Plauderwelten » presence in B.C. is also strong. In

PHILADELPHIA - After sitting idle without a first-rounder in the NHL draft, one Ottawa Senators scout was thrilled to get to make some picks on Day 2. "The scouts were happy," general manager Bryan Murray said. "I think somebody shook my hand at the end." That wasnt the handshake Murray went into the weekend hoping for. And try as he did, he was unable to consummate a trade to give centre Jason Spezza his wish to leave Ottawa. "I called the teams or took calls from teams that were interested," Murray said Saturday. "We talked about the return, the type of deal we wanted to make. In a couple of cases there was real interest and it went away. So I dont know whether it was because of the draft and on the day of the draft picks are very valuable, whether that was part of it or it was something different." Murray wanted a first-round pick, a roster player and a prospect for his captain, who has a limited no-trade clause and thus the power to refuse to go to 10 teams. One of those 10 is Nashville, which had a deal worked out to get Spezza that couldnt go through because he didnt agree to go to the Predators. "David (Poile) talked to me and we couldnt go there," Murray said. "I told (Spezzas agent) Rick Curran that today, I had a deal sitting there if I wanted to do it, but he was on the list of no-gos." A Senators-Predators deal mightve landed Ottawa the 11th pick. Instead, Poile pulled the trigger on getting winger James Neal from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling. Considering that and the Anaheim Ducks trade with the Vancouver Canucks for centre Ryan Kesler, Murray knows that "the field narrows a little bit." Murray estimated that he talked to four or five teams about Spezza and that three expressed fairly serious interest. It never worked out, leaving everyone in the situation still hanging. “Im sure its disappointing for him, its disappointing for me because Id like to accommodate him if I could, but he does have a year left on his contract," Murray said. "If thats the case well have a pretty good player for next year." Or its possible that teams circle back to the Senators after July 1 if they dont land Paul Stastny or another free-agent centre. As far as Ottawas approach to the start of free agency, thats affected by Spezza, too. "I dont know, thats the problem," Murray said. "Part of your decision is what can you spend, where does it fit and what do you get in return for a certain player? If you dont know that, then its harder." Unable to get anything done on the Spezza front, the Senators made five picks to stock up for the future. They took defenceman Andreas Englund 40th, defenceman Miles Gendron 70th, forward Shane Eiserman 100th, defenceman Kelly Summers 189th and left-winger Francis Perron 190th. The 189th pick, a seventh-rounder, Ottawa got from the Winnipeg Jets for a 2015 sixth-rounder. That was the only trade Murray was able to make in Philadelphia. "It just seemed to me there were a lot of phone calls, a lot of talking, people interested, but nothing really happened," he said. "I had to make one trade at the end, a seventh-round pick for the sixth next year just to say I did something. So that was my accomplishment." Adidas Ultra Boost Online Canada . After not scoring 40 points in the opening quarter in the last five seasons, the Rockets have done it five times this season and twice in the last three games. Adidas Ultra Boost Canada Sale . Moments after scoring and setting off another wild celebration at Minsk arena, Platt leapt into the arms of Belarusian captain Alexei Kalyuzhny. http://www.wholesaleultraboostcanada.com/ . Fielder has been out with a herniated disk in his neck, and surgery was recommended after a follow-up exam and another scan Thursday with Dr. Cheap Ultra Boost Canada . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration. Adidas Ultra Boost Canada For Sale . - The Seattle Seahawks have signed nine players to 2014 future contracts, including quarterback B.Amid reports of the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles finalizing a deal for executive Dan Duquette, a man tabbed Mr. Baseball Canada was feted in Vancouver while his bosses drew fire from local baseball stakeholders. Paul Beeston, the Blue Jays president and chief executive officer, received two standing ovations and was moved to tears at an annual luncheon hosted by the Vancouver Canadians, a minor league affiliate of Canadas only major league team. Canadians co-owner Jake Kerr took the opportunity to blast Blue Jays ownership, Rogers Communications Inc., for its handling of a now very-public search to replace Beeston, the Jays first-ever employee hired in 1976. Before a sold-out ballroom of 642 business leaders, Kerr placed the blame on Edward Rogers III, deputy chairman of Rogers Communications and the son of the companys late founder Ted. He quipped that later generations of the family lacked the business sense of their forerunners. I didnt mean to be rude to Rogers, and Ive been a friend of the Rogers family for decades, but the issue for me here is one thing and one thing only: respect, Kerr told TSN 1040 after the luncheon. Paul Beeston is Mr. Baseball Canada. Theres nobody who doesnt know that. If its time for him to retire and by the way, he fully intends to -- hes told me for years that 2015 is it – but hes got his group together and [general manager] Alex [Anthopoulos] and the boys have put together a team this year that they believe in. If its time for him to go, well fine. Show him out with the proper degree of decorum and respect. I shouldnt pick on the Rogers people but they must be nuts. Kerr and partner Jeff Mooney rekindled baseball on Canadas west coast in 2007, purchasing a short-season Single A club in the Northwest League, and refurbishing Vancouvers Nat Bailey Stadium. The club routinely plays before sold-out houses of 5,157, has been named Baseball Americas top minor league franchise, and won three consecutive championships starting in 2011. Current Jays such as pitchers Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, who attended Fridays luncheon, signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans, did bids in Vancouver while working their way up to the majors, and the franchise has become a western beachhead for the Jays efforts to re-kindle their national brand. When Canadians president Andy Dunn sung Beestons praises to the audience inside the ballroom, saying nobody cares more about baseball in Canada, attendees rose to their feet and Beeston had tears in his eyes. Kerr said the affiliation agreement with the Jays would not be threatened by a Beeston departure, but was clear that his old friend deserved a better fate then what has been transpiring since last month. The Jays reportedly tried to lure Chicago White Sox executive vice-president Ken Williams, who is an employee of owner Jerry Reinsdorf, one of Beestons closest friends, separate from the pursuit of Duquette. You cant pick up the phone and call Jerry Reinsdorfs general manager and think that nobody will think that a little odd, Kerr said. Reinsdorf and Beeston are [tight]. Nobody has provided a reasonable explanation for why they are doing this, and woorst of all, Rogers hasnt had the balls to step up and take a position.dddddddddddd So where is senior management and why hasnt somebody at least saying: This is what we are doing. Anthopoulos was scheduled to appear in Vancouver but that was cancelled Thursday night. Beeston declined to comment when approached by TSN 1040 prior to the luncheon, other than to say he wouldnt have missed the event because the Canadians owners were his guys. When the affiliation between the two clubs was signed in 2011, Kerr said his longstanding relationships with Beeston and former Rogers executive Phil Lind played a major role in bringing the parties together. Lind, who retired as vice chair last year, and Kerr were fraternity brothers at the University of British Columbia. Ive talked to Mr. Lind and Mr. Lind retired in November, and its almost as if, no sooner had he gone out the door that all this started [with Beeston], Kerr said on TSN 1040. Thats the best Ive got. If someone from the other side would like to explain a little differently, go right ahead. On Thursday, ESPN reported that the Jays and Orioles were close to a deal that would send Duquette, Baltimores executive vice-president and a former Montreal Expos general manager, to Toronto for player compensation, possibly pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman, the ninth overall pick in last years first-year player draft. A separate report this week from a Rogers-owned radio station said that Beeston would serve one more year with the Jays. Under Beeston, who returned to the franchise in 2008 after serving 10 years as chief operating officer of Major League Baseball, the Jays revived their winter tour across Canada as a means to promote their team and win the hearts and television eyeballs of Canadian baseball fans. Since Torontos last playoff appearance in 1993, during Beestons first tour with Toronto, the Seattle Mariners have made in-roads in British Columbia, where their popularity rivals that of the Jays. Thousands of western Canadians make the annual trip to Seattle to cheer on the Jays at Safeco Field, but the Mariners presence in B.C. is also strong. In fact, Mariners players, including pitcher James Paxton of Ladner, B.C., were also in Vancouver this week, visiting with media outlets and encouraging baseball fans to attend games in Seattle. The Jays are also a promotional tool for Rogers Communications in western Canada, where they compete with other companies in the so-called telecom wars. It was unclear why Anthopoulos cancelled his Vancouver appearance at a late hour. A Canadians official said the general manager was scheduled to be in Newfoundland on Saturday and was only going to make a brief appearance in Vancouver anyways. The Jays won consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 with Beeston at the helm, but have not been back to the playoffs since. It is currently the longest postseason drought in baseball. Let me be clear, we think the Blue Jays are a fabulous organization, and they will be after Paul Beeston, Kerr said. So its not like, if Dan Duquette or someone else comes, we think were going anywhere else. We think the Canadian connection is right for us. ' ' '