Quiz: Know your NHL Entry Draft history?

On Sunday, the latest crop of young hockey talent will hear their names called in New Jersey. They'll walk onto the stage, shake hands with their new team's executives, pop on a jersey and begin their career as an NHL draft pick.

How much do you know about draft picks of the past?

Which former NHL coach was drafted last overall? Which player was picked twice by the same team? How many Russians have gone first overall?

Test your NHL draft knowledge by taking our quiz!

Take Our Quiz!

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Reed: Spain, Brazil vie for Confed Cup glory

It is the climax everyone expected, the host nation Brazil against World Cup champion Spain was the only logical finale after both teams arrive in Rio de Janeiro with perfect records, writes Nigel Reed.

The dress rehearsal is almost complete. 

All that remains is the final act and the curtain calls. The script, though, is incomplete. Fate might know how this ends - the rest of us will have wait and see. 

It is the climax we expected. The host nation against the world champion was the only logical finale - any other match-up at the iconic Maracana stadium would have left a trail of unanswered questions about how Brazil or Spain failed to reach the FIFA Confederations Cup championship game.

Both teams arrive to the last game with perfect records. The South American giants and the European champions cruised through the group stages but were stretched in their respective semifinals. Brazil found a late winner after surviving a strong challenge from neighbouring Uruguay, while Spain was pushed all the way to penalty shootouts before finally disposing of Italy.

One of those records is about to be spoiled. Will it be the faulty lock on Brazil's backdoor we saw hanging off its hinges on Wednesday as Edinson Cavani exploited some comedic defending? If Uruguay could find a way through, surely Spain can expose the same weakness.

Can soccer's next superstar end the Confederations Cup as he began? When this tournament is done Neymar will continue his soccer education in Spain. But before the highly anticipated move to Europe, the 21-year-old Brazilian has the chance to finish with a flourish against the world's best team.

Contrast of styles

Either scenario is a plausible possibility; perhaps we'll be lucky enough to see both. It promises to be a fascinating contrast of style and footballing philosophy. Brazil - carefree, spontaneous and eager to entertain against Spain, whose precise, patient passing game has not won any fans in South America, but has a proven track record of success. 

The Confederations Cup is not the World Cup and does not pretend to be. Winning it, as Brazil has done for the last two editions, is no guarantee of success at the main event the following year. Brazil's 2009 triumph was followed by a quarter final exit at the 2010 World Cup. Nobody thought about Spain's shocking semifinal defeat to the Americans when it stood on top of the footballing world for the first time in South Africa.

Curiously, though, the 2013 Confederations Cup is a competition both Brazil and Spain need to win. The host nation wants to send out a global message that it is back; it must demonstrate to the qualifiers that it has a new cast of exciting characters and, having waited more than 60 years to stage the World Cup again, it's not going to let that opportunity go to waste. 

Spain stands on the threshold of greatness. Having dominated world soccer for five years it must underline its authority and show it can beat even Brazil in its own backyard. In simple terms, La Roja must keep winning - starting with this test event to remind itself and its rivals it remains top dog. 

Absent friends will be watching and looking for chinks in the armour. Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium and others all have a vested interest in what happens between Brazil and Spain. They all know, even a year before the World Cup kicks off, the road to success in 2014 will likely have to go through one or both of these nations. 

Brazil has home advantage and must use that energy and backing to the best of its ability. The so-called "12th man" is never a bad thing but the Brazilians must not go gung-ho from the outset. Flair is all well and good but it must be used responsibly against an opponent of Spain's calibre. 

At this level improvisation can lead to carelessness. Spain is not only the best passing team on the planet - it is also one of the hardest working outfits in an area often overlooked. When they don't have the ball, the Spaniards hustle harder than most to regain possession and control of the game.

You won't have to watch to know when Spain has the football. You'll hear it. The incessant whistling and jeering from 70+ thousand Brazilians will accompany every spell of foreign occupation, but it won't faze the world champion. Spain has been there and done that.

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Friedman: Sorting through the NHL draft rumour mill

So many names were thrown into the rumour mill at the NHL draft that it was borderline impossible to process them all. But here are some of the major storylines to follow, including the Vancouver Canucks goalie situation.

Finally saw Man of Steel on Friday night. You know that scene where General Zod arrives on Earth and is completely overwhelmed by his new powers?

That's what it was like arriving at the NHL Draft on Saturday. So many names were thrown into the rumour mill that it was borderline impossible to process them all. But here are some of the major storylines to follow:

*When a general manager is asked about a player potentially being traded, and the response is, "We are listening to proposals...You never say never," well, that's more than just smoke. That's called being tempted, and the Vancouver Canucks have a decision to make.

After a lengthy dance with Roberto Luongo, Mike Gillis is looking at the entire situation and saying: "What is going to make us better? Is it a surrender on Luongo's deal, letting him go and keeping Schneider? Or, is it keeping Luongo, and adding whatever we can get for Schneider?"

Logic dictates the answer is choice number two. People like Schneider, both as a goalie and a person. He has value.

There was a rumour going around Saturday that Gillis might jettison both goalies and start over with Mike Smith, who is a former client from the GM's agent days. 

That was forcefully denied.

There is, of course, another angle to this. Does Luongo want to stay in Vancouver as the undisputed No. 1 even if Schneider is traded? Months ago, I was told by several sources that the only way this could happen was if both sides sat down and had a lengthy conversation about the way things would have to be.

I'm not sure that conversation has happened. But, there is no way the Canucks could try it without being certain Luongo would agree to all of this. Could they?

Gillis made sure to keep all of his options open. He didn't say Schneider would be traded, but let everyone know it is possible. He didn't say Luongo wouldn't be bought out, but said he hadn't decided.

What we do know is this: the Canucks are considering a new approach.

Vincent Lecavalier's potential suitors

*Friday night, Vincent Lecavalier decided to go to New York for a Saturday full of meetings with interested teams.

Although he cannot sign a contract until July 5, Lecavalier initially indicated he wanted to choose a new destination beforehand. But, there's been so much interest, he might need a little more time to whittle down the list and maybe make a visit or two.

The interviewees included Toronto, Montreal, St. Louis, Anaheim, Philadelphia (the Flyers arrived earlier than initially planned so they could talk with him) and Dallas. Detroit and Calgary get their facetime Sunday morning before Lecavalier departs.

Florida did not meet with him, but GM Dale Tallon told reporters they will make contact post-draft. The Panthers would be a real interesting one. Their budget is tight, but you could make an argument stretching it to make room for Lecavalier is a worthwhile investment.

*Last one: Tyler Seguin. A couple of different sources said Boston is targeting a top 10 pick with him. 

Lots more to come on Sunday, no doubt. Enjoy the Rumour Orgasmatron.

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2013 NHL Entry Draft tracker

Seth Jones. Nathan MacKinnon. Jonathan Drouin.

Just a few of the many young prospects that will hear their names called in Newark, N.J., at this year's NHL Entry Draft.

Those three skaters are seen as the top prospects available Sunday at the Prudential Centre, but there is word that the top pick has already been decided upon.

The Colorado Avalanche, who hold the first overall selection, have gone against the grain by stating publicly that they are leaning towards the 17-year-old MacKinnon.

But it's not just the youngsters that could make a splash on draft day.

Established stars like Vincent Lecavalier, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider and Tyler Seguin have been rumoured to be in play and could be on the move.

With all that buzz surrounding the draft, this Sunday is set to be an interesting one in the NHL.

Stay up to date with all the picks and deals with this live blog.

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The Package: NHL draft class of 2013

All eyes will be on the top three projected picks at the NHL Entry Draft on Sunday. Before their names are called to join their new NHL clubs on stage in New Jersey, see the top highlights of  Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, and Jonathan Drouin.

All eyes will be on the top three projected picks at the NHL Entry Draft on Sunday. Before they join their new NHL clubs on stage in New Jersey, read up on Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones, and Jonathan Drouin and watch some of their top highlights from their time in junior hockey.

Seth Jones

Age: 18
Birthplace: Arlington, Tex.

Position: Defence

Junior team: Portland Winterhawks

2012/13 stats: 61GP, 14G, 42A, 33 PIM

NHL Central Scouting has the mobile defenceman ranked No. 1 overall, and that's because he's got speed, size, strength and a nose for the net -- all the qualities coveted by teams desperate for a young offensive-minded blue-liner to plug into their roster as soon as possible.

Highlights:

Nathan MacKinnon

Age: 18
Birthplace: Halifax, N.S.

Position: Centre

Junior team: Halifax Mooseheads

2012/13 stats: 44GP, 32G, 43A, 45 PIM

Patrick Roy, the newest coach of the Colorado Avalanche, expressed his desire to take the speedy centre with the first-overall selection in this year's draft.

It's not hard to see why, especially after the show he put on during the Memorial Cup. MacKinnon was tops in tournament scoring with seven goals and 13 points over four games. It earned him MVP honours, and may also earn him the first-overall designation.

Highlights:

Jonathan Drouin

Age: 18
Birthplace: Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que.

Position: Left wing

Junior team: Halifax Mooseheads

2012/13 stats: 49GP, 41G, 86A, 42 PIM

MacKinnon's teammate helped the Mooseheads to an amazing 58-6-4 record in the QMJHL this year, as the winger not only benefited from playing with MacKinnon, but vice versa.

The reigning CHL Player of the Year and QMJHL MVP earned those honours by averaging more than two points a game this season. If he's not snatched up first or second overall, he's the best consolation prize a team could hope for.

Highlights: 

Drouin's highlight reel includes a jaw-dropping individual effort leading to a tap-in goal for a teammate, starting at 1:45:

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Blue Jays getting better pitching, better results

The recent resurgence enjoyed by the Toronto Blue Jays is directly related to the improved performance of the starting pitchers, even with two fill-ins in the rotation.

