DETROIT -- Doug Weight recalled his father putting him on skates at the age of 2 because he could barely walk due to a childhood condition that relegated him to wearing braces on his legs. Vlade Divac Jersey . "He started putting me on the ice to strengthen them at the suggestion from a doctor," he said. Weight said it wasnt a pretty sight at the rink in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "I looked like Forrest Gump," he joked. Four decades later, Weight was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. The Stanley Cup champion, three-time Olympian and four-time NHL All-Star was inducted Monday night at the Motor City Casino -- in the city where he grew up. "Its ironic," the Detroiter said. "Pretty special." Weight was honoured along with former teammate Bill Guerin, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, three-time Olympian and four-time All-Star. "Its very special, three different NHL teams and nine teams in all," Weight said about the number of times he teamed up with Guerin. "Its a pretty incredible run together. "Its icing on the cake to go in with Billy." Weight and Guerins wives and children have become friends over the years, going on vacations together and sharing holidays as families. "It couldnt have worked out any better," Guerin said. Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos, former college coach Ron Mason and Cindy Curley, one of the pioneers in womens hockey, also were inducted. USA Today Hockey Writer Kevin Allen was also given the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. at the event. Weight and Guerin began their friendship before they were in the NHL and grew closer while playing together for the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders. They also teamed up to play for their country on more than once occasion, including the 2002 Winter Olympics when they helped the Americans take the silver medal. Weight, who won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, had 278 career goals and 1,033 points from the 1991-92 season through the 2010-11 season. He is an assistant coach for the New York Islanders. Guerin hoisted Cups in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils and in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The native of Massachusetts had 429 goals and 856 points in his career that started during the same season as Weight and ended one year earlier. Guerin is a player development coach for the Penguins. Karmanos fell in love hockey when his children began playing the sport, but laments that a lot of kids cant afford to play the game. He said ice cost about $40 an hour when his children were growing up and now costs $300 for the same period of time. Sticks and skates, he said, also are much more expensive. "One of the things that holds us back as a sport is it costs too much," Karmanos said. "Were pricing a lot of people out of the game." Mason led Michigan State and Lake Superior State to national titles and also coached at Bowling Green. He also was an athletic director for the Spartans. "This isnt something you dream about," he said. "If youve put a lot of years in, like I did, as a player and a coach and of course AD, its nice to be rewarded at the end of it." Curley had a record 23 points in the International Ice Hockey Federations first world championship for women in 1990. "The womens game is way behind the mens game and it hasnt been around as long," she said. "We are all, as women, patient for the opportunities that the guys have had. The fact that the Hall is considering women is exciting to me. I know theres so many great players that deserve to be in here that will be. Im just honoured that they considered me." DaQuan Jeffries Jersey . Mike Babcock has turned to the Montreal Canadiens goalie over Roberto Luongo, who backed Canada to a gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, for Canadas final preliminary round game against the ailing Finns. Francisco Garcia Jersey . The Hockey Canada Foundation is donating $50,000, with Hockey Quebec contributing $15,000. Hockey Canada also announced it will hold a skills camp for all levels of minor hockey in Lac-Mégantic during the 2013-14 season. Representatives from Hockey Canada, the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Quebec were on hand Tuesday night at a meeting of the AHM de Lac-Mégantic to make the announcement and presentation.MANCHESTER, England -- Valencia and PSV Eindhoven slumped to humiliating home losses as the Europa League threw up some early surprises in the opening round of group-stage matches on Thursday. Languishing near the bottom of the Spanish league, Valencias woes deepened by losing 3-0 to Swansea in Group A, sparking a brief walkout by a section of fans midway through the match in protest at the teams poor performances. Swansea secured its greatest ever result by capitalizing on the 10th-minute sending-off of Valencia centre back Adil Rami to score through Wilfried Bony, Michu and Jonathan de Guzman at the Mestalla. "I am so pleased for everybody because now they know they can play against the biggest clubs in the biggest stadiums without any