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VANCOUVER – More than five years after he was fired as the ninth (and youngest) general manager in Canucks history, Dave Nonis is back home in B.C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. He had not been hired by new ownership, didnt align with their philosophies ultimately and paid the price for it. But did the man who helped construct a future Stanley Cup finalist, someone who pulled the trigger on a franchise-altering swap for Roberto Luongo, get a fair shake in Vancouver? "I dont think you can do that," said Nonis with no hint of bitterness amid a conversation with the Leaf Report on Friday afternoon. "Whether thats the case or not, I look back and say that the pieces that we left in place were very important pieces to the success of the team. If you look at how they did for a long period after we were there they were very successful. So you take some pride in that. In terms of not getting a fair shake, I think theres a lot of people in our business that can say that. For me, Id rather look at what we left and how well they performed." Nonis was promoted to the top job with the Canucks in 2004 – he was 37 at the time – replacing boss and close friend Brian Burke for the first time. Building on the foundations he and Burke had already worked to establish in years prior, Nonis would draft future All-Star Alex Edler and future No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider. He would hire future Jack Adams winner Alain Vigneault. Hed add Willie Mitchell via free agency, a looming mainstay on the blue-line. He would sign the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler and Sami Salo to respectable, cap-friendly deals. And most notable of all, he would complete one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history, snatching Luongo from Florida. "I think that we felt we were going in the right direction," the Burnaby, B.C. native said. Though they would fall just shy of the playoffs in his first season – he was actually promoted prior to the 2004-05 lockout – the Canucks would shatter franchise records the next year, totaling 49 wins and 105 points. They were ousted in the second round by the eventual Cup champion Ducks, a squad led by current Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, but were clearly moving in the right direction. Year No. 3 though brought with it much frustration for Nonis and the Vancouver faithful. Ravaged by injuries, most notably on defence, the Canucks would limp to the finish line and miss out on the postseason by three points for the second time in three seasons. Rather than salvage the season (and ultimately his job) with short-term fixes via trade, Nonis declined, refusing to mortgage the foundations of what would be a prized future. It is believed that a trade for then-Lightning star Brad Richards was there to be had, a deal that would have cost Vancouver an embarrassment of young riches, Schneider prominently among them. Nonis refused to comment on the matter, but its evident from history that he declined, unwilling to hurt the teams future for the sake of his own job. "If you wouldve moved pieces, good young pieces, just to try and squeak in, that team never wouldve had a chance to win," he said. "If your ultimate goal is to try to win you have to be able to be patient and not have knee-jerk reactions to problems." Nonis would be fired for his efforts nine days after the season concluded. Springing for a leader of his own choosing, new owner Francesco Aquilini would select Mike Gillis nine days after his predecessor had been let go. Just as he predicted in the hours after his firing, the Canucks would go on to great things in the years that followed. They would finish with 100-plus points in four straight seasons after his dismissal, reaching the Cup Final in 2011. "The pieces that were there were young and stable and improving and then if things went well they would have a chance and thats how it played out," Nonis said. Now holding his second general manager gig in Toronto – he signed a new five-year deal in the summer at the urging of MLSE President Tim Leiweke – Nonis says the experience in Vancouver, which began in 1990, ultimately proved beneficial. "Youre never going to make all the right decisions – I definitely didnt make all the right ones when I was in Vancouver," he said. "But I think you learn [that] if you think youre going in the right direction, that the blueprint you have in place makes sense, then you have to have the will to follow it through. I believe thats the case for all teams that are competitive. Very few teams that are competitive in our league just fall on the GMs lap." Struck by the patience of his first boss with the Canucks, Pat Quinn, Nonis would glean additional tips of the trade from those around him in the ensuing years – "theres a lot of people in this league that are very good at what they do and have done a better job than Ive ever done" – including Burke during stints in Anaheim and Toronto. He would take note of what others around the league had done, how contenders in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago and St. Louis were