when you come so close

Posted in IYH Forums by fangxu0220 at 08:24, Sep 11 2015

TORONTO - Josh Gorges knows Toronto hockey fans havent forgotten he turned down a trade to the Maple Leafs, but he tries not to dwell upon the decision.You cant look back on things in the past and say, Maybe I shouldve done this different, or Maybe I shouldve done that different, the veteran defenceman said Tuesday before his first game at the Air Canada Centre with the Buffalo Sabres. Its in the past. You cant change whats happened.But by refusing to remove Toronto from his no-trade list, Gorges not only changed the course of history for himself but at least three other players and a trio of franchises. Had Gorges agreed to go, its likely the Canadiens wouldnt have signed Tom Gilbert and possible the Leafs wouldnt have signed Stephane Robidas.And, of course, Cody Franson probably wouldnt have remained in Toronto. But Gorges didnt realize that initially when he called Franson, his longtime friend and Kelowna, B.C., neighbour, in June when considering his options.I needed some time and I called everybody I knew that knew anything about this team, this organization, Gorges said. I wanted to get as much info as I could.Ive known him for a number of years. Hes a good friend of mine so I thought why not give him a call and see what things are about.Ultimately Gorges, 30, decided against going to Toronto because his heart simply wasnt in it. Facing the Leafs in so many emotionally charged games with the Habs made it hard for him to accept the move, something Franson understood.He was in a situation where he had been a part of a rivalry for a long time and he did what was best for him, he felt, Franson said. Nobody can blame him for that, I dont think.It wasnt the first and almost certainly wont be the last time Franson is the subject of trade talk. As much as playing in Toronto has taught Franson how to shield himself from it, he said these were tough rumours not to hear.Those are ones that show up right on your front doorstep, Franson said. If (the Leafs) were going to make a move that they feel is going to better the team, theyre going to do that.Thats out of my hands. I just approached my normal day and kept my phone close.News that Gorges had turned down the Leafs surfaced around the NHL entry draft. On July 1, Montreal dealt him to Buffalo for a second-round pick and signed Gilbert to a US$5.6-million, two-year contract. Gilberts $2.8-million cap hit is just below Fransons $3.3 million.The Leafs continued stocking up on right-handed defencemen that day as well, signing Robidas to a $9-million, three-year contract. Days before, they sent Carl Gunnarsson to the St. Louis Blues for stay-at-home righty Roman Polak.Through eight games, Franson is tied with Dion Phaneuf for the most points among Leafs defencemen with three. Gilbert is averaging over 22 minutes a game for the Habs.Meanwhile, Gorges is an alternate captain with Buffalo and is being counted on to be a stabilizing force for another defenceman whos seemingly always on the trade block, the six-foot-eight Tyler Myers.Franson considers that a good thing for Gorges and Myers.Hes a guy that plays with a heart on his sleeve and leads very well, Franson said of Gorges. Hes a guy that comes with a lot of experience.Hes a great person. I think hes a guy that will fit into any locker room, any team in the NHL. I think hes only going to help those guys.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Cyrus Kouandjio Bills Jersey . The Maple Leafs handed their embattled head coach a two-year contract extension on Thursday, while at the same time announcing that assistants Dave Farrish, Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon will not be back. 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While it would be easy to lay this one on the bullpen - Steve Delabar, Brett Cecil, Sergio Santos and Esmil Rogers got tagged for eight runs in the final two innings - this loss, by a final score of 10-7 to the Royals, was a total team effort.GREEN BAY, Wis. - Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his injured left calf should heal in four to six weeks now that Green Bay is out of the playoffs.Rodgers said on his ESPN radio show in Milwaukee on Tuesday that he would have been ready to play had Green Bay advanced to the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. There is a one-week layoff between the conference title games and the NFL championship.Now Rodgers has the whole off-season to heal after the Packers blew a 16-point halftime lead in a 28-22 loss in overtime Sunday at Seattle.The injury bothered Rodgers since the 20-3 win Dec. 21 at Tampa Bay.Rodgers, as expected, is skipping the Pro Bowl on Sunday. He was replaced on the roster by Cincinnatis Andy Dalton.The quarterback said he needed a good month to rest his leg. He would have rather have used Super Bowl preparation as the reason for missing the Pro Bowl.Its tough when you come so close in a game like (the Seaattle loss).dddddddddddd This one is going to sting for a little while, but you learn to move on, Rodgers said. He did not speak to reporters on Monday, when players cleaned out their lockers at Lambeau Field.We had a great opportunity right in front of us to do something special, he added.Rodgers cited the offensive line first as the reason for the teams success, especially in the second half of the regular season when the Packers went 7-1 to finish 12-4 and take the NFC North.Right tackle Bryan Bulaga is the only starter on the front five who is eligible for free agency. Receiver Randall Cobb is also in line for a big contract after a 12-touchdown season.I like our team. I think we just have to keep it together, Rodgers said. If we can do that and figure out our chemistry in the off-season, we can be a real dangerous team.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL cheap jerseys cheap jerseys china cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '