Baseball is coming back to Montreal, as Olympic Stadium plays host to the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets in the first of two spring training games tonight. Andrei Markov Jersey . The game is available on TSN Radio 690 in Montreal at 7pm et/4pm pt. Its the first time Major League Baseball has returned to Montreal since the Expos moved to Washington in 2005. The last professional game played at the Big O was on Sept. 29, 2004, when the Expos were defeated 9-1 by the Florida Marlins. According to The Canadian Press, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre will throw the ceremonial first pitch at tonights game. The mayor also plans to meet with John McHale Jr., an executive with Major League Baseball, who will be in Montreal watching the games. Coderre has been involved in the process of getting a baseball team back in his city. Late Hall of Famer Gary Carter will be honoured in a ceremony before the game, with his widow and family slated to attend. Carter died in February 2012 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 57. Before Saturdays game, an event will be held to celebrate the Expos squad that was considered the best team in baseball before a players strike brought the 1994 season to a premature close. The 94 team had baseballs best record (74-40) when the season ended. The Jays will welcome Jose Reyes and Edwin Encarnacion back into the lineup, as both have been cleared to play in this weekends series. Reyes has been out of action since he suffered a mild strain in his left hamstring during Saturdays game against Detroit. He has been listed as day-to-day, but the club announced Thursday that he will be available. Encarnacion was struck by a pitch on his right forearm during Wednesdays game against the Yankees. He was removed, but has since received a clean bill of health. Encarnacion would have been available to play Thursday vs. Philadelphia, but the club opted to give him a day of rest. Alexei Kovalev Canadiens Jersey .S. Olympic hockey team. Dustin Brown had a goal and an assist and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves as the Los Angeles Kings made it back-to-back wins Thursday night with a 2-0 victory over the Flames. Andrei Markov Canadiens Jersey . The All-Star point guard will miss at least two weeks with a strained biceps tendon, but hes hopeful his season is not over. Irving said following shootaround Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic Courts, "If you could take a positive from the situation, obviously that would be one, that at this point, I dont have to get surgery, which is tremendous.This is a very good team. I know they didnt rise to the challenge of playoff urgency last year but their statistical success was extreme. And yes, there is a degree of truth that statistics dont always convey the whole picture, but they are accurate indicators of what has improved and what the priority is to improve. For the Stampeders, there is little to find a discouraging word about. Here are the categories of pure football efficiency that the Stampeders finished first in compared to the other eight teams in the league last year: points scored, 30 per game; net offense, 383 per game; rushing yards, 141 per game; fewest quarterback sacks allowed; best second to first conversion rate; most quarterback sacks on defence; fewest giveaways, only 27 over 18 games; and tied with the Roughriders with the best takeaway/giveaway ratio at +19. Really, the only two areas of concern are punt and kick returns and red zone defence in which Calgary finished seventh best. This is a very good team. Quarterback will be an interesting battle. It should be a battle between the youth and arm skill of Bo Levi Mitchell and the intensity with determination of Drew Tate. Mitchell has youth on his side, Tate has the experience; and for Tate a surprising amount of experience. This is now his eighth year in the league and now is the time, but I said that at this time last year too. They are different types of quarterbacks and personalities. Tate is kind of confrontational and aggressive while Mitchell is more smooth and mellow, I would say. Both do work well under pressure and both have excellent futures. Still, it will be very interesting to see who wins the job and if they can keep it for 18 games. Its a nice problem to have but a difficult decision to make between the two. With quarterback depth a unique luxury and in some ways taken care of, the next strength is kicking. YYou can make an easy argument that no CFL team has a better combo punter/kicker than Rob Maver and Rene Parades. Alex Galchenyuk Jersey. Especially in the field goal kicking, the streak they had last season was both entertaining and game-changing. There will come a day where some field goal kicker makes every kick, does not miss one over the course of the season. The art of kicking has developed into a science more than ever before and a calm concentrated demeanor is more significant than ever before. Yes, its a lofty goal but obtainable also attainable. Maybe in Calgary. Also interesting outside of the priority of a great quarterback and the critical importance of good kickers is depth at running back. With Jon Cornish, Martell Mallett and Jock Sanders there are now three good ones. Of the three, the best may be Sanders, especially if he returns punts and kicks replacing Larry Taylor. Calgary finished fifth best in both punt and kick returns so there is room for improvement. By no means was Taylor the sole issue as a returner is as good as his blocking, especially initially. Still, with Sanders you have acceleration in the excess and a quality running back who can start. The Roughriders will miss Kory Sheets, Keith Shologon, and Craig Butler, but losing Sanders to their most direct competition is a double issue. Evaluating personnel is subjective in that how one person may see the present ability of one player or their potential is always different than another. But right now the combination of 24 starters and key depth contributors in Calgary has no clear superior. It may not be of obvious significance right now, but wait until October and November. And that player that in June you never thought would be a starter responds as one when he has to, it can change everything. I know for the third time, the Calgary Stampeders are a very good team. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap soccer jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '
