Join us » She is an eight-time USA Boxing national champion

At this time last season, the talk throughout the hockey world was whether pending unrestricted free agent?Steven Stamkos would sign an extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning or test the market and sign elsewhere.The process lasted through the season and into the playoffs, and only two days before the official start of free agency, on July 1, did the Lightning captain finally agree to an eight-year deal worth $8.5 million annually. The 26-year-old forward could have earned more on the open market, but he wanted to stay and help the Lightning finally win a Stanley Cup under his watch.Not much has changed for Tampa Bay entering this season -- and thats a good thing for the Lightning, who finished second in the division last season with 97 points. Probably the only question this season is the future status of goaltender Ben Bishop, who has one year remaining on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.Best new facesAfter the saga that played out last season, lets consider Jonathan Drouin a new face for the franchise. The 21-year-old forward, a former first-round pick (third overall) in the 2013 draft, suffered through some bad decisions and growing pains the past two years. Early last season, he asked for a trade, but Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman never relented and instead sent Drouin to the AHL.After a tumultuous start in the minors, he finally cleaned up his act and was summoned back to Tampa at the end of the regular season. During the playoffs, Drouin was outstanding. He registered five goals and nine assists for 14 points in 17 games as the Lightning reached the Eastern Conference finals. Despite a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was a promising end to what seemed like a bad relationship that could be headed for a divorce. Drouin enters this season with more responsibility and should produce.Biggest unknownsEverything is pretty much status quo for the Lightning. There arent any surprises entering the season. The only matter on the docket is whether Bishop remains beyond this season. Yzerman inked backup goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, 22, to a three-year contract extension worth $3.5 million per season last July.After Bishop, 30, suffered a leg injury during the Eastern Conference finals, Vasilevskiy proved he could handle the challenge and played well for the Lightning. Depending how the goaltending duties are divided this season, its possible Bishop could be moved at the trade deadline. Yzerman and coach Jon Cooper realize, however, that to win the Stanley Cup, a team needs to rely on two quality goaltenders. It would take a massive trade offer to convince Yzerman to move Bishop at the deadline.Sure thingsNow that theres no contract pressure on Stamkos, whos healthy after dealing with a blood clot near his collarbone last March that forced him to miss every playoff game with the exception of Game 7 of the conference finals, he should be ready to have a productive season. He had 36 goals and 28 assists for 64 points in 77 games during the regular season and proved during the World Cup of Hockey that hes healthy after helping Team Canada to a championship.Defenseman Victor Hedman, 25, was a Norris Trophy candidate last season, and had the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in either of the past two postseasons, Hedman would have been considered for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. Along with defensive partner Anton Stralman, Hedman should have another strong season. Both played for Team Sweden during the World Cup of Hockey.If Cooper decides to keep The Triplets line of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat together again, expect plenty of offensive punch from that threesome.PredictionAfter losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Cup finals two seasons ago, and then missing out on a return trip to the finals by losing to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last spring, the Lightning are poised for another championship run. This could be the season for Tampa. First in the Atlantic. Stitched NBA Jerseys . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Authentic Nike NBA Jerseys . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. http://www.cheapjerseysnbacustom.com/ .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. NBA Jerseys Free Shipping . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Stitched NBA Jerseys .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. LAS VEGAS -- She became the first American woman boxer to win a gold medal in the London Olympics, then did it again a few months ago in Rio.Nice trinkets, but Claressa Shields has bigger things in mind. Way bigger.A one-in-a-century fighter, Shields said.The brash middleweight from Flint, Michigan, makes her pro debut Saturday night on the undercard of the Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev light heavyweight title clash. Shell do it without headgear but with the same two-minute rounds as in the amateurs.And she will do it against a familiar opponent in Baltimore boxer Franchon Crews, a top amateur she beat on her way to earning a spot on the 2012 Olympic team.Very seldom do you see someone making their pro debut with this level of fight, said Mark Taffet, who is Shields co-manager. The idea is to use the first year and make it impactful in a way that hasnt been done for a female fighter.Theres no shortage of big plans for Shields, and seemingly no lack of confidence that the 21-year-old can succeed where other women boxers havent. But theres also no guarantee Shields can be a breakout fighter who can bring the kind of interest to the fractured world of womens boxing that Ronda Rousey has to the UFC.It may be a longshot, but thats not stopping Shields from envisioning womens boxing having a different future. She believes she can someday headline pay-per-view cards of her own like Ward-Kovalev at the glittering new T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.I consider myself a pay-per-view attraction now, Shields said. The more you see me box, the more youll like me. I want to fight 12 rounds. If a girl could withstand me for 12 rounds, that would be a good fight.Shields will make her debut in a four-rounder that wont be on the pay-per-view portion of the card. Taffett said her bout, expected to take place with few people in the arena, will be streamed online and put on specialty channels in an effort to get people to buy the Kovalev-Ward card.ddddddddddddCrews also will make her pro debut in the fight. She is an eight-time USA Boxing national champion and a silver medalist at the 2012 world championships.Shields, whose story of rising out of poverty with her fists was the subject of a documentary film after her first gold medal win, said she wants to fight 10 times in the next year to build her resume and get more people interested in her.I believe 150 percent in my boxing ability, she said. I know Im a great fighter. I fight better than 90 percent of the men who box now. I just know that, and Im not at my best yet.Shields was miffed after winning her gold medal in London that she didnt receive the kind of endorsements and attention given gymnast Gabby Douglas. Things were a bit better in Rio, where she became the first American boxer to defend an Olympic title and won the Val Barker Trophy as the tournaments top overall fighter.Instead of continuing to draw a $5,000 monthly stipend from USA Boxing to go for a third gold in Tokyo four years from now, though, she decided to turn pro. Despite womens boxing receiving little attention in recent years and her bout not on pay-per-view, Shields isnt deterred.Taffet, who used to be head of pay-per-view for HBO, said he signed on to help manage her because he is a big believer.Shes going to make her mark not just on womens boxing, but all of boxing like the way weve seen recently in MMA, he said. Its a new world, and theres a new sheriff in town. ' ' '