miaowang123: s.Almost everybody said Jed was a leader,

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When Hockey Canada needed a coach for its womens hockey team less than two months before the Sochi Olympics, Kevin ineen stepped up. Michael Carrick Jersey . Not long after he won gold, the phone rang again for a job leading the under-18 mens team. "One call to him at the under-18 level, he just said yes right away," Hockey Canadas Scott Salmond said. On Monday, Dineen began the next chapter of his coaching career as he was named as an assistant on Joel Quennevilles staff with the Chicago Blackhawks. "He doesnt care if hes coaching women or men or kids or what it is. Hes a coach, and thats what he loves to do," Salmond said in a phone interview. "To me, great coaches like challenges and they want to coach, they want to be busy, they want to work and Kevins a great example of that. It wasnt a surprise to me that someone in an organization like Chicago would recognize that and his value and what hell bring there." The Toronto native will return to the NHL less than a year after being fired as head coach of the Florida Panthers, armed with plenty of international experience. Salmond, Hockey Canadas senior director of hockey operations and national teams, enjoyed how much energy and passion Dineen put into his work with the national womens and under-18 mens teams, even though he had no previous connection to either. "I think that the players realized right away that he cares," Salmond said. "He really cares about them. And one thing he talked about with the under-18s the whole time was just trying to make them better and trying to have them leave with something. And yeah we wanted to have team success, but if they could gain something from the experience, then that was great." From those experiences, Salmond expects Dineen to be an even stronger coach as he returns to dealing with professionals with the Blackhawks. "I know he spent a lot of time one-on-one both with the women and the men and communicating with them and sharing ideas and having them buy in and share their ideas as well," Salmond said. "The communication side, I think, is huge. Good coaches have that, and certainly its a strength for him." Dineen conceded in Sochi that he was learning on the fly how to communicate differently with women than he did men in previous jobs, joking that he wasnt using the F-word nearly as much. He was not made available by the Blackhawks, who have a policy of not allowing assistant coaches to speak to reporters. Dineen wrote on Twitter that he was "excited about the opportunity to work with this group of people. World class players and organization." The 50-year-old replaces Jamie Kompon, who became general manager and coach of the WHLs Portland Winterhawks, filling the void left by Mike Johnston when he took the head-coaching job in Pittsburgh. "I am thrilled to join Joel Quenneville, a future hall of fame coach, and (assistant) Mike Kitchen, as we strive to reach the ultimate goal in professional hockey," Dineen said in a statement released by the Blackhawks. "The measure of success is very high in Chicago. I look forward to supporting the coaching staff and working with some of the best players in the National Hockey League." During his playing days, Dineen spent time as a linemate of Quennevilles with the Hartford Whalers. In total he played 1,188 NHL games, finishing with 355 goals and 405 assists. "Kevin brings proven leadership qualities, having served as an alternate captain and captain for several of his teams during his 19-year NHL career," Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. "He will bring another well respected voice to our coaching staff and we look forward to his contributions to our team." Dineen represented Canada in international competition six times as a player, including the 1984 Olympics and 1987 Canada Cup. He only added to his international resume with his most recent international coaching jobs, and Salmond called Dineen "a great friend to Hockey Canada." Salmond credited Dineen for changing "a bit of the culture" with the womens team after taking over for Dan Church, who resigned in December, and capturing the nations attention with the gold-medal run. With the under-18 mens team, which won a bronze medal, Salmond said Dineen did a fantastic job by helping Canada play to a level it hadnt reached in recent years. "I think we are very grateful for what he was able to bring," Salmond said. "Hes obviously a professional, a former professional player and I think he brings that kind of mentality to coaching. He was great for our program, kind of gave us another perspective and helped us with some things both on the womens side and on the mens side that hell leave behind." Dineen coached the AHLs Portland Pirates for six years before taking over the Panthers. Florida made the playoffs in one of his two full seasons behind the bench, and Dineen was fired 16 games into 2013-14. Sergio Romero Jersey . Casey Janssen was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday due to a strain in his left abdominal area and lower back. Joel Castro Pereira Jersey .C. -- Unable to get much lift off his sore right ankle, Bobcats centre Al Jefferson figured it was time to make an adjustment.HOUSTON - One of the Houston Astros top priorities this off-season was to improve their infield, and the return of shortstop Jed Lowrie does just that.Lowrie played for the Astros in 2012 before he was traded to Oakland and spent two seasons with the Athletics. He rejoined the Astros on Monday when he agreed to a $23 million, three-year contract.We wanted to improve our infield particularly the output of our infield offensively, general manager Jeff Luhnow said on Tuesday when Lowrie was re-introduced in Houston.Jonathan Villar started 78 games at shortstop for Houston last season and hit just .209 with 18 errors. Marwin Gonzalez also saw time at the position, starting 64 games and batting .277.Lowrie said he felt he had some unfinished business with the Astros. He added he was excited to be part of a team thats been boosted by talented prospects who have reached the majors.Theres this influx of young talent that is coming through and theres a willingness to add those veteran guys as well, Lowrie said.The switch-hitter batted .249 with six homers and 50 RBIs last season. His best season came in 2013 when he played a career-high 154 games and hit .290 with 75 RBIs — both career bests.The 30-year-old had a big season for Houston in 2012 and finished with a career-high 16 homers in 97 games. He had a .980 fielding percentage that season to lead all shortstops in the National League. Hes a career .261 hitter with 56 homers and 284 RBIs in seven seasons.The Astros targeted Lowrie and aggressively pursued him, helping him move past the fact that Luhnow had traded him two years earlier.It was one of the contributing factors to making the decisioon, Lowrie said of Houstons bid to sign him. Anthony Martial Jersey. Being wanted and knowing where you stand with the organization is a good feeling.The Astros hope that Lowrie can help mentor some of the young players that fill the roster. Lowrie said his leadership skills were shaped by the four seasons he spent with the Boston Red Sox to start his major league career. That taught him that its more important to lead by example than to tell players what they should and shouldnt do.I learned a lot from those guys watching them and how they prepared for the game, he said. Thats one of the best ways for guys to learn. Ive never thought that it was appropriate to impose your will on a younger player.Luhnow saw Lowries leadership skills the first time he was with the team. He said in exit interviews at the end of the 2012 he asked each player to name which players they saw as good leaders.Almost everybody said Jed was a leader, Luhnow said. I know he has the leadership capability inside of him.New manager A.J. Hinch, who went to Stanford — as did Lowrie — was enthused to add another player from his alma mater. Catcher Jason Castro and 2013 top overall pick Mark Appel also graduated from the college.But I would have wanted Jed no matter what school he came from, Hinch said with a smile.Hinch said it was way too soon to envision where hell bat Lowrie, but likes that he can fit in a lot of different areas.To me theres a lot of comfort in knowing Jeds here, Hinch said. His preparedness stands out to me representing what were about moving forward.Houston designated infielder Gregorio Petit for assignment to make room for Lowrie on the roster. Cheap Washington Nationals Gear Cheap Philadelphia Phillies Gear Cheap New York Mets Gear Cheap Miami Marlins Gear Cheap Atlanta Braves Gear Cheap Texas Rangers Gear Cheap Seattle Mariners Gear Cheap Oakland Athletics Gear Cheap Los Angeles Angels Gear Cheap Houston Astros Gear Cheap Minnesota Twins Gear Cheap Kansas City Royals Gear Cheap Detroit Tigers Gear Cheap Cleveland Indians Gear Cheap Chicago White Sox Gear ' ' '