Clan-Members » big-bearded defenseman a deal before h

Moments before New Zealand-born Australian war veteran Curtis McGrath began his gold-medal winning para-canoe race in Rio, he looked down at the bracelet on his wrist, and remembered his mates that didnt come home.Like every time he competes, McGrath picked one of eight names of his fellow engineer soldiers who died in combat in Afghanistan since 2001, and raced for them.The 28-year-old was born and raised in Queenstown, attending Wakatipu High School before his family relocated to Brisbane, where he became a combat engineer.He won the first ever Paralympic title in the mens KL3 canoe sprint at Rios Lagoa Stadium on Thursday.McGrath won by a boat length ahead of six-time world champion Markus Swoboda of Austria, while Nick Beighton took bronze for Great Britain.As he crossed the finish line, the double leg amputee slumped in his kayak in a moment of exhaustion, relief, and reflection.The reigning world champion said the enormity of what hed achieved wouldnt sink in until he got home.Ill drink some decent coffee and reflect on the wounds that have healed and the people that have helped me get here, he said.McGrath lost his legs four years ago when he stepped on a landmine while serving in the Australian Army in Afghanistan.Despite fighting shock, blood loss and excruciating pain, it was McGrath, as the first-aid medic for his unit, who instructed the soldiers around him to perform first aid.As he was being airlifted to safety, the then 24-year-old made a vow to the men who helped save his life that they would see him see him represent his country again, not on the battlefield, but on the Paralympic sporting field.McGrath was neck and neck with Swoboda until the halfway point of Thursdays final, but powered home with his signature strong back end.Its actually a carbon copy of our race in the world champs this year, McGrath said.Hes ahead at the 100m mark and I gradually kick into another gear and cruise over.The Queenslander has big plans for the future.Id like to go to Tokyo, pick up another sport, but well see how we go, he said.For now, he wants to grow the debut sport of para-canoe and the Paralympic movement.Theres many more disabled athletes or potential athletes that could be out here and get to the world stage, he said.Cheap Air Max Free Shipping . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Cheap Air Max From China .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. https://www.airmaxchina.us/ . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Discount Air Max Cheap Authentic Air Max . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game.Sidney Crosby, coming off Stanley Cup and World Cup of Hockey titles, has to top any list of NHL players to watch this season.The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar may never approach the 36-goal, 120-point season he had a decade ago when he won his first of two Hart Trophies as NHL MVP. Crosby can, though, strike a balance between being patient with the puck and aggressive with or without it when needed.He just wins, said Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who has coached Crosby at the Olympics and World Cup. Sid is unbelievable.Crosby has been diagnosed with a concussion and his availability with the season coming up fast was unknown Monday. Heres a look at some other players to watch in the talent-rich league when the season starts this week:ALEX OVECHKINAs a scorer, the 31-year-old Washington Capitals winger isnt showing any signs of slowing down. Ovechkin had 50 goals last season, reaching the milestone for the third straight year. He won his fourth straight and league-record sixth overall Richard Trophy as the NHLs top scorer. No one else has won it more than twice since the 1998-99 season when the trophy was first awarded.PATRICK KANEThe Chicago Blackhawks winger won his first Hart Trophy by easily surpassing his previous career highs with 46 goals and 106 points. Kane couldnt celebrate the accomplishment too much because the Blackhawks were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round after hoisting the Cup in 2015 for the third time in six years. Kane and Co. will be fired up to make another run.CONNOR MCDAVIDIf the 19-year-old captain can stay healthy, no one will be surprised if he has a 100-point season with the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid, the No. 1 overall pick last year, had 48 points in 45 games during his injury-shortened rookie season.?The smooth-skating center looked like one of the games greats at the World Cup.AUSTON MATTHEWSThe Maple Leafs have a reason ffor hope, for a change, because of the 6-foot-3, 216-pound center they drafted No.dddddddddddd 1 overall. Matthews appeared as if he belonged on the ice with the best hockey players on the planet last month at the World Cup, perhaps giving him a boost of confidence as an NHL rookie.P.K. SUBBANNashville acquired a motivated player in a blockbuster trade last summer, adding the 2013 Norris Trophy-winning defenseman and sending captain Shea Webber to Montreal. Subban scored a career-low six goals last season for the Canadiens and will get every opportunity to bounce back with the Predators.CAREY PRICEMontreals franchise and fans likely breathed a sigh of relief during the World Cup when it was clear Price is healthy and still one of the games best goaltenders after missing more than 10 months with a knee injury. With Price and Weber, the Canadiens will be tough to score against.BRENT BURNSThe reigning Western Conference-champion San Jose Sharks may want to give the gap-tooth, big-bearded defenseman a deal before he becomes a free agent next summer. If they dont, Burns may take his on- and off-the-ice act to a team that will pay him perhaps $7 million to $8 million a year with a long-term contract.BEN BISHOPThe Tampa Bay Lightning might move Bishop, who is entering the last season of his contract, before the trading deadline this season because they wont want to lose him to Las Vegas in the expansion draft next summer. Tampa Bay appeared to make a plan for the future in net last summer when it signed 22-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy to a three-year extension.---Follow Larry Lage at http://www.twitter.com/larrylage and follow his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/larry-lage---This story has been corrected to show that Subban won 2013 Norris Trophy. ' ' '