s a good coach and hes obviously been there before and he took u

MINSK, Belarus -- Alain Vigneault is back in the conference final with the New York Rangers, and at least one of his former Vancouver players couldnt be happier. Calvin Johnson Jersey For Sale . "For Alain, Im happy for him that he got back there so quickly," Canucks defenceman and Team Canada captain Kevin Bieksa said. "Hes a good coach and hes obviously been there before and he took us there. We had a lot of really good years together. Absolutely were cheering for him and hope they do well." Bieksa is one of a handful of Vigneaults former players casually following his playoff run from afar at the world hockey championship, three years after the Canucks came one victory short of the franchises first Stanley Cup. After beating the Montreal Canadiens twice at Bell Centre, Vigneault and the Rangers are two victories away from making the final. Joining Bieksa on Team Canada are Canucks teammates Jason Garrison and Alex Burrows. Garrison only played one season under Vigneault, and so he doesnt have as deep a connection to him as those on the 2011 Cup final team. Unlike Bieksa, Garrison isnt necessarily cheering for Vigneault and the Rangers. "Its tough to root for success on another team, thats for sure," Garrison said. "Its notable, kind of the season hes having and the playoffs that hes having. ... But thats about it. Other than that, if anything, youre jealous." Its natural for former Canucks to feel a little jealous, considering they missed the playoffs under former Rangers coach John Tortorella in a season that cost him and general manager Mike Gillis their jobs. If they were still playing, Bieksa, Garrison, Burrows, Denmarks Jannik Hansen and Niclas Jensen, Switzerlands Yannick Weber and Swedens Joacim Eriksson wouldnt be in Minsk. Among them, only Bieksa, Burrows, Garrison and Hansen played for Vigneault. Even though things went sour in 2013, Garrison doesnt have anything bad to say about how the 53-year-old Quebec City native handled a veteran Vancouver team. "Guys respected him and he respected the players," Garrison said. "He was a good person, and I had no complaints at all." Bieksa played for Vigneault for seven seasons during which the Canucks went to the playoffs all but one year. The 32-year-old doesnt share Garrisons tinge of competitive jealousy. "Its a different team, a different conference," Bieksa said. "I dont really have jealousy. It would be different if it were, like, a good friend or a former teammate." The Rangers have only one of those in Raphael Diaz, who played just six games in Vancouver. James Ihedigbo Elite Jersey . Mata had already been dropped from Spains squad once this season and with the country blessed with so many playmakers, he was in real danger of being overlooked for the trip to Brazil to defend their title. Matthew Stafford Jersey For Sale . Coverage kicks off from Philadelphia on Thursday as Hustler and Lawless tee up the action with a preview show. First round coverage starts on Friday at 3pm ct, as Hustler and Lawlesss and the Illegal Curve Hockey Show are live from the draft floor and continues on Saturday of rounds two through seven at 9am ct.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Ottawas Kyle Turris, Bostons Patrice Bergeron and St. Louis T.J. Oshie have been selected as the NHLs top players for the period ending March 30. Turris was named the First Star after leading all players last week with seven points. He notched four goals and three assists with a plus-7 rating to help the Senators post a 3-0-1 mark. Bergeron picked up tthe Second Star after scoring goals in all four of Bostons games last week to extend his goal streak to seven games. Darius Slay Jersey. He notched five goals and an assist during the week as the Bruins remained the top team in the NHL. Oshie earned the Third Star with six points in three games. He had four goals, including his first career hat trick in a 5-1 victory over Minnesota on March 27. ' ' '