The Forest City is a completely new place to El Cajon, Calif., native and the 23-year-old Texas Rangers draft pick likes what he sees so far.

“This place is beautiful. The downtown, the ballpark — it’s my kind of city,” Thomas said Wednesday afternoon at the Frontier League team’s first official media appearance. “Spring training feels like it’s taking forever. We’re excited to get things going.”

Historic Labatt Memorial Park will be Thomas and co.’s stomping grounds in their debut campaign.

From the May 25 home opener to Aug. 30’s regular-season home finale, the 24-man roster — fit with 14 players who have experience with MLB-affiliated teams — will play 48 regular-season home games. Tack on another 48 road contests and that’s a lot of baseball, especially for players in their early-to-mid-20s who have limited experience with such a demanding schedule.

Baseball is like a pie — Clifton Thomas

Assistant coach Mike Lumley, a longtime stalwart in the local baseball community, believes the jam-packed 2012 season will allow the clubhouse atmosphere — which he notes is a “brotherhood” already — to blossom.

“I think that’s part of having me around,” the former Detroit Tigers prospect said. “(As a player), I took a positive slight on bus trips. There’s a lot of fun to be had and team chemistry can be built (on those road trips).”

As the club wraps up training camp this week, the coaching staff is starting to focus on what’s going on inside their players’ heads instead of how fast they can throw a fastball or how quick they can run the bases.

“It’s more the mental side of the game that needs to be adjusted, rather than mechanical,” Lumley said, adding there won’t be any surprises in terms of raw skill at this point in their pre-season tune-up.

For Thomas, a 5-foot-7 outfielder who possesses elite fielding abilities, enjoying the game is relatively simple, as long as you’re winning.

“Baseball is like a pie,” he said in between smirks. “You have to pitch, hit and field. If we can put all of those pieces together, I think we’ll be a really good team.”

Rippers to-do list nearly complete:
Players to be cut: 1 (25 to 24)
Starting pitchers: Opening day (TBA), home opener (Jamie Richmond)
Clubhouse remodeling: “almost there”

The Mooseheads, who sent their 16-man protected list for the Sherbrooke Phoenix expansion draft into the QMJHL on Wednesday, don’t want to reveal any of the names for fear disenchanting exposed players.

“We’re not going to make that public,” said Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell. “For us, there’s no benefit to telling someone he’s not protected. It’s just going to put a bad taste in their mouths and it’s tough for them to understand.”

A QMJHL spokesman confirmed the league also won’t release the lists.

Sherbrooke general manager Patrick Charbonneau will make his picks on June 6 and can select a maximum of two players from each team but no more than one goaltender. He can also outright pass on selecting from a team.

He can take as many over-agers as he wants, but he can’t keep more five by the time the season starts.

The Mooseheads’ toughest decisions likely surrounded over-agers Brad Cuzner, Sawyer Hannay and Steve Gillard and prospects Brian Lovell and Alexandre Sills. It’s probable only two from that group could be protected and there are plenty of reasons to believe Gillard and Lovell had the edge.

Gillard was named Halifax’s top defenceman in 2010-11 and played a huge role in the Mooseheads’ playoff success after returning from a concussion in late March. Lovell, coming off a good year at the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ont., will be 17 next season and has been compared to Mooseheads alumnus Jimmy Sharrow.

Protecting Hannay would have been risky because he’s a Vancouver Canucks draft choice and could play professionally next season if he’s signed to an NHL contract.

Russell said he’ll have private conversations with players he expects the Phoenix will select.

Russell has not only been busy preparing his protected list, he’s also been talking trade with other general managers in advance of the QMJHL trade period starting Friday, June 8.

The Mooseheads are expected to contend next season and Russell wants to have the best personnel possible in place to win the franchise’s first QMJHL championship. He’s eager to make moves now and isn’t keen on waiting until mid-season to upgrade his roster.

“We’ve been active with a number of teams and a number of different possible trades and player movement,” Russell said. “I think it’s important to move early as opposed to later. The costs are a lot less if you negotiate with them now as opposed to at Christmas.”

Lawrie, who was also fined an undisclosed amount “for his aggressive actions,” was ejected during a game Tuesday night.

He was tossed after arguing strike calls then bouncing his helmet off the turf into home plate umpire Bill Miller in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

The Langley, B.C., native will appeal the suspension.

That means he is available to play tonight with the Jays opening a two-game series against the New York Yankees.

“I feel I have the right to explain my side of the story about what happened last night,” Lawrie, who said he expected a suspension, told reporters.

He said his defence “in a nutshell is just I didn’t mean to hit him.”

Lawrie also said he hoped to apologize to Miller.

Toronto manager John Farrell was also ejected during the confrontation and expects to be fined.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos said the team supported Lawrie’s opportunity to explain himself.

He also said he wanted to hear the rationale for the suspension being four games.

“And look, if someone explains that four is the right amount, Brett will be the first one to say it’s the right amount.”

Any luck yet? No? Thought so.

This is a unique final — only the second in NLL history involving teams that were both sub-.500 during the regular season.

Adding intrigue will be the arrival of Shawn Williams and Aaron Bold in Rochester for the first time since their trade to Edmonton last October.

Williams, from Oshawa, Ont., played for Rochester for 10 years and was Knighthawks captain last season, while Victoria-born Bold was the understudy to goaltender Matt Vinc of St. Catharines, Ont.

The two finalists are peaking at the right time. Rochester eliminated Philadelphia before knocking off the defending champion Rock 17-13 in the East final in Toronto. Edmonton meanwhile upset No. 1 overall Calgary before winning the West with a 15-3 road trouncing of Minnesota last weekend.

Rochester won pro titles in 1997 and in 2007. Mike Accursi of Pelham, Ont., is the only remaining Knighthawks player from the ’07 lineup. Edmonton has never won the title.

The Rush started off 2-7 this year but have gone 6-3 since signing St. Catharines-born Steve Toll to get to the final. Williams, who was Accursi’s teammate on that ’07 title team, said it took time for his new team’s forwards to gell.

“It has had a lot to do with chemistry,” said Williams. “Our defence and goaltending had some chemistry going but it took us a while to score some goals because everyone was just getting used to one another but, even at 2-7, we believed we were a good team and could get to where we wanted to be.

“We took it one game at a time, like the old saying goes, and now we’re here.”

He’s predicting a nailbiter Saturday night.

“Both defences are very good, very athletic,” said Williams. “Both goaltenders are outstanding and both offences are clicking.

“I think it’ll be one of those games where last goal wins. Whoever sticks to their game plan the longest should win it.”

The teams did not meet during the regular season. They haven’t squared off since Feb. 26, 2011, when Rochester won 13-9 at home, and each team has been drastically altered since that night with eight Rochester and 11 Edmonton players are gone.

Rochester forward Cory Vitarelli has never played a game against Edmonton but has enough knowledge about some of the Rush players to know the Knighthawks will have their hands full.

“They’re obviously playing some good lacrosse right now,” said Vitarelli, who led the ‘Hawks with four goals against the Rock. “We know they have an excellent goalie in Aaron and that their defence is good. On offence, they’ve got some young guys and others with experience, so it’s a nice mix.”

Rochester started out 1-4 this year and was 5-9 before putting everything together to finish 7-9 and peak for the playoffs.

“We always felt that we could make the playoffs and, if we did, we could get hot and do something,” said Vitarelli, who is from Peterborough, Ont.

Vitarelli and Cody Jamieson of the Six Nations community in southern Ontario are Rochester’s big offensive guns, while Zack Greer of Oshawa is Edmonton’s most dynamic forward and a four-goal binge by Victoria native Ryan Ward keyed the West final win.

Rochester captain Pat McCready, who is a St. Catharines police officer, was NLL defensive player of the year in 2011, and second-year Edmonton bruiser Kyle Rubisch of Brampton, Ont., won the same award this year.

Both head coaches are on individual rolls.

