RHP Armando Galarraga has chosen

[buwu]

Some quick thoughts from the NHL on TSN panel on Monday night. Aldon Smith 49ers Jersey . Its one of those Circle of Life things. Who would have thought that the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils - each bidding for unrestricted free agent forward Ilya Kovalchuks services in the summer of 2010 - would be facing each other in the Stanley Cup Final just two years later? Everyone remembers that the Kings had interest in Kovalchuk but not as much as the Devils did. The Kings werent prepared to go the same distance and there was a sense that ownership in Los Angeles really badly wanted Kovalchuk but maybe general manager Dean Lombardi and the hockey operations department had a little more reservation in terms of the amount of money it would have taken. In any case, he ended up going to New Jersey. What did Los Angeles do that summer? They went out and signed Alexei Ponikarovsky, who turned out to be a bust and ended up back on the Devils. The other free agent they signed that summer was Willie Mitchell; who is going to be facing Kovalchuk in a lot of shutdown situations. If we want to take this Circle of Life thing and look to the future; Zach Parise is an unrestricted free agent this summer and theres no doubt in my mind that a team like the Los Angeles Kings will want to make a pitch for him. What better way to make your pitch than say hey; did you want to join us? We just beat you in the Stanley Cup Final. The flip side of that, of course, is that the Devils could say hey; we just won the Stanley Cup. Why would you want to leave? Heightened Interest Theres a lot of interest in this years Stanley Cup Final for the city of Kitchener, Ont., for the simple reason that New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer was a fixture as general manager and head coach of the Kitchener Rangers. The Rangers won a Memorial Cup under DeBoer in 2003. Then there is David Clarkson, who plays for DeBoer on the New Jersey Devils. Clarkson was a member of that 2003 championship-winning team and hell be looking across the ice at Mike Richards, the Kings forward who was an integral part of winning that Memorial Cup in 2003. Clarkson came over to the Rangers from the Bellville Bulls on a $1,000 waiver pickup while Richards was drafted by the previous regime, general manager Jamie MacDonald. When DeBoer came in and saw Richards in his first training camp he said he was small, he couldnt skate, and didnt know if he could play in the league. Richards turned out to be one of the all-time great leaders in the Ontario Hockey League and for that matter, a proven winner. He won a Memorial Cup in 2003, won a world junior championship, won a Calder Cup with the Philadelphia Phantoms, has won an Olympic gold medal, hes in the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in three years (along with teammate Jeff Carter) and is hoping hell be adding major championship number five to his list of achievements. Aldon Smith Womens Jersey . -- Theo Riddick is Notre Dames smallest running back but Brigham Young learned hes got no shortage of power. Patrick Willis Nike Jersey . The decision was announced Monday and will reduce downforce by about 9 per cent. IndyCar vice-president of technology Will Phillips says reducing the downforce makes the cars difficult to drive, and most of the drivers have been asking for that challenge. www.teamshopsanfrancisco49ers.com/kyle-williams-jersey .S. Cellular Field for the first of three games with the host Chicago White Sox. A 27-year-old from Maryland, Laffey debuted in 2007 with the Cleveland Indians and won 18 times in 79 appearances through 2010, before he was sent to the Seattle Mariners prior to the start of the 2011 season. Aldon Smith Red Jersey . According to RDS, its a two-way deal that will pay him $803,250 in the NHL. Geoffrion, the great-grandson of Howie Morenz and grandson of Bernie Geoffrion, was acquired in a trade package from the Nashville Predators for defenceman Hal Gill last season. Frank Gore Authentic Jersey . Five teams are tied with 10-7 records and remain in contention for top spot in the East and West Divisions heading into the final week of the regular season. NEW YORK -- Lucas Duda was recalled from the minor leagues to provide some pop in a scuffling lineup. Surprisingly, it was his play in the outfield that helped the most in his first game back. The new left fielder cut down a runner at the plate to preserve a tie in the ninth inning, then Ike Davis hit his second homer of the day with one out in the bottom half, lifting the New York Mets over the Houston Astros 2-1 on Sunday. "It was a great throw by Duda, giving us a chance to keep it tied," catcher Kelly Shoppach said of his teammate, who is often criticized for being a sub-par outfielder. The