Dein erstes Forum » out where some of the big gaps remain

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jim Rutherford stepped down as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, and the team promoted Hall of Fame player Ron Francis to replace him. In a series of moves, the Hurricanes also hired Mike Vellucci as assistant GM and director of hockey operations and promoted Brian Tatum to assistant general manager. Rutherford, who also owns part of the team, will remain in an advisory role as team president. He assembled the teams that won one Stanley Cup, played for another and reached the Eastern Conference final in 2009. The Hurricanes havent made the playoffs since then, the longest active drought in the East. "I look at this as a fresh start," Francis said. "I dont want to just kind of build a team that gets into the playoffs for one year. I would like to build it so that its a very solid franchise and we can do it on a yearly basis." Francis had long been considered the teams GM-in-waiting. The former team captain holds team records with 382 goals, 793 assists and 1,186 games played. He has been the teams vice-president of hockey operations since June 2012. He took over as the teams director of player development in 2006 and was an assistant coach under Paul Maurice from 2008-11 before returning to the front office that June as director of hockey operations. Now that hes running a team for the first time, it remains unclear just how much financial flexibility Francis will have. The four highest-paid players -- forwards Alexander Semin and Eric and Jordan Staal, and goalie Cam Ward -- are coming off subpar seasons. They made a combined $28 million last year and will do so again in 2014-15. "This year we were at the (NHL salary) cap, I believe. Didnt make a heck of a lot of difference, did it?" owner Peter Karmanos Jr. said. "Well set the budget wherever we think we can have the most competitive hockey team." One of Francis first jobs will be deciding whether Kirk Muller will receive a fourth year as coach. Muller is 80-80-27 in three seasons and the Hurricanes finished 13th in the 16-team East this year with a 36-35-11 record. "In fairness, I think its a decision that kind of needs due process," Francis said. Rutherford, 65, is a former NHL goalie who spent two decades as the clubs GM, and helped shepherd its move from Hartford to North Carolina. He said he and Karmanos casually discussed stepping aside and those talks grew increasingly more serious beginning in January and February and continued through the early off-season. "Twenty years is a long time for me," Rutherford said. "Ive thought about this for a few years, and certainly the time is right now." Vellucci, 47, will oversee the teams scouting and player development after spending the past 14 seasons as head coach and general manager of the Plymouth Whalers -- the Ontario Hockey League team owned by Karmanos. Tatum, 40, is entering his 17th year with the team and has been its vice-president of team operations since 2012 after spending five years as its senior director of team operations. Cheap Kyle Anderson Jersey . Ontario Superior Court Case Management Master Ronald Dash released the decision on Monday, saying John McCaw Jr. must testify in front of a jury by live video conference. Moores lawyer, Tim Danson, asked the court to compel McCaw - who is based in Seattle - to testify in the case back on February 27. Cheap NBA Jerseys . Despite 11-1 records, theyre out and Big Ten winner Ohio State is into the national semifinals. http://www.cheapgrizzliesjerseys.com/ . Durant had 33 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, hit the tying 3-pointer late in regulation and made the go-ahead foul shots in overtime to lift the Thunder past the Wizards 106-105. John Wall missed a driving layup attempt at the buzzer for Washington, which was seeking its third straight win. Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys China . - The Clippers have signed guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract. Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys Authentic .com) - Mikko Korhonen carded a 5-under 67 on Thursday to claim medalist honors at the European Tours Final Qualifying Stage tournament.PINEHURST, N.C. - The one thing Rory McIlroy wont lack heading into this U.S. Open is advice. In the few weeks since his breakup with girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki, only some of it has been worth much. Gary Player told him to lay low. Jack Nicklaus told him not to be afraid to change the way he plays, even in the middle of a round. Smartly, he only followed up with one of them. "Do you just ring him up," a reporter asked about McIlroys budding relationship with Nicklaus, "and say, Im popping in?" "I dont ring him up," McIlroy chuckled, "I ring his secretary up and say, Id like to schedule a meeting, please. But its been great to spend some time with him. I feel like Ive got a really good rapport." The two had lunch in Florida a week after the Memorial, the PGA Tour stop where Nicklaus plays the gracious host but isnt shy about asking tough questions. Not about relationships, mind you, unless you count questions about where to slot the club at the top of the backswing. "He said to me, he goes, How the hell can you shoot 63 (in the first round) and then 78 (in the second)?" McIlroy recalled. "I said, I wasnt meaning to, Jack. Im trying not to." That began a conversation between the two on the subject of trust. Nicklaus told him the moment he sensed his swing was sliding off the rails in that second round, he would have made a change "right then and there." "The mental strength to be able to do that," McIlroy paused, still marveling at the idea. "Hopefully," he added a moment later, "some of those little nuggets of wisdom that he passed on to me might help this week." Success came so fast for the 25-year-old Northern Irishman it was easy to assume hed mastered most of golfs lessons. But it took an old soul like Nicklaus to point out where some of the big gaps remained. When McIlroy wins, he usually wins big, running away from the field the way he did at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional. What he has yyet to prove is whether he has the patience and toughness to grind out victories, a trait that served Nicklaus and Tiger Woods well over decades.dddddddddddd If nothing else, the back-and-forth with Nicklaus has put the idea in his head. "Its going to be a test of patience," McIlroy said about Pinehurst No. 2. "And I think I am better equipped than I was a few years ago. The U.S. Open I won was a very ... was abnormal. It was wet. It was low scoring. I havent won a tournament whenever its been like this. Thats why Im relishing the challenge. "Its conditions that I havent won in before and Id love to be able to prove to myself, but also prove to other people that I can win in different conditions. Its a great opportunity to do that this week." While Nicklaus will be McIlroys model this week, he hasnt ignored Players advice altogether. In the wake of his very public breakup with Wozniacki, he has lowered his social media profile and already won once. He concedes that balancing his public life he has with the private one he wants is an act hes still working on. "Its nice when you get out on the golf course because youve got five hours of youre just out there with your clubs, with your caddie, trying to shoot the best score possible," McIlroy said. "Thats the approach that Im sort of adopting from now until whenever." The conversation with Nicklaus appears to be taking hold. Much harder to learn will be the desire that catapulted Nicklaus to 18 major victories — the stubborn pride that made him back off a 4-footer on the last hole of a tournament he wasnt going to win even in the final years of his career, because it mattered to him to shoot 77 instead of 78. "Golf has sort of been a nice release for me the past few weeks. I just want to try to keep focused on that," McIlroy said. ___ Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. 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