built. He saw how theyd establish a foundation of core players and then allow that core to grow and eventually win together. "You can count a lot of Stanley Cups on those teams," Nonis said. Though the Leafs have the early blocks of such a core – after trades for Phaneuf, Kessel, van Riemsdyk, Lupul, Bernier and Gardiner as well as the drafting of Kadri and Rielly among others – the team has not yet reached Noniss preferred destination. What he wants is continued progress in a positive direction, with his Leafs leading the Eastern Conference entering a Saturday affair with the Canucks. "We think its going the right way," said Nonis, at the helm when the club snapped a nine-year playoff drought last spring. "Were not where we need to be, but were a lot better than we were. The reserve list is stronger than it was. Our farm team is younger and still remaining competitive. Theres a lot of good things happening, but theres still a lot of room for improvement. I dont think we could stand up and said that were close to done. We have a lot of work yet to do and if we want to get to be one of those elite teams. I wouldnt say were a long way away, but we definitely need to continue to improve and add the pieces that those upper-echelon teams have." The early returns from his first offseason as Leafs general manager have been positive, most notably in the performance of 27-year-old Dave Bolland and 25-year-old Jonathan Bernier, both acquired via trade this past summer. David Clarkson, Noniss pricey first free agent signing, has played just four games – after serving a 10-game suspension – but has offered hints of the edge and personality he promised to bring after years in New Jersey. For whatever success the Leafs achieve this season you can be sure that Nonis will not attempt to fast-forward the process with short-sighted, short-term fixes. Its why hes not inclined to move first round picks or young players for aging talent. His blueprint features a young core that will take steps together, progressing as the Canucks eventually did after his dismissal. "If youre a deep enough team you can trade away a top prospect and not even feel it then youve done a really good job of building your reserve list and your farm system and you can move those prospects for pieces that might put you over the top," said Nonis. "Were not there yet. We need to continue to add those pieces so I wouldnt say we would never move a first round pick or a young player, but if we do at least at this stage of our development itll be for another young player; its not going to be for an older player." Nonis will enter Rogers Arena on Saturday afternoon full of pride, both for what was eventually accomplished in Vancouver and the promise on the horizon in Toronto. "Progress is the most important word," Nonis said. "If you continue to show progress year after year eventually youre going to put yourself in a pretty good position." 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Nike Air Max Pas Cher Destockage . Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Raptors have traded forward Steve Novak along with a second-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Diante Garrett - who will then be waived. Nike Air Max 95 Destockage . MacIntyre stopped 49 shots and the Marlies defeated the Texas Stars 5-1 in Game 1 of the American Hockey Leagues Western Conference final. "I felt in control, so that was nice," MacIntyre said.CINCINNATI – The late, great Earl Weaver once was asked about momentum and whether it existed in baseball. “Momentum is only as good as the next days starter,” the long-time Baltimore Orioles manager famously quipped. Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons was smacked in the face with that truth on Saturday. Less than 24 hours after his club staged the second biggest comeback in franchise history, winning 14-9 on Friday night in a game it had trailed 8-0, J.A. Happ (6-4) imploded on the mound and the Reds won a laugher 11-1. “He didnt have it today,” said Gibbons. “We really never had a chance. You know, just kind of sucked the wind out of us right away but, hey, we move on. Show up tomorrow.” Happ got the first two outs of the first inning. Reasonably quickly, too, as Billy Hamilton grounded out and Todd Frazier lined out. Then, inexplicably, Happ fell apart. He walked Joey Votto. He walked Brandon Phillips. He walked Jay Bruce to load the bases. Ryan Ludwick smacked a two-run single to centerfield, scoring Votto and Phillips. Happ walked Devin Mesoraco. Finally, Ramon Santiago grounded out to end Happs 37-pitch first inning. Whatever the events of Friday night had done to ease the burden of an ugly sweep in New York, Happ had put his team in another hole and this time the offence couldnt climb its way out. “I was trying to be too fine, maybe, or what Im not sure,” said Happ. “I let three guys go and then the base hit, kind of a tough way to start. I tried to be aggressive after that, but we didnt have a ton for them today and that started with me.” Jay Bruce hit a solo home run in the third, the Reds scored four more times on three singles and two doubles in the fourth and Happs day was done. So was the Blue