Rosenhof: Story » be leaned on this year. We need to come t

MALMO, SWEDEN - Mathew Dumba has been rooming with 17-year-old Aaron Ekblad during the World Junior Hockey Championship and has noticed something about his younger teammate. "He has the body of like a 35, 40-year-old. The guy shaves his chest every week. I cant believe it. Hes a man-child. Hes like, I dont know, just a huge human being. I call him Shrek," said Dumba while a bemused Ekblad stood a few metres away shaking his head. Dumba isnt the first person to notice that Ekblad, along with Kootenay Ice forward Sam Reinhart - a top contender to be the No. 1 pick in the next NHL draft, seems to be growing at a ridiculously fast rate. "The Shrek thing actually started with Boone Jenner when we were playing against the Oshawa Generals back in the day," explained Ekblad, a 6-foot-4, 216-pound defenceman, who plays for the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League. "A couple of the guys, [including] Michael Dal Colle, picked it up and a guy on my team, Brendan Lemieux, picked it up and some other guys started calling me that and it kind of caught on a little bit. "Im not sure I like it too much, though." Wait a second. Is Ekblad not a fan of Shrek, a 2001 movie named for the main character, a large green ogre voiced by Mike Myers? "No, I like Shrek," Ekblad says not missing a beat. "Im just not sure I look like him." The quick-witted Ekblad, the second of now four players granted exceptional status in the OHL allowing them to be drafted at age 15, thinks just as fast on the ice. Despite being the second-youngest player on Team Canada, he has been among the top minute munchers while playing alongside Pittsburgh Penguins 2012 first-round pick (eighth overall) Derrick Pouliot. Ekblad has learned a lot from the Portland Winterhawks blueliner. "Wow, poise, hes got so much poise and patience with the puck," Ekblad said. "He can hold onto the puck and just wait for the other guy to move and pull it back, pull it back ... paying attention thats what Ive learned: just be more patient and poised with the puck and things will work out." Being paired with Pouliot allowed Ekblad a chance to ease into an event normally dominated by 19-year-olds. "Hes so good with the puck and so poised with it that it kind of lets me play more of a defensive game," he said. "I can kind of support him and let him do his thing and Ill be behind him if he makes a mistake or something like that." But Ekblad would not be able to maintain his prominent role on Team Canada without an ability to adapt quickly. Head coach Brent Sutter has already shown the leash will be short with players regardless of age as 16-year-old Connor McDavid found out on Saturday. He was stapled to the bench after a pair of penalties in a loss to the Czech Republic and started the next game, Monday against Slovakia, as the 13th forward. "With young kids mistakes at this level are going to happen," said Sutter, "but Ekblad learns from it. Hes a sponge for the game. Thats what happens with an intelligent player: they pick things up quickly. You dont have to tell him twice. He gets it pretty quick." "If he does something a little off hell correct it right away," Pouliot said. "Thats what you have to do at this tournament and it shows how mature he is that hes able to make those switches on the fly." The latest tweak Ekblad has made has to do with the defensive side of his game. "I didnt block a shot in the Czech game, which was one of the things Ive been focusing on a lot since then," the Belle River, Ont. native said. "In the U.S. game I had quite a few blocks and tried to focus on making sure no pucks are getting through to the net." At Wednesdays practice, Ekblad and his teammates drew the ire of Sutter for a sloppy start to a drill. And Ekblad received the message loud and clear. "You can never be too precise. The takeaway was: lets get pucks on the stick. Lets do things right and things will work out for us." Ekblad has remained even-keeled even as Canada stumbled at times during the round robin. "Its been a roller-coaster of emotions throughout this entire tournament so far," he admits. Its also been a learning experience. "Ive just learned that at every level its going to get faster and faster and you have to be ready for it. You cant make the same mistakes twice. You have to just take in everything that happens out there and realize youre going to get better and learn things every day." Ekblad is relishing this opportunity, because he didnt think he was going to get it. Back in September he considered himself a longshot to make the squad after not being among the 35 players invited by Hockey Canada to a summer evaluation camp in Lake Placid, NY. And now here he is kibitzing with Dumba, who has been playing in the NHL this year with the Minnesota Wild. "Hes a good guy," said Ekblad. "Theres not much to say about him. He likes to just be a weird guy once in a while." "What?" Dumba, who was standing beside Ekblad in the interview area, exclaimed in mock horror. "What is this guy talking about? I cant even do these interviews." Both players laugh along with the assembled reporters. "Yeah," Ekblad says with a sigh, "we have a good time together." Davinson Sanchez Jersey . Hamels threw seven sharp innings to earn his 100th career victory, Domonic Brown had a career-best five RBIs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-1 on Saturday night to end a four-game losing streak. Serge Aurier Hotspur Jersey . Scolari says that although Brazilians have the right to complain about the government and demand improvements, perhaps the protests wont be coming at the "right time. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Son-Heung-Min-Tottenham-Hotspur-Jersey/ . 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Houston scored 17 straight points after that timeout, led by 10 from Harden, to take the lead and roll to an easy 129-106 win.TEMPE, Ariz. -- Expressing "extreme" disappointment in Daryl Washington, Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said he wont talk again this season about the standout inside linebacker, who has been suspended a year for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy. "He made a choice and were all living with it," Arians said in his first public comments since the suspension was announced last week. The coach said he "obviously hopes Daryl gets his life straightened out." "But he also was very unaccountable," Arians said, "to his teammates, the organization, the fans and everybody else." The coach spoke after the team resumed volunteer organized team activity Monday. Washington, who says the punishment was for marijuana, also was suspended the first four games of last season for violating the NFL substance abuse policy. He faces further potential punishment from the league following his guilty plea to assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The loss of Washington leaves the Cardinals without the two dynamic inside linebackers who were the core of the teams strong defence a year ago. Karlos Dansby, the Cardinals leading tackler last season, signed a free agent contract with Cleveland. Second-year player Kevin Minter, who played one defensive snap as a rookie, already is penciled in as Dansbys replacement. Larry Foote, signed as a free agent, will be a candidate to take Washingtons place, at least part of the time. Lorenzo Alexander, who started at outside linebacker before going down with a foot injury three games into last season, will move inside, a position he has played before and says he loves. Kenny Demens, on the practice squad last season, is another possibility, and the team is looking to sign others. "Its not imperative but we still would like to have some depth because were short now going into camp," Arians said. "Wed like to have seven inside linebackers go to camp, so well see whats available and pursue it from there." Asked if someone could be signed and become a starter, Arians said, "Hed have to earn it. Iff theres one available that could do that, Id like to have him.ddddddddddddquot; Alexander said the Cardinals still have the outstanding defensive front that was largely responsible for the success of the inside linebackers. "All those guys were taking a block to allow D-Wash and Karlos do what theyre going to do," he said. "So I dont see why thats going to change and allow us to run for the ball. ... Obviously theyre good players but it was a collective team effort that enabled them to have those type of plays and impact in games." Quarterback Carson Palmer said an improved offence should help offset the impact of losing Washington. "We have to step up," Palmer said. "When you lose a guy like Daryl and you lose Karlos to free agency, Tyrann (Mathieu) is not going to be back probably as fast as wed like, you kind of have to transform. Thats the NFL. ... Offensively we have to pick up a ton of slack. We leaned on the defence a lot last year and we expect to be leaned on this year. We need to come through and we will come through." Palmer said the players need to support Washington "and love him and try to be there for him through this phase." He said Washington needs to keep preparing as a football player through his suspension and "stay away from bad people and bad places." "Dont just sit back and relax and wait til next year," Palmer said, "because the game can pass you by." He said the Cardinals players would welcome Washington back "with open arms." "I think this locker room understands guys make mistakes," Palmer said. "Some mistakes are more detrimental than others and hurt you more than others ... I cant wait to see him. I know hes been through a lot and theres been a lot of crazy things but this locker room will give him a hug, welcome him back and be glad to see him back." Washingtons experience has been an example to the teams younger players. Minter has watched what has happened with eyes wide open. "Its like man," he said. "Id better not mess up." ' ' '