Finally, we are seeing the Toronto Blue Jays play the way we expected them to play. They are 16-6 in the month of June. Of course, an 11-game win streak didn't hurt. In April, when things were at their worst, I figured sooner or later they would get hot and hit a win streak.

What's improved? Basically, everything.

When the season started, the Blue Jays couldn't hit, pitch or field. In May, the bats got going. The defence has improved as the season has gone on. The bullpen has been terrific. And finally, in June, the starting pitching has been good.

Toronto's starting pitchers had a 5.27 earned-run average in April and a 5.74 ERA in May. It is tough to win games when the rotation is that bad. The starters have an ERA of 3.25 in June, with four games left in the month.

Why is this month so much better? Partly because the Jays have been able to go a few times through the rotation without losing anyone to injury.

Toronto has used 12 different starting pitchers so far this season and it is tough to get any consistency with pitchers coming in and out of the rotation so often. But since the injury to Ramon Ortiz on June 2, the Jays have been rolling with the same five starters. They haven't had to call down to the minors to get someone for an emergency start. That's been a nice bonus.

They've also been pretty lucky. Esmil Rogers and Chien-Ming Wang have pitched far better than fans had any right to expect. As well, R.A.Dickey and Josh Johnson look like they might finally be healthy. Plus, Mark Buehrle has remembered how to pitch. Let's look at each of them:

R.A. Dickey

Dickey began the month with a 5.18 ERA. In June, he has a 3-1 record and a 3.71 ERA. He may be the most disappointing of the players picked up in the off-season. He's been very inconsistent. Even though June has been better for him, he still has had three good starts and two bad starts: in the good, he posted a 0.40 ERA; in the bad, he had a 10.63 ERA. Dickey has been bothered by a sore back and neck, which seem to have sapped a bit of speed from his "angry" knuckleball (he throws a faster and a slower knuckler). He may have turned a corner, though. In his last start, he threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout.

Mark Buehrle

Buehrle entered June with a 5.51 ERA. In five starts since, his ERA is 3.00. Buehrle's turnaround really started in May. He gave up seven runs in a single inning against the Rays in a start on May 6, raising his ERA to 7.02. Since then, he has lowered it to 4.73.

Josh Johnson

Johnson made four really bad starts in April, putting up a 6.86 ERA, went on the disabled list, came back June 4 and has a 2.84 ERA in his four starts since. That's the pitcher fans were hoping to see when Toronto acquired him from the Miami Marlins. 

Esmil Rogers

Rogers had been very ineffective in the bullpen and, when moved into the rotation, I didn't expect much. As a reliever, he had a 4.23 ERA. In five starts, he has a 2.67 ERA. Rogers' last start was his worst as he gave up three consecutive home runs. He had been a two-pitch pitcher (fastball, slider) and I had doubts that he could have continued success as a starter with just the two pitches. But he has been mixing in a sinker more.

Chien-Ming Wang

Wang was picked up out of the New York Yankees' minor-league system. He had a 2.33 ERA in nine starts for their triple-A team. But he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to opt out of it if he wasn't offered a spot with the major-league team by June. The Yankees didn't think his minor-league success would translate to the majors. Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos disagreed and offered him a chance. It has paid off so far. In three starts, he has a 2.18 ERA, averaging almost seven innings per start. He's had success in the majors before, winning 19 games in back-to-back seasons for the Yankees before arm injuries slowed him down. He looks healthy now. I wouldn't expect him to continue to post an ERA in the 2's. But if he can keep the team in games, he is a welcome addition (As you can guess, I wrote this before Thursday's start in Boston, which was awful. He deserves another chance).

These five starting pitchers will have to continue do the job as Brandon Morrow has had a setback in his injury rehab. It doesn't look like he'll be back until closer to the end of July. And J.A. Happ has just started throwing again after taking the line drive to the head in early May.

If the starters can continue to pitch like they did in June, maybe the Blue Jays can get back into contention.

Follow Tom Dakers on Twitter @bluebirdbanter

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Wharnsby: Nathan MacKinnon is the wise choice

Who are the game's best defenceman in the NHL? With the exception Minnesota Wild's Ryan Suter and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings, they top defencemen tend to be taken later in the draft: Zdeno Chara (3^rd round), Duncan Keith (2^nd round), Kris Letang (3^rd round) and Shea Weber (2^nd round). Forwards have been safer bets.

NEW YORK -- Portland Winter Hawks defenceman Seth Jones seemed like the perfect fit for the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche needed to beef up its blue-line, and there also was that strong connection the Jones family has to Denver. The kid played most of his minor hockey in the Dallas area, but fell hard for hockey when he was five-years-old and lived in Denver, where his basketball-playing father, Popeye Jones, played for the NBA's Nuggets.

Popeye even approached then Avalanche captain Joe Sakic for advice on the proper way to develop his hockey-playing son. Sakic told the older Jones that skating was the most important skill for his son to work on. So young Jones enrolled in figure skating lessons.

The Avalanche's inclusion of the 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenceman would have been a nice way to put more fannies in the seats at the Pepsi Center. After all, the once strong hockey market has dipped all the way to 26^th in league attendance at 15,444 fans per game.

But Sakic, Colorado's rookie executive vice president of hockey operations, and new head coach Patrick Roy have made it clear the Avalanche will chose Nathan Mackinnon of Cole Harbour, N.S. with the first overall selection at the 2013 NHL entry draft in Newark, N.J. on Sunday.

Avs did their homework

Sakic and his management team did their homework. Besides the fact that most scouts believe Mackinnon is best prospect in the game -- a can't-miss kid -- history has demonstrated that the game's top teenaged forwards, who are taken in the top five, will contribute to the cause quicker than the best young defenceman.

In other words, for every Chris Pronger, selected second overall in 1993 by the Hartford Whalers, we'll give you an Andrei Zyuzin and Ric Jackman.

Who are the game's best defenceman in today's game? Zdeno Chara (3^rd round), Duncan Keith (2^nd round), Kris Letang (3^rd round) and Shea Weber (2^nd round)? Minnesota Wild's Ryan Suter was an early selection. So was Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings. But they're rarities. 

Forwards have been safer bets.

In the last 10 drafts, there have been 33 forwards, two goalies and 15 defencemen taken in the top five. You'll see from the list below, defencemen usually don't make the same immediate impact the way the Patrick Kane, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos and other forwards have.

You be the judge. Here were the top-five selections in the past 10 NHL entry drafts.

2003

1. Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Pittsburgh

2. Eric Staal, C, Carolina

3. Nathan Horton, RW, Florida

4. Nikolai Zherdev, RW, Columbus

5. Thomas Vanek, LW, Buffalo

In hindsight: The first defenceman taken was Ryan Suter (Nashville) at seventh overall. Shea Weber was selected in the second round (54^th overall).

2004

1. Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington

2. Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh

3. Cam Barker, D, Chicago

4. Andrew Ladd, LW, Carolina

5. Blake Wheeler, RW, Phoenix

In hindsight: Mike Green went 29^th overall to the Capitals.

2005

1. Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh

2. Bobby Ryan, RW, Anaheim

3. Jack Johnson, D, Carolina

4. Benoit Pouliot, LW, Minnesota 

5. Carey Price, G, Montreal

In hindsight: Although he needed two more years in junior, the Hurricanes could have selected Marc Staal in the third spot and then they would have all three NHL-playing brothers in the lineup with Jared in the minors. Kris Letang didn't go until the third round (62^nd overall).

2006

1. Erik Johnson, D, St. Louis

2. Jordan Staal, C, Pittsburgh

3. Jonathan Toews, C, Chicago

4. Nicklas Backstrom, C, Washington

5. Phil Kessel, RW, Boston

In hindsight: Not a strong draft for defencemen, but because of what we know now, Toews would have a better first overall pick.

2007

1. Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago

2. James van Riemsdyk, LW, Philadelphia

3. Kyle Turris, C, Phoenix

4. Thomas Hickey, D, Los Angeles

5. Karl Alzner, D, Washington

In hindsight: Oops. P.K. Subban wasn't taken until the second round (43^rd overall).

2008

1. Steven Stamkos, C, Tampa Bay

2. Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles

3. Zach Bogosian, D, Atlanta

4. Alex Pietrangelo, D, St. Louis

5. Luke Schenn, D, Toronto

In hindsight: All fine picks, but Norris Trophy-winner Erik Karlsson was taken 15^th overall, but unlike Doughty, Bogosian and Schenn, Karlsson didn't become a NHL regular until 2009.

2009

1. John Tavares, C, N.Y. Islanders 

2. Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay

3. Matt Duchene, C, Colorado

4. Evander Kane, RW, Atlanta

5. Brayden Schenn, C, Los Angeles

In hindsight: Can't argue with Hedman. He made an immediate impact with the Lightning, but Phoenix's Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who went sixth, appears ready for prime time.

2010

1. Taylor Hall, LW, Edmonton 

2. Tyler Seguin, C, Boston

3. Erik Gudbranson, D, Florida

4. Ryan Johansen, C, Columbus

5. Nino Niederreiter, LW, N.Y. Islanders

In hindsight: Whom would you have rather taken, Gudbranson, Cam Fowler (12^th) or Justin Faulk (37^th)?

2011

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Edmonton

2. Gabriel Landeskog, RW, Colorado

3. Jonathan Huberdeau, C, Florida

4. Adam Larsson, D, New Jersey

5. Ryan Strome, C, N.Y. Islanders

In hindsight: Larsson regressed this past season. The Devils could have drafted Dougie Hamilton, who went 9^th to the Bruins, or Jonas Brodin, who went 10^th to Minnesota. Both are further along in their development than Larsson at this point.

2012

1. Nail Yakupov, LW, Edmonton

2. Ryan Muray, D, Columbus

3. Alex Galchenyuk, C, Montreal

4. Griffin Reinhart, D, N.Y. Islanders

5. Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto

In hindsight: Too early. Murray suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in junior last fall, but neither Reinhart nor Rielly made their NHL teams in training camp.