Jays afternoon; they could muster only a Colby Rasmus solo home run in the seventh off of Reds starter Mike Leake (5-6). REYES LEAVES WITH KNEE BRUISE Jose Reyes wont start on Sunday after fouling a ball off his left knee in the fifth inning of Saturdays loss to the Reds. He didnt take his shortstop position after finishing his at-bat, replaced by Steve Tolleson. He doesnt think its serious. “I hit it pretty good there, but its not a big deal,” said Reyes. Reyes confirmed hed already been approached by manager John Gibbons, who informed him that he wouldnt be in Sundays starting lineup. Reyes is hitless in his last 12 at-bats and Gibbons suggested a breather could do his shortstop good. RASMUS ON A ROLL Colby Rasmus is off to a nice start since coming off the disabled list in time for Wednesdays game at Yankee Stadium. In four games, hes 6-for-14 with a home run and two doubles. He drew a walk, a crucial one at that, leading off the ninth inning of Friday nights improbable come-from-behind, 14-9 victory over the Reds. He scored the winning run on an Erik Kratz double. Rasmus missed 33 games with a strained right hamstring. He didnt waste time while he was hurt. He went to work in the gym and he credits his easy transition into the lineup to increased strength. “Going on the DL, Im able to put a little weight on and get stronger and lift (weights) and do a lot more things that Im not able to do when Im playing because, when Im playing, its hard to get those good lifts in where you can be sore the next day,” said Rasmus. “You dont want to mess yourself up. I was able to get stronger and that helps.” The Blue Jays went 23-10 in Rasmus absence, for most of the stretch maximizing the potentiall of the Anthony Gose-Kevin Pillar centrefield platoon.dddddddddddd What Gose gave the Blue Jays with speed on the bases and defensively in centre, he couldnt make up for the power threat of Rasmuss bat. As the club began to struggle and the power numbers regressed to normalcy, it became clear how much Rasmus was missed. Hes back and hes resumed the same approach he brought into spring training. “Im not letting any pressures make me feel pressure,” said Rasmus. “In the past, when I was younger, people tried to always light a fire under me because Im kind of chilled and just kind of laid back, quiet and they always tried to make me get real amped up and it didnt help me none because I drove myself crazy wanting to do good. Id get myself so amped up and then not do good and the let down can break you down over time. I try to stay away from that, put me some country music on and stay relaxed, slowed down and then the game will speed me up.” On that crucial walk Rasmus drew against Reds flamethrower Aroldis Chapman on Friday night, he went up to the plate looking to greet one of Chapmans famous heaters, which consistently top 100 miles per hour. “Im looking for cheddar cheese balls,” said Rasmus, referencing one of his many nicknames for the fastball. “I mean, it is what it is, you cant worry about his offspeed stuff even though hes got a good slider, a good change-up.” NAVARRO JUBILANT AS MESSI SCORES Dioner Navarro is a fan of Argentine soccer great Lionel Messi. That, in fact, may be an understatement. Navarro wears a Messi jersey underneath his batting practice jersey everyday. Hes got the schedule laid out, too. When Messi is playing for his club team, FC Barcelona, Navarro sports the striped, red and blue home jersey. Currently, with Messi captaining Argentina in the World Cup, hes wearing Messis Argentine attire. When Messi scored in extra time to lead Argentina over Iran, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon, Navarro sprung up from a clubhouse couch and did a lap of the room, high-fiving teammates along the way. For Navarro, the game was too close for comfort. “I just got a few more greys on my head,” said Navarro. “What a goal.” Navarro admits his infatuation with Messi is strange, especially because its uncommon for one professional athlete to fawn over another. The admiration began about a decade ago. “Back home, Venezuela, we grew up and we didnt have much money,” said Navarro. “We had only the local (television) channels and my parents were trying to get us as far away from whatever they were showing us on TV, violence and all that stuff back home. We used to get the games from Spain and I kind of grew up watching the games from Barcelona and, when Messi stepped in, he was 17 years old the first time. Every year he keeps growing. He keeps doing unbelievable things.” Argentinas win was as much a relief to Navarro as it was a thrill. Hed been getting grief from his teammates. “They were all over me, oh my gosh,” said Navarro. “The last thing I wanted was it to be tight because I knew everybody was going to be talking smack to me. Messi came through.” ROSTER MOVE The Blue Jays optioned right-handed pitcher Liam Hendriks to Triple-A Buffalo before Saturdays game. Left-handed reliever Rob Rasmussen was recalled from the Bisons, which marks his second stint with the Blue Jays this season. Rasmussen made four appearances from May 20-29. He pitched two innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two. ' ' '