NEWS » e difficult to attack due to massive Russian security operat

Aaron Ekblad may be the most mature 18-year-old hockey player on the planet. Nike Air Max 97 Billig . "Not only does he have a 30-year-olds physique under his equipment but he also thinks and acts like a 10-year NHL vet," said Dan Stewart, scouting director for the independent scouting service Future Considerations. Ekblad, a two-way, right-shooting defenceman, knows what he wants to be not only in this weeks NHL draft but as a professional. Hed love to go No. 1 and continue to mould himself in the images of Shea Weber, Alex Pietrangelo and Duncan Keith. More than anything, though, the Barrie Colts captain wants to be considered reliable on and off the ice. "I dont do too many things that are going to surprise anyone," Ekblad said at last months scouting combine. "Im going to be the kind of player that you know what youre going to get from me." Steady and dependable doesnt put butts in seats, but Ekblad isnt touting himself as a flashy kind of player. Instead, and more importantly, he has the potential to develop into a franchise cornerstone. Because of that, the Belle River, Ont., native is the front-runner to be the top pick Friday night in Philadelphia, whether the Florida Panthers choose to keep it or trade it. Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray said last week he expected Ekblad to go No. 1 regardless. If that happens, Ekblad would be the first defenceman to be selected with the top pick since Erik Johnson in 2006, and the first Canadian-born blue-liner in that spot since Chris Phillips in 1996. Ekblad knows it has been a "long time" since a defenceman was drafted first. But it would come as no shock to NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr. "Aaron Ekblad is a hard player to go past in the draft, I think, for any of the teams, and they know that," Marr said at the combine. "There doesnt seem to be a will to take a defenceman high because a lot of times you dont get the quick bang for your buck." Ekblad wants to provide that, just as 2013 No. 4 pick Seth Jones did for the Nashville Predators. "A hundred per cent" he wants to be in the NHL next season, and he told that to all 16 teams that interviewed him. "Thats the way I believe in myself," Ekblad said. "I wouldnt say Im cocky, but Im confident and I believe that if I work hard and I do all the little things and pay attention to details, I can be in that league next year." With that confidence in mind, Ekblad still watched games this past season and recognized the NHL is a hard league to crack and that getting drafted is just a foot in the door. "It means nothing until you prove that youre ready to do it," he said. Scouts believe Ekblad is prepared to prove it. In the six-foot-three, 213-pound prospect, Ross MacLean of ISS Hockey, another independent scouting service, sees someone with skills to insulate himself from making mistakes and the maturity to be able to adjust to the next level. "Hes a kid that I think probably couldve played in the NHL this year, let alone next year," MacLean said. "I think we saw that with Seth Jones, as well, last year. Theyve just been put into positions where theyve been able to acclimatize and get comfortable and confident and develop their skills at the appropriate pace, and theyre ready for the next step." Typically, theres a learning curve for even the best young defencemen before they can become NHL regulars, let alone stars. But a handful from the top 10 of the 2012 draft, including the Toronto Maple Leafs Morgan Rielly, Anaheim Ducks Hampus Lindholm and Columbus Blue Jackets Ryan Murray, played the full 2013-14 season and showed it may not be as steep as it once was. During the season, then-Predators and now Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz theorized that its because junior hockey has more pro systems designed to help defencemen adapt quicker. Stewart thinks Ekblad can adjust on the fly because of his awareness. After being given the captaincy in Barrie, Ekblad "was trying to do everything," Stewart said, before recognizing his weaknesses and dialling back to what hes good at. "He has shown time and time again that he learns from mistakes," Stewart said. "Ekblad is always thinking and while he does make some mistakes from time to time, he also shows an ability to compensate for any situational deficiencies. Because of his slower feet, while defending speedy forwards attacking the zone, he gives himself a little larger gap than say if he were going up against someone he feels he can easily wedge off the puck. "Its his advanced thinking on the fly and understanding of his position that should benefit him quickly at the next level." Physically, Ekblad is undoubtedly NHL-ready. After earning exceptional status to play in the OHL at the age of 15, he has gone through three junior seasons in Barrie and held his own at the world junior championship. Stewart was impressed with how Ekblad handled pressure situations and defensive responsibilities while playing for Canada at the world juniors. In Barrie, Colts teammate, roommate and best friend Brendan Lemieux — a projected first- or second-round pick in his own right and the son of former NHL agitator Claude Lemieux — saw Ekblad show even more. "Ek really showed that he was willing to stand up and answer the bell, even with his gloves off. I watched him pound a few guys this year," Lemieux said at the combine. "He might not show that physical presence and how big he is and how tough he can be, but hes a tough guy, too. Hes not just a super-skilled big guy, hes a super-skilled big, tough guy." Ekblad is certainly better known for his 23 goals and 30 assists than his three fights, and it was that offence balanced with defensive acumen that earned him OHL defenceman of the year honours. Its hard to be upset about that kind of season, but Ekblad insisted hes not satisfied with what he showed scouts. "Thats kind of the way everyone here should be thinking: I believe I can always be better," he said. "You look back on some games, some shifts and (think), What if you did this instead of that? I wouldnt say I have any regrets, per se. I think I had a pretty good year. But theres always things you couldve done." --- Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Nike Air Max Plus Billig . For the Miami Heat, that was outstanding news. LeBron James scored the last of his 32 points on a layup that put Miami up for good with 11. Air Max 270 Herren Günstig . - A retired Indiana school principal who was NASCAR star Jeff Gordons drivers education teacher was killed with his wife in a Tennessee crash while returning from watching Gordon race. http://www.shopairmaxschweiz.com/air-max-2020-fake-kaufen.html . - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday.OTTAWA - Canadas highly paid Olympic mens hockey professionals are insured against acts of terrorism when they compete in the Sochi Games but it is not at all clear the same coverage extends to their amateur brethren on the Olympic team. As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger. An extraordinary travel advisory from the Canadian government highlights Sochi terrorist threats in bold red script. "In July 2013 Imarat Kavkaz leader Doku Umarov called on militants to derail the Sochi Olympic Games using any necessary means, and lifted his previous moratorium on actions of militants in Russia outside the North Caucasus," states the governments travel advisory page. "On January 19, 2014, the Ansar Al-Sunna terrorist group took responsibility for the December 2013 attacks on Volgograd ... and threatened further attacks if the Olympic Games were to take place." Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney reinforced the message last week by issuing a statement warning that special security at Olympic venues "does not eliminate the risk of terrorist attacks." Such government warnings wont likely make a travellers insurance void, says John Thain, president of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada. Only an outright government advisory not to travel in a country or region may void travel insurance, he said. But check the fine print on terrorism because most policies dont cover it, he added. "One of the messages were trying to get across to all Canadians is know and understand your policy," Thain told The Canadian Press. It is advice that should apply to athletes attending in the Games as well. The Canadian Olympic Committee, which handles insurance for most of the Canadians competing in Sochi, flatly rebuffed questions about its insurance coverage. "Internal matters including HR (human resources) and administrative policies for employees, athletes and mission team members are simply not subjects we discuss publicly," the committee told The Canadian Press in an email statement. Agent Kris Mychasiw, who represents bobsled Olympian Kaillie Humphries, said all the terrorism talk is "being blown out of proportion." &"London had the same issue. Nike Air Max Billig. Athens had the same issue," said Mychasiw. Asked whether Canadas Olympians are insured against a career-ending injury caused by an act of terrorism, Mychasiw responded "to my knowledge, no." "Even if you were to get insurance for it, the odds of something like that happening, or being in an environment where that would happen, are slim to none," said the agent. Thats not the tack taken by National Hockey League and its players association. Greg Sutton of Sutton Special Risk, which insures more than 450 profession hockey players including Sydney Crosby, said hes taken a number of calls from concerned players and their agents in the run-up to Sochi. "All of our policies actually include terrorism, but what they arent covered for is any acts of terrorism which use nuclear, chemical or biological means," Sutton said in an interview. Bob Nicholson, the president of Hockey Canada, said group insurance for Olympic pros was handled through the International Ice Hockey Federation. That was part of the agreement for getting the pros to Sochi, said Nicholson. Sutton said some players have asked to include the extra nuclear-chemical-biological coverage, known as NCB, and that adds about 10 to 15 per cent to the premium. Other players are also taking out additional personal insurance. "There are players who are still young enough that theres a need for them to protect their future value, too, and thats where the personal coverage comes in. We do both." Sutton said Hockey Canada inquired about adding NCB but hes not sure if it ended up taking the extra coverage. Any difference between insuring Canadas amateur Olympians and the NHL pros comes down to a business decision based on guaranteed, multi-million-dollar contracts, said Mychasiw. "The NHL is taking precautions because thats a money-making business. Theyre looking at protecting their assets, from the NHL Players Association right up to the league." On Monday, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that a British government intelligence report warns that more terrorist attacks in Russia are "very likely to occur" before or during the Sochi Games. The BBC reports that the leaked assessment says Sochi itself may be difficult to attack due to massive Russian security operations. With files from Joshua Clipperton. ' ' '