Rochester’s Mike Hasen of Brampton was 2011 NLL coach of the year and steered the Brampton Excelsiors to the Canadian major title last September. Edmonton’s Derek Keenan of Oshawa was an assistant coach on Canada’s world championship team last May and coached the Whitby Warriors to the Canadian junior title last summer. Now they’ve got their NLL teams in the Champion’s Cup game.

“We’ve played well defensively all year, we’ve had solid goaltending, and the offence started to come around late in the season,” said Keenan. “We’ve put the whole package together at the right time.”

If anything worries Keenan, it’s Rochester’s diverse offence.

“Real deep in scoring is the way I see them,” he said. “They’ve got seven or eight guys who can put the ball in the net. They’re the whole package. They’re a complete team top to bottom.”

Knighthawks coach Mike Hasen said he’s tried to get his players to simplify things and not try to do too much. Know your role and concentrate on that, he preaches. He’s well aware that Edmonton comes in hot.

“Their record does them no justice by any means,” he said. “Their goaltender has been dynamite for them all year, their defence is young and quick and in your face and they’ve got six or seven guys who, when the ball is in their stick, are threats all the time.”

Blue Cross Arena holds about 11,000 and is the oldest venue in the nine-team league. Home floor shouldn’t give Rochester an edge because visiting teams have done amazingly well all year in the NLL.

“We’re going to prepare like it’s any other game for us and go out there and do our best,” said Hasen.

As Canada moved into crunch time at the IIHF World Hockey Championship on Wednesday, it did so amid a calm, easy-going atmosphere at Hartwall Arena. The players were put through a light skate in preparation for Thursday’s quarter-final against Slovakia but admitted afterwards that the heat had been turned up ahead of a must-win game.

“You want to make your country proud,” said goaltender Cam Ward. “You feel like Canada’s going to be watching and you don’t want to let them down. There’s a lot of pressure to perform, but that pressure should bring the best out of you.”

That theory will certainly be put to the test in this one.

The Slovaks find themselves completely unburdened, having already accomplished their stated goal of earning direct entry to the 2014 Olympics by virtue of getting to the playoff round. Anything else they accomplish from here would simply be a bonus.

“It’s a nice feeling,” said captain Zdeno Chara. “(Qualifying for the Olympics) is something that it’s very important for Slovakia, for the people back home and obviously for the sport itself. We are not done yet.

“It’s basically one game, anything can happen.”

Canada enters as the favourite, but has plenty of reason to be wary of its opponent. The Slovaks were stingy in a matchup between the teams to open the tournament — Canada squeaked out a 3-2 victory — and they went on to win five straight games to complete the round robin.

The stakes are also undeniably greater for a group of Canadian players that is looking to make amends for quarter-final losses at this tournament the last two years. They simply have more to lose.

Slovakia seems more than happy to embrace the role of spoiler, with forward Tomas Tatar even suggesting that Canada “will be a little afraid” of his team.

“I think we can win that game,” said Tatar. “It’s going to be hard but every team here is beatable.”

Canada will be short one of its top four defencemen after the IIHF decided to slap Marc Methot with a one-game suspension for his hit on Belarus forward Yevgeni Kovyrshin late in Tuesday’s game. His spot will be taken by 18-year-old prospect Ryan Murray, who keeps finding his way back into the lineup.

Otherwise, there seemed to be an enthusiastic mood among a group that won six of seven round-robin games and has scored more goals than anyone else in the tournament.

“There’s a lot at stake now — you win or go home,” said forward Patrick Sharp. “We’re focused, we’re excited about playing and we can’t wait to get going.”

General manager Kevin Lowe and coach Brent Sutter are both encouraged by the growth they’ve seen in the team over the last couple weeks. It is the youngest group ever sent to this event by Canada, but boasts impressive depth.

The top three scoring lines have all taken turns having dominant offensive games while a defence anchored by Duncan Keith and Jay Bouwmeester seems to have adapted to the larger international ice surface. In goal, there is Ward, now a veteran at age 28 and the man who helped Canada win its last world championship gold in 2007.

No wonder the message from Sutter was so simple: Just play.

“It’s a challenge for us and we look forward to it,” said Sutter. “It’s not about being uptight or any of that. Let’s just go play and play like we’ve been playing.

