MIAMI -- The first airborne banner calling for Jeff Ireland to be fired flew
over the Miami Dolphins stadium in 2011.
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similar signs followed, most recently in November, and on Tuesday those wanting
him out finally got their wish. Irelands six-year stint as general manager ended
with a brief announcement that he and owner Stephen Ross mutually agreed to part
ways. The Dolphins said they would conduct an immediate search for a replacement
to lead football operations. A late-season flop kept Miami out of the playoffs
for a fifth consecutive year, and Ireland has long been considered the main
culprit for the franchises failures. More than two dozen frustrated fans
gathered outside the Dolphins complex one spring day in 2012 to protest the way
the team was being run, with some holding signs that read "FIRELAND." He wasnt
fired, but in the wake of last months meltdown, Ross considered hiring a
football czar over Ireland and coach Joe Philbin. Ireland was opposed to such an
arrangement. "Steve and I came to an agreement that the best thing moving
forward for all parties would be to part ways," Ireland said in a statement. "Id
like to thank Steve for all his support and kindness. Ive had the opportunity to
work with some of the most amazing people during this time, and Id like to thank
them all from the bottom of my heart." Ross said the decision regarding Ireland
came after they had a series of discussions. "We both felt that it was in our
mutual best interest to part ways," Ross said in a statement. "Jeff was a loyal
and dedicated member of the Dolphins and we wish him and his family nothing but
the best." Still to be determined is Irelands role in a locker-room bullying
scandal that drew national scrutiny. The NFL has yet to release a report on its
investigation into the case. Irelands departure follows Mondays firing of
offensive co-ordinator Mike Sherman. Philbin will return for a third season, but
other changes in his staff are possible. The Dolphins (8-8) would have made the
playoffs if they had won one of their final two games against the Bills and
Jets. Instead, they were beaten by a combined score of 39-7. Ross spent more
than $100 million in guaranteed money last off-season to upgrade the roster, and
the investment delivered only slight improvement from a 7-9 record in 2012.
Ireland, a protege of Bill Parcells, was hired as general manager in 2008, and
the Dolphins won the AFC East in his first season. But they havent been above
.500 since, the longest such stretch in franchise history. Irelands personnel
decisions have produced mixed results. This season, $60 million newcomer
Mike Wallace had a career-low five touchdown catches, but free-agent acquisition
Brent Grimes made the Pro Bowl. In 2012, Ireland drafted Ryan Tannehill, who
shows signs of becoming the franchise quarterback Miami has sought since Dan
Marino retired following the 1999 season. But Irelands 2013 draft picks played
the fewest snaps of any team in the NFL, including overall No. 3 choice
Dion Jordan, who had only two sacks all year.
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champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. TORONTO,
Ontario -- Coach Brent Sutter liked what he saw even if his Canadian junior team
dominated the CIS Toronto Selects in exhibition play on Saturday afternoon.
Connor McDavid, the 16-year-old prodigy who draws most of the attention, scored
Canadas first goal and big Josh Anderson threw his weight around and scored as
Canada downed the Selects 3-0. Left winger Charles Hudon finished it off with an
empty-net goal in the final minute. "I was pleased with a lot of things," said
Sutter. "There were times in the third where we have to be careful in our own
zone. We cant be soft on pucks. We have to do everything hard and do it the
right way. "But if you look at the opportunities we had. All three of their
goalies played really well for them, but it was good to see. We did a lot of
good things." Canada dominated the play and outshot the Selects 56-20. Sutter
isnt worried that, considering the number of chances they produced, the finish
around the net wasnt quite there yet. It was only the second day of a three-day
camp at the Mastercard Centre to kick off preparations for the world junior
championship that begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden. The team will have an off-ice
workout Sunday morning before flying to Sweden, where they will play
pre-tournament games against Finland, the Swedes and Switzerland before the real
games begin. The team will take all 25 players from selection camp to Europe,
with no cuts being made in Canada. "I know all these guys can score goals," said
Sutter. "So its getting them to become a team first and foremost. Getting them
to understand roles theyll have to play on this team and making sure everything
is within the confines of how we want to play, our identity as a hockey team."