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Grey Cup champion Argos rally past Ticats in season opener

Ricky Ray outduelled Henry Burris and earned the Toronto Argonauts a wild season-opening victory.

Ray threw four TD passes to rally Toronto to a 39-34 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night. Ray's 10-yard touchdown toss to Dontrelle Inman at 9:49 of the fourth quarter gave the Argos their winning margin in a track meet that featured 51 first downs and 1,000 total offensive yards but still came down to the final play.

Burris drove Hamilton from its 44-yard to the Toronto 13 in the final 30 seconds on completions to Greg Ellingson and Onrea Jones. But rookie running back C.J. Gable dropped a screen pass that had he held on to had a clear path to the end zone. Still, the Ticats had one final gasp with three seconds left at the Argos' eight-yard line following a penalty, but Andy Fantuz couldn't hold on to Burris's throw in the end zone.

"I don't know how many times in my career I've been on the sidelines watching Henry Burris lead a last-minute drive," Ray said. "But sacking him twice and then the big breakup in the end zone at the end, those were huge."

A new-look Argos defence with seven new starters struggled in the first half against Hamilton, which led 31-25 at halftime. Burris was a big reason for that, passing for 207 yards and three TDs but he said the Ticats should've put the defending Grey Cup champions away much earlier.

"It should not have come down to that play at the end, we left a lot of plays on the field," Burris said. "We were right there but we sputtered when we had the opportunities.

'I don't know how many times in my career I've been on the sidelines watching Henry Burris lead a last-minute drive. But sacking him twice and then the big breakup in the end zone at the end, those were huge.'—Argos quarterback Ricky Ray

"We let it slip away when we had the chance to steal it."

Toronto's defence still allowed 199 second-half yards but only three-second half points. And the unit sacked Burris on consecutive plays, forcing Hamilton to punt with three minutes remaining and trailing by five points.

"We talked at halftime about staying together and how football games aren't won by players but by teams that play together with one heartbeat," Argos head coach Scott Milanovich said. "Our guys stayed together and that was an encouraging thing because we have many new guys.

"The fact they didn't start pointing fingers and trying to cover their own butts was a positive. We just knuckled down and did enough to win. It was by no means a glorious effort for us but that's a good football team and I think that will prove out throughout the year."

Watt converts own 2nd-half TD

Toronto also lost Swayze Waters to an unspecified injury kicking off to start the second half. Waters returned to boot a convert on Inman's TD after receiver Spencer Watt was forced to convert his own second-half TD. Watt and fullback Alexander Robinson kicked off in Waters' absence while Inman handled punting duties.

"You've got to give credit to guys like Spencer Watt and Dontrelle Inman that came in and kicked the ball and didn't do anything to hurt us," Milanovich said. "That's not easy to do when you're kind of a fish out of water doing something you're not used to doing.

"I thought those guys did a tremendous job."

Ray agreed.

"I don't think I've been around to see something like that and I've been around for a long time," the 11-year veteran said. "It was pretty cool to see those guys step in and do that."

Burris finished with 361 yards passing and three TDs while rookie Lindsey Lamar had a 104-yard kickoff return touchdown as Hamilton nearly spoiled the party for the Rogers Centre gathering of 29,852. Prior to the game, the Grey Cup was brought out on to the field and players Brandon Isaac, Chad Owens and Chad Kackert along with Milanovich and GM Jim Barker were presented their championship rings before the '12 Grey Cup banner was unfurled.

Spectators were then treated to an offensive, wide-open track meet as Burris and Ray took turns dissecting porous defensive units starting the season with no shortage of question marks. Lamar also joined Marcus Thigpen as only players in CFL history to return kickoff for a touchdown on their first career touch.

Hamilton's offence sports many of the regulars who were part of the CFL's top-scoring unit last year and Isaac gave the Ticats' unit credit but added the Argos' defensive players weren't happy with their performance.

'Shell-shocked'

"I don't like the way we played because we played too many snaps," Isaac said. "We were shell-shocked in the beginning however from the second quarter on we were able to make adjustments and make plays when it counted.

"That is a real solid offence but at the end of the day we were able to make one just one more play than they did."

Hamilton's defence returned eight starters but new defensive co-ordinator Orlondo Steinauer has the daunting task of improving a unit that allowed 32 points and 306 yards passing per game, both league highs. The Ticats' defensive woes were highlighted early in the third when on third and five, Ray hit Watt on a 20-yard TD pass to pull the Argos to within 34-32 after Waters was injured.

But Kent Austin, in his Ticats coaching debut, said there was plenty of blame to go around for the loss.

"We had opportunities to make plays in all three phases of the game," he said. "We have to make sure when the opportunity comes that we come through.

"They just made more plays than we did."

Jason Barnes had two TDs for Toronto while Kackert had the other and ran for 112 yards on 10 carries. Waters finished with four converts, a field goal and a single.

Gable with two, and Fantuz scored Hamilton's other touchdowns. Luca Congi booted the converts and two field goals.

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Stampeders, Jon Cornish run over Lions

After running for 172 yards and two touchdowns on Friday, Jon Cornish said he wished he could have done more.

Cornish led the Calgary Stampeders to a 44-32 win over the visiting B.C. Lions on Friday in front of 26,625 fans at McMahon Stadium.

"For me, I was really moved at the beginning of the game seeing the turnout, seeing how many people really believed in the Stampeders," Cornish said. "They could be working on their homes. They could be fixing other people's homes, but they came out for the game tonight."

A day before the game, Cornish pledged to donate $10 for every yard he gained against the Lions to the Canadian Red Cross for the flood relief efforts in Southern Alberta. In addition to his 172 yards on the ground, he added 20 more through the air.

"I'm going to round it up to $2,000," Cornish said. "I wish I could do more. For us as Stampeders the No. 1 thing we can do for this city is win and give this city something to rally behind."

Calgary (1-0) head coach and general manager John Hufnagel also commended his offensive line for opening up holes for Cornish.

"We were able to move the line of scrimmage a bit, open some holes up for Jon, and he ran very hard, showed excellent quickness, excellent cutting ability, secured the football," Hufnagel said. "He did everything you want your running back to do."

Quarterback Drew Tate completed 19-of-27 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Joe West and one to Maurice Price.

"Drew, I thought, played a very solid game," Hufnagel said. "He made some great throws, his receivers made some great plays for him and that's what you need. He was on top of his game, good reads."

Rene Paredes kicked a pair of field goals for the Stamps.

B.C. quarterback Travis Lulay threw three touchdown passes to Emmanuel Arceneaux, Courtney Taylor and Shawn Gore. Cord Parks also returned an interception for a touchdown for the Lions (0-1), while Tim O'Neill kicked a field goal and a single.

"They got after us early," said Lulay, who completed 21-of-36 passes for 283 yards. "They put us in a big hole that was tough to overcome. It's hard to do that when you're on the road playing a good football game. These guys were playing inspired, you could tell."

On Calgary's first possession, Tate engineered a nine-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Price.

Later in the first quarter, the Stamps took advantage of a costly turnover by B.C. when Lulay couldn't handle a hard snap by centre Matt Norman. The ball bounced off of Lulay's leg and into the hands of Calgary linebacker Juwan Simpson, who recovered the fumble to give the Stampeders possession on the Lions' 32-yard line.

Three plays later, Tate tossed a perfect 12-yard pass to West in the end zone to give Calgary a 14-0 lead.

"Full credit to them, they took it to us," said B.C. coach Mike Benevides. "They got the momentum. They kept running downhill and put us in too big of a deficit. We can't make mistakes against a good football team like that."

Another botched snap by B.C. led to a safety for the Stampeders before the end of the first quarter. With the Lions in punt formation, Tim Cronk snapped the ball over O'Neill's head. O'Neill raced back to recover the ball and then kicked it out of his own end zone.

The sloppy play continued early in the second quarter when Calgary defensive back Derrius Brooks picked off an errant pass by Lulay before B.C. safety J.R. Larose responded a short time later by recovering a fumble out of the hands of Calgary receiver Nik Lewis.

Lulay then tossed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Arceneaux before O'Neill missed the convert.

The Stampeders capped off a seven-play, 73-yard drive with a one-yard TD run by Cornish.

Late in the second quarter, Larry Taylor had an impressive 34-yard punt return to get Calgary back into Lions' territory. B.C.'s Rolly Lumbala also took an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play to give the Stampeders a first down on the Lions' 14-yard line.

Two plays later, Tate threw a 12-yard TD pass to West to give Calgary a 31-6 lead heading into the half-time intermission.

Lulay started the second half in fine fashion by leading B.C. on an eight-play, 82-yard drive that culminated in a 17-yard TD pass to Taylor.

Parks then intercepted an errant pass by Tate and ran it back 45 yards into the end zone to cut the Stampeders' lead to 31-21.

On Calgary's next drive, Cornish ran the ball five times for 36 yards including an 11-yard sprint into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game.

O'Neill kicked a 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Paredes responded with back-to-back field goals from 39 and 27 yards respectively.

Lulay tossed a seven-yard TD pass to Gore with one second left in the game before Nick Moore caught a pass from the B.C. quarterback in the end zone for a two-point convert to round out the scoring.

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How the Toronto Raptors helped spark a hoops factory

With Brampton, Ont., native Anthony Bennett making history by becoming the first Canadian No.1 NBA draft pick and with predictions that Thornhill, Ont.-born Andrew Wiggins could follow suit next year, the Greater Toronto Area seems to be building a reputation as a hoops factory for budding basketball stars.

And there could be more to come. Myck Kabongo, Kevin Pangos, Tyler Ennis and Dwight Powell are just some of the talented Toronto-area players considered to have bright futures in the league.

