pside play. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen | Forum

Mike Johnston feels like he is back where he belongs. Adam Joseph Duhe Dolphins Jersey . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Its just a statement on who he is. "(Coaching) is in your blood when the pre-season starts until it finishes at the end of the year," he said. "Its just kind of that own ownership, being able to coach, being able to compete, and you miss that when youre away from it, for sure, and its a good feeling to be back." Heading into Saturdays home game against the Kamloops Blazers, he has guided the defending WHL champions to a 3-3-1 record. Johnston was suspended last November after a league investigation determined the Winterhawks provided improper, undisclosed benefits that included free flights for players and parents. The team, which was also fined $200,000 and lost several draft picks, and league disputed the allegations publicly but Johnston ultimately accepted his punishment. He didnt get mad. He got busy, even though he was prohibited from going into the teams office or having any contact with players. "I tried to focus on what I could do rather than what I couldnt do, and I could still evaluate older players or our team for the future, and I could evaluate players who were on our list and determine if they were ready to fit into our program or were a ways away," he said from Portland in a recent phone interview. "I couldnt watch our team, but I could watch the other Western league teams." Johnston watched games online and also ventured to numerous rinks to scout Winterhawk hopefuls playing at lower levels. He also attended major coaching clinics in Burnaby, B.C., where he was a speaker and attended sessions to get insight on his profession. "Any time youre not coaching, like summer hockey, I always try and see if theres some way I can improve and try and study what other teams are doing, what other coaches are doing, take a look at our team, the organization, to see if theres any way to get an edge, to improve in what youre doing from that perspective," he said. Johnston, a Dartmouth, N.S., native who is in his early 50s, has been trying to get an edge on the bench since he stopped playing university hockey and got into coaching while in his 20s. He joined the Winterhawks after serving in the NHL for almost a decade as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He has also won several medals with Canadian junior and senior-age national teams and served as an assistant with Canadas 1998 Oympic team in Nagano. His resume includes Canadian college coaching experience with the Camrose Kodiaks, a tenure with the University of New Brunswick and a stint as an assistant at the University of Calgary, where he obtained a masters degree in coaching science. He also co-authored the book, "Simply The Best -- Insights and Strategies From Great Hockey Coaches." After joining the Winterhawks early in the 2008-09 season, he guided the team to the playoffs for the first time in four years and built them into the powerhouse that won the WHL title last season. Former assistant Travis Green filled in as head coach before taking a job as head coach of the Canucks new AHL affiliate in Utica, N.Y. Although he was exiled from the club, Johnston took considerable satisfaction from the accomplishment. "Every year, we were making strides, we were taking steps and then last year we were able to break through," he said. "I was extremely proud of the coaching staff, the players and the whole team on how we handled the steps that wed been through the last four to five years -- how they progressed, how they developed and how they finally pushed over that hurdle to win a WHL championship." Now Johnston is setting his sights on a possible repeat and another berth in the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament with the bulk of the roster that prevailed last season. The Winterhawks lost seven players to graduation and promotion to the pro ranks. Defenceman Seth Jones, the fourth overall pick in this years NHL draft, has moved on to the Nashville Predators, while winger Ty Rattie, a St. Louis Blues prospect who placed third in the WHLs scoring race with 48 goals and 62 assists, is now playing for Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Defenceman Tyler Wotherspoon is also in the AHL, toiling for Calgarys affiliate in Abbotsford, B.C. Portland still has 15 holdovers from the championship club. Among the returnees are Brendan Leipsic, who had 49 goals and 120 points last season. "Its going to be challenging, its going to be difficult," Johnston said of the effort to repeat. "But it wasnt easy to do what we did the last couple years. There are a lot of good teams in the league. Its a well-coached league, a well-run league and every season there are five or six teams that are playing at a level where anybody could win it. "This year it looks like its even more wide open than that. But weve got a good