ekansekans's blog: "df"

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets head into the summer with their No. 1 goalie happily in the fold. The Jets announced Monday they have come to terms with Ondrej Pavelec. The new deal is worth US$19.5-million over five years. The 24-year-old Pavelec, who made $1.3 million last season, was eligible to become a restricted free agent this summer. "Were very excited about locking Ondrej up and were actually even more excited that Ondrej wants to commit and be a part of the process of the Winnipeg Jets moving forward," said GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. Pavelec said it was not a difficult decision. "You always want to stay as long as you can in a city you like," he said by phone from his native Czech Republic. "Its something I was looking for ... It was easy to sign a five-year deal thats for sure." He said he likes the atmosphere in Winnipeg and the fan support, even though he admitted the Jets didnt always play their best last season. The former Atlanta Thrashers missed the playoffs again. Pavelec appeared in 68 games, compiling a 29-28-9 record, 2.91 goals against average and 0.906 save percentage. He was originally drafted by Atlanta in the second round in the 2005 NHL draft. Cheveldayoff called him "one of the best young goaltenders in the game right now." Jets backup Chris Mason is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. But he says he wants back with the team. Winnipeg also acquired the rights to Torontos Jonas Gustavsson over the weekend at the NHL draft in a move that was seen as giving the team some leverage on its existing two goalies. The Gustavsson deal was contingent on the Jets signing the Swede. Winger Evander Kane is also eligible to become a restricted free agent. Cheveldayoff declined comment on how negotiations were faring with other players. But he said that the Pavelec deal sends a message. "Certainly the signing shows commitment from the Winnipeg Jets organization, but it also shows commitment from the player that they want to be a part of whats transpiring here in Winnipeg and in their careers. "A player only has X amount of years to play. Its short relative to the rest of their life and when a player makes a commitment like this and a team makes a commitment like this, its very significant." Pavelec had other offers but he said returning to Winnipeg was always his first choice. "Everybody knows that I had an offer from the KHL. Its hardly a secret," he said. "It was really good money but . . . first thing I was thinking is I want to stay in Winnipeg." Cheap Jerseys USA . -- Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points, Kyle Lowry added 18 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-106 on Friday night in the final preseason game for both teams. Cheap Jerseys . Pierce suffered a concussion last week after taking a violent hit from Toronto Argonauts linebacker Brandon Isaac. http://www.dancewithmeusa.com/hot.html .C. Sabathia. Hes still coming through when it counts for the New York Yankees.CALGARY -- Jon Montgomery didnt disappear. One of the famous Canadian athletes to come out of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games did what he felt he needed to do to win another gold medal, which was not to race at all this season. Instead, the man as well known for auctioning off a pitcher of beer in Whistler, B.C., following his Olympic victory spent this winter tinkering and testing sleds while his rivals raced. "Im doing equipment development," Montgomery said. "Im trying to make sure that Im in the best possible position for success leading up to and including the 2014 Games. "This year is not a throw-away season, but it doesnt mean anything in terms of our road to 2014. This was the season to sacrifice competition and focus on those aspects." Montgomerys absence was noticeable at the recent two Canadian stops on the World Cup circuit -- Whistler last week and the Calgary stop that concludes with mens four-man bobsled Saturday. A Canadian man didnt finish in the top five in skeleton at either track. The season ends with the world championship next week in Lake Placid, N.Y. "For sure, you always want to be playing, you always want to be competing," Montgomery said. "Thats an easy pill to swallow knowing Im making the best use of my time right now in this aspect of equipment development and the programs Ive been working on. "This is definitely the best use of my time for sure." Montgomery opened the season after his Olympic win with a World Cup victory on the same Whistler track. But he finished no higher than sixth the rest of the season. Montgomery ended up ninth in the overall World Cup standings and 11th in the 2011 world championships. It wasnt as if he suddenly couldnt drive. Montgomery decided then he had to aggressively research how to build a better sled. As he put it, "the 2014 season is not the time to be tryiing new things.dddddddddddd" The 32-year-old from Russell, Man., wants the technology to win on any track, not just Whistler. Hes doing it with the help of Standens, a company that specializes in axels and suspensions and built his winning ride for 2010. "Theres certain tracks I wasnt able to compete on, Calgary being one of them. Whistler not one of them," Montgomery said. "My old setup was perfect for Whistler, but Im trying to create something that I can win week-in and week-out on and when I come to the track, I want to know that I can win. "If I dont take ownership of that process, then you are always left wondering what could have been done. I dont want to have those types of thoughts standing on the start line, should I be fortunate enough to earn a spot in 2014." Montgomerys hiatus also allowed him to take a breather from relentless training, which he feels will also help him in the long run. "Im not letting myself go and becoming a fat mess or anything," he says. "I am certainly staying healthy and getting ready to hit the ground running this April and do lots of dryland training." Montgomery married fellow slider Darla Deschamps last summer. She was coming off a breakout rookie season, placing in the top five of four World Cup races and placing eighth at the world championship. But her competitive season ended in December when Deschamps suffered a concussion while training in Norway. Montgomery says his wife is recovering, but rushing her back to competition would be the wrong decision. So a couple who is often travelling around the world has spent a lot of time at home recently. "Newly-married couple hanging out together quite a bit, I think were getting an insight into what retirement might be like," Montgomery joked. "Were surviving and thriving, so this is a great prospect." ' ' '