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MONTREAL -- For a second year in a row, the Montreal Alouettes will start the CFL season with a new head coach. Dan Frawley Jersey . Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall announced Monday that Tom Higgins will be the clubs new head coach. The former Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders bench boss replaces general manager Jim Popp, who took over on Aug. 1 when the inexperienced Dan Hawkins was fired only five games into the 2013 season. Wetenhall made it clear in a statement that he did not want Popp, who is considered one of the CFLs best GMs but has a career 16-20 record as a coach, to continue in both jobs. "As Ive expressed to the media in recent weeks, I wanted to continue with the formula which has brought us the success weve enjoyed these past 17 years -- having a full-time head coach and a full-time general manager to fill each of these positions," said Wetenhall. "The criteria we established was to find an individual familiar with the CFL; someone with success in that position and a background as a position coach. In addition, we sought an individual with a record for moulding and delivering championship teams. "In Toms seven years as a head coach he won three division championships along with a Grey Cup, and twice earned recognition as the CFLs coach of the year. His head coaching record of 72-53-1 speaks for itself. We welcome Tom to the Alouettes family." Popp had made no secret of wanting to continue coaching, but Wetenhall put out a statement recently saying candidates would be interviewed. A year ago, the Alouettes waited until Feb. 19 to name Hawkins, a former U.S. university coach with no experience of the Canadian game. He was 2-3 when he was fired with the team in disarray. Popp, the Alouettes GM since they returned to Montreal in 1996, took over as coach for the third time in his career and went 6-7. It marked only the second time since 1996 the team had a losing record, matching the 8-10 mark Popp put up in his only full season as head coach in 2007. It hurt that starting quarterback Anthony Calvillo was lost for the season in August to a concussion. This time, the team waited five days longer to name a new coach and came up with Higgins, who stepped down in December after five years as the CFLs director of officiating. Higgins did not even get introduced at a press conference. The club said "time constraints and personal obligations" prevented bringing him to Montreal for the announcement, but that he will talk to the media Tuesday on a conference call. He takes over a team that will not have CFL all-time passing leader Calvillo as its starter for the first time since 2000. Instead, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and young prospect Tanner Marsh are pegged to replace the retired future Hall of Famer. Higgins, who will turn 60 on July 13, led the Eskimos to 13-5 records twice and won a Grey Cup in 2003 in his four years with the club. He had a 28-25 record in three seasons in Calgary from 2005 to 2007. "Tom has worked with and tutored many of the CFLs finest quarterbacks -- Doug Flutie, Henry Burris and Ricky Ray, to mention a few," said team president Mark Weightman. "His expertise will be invaluable in the development of Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh." Higgins has spent 23 years in various CFL jobs, including a stint as GM in Edmonton. A native of Woodbridge, N.J., and a former linebacker and defensive tackle, Higgins played for Calgary and Saskatchewan in the 1970s. Popp replaced Rod Rust as coach at the end of the 2001 season, but gave way for Don Matthews the following season. He stepped in again when Matthews left for health reasons in 2006. Marc Trestman, now coach of the Chicago Bears, coached the club from 2008-2012, winning two Grey Cups. Michel Briere Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Bills will head into the regular season short on experience at quarterback after trimming the roster on Friday. Pittsburgh Penguins Gear .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury.LOS ANGELES -- Just a few minutes into his first game back from a serious groin strain, Jonathan Quick had to do the splits to make a save. Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Dustin Brown tied it early in the third period and Carter added an empty-net goal as Los Angeles ended its longest skid in coach Darryl Sutters tenure with a late rally. They also got a boost from the return of their Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie, who hadnt played since injuring his groin Nov. 12 in Buffalo. "The team played great in front of me," Quick said. "I gave up a couple of rebounds, and the guys cleared them out. We kept fighting and got a couple of breaks." Quick was selected for his second U.S. Olympic team Wednesday despite his lengthy absence, and the Kings put their $58 million goalie right back in the lineup immediately after activating him from injured reserve. He gave up an early power-play goal, but shut down the Canucks over the final 47 minutes -- including two breathtaking stops on a breakaway by Daniel Sedin in the final seconds. "We know who he is," Carter said. "First game back, I thought he was sharp." Ryan Kesler scored for the Canucks, who lost their third straight despite 46 saves by Roberto Luongo in his own return from a three-game injury absence since Dec. 22. "We dont have a sniff of a chance if he doesnt play the way he did," Vancouver coach John Tortorella said of Luongo. "I shudder to think what the score would be. So lets not kid ourselves. The game wasnt as close as the score. We have a ton of work to do." Sutter coached his 1,000th NHL game as his team stumbled home from a winless four-game road trip. Although their scoreless streak stretched to 120 minutes, the Kings rallied to win when trailing after two periods ffor the first time since Nov. Larry Murphy Jersey. 14. Brown finally cracked Luongos shutout bid on the Kings 37th shot, knocking home a cross-ice puck from Justin Williams -- and then accidentally kicking Luongo in the face when Mike Santorelli upended him in the crease. Carter scored the tiebreaker after an exceptional play by Dwight King, who lifted Jason Garrisons stick and outraced the Vancouver defenceman to a puck before putting a pass on Carters tape for his 14th goal. "(King) made a heck of a play there," Carter said after his second multigoal game of the season. "I thought we did a lot of good things in the first two periods, but Luongo played really good. We stuck with it and kept working." Carter gave no chance to Luongo, but the veteran has been solid all season for the Canucks, boosting the gold medal winners chances of being Canadas starting goalie in Sochi next month. "Carter released it quick, and it went through our D-men," Luongo said. "Youve got to give him credit. It was a good shot, but I would have liked to have gotten a piece of that." Quick could be Luongos starting counterpart for the U.S. team, although hell have to prove hes back in top form over the next five weeks. Quick looked sharp in the opening minutes, but Kesler scored his 16th goal while falling to the ice, beating his fellow U.S. Olympians glove off a cross-ice pass from Daniel Sedin. The goal eased Vancouvers 1-for-19 slump on the power play over the last seven games. "In our division, were going to have to learn to battle harder, and it starts with our forwards, as far as the forecheck," Tortorella said. "Our D was under siege all night long, and if were going to compete in our division, we need to be more consistent." NOTES: The Kings didnt immediately have to make a corresponding roster move when Quick was activated because they traded F Daniel Carcillo to the New York Rangers earlier in the day. Carcillo went scoreless in his final 23 games with Los Angeles. ... The 55-year-old Sutter is the 22nd NHL head coach to reach 1,000 games. ... The Kings scratched D Matt Greene. ' ' '
- Created: Dec 4 '19
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