problem," said Swansea manager Michael Laudrup, who fielded six Spanish players in his lineup -- more than Valencia. Bulgarian minnow Ludogorets Razgrad provided a second upset of the night by scoring twice in the final half hour to win 2-0 at PSV, which was European champion in 1988 and also won the UEFA Cup 10 years earlier. Tottenham, among the favourites this season having embarked on a summer spending spree, restored some normality by cruising past Tromso 3-0 thanks to two first-half goals by Jermain Defoe, while Fiorentina beat Pacos Ferreira 3-0, Lazio defeated Legia Warsaw 1-0, two-time former champion Sevilla won 2-1 at tournament debutant Estoril, and Real Betis drew 0-0 with Lyon. All 48 teams were in action across 12 groups in Europes second-tier competition, but there was no doubt where the standout scoreline was. Valencia went down to its biggest home loss in Europe since a 5-1 defeat to Inter Milan in 2004, adding another chapter to Swanseas remarkable rise from a financially troubled fourth-tier club in the English league 10 years ago to a first major trophy (last seasons League Cup) and then this famous European win. The writing was on the wall as soon as Rami was given a straight red for pulling back Bony when the striker was through on goal. Swansea toyed with the hosts at times with its easy-on-the-eye passing game and Bony finished off a flowing move in the 14th minute to put the Welsh team ahead. Clyde Lovellette Jersey . A group of Valencia supporters emptied the stand in the bottom tier behind one of the goals for 10 minutes at the start of the second half in protest, returning just in time to see Michu -- one of Swanseas Spanish contingent -- add a second in the 58th from compatriot Ajejandro Pozuelos through-ball. De Guzman completed the scoring with a fabulous, curling free kick from long range in the 62nd. "I am the same as the players," said Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic, whose club has sold many of its best players over the past couple of seasons. "I am responsible for the situation, it is not just about the players. The performance was not good enough." Valencia, traditionally one of the biggest clubs in Spain, has lost three of its first four matches in La Liga to lie 16th. It was a good night for English Premier League clubs, with Tottenham able to rest a number of its leading players but still easily overcome Tromso at White Hart Lane in Group K. Defoe started ahead of Roberto Soldado, who left Valencia over the summer, and made the most of a rare opportunity by chipping the goalkeeper for the first goal in the 21st minute then sliding another good finish into the corner in the 29th. Substitute Christian Eriksen curled a 20-yarder brilliantly into the top corner for a late third but the win was tarnished by injuries to Mousa Dembele and Danny Rose. Gonzalo Rodriguez, Ryder Matos and Giuseppe Rossi were the scorers for Fiorentina, which wasnt too hindered by the absence to injury of prized striker Mario Gomez, while fellow Italian side Lazio relied on Brazilian midfielder Hernanes goal in the 53rd minute to see off Legia at home. Kevin Gameiro scored Sevillas winner in Portugal after Bruno Miguel cancelled out Victor Machins opener for the visitors. Eintracht Frankfurt crushed Bordeaux 3-0, Genk won 1-0 at Dynamo Kyiv and there were also victories for Salzburg, Rubin Kazan and AZ Alkmaar. ' ' '

JUPITER, Fla. Wholesale Hurricanes Jerseys . -- St. Louis left-hander Jaime Garcia is unlikely to be ready to pitch at the start of the season, but Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak wont completely rule out the possibility. Garcia will be returning to the Cardinals spring training camp after Dr. James Andrews did not find any structural damage in the pitchers throwing shoulder. Mozeliak said Wednesday that Garcia will receive a cortisone injection at Andrews office in Pensacola. Garcia met with Cardinals doctors in St. Louis on Monday and with Andrews on Tuesday. Expected to be the lone left-hander in the Cardinals rotation, Garcia began feeling soreness in his shoulder early last week. He hasnt thrown since Feb. 18. Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 . Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, was elected Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years. Bach, the longtime favourite, defeated five candidates in a secret ballot for the most influential job in international sports, keeping the presidency in European hands. Fake Hurricanes Jerseys .Y. -- Sore nose and all, Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to help Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 5-3 on Friday night, snapping the Penguins mini-slump and slowing the Sabres late-season surge.SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard could have been devastated by losing last seasons NBA Finals. Instead, he vowed to get better. Just think -- the San Antonio Spurs youngest star is only getting started. Hes a champion now, with the Spurs beating the Miami Heat 104-87 on Sunday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, finishing off a 4-1 triumph. And after watching the Heat celebrate last season, Leonard was the pick as MVP of the series, accepting his award from 11-time champion Bill Russell. "Everybody is just living in the moment right now," Leonard said. "Really dont know whats going on." Hell figure it out quick. After all, the Spurs know titles -- this one being their fifth since 1999. When Commissioner Adam Silver announced Leonard as the MVP, he was mobbed by his teammates and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich roared with laughter, knowing Leonard would have to do what he hates most -- talk about himself. "Right now, its just surreal to me," Leonard said. "I have a great group of guys behind me." Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds, his third straight big game in the series. He fouled out in the fourth quarter, which was barely noticed after the job he did helping keep LeBron James in some sort of check over the final three quarters. When it was over -- actually, a few seconds before it was over -- James led a group of Heat players down to the Spurs bench foor the first round of congratulatory hugs. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . The first one he gave, and rightly so, was to Leonard. It was James taking the trophy from Russell in each of the last two seasons, after Miamis titles. This time, the night belonged to Leonard, a 22-year-old who the Spurs have long thought was the heir apparent to the Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. "The first two games, he didnt play so well," James said about Leonard. "I thought he attacked more in the last three games, shot the ball extremely well." Added Heat guard Dwyane Wade: "Its like he just played free. ... Hes the future of this team." The Big 3 in San Antonio is still championship-good. But their key guy now might be Leonard, who just took over this series. "Hes a great learner and hes super competitive, has a drive to be the best thats really uncommon in our league," Popovich said. "He walks the walk. I mean, hes there early, hes there late. He wants more. He wants me and the coaches to push him. So I just talked to him about not being in that defer sort of stage. The hell with Tony, the hell with Timmy, the hell with Manu, you play the game. You are the man." In this series, he absolutely was. Leonard averaged 17.8 points on 61 per cent shooting. And he became the youngest Finals MVP since Duncan won it for the Spurs in 1999. ' ' '

Charlotte, NC - The Charlotte Hornets officially signed free agent guard Lance Stephenson on Friday. Air Force 1 Soldes . Stephenson tweeted Wednesday that he was looking forward "to the next phase of my career and the wonderful opportunity to continue to grow as a player and as a person in Charlotte!" Terms of the deal werent disclosed by the Hornets on Friday, but reports earlier this week indicated that the 23-year-old Stephenson has signed a three-year, $27 million contract that includes a team option for the final season. He turned down a five-year, $44 million offer from the Pacers after helping Indiana reach the Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back seasons, according to reports. "We are extremely excited to add Lance to our team," said Hornets general manager Rich Cho in a statement. "He is a great up-and-coming player with an incredibly high ceiling. He is an exceptional athlete who has the versatility and skill to play multiple positions on both offense and defense. We believe he will be an outstanding addition to our roster." Stephenson averaged career highs in points (13.8), rebounds (7.2), assists (4.6) and minutes (35.3) in 78 games this past season. Questions about Stephensons behavior were raised during the Eastern Conference finals after he blew into the ear of LeBron James during Game 5 and got into a tussle with teammate Evan Turner in practice. He was fined twice for flopping in the series and was whistled for 14 technical fouls during the regular season, fourth-most in the league. Stephenson owns career averages of 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists across four seasons with Indiana. Nike Sf Air Force 1 Pas Cher . Goergl, the 2011 world champion, started 28th after the other top contenders had already gone down but had the fastest time at each interval. Goergl finished the demanding 3-kilometre Kaelberloch course in 1 minute, 47. Nike Air Force 1 Just Do It Noir .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York.KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia -- The Dufour-Lapointe sisters all have a spot in the womens moguls finals at the Sochi Olympics. Defending champion Hannah Kearney of the United States cruised through qualifying on Thursday, posting a score of 23.05, well clear of Montreals Chloe Dufour-Lapointe for the top spot. Justine Dufour-Lapointe took third and Maxxime Dufour-Lapointe finished eighth, assuring all three sisters a spot in the finals. Air Force 1 Mid Pas Cher . Quebec Citys Audrey Robichaud also qualified, placing ninth. The top 10 finishers automatically advanced to the finals, with the remaining competitors returning for a second qualifying run on Saturday to fill out the rest of the field. ' ' '