There are 25 players in camp and the roster will be trimmed to 22 -- two
goalies, seven defencemen and 13 forwards -- for the tournament. No cuts will be
made until the squad gets to Sweden. They could come after the first
pre-tournament game Dec. 20 against the Finns. Sutter had encouraging news on
Jonathan Drouin, the gifted winger who is expected to be an offensive motor for
Canada. The Halifax Mooseheads star, who suffered a concussion last week in
Quebec Major Junior Hockey league play, was symptom free after riding a
stationary bike and may be fit to resume skating when the team gets to Europe.
"Well get him to go a little farther (on Sunday) and if that goes well, well get
him on the ice when we go overseas," the coach said. The juniors owned the puck
against the Selects, a team put together from three university squads, and
Sutter gave plenty of ice time to the unit of McDavid, 2014 draft prospect Sam
Reinhart and left winger Hunter Shinkaruk. McDavid is vying to become the sixth
skater to play for Canadas world junior squad at 16, after Wayne Gretzky, Jason
Spezza, Eric Lindros, Jay Bouwmeester and Sidney Crosby. He helped his bid with
a strong effort against the Selects. "I was okay," the skinny, six-foot phenom
saaid.
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there. "The pace was pretty good. The guys were a lot older, a lot bigger. I
felt I had my legs. I felt the team played very well for our first game
together. We didnt give up a whole lot defensively, which was good." Canada
outshot the students 19-3 in the opening period and had Hudon, Reinhart and
Curtis Lazar hit goalposts. Still, the Selects first-period goalie Garrett
Sheehan kept it scoreless. The period offered several special teams situations,
including one-man and two-man advantages and 4-on-4 play. McDavid and Reinhart
got ice time in all of them. McDavid even played the right point on a two-man
advantage. "That was a little different," the Erie Otters star said. "(Sutter)
wants to try some things out. "I will do whatever he wants me to. It was nice to
play the power play and everything like that. There are 15 other forwards that
can do that. I just want to worry about keeping my play up." McDavid finally got
a goal on a power play 13:37 into the second period against Andrew Perugini, and
was dangerous around the net for most of the game. Asked about McDavid, Sutter
grinned and said "he really did a good job." Then there was the six-foot-two
Anderson, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect who plays by the Brian Burke buzzword
"truculence." He not only dished out checks, but got a goal 15 seconds into the
third period, picking the top corner behind Troy Passingham after a feed from
behind the net from Rychel. His line with Rychel and six-foot-four Frederik
Gauthier also stood out. "As the game went on, that line really got their legs
under them," said Sutter. "Theyre all big guys that can skate. "They play a
heavy game. They get on the forecheck hard and theyre smart. Its nice to have
that size on your team and who play that way." Hudon had a wild night, missing
on two breakaways before finally picking off a cross-ice pass and going in alone
to score the empty-netter. Zachary Fucale started for Canada and Jake Paterson
took over at 10:06 of the second to share the shutout. Fucale had to be sharp on
two chances by Andrew Buck early in the second after a turnover in Canadas end.
"There wasnt that many shots, but I kept my focus and did some good things out
there and thats what we want," said Fucale. "The team played well in front of
me, which made it easy on me," said Fucales camp roommate Paterson. "But all in
all it was a good game." Normally, Canada has its goalies play for both teams
when it faces a CIS squad, but Sutter said he didnt want his goalies playing
against each other. Notes: Canada scratched four players -- Griffin Reinhart, Bo
Horvat, Josh Morrissey and Nic Petan. Sutter said Morrissey came to camp with
soreness from an injury and they opted to rest him. The other were players who
are all-but locks to make the team . . The CIS team was made up of players from
York, Toronto and Ryerson universities.
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