"You can keep going," said Leo Rautins, a television analyst for the Toronto Raptors and the former head coach for the Canadian national men's basketball team. "Right now I don't see this stopping. I think this is a cycle that's going to continue and only get better.

"You're going to consistently see Canadians at a very high level, Canadians making it to the NBA."

Over the last eight or nine years, Basketball Canada has concentrated its efforts to grow the game and offer more opportunities for development, Rautins said. But the explosion of talent may have much to do with the NBA establishing a team in Canada in 1995.

"I think the simple answer is all these kids now grew up with the NBA," Rautins said. "The NBA came in '95 and since that point everyone of these kids have seen it, tasted it, felt it. And as a result, it's been laid out for them as far as a path and a potential opportunity. And I think we're seeing the benefit to that."

Toronto and the surrounding areas, with its large population pool and the ability to offer more opportunity and more competition, would obviously have an advantage to cultivate new talent.

And with the establishment of the Toronto Raptors in 1995, Toronto-area kids had a greater source of inspiration.

"What it did was it had players looking and seeing themselves on the court," Rowan Barrett, the executive vice-president at Basketball Canada, told CBC News. "If you're a six-foot-five kid and you're in Grade 7, you're the biggest, tallest person in the building. It's maybe hard to relate, hard to understand where I fit in.

"And being able to watch these athletes 6-7", 6-8", running up and down the court, all of a sudden there was a vision for those [kids]. 'This is what I can do with this ability.' And what that did, it sparked the club environment. Just an explosion there."

Instead of kids starting to play at the age of 13 or 14, now they began at the age of six and seven, much like in hockey, Barrett said.

But having a superstar like Vince Carter join the roster drew more kids to the basketball court. Bennett himself said Carter's legendary performance at the Slam Dunk contest in 2000 and his role as a Raptor, inspired him to play.

"I definitely think a big part of it is that," said Dwayne Lubin, who coaches the local Toronto Fire basketball team. "I think when the Raptors first came, you just had your major fans. And I think Vince excited the younger group, the younger generation. He was the biggest star in basketball at that time."

This has led to a huge spike in the participation of kids and a big boom in basketball training programs, he said.

Another mini-explosion of basketball interest was sparked when Brampton, Ont.-native Tristan Thompson went fourth and Pickering, Ont.-native Cory Joseph went 29th in the first round draft of 2011.

"There was such a huge growth after Tristan and Cory. Once those guys made it through, kids got to see them on TV and being drafted. Almost the next day, parents were trying to get their kids into the gym as much as they could."

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Canadian Anthony Bennett makes NBA history as 1st overall pick

Canadian basketball history happened a year earlier than expected Thursday, in a stunning turn of events that surprised even Anthony Bennett.

The freshman forward from UNLV became the first Canadian selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft, taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I'm just as surprised as everybody else," Bennett said moments after he strode across the Barclays Center stage in his scarlet and grey suit — UNLV colours. "I didn't really have any idea who's going No. 1 or who was going No. 2. I heard everything was up for grabs. But I'm just really happy, glad that I have this opportunity, and I've just got to thank God for everything."

The 20-year-old from Brampton, Ont., has starred for Canada's junior national team and was the Mountain West Conference player of the year, but was rarely mentioned as a top-pick possibility in the lead up to the draft. He's also been sidelined since he had rotator cuff surgery in May, but said on the eve of draft day that he wasn't concerned his injury would affect his draft stock. Turns out, he was bang on.

Tristan Thompson of Brampton was selected No. 4 by the Cavaliers in the 2011 draft, making him the highest Canadian draft pick before Thursday.

The historical selection comes amid heady days for Canadian basketball, and a year ahead of when many projected it would happen. Teen phenom Andrew Wiggins of Vaughan, Ont., who'll play for the Kansas Jayhawks next season, is touted as the probable first overall pick in the 2014 draft.

"Yeah. It's just crazy. Made history. I can't really complain about that," said Bennett, who had between 25 and 30 family members with him in New York — he lost count. "It's just like a long time dream that I had since I first started playing basketball, even though it was six or seven years ago. It's just crazy. Next year with Wiggins, hopefully he does well at Kansas. I'm rooting for him. I'm pretty sure he'll get that No. 1 spot."

Steve Nash of Victoria held the Canadian record before Thompson, going 15th overall to the Phoenix Suns in 1996. The Los Angeles Lakers star, who's also the general manager of Canada's men's team, retweeted the NBA's announcement adding: "Proud on Proud!"

Prime Minister Stephen Harper also took to Twitter, writing "Congrats to (at)AnthonyBennett for being the first Cdn ever drafted .1 overall in the NBA draft. Good luck in Cleveland, we're all behind you."

Canada's Kelly Olynyk headed to Celtics

Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., a forward from Gonzaga, was taken No. 13 by the Boston Celtics via a trade of picks with the Dallas Mavericks.

There was suspense right up to the moment the No. 1 pick was announced, either because the Cavs were unsure who they wanted or were trying to trade the pick. Most predictions had them taking one of the big men Nerlens Noel and Alex Len.

Orlando passed on both of them, too, going with Indiana swingman Victor Oladipo with the No. 2 pick. Washington took Otto Porter Jr. of Georgetown with the third pick.

The six-foot-seven Bennett, who played high school basketball at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, didn't participate in the draft combine or any pre-draft workouts, and will have to skip summer league. But he clearly impressed in his interviews — he interviewed for the top five teams — and his play in college last season.

Bennett had surgery a few weeks after the Runnin' Rebels were upset in the second round of March Madness in a 64-61 loss to California.

The Canadian was asked if it would only be appropriate if American Seth Jones — son of former Toronto Raptor Popeye Jones — goes first overall in Sunday's NHL draft.

"I'm not a big fan of hockey, but I support the Maple Leafs," Bennett said. "Hopefully he does get picked No. 1. It's crazy. Great feeling, man."

The Cavaliers are determined to return to the playoffs after losing 58 games last season and firing coach Byron Scott. Bennett said he believes he's pro-ready, but "at the same time there's a lot of things I need to work on. I made it, but I just need to keep working, trying to get a second contract, trying to do well for myself and the team. Just got to keep grinding from here."

Olynyk, meanwhile, wound up with Boston, after the Celtics sent the No. 16 pick and two future second-rounders to the Mavs to get the seven-footer who was fifth in voting for the Wooden Award.

Olynyk averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 63 per cent from the field while leading Gonzaga to a 32-3 season.

Olynyk posted on his Twitter feed: "Today is the day Ive been working for my whole life. Just wanna thank everyone who's helped me get where I am, so blessed! .thanks .nbadraft."

Ten years after the Cavaliers selected LeBron James to start a draft that would include his future NBA championship teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the top five — Bosh went fourth to Toronto — this one lacked the star power and perhaps the promise of stardom.

Noel and Len are also coming off injuries and couldn't work out for teams either.

David Stern, booed heavily in his final draft as commissioner, added to the surprise of the moment by pausing slightly before announcing the Cavs' pick, their first at No. 1 since taking all-star Kyrie Irving in 2011.

It was a good start to the night for the Hoosiers, meanwhile, with Cody Zeller going two places after Oladipo to the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Raptors did not have a pick.

With files from The Associated Press

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Wharnsby: Decision on Phoenix Coyotes coming soon

After a NHL board of governors meeting in New York on Thursday, commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated that an Olympic announcement is near. Meanwhile, the fate of the Coyotes is to be decided at a Glendale, Ariz. city council meeting on Tuesday.

The NHL not only expects to formalize plans next week to participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics, the league will find out whether or not the Coyotes will continue to play in Phoenix next season.

These two storylines have dragged on far too long. But after a NHL board of governors meeting in New York on Thursday, commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated that an Olympic announcement is near. Meanwhile, the fate of the Coyotes is to be decided at a Glendale, Ariz. city council meeting on Tuesday.

Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers has set up a meeting on Friday afternoon to outline and discuss with the public the current deal on the table with the prospective ownership group, Renaissance Sports and Entertainment.

This group, fronted by Canadian businessmen George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc, has asked Glendale for a $15-million US annual fee to manage Jobing.com Arena. In return, the Coyotes would reimburse the city between $8 million to $11 million annually through rent, ticket surcharges, parking revenue, arena naming rights and new naming rights for the building's concert stage.

However, Glendale city council earlier this year came to the conclusion that they only would be willing to part with a $6-million-a-year management fee, as well as $500,000 for annual building upgrades.

Options in Seattle, Quebec City

If Glendale decides to vote down the management-fee deal with Renaissance, Bettman and Daly said they have alternatives. They wouldn't specifically state what Plan B entails, but they acknowledged that both Seattle's Key Arena and Quebec City are options.

"The fact of the matter is we haven't ironed out or put into effect a Plan B," Bettman said. "We have lots of options. I find it difficult to conceive of why if the council turns this down we would want to keep the team in Glendale any longer. We would then, if they turn it down, have to deal with possibilities and the options that will be available to us and they are numerous. There is enough time."

Meanwhile, I'm told there still is work to be done before there is an Olympic agreement between the NHL/NHLPA side, and the IOC/IIHF, but that all sides remain optimistic about a possible deal. Still, this will be another critical meeting in a long list of important get-togethers between all the different parties.

Shanahan rebuffs Flames

Brendan Shanahan has decided not to join the Calgary Flames as the head of hockey operations, after all. Instead, he will remain in his current position as NHL's director of player safety

Shanahan said he informed Flames principal owner Murray Edwards of his decision last week, even though there was heavy speculation Shanahan would join the Flames.

Buyout city

Add Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier, Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Steve Montador and his teammate Rostislav Olesz to the list of players to be bought out, a list that already includes Daniel Briere, Ilya Bryzgalov and Tomas Kaberle.

