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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- With defenseman Hampus Lindholm finally under contract, the Anaheim Ducks will seek their fourth win in five games when they play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night at the Honda Center.Lindholm, a restricted free agent, signed a six-year contract worth $31.5 million on Thursday. The agreement makes Lindholm the Ducks highest-paid defenseman after he led the team with 115 blocked shots while scoring 10 goals last season.Im really happy to be back in Anaheim, Lindholm said on a conference call from his native Sweden. Theres where Ive been all my career so Im really happy to be back with the team and everyone.But before Lindholm rejoins the team, the 22-year-old Swede must get a work visa while general manager Bob Murray resolves the salary-cap problems resulting from the deal.Capfriendly.com calculates that Anaheim exceeds the salary cap by $1.4 million, even after placing defenseman Simon Despres and center Nate Thompson on long-term injured reserve. Nevertheless, Murray believes re-signing Lindholm was imperative to maintaining the Ducks status as contenders.It solidifies this organization, Murray told NHL.com. Hampus is a really good young hockey player. Hes part of the future of this franchise. Hes only going to get better.Murray also implied that Lindholms signing represents at least the beginning of the Ducks last stand with their current roster.We wanted to get it at a fair number for the organization so we could try to move forward with this group as best we can, he told NHL.com. I wanted to give this group another shot. Im going to do everything in my power to keep it that way.That includes managing the salary cap while concentrating on winning the teams second Stanley Cup.Its going to be an interesting experience, Murray told NHL.com. But Im going to do the best I can to give this group one last shot at this.Another recently signed restricted free agent, center Rickard Rakell, practiced with his teammates for the first time Wednesday. Rakell agreed to another six-year contract worth $22.8 million on Oct. 14. But Rakell will not be ready for Friday nights game. Center Ryan Getzlaf might miss his second consecutive contest after a shot hit him in the left forearm Tuesday night against the San Jose Sharks.Columbus enters the game after Thursday nights 3-1 loss in San Jose. The Blue Jackets 2-3-1 record provides a radical contrast from last years 0-8 start, and reflects a renewed emphasis on conditioning to deal with the NHLs increasing speed.Everybody looks quicker, Columbus forward Nick Foligno told the Columbus Dispatch. To a guy, you definitely feel quicker and lighter on your skates. But its more than that, too. Its the way were playing. Were trying to play faster and think faster and be faster with our heads, not just faster with our feet.Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella believes mental quickness can compensate for physical speed.If youre even a little bit slower than the other teams -- as far as just foot speed -- but you have a mindset of playing quick, I think you can be a quick team, Tortorella told the Dispatch. Were certainly trying to play quick.That quickness begins with the Blue Jackets defensemen sending the puck up the ice more rapidly and avoiding lateral passes. Tortorella described his goal using a metaphorical compass.Were just trying to be as north-south as we can, he told the Dispatch, and try to get away from going D to D and traveling east to west as much. Nick Rimando USA Jersey . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Joe Corona USA Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/bill-hamid-usa-jersey/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Matt Miazga Jersey .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. Bill Hamid Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Renee Brown recalls getting her job with the new WNBA in 1996 and almost immediately hopping on a plane for Europe to sign up players for the leagues 1997 launch. She has some funny stories of tracking down people in those olden days before everyone was constantly accessible by cell phone.Brown, the leagues chief of basketball operations and player relations, knows the history of the WNBA because she lived at the epicenter of it. Now, after 20 years, Brown is leaving the league, and its important to both applaud her contributions and also think about what qualities the WNBA should look for in her replacement.The timing is perfect for me, Brown said Tuesday in regard to ending her tenure after the WNBAs 20th anniversary season. She started as director of player personnel, and then her duties expanded. In 2005, the title of chief of basketball operations was added. Brown also has had a longtime association with USA Basketball, including as a coach with the 1996 Olympic team.As congenial as she is, Brown doesnt often share much in-depth with the media. When asked Tuesday some of the bigger challenges she has faced in her time with the WNBA, Brown didnt offer any insight.Nothing, really, she said. Its all been so enjoyable for me to go to games, watch players get drafted, be