The NHLPA says the Calgary Flames cannot mandate its players wear protective foot and ankle equipment commonly known as "shotblockers. wholesale nfl jerseys ." Flames general manager Jay Feaster instructed his players get fitted for the guards after Calgary captain Mark Giordano suffered a broken ankle and veteran forward Lee Stempniak broke his foot after being hit by pucks last month. Flames players have informed the Players Association they were strongly encouraged by Flames management to wear the shotblockers, but were told the equipment wasnt mandatory. However, Feaster says this is a mandatory team policy which may create a problem as such a policy could be viewed as a CBA violation. (CBA 30.3 Amendments -- The NHL and its Clubs shall not, during the term of this Agreement or any extension thereof, amend or modify the provisions (or portions thereof) of the League Rules or any of the Leagues Playing Rules in existence on the date of this Agreement that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player, without the prior written consent of the NHLPA which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The NHL shall furnish proposed amendments to and/or modifications of League Rules that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player upon the NHLPAs written request.) "No team can unilaterally make a piece of equipment mandatory," Mathieu Schneider, Special Assistant to NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr, told the Dreger Report. Equipment discussions and proposed changes are expected to funnel through the newly-formed equipment sub-committee before moving on to the joint competition committee and, ultimately, to the board for final approval. All Flames players are complying with managements policy and are currently wearing some form of additional foot protection. The NHLPA intends on reaching out to the NHL to discuss its concerns with Calgarys approach. While very sensitive to why the Flames are doing what they are doing, Schneider worries about "knee-jerk" reactions by NHL clubs and the potential for unintended consequence, such as another injury if teams are allowed to armor their players without going through the appropriate procedural steps. Schneider points toward the ongoing work being done between the league and PA on potential changes to shoulder pads as an example of how thorough the process of full-scale equipment changes has to be. Years ago, players opted for a much larger shoulder pad for added protection. Now, the focus is on developing a smaller and less damaging shoulder pad, in hindsight, correcting an issue that was created by good intentions and in the spirit of safety. cheap jerseys From China . - Tiger Woods only made it through 10 holes Thursday — this time because of the weather, not his back. wholesale jerseys . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Simon Dyson faces a disciplinary hearing over his disqualification for a rules violation last week at the BMW Masters. Dyson was marking his golf ball on the eighth green at Lake Malaren in the second round when he quickly used the ball to tamp down the green in direct line of his short par putt. It was a clear violation of Rule 16-1a, which says a player cannot touch the line of his putt. A television viewer noticed the infraction, and rules officials met with Dyson the next morning. He was tied for second, four shots out of the lead. Dyson was disqualified for not adding the two-shot penalty to his scorecard. Under tour policy, a player faces a disciplinary hearing if it is determined after further study that a serious breach may have occurred. The hearing is to be within three weeks before a panel of an independent lawyer, a sports administrator and either a former European Tour playeer or a European Senior Tour player. cheap nfl jerseys. If he is found guilty of a breach, punishment can range from a reprimand to a fine, a suspension or expulsion from the tour. In a statement released by his management company, Dyson said the violation was unintentional and he welcomed the hearing. "I would like to say at this stage that I have never deliberately broken the rules either on this occasion or in the past," Dyson said. "It was only after I was shown the replay of my action ... that I realized what I had done and that I was in breach. I immediately accepted that I should be disqualified." Dyson said it was "in no way a deliberate act." "It was simply an accidental mistake which I have no reservations in apologizing for, and particularly to my fellow professionals and the tour for any inconvenience and embarrassment unintentionally caused," he said. cheap jerseys ' ' '
