that it would not boycott the games,

The NHLPA says the Calgary Flames cannot mandate its players wear protective foot and ankle equipment commonly known as "shotblockers. John Hannah Jersey ." Flames general manager Jay Feaster instructed his players get fitted for the guards after Calgary captain Mark Giordano suffered a broken ankle and veteran forward Lee Stempniak broke his foot after being hit by pucks last month. Flames players have informed the Players Association they were strongly encouraged by Flames management to wear the shotblockers, but were told the equipment wasnt mandatory. However, Feaster says this is a mandatory team policy which may create a problem as such a policy could be viewed as a CBA violation. (CBA 30.3 Amendments -- The NHL and its Clubs shall not, during the term of this Agreement or any extension thereof, amend or modify the provisions (or portions thereof) of the League Rules or any of the Leagues Playing Rules in existence on the date of this Agreement that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player, without the prior written consent of the NHLPA which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The NHL shall furnish proposed amendments to and/or modifications of League Rules that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player upon the NHLPAs written request.) "No team can unilaterally make a piece of equipment mandatory," Mathieu Schneider, Special Assistant to NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr, told the Dreger Report. Equipment discussions and proposed changes are expected to funnel through the newly-formed equipment sub-committee before moving on to the joint competition committee and, ultimately, to the board for final approval. All Flames players are complying with managements policy and are currently wearing some form of additional foot protection. The NHLPA intends on reaching out to the NHL to discuss its concerns with Calgarys approach. While very sensitive to why the Flames are doing what they are doing, Schneider worries about "knee-jerk" reactions by NHL clubs and the potential for unintended consequence, such as another injury if teams are allowed to armor their players without going through the appropriate procedural steps. Schneider points toward the ongoing work being done between the league and PA on potential changes to shoulder pads as an example of how thorough the process of full-scale equipment changes has to be. Years ago, players opted for a much larger shoulder pad for added protection. Now, the focus is on developing a smaller and less damaging shoulder pad, in hindsight, correcting an issue that was created by good intentions and in the spirit of safety. Tedy Bruschi Jersey . Not that he was complaining. Davis had 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight blocks, and the New Orleans Pelicans emphatically snapped a three-game skid with a 135-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. New England Patriots Jerseys . The 22-year-old Spanish midfielder recently signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea, and after spending last season on loan with Valencia in La Liga, Romeu will move to the Bundesliga for the 2014-15 campaign. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/Elite-Andre-Tippett-Patriots-Jersey/ . You can watch all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. Pineda won his second straight start last Wednesday against Chicago, as he held the Cubs to just four hits over six scoreless innings to run his record to 2-0, while lowering his ERA to 1.SOCHI, Russia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has opened the Winter Paralympics in Sochi against the backdrop of his countrys military action in Crimea. During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. The appearance of the flagbearer, biathlete Mykhaylo Tkachenko, drew a roar from the crowd. The Ukrainian team only announced earlier in thhe day that it would not boycott the games, but said it could pull out if the Crimea situation escalates. Custom New England Patriots Jerseys. A lavish ceremony based on the mythical firebird of Russian folklore marked the start of the 11th Winter Paralympics, a 10-day event featuring 547 athletes from 45 countries. Putin stood at a microphone in front of a capacity crowd at the Fisht Olympic Stadium and announced: "I declare open the Winter Paralympic Games 2014, Sochi." ' ' '