Clan-Members » year out of you? But he said no."

OTTAWA, Ontario -- Brett Hulls record for goals scored by an American in the NHL is safe for now.Auston Matthews is still 737 goals behind.But like the entire hockey world, The Golden Brett took notice and then some Wednesday night, when the kid from Scottsdale, Arizona, became the first player to open his NHL career with a four-goal performance as the Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Ottawa Senators.Pretty impressive performance in the first game for a young kid, Hull told ESPN.com via text message Wednesday night. It speaks volumes for where U.S. hockey has come!It was only three weeks ago that Team USA flamed out of the World Cup of Hockey with an 0-3-0 record and fueled the narrative about what is wrong with the state of the game in the United States. On Wednesday, Matthews reminded everyone that help is on the way.Just amazing! Mike Modano, second all time in NHL goals by American players, with 561, told ESPN.com via text message Wednesday night. Its a young mans game now. Being American from Arizona makes it an even more intriguing story. These kids make instant impacts. The game has definitely changed for the better.Never mind the score of the game against the Senators, the Maple Leafs have changed for the better. Did they tank last season? Oh, you better believe they did. Although theyd never admit it, they wanted the best possible shot at Matthews the year after they missed out on Connor McDavid.It took just the first three shots off Matthews stick Wednesday -- all goals, of course -- to emphasize why the tanking was justified.The second goal Matthews scored? My goodness. He stripped two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the puck and raced in from the sideboards to sneak a shot inside the post on Craig Anderson.Really?Wow. Wow, said an NHL scout on hand, unable to find another word.Ill be remembered for one thing, I guess, for a long, long time in Toronto, Anderson said jokingly.What was apparent Wednesday, and what we got a taste of in the World Cup last month, is that Matthews is already strong enough on his skates to take over a game.Physically, hes a man at [19] years old, Senators center?Kyle Turris told reporters after the game. So hes physically ready for the game. Obviously, hes mentally there too. Hes going to have a long career. Dont wish him too much luck with the Leafs.All rebuilds are not created equally. Players such as?Sidney Crosby?and Jonathan Toews?are not available at the top of the draft every year. Teams need to hit on generational studs such as McDavid and Matthews to make a rebuild count.The magic on display Wednesday at Canadian Tire Centre reminded everyone that the team that hasnt won a Stanley Cup since 1967 can actually see light at the end of the tunnel.We were all part of history tonight, Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said. From my perspective, since Ive been the Leafs coach, thats the best night Ive had since Ive been here, by 10 miles -- not even close. Because now we have an opportunity.Babcocks young supporting cast also looked good on this night.Sure, the Leafs lost 5-4 in overtime to the hometown Ottawa Senators. But if youre a Leafs fan, who cares? This night was about knowing the franchise has turned a corner.Matthews, for one, cared. His first comment to the media after the game?On that last play, it was 100 percent my fault, he said of losing his man, Turris, on the overtime goal. Obviously, we came here to win. A good learning point for me and the team.Thats the maturity already on full display from Matthews. Playing pro hockey in Switzerland last season served him well in his preparation for his NHL debut.Hes a man. Hes 19 years old, but he acts like hes 27, Babcock said. Hes got great maturity. If you meet his mom and dad, youre thoroughly impressed with the kind of people they are and the respect he has for his mom and his sisters. ... Dont get me wrong: We would have drafted him anyway, but that makes it more special.There was Matthews after the game, once the cameras were gone, getting a big hug from Mom and Dad in the bowels of the arena.It was pretty special to have my parents here and have them share that moment with me, he said.Brian and Ema Matthews still had watery eyes after the game.Im speechless, Brian said.Dad doesnt have to say anything. His son said it all on the ice on a night that wont soon be forgotten.Norm Van Lier Jersey . 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Rick Adelman Jersey .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition.BALTIMORE -- Jonathan Ogden spent his entire 12-year career with the Baltimore Ravens, played in 11 Pro Bowls, won a Super Bowl ring and earned a berth in the Hall of Fame. And Ozzie Newsome saw it all coming -- long before Ogden made his debut as one of the finest offensive linemen in NFL history. Newsome was in charge of the Ravens draft in 1996, the teams first season in Baltimore after moving from Cleveland. The Ravens desperately needed an impact player with the fourth overall selection, someone who could steer the transplanted franchise on a course to greatness. "That was not a pick we wanted to end up three years later going, Good God Almighty, what the heck did we do?" recalled David Modell, the son of then-owner Art Modell and a key front-office component. "That pick had to be good." Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips, a troubled but talented star, was an option. So was Ogden, a 6-foot-9 offensive tackle out of UCLA. The day before the draft, Newsome made it clear: Ogden was the choice. "Ozzie said, Jonathan Ogden will be a perennial Pro Bowl player, will play for this franchise for his career and will have a decent shot at going into the Hall of Fame," Modell said. "What a Babe Ruth call that was." Ogden was the first player drafted by the Ravens, and Saturday he will formally become the teams first entrant into the Hall of Fame. "Hes going to be the Ravens golden child forever," said Edwin Mulitalo, who played guard alongside Ogden for eight years. How appropriate that Newsome will serve as Ogdens presenter at the Hall of Fame ceremony. "He brought me in to Baltimore," Ogden said. "I could always go talk to him, be honest with him. Hes just one of the people that I really respect in the business. It just kind of made sense to me." Newsome, in turn, owes a debt of gratitude to Ogden for justifying his decision in the Ravens inaugural draft. Although the team was in dire need of a running back and already had two solid offensive tackles, Newsome chose Ogden because he was the highest-ranked player on Baltimores board. That philosophy remains in place today and has enabled the Ravens general manager to produce two Super Bowl champions. Newsome often considers what might have happened if he picked Phillips, who totalled 35 games for three different teams over a dismal three-year span. "I could say 17 years later, I probably wouldnt have this job. Its as simple as that," Newsome said. "Lawrence had some productive years, but he didnt pan out. And I dont know if we would have been able to provide the structure he needed. We felt like we could have, but I dont know if wed have been able to do it." As a rookie, Ogden played left guard between veteran tackles Orlando Brown and Tony Jones. In his second season, Ogden became an immovable force at left tackle and remained there the rest of his career. Ogden was a star on the field and a leader within the locker room and on the sideline. He didnt have the bluster of the Ravens other first-round pick in 1996, linebacker Ray Lewis, but the big man showed enough emotion to be noticed by his teammates -- especiallly after being asked to repeatedly drop back to protect the passer.dddddddddddd "He was a great pass blocker, and he was a very technical player," Mulitalo said. "But man, he loved to run block. There were times he got frustrated on the sideline, and most of the time it was because we were getting a little pass-happy. Whenever we switched to the run, he was like a little kid. Maybe the most fun playing next to him was when we actually run-blocked. He took pride in doing that." Many of Baltimores biggest games during Ogdens tenure came against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The majority of those duels were gritty, helmet-banging affairs perfectly suited for Ogdens old-school mentality. Along the way, he made a very favourable impression on then-Steelers coach Bill Cowher. "Jonathan is, without a doubt, a Hall of Fame player who is one of the very best left tackles in NFL history," Cowher recalled. "We couldnt beat him with speed rushers, and he would just engulf power rushers. Those long arms, the great feet, the strength -- he has it all." Ogden wont be talking much at the induction ceremony this weekend. He never did much like boasting about himself. "J.O. is one of the more humble guys Ive ever played with," said Jamal Lewis, who ran behind Ogden plenty of times in 2003 on his way to compiling a franchise-record 2,066 yards rushing. "He led by example and was never outworked. Ive never seen anybody protect the left side the way he did." Ogden was only 33 years old when he quit the game after the 2007 season. He had been fighting a nagging foot injury for years and finally had enough. "He could have continued playing," Mulitalo said. "His 75, 80 per cent was probably better than most of the players in the league. But when youre that good, you hold yourself to a different standard, you know?" Current Ravens coach John Harbaugh had just replaced Brian Billick in January 2008 when Ogden dropped by to talk. "I was really excited to meet him," Harbaugh recalled this week. "And then he told me he was going to retire. After I wiped the tears off my cheeks, I hugged him, and I begged and pleaded, Can we get one more year out of you? But he said no." Harbaugh didnt get the chance to coach Ogden, but he knows enough about him to assess his place in NFL history. "Probably the best left tackle that ever played football," Harbaugh said. "Hes one of the two faces on the Ravens Mount Rushmore, for sure." The other, of course, being Lewis, who retired after last season and is a virtual shoo-in to join Ogden in the NFL Hall of Fame. But Ogden will always be the first pick in the history of the franchise, and the first to have his bust in Canton, Ohio. "It feels great," he said. "When I was playing, I was just out there working. I couldnt help the fact that I was the Ravens first pick. It just kind of happened, and in my mind, all I wanted to do was go out there and help the guys win. So I dont look at it in that perspective. When I do step outside of myself and look at it, its like, Wow, that guy, he had it pretty good." ' ' '