NEW YORK -- The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens will once again kick off the NHL season.
[b]Padres Christian Villanueva Jersey[/b] . The league released its official schedule today, and the Original Six rivals will face off at Air Canada Centre in the earliest of the four games scheduled for opening night on Oct. 8. It will be the sixth straight season Montreal and Toronto have met on opening night. The defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are also in action Oct. 8. They host the San Jose Sharks, the team they beat in the first round of last years playoffs after coming back from a 3-0 series deficit. The other games on opening night see Vancouver visit Calgary and Boston welcome Philadelphia. The other three Canadian teams open the next night on Oct 9. The Winnipeg Jets visit the Arizona Coyotes, the Ottawa Senators are on the road against the Nashville Predators, and Calgary hosts the rival Edmonton Oilers. The league also announced that the Washington Capitals will host to the Chicago Blackhawks in the outdoor 2015 Winter Classic on New Years Day.
[b]Padres Colin Rea Jersey[/b] . -- Ryan Millers debut for the St.
[b]Padres Cory Spangenberg Jersey[/b] . PAUL, Minn.LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. -- There were some emotional moments and some funny stories as Joakim Noah accepted the NBAs Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday, like this one. The Chicago Bulls centre recalled a grueling workout with coach Tom Thibodeau. "I told Thibs, If we werent winning games, I would really, really hate you," he said. "And he said, Trust me, Jo, I feel the same way about you." Noah laughed. So did Thibodeau. With their drive and desire, those two are in many ways a perfect match. And when it came to this years award, it was no contest. Noah got 100 of a possible 125 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters and wound up with 555 points. Indianas Roy Hibbert (166 points, eight first-place votes) and the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan (121 points, eight first-place votes) came in second and third, respectively. "This is very humbling to be in this situation right now," Noah said as his famous father Yannick, his mom, his sisters and brother all watched from the front row. He told coach Tom Thibodeau: "Without your system, this wouldnt be possible." The only other Bulls player to win the award was Michael Jordan in 1988. Besides joining the greatest player in franchise history, Noahs name gets added to an impressive list of centres to take the honour. It includes stars such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, David Robinson, Dwight Howard. And now, Noah. The recognition comes after Noah helped Chicago win 48 games and earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite losing Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury and trading away Luol Deng. The Bulls won more games than any other Eastern Conference team after New Years Eve before stumbling in the post-season opener against Washington. Game 2 is Tuesday, another test for a team and a player who have passed their share. Noah had some issues with teammates and coaches after he was drafted oout of Florida in 2007.
[b]Padres Phil Maton Jersey[/b]. But theres little question who the teams most valuable player was this season. When the Bulls looked like they might fall apart, Noah kept them together. The irony is the defensive player award comes at a time when hes getting as much praise for his ability on offence, a weakness his first few years in the league. Noah averaged career highs of 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Hes a focal point on offence and one of the leagues best passing big men, with the ball often being funneled through him. He also remains their anchor on defence with his ability to cover ground and rotate onto smaller players in pick-and-roll situations creates havoc for opponents. He averaged 1.5 blocks. "Its been really fun for all of his to watch him and his game evolve and grow over the years," general manager Gar Forman said. "Hes a competitor. Hes passionate. Hes intelligent and hes a leader. But along with that, what Joakim probably is is the best teammate that Ive had a chance to witness in the 16 years that Ive been with the Chicago Bulls." The recognition comes at a difficult time for Noah, whose youth basketball mentor and second father figure Tyrone Green recently died. He dedicated the award to him, recalled sleeping on his couch in the summer as a teenager and forgoing trips with his mom and sister to work on his game. Green believed he could make Noah into an NBA player even if his own father had doubts. "We were watching a game," said Yannick Noah, the former tennis star. "(Joakim) was 15 or 16 years old. Mr. Green told me, Ill get him there, well get him there. I said, Where are you gonna get him -- to the next tournament or the ABCD camp or something? And he said, No, were gonna get him there to the NBA, and I never believed that." Why not? "He was too skinny, couldnt shoot," Yannick Noah said. "He couldnt jump, couldnt do a lot of things. The only thing I knew he had was his drive." Look where it got him.
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