“We’ve played some pretty good hockey here.”

So have the Slovaks. And under trying circumstances, no less.

The country has struggled mightily on the international scene in recent years — save for a surprise fourth-place finish at the Vancouver Olympics — and arrived here eager to help restore its image as a top hockey nation. It was enough to lure Chara and fellow veteran Miroslav Satan to Helsinki, where they’ve taken a group of youngsters under their wing.

“It’s been nerve-wracking,” said Chara. “A lot of guys have never been in this position before, where you have basically everything on the line. … But that’s something they will get stronger and they will use this in the future as experience.

“Personally I enjoy it. I love playing games like this. It’s absolutely the best, that’s what you play hockey for, that’s what you are dreaming about.”

In many ways, the quarter-final round of the world championship is the toughest of all. The losers go straight home while the winners are assured of at least having a chance to play for a medal. Essentially, it’s the difference between a good tournament or bad tournament.

With a number of players on this Canadian team eyeing a spot on the 2014 Olympic squad, this kind of experience could be invaluable. Pressure is an unavoidable part of hockey on the world stage.

“It comes with the territory,” said Lowe. “And it’s all about how you respond to it.”

Kenny Dalglish’s lacklustre second stint in charge of the fallen English giants was halted by the club’s American owners after less than 500 days in charge on Wednesday.

Displaying their ruthless streak, the owners terminated the club great’s contract after realizing he was unlikely to be able to bring the good times back to Liverpool by replicating his trophy-laden first spell.

Dalglish produced the last of Liverpool’s 18 English league titles before quitting a year later, in 1991. His expensively overhauled 2012 squad ended the season in eighth place, underperforming on the field and damaging the club’s reputation following a racism scandal involving striker Luis Suarez.

Winning the League Cup to end Liverpool’s six-year trophy drought and reaching the FA Cup final wasn’t enough to convince the Fenway Sports Group that the club was on the right path under Dalglish.

“Results in the Premier League have been disappointing, and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made we need to make a change,” chairman Tom Werner said. “We are committed to delivering success for our supporters and our ambition remains resolute to return this great club to the elite of England and Europe, where it belongs.”

Liverpool came within four points of winning the league in 2009 under Rafa Benitez, who delivered a fifth European Cup title to the club in 2005 and also led the team to the 2007 Champions League final.

Dalglish won eight league titles as a player and coach from 1977-90. He returned to Anfield shortly after the Fenway takeover to replace Roy Hodgson in January 2011 with the club hovering above the relegation zone.

After lifting Liverpool from its perilous position to sixth place, Dalglish was given a three-year contract at the end of the 2010-11 season.

“Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him,” Werner said. “He didn’t ask to be manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year and a half.”

There were moments of controversy, though.

Dalglish was widely condemned for initially backing Suarez, who served an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United left back Patrice Evra. Dalglish and his players wore T-shirts featuring the Uruguayan’s picture in a show of solidarity that angered anti-racism groups.

Dalglish is the latest senior figure to leave Anfield during the Fenway overhaul, following the exit of director of football Damien Comolli, head of sports medicine Peter Brukner and communications chief Ian Cotton in the past month.

Despite about $200 million being spent on players during Dalglish’s reign, the Reds ended the season with their lowest-ever Premier League points tally on Sunday.

Liverpool finished behind crosstown rival Everton for the first time since 2005 and only the second time since 1987.

“Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honourable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved,” Dalglish said.

“I said when first approached about coming back as manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time, and that offer remains the same,” the 61-year-old Scot added.

Henry insisted that Dalglish “will always be a part of the family at Anfield.”

“Kenny will always be more than a championship-winning manager, more than a championship-winning star player,” Henry said. “He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool.”

Liverpool has three months until the new season begins to replace Dalglish, and 38-year-old Spanish manager Roberto Martinez has emerged as a strong contender after impressing with limited resources at Wigan.

“Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months,” Henry said.

The 20-year-old Buffalo Sabres draft pick expects his junior career is pretty much done.