This group of players will be added to the unrestricted free-agent pool on July 5. The compliance buyout period began on Wednesday at 11 p.m. ET and ends on July 4 at 5 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather said he's yet to make a decision on whether or not to buy out centre Brad Richards.

Proposed rule changes update

The board of governors also gave the league authority to implement the rule changes that were bandied about at the general managers' meeting in Toronto in March, and further debated and recommended at the competition committee earlier this month.

These changes still need to be discussed by the NHLPA's executive board next week before the changes are made official.

The changes include:

• The use of four-inch shallower nets.
• Beginning in the fall, making visors for newcomers as well as players who have played in fewer than 26 NHL games.
• Banning the spin-o-rama move used in shootouts.
• Video review on double-minor high-sticking penalties.
• Hybrid icing will be experimented with in the pre-season with the possibility of being implemented for the regular season.
• Although seldom called, the attainable pass rule, which give linesmen the right to wave off icing on attempted passes that are deemed to be attainable, has been eliminated. There must be contact with the stick at the other side of the centre line.
• The size of goalie equipment is to be reduced to new smaller standards.

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Friedman: Pens' Kris Letang must keep level head in contract talks

There are two ways to look at the fact Kris Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly $1 million US apart per season on an eight-year contract extension. Door A: "That's nothing. Plenty of time to close that gap." Door B: "If they are that close and the news is getting out...it's bad. They can't agree and talks are breaking down."

There are two ways to look at the fact Kris Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly $1 million US apart per season on an eight-year contract extension.

• Door A: "That's nothing. Plenty of time to close that gap."
• Door B: "If they are that close and the news is getting out...it's bad. They can't agree and talks are breaking down."
  

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun tweeted Thursday night Letang and agent Kent Hughes turned down a package worth "around" $56 million, while the Penguins said no to a counterproposal "which would pay less than $8M [north of $7.5 M]."

It is an emotional time for both the player and the team. Penguins GM Ray Shero doesn't like uncertainty. Last year, he traded Jordan Staal under the exact same circumstances. Plus, after seeing what one of his mentors, David Poile, went through with Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, Shero does not want to cede control of the contract situation to the player.

In my experience, when two sides are so close and this kind of information gets out, it's Door B. There's no reason for a leak if they're inching closer, grinding each other for the last few dollars, but know a deal is coming.

This is frustration.

Letang is in control here. He knows he's getting big dough, whether in Pittsburgh or somewhere else. His "yes" or "no" determines the outcome. The only advice I would give him is this: whatever your decision, make sure you make it with a clear head.

Comments upset Letang?

According to a couple of sources, Letang was hurt and upset by comments made in this article. (For the record, Hockey Night's PJ Stock, who is a summer workout partner of Letang's, is not one of the sources).

What stung most was this passage: "Shero is fairly confident Letang has become a must-move player. That is true because Letang is not the consensus best defenceman on the Penguins, at least in the eyes of management and coaches."

Letang apparently believes someone in the organization was responsible for this and it's poisoned the process. A horrendous Eastern Conference final by almost the entire roster has blinded everyone to what's really happened here.

Letang's worked very hard over the past few seasons to become one of the best defencemen in the NHL. He's not perfect; he has to become less of a gambler. But he had 16 points in the first two post-season rounds, as many as top blue-line scorer Drew Doughty had in all of the 2012 playoffs.

It is borderline impossible to replace that. After watching Duncan Keith slalom through the Bruins in the Stanley Cup final, I'd never let Letang go if I could avoid it. He will learn from what happened, and he will get better.

Toronto connection

Rob Rossi, the writer of the above mentioned article, took heat for reporting Toronto was a potential destination if things didn't work out. It would not surprise me in the least if that came out because Letang was asking players around the league about certain destinations -- just in case.

Not that he's saying, "trade me to Toronto!" More like he's gathering intel.

When I started out in this business, Bob McCown gave me some fantastic piece of advice I've never forgotten: "Don't &%$# with happy." He warned me he'd seen people leave a good situation for a few more dollars and regretted it. He said it wasn't worth it. If someone backs up the Brinks truck, well that's another story.

He's right.

So, all I would say to Letang is this: Sit down and really think about it. Up until last week, you loved it in Pittsburgh. Is this worth the change? You know that you're always going to be a contender, always going to get points and be part of an offensive power.

I never, ever begrudge anyone demanding or receiving their full market value. We all say we'd take less until we're the ones making the decision.

If that's what Letang wants, no problem here.

But I get the sense he may be making an emotional decision. And those rarely work out right.

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Reed: Spain survives its biggest test

Spain is on the verge of greatness. History is waiting to write this team up as the best of all time. But the historians, with facts and stats at their fingertips to validate the claims, must bide their time. Another year should do it.

Good teams find a way to win. Great teams find a way to win championships.

Spain is on the verge of greatness. History is waiting to write this team up as the best of all time. But the historians, with facts and stats at their fingertips to validate the claims, must bide their time. Another year should do it.

The dress rehearsal is going well. Four straight wins at the Confederations Cup is a testament to the continuity of a group of players who have transformed the perception of a national team from talented chokers to expectant winners.

The Spaniards remain the team to beat. But in reaching Sunday's final (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 5:45 p.m. ET) after a thrilling shootout win over Italy Thursday, the world champions have only achieved what was expected in Brazil. Had Spain fallen by the wayside as it did in 2009, the inevitable post mortem would have followed, seeking an answer to a single question: is Spain past its peak?

It is a debate for another day, perhaps another year. In the meantime La Roja is focused on the job at hand -- winning another trophy. The Confederations Cup is the one piece of international silverware missing from Spain's global booty. It is not the most prized treasure on the soccer planet, but it is the next available, and that makes it the most important.

Dramatic semifinal

Spain's absorbing and dramatic semifinal win taught us two things. Firstly, Italy is a pretty formidable opponent. This was a proper game, as far removed from the embarrassing Euro2012 mauling at the hands of Spain as it is possible to get. Mario Balotelli's enforced absence was emphasized time and again as the Italians created, but failed to finish numerous chances.

Secondly, and more significantly, Spain can be rattled. Too many opponents give them too much respect and ultimately get punished for allowing Spain room and time to work its magic triangles. Trying to out-football the Spaniards is a recipe for disaster, so the Italians didn't try.

What Italy did worked like a charm. On a hot and humid late Thursday afternoon, the Italians worked their proverbial socks off to disrupt the Spanish supply line. Always aware of keeping its shape, Italy challenged for every ball -- hurrying and hustling Spain into mistakes.

Turnovers led to Italian possession. The Azzurri were quick on the break -- particularly in the first half, and but for some poor finishing and the experience of Iker Casillas in the Spanish goal, Italy's game plan would have reaped rewards.

Teams settle for extra time

Eventually the conditions had an effect. The game slowed and both teams had virtually settled for extra time long before the 90 minutes elapsed. Spain tried harder to win it without recourse to a shootout, but the lottery of penalties was always in the back of everyone's mind.

I have never been a fan. Everyone knows the rules before a ball is kicked and accepts them for what they are. There is no time for replays in tournament soccer so tiebreakers, via penalty kicks, are always a possibility. They are always nail-biting and they are always cruel on the losers.

Despite the outcome, Italy can hold its head high. It turned up for this World Cup warmup and emerged with great credit. Not only did the Italians stifle the world's best team, they did it cleanly. No repeat of the histrionics we witnessed in the first semifinal; just an honest to goodness toe-to-toe battle between two of soccer's heavyweights.

Spain survives biggest test yet

Spain survived its biggest test yet. Its lack of a Plan B was stretched to the limit but the philosophy and style lives to fight another day. It held its collective nerve in the shootout with seven perfect penalties, and will draw mental strength from the experience going forward.

From the outset, a Brazil-Spain final was the one most predicted. It's not exactly rocket science in an eight-nation tournament. Brazil, with home advantage and a new generation of brilliant young talent, has resurrected itself among soccer's elite.

Spain has prevailed to take another step on the road toward soccer immortality.

Victory at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Barzil on Sunday will certainly aid the quest.

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Blackhawks fans ready for their Stanley Cup parade

Ditching work and painting their faces red and black, thousands of Blackhawks fans noisily swept into downtown Chicago on Friday for a parade and rally to fete the Stanley Cup champions and catch a glimpse of the bar-hopping silver trophy.

Hours before the parade was set to begin, crowds jammed entrances to the rally site in Grant Park along Lake Michigan. Some die-hard fans camped out overnight, ready to sprint to the big stage at the front of the park the minute police swung barriers aside at the entrance.

Fans came with faces painted in team colours. Others were hauling around knock-off versions of the silver Stanley Cup, including one fashioned — appropriately — out of an empty beer keg.

Twenty-somethings Courtney Baldwin and Meghan O'Kane, from the city's suburbs, made theirs out of a jumble of jugs and plastic bowls slapped together and painted grey. Early in the morning, it was not yet full of frothy beverage.

"It will be this afternoon," Baldwin said.

The Blackhawks gave the city something to celebrate as the Cubs and White Sox grind through another lost summer and after the Bears failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

And fans took note.

"We love the Blackhawks. This is history and this is a championship, unlike the Cubs," O'Kane said, taking a shot at a team that hasn't won a World Series since 1908.

For the Blackhawks, it was the second time they have brought the Stanley Cup home in three years.

This year's victory, a 3-2 win over the Bruins Monday night, was a dramatic one. Trailing Boston until the final minutes, Chicago scored twice in a stunning 17 seconds. Delirious fans bolted out of bars to celebrate in the streets. Car horns blared.

The party roared overnight and into the next day as the team returned from Boston and, making good on an NHL tradition, toted the Cup around bars and restaurants to the delight of onlookers and fans who tried to keep up.

Sarah Schmidt, 22, who grew up in Chicago and made the pilgrimage to Friday's celebrations from Milwaukee, telling her boss she was taking the day off no matter what and hoping she would still have her bar tending job when the party is over.

