchise, Yzerman said. Very quietly, he worked behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for the success that started to come in the mid-1990s. By then, the man Devellano groomed to take his job - Holland - was ready after gaining experience as a scout and assistant GM. Holland said one of the reasons the Red Wings have had success was Devellanos open-minded approach to adding Russians such as Sergei Fedorov and Swedes such as Lidstrom. Other GMs at the time thought you were wasting a pick if you drafted a European, Holland recalled. When we took Sergei, Jimmy said lets draft him even if it takes 10 years to get him here. Within a year, he defected. Devellano grew up in Toronto and worked his way into the NHL as a volunteer scout for the Blues when the league expanded. The Islanders got Devellano as a scout in 1972, and he became head scout two years later. He was promoted to assistant GM in 1981 during the teams championship streak. Soon after Ilitch began building his sports empire with the Red Wings in June 1982, Devellano was the first person he hired to help him build a winning franchise. Although Jimmy never played professional hockey himself, he was born with an intense love for the game and has devoted his life to hockey, Mike and Marian Ilitch wrote in the foreword of Devellanos book, The Road to Hockeytown. He lives and breathes the game. Hockey is better off because of Jimmy Devellano. Vonta Leach Jersey .C. -- After just missing the podium in the womens race Alex Gough wasnt going to be denied in the relay at the luge World Cup. Terrell Suggs Jersey . Kearns, who missed his third straight game Tuesday against Philadelphia, said the test showed his elbow is fine. Hes struggled all season, and is batting . Matt Schaub Jersey . DeMarcus Cousins scored 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for Kentucky, which rallied from seven down late in the second half. Patrick Patterson scored 19 and had 10 boards for the Wildcats (25-1, 10-1 SEC), who have won six in a row since falling at South Carolina. Dee Bost scored 22 for the Bulldogs (18-8, 6-5), who played without leading scorer Ravern Johnson. Jamaal Charles Jersey . Mariner was an assistant coach for the Revolution from 2004 to 2009 before taking a coaching job Plymouth Argyle in England. He is now completely focused on the plight of Toronto FC -- a team that is still looking for its first win since he took the helm. D.J. Williams Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN Mobile TV on Tuesday morning at 5am et/2am pt. The game can also be heard live on TSN Radio 1050 and will be available for viewing on demand at TSN.INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts will soon get a more thorough look at Andrew Luck. They wont have the same opportunity with Robert Griffin III. General manager Ryan Grigson said Monday the Colts plan to bring Luck to Indianapolis for an individual workout during the next couple of weeks. Luck is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in next months draft. Griffin is expected to go second, but Grigson said the Colts wouldnt see the Heisman Trophy winner work out at the team complex. "Circumstances didnt allow us to do anything private with him (Griffin) so we did the usual Pro Day," Grigson said during a conference call. "We did the best we could with that situation. We do have a private workout that were scheduling with Andrew in the future." Grigson was ill last week and could not attend Griffins workout in Waco, Texas, or Lucks workout in Palo Alto, Calif., though there were Colts representatives in both places. Team owner Jim Irsay has already said he plans to take Peyton Mannings successor with the No. 1 pick, but nobody within the organization is saying whether theyll take the consensus favourite, Luck, or the fast riser, Griffin. Luck is considered the most polished quarterback to come out of college since Manning was taken No. 1 overall by the Colts in 1998. "Obviously you want to go No. 1, who wouldnt want to go No. 1?" Luck said after last weeks Pro Day workout. "Im just trying to prepare myself for the NFL, whichever team that is. Whether its watching certain defences or going out there and working on throws Ive never done before. Thats been my focus and it hasnt been hard to stay on that path." Without Manning, the Colts collapsed last season. They went a league-worst 2-14, and have embarked on an ambitious rebuilding project -- one that no longer includes Manning. Indy released its franchise quarterback March 7, and last week the four-time league MVP signed a new five-year deal with the Denver Broncos. But Grigson insisted Monday that the team has not decided who to take and would likely wait until after the first round is completed April 26 before negotiating a deal with the top pick. "Were going to do it the old-fashioned way, and thats not something thats been discussed at this point about how we would go about that," Grigson said. "I think well do it like teams always have and keep it simple." Clearly, this is a team in transition. In addition to releasing Manning, the Colts made a series of cost-cutting moves by releasing defensive captains Garry Brackett and Melvin Bullitt and former Pro Bowlers Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai earlier this month. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey. . They also have lost longtime centre Jeff Saturday to Green Bay, emerging receiver Pierre Garcon to Washington and backup tight end Jacob Tamme to Denver in free agency. There was even speculation that the Colts may try to save more money by trading perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney, who will count $19 million against the salary cap this season. Grigson denied those rumours. "Theres never been any substance that would suggest were doing anything like that. Hes a Colt, period," Grigson said. "Everything with Dwight is great. Hes going to be here this year," Grigson added. "We expect him to be a major contributor and a guy who strikes fear in our opponents and those offensive linemen every week." The Colts havent completely gutted the roster. They did re-sign receiver Reggie Wayne to a three-year deal, and Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Mathis to a four-year deal. Mathis and Freeney have been one of the leagues most feared pass-rushing tandems since 2004. New coach Chuck Pagano has called them "game-wreckers" and is still contemplating how best to use the two as he tries to switch from the Colts trademark Tampa 2 scheme to Paganos favoured 3-4 system. Grigsons biggest concern has been putting together an offensive unit in which the new quarterback -- Luck or Grigson -- can thrive. The Colts have stockpiled talent along the offensive line by trading for Winston Justice and signing free agents Mike McGlynn and Samson Satele. They also signed free agent receiver Donnie Avery, a speedster who could give them a major deep threat if hes healthy. "Hes always been a fast guy," Grigson said of Avery. "Hes had considerable production early on in his career and, of course, he as well as we, hope he gets back to that level. We sure hope he does and I know he does. Its a nice get for us based on what he brings to the table and what he can help in this offence with much needed wrinkle of speed." But the biggest question going forward is the one Grigson doesnt want to answer. "I really go through this thing methodically and I watch a ton of tape. We take every bit of information that we gather with our own two eyes and (take) everything into account," Grigson said when asked about the evaluations. "Were going to use this process every minute up until the time were on the clock." ' ' '