CALGARY - The Calgary Flames did not make the playoffs for a fifth straight year. Justin Evans Jersey . The difference between this spring and the previous four is the Flames did not underachieve this time around. When since-deposed general manager Jay Feaster brought himself to say the word "rebuild" last summer, it confirmed following the departure of Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff and Jay Bouwmeester that the Flames were going to be a lunchbucket squad until new stars emerged or were acquired. Calgary (35-40-7) finished 27th in the 30-team league this past season and second-last in the Western Conference above only Edmonton. The 77 points was the teams lowest total since 2002-03. The Flames went 19-14-1 after brawling with the Canucks in Vancouver on Jan. 18, but they were already in next-year territory after winning just nine games through November and December. The slow start opened the door to audition for the future. A dozen players made their NHL debut with the Flames this season. Calgary has a top-five pick in the NHL draft in June for the first time since 1973 when they were the Atlanta Flames. The Flames have a 10.7 per cent chance of winning the first overall pick in Tuesdays draft lottery. But in contrast with Oilers to the north — where people tossed jerseys on the ice in disgust — the Flames had more goodwill and patience from their fanbase. Calgary compensated for its lack of talent with tenacity. The Flames were involved in 49 one-goal games this season and went 25-24 in them. "The conclusion of a season that does not include playoff is a failure and we acknowledge that failure, but it was not a lost or wasted season in any sense of the word," said hockey operations president Brian Burke, who is also interim general manager until he hires a new one. "I think there were a lot of positive developments in this season that Im proud of. I think we gave (the fans) a product they enjoyed watching." Bob Hartley squeezed effort out of his group in his first full season behind the bench. The head coach has one year remaining on a three-year contract and Burke says Hartley will coach the team in 2014-15. "Once we get a general manager in place, Ill encourage that person to address that situation," Burke said. "Its not the end of the world when a coach works in the last year of his contract, but its not ideal. That will be up to the next GM." Hartley said prior to Calgarys home game "our report card still says we failed" but the coach said Monday that it was a "great day." "We decided late last year that we would get a new face to this organization. We would go with younger players," Hartley said. "From the inside — I dont know about the outside because Im not on the outside — from the inside, I saw commitment, I saw progress. Those guys gave us everything that they had." Unlike the previous four seasons when an expensive, veteran squad with stars on its roster fell short of the post-season, there was less disappointment and more optimism as the Flames packed their bags this time. With 22 goals, forward Sean Monahan became the first Flames rookie to score more than 21 since Iginla in 1996-97. The 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont., confirmed hell play for Canada in the world championships in Minsk, Belarus, next month. "Down the stretch, these last 20 games, carrying the puck, I felt more confident with the puck," Monahan said. "Thats something I want to be able to do next year, be confident with the puck, make plays and I guess produce a little bit more." Monahan and veterans Matt Stajan and Chris Butler raved about Mark Giordanos leadership skills in his first season as captain. The 30-year-old was also a key contributor on the ice with 47 points and a plus-12 rating. Giordano played himself into consideration for Canadas Olympic team. He declined the chance to participate in the world championships, saying a hand injury needed time to heal. When he was healthy, Karri Ramo played himself to No. 1 on Calgarys goaltending depth chart with a 17-15-4 record. The Finn has one year remaining on a two-year contract. "The players like him because he battles," Burke said. "I think Karri Ramo has established that he deserves to come back here as the No. 1 goaltender." Hobey Baker winner Johnny Gaudreau, who led the NCAA in scoring, signed a contract on the weekend and scored in his first NHL game Sunday in Vancouver. The players believe theyve built a foundation upon which to build for next season. All eyes turn to Burke, who he chooses as his new GM and assistant GM and how they in turn handle the draft and Calgarys cap space in free agency. "The GM search, were going to approach teams that missed the playoffs," Burke said. "If they have candidates were going to approach them today, some of them. "If we have to wait until after the draft to fill that position, we will." Burke took over as interim GM when he fired Feaster in December. Burke was brought on board in September as hockey ops president to accelerate Calgarys rebuild. His goal is to make the Flames bigger, stronger and meaner. He acquired a second- and third-round draft pick at the March 3 trade deadline, but added no players to the team. "I think truculence is part of this game," Burke said. "Everyone likes to make fun of that word because the first time I used it, a lot of people said its kind of a new word in hockey, but its not. "I think tough teams win. You look at the St. Louis Blues. Theyve been a dominant team all year. Their average weight is 208 pounds. In the West (conference) especially, if youre not a hostile team with size, youre not going to have success. We need to get bigger." Mike Cammalleri, Calgarys leading scorer and most expensive player counting $6 million against the salary cap, will be an unrestricted free agent July 1 unless he re-signs with the Flames. "I dont have anything to report," the 30-year-old said. "Just had some exit meetings and talked to Brian. He said wed talk again. Today wasnt the day to talk about that sort of thing. Today was a day to address the season. I am far from having ruled Calgary out as far as my future." Butler, 27, will also be a UFA for the first time in his career. "Its a unique opportunity, being unrestricted and having control of your destiny and being able to choose potentially where you want to go," Butler said. "Its an opportunity not everybody gets and it is something you earn and you work for. "Its something Ill think about, but its still a few months away and its kind of hard to think about right now having just played last night and wearing that jersey for the last three years." Forwards Paul Byron, Joen Colborne, Lance Bouma and T.J. Galiardi are among Calgarys restricted free agents this summer. O. J. Howard Youth Jersey . It was a move of some time in the making. “He hasnt thrown well, clearly some guys are being used more than him right now and the only way to get out of this funk is to pitch,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. Kendell Beckwith Buccaneers Jersey . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period.NEW YORK -- Without regard to fan or player balloting, here are our selections for the 85th All-Star game July 15 at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins since 2010. There are 34 spots on each roster, with at least 13 reserved for pitchers. Every major league club must be represented. The deadline for fan voting was midnight Thursday. Rosters will be announced Sunday night. The winning league, which gets home-field advantage in the World Series, has won five consecutive championships. ------ American League: First Base -- Coming off consecutive MVP awards, Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera gets the start even though Chicago rookie Jose Abreu and Torontos Edwin Encarnacion have more homers at this power-packed position. Encarnacion is listed as a designated hitter on the fan ballot, but hes played the vast majority of games at first base. Oakland bopper Brandon Moss was the toughest player to leave off the squad. Second Base -- The surprise starter is pint-sized Houston dynamo Jose Altuve. Seattles Robinson Cano and Detroits Ian Kinsler, both producing with new teams, are on the bench. Shortstop -- Yankees captain Derek Jeter takes a bow in his final season, though he hasnt done much damage at the plate. Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox beats out Kansas Citys Alcides Escobar for the backup role. Third Base -- Adrian Beltre has been a bright spot in a miserable year for banged-up Texas. He earns the starting job. Kyle Seager is enjoying a breakout season in Seattle, and Oaklands Josh Donaldson also makes it after getting snubbed a year ago. At last check, Donaldson had a big lead in fan balloting. Catcher -- Salvador Perez makes his second straight All-Star squad for Kansas City, and this time hes the starter. Kurt Suzuki represents the hometown team in his first season with the Twins. It was very difficult to deny Derek Norris of the Athletics, who has been so productive in limited at-bats. Outfield -- Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels starts in centre, with Baltimore newcomer Nelson Cruz in left and Torontos Jose Bautista in right. Cruz had a comfortable lead at DH in fan voting, but hes actually spent more time in the outfield. The reserves are Clevelands Michael Brantley, Baltimore centre fielder Adam Jones and Oaklands Yoenis Cespedes. Designated Hitter -- Victor Martinez of the Tigers has nearly as many home runs as strikeouts. Amazing. Those numbers help put him in the starting lineup over Boston stalwart David Ortiz, last years World Series MVP. Starting Pitchers -- Mariners ace Felix Hernandez gets his first All-Star start. Hes joined on the staff by Japanese right-handers Masahiro Tanaka of the Yankees and Yu Darvish of the Rangers, along with Angels first-timer Garrett Richards, reigning Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and Tigers teammate Rick Porcello. Chris Godwin Jersey. The left-handers are Torontos Mark Buehrle, Oaklands Scott Kazmir, Chicagos Chris Sale and Tampa Bays David Price. ... Ortiz and Price arent exactly chummy. Could make for an interesting clubhouse. Relievers -- Now that Mariano Rivera has retired, someone else gets a chance to anchor the bullpen. Red Sox closer Koji Uehara, Kansas Citys Greg Holland and As lefty Sean Doolittle all have what it takes. ------ National League: First Base -- Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt is the starter at a spot loaded with splendid hitters. Behind him are Atlantas Freddie Freeman, Chicagos Anthony Rizzo and Washingtons Adam LaRoche. Rejuvenated in Colorado, Justin Morneau serves as the DH -- giving Minnesota fans a former Twins star to cheer. Second Base -- Dodgers speedster Dee Gordon gets the nod thanks to all those stolen bases. Chase Utley returns for Philadelphia following knee problems, and steady bat Daniel Murphy represents the Mets. Shortstop -- Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies is the runaway choice, backed up by Hanley Ramirez from Los Angeles. Third Base -- Its a pair of unexpected first-timers at the hot corner in Todd Frazier from Cincinnati and reserve Anthony Rendon from Washington. Catcher -- Another surprise behind the plate, where Milwaukees Jonathan Lucroy starts over two established stars: Buster Posey of the Giants and Yadier Molina of the Cardinals. They both make the roster, but Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks barely gets squeezed out. His numbers deserve recognition. Outfield -- NL MVP Andrew McCutchen from Pittsburgh is in centre, flanked by Miami strongman Giancarlo Stanton in left and Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers in right. The second-string unit is comprised of Brewers centre fielder Carlos Gomez, Braves slugger Justin Upton and San Franciscos Hunter Pence. Starting Pitchers -- Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright also warrants his first start in an All-Star game. The rest of the group includes Reds teammates Johnny Cueto and Alfredo Simon, Zack Greinke and Josh Beckett from the Dodgers, veteran Tim Hudson of the Giants and youngster Julio Teheran of the Braves. The left-handers are two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) and Madison Bumgarner (Giants). Kyle Lohse from the Brewers was the hardest omission of all. Relievers -- Francisco Rodriguez, closing again in Milwaukee, punctuates a renaissance season with his first All-Star selection in five years. Rounding out the bullpen are Atlantas Craig Kimbrel, San Diegos Huston Street and Washingtons Rafael Soriano. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
