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TORONTO - Bob Murray was California dreaming about the American Hockey Leagues new Pacific Division because the Anaheim Ducks general manager will be able to wake up and drive down the coast to see his minor-league team in San Diego. Chris Smalling Manchester Jersey .Thats impossible for Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers executives, but those Canadian NHL teams will also benefit from the AHLs Westward relocation. Starting next season the Flames will have their top affiliate in Stockton, Calif., and the Oilers in Bakersfield in an attempt to give those organizations better development and access to minor-league players.As part of the all-California cluster, the Los Angeles Kings will have a team in Ontario and the Sharks in their own arena in San Jose.Us and Calgary dont have the luxury that the California teams do, but the division is going to be highly competitive and that will be really good on the development side, Oilers president Kevin Lowe said on a conference call Thursday. From our perspective, its the proximity for the other teams within our own division and the benefit that well get for our players in terms of having more practice days. Thats the biggest benefit.The Flames AHL team currently resides in Glens Falls, N.Y., which is a drive to a major airport and then a long flight from Alberta. The Oilers AHL team is in Oklahoma City.San Joses AHL team is now in Worcester, Mass., Anaheims in Norfolk, Va., and Los Angeless in Manchester, N.H.One practical implication is that these teams can now recall players from the AHL on shorter notice if injuries occur.You cant always control travel, but you would suspect in California youve got less of the travel issues as it relates to weather and those types of things, Calgary GM Brad Treliving said in a phone interview. The fact of the matter is its easier to get a body from Stockton, Calif., to Calgary than it is from the East Coast to Calgary, for a host of different reasons.These five AHL teams will play fewer games than the current 76 on the schedule, which Lowe said was part of the deal in creating the Pacific Division. Its unclear just how many there will be.Its going to drop, and the purpose of that is more emphasis on development and really to try to reduce completely the three (games) in three nights, Lowe said. Most people on the management side of hockey teams will suggest that its not great for development.This idea has been bandied about for several years. Murray said at a news conference in San Jose that he and former GM Brian Burke talked about it as soon as they got to Anaheim. The Pacific Division is the first phase of trying to geographically balance out the AHL, which historically has been centred in the East.I think it was just a matter of time, Treliving said. Its taken a long time and its not an easy undertaking. Theres a lot of moving pieces here.AHL president David Andrews called relocating five teams a complex process but one that launches a new era for the American Hockey League and for professional hockey in California.The Kings, Sharks and Ducks will get the benefit of having their teams in the same state. San Joses AHL team will even share SAP Center with the Sharks, an arrangement no other organization currently has.The Toronto Maple Leafs top affiliate, the Marlies, are in the same city, and the Philadelphia Flyers once had the Phantoms in another arena across the parking lot.Torontos a perfect example: Theres a benefit of being right there and theres a reason why they moved their team to Toronto, Treliving said. A player pulls a groin in Toronto on a morning skate, you can get a guy to drive across town.Edmonton to Bakersfield and Calgary to Stockton isnt that close, but its an improvement. Lowe estimated that the AHLs Condors will have about 20 to 25 extra practices per season than the Barons had in Oklahoma City, when the closest opponent was a six-hour bus ride away.This isnt a full-scale relocation as the Vancouver Canucks AHL team will remain in Utica, N.Y., and the Winnipeg Jets in St. Johns, N.L., for at least next season. But there are rumours of each NHL club wanting the same type of move as their Western Conference Canadian counterparts.The Jets have been linked to Thunder Bay, Ont., or even Winnipeg itself, and the Canucks potentially to Abbotsford, B.C., which used to be the home of the AHLs Heat. The Arizona Coyotes would like to join this movement, as well, and could put a team in Scottsdale.Theres no question that weve been involved in a lot of these discussions with a lot of our compadres in the West, and we hope to be a part of the Pacific Division if at all possible as early as the following season, Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc said before his teams game against the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. I would anticipate well be the ones to break the mould and our franchise wont be in California but itll be in Arizona.A bigger Pacific Division is very possible for the 2016-17 season. At that point it may even include a minor-league affiliate paired with a Las Vegas expansion team.The division has a flexibility if it grows in the future to play strictly in our own division, Lowe said. We like to think that the division will grow in time, but theres nothing concrete at this point.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Daley Blind Manchester Jersey . The top-ranked Djokovic also beat Gael Monfils and then routed Roger Federer en route to his first Abu Dhabi title. "Its always great to win a title. This is the best way to start the 2012 season," Djokovic said. Antonio Valencia Jersey . Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead when he got in front of his marker to neatly flick in Lucass cross in the 59th minute. New signing Yohan Cabaye came on as a second-half substitute and headed Ezequiel Lavezzis cross against the post in the 87th. Moments later, Lucas set up another goal from the right when fellow countryman Alex turned in his corner with a strikers finish. Matteo Darmian Shirts - 16/17 Matteo Darmian Manchester United FC Soccer Jersey Sale . 