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VANCOUVER - Willie Desjardins has built champions in major junior hockey and the AHL. Now hell get the chance in the sports biggest league. Desjardins was hired as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Its his first NHL head coaching job, and hell join new president of hockey operations Trevor Linden and first-time NHL general manager Jim Benning as the Canucks rebuild following a disappointing 2013-14 campaign. "Ive been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time," said the 57-year-old Desjardins, whose coaching career has taken him from Japan to the Canadian national program, and from the WHL to the minor leagues, since he was first hired as an assistant with the University of Calgary in 1985. "To be part of such a great organization and NHL city is just a real honour." Desjardins was also rumoured to be a candidate to take over in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins boast a roster that includes superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The former coach of the WHLs Medicine Hat Tigers said a chance to return to Canada was too good to pass up. "Sidney Crosbys a heck of a hockey player obviously, but for me, when I looked at what was here — I looked at the two guys who are leading this (Benning and Linden), I looked at the quality of the players ... Canadian market, Vancouver fans — it was the right choice to come here." Desjardins, a native of Climax, Sask., most recently led the AHLs Texas Stars to a Calder Cup championship. He spent two years with Texas, winning the AHLs coach of the year award in 2012-13 when he led the Stars to their first ever South Division regular season title and the number one seed in the Western Conference for the 2013 playoffs. Prior to his tenure in the AHL, Desjardins spent two seasons as an associate coach with the Dallas Stars from 2010 to 2012. He also served as head coach (2002-2010) and general manager (2005-2010) of the Tigers, where he led the team to two Memorial Cup tournaments, including an appearance in the 2007 final. Desjardins was named WHL coach of the year for the 2005-06 season, and was also the recipient of the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award as the top coach in the Canadian Hockey League in 2006. Desjardins resume also includes stints on Canadas staff at two world junior tournaments and one world championship, as well as time coaching with the University of Calgary and in Japan. "Ive watched Willies teams play over the last 12 years," Benning said. "His teams play fast and work extremely hard. They play an up-tempo hard-skating kind of game. His teams play with that relentless attitude that we want our players to play with." Desjardins becomes the 18th head coach in club history and succeeds John Tortorella, who was fired after just one year behind the Canucks bench. Tortorella and former Canucks president and general manager Mike Gillis were casualties of Vancouvers disappointing season that saw the Canucks miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Desjardins says he thinks the Canucks can become a playoff contender again. "We have so many great leaders on this team, and to get to be part of that group, Im looking forward to it," Desjardins said. "Theyve won in the past, theyll win again." Jeremy Hill Jersey .com) - Chris Kreider tallied a goal and an assist as the New York Rangers capped a successful California road trip with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Danny Shelton Jersey . Re-signed by the club to a one-year, two-way (NHL/AHL) contract on July 5, Bass appeared in three preseason games with Columbus prior to breaking a bone in his hand on Sept. http://www.patriotsjerseysauthentic.com/...er-Bowl-Jersey/. Campbell, playing on loan with Greek club Olympiacos, found the net with a left-footed shot in the 44th minute off a pass from second-half substitute Jorge Rojas to open the scoring at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica. Custom Patriots Jerseys .J. - Pete Carroll is in support of the NFL looking further into whether medicinal marijuana could beneficial for players. Trent Brown Jersey . The same cant be said of last Saturdays 2-2 draw at Olympic Stadium against a very weakened New York Red Bulls side and one which had three stalwarts in Henry, Cahill and Olave back home in Harrison, NJ.(SportsNetwork.com) - After a rough start to their weekend, the Vancouver Canucks were able to secure a hard-fought victory that left head coach John Tortorella pleased. The Canucks, who will be without Alex Burrows with a broken jaw, look to conclude a four-game road trip with another victory on Tuesday night as they visit the Nashville Predators. After beginning its swing with a victory in Ottawa, Vancouver dropped a 5-2 decision to the New York Rangers on Saturday in John Tortorellas return to the Big Apple. The Canucks didnt get much rest after that emotional battle as they made a quick turnaround to visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. Vancouver was able to secure just its third victory in 11 games (3-5-3) with a 3-2 decision over the Hurricanes. Ryan Kesler and Tom Sestito scored in the first period for the Canucks before the Canes tied the game early in the second on goals just 10 seconds apart. Kesler, though, netted his second goal of the game less than a minute later and backup Eddie Lack notched 29 saves in the win. "We had a tiny lapse there in the second period, but we closed it out. Good win for us," said Kesler. Tortorella agreed, especially after his club held Carolina scoreless on its six power-play chances. "For us, playing a back-to-back, it was a good wake-up call," Tortorella said. &"Its about getting tougher, grabbing a hold of ourselves and finding a way.dddddddddddd" Vancouver will play the first of five straight at home starting on Friday and should have Roberto Luongo in net for the finale of this road trip. He is 15-12-0 with three ties, three shutouts and a 2.23 goals against average in his career versus the Predators. Nashville is 5-2-1 in its last eight games and is coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. Rookie Marek Mazanec made 22 saves, bested for the game-tying goal with 6:54 to go in regulation before yielding the lone shootout tally. Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson scored in regulation, though Wilson had a few chances to score in overtime and failed to convert. That included a breakaway with less than a minute to go in the bonus frame. "We should have won the game, but we didnt," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We couldnt hold onto the lead." The Preds did earn a point despite playing without a pair of defensemen in captain Shea Weber and Kevin Klein. Weber took a puck to face in Thursdays 3-0 loss to Edmonton, while Klein is battling a lower-body issue. Neither skater is expected to play tonight. The Canucks won all three of their meetings with the Predators a season ago and have won nine of their last 12 in Nashville. 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