nucleus back, weve got a good core group and I believe that well have a chance to play (for a title). Well be right there." And so will Johnston. He declined to discuss his suspension in detail, and a team spokesman noted the organization is moving on from it. Johnston also declined to indicate whether the Winterhawks have reviewed or changed their recruiting procedures in wake of the suspension. But the club is treading carefully now that Johnston has been reinstated. "Were making sure that everything we do is in conjunction with what is being allowed by the league," said Johnston. "So we are making sure that (with) any grey area, any questions we have, we are checking with the league office first to make sure were in accordance with exactly how everything should be done." That way, Johnston, a self-described career coach, can focus on guiding his charges without fear of sanctions and a hiatus that, despite his efforts to keep busy, still caused obvious discomfort. "This is what I do, what I love to do," he said. "It means a lot to be back coaching." Dave Casper Raiders Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Art Monk Redskins Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. http://www.nflchampsshop.com/DALLAS-COWBOYS-ROGER-STAUBACH-JERSEY/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday.While the San Jose Sharks may not be reaching the promised land as a team, the talent at the top of their depth chart gives them lots of value for fantasy owners. Top Picks: There is a changing of the guard in San Jose, where C Logan Couture is emerging as a more productive option ahead of C Joe Thornton. Couture has 84 goals over the last three seasons, tied with Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Toews for seventh spot. At 24, hes just hitting his peak years and could be considered as a low-end No. 1 pivot, though hes outstanding if hes your No. 2. Thornton is hardly put out to pasture. Even in the last three years, when his point totals have declined below the point-per-game threshold, his 141 assists ranks fourth. LW Patrick Marleaus production has tailed off -- last years 0.65 points per game was his second-lowest since 2002. Even so, Marleau has 166 goals since 2008-2009; only Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos (both 208) have more. Consistency is part of the reason for RW Joe Pavelski being so valuable. That, and his ability to play wing and centre. Pavelski has 268 points since 2008-2009, ranking 45th (his 117 goals ranks 32nd), so hes a reasonable low-end No. 1 option on right wing, so long as the Sharks dont move him into the third-line centre role too often. In three seasons with the Sharks, G Antti Niemi ranks seventh with a .919 save percentage and is tied for third with 93 wins. Easy pick as a fantasy starting goaltender, though he might come at a premium price after a career-best season in 2013. Veteran D Dan Boyle played 22:38 per game last season, his lowest ice time since 2003-2004 and his scoring (0.43 ppg) was at his lowest level since 2001-2002. Hes 37-years-old and could be slowing down, or he could be a veteran player who didnt play anywhere during the lockout. As it is, hes San Joses best option on the blueline and probbably worth of a No. John Elway Broncos Jersey. 2 spot in most fantasy leagues. Value Plays: Theres an ongoing back-and-forth between the Sharks and RW Martin Havlat about whether or not Havlat will be ready to play at the start of the season, following offseason groin surgery. Even if he is, Havlat isnt a stranger to missing time with injuries (though hes been healthier in recent seasons). He has 45 points in 79 games in two years with the Sharks, which is underwhelming, but that production would be enough to generate some fantasy interest, particularly considering his upside, as a seven-time 50-point scorer. Sleepers/Breakthrough: RW Brent Burns may be a sleeper in some respects, because hes moving to right wing for a full season, but hes on everyones radar after last year, so youre going to have to pay full retail prices. With nine goals and 20 points in 24 games on right wing last season, Burns offers the potential for, perhaps, a 30-goal season while skating on the wing with a setup man like Joe Thornton. 25-year-old D Matt Irwin didnt ease his way into the lineup last year, playing more than 19 minutes per game as a rookie, but he acquitted himself well and his bomb from the point gives him power play value. He may not have draft day value in anything but the deepest leagues, but hes one to watch. Rookies: The 17th pick in the 2012 Draft, LW Tomas Hertl is going to have a legitimate chance to crack the Sharks top six forwards after scoring 18 goals in 43 Czech League games last season. Given the quality of San Joses top forwards, thats a great situation for a skilled young forward and one that makes Hertl worth a try as a No. 4 left winger, if only for the upside play. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '