(viii) states that the Referee shall report to the Commissioner

SUNRISE, Fla. -- When Roberto Luongo learned he wouldnt be starting the Heritage Classic, the disappointed goaltender asked agent Pat Brisson to call Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis just to get a read on his future. When Gillis gave Brisson permission to seek out a potential trade partner for the goalie and his massive contract, the attention turned quickly to the Panthers -- and not just because Luongo calls South Florida home. "It had to be a hockey move," Brisson said. "Roberto wants to play, wants to win. He wants to compete and win. ... When Roberto asked me, I said, I do believe that theres a light at the end of the tunnel for (the Panthers)," Brisson said. "I do believe theres a place where this team is going to go in the right direction." While the Canucks head in the direction of a rebuild, the Panthers look like a team on the upward climb thanks to new owner Vinny Viola and a cadre of young prospects GM Dale Tallon has assembled in the NHLs southernmost market. Through two games with his new team, Luongo has already caught a glimpse of what he and many hockey people believe is a bright future for the Panthers. Luongo sees potential stars in Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and a handful more young players around the locker-room. At 34 years old, he wants to contribute to the revival of the franchise rather than riding coattails. "Its all about making a commitment to bringing some people in and trying to build a winner," Luongo said Sunday night after facing the Boston Bruins. "Thats what its all about for me. Im not here to fade into the sunset. I want to be part of something special coming here." Something special in the short term might just mean making the playoffs after missing in 11 of the past 12 seasons. Even as the Panthers head toward another early off-season, Bjugstad hopes its just "growing pains" as part of an important learning experience. Thats to be expected for a team whose top players include 18-year-old Aleksander Barkov, 20-year-old Huberdeau, and 22-year-old Erik Gudbranson. Players were on a bus in Boston when they found out Luongo was coming and represented something of a safety valve for mistakes of youth. "Any time you can have a solid goaltender behind you, it gives you confidence that you can make some plays," said 20-year-old forward Vincent Trocheck, who made his Panthers debut the same game Luongo returned. "If you do make a mistake, you know that hes back there to save your butt, basically." Yet in the larger scope, Luongo is not being asked to save a franchise by himself. It is, however, Tallons hope that trading for him "sets the tone" for the organization. The message of taking on the final eight-plus years and over US$28 million of Luongos contract was that the Panthers are willing to spend. Hours after making the move, Tallon said it was about making good on all the talk about wanting to win a Stanley Cup because "talk is cheap." Doing so could be expensive, but its not out of the realm of possibility that Florida has a better chance of winning a Cup in the next four or five years than Vancouver. "You never know," Luongo said. "Its tough to say. You hope so. Thats why Im here. I think the pieces are definitely here, just a matter of making sure that we bring the right piece to complement these young guys that are talented and theyre going to be stars in this league." Tallon has a plan. After already taking the goaltending gamble that was Jacob Markstrom out of the equation and getting Luongo, he has his sights set on signing, drafting or trading for two power wingers to support Barkov, Huberdeau, Bjugstad and Trocheck. The Panthers payroll is the lowest in the league at just over US$50 million, but with Viola in charge, Tallon expects to be "a cap team or close to a cap team" next season. Having almost $30 million of cap space could help the Panthers continue down the path to being a contender, but it also helps to have Luongo as a salesman and a symbol of the clubs all-out push to get better. "Its hard to recruit anybody if they dont think youre doing the right thing," Tallon said. "I think the commitment of making that deal and the commitment that Vinny Violas going to make ... will really influence a lot of decisions as far as players wanting to come here, seeing that were really committed to winning." Luongo didnt keep close tabs on the Panthers rebuild while he was playing for the Canucks because he didnt expect to get traded, let alone back to Florida. But Brisson, who just negotiated a two-year extension for winger Brad Boyes, had a good sense of what was happening. New ownership meant a new opportunity for Luongo. "If it was back to the former ownership where they werent sure what they wanted to spend, what they wanted to do, I wouldnt have recommended it at the time -- absolutely not," Brisson said. "If you look at good ownership and willingness to spend and the right chef, so to speak, the right cook in the kitchen, its an attractive place for Roberto and the players that are there." Tallon is that chef, and he has quite the recipe on his resume. Even though Stan Bowman was the general manager when the Blackhawks won the 2010 Stanley Cup, Tallon orchestrated much of the turnaround in Chicago. "It went well for them," Bjugstad said. "Thats kind of what were banking on." For every Blackhawks success story theres another example like the Edmonton Oilers, who are set to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season despite three straight No. 1 picks and six in the top 10. They provide a cautionary tale for the Panthers, even as Tallon rattles off prospect after prospect who could make a difference. Each one of those young, unproven players represents essentially a raffle ticket for Florida, another chance to hit it big. But theres plenty of risk and uncertainty in that. "Obviously weve got to prove ourselves before we can get too excited," Bjugstad said. "Theres a ways to go." In Luongo, the young Panthers get a goalie who is already established. Even if his play is not Vezina Trophy-calibre, he could instill plenty of confidence on and off the ice. "I think maybe as more of an experienced guy in the locker-room to bring whatever I have learned over the years and maybe help them out along the way as far as just being a pro and all that kind of stuff to help their development," Luongo said. That team-wide development and progression toward a playoff team is still in the "early" stages, according to Tallon. Luongos addition speeds it up, but theres still no set goal on when he figures the Panthers will get over the hump. "I dont put numbers on that," he said. "I just let the players start to develop and see when theyre ready to make a real hit on the team as far as moving forward. And when they all come together as a group, as a team, not just in a group of individuals, thats when you pretty well know when youve got something special." Clearance Nike Shoes . At Manchester United, Ferguson developed Beckham into one of the worlds most recognizable sportsmen, but the midfielder left United in 2003 for Real Madrid under a cloud after his relationship with the manager broke down. Cyber Monday Nike Shoes .J. -- The Houston Astros had the No. https://www.fakenikeshoeswholesale.com/ . The $145.7-million Tim Hortons Field was slated to open this month, a year before it was to host all 32 mens and womens soccer competitions. The delay has forced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team to use a smaller facility for the first two home games of the season. Wholesale Nike Shoes . The No. 23 seed at the first Grand Slam event of the tennis season has worked out all the details, from his training regime right down to where hes going to eat dinner. Fake Nike Shoes .com) - Even on the day his New Hampshire football team became the nations top-ranked team two weeks ago, coach Sean McDonnell conceded something about the team they replaced at No.Linebackers have for a long time held a special place in Blue Bombers lore. Theya€?re the heart of the defence and on the Prairie a linebacking crew can often be the difference between pretender and contender. When the Blue Bombers have won championships, often a linebacker stood tall swinging a hammer as lead hand on the crew. The choice for the top linebacker in Bombers history will be made from an elite group of players. Voters have selected Ken Ploen as the quarterback and Chris Walby as the offensive lineman of the Free Press/TSN 1290 All-Time Bombers Team. This week ita€?s your turn to select a linebacker for the team. Bud Grant and our panel have had their say. Now you get to weigh in. Wea€?re presenting a position each week over a nine-week period with our panela€?s choices of the top-five Winnipeg Blue Bombers to ever play for the club at that spot. Cast your vote at alltimebombers.winnipegfreepress.com On Friday afternoons at 4 p.m., live on TSN 1290a€?s Hustler and Lawless program, the Free Press and TSN 1290 websites, as well as the Saturday edition of the Winnipeg Free Press, wea€?ll announce the winner and member of the All-Time Bombers Team. Legendary Blue Bombers player and coach Bud Grant headlines our panel. Grant was joined by former Bombers player and GM Paul Robson, Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee and Free Press sports reporter Ed Tait, Free Press columnist and TSN 1290 host Gary Lawless and TSN 1290a€?s Andrew a€?Hustlera€? Paterson. Panelists were provided a statistical breakdown of the Bombers dating back to the 1950s as well as an anecdotal package of the early Bombers teams when statistics were not recorded. Each panelist brought a unique perspective and personal set of criteria. Grant joined the group via conference call from a cabin in the Wisconsin woods while the rest huddled around a boardroom table at the Free Press. From Granta€?s gravelly voice emanating out of the telephone speaker, to Taita€?s vivid recollections of games and players, to Robsona€?s cold analysis of a players strengths and weaknesses, to Patersona€?s views from the upper decks of our stadiums, there were strong opinions all around.dddddddddddd Some players were quickly selected. Others were hotly debated. Sometimes it came down to a clash of eras. Others made it on the merit of championship wins while those without rings on their fingers were often set aside. Vote a maximum of once per day and help choose the Blue Bombers player you consider the best at the following positions to be presented in this order: Quarterback, offensive lineman, linebacker, kicker, kick returner, running back, defensive lineman, defensive back and receiver. Wea€?ve done our part. The final decisions are up to you. So vote and vote often. Youa€?re the GM of this team. Make your choices. LINEBACKER GREG BATTLE*, 1987-93, 1997-98 Voted the CFLa€?s top defensive player in 1990 and 1991, Battle is the Bombers all-time leader in tackles and fumble returns. He wasna€?t gregarious and camera-friendly like teammates Tyrone Jones and James West, but was a difference-maker on the field. --- TYRONE JONES*, 1983-87, 1989-91 A rush-end type who terrorized QBs, Jones finished with 98 sacks a€” most in Bomber history a€” was the CFLa€?s top defender in 1985 and a four-time CFL All-Star. His run-ins with Cal Murphy were legendary, as was his play on the field. --- JAMES WEST, 1986-92 Gregarious and passionate about the game and life, West was part of two Grey-Cup championship with the Bombers, is third all-time on the cluba€?s tackle list and was one of the leaders of a defence that was the teama€?s backbone. --- PAUL RANDOLPH, 1989-95 Quietly went about his business in the shadow of Battle, Jones and West. Among the cluba€?s all-time leader in tackles, he was inducted into the Bomber HOF in 2002. --- PHIL MINNICK, 1965-73 A tackling machine in the days before the numbers were tracked by the CFL. A two-time CFL All-Star (1966, 1969), he played under Bud Grant and then was one of the mainstays during some tough years in the late 60s. ' ' '