"I can't miss this," she said.

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Quiz: Know your NHL Entry Draft history?

On Sunday, the latest crop of young hockey talent will hear their names called in New Jersey. They'll walk onto the stage, shake hands with their new team's executives, pop on a jersey and begin their career as an NHL draft pick.

How much do you know about draft picks of the past?

Which former NHL coach was drafted last overall? Which player was picked twice by the same team? How many Russians have gone first overall?

Test your NHL draft knowledge by taking our quiz!

Take Our Quiz!

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Chick: More promise than star power in NBA draft

This year's crop of eligible players may seem underwhelming, but what the NBA draft lacks in star power it more than makes up for in promise and potential.  

If you believe the experts, one of the more underwhelming NBA drafts in recent memory will take place Thursday night in Brooklyn, N.Y.

There is no question it doesn't have a ton of star power or even a clear-cut No. 1 pick, but some pundits believe there is value to be had.

ESPN's Jay Bilas, for one, suggested as much outside of the Top 10.

If that's the case and you're a Toronto Raptors fan, keep an eye on who Oklahoma City selects at No. 12, a pick originally owned by Toronto (and later acquired by the Thunder from the Houston Rockets in the James Harden trade).

As always, whether any of that will be true or not remains to be seen.

Here is a breakdown of 10 players to watch for:

Nerlens Noel

Height: 6-10
NCAA school: Kentucky
NBA position: Centre

For most of the past year, the shot blocker extraordinaire with the Kid 'n Play Hi-top fade was generally considered the consensus No. 1 in this draft. That didn't instantly change when Noel tore the ACL in his left knee in February. But that, among other issues, has toyed with his stock recently. For starters, he likely won't be ready to play for the NBA team that drafts him until at least a month into the regular season. Then, there are general concerns about his game. While Noel has been called a "once-in-a-generation shot blocker," which he certainly is -- he swatted 4.4 per game in 24 contests for Kentucky, including 12 in one game against Mississippi -- his offensive skill set leaves a lot of room for work. It's worth noting that in the 12-block game versus Ole Miss, he scored only two points, both from the free-throw line. That said, former Wildcat Anthony Davis had a similar stat line in the 2012 NCAA championship game yet still completely dominated play. The NBA is a totally different level, however. Still, Noel has elite athleticism -- and a broad-shouldered frame that will allow some weight gain -- to help try and develop some NBA post moves. With the draft imminent, some teams don't appear to be wary of his rehab from the ACL surgery. ESPN's Chad Ford reported Monday that sources with Orlando Magic, who hold the No. 2 pick, have said they're ready to snap him up if the Cleveland Cavaliers pass on him at No. 1.

Alex Len

Height: 7-1
NCAA school: Maryland
NBA position: Centre

The second-guessing of Noel has allowed Len's name to move up everybody's draft board, in some cases to the projected top pick. The Ukrainian, by way of Maryland, has suddenly drawn comparisons to the Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas and former NBA star Zydrunas Ilgauskas and you have to wonder why. Actually, don't bother wondering, I'll tell you why. Like the aforementioned duo, he is a white, European seven-footer. While most agree Len is an athletic specimen at 7-foot-1 and more than 250 pounds, he demonstrated next to nothing in a season-and-a-half at Maryland that indicated he should be considered worthy of being the No. 1 pick. Valanciunas, playing in Lithuania in 2011, had more buzz and projected upside than Len. The people you should listen to further on this topic are the everyday observers of Maryland basketball. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt, a Terp alum, noted this week how Len disappeared in a must-win game against guard-heavy Boston College. The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Cowherd used the term "mind-boggling" when writing Monday about how a player who had been a non-factor in so many games (and without a go-to offensive move) could be considered so highly valued. Oh, one other thing. Like Noel, Len is still recovering from an injury -- a stress fracture of his ankle -- making him unable to work out for teams and play basketball until early fall. He even suggested to Grantland's Bill Simmons that he played hurt this whole past season.

Anthony Bennett

Height: 6-8
NCAA school: Nevada-Las Vegas
NBA position: Power forward

There is a chance that Bennett will eclipse Tristan Thompson, also from Brampton, Ont., in becoming the highest-drafted Canadian ever in the NBA. But it's hard to say. Thompson went fourth overall in 2011 and, while one mock draft has Bennett going No. 3 to the Washington Wizards, others have him as low as No. 8. Either way, the forward is the Canadian stud of this year's draft in what's becoming a pattern every June. The easy knock on Bennett is his size. At 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, he sounds like a classic tweener -- too short to play the four, too bulky to play the three. Make no mistake, however. Bennett is a power forward. His wingspan measures over seven feet, he has huge hands and scores most of his points in the paint yet possesses a decent outside shot. If it all comes together for him, Bennett could be one of the best Canadian players in the NBA. He may be a good fit in Charlotte.

Victor Oladipo

Height: 6-4
NCAA school: Indiana
NBA position: Shooting guard

Despite the fact that elements of his offensive game are still raw, Oladipo is an aggressive defender who ranks as one of the top pure prospects in the draft. There are rumblings of teams wanting to trade up to get him and that's impressive, considering he wasn't on any lottery radars a year ago. Small sample size aside, logic dictates Oladipo could be a good pick. Lockdown perimeter defenders aren't tremendously common coming out of college and his athletic ability leaves lots of room for potential offensively. Draft analyst Fran Fraschilla described him as "high motor, low maintenance," which is music to the ears of potential NBA employers.

Ben McLemore

Height: 6-5
NCAA school: Kansas
NBA position: Shooting guard

McLemore's stock seems to have been up and down like a toilet seat over the past few months, although that's probably more the nature of this draft in particular than anything. At times, some mocks had him as high as No. 1. His athletic ability and shot are certain, but the knock comes on his handle. Still, he could easily be the best player in the draft. Or not. That's how this draft is. The No. 2 spot to the Magic is plausible, but No. 3 is unlikely given the Wizards already have Bradley Beal at off-guard.

Trey Burke

Height: 6-0
NCAA school: Michigan
NBA position: Point guard

Most call him the best point guard in this draft; some think he will go as high as No. 2. There are legitimate questions beyond that, however. While Burke is a fierce competitor and leader, scouts question his size and athleticism. He may have demonstrated enough heart last year at Michigan to allay some of the concerns about whether he can overcome being on the short side. But the fact is he also seemed to be a better scorer than a distributor. He also had about a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in his sophomore year.

Otto Porter

Height: 6-9
NCAA school: Georgetown
NBA position: Small forward

Porter's an intriguing player based on his length, shooting proficiency and skills off the ball. The questions come from his skinniness (he barely weighs 200 pounds). He may be a good fit with Washington at No. 3 and he'd still be playing in the same gym (Verizon Center) he did in college.

Cody Zeller

Height: 7-0
NCAA school: Indiana
NBA position: Power forward/centre

Zeller was ranked very high by some, while others see him dropping out of the Top 10. He has NBA size and moves very well for a big man. The knock is that, for a seven-footer, he's not a shot-blocker or a particularly tough defender. "High basketball IQ" is one of the accolades attached to him and that should help when it comes to learning on the job, in terms of rotations, etc. His brother, Tyler, plays for the Cavaliers, while his other brother, Luke, played part of last year with the Phoenix Suns.

Kelly Olynyk

Height: 7-0
NCAA school: Gonzaga
NBA position: Centre

Born in Toronto and raised in Kamloops, B.C., the seven-footer is expected to go in the middle of the first round. In scouting terminology, being called a "finesse" guy often denotes a lack of dominant athleticism and that would be the case here. Olynyk is still learning, but his post game has come a long way. The question is whether can he continue to do that at the NBA level, where everything is that much faster. He can consistently knock down mid-range shots and his passing skills are good for a big man.

Myck Kabongo

Height: 6-2
NCAA school: Texas
NBA position: Point guard

Okay, Kabongo is not a Top 10 pick. But this being a Canadian website, it behooves us to write about the third Canadian who could go Thursday. This draft probably won't match last year, when three Canucks went in the first round, because Kabongo is projected to go somewhere in the second. The knock on the Toronto native isn't the brutally harsh, 23-game suspension the holier-than-thou NCAA handed him for the sin of working out with a professional trainer. It's the small sample size that resulted from it. Kabongo played only 45 up-and-down games in two years at Texas. He has great speed, excellent floor vision and phenomenal passing skills. He could be a steal in the second round -- and the Raptors don't have a pick, thanks to the Rudy Gay trade.

Other to watch for:

• CJ McCollum, PG (Lehigh)
• Michael Carter-Williams, PG (Syracuse)
• Lucas Nogueira, C (Brazil)
• Shabazz Muhammad, SF (UCLA)
• Allen Crabbe, SG (California)

Future Canadian NBA draftees will be on display, representing their country at the FIBA U19 World Championship tip off in Prague, Czech Republic. Canada, led by Trey Lyles and Tyler Ennis, opens Thursday against Spain.

Follow John Chick on Twitter @roofthatpeach

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Bombers, Alouettes have sights set on season-opening win

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes both have a burning desire to get to a Grey Cup game and both have veteran quarterbacks who have decided leaner is better in the CFL.

But the differences start to mount when you look at the recent records of the two clubs that meet Thursday in the CFL opener at Investors Group Field (9 p.m. ET), the Bombers' new $200-million stadium.

Winnipeg hasn't won a Grey Cup since 1990 and after losing to the Edmonton Eskimos in 1993, have made only three appearances, the last their losing effort in Vancouver in 2011.

The Alouettes have been there eight times in the last 13 years, winning in 2002, 2009 and 2010.

At 41, Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who led them to all three championships, said the prospect of another is one of the things that keeps him going.

"That's what definitely keeps bringing me back," he said after arriving in Winnipeg Wednesday.