a part of USA Basketball. Running camps and clinics for young people. Ive been very, very blessed.Brown also didnt give specifics on what she planned to do next. She said she wanted to stay involved in womens sports and womens empowerment, and would leave her options open. For now, though, she said her entire focus is on the on-going WNBA playoffs.This is all understandable; Brown doesnt want to talk about anything that might detract from whats happening on court. But this year has been one of transition for the WNBAs leadership: Lisa Borders became president in February, and former Phoenix Suns/Mercury executive Jay Parry was named senior vice president/chief operating officer in April. Now a new person will be taking over Browns high-ranking spot.Brown said she will help in the search for her replacement. As for what qualities are most needed, Brown said it depends on how the job will be defined going forward.Ill have to take Lisas lead in regard to what does she want in this role, Brown said. But I think the main part of it is theyve got to be passionate about wanting to help improve and continue the success of our league.Again, this is vague. But to some degree the WNBAs upper management always has had an element of vague to it. If you ask around the WNBA teams, youll find that communication between the league office and each franchise isnt always clear, or even frequent enough. Brown has worked many years at trying to fill in those gaps, but she also has had to wear multiple hats.The areas that Brown oversaw are things that, in the NBA, might be split among a few different people. Of course, the NBA is a much bigger industry, with 30 teams as opposed to 12. Its doubtful that the WNBA front office will be expanding soon, so knowing how much there is to do in Browns job impacts the kind of candidates the WNBA should interview.It has to be someone who works very well and is trusted by Borders, but who also develops a strong relationship with each of the 12 franchises. And be someone whom the plaayers, their union, and their agents feel they can talk to as well.ddddddddddddeah, thats a lot to do. Which means a multitasker with great people skills who is also not afraid of confrontation and mediation. It also should be someone who is already familiar with the WNBA and can take the handoff from Brown and hit the ground running. As opposed to spending a year or two just figuring out stuff that everybody whos in or around the WNBA already knows.Brown didnt talk about the challenges, but theyre not a mystery. They include scheduling/travel, balancing the demands of players overseas careers, and dealing with how the franchises are run differently.The latter is true in any professional league; there are always teams that have better ownership and management than others. But there is also a standard that leagues try to enforce with all their teams.The WNBA has some teams that are affiliated with NBA teams, and some that arent. There can be pluses and negatives to both. Teams have different housing/practice facility situations. Some teams have longtime pros in media, community relations and ticket sales, while others have more of a revolving door in those roles.Thats not to suggest theres any magic wand or mandate from above that will easily equalize everything. But Brown surely has had to deal with the specific concerns that each franchise has, and thats a crucial ongoing task for her replacement.Due diligence in hiring for this job would include talking to retired players, including recent retirees such as Tamika Catchings. Also to people like Dan Hughes and Lin Dunn, who had experience in both coaching and in the front office in pro basketball. Get insight from people still in the league and those who have stepped away.Brown was asked about the changes in the WNBA that have happened in her tenure in regard to the product put on the court, which I think is now consistently very good.She pointed to things such as the 8-second back-court violation, the 24-second shot clock, and the reset to 14 seconds after an offensive rebound as all contributing to more possessions, which equals more offense.What shes most proud of from a cultural standpoint is that young female players now have so many women role models to follow.When you ask a player who she wants to be like, Brown said, its great to hear them say someone like Diana Taurasi or Lisa Leslie or Maya Moore. It warms my heart and is very meaningful to me.Brown is from Henderson, Nevada. She played at UNLV, then got into officiating, and then became a coach, starting at the junior high level. When she looks back on how her path led to the WNBA, she feels like it was serendipitous. She recalls getting involved in USA Basketball just by going to a practice in Colorado Springs run by current Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, and waiting to talk with her.Ive been fortunate that every step along the way has been a step of growth and opportunity, Brown said. So much of my career came from people recognizing my love of the game.That love has been a guiding force in the WNBA. As the league starts its next chapter, it needs someone with the same commitment to keep building on what Brown has done. ' ' '