TORONTO - The backwards Toronto Marlies hat on Brandon Kozuns head told a story of where he came from and where he seemed likely to go at some point during training camp.
[b]Mariano Rivera Jersey[/b] .But this was the morning of the final pre-season game and Kozun was sitting at his locker at Air Canada Centre, not Ricoh Coliseum down the street. He was squished in next to the goaltenders, but most importantly he was still in camp with the Maple Leafs.I must be doing something right to still be here, the unassuming five-foot-eight winger said Saturday.Even after capping his standout pre-season with a three-point effort a night earlier, Kozun said he didnt wasnt going to celebrate yet. After all, the opening-night roster doesnt have to be finalized until Tuesday afternoon, but all indications are the 24-year-old hasnt just made the Leafs but could have a prominent role to start the season.Kozun practised on the second line Saturday alongside Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri, and even if hes not there when the NHL regular season begins Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens, he can be expected to kill penalties and play some decent minutes.Hes a young player just trying to earn an opportunity to play in the NHL every day, start in the NHL, coach Randy Carlyle said. Hes never done this before.Three weeks ago, Kozun looked like an afterthought, a potential top-six forward in the minors and maybe a call-up down the line. It didnt appear that he had a legitimate chance to make the 23-man roster, but the mind of a pro athlete cant function like that.If you come into a camp with the thought that you have no chance, youre not going to make it, Kozun said. Theres something to be said about positive thinking. It wasnt really about making the roster as it was to try and just improve every day.Kozun did have a leg up because Carlyle remembered watching him last season with the Marlies.He was the player that stood out the most, Carlyle said. It was easy to see his skill-set and his speed because he was a guy that was on the puck and hes transferred that to pre-season and our training camp here.At times in exhibition games it has looked like the puck is magnetically attracted to Kozun. Part of that is the instinct to be in the right place at the right time and another is his speed a€” a quick first step and a burst beyond.He flies up and down the ice, said James van Riemsdyk, who played with Kozun on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. He makes a lot happen with his speed out there. You see him a couple times, especially on the penalty kill and hes disrupting their breakout and drawing things and making things happen.Kozun acknowledges he has had a longer road than some other guys to get to the NHL. Born in Los Angeles, Kozun began playing hockey when he was three and moved to Calgary with his family when he was 10.Born to a Canadian mother and American father, Kozun chose to play internationally for Canada and won a silver medal at the 2010 world junior championship.I felt like the bulk of my developing came in Canada, Kozun said. I moved to Canada when I was 10 years old, its a pretty young age. When you grow up from 10 on, thats a bulk of your years. I think my mom kind of raised us a bit more Canadian than American.Kozun played for the WHLs Calgary Hitmen and was a sixth-round pick of the Kings in 2009. He played three full seasons in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs before a trade to the Leafs in January.Its not the easiest thing when youre in the minors for four years and maybe you start to doubt it a little bit when you see other guys that are younger than you getting called up and all that, Kozun said. I think when I first came out of junior I was pretty offensive-heavy. Maybe at that point I thought I was ready, but youre naive. As you get older I think you mature as a person and as a player.That was the big thing for me: Just learning to be a complete player and learning to be a pro.Kozun thinks the time in the minors and the adversity made him a better player.If it werent for that, I wouldnt be who I am today, he said.What Kozun is today is an NHL player. But the rest of the roster remains in flux because of an uncertain injury picture.Centre Tyler Bozak (lower-body injury), winger Josh Leivo (bruised foot) and defenceman Cody Franson (bruised knee) missed Saturdays practice, and star winger Phil Kessel (lower-body injury) left after roughly 15 minutes. Franson skated for a bit at the end and voiced optimism about being ready for Wednesday, but Carlyle didnt finalize anything regarding the status of any of the injured players.I still think we have a couple days before we make that final assessment on everybody, Carlyle said.A handful of jobs could be determined by those injuries, as bubble players like forwards Matt Frattin, Carter Ashton, Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren and defencemen Stuart Percy and Korbinian Holzer await news. Percy looks like a good bet to make it no matter what.Leivos health could factor into where Kozun plays, but just being in the picture has made it a successful camp for him.Hes been noticeable, Carlyle said of Kozun. Weve got lots of decisions to make and theres bodies to fill in and Kozys made it a lot easier to make some decisions.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter
[b]Randy Johnson Yankees Jersey[/b] . Kyle Shanahan was hired as offensive co-ordinator Monday after spending the previous four years in the same role with the Washington Redskins.
[b]Jorge Posada Yankees Jersey[/b] . The CFL will help tackle womens cancers by playing four special "CFL PINK" games this weekend.PHOENIX - Goran Dragic scored 20 points to help the Phoenix Suns beat the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 121-90 on Thursday night in an exhibition game.The Spurs played without five top players and coach Gregg Popovich.Popovich, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili did not make the trip to Phoenix so they could rest after the Spurs played exhibition games in Turkey and Germany last week. Assistant coach Ettore Messina guided the Spurs from the bench. Kawhi Leonard (right eye infection), Tiago Splitter (calf strain) and Patty Mills (shoulder) also sat out San Antonio.Suns owner Robert Sarver made an announcement to the fans, apologizing to those left with 2:31 left for watching a game missing many big-name players.
[b]Babe Ruth Jersey[/b]. He told fans they could send in their ticket stubs and receive a free gift from the team.Austin Daye led the Spurs with 17 points. All-Star guard Tony Parker played through only about half the third quarter and scored nine before departing for good.Suns guard Zoran Dragic, Goran Dragics brother, was not with the team while the native of Slovenia deals with an international visa issue.The Spurs (1-2) return home to play the Miami Heat in preseason action on Saturday, while the Suns (3-1) continue exhibition play next Tuesday against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
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