Sonstiges » 0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard

NEW YORK -- Before Alain Vigneault signed on for the job he said he couldnt turn down, the New York Rangers new coach got two important thumbs-up that led him to the Big Apple. Vigneaults hockey coaching jobs over the past decade have taken him far away from his home in Gatineau, Quebec, and separated the divorced father from his two daughters for far too long. When the recently fired coach of the Vancouver Canucks was faced with the decision of continuing his career with the Dallas Stars or the Rangers, he chose the place that is just a one-hour flight from his family. "I was thinking about the opportunity to coach the New York Rangers, one of the Original Six teams, in this great city," he said Friday at his introductory news conference. "There is not a chance I could pass that up." Vigneault was given a five-year contract about a month after he was dismissed by the Canucks and three weeks after New York fired combustible coach John Tortorella. Vigneault visited his daughters in Montreal and got a clear message from them where they wanted him to go. When he went into the apartment of his 20-year-old daughter, Janie, at college, he saw two mugs on the table -- one with a Rangers logo and the other with a Dallas Stars insignia. Then he received a much clearer signal. "They were sitting on the couch, and they both had Yankee hats on," Vigneault said. "So I said, I know where you want me to go. Ill see what I can do." Visits that had been limited to Christmas and maybe another time during the season can now increase to multiple times per month. "They both like to shop," he said. Vigneault let the Stars know he was taking himself out of the running to be their bench boss and worked out a deal with the Rangers -- one that will reportedly pay him $2 million per season. "I want to win," Vigneault said. "I did find out that it is a lot easier to negotiate yourself a contract when youve got two teams that are after you than just one." With that, he gave Glen Sather, the Rangers president and general manager a hearty pat on the back as those in the room broke out in laughter. "I didnt particularly enjoy that part," Sather said with a smile. Although he has yet to win the Stanley Cup, Vigneault brings a wealth of experience and success into his third NHL head coaching job. His most appealing attribute might be that he is so different than Tortorella -- on and off the ice. That was evident Friday when Vigneault was introduced at Radio City Music Hall. In the short window of time in which he met with media members, Vigneault smiled and joked more times than anyone could remember his predecessor doing in 4 1/2 seasons. The 52-year-old Vigneault brings a welcoming demeanour away from the rink and a more offensive philosophy on it -- in contrast with Tortorellas way of working in the defensive zone and putting a premium on blocking shots in front of star goalie Henrik Lundqvist. "We needed a change in style," Sather said. "You look at the injuries ... we needed to move the puck out quick. That style was perfect for a couple of years, but it started to wear our team out." Vigneault edged out former Rangers captain Mark Messier, longtime former Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff and others. In 11 seasons as an NHL head coach with Montreal and Vancouver, Vigneault is 422-288-35-61 in 806 games. "Im going into this with an open mind," Vigneault said. "I think (players) should be too. Im going in with a clean slate. Lets see what we can write on that slate." Vigneault was interviewed last week during the Rangers organizational meetings in California and then met with team owner James Dolan in New York. "We had a list of 13 candidates and I narrowed it down to nine," Sather said. "It wasnt just between A.V. and Mark." Vigneault and Sather will now work on filling out the coaching staff. It is unknown if Messier, a special assistant to Sather, will remain with the Rangers. Messier, a Hall of Fame player, lacks the coaching experience Vigneault is loaded with. "It was a difficult decision. Weve both grown up with each other," Sather said of passing on Messier. "At this stage, A.V. was the man. Mark has got to decide what he wants to do." Tortorella was fired May 29 -- four days after the Rangers were eliminated by Boston. A year ago, the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference finals. In an odd twist, Tortorella was reportedly offered the job on Friday to replace Vigneault in Vancouver. Sather insisted that no player came to him and asked for Tortorella to be fired. No players were in attendance Friday. "There hasnt been a player who ... complained to me about Torts," Sather said. When asked if Tortorella was stubborn in resisting adopting a more offensive style, Sather had a quick answer. "Maybe beyond stubborn," he said. "He was perfect for us for a few years. Hes going to be perfect for another team, but it was getting to be so hard on some of our players. "We needed to make a change to give them a little fresh life and more of an optimistic view of how to play." Vigneault ranked first on the Canucks list in coaching wins and came within one victory of capturing the Stanley Cup in 2011. In seven seasons, Vigneault was 313-170-57 in the regular season but only 33-32 in the playoffs. In his final two seasons, Vancouver was knocked out in the first round -- including a sweep by San Jose last month. The early-round exits when the Canucks were the higher-seeded team, and losses at home at the starts of the series, were cited by general manager Mike Gillis as reasons for Vigneaults firing on May 22. "There is no doubt in my mind that this organization is committed to winning the Stanley Cup," Vigneault said of the Rangers. Messier captained the Rangers past the Canucks in the 1994 Stanley Cup finals. Vancouver lost another Game 7 in the finals against Boston in 2011. "I saw some of the pictures from the last time this city won the Cup," Vigneault said. "Its real clear to me that there is no better place to win the Stanley Cup than here in New York." Mark Carrier Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Mike Ditka Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. http://www.custombearsjersey.com/ . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Bill Wade Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Mike Brown Jersey . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. Its no doubt that San Antonio Spurs fans are missing legendary power forward Tim Duncan. This is the first time in 19 years that Spurs fans wont be able to watch Duncan play, but they can still see him on TV if theyre lucky.H-E-B, a supermarket chain based in San Antonio, released a new commercial recently that features Duncan joining the Spurs Retirement Club. Duncan is greeted by a group of former Spurs players, who seem to be enjoying their post-NBA lives. H-E-B is known for its?commerccials featuring athletes from all over Texas, including players from the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.dddddddddddd.Duncan will be remembered as one of the best to ever play his position, with five NBA rings, two league MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards and a Rookie of the Year award. He spent his entire career playing for the Spurs.-- Meaghan Latella ' ' '