“Chances are it will be the last year,” he said as the team prepared to head to Shawinigan, Que., for the four-team tournament.

“I’ll probably end up in the American Hockey League next year, so to finish off with the WHL championship and maybe a Memorial Cup coming up, that’s definitely pretty special.”

He says it’s also pretty special to be part of a Western Hockey League franchise that has come so far so fast.

The Oil Kings name is an old one in Edmonton but this edition dates back only to 2007 and Pysyk has been there for all but that first year.

“We’re very proud of the kids,” said coach Derek Laxdal.

“To bring back the Oil Kings name from the ’60s and ’70s and start it all up again and to be going to the Memorial Cup and having the league championship is outstanding.”

Taking it to the top is the challenge now and getting past the experienced and talent-laden Saint John Sea Dogs is a big hurdle, for Edmonton as well as the London Knights and Shawinigan Cataractes.

“The Sea Dogs are obviously the favourite going in because they won it last year and they have a lot of returning players,” agrees Laxdal.

“If you look at Edmonton and London, they’re like the Sea Dogs last year, they’re going in with a young team a year ahead of where they’re supposed to be.”

And while Shawinigan was knocked out in the playoffs and is there as host team, he knows they will be trying to use that home-ice advantage.

Unlike the league playoffs won by London, Edmonton and Saint John, this format doesn’t allow much time to adjust to the opposition.

“We’ve never played against any of these teams,” said Pysyk.

“It’s a little bit like a bunch of game sevens. Every game is huge and win or lose really dictates where you’re going to end up in the end.”

The Oil Kings will be going in with the same defence-first philosophy that carried them to the top of the WHL.

“My philosophy and that of my staff is defence first, but not to the point of where we’re going to try and trap it up and play a boring style of hockey,” says Laxdal.

“We allow the kids to have some creativity but there’s rules in place.”

Besides Pysyk, the Oil Kings defence is anchored by players such as six-five Edmonton Oilers prospect Martin Gernat and six-four draft eligible Griffin Reinhart, the son of former Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks defenceman Paul Reinhart.

All have considerable two-way skills. Gernat had seven goals and six assists during the playoffs. Pysyk had three goals and eight assists and Reinhart two and six.

Backstopping that defence is the best goaltender in the WHL, Calgary Flames draft pick Laurent Brossoit.

“We’ve had the best goaltender in the regular season and the playoffs,” says the Laxdal.

“He’s a beast. He’s a six-foot-four kid who’s an absolute animal. He’s got great athleticism and he’s very poised.”

Edmonton isn’t without offensive bite.

Centre and Rangers’ draft pick Michael St. Croix (another hockey brat as the son of former NHL goaltender Rick St. Croix) had 105 points during the regular season and sat eighth in WHL scoring.

With WHL sophomore Curtis Lazar, St. Croix tied at 19 points to lead Edmonton during the playoffs. They’re also no slouches defensively, sitting at plus-9 and plus-8 respectively.

“Even our goal-scoring lines are very good in the defensive zone and very responsible,” says Pysyk.

“We work hard and take pride in that.”

Edmonton opens against Shawinigan.

The 25-year-old Marlies goaltender has been solid for Toronto through the first two rounds, compiling a record of 7-1 with a league leading goals-against average of 1.61 and a .944 save percentage.

The Barons, who are the Edmonton Oilers’ minor league affiliate, will be countering with 30-year-old Yann Danis. The AHL’s goalie of the year, Danis has led his Barons to the West final with a 7-2 record in the post-season.

“In the first two series Scrivens was the best goalie, we knew we had the best goalie,” said Marlies’ head coach Dallas Eakins. “(But) now, we’re facing a guy down at the other end who’s had great success. This is going to be a big challenge for Ben. I think you can say it’s a coin toss. Both goalies have had excellent years and I think the goalie that wins this battle wins the series.”

Scrivens’ post-season play was at its best in a second-round elimination of the Abbotsford Heat, when he allowed only five goals against in four straight victories. But he doesn’t want to take all the credit for stopping 147-of-154 shots in the five-game set.