Mets took two of three from the last-place Astros for their first home series win since early July. Rookies Jeremy Hefner and Lucas Harrell engaged in a crisp duel for seven innings. Hefner took a shutout into the ninth before giving up a tying double to Marwin Gonzalez. Gonzalez then tried to score on Ben Franciscos single off Bobby Parnell (3-3) and Duda, brought up from Triple-A Buffalo earlier in the day, made a strong throw home. Shoppach took Dudas slightly high throw and stuck his left leg out to block the plate. Gonzalez tried to slide around him and reach back for the plate, but Shoppach used his body to prevent Gonzalez from slipping in a hand. Gonzalez jumped up and slammed his helmet down after being called out. He was ejected by home plate umpire Dave Rackley. "It was a bang-bang play. The umpire got it right but I thought it could have went either way," Astros interim manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "It was a heck of a play by the catcher squashing him off the plate." Davis drive off Wilton Lopez (5-2) just cleared the top of the right-field wall -- and the glove of a leaping Francisco -- for the second game-ending homer of his career -- a homer under the new Citi Field dimensions. He took a leaping 360-degree spin into his awaiting teammates at the plate. "I thought I hit it a little better than I did. Outfielder kind of deked me a little bit," Davis said. "Thought Id look like a fool because I didnt run out of the box. ... First one I got pretty good." Davis connected off Harrell leading off the fourth, launching a shot about halfway up the second deck in right to help the Mets snap a skid of six straight series losses at Citi Field. Since taking two of three from Philadelphia July 3-5, New York has gone 5-16 at home. Batting .199 on July 4, Davis has lifted his average to .223 and he has 24 homers this season. The Mets took two of three in the final series at Citi Field with Houston being a National League team. The Astros join the AL West next season. At Buffalo, Duda worked on playing in left field after starting 80 games in the right for NNew York. Jerry Rice Jersey. . Often looking lost in the field before he was sent down on July 24 because he was slumping at the plate, Duda couldnt come up with a difficult catch in the ninth that allowed Houston to tie it 1-all, spoiling Hefners fine outing. "I thought he looked great out there. He looks comfortable," manager Terry Collins said. "As far as that ball goes, he ran a long way for that ball. And any time you dive toward that wall, theres issues. I thought he did fine. Of course, he made a great throw, too." Said Duda: "Im not going to be a Gold Glover in left because I switched positions." Pinch-hitter Jose Altuve led off the ninth with a single and Mets manager Terry Collins chose to leave Hefner in. Gonzalez then hit a low liner down the left-field line. Duda made the long run and the ball hit of his glove as he tried to make the catch and avoid hitting the wall. Altuve scored and Gonzalez landed on second base chasing Hefner. "Jeremy pitched a great game," Collins said. "Thats why he deserved to go out there in the ninth inning." Hefner made seven career starts coming in and had little success, going 2-4 with a 5.63 ERA. He was again added to the Mets rotation a week ago when they expanded to a six-man staff. In his first outing, he gave up five runs over five innings in a loss at Washington. This time he was dominant against a team with a league-low .238 average, giving up a run and five hits in eight-plus innings. He struck out seven. Hefner received a nice ovation from the 25,071 when he batted in the eighth inning with Shoppach on first base. Hefner sacrificed him to second and returned to the dugout to another round of applause. Harrell came in the leader in innings pitched for rookies and had won 25 per cent of the Astros 40 games. He was second to Wade Miley in wins for rookies in the NL and led the league with 151 1-3 innings pitched. He showed how good he was Sunday, giving up two hits and a run with four of his seven strikeouts coming with the batter caught looking. NOTES: Duda went 0 for 2 with a walk. ... The Mets optioned OF Jordany Valdespin to Buffalo. Valdespin has five pinch-hit homers, most in a season by a Mets player. ... RHP Armando Galarraga has chosen to become a free agent rather than accepting an assignment to the minors after being designated for assignment by the Astros last week. ... Astros OF Justin Maxwell missed his fifth consecutive start with a bruised right index finger. He will see a doctor Monday and could be headed to the disabled list. ... Mets 2B Daniel Murphy has a posterior strain in right shoulder. He will have an MRI on Monday. He first felt it on the bench before his at-bat in the eighth inning. ' ' '