'My whole goal is to go out there and lead my team to another championship. And I know I'm closer to the end than I am to the beginning and I do appreciate every opportunity.'—Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo

"My whole goal is to go out there and lead my team to another championship. And I know I'm closer to the end than I am to the beginning and I do appreciate every opportunity."

At the same time, he says it doesn't weigh on him.

"I'm not going into a year thinking 'Man, I've got to get this done get this done."'

Last season, despite finishing on top in the East, the Alouettes dropped the conference final to the eventual Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts.

With an injured Buck Pierce missing two-thirds of the season, Winnipeg finished 6-12, out of the playoffs, and had a mid-season coaching change when Tim Burke took over from Paul LaPolice.

Pierce's health key for Bombers

Keeping Pierce healthy is a key to turning that around this season and the offence has been rejigged to provide some new protection schemes and keep him out of harms way as much as possible.

But Pierce says he also sees a big difference in the team this season.

"Last year I think there were a lot of question marks at a lot of positions going into week one," he said of a team that saw rookies replace injured or missing veterans.

"The confidence level of those guys with a year under their belt is a big change."

Offensive co-ordinator Gary Crowton now has a full year of CFL experience under his belt and has been able to make his NFL-style hurry-up offence fit a little better into the three-down game.

He says he saw some of the results late last season, when players understood a little better what he wanted from them and his understanding of the CFL's quirks improved.

"Guys were digging down deep trying to win games and that's how we need to start out this year," he said.

With a wholesale change of its coaching staff after Marc Trestman left to coach the Chicago Bears of the NFL, Montreal also has some new wrinkles in its offence, said Calvillo.

"We've go a lot of good stuff, stuff that's brand new to this league," he said.

Another newcomer to the CFL, Mike Miller has taken over as offensive co-ordinator in Montreal and Calvillo says other teams in the league won't really know what to expect.

"We're going to try and take advantage of that."

Burke would agree, although new Montreal head coach Dan Hawkins suggests they don't know that much about Winnipeg's game plan either, after a second pre-season game when Burke rested pretty well all his starters.

"I don't think there's any advantage there," Hawkins said.

The Alouettes have added receiver Arland Bruce III to their already potent arsenal.

"He's a very quiet guy but man, does he get open," said Calvillo.

"I think it's really going to help our football team out just having another exciting weapon."

Winnipeg, meanwhile, won't know until Thursday whether last season's top CFL rookie, receiver Chris Matthews, will dress.

Calvillo, who will start in his 20th CFL season Thursday and holds not only the CFL record but the professional football record for passing yards, did a few years ago what Pierce did this past off season.

Both lost weight and changed their eating habits. Both men say they feel faster and more comfortable not carrying around the bulk conventional football wisdom said they should add to help avoid injury.

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Frers: 10 CFL stories to watch

Here are 10 things I'm interested in watching on the road to the 101st Grey Cup game.

Whether it's new players like Isaiah Sweeney, or those that have been around the league for a few years and are looking to finally make a name for themselves like Shawn Lemon, the talent depth in the CFL has never been better.

Here are 10 things I'm interested in watching on the road to the 101st Grey Cup game.

Will the Lions be better without Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce?

There is no question that both of these players will be missed, but when Courtney Taylor, Nick Moore and Ernest Jackson got playing last year time because of injuries, I knew that coach Wally Buono was going to have to make some tough decisions. Add Emmanuel Arcemeaux to the mix, and B.C. has one of the best young receiving corps in the CFL. But talent is one thing. Experience is another.

Is Kent Austin really good or just lucky?

After Saskatchewan went 9-9 in 2006, Kent Austin took over and led a young team to the  95th Grey Cup title. Immediately after receiving the Annis Stukus Trophy, he disappeared to the college ranks south of the border. Some may argue that Austin acquired a promising young team in 2007 built by Roy Shivers, but I'm looking forward to seeing if Austin is the type of coach that can build a winning organization anywhere. He has his work cut out for him as he takes over as the head coach and GM in Hamilton.

Will new defensive coordinators Orlondo Steinauer and Noel Thorpe make their mark?

Both the Alouettes and Ticats have productive offences, but both play brutal defensive football. Thorpe, who takes over the defence in Montreal, and Steinauer (the new guy in Hamilton) are smart football minds who have the privilege of building a defensive unit with their signature on it. Defensive performance could determine who comes out of the East this season.

The team that Ed Hervey built

While playing, I had the chance to build a good relationship with Ed Hervey. I quickly came to appreciate his ability to see the difference between talent and hype when it came to football players. I'm interested to see if the two guys that the new Eskimos GM aggressively pursued in free agency, Mike Riley and Odell Willis, turn out to be the cornerstone players needed for Edmonton to turn the corner. Hervey obviously saw something in both of these players and I am curious to know if he's right.

Is Mike Reilly ready for prime time?

The Eskimos' new quarterback had limited playing time in his three years with the Lions, but he has a passer efficiency rating of 104.4, which means that he makes good decisions with the football. As a comparison, Henry Burris led the CFL with the same rating in 2012. Riley looks comfortable under centre, and is athletic enough to get himself out of trouble if needed. The key for Edmonton will be the performance of their revamped offensive line.

Will Drew Tate step up?

Completing only 43 per cent of his passes is not what Stampeders coach Dave Dickenson needed from Tate. It's not like Tate is trying to learn a new offense. Calgary has a ton of talent this season and could challenge for the Grey Cup if Tate shows up.

Gas in the tank?

Tough decisions were made by GMs this off-season to release talented veterans to make room for young players. I would like to see Geroy Simon show us that he can still be productive in Saskatchewan, but he may battle with the injury bug this season. The player that I believe will have the biggest impact will be cornerback Byron Parker in Montreal.

Safe at safety?

The Lions' J.R. LaRose will need to understand the balance between supporting coverage underneath and securing deep coverage. Big plays kill a team, and if he is not able to improve, we could see Korey Banks or Ryan Phillips move to safety for the Lions. The biggest loss for the Argos defence is Jordan Younger (retired). He will be replaced by Matt Black, who has never played the position. Defensive coordinator Chris Jones will need someone who can direct traffic.

Saskatchewan spending wisely?

When you're going to host the Grey Cup in your backyard, you get the green light to spend money to build a competitive team. Offensive coordinator George Cortez was the most significant acquisition made by GM Brendan Tamen this off-season. The Roughriders were a good football team in 2012 that lacked offensive creativity. How quickly this group of individuals comes together as a team will dictate if they are playing on their home field at the end of the year.

Tight race

Once again, the season is anyone's guess. I firmly believe success is determined by how well you can play along the line of scrimmage. Injuries helped a number of teams develop a depth of talent on their offensive line, but defensively there are a few teams that lack strength on the line.

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Vincent Lecavalier to be bought out by Lightning

Vincent Lecavalier is leaving the only NHL club he has ever known.

The 33-year-old Lecavalier, selected first overall in 1998 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, will be bought out by the club due to his prohibitive contract.

"After much internal deliberation, we believe this will prove to be a pivotal move for us as we strive to achieve our long term goal of competing at the highest level, year-in, year-out," the Lightning said in a statement Thursday. "The economics and structure of the CBA are necessitating this decision and we at the Lightning are excited at the newly created opportunities this presents to us."

Lecavalier represented a salary cap hit of more than $7.7 million US. Under NHL buyout guidelines, he will be paid $30 million US (two-thirds of what remained on his contract), spread out over 14 years (twice the number of years left on the contract).

Lecavalier has scored 383 goals and 491 assists in 1,037 regular season games, with 746 penalty minutes. He was the Rocket Richard Trophy winner as the leading NHL goal scorer in 2006-07.

The centre has averaged less than a point per game over the last five seasons, and has missed 42 games over the last three seasons. The Montreal native put up solid numbers in 2013, with 10 goals and 22 assists in 39 games.

He's added 24 goals and 28 assists in 63 playoff games for Tampa Bay, who despite a Stanley Cup win in 2004 and an Eastern Conference final appearance in 2011, have never been able to establish a consistent playoff presence in more recent seasons.

Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, each NHL club was given the option to use up to two compliance buyouts prior to the end of the 2013-14 season in order to help teams get under a lower salary cap.

Levacavalier joins goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and forward Daniel Briere, both formerly of the Flyers, as the most notable players bought out so far.

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Graham DeLaet is Canada's top golfer by wide margin

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., has established himself as Canada's top golfer by a fairly substantial margin and holds that distinction without ever having won on the PGA Tour.

Graham DeLaet is inching closer to the area where many Canadian golf observers expected him to venture when first identified as an elite amateur in Weyburn, Sask., almost a decade ago.

The 31-year-old, now based in Boise, Idaho, where he lives with his wife, Ruby, and where he went to college, matched his career-high result on the PGA Tour by finishing third in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., on Sunday.

The result earned him $414,800 US yet it was disappointing because DeLaet was in position to win the tournament. But a late bogey on No. 16 and a failure to convert birdies on both the 15th and 17th holes eventually left him one shot out of a playoff.

"I just had a couple sloppy holes there on 15 and 16, which ended up being the difference," said DeLaet, who birdied No. 18 when he stuck a wedge from just inside 100 yards to pull ahead of 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson and into third.

Ken Duke won the playoff over Chris Stroud on the second playoff hole and, at 44, became the oldest first-time winner on the PGA Tour in the process.

DeLaet is 29th in the FedEx Cup standings and has earned $1,348,387 US so far this season. And at 74th in the world rankings, he is also Canada's best golfer by a fairly substantial margin -- and holds that distinction without having won on the PGA Tour.

Ten Canadians have won on the PGA Tour and two of those were adopted Canadians who developed in other countries. So as that statistic illustrates, it's not easy to win. But in addition to his post-round comments, DeLaet acknowledged a sense of unfinished business until he can claim a PGA Tour victory.
 
"I won't consider it a breakthrough [for me] until I get my first win," he said prior to the Travelers, words that proved almost ominous given how close he came five days later.