“It’s just that my job is to stop the pucks, so that can put you in the focal point instead of the guys in front of me blocking shots and clearing lanes,” said the Spruce Grove, Alta, native. “I just want to give the guys a chance to play.”

The best-of-seven series starts on Thursday when Oklahoma City hosts Game 1 at the Cox Convention Centre.

Toronto (44-24-8) faced the Barons (45-22-9) twice in the regular season and each team came away with a home-ice victory. Scrivens didn’t suit up in either as he was with the parent-club Toronto Maple Leafs at the time.

Despite being the top seed in the West, the Barons had to wait until their second last game of the season to clinch the title as the Marlies pushed for first place, finishing just three points behind.

This is the first series Toronto will not have home-ice advantage, but the Marlies are currently 4-0 on the road in the playoffs and knew if they were to make it this far they would have to win away from the Ricoh Coliseum.

“I think home ice is not only a real comfort level, it gives me the ability for last change and I think the crowd can affect the game,” said Eakins. “But it’s something we didn’t earn and we’ll have to deal with it.”

Toronto flew to Oklahoma City on Tuesday after one final practice at home. With a few players on the limp, they took along some extra bodies along.

Forward Carter Ashton hasn’t been cleared from a concussion he received in Game 2 of the opening round against the Rochester Americans, while forwards Joe Colborne and Jay Rosehill suffered injuries that caused them to miss time against the Heat.

Eakins is uncertain if any of them will be ready for the opening game, but isn’t too concerned.

“We’ll just have to see how it goes day to day,” he said. “We have guys still banged up and we’re able to dip into our depth and move on without missing a beat.”

Through the first two rounds Toronto has had offensive production from three different lines, but the combo of Jerry D’Amigo, Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin sit one-two-three in team scoring and will have to continue being a threat to the opposition.

“Fratty and Jerry are two great hockey players,” Kadri said about his line mates. “As a line we almost know where each other’s going to be before the puck gets there. All of us are skilled, we can skate and there’s some grit out there too.”

The Marlies will also look to continue their dominance on the penalty kill. They killed all 24 short-handed chances against Abbotsford and 33 straight dating back to Game 1 against the Americans. They have only given up one power-play goal in the post-season despite being the second most penalized team in the west.

“We don’t look at streaks but, overall, to get this far we had to play well and good on our guys for buying in,” said Eakins about his team’s success killing penalties. “(But) I hope we can take less penalties. We want to create offence and you can’t do that by taking penalties.”

Neither Toronto or Oklahoma City have ever made it to the Calder Cup final. The winner will take on either the St. John’s IceCaps or the Norfolk Admirals, who are duelling it out in the East final, for the Calder Cup.

Aside from being the defending champions, they’re coming off a four-game sweep of the Rimouski Oceanic in the President’s Cup final. The Sea Dogs put an exclamation mark on their second straight Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title, blanking the Oceanic 8-0 in Game 4 in Rimouski.

“That was the best I’ve seen us play this year,” Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant said. “I’m really happy with the way we’ve played lately and that’s a good sign going into the Memorial Cup, where you know you’re going to face really good competition.”

The Sea Dogs open the Memorial Cup on Saturday against the Ontario Hockey League champion London Knights.

They’ll look to the line of Zack Phillips, Stanislav Galiev and Tomas Jurco for offence. The trio combined for 12 points in the President’s Cup clincher. Galiev scored a hat trick and added two assists, dedicating his effort to friends who died in the September plane crash of the Russian team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

The Sea Dogs survived an early test in the President’s Cup final, winning the first two without captain Jonathan Huberdeau. The Florida Panthers prospect and last year’s third overall pick had to serve a two-game suspension for an illegal hit in the semifinals.

The Sea Dogs needed double-overtime to win Game 1, but overage netminder Mathieu Corbeil was clutch throughout the series and finished with a team-record 16 wins. Charlie Coyle, who joined the Sea Dogs in mid-season after leaving Boston University, won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP.

“There could have been plenty more MVPs on this team,” said Coyle, who notched 34 points in the playoffs. “It could have gone another way.”

No doubt. Coyle is just one weapon that fuels Saint John’s high-octane offence.

