p his ........ shut and stay in Ottawa

[lw789]

TORONTO - By the time the Raptors make their selection in next months NBA draft, provided they stand pat at pick no. 20, three Canadian players should already be off the board. Thornhills Andrew Wiggins, a lock to go in the top three, will be the first of that group to hear his name called followed by possible lottery picks in guards Nik Stauskas and Tyler Ennis, all hailing from the Greater Toronto Area. Fittingly, Ennis initial stop on the pre-draft circuit came in his hometown, headlining the Raptors first workout session Thursday morning. The Brampton-raised point guard, like Wiggins and Stauskas, has been on their radar for a while. "Weve tracked him [for] a long time," admitted general manager Masai Ujiri. "This is one of those deals where we could go to Syracuse as many times as [we wanted], being close to [Toronto], drive up, so I was fortunate enough to go to a couple practices [and] a couple games." What he saw was a young man at the age of 19 who plays the game and carries himself with poise beyond his years, a common denominator among most of the countrys emerging prospects. "He plays very calm and thats the first thing I noticed," Ujiri said of Ennis, set to enter the NBA following his freshman season at Syracuse. "[Hes] very professional and carries himself the right way." "You see his demeanour and I think hell make a good professional." Ujiri has long been enamoured by the prospect of adding a Canadian-born product but remains steadfast in his belief that it would have to be the right player, in the right situation. Understandably, the Raptors GM will not draft a player simply for his passport, rather that player must be able to contribute at the highest level, address a need on the roster and possess the maturity required to strive in a high-pressure scenario. Ennis is a player who would appear to fit the bill. "I dont think anybody enters the draft just wanting to make a team and be happy there," said Ennis, arguably the best pure point guard in this years class. "Personally, I want to make an impact. I thought I was ready for the next level when I decided to enter the draft and if I were to end up on Toronto, I would definitely want to make an impact, especially in my home town." But will he be available to the Raptors at 20? "Id be surprised," Ujiri admitted. Unless the Raptors were to trade up in the draft - a possibility, however unlikely, that Ujiri wont completely rule out - they will likely miss out on that highly touted trio, but given the influx and depth of domestic talent that continues to come out of the country its only a matter of time until they call a Canadian to the podium. "I think anybody thats lucky enough to play in Toronto," Ennis said, "with the fan support that was shown in the playoffs and the great organization that the Raptors have, I think anybody that gets drafted here is lucky. "To have a Canadian would be great for the city, I think everybody would get behind them and I think it would just be a great opportunity." Of course, the Raptors also own a pair of second-round picks - 37 and 59 - where they could snag one of four other eligible Canadians. 7-foot-2 Calgary-native Jordan Bachynski, last seasons NCAA blocked shot leader, was among the participants in Thursdays workouts at the Air Canada Centre, while Quebecs Khem Birch and Torontos Melvin Ejim and Dwight Powell could audition for the Raptors when sessions resume next week. "To have so many Canadians in the draft is big for the country and for the most part, most of them are from the Greater Toronto Area, so I think its great for basketball in Canada and its great for us individually," Ennis added. "All of us have had very good years at our respective universities and wherever we end up I know everybody thats in the draft thats Canadian is hard working and good people off the court, so I think well all be able to find success." MENS NIKE AIR MAX 90 ESSENTIAL TRAINING SHOES RED/WHITE/GREY .Y. - Phil Varone was the lone scorer in the shootout as the Rochester Americans edged the Toronto Marlies 3-2 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. MENS NIKE AIR MAX 95 SHOES WHITE/SILVER/RED . Its like being on Broadway, everything you do matters. Id want to be good though! I couldnt play here if I wasnt very good. #83217388 / gettyimages. http://www.schuhoutlet.me.uk/Womens-Nik ... 3.html.com) - Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 51 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder took down the struggling Bucks 114-101 on Tuesday. MENS NIKE AIR MAX 1 SHOES BLACK WHITE GREEN . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. AIR MAX 95 WOMENS NIKE SHOES GREY/PINK/WHITE . -- The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with safety Brock Vereen and QB David Fales on four-year contracts.In some ways, it feels like the Ottawa Senators have cornered the market on messy departures. Or at least the awkward ones. First there was Alexei Yashin sulking his way out of town in the summer of 2001. Then just prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, Marian Hossa signed a contract extension with the team - only to be dealt hours later to the Atlanta Thrashers (In hindsight, perhaps Hossa should have been suspicious of John Mucklers evil laugh as his pen hit the paper). The next summer, Zdeno Chara up and left as a free agent, not leaving an ounce of return for his massive 6-foot-9 frame. There was also the buyout of Ray Emery just 12 months after he backstopped the club to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in modern franchise history. Dany Heatleys departure the following summer was easily the most contentious and controversial in franchise history. But that exit may have been trumped when Daniel Alfredsson abruptly left town in the summer of 2013 after contract talks reached a stalemate. So, all of this brings us to Jason Spezzas decision to ask for a trade last spring. On the surface, its easy to lump Spezza in with some of the other controversial exits from this city. After all, he was the captain of the team for less than a calendar year when he asked Bryan Murray to be traded to another organization. However, with Spezza returning to Ottawa tonight, there isnt that sense of pent-up frustration and anger from the fan base that we saw when Heatley came back to town. Or even the swirling mixed emotions when Alfredsson rolled back in wearing a Red Wings jersey for the first time. Those departures were sudden and shocking - like a cold slap in the face. But with Spezza, we could all see the writing on the wall for months - if not years. And so, were all sort of looking at each other with the same question: Whats the reception going to be for Spezza tonight? The reason why there might be an emotional disconnect is that the Spezza departure actually felt like a mutual decision. As Gwyneth Paltrow might say, there was a conscious uncoupling between the two parties. Even Spezzas most faithful supporters would agree that it was probably best for both parties for him to move on. He spent more than a decade with this organization and as he pointed out to us Wednesday, when you are the No. 1 centre on a team for that long and you dont win a Stanley Cup, there are going to be questions. In the case of his other linemates - Heatley and Alfredsson - we were left unfulfilled with the public explanations for their departures. So conspiracy theories started to pop up at every corner. Most of these were so ridiculous that they could not be published on a reputable website, but in the absence of a definitive explanation, these rumours ruled the day. Thankfully, we were spared that same script of gossip and innuendo with Spezza because his reasons for wanting to leave town actuually seemed believable.dddddddddddd And it also felt like it was in the clubs best interests to move on from him as well. There will be some people who boo Jason Spezza tonight because they felt like he turned his back on the organization and the city while he was the captain of the team. But as Spezza explained to me Wednesday, he understood that asking for a trade while wearing the captains C was going to create a stir. Its something I took very seriously, being the captain - especially on a Canadian team and somewhere I had been for a long time. So I was disappointed with how my one year as captain went, but thats hockey and you learn from it. I didnt just wake up one day and decided I wanted to ask for a trade. It was something I felt was necessary to move on in my career and kind of start another chapter. It definitely wasnt an easy decision, Spezza said. Perhaps the easier decision for Spezza would have been to keep his ........ shut and stay in Ottawa until his contract ran out at the end of this 2014-15 season. But then he would have been painted as the villain who left town and gave his organization nothing in return for him. At least by taking this route, Spezza allowed the organization to get a pair of prospects including one - Nick Paul - who projects out to be an NHL player in the future and a second-round draft pick. That return is certainly better than the alternative of Spezza simply walking away as a free agent this summer. And Spezza is also well aware of the narrative going around that he couldnt stand the heat of playing in a Canadian market. He shrugged off that suggestion Wednesday, saying that he never felt like the constant media scrutiny was the catalyst for his decision to leave town. Everybody is going to have their opinion and spin it however they want. But everybody who knows me and has been around me knows thats not why I asked to be moved, Spezza said. I think too much gets made that I just wanted to get out of the spotlight because my whole life Ive been in it. But I just felt it was necessary to move on to another organization and try things a different way. My goal is to win the Cup and I have to try it a different way. People will perceive it however they want, but I dont think Ive ever been afraid to stand in front of a microphone and be accountable for my play. Spezza told me that hes going to miss skating on the canal here in Ottawa, something he made sure he did with his family each winter. On Wednesday, he was planning to drop by his favourite Italian restaurant - Capones - for a bite to eat. And he even went to his old barber downtown for a familiar haircut. In coming back to Ottawa, Jason Spezza didnt need to slink around town with his hat pulled down low. This wasnt a messy breakup or a divorce that has cast one side as the bad guy. Instead, this was a mutual decision to leave and by all accounts, both sides are happy. 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