DeLaet's story is also unique for a couple of other reasons. He is a Saskatchewan boy and was wholly developed there before setting off to Boise State. There were no small fortunes to be spent, sending him to some place like Arizona or Florida to work on his game year round. Though that story is fairly typical of most Canadian kids who become tour players, hailing from the Prairies is unique in a Canuck context because most of this country's elite players come from Southern Ontario or B.C. 

There are perfectly logical reasons for that relatively narrow disbursement of golfers. Ontario has one of the biggest concentrations of golf courses in North America and the lower mainland of B.C. and Vancouver Island is the lone geographic area in this country where you can play year round.

But that doesn't mean that other parts of the country are indifferent to the game and, though he hasn't lived there for over a decade, DeLaet remains closely tied to his home province, installed as honourary chairman of the PGA Tour Canada's Dakota Dunes Classic slated to tee off next Thursday in Saskatoon. 

For proponents of golf in this country, there was a message in DeLaet's close shave and Duke's victory at Hartford. Duke was the Canadian Tour's best player in 1999, around the time that DeLaet was pounding the surlyn off golf balls as a teenager in Weyburn. By the time Duke moved on to the PGA Tour, DeLaet was one of (what is now called) PGA Tour Canada's best players.

'Not classic golf attire' 

DeLaet was quick to praise the Canadian loop for his development and accept the tag as ambassador for his home province. In return, Saskatchewan is getting a colourful representative because, aside from his reputation as one of the PGA Tour's best ball strikers, he's also earned some acclaim as a fairly snappy dresser.

"I like to have a little fun," he said of his wardrobe, which tends to be heavy on the bright colours, with a particular preference for loud trousers.

"I realize it's not [always] classic golf attire."

DeLaet, who did not attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, citing fatigue, has now positioned himself to get into the British Open and PGA Championship, the season's final two majors. A high performance in those or in one or two FedEx Cup playoff tournaments (he was T5 in last year's opening event) and he will likely garner serious consideration for the Internationals in the upcoming Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, in the first week of October. 

DeLaet is currently 15th on that ledger, with the Top 10 earning automatic qualification.

Follow Peter Robinson on Twitter @PRGolfWriter 

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Blue Jays try to avoid sweep as Jose Reyes returns

The return of star Jose Reyes might be what the Toronto Blue Jays need to help avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Out since mid-April with a sprained left ankle, the veteran shortstop will be activated from the disabled Wednesday when the visiting Blue Jays try to salvage the finale against a Rays team looking for its fourth consecutive win.

Toronto (38-38) entered this series averaging 6.4 runs and 8.7 hits during a franchise-tying 11-game winning streak, but it's totaled two and 10 hits in the first two. Losers in four straight at Tropicana Field, the Blue Jays have not won any of its last 19 road series against the Rays (41-37).

Reyes, however, could provide a spark to help the club get back on track.

"I'm very excited about it,'' he said. "I missed two months of doing what I love to do and now I know I'm going to be on the field one more time around my team."

Reyes hit .395 with a homer and five RBIs in 10 games when he was injured April 12 at Kansas City.

"He's one of those centerpieces of our team,'' manager John Gibbons said. "Before he got hurt he was great. He was playing really well. He's been gone a while and now maybe he can put us over the top. We'll see.''

Scheduled starter R.A. Dickey (6-8, 5.15 ERA) was another of Toronto's high-profile offseason acquisitions but has been inconsistent in 2013.

The knuckleballer is 2-1 in four June starts despite a 5.01 ERA over those outings. He gave up a run in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-1 win at Texas on June 15, then allowed six and three home runs in six innings while not factoring in the decision of a 7-6 win over Baltimore on Friday.

"I had a pretty good knuckleball going into the game, threw a couple of hangers up there and they got punished in bad situations,'' he said.

The right-hander has allowed 10 hits and no homers while going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last three starts versus Tampa Bay. He's yielded six runs - four earned - and worked around nine walks in 14 innings to go 1-0 against the Rays in 2013.

Slugger Jose Bautista went 0 for 3 in Tuesday's 5-1 defeat, and is 1 for 15 in the last four at Tropicana Field.

Wil Myers drove in his eighth run in nine career games for Rays, who have won five of seven. He's 3 for 8 and also has a homer in the series.

Tampa Bay's Roberto Hernandez (4-8, 5.14) looks to avoid losing three straight starts for the second time in 2013. The right-hander allowed five runs and nine hits in seven innings of a 6-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Friday.

Hernandez is 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA in seven starts versus Toronto. He gave up a solo homer to Adam Lind, four other hits and struck out seven in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays on May 7.

He's yielded two earned runs and eight hits over 14 2-3 innings to win both of his interleague starts in 2013.

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South American rivals clash in Confed Cup semis

After convincing wins over Japan, Mexico and Italy in the first round of the FIFA Confederations Cup, Brazil is once again the talk of international football. The last obstacle between the favourites and the final match is South American rivals Uruguay, writes Nigel Reed.

The rehab is coming along nicely.

The patient is responding to treatment better than expected. Home comforts have helped restore self-confidence, and a positive mental attitude has eased the burden of responsibility. A year away from hosting its global jamboree, the prognosis is encouraging.

Brazil is once again the talk of international football. After years of relative obscurity, confined to going through the motions of meaningless friendlies, Brazil has come to play. The Confederations Cup has given it something to play for and it is enjoying a long overdue taste of competition. 

It has bright new stars leading the way. Neymar and Oscar are growing up fast. The pair of 21-year-old Brazilians are bridging the generation gap in great leaps and maturing rapidly. Playing with freedom and without baggage, the youngsters have added new moves to the samba beat.   

Now Brazil must close the deal. 

The team breezed through the group stages. Convincing wins over Japan and Mexico were followed by a four-star performance against the Italians. It wasn't perfect from a technical standpoint, but any team with the offensive verve to score four goals against the Azzurri must be doing something right.

Hot streak

Brazil is on a roll and hungry for success. True, the Confederations Cup cannot be compared with winning the World Cup, but it is a significant staging post for the competitors to compare themselves against international rivals who will return as contenders 12 months hence.  

The hosts have won 10 straight games at this mini World Cup. The streak dates back to Germany in 2005 and an expectant nation is demanding two more victories by the weekend. The task is not impossible by any means, but the path to a third consecutive Confederations Cup title is about to get much steeper. 

Brazil is not the best team in South America. According to the current, rather misleading FIFA rankings, Brazil lags behind four countries in its own Confederation. Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador have all overtaken mighty Brazil; not to mention its tiny neighbour to the south and semifinal contender, Uruguay.

Uruguay represents the Brazilian banana skin. 

Not for the first time, the Uruguayans are threatening to spoil the party. The extensively and expensively restored Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which will stage Sunday's finale, has revived memories of another era. The iconic arena was the site of Brazil's national football tragedy. Decades later, fans on both sides of the Yaguaron River still talk about Uruguay's sensational 1950 World Cup victory on Brazilian soil.    

In truth, Uruguay has more important things to worry about, qualifying for Brazil 2014 continues to be a struggle for the Copa America champions - a far cry from their unexpected but eye-catching dash to the 2010 World Cup semifinals. Perhaps a successful run at this dress rehearsal is just the tonic Uruguay needs to book a return flight across the border next summer.

Make no mistake; Uruguay can hurt Brazil, even in its own backyard. The triple threat of Luiz Suarez, Edinson Cavani and the veteran maestro Diego Forlan has the ability and the experience to really test what might yet prove a flimsy Brazilian defence. 

At the other end, Uruguay has solid goalkeeping and an enviable reputation for defensive stability. Well organized and physically tough, it remains to be seen whether veteran captain Diego Lugano and company can cope with the pace and talent of Brazil's young guns.

By definition, international football rarely has that 'derby' feel about it. Brazil against Uruguay certainly does and players on both sides recognize it as such. Brazil's goalkeeper, Julio Cesar insists there are "no favourites" going into the semifinal. A little bit of kidology methinks - but he could have a critical part to play.

Brazil, with home advantage, will start as favourite to reach its third straight Confederations Cup Final. The fans are already dreaming of seeing their heroes lift the trophy but the players cannot afford to get ahead of themselves. Staying focused on the present is the only route to the future.

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Quebec's Eugenie Bouchard wins Centre Court debut at Wimbledon

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard took advantage of an unplanned apperance on the main stage Wednesday at Wimbledon, beating former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in straight sets.

The 19-year-old from Westmount, Que, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner in her debut on Centre Court at All England Club, which came after No. 2 Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the tournament due to a leg injury. Azarenka was scheduled to play on Centre Court.

Bouchard, last year's junior champion at Wimbledon, seemed composed throughout the match despite the increased attention. She broke Ivanovic for the fifth time to seal the victory, with the Serbian hitting into the net to end the 62-minute match.

"We only heard about the court change 15 minutes before the match," said Bouchard. "I was actually quite excited. It was crazy to play in front of a big crowd like this, I'm really happy. I was focusing on returns and neutralizing her first serve and I think I did that very well."

The rising teen star's only hint of nerves was when she failed to close out the match while serving with a 5-2 lead.

The Canadian improved to 21-14 on the season. She has posted some other big wins this year, including a third-round victory over U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur last April at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C.

"I'm happy to be playing well again," Bouchard said. "After winning the juniors, Wimbledon feels like my second home."

Ivanovic reached world No. 1 status five years ago after winning the French Open. While seeded 12th, Ivanovic has often struggled at Wimbledon, however, failing to go beyond the fourth round in the last six years.

Bouchard entered the week 66th in the WTA rankings. She will next place Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, a winner in three sets over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia.

She becomes the first Canadian to reach the third round in the singles draw at Wimbledon since 2002.

Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil was also in action on Wednesday hoping to match that standard, playing against No. 20 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.

With files from The Canadian Press

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