Galiev also finished with 34 points, while Phillips had 32 and Jurco 29. Huberdeau and Danick Gauthier each added 21.

The defence corps includes returnees Nathan Beaulieu, Kevin Gagne, Pierre Durepos and Jason Seed. Charles-Olivier Roussel and Ian Saab were acquired to help offset the losses of Simon Despres and Eric Gelinas. Despres played for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season and Gelinas suited up for the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League.

“We lost two big guys, but I think with our experience and the other guys who’ve stepped in, we’ve done a good job,” Gagne said. “We might not be as big as we were before, but all of us can skate and play the game.”

The novelty of winning the President’s Cup still hasn’t worn off for Roussel, who spent the first three years of his career with Shawinigan.

“I’ve never been this excited,” he said. “It’s hard to fall asleep at night. It’s going to be so much fun just to finish my (junior) career where it began. I don’t think I could have asked for a better scenario. It’s Hollywood, right there.”

Laurie Fine held a news conference Wednesday and threatened to file a libel lawsuit in federal court against the cable network and two employees. ESPN in November broke the story of two former Syracuse ball boys, Robert Davis and Michael Lang, who claimed they were molested by Bernie Fine decades ago.

“I’m here today as a wife and a mother who has had to endure the trauma of being smeared in the public as a monster,” she said, reading quickly from a statement. “My life has been destroyed.”

Laurie Fine’s lawyer, Lawrence Fisher of Pittsburgh, repeatedly declined to answer specific questions and said he was discussing the complaint with Bristol, Conn.-based ESPN. He has not yet filed a lawsuit.

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said the complaint is without merit and the network stands by its reporting.

Bernie Fine has denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged. Federal investigators opened an investigation into him following the allegations of a third man, 23-year-old Zach Tomaselli of Lewiston, Maine, who has since said he lied. The local prosecutor has called Davis and Lang credible but said the alleged crimes occurred too long ago to pursue.

Laurie Fine, with her two daughters at her side, said her husband called to wish her luck Wednesday. She would not address whether they are still together.

“Bernie does support this lawsuit, and he’s behind me 100 per cent,” Laurie Fine said.

Laurie Fine said she was the victim of “treacherous lies” and said the attention has forced her to live in seclusion for the past six months and give up charity work she enjoyed.

“They should apologize and retract these horrible lies reported about me,” she said.

Fine said the network was motivated by the unfolding child sex-abuse scandal at Penn State University.

“Although these defendants have known me to be a decent and honourable woman, they have maliciously attacked me in order to attack my husband and to boost television ratings in the wake of the Penn State scandal,” she said.

The accusations from Davis and Lang, quickly picked up by other national media, roiled the Syracuse team’s then-perfect season and brought criticism to Hall of Fame head coach Jim Boeheim. Boeheim initially called Davis a liar out to capitalize on the Penn State scandal, but soon softened his stance.

Davis initially approached ESPN in 2003, but the network did not report the story then.

Fisher called the district attorney’s comments on Davis’ and Lang’s credibility “irrelevant, immaterial, unsubstantiated and foolish.”

Davis’ lawyer, Gloria Allred, said if Laurie Fine does sue ESPN, she anticipates Davis will be called to testify. Last week, a Syracuse-area judge dismissed defamation suit by Davis and Lang against Boeheim and the university. Allred said she will appeal.

“It would be ironic if Ms. Fine is allowed to pursue her lawsuit claiming she was defamed when Bobby Davis was not permitted to pursue his defamation case,” she said in an email statement.

Fisher said the media coverage has made it “impossible” for Laurie Fine to go out in public in her hometown, so they held the news conference in Geneva, a Finger Lakes resort town 45 miles west of Syracuse. The family has also put their suburban Syracuse home on the market.

“She can’t even go to Wegmans,” said Fisher, referring to a local supermarket chain.

Fisher said ESPN should apologize, retract the stories and “be punished for wilful, wanton, reckless disregard for the reputation and the truth of Laurie Fine.” He called it “a textbook example of defamation in the world of journalism.”