4 jersey of former defenseman Rob Blake this coming season. The ceremony will take place prior to the Kings January 17 game against Anaheim.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Yu Darvish came oh, so close again. The Japanese ace fell one out shy of a no-hitter for the second time Friday night, giving up a ninth-inning single to David Ortiz in the Texas Rangers 8-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. "This is the second time I experienced this, but if I keep pitching like this, someday Ill get it," Darvish said through his translator. "Someday, Ill just keep doing what Im doing and Ill probably have another record of almost a no-hitter." Rookie second baseman Rougned Odour, positioned in shallow right field, made a diving attempt at Ortizs hit but the ball was out of his reach. If the Rangers had not shifted their infield toward the right side of the diamond -- a standard practice against the pull-happy Ortiz -- it probably would have been a routine grounder to second. Darvish lost a perfect-game bid with two outs in the ninth inning last season against Houston. This time, he bent his knees and put his glove on his hips after the base hit. Texas manager Ron Washington then made a slow walk to the mound, with the 45,392 in attendance cheering and chanting "Yuuuuuu!" Darvish (3-1) struck out 12 and walked two while throwing 126 pitches. "He was on his game early," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. " That combination of being powerful and the secondary pitches and the assortment of them ends up being a night like tonight." The 20-year-old Odour, playing his second major league game, and Ortiz were also involved in the play that ended Darvishs try for a perfect game. Darvish struck out eight of the first 11 batters he faced and retired 20 in a row until Ortiz hit a high popup to right field with two outs in the seventh. Odor was also shifted into shallow right then and drifted back for the ball while right fielder Alex Rios came in before suddenly stopping. Odor lunged with his glove extended above his head but the ball dropped between them. "As soon as he hit it, I thought it was going to be a hit," Darvish said. "Obviously I was a little bit disappointed, but I was already ready to give up a hit, so it didnt really matter." An error was charged to Rios after official scorer Steve Weller looked at replays and conferred with several others because of the significance of the play. "I should have taken control of that ball," Rios said. "We were camped under the ball, so it can be called an error." Weller, in his 20th season as a scorer, told a pool reporter after the game that it was a judgment call and "I felt like the second baseman or right fielder under normal effort couldve clearly caught the ball." Asked if he had spoken to Darvish, Rios said, "I just told him that I should have caught it. Thats the only thing I said. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Jersey. " Darvish crouched down when the ball hit the ground. Former Rangers catcher Mike Napoli then drew a walk before Grady Sizemores inning-ending flyout. Once Ortiz got his hit in the ninth, he thought he should have been credited with a hit in the seventh as well. "Guys throwing a no-hitter. We all understand that. But when it comes down to the rules in the game, thats a hit," Ortiz said. "Thats the rule that we all know, and thats the rule that the game (has had) for more than 100 years. The ball in the outfield drops in between infield and outfield, nobody touched it. ... So I guess its going to be two (hits) now." Ortiz said he would have been OK with the error "if the guys throwing a no-hitter." Darvish walked another batter in the eighth but went into the ninth looking for the first no-hitter in the majors this season. Dustin Pedroia grounded out and Shane Victorino struck out before Ortiz stepped to the plate. "He had great stuff. He was locating everything," Pedroia said. "When a guy like that with that kind of stuff is on his game, it makes it a tough night." Darvish was within one out of a perfect game during his first start of 2013 in Houston when Marwin Gonzalez singled through the pitchers legs. Darvish then lost a no-hit bid with one out in the eighth against the Astros last August. Elvis Andrus had four hits and scored three times for the Rangers. Andrus was back in his normal No. 2 spot in the batting order for the first time in six games. Washington had moved his shortstop down in the lineup after a 2-for-34 slide that dropped him to a season-low .217, but moved him back to split up the five left-handers in his lineup against Clay Buchholz (2-3). Buchholz allowed six runs and 10 hits over 4 1-3 innings. He struck out three and walked two while throwing 96 pitches. It was Darvishs 21st career game with at least 10 strikeouts, the most in the majors since his debut in 2012. Detroits Max Scherzer is next on the list with 14 in that span. Darvish was winless in his previous nine home starts, despite a 2.83 ERA in those games. He had not won at home since last Aug. 1 against Arizona. Texas went ahead to stay when Andrus had a one-out single in the first and scored on a double by Adrian Beltre. NOTES: The last no-hitter for the Rangers was Kenny Rogers perfect game against the California Angels on July 28, 1994. ... Boston last went without a hit on April 22, 1993, against Seattles Chris Bosio. ... Andrus had the first four-hit game by a Texas player this season. ... Odour, the youngest player to appear in a major league game this season, got his first hit with a single in the fourth. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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