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The NCAA drops the puck today on their mens hockey tournament and there will be no shortage of Canadians on the ice as 16 teams try to make their first step to becoming National Champions. The tournament includes a total of 109 Canadian players. There are 35 players from Ontario, 35 from British Columbia, 18 from Alberta and seven each from Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Many of those players are trying to follow in the footsteps of several successful Canadian NHLers who went to college, including four members of the gold-medal-winning Sochi Olympic team: Jonathan Toews (North Dakota), Martin St. Louis (Vermont), Patrick Sharp (Vermont) and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State). "I think that if more Canadian families were exposed to what college can do — as parents for your kid socially, athletically and academically ... I think more people would be doing it," said University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery, a Montreal native who went to Maine and ended up playing 122 NHL games. Among the 945 players to see NHL action this season, 100 were Canadians who played at a U.S. college. Naturally, many went the more traditional road, through the QMJHL, OHL or WHL. But the NCAA is slowly becoming another acceptable way to get there. "Theres no wrong path," Phoenix Coyotes assistant general manager Brad Treliving said. "I think as a Canadian guy you grew up and youre around major junior hockey more, so ... youre closer to it than you are U.S. colleges, but, jeez, theres no wrong answer. Its an individual choice and theres benefits to both." Treliving said major junior hockey is the "quicker" path to the NHL because it has more of a pro-style schedule and grind. But others point to colleges 40-game season as a better chance for some players to develop. Theres more opportunity to lift weights and practice. "Theres the Sidney Crosbys and the Ovechkins and the Malkins of the world that could grow under a rock and are going to play in the NHL," Montgomery said. "Theres other perfect examples — elite players like the Paul Kariyas of the world. Those are the ones everyone knows but its like, did he really need to go to college? Well, Paul Kariya needed to go to college because he was 155 pounds and in 18 months of college he was 175 pounds ready to play against 30-year-old men that are 225 pounds. "It teaches you how to be a man quick." Perhaps some notoriety can come from watching this NCAA tournament. Boston College defenceman Michael Matheson (Pointe-Claire, Que.) is a first-round pick and top prospect for the Florida Panthers, while Quinnipiac has Connor and Kellen Jones (Montrose, B.C.) and Matthew Peca(Petawawa, Ont.). Wisconsin goaltender Joel Rumpel (Swift Current, Sask.) has been one of the best in the country this season and could soon follow in the footsteps of other recent Canadian college players like Matt Read, Ben Scrivens and Cory Conacher who have signed NHL contracts. Hamilton brothers Greg and Matt Carey recently signed deals with the Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, after playing at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Greg Carey came away satisfied with his direction, which was only possible because playing tier-2 junior hockey opened him up to the world of U.S. colleges. "You have friends, older friends on your team who have the ability to go and to head down to the States and play and it looks like a lot of fun," Carey said in a phone interview. "And then you get to go on your visits and you get exposed to this world that you really dont see as a Canadian kid growing up. We see a lot of the major junior with the Dub and the O and the Q and the NHL is right there, front and centre, so we dont really get the NCAA." Looking at the tournament from an NHL draft perspective, the top eligible player in the tournament, according to Craig Buttons rankings, is Boston Colleges starting goalie Thatcher Demko. Demko posted a .921 save percentage and 2.13 goals against average in 21 starts this season. NFL Jerseys Cheap .J. - Henrik Lundqvist has done more than set a couple of franchise records for the New York Rangers this week. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Fast Shipping . Venus Williams advanced to the ASB Classic final in Auckland on a walkover when fellow American Jamie Hampton withdrew from their semifinal Friday with a right hip injury. http://www.jerseyswholesalenfl.net/ .com) - The Atlanta Hawks have stepped up to every challenge during their 14-game winning streak and will face another daunting task Friday with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder in town. China NFL Jerseys . "Win basketball games," Collins said. He will get at least a few more chances. Collins played the final minutes of a winning home debut with the Brooklyn Nets, who cooled off the Chicago Bulls with a 96-80 victory Monday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic .C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. ATLANTA -- With their playoff hopes uncertain, Atlantas struggling batters picked a bad time to get no-hit by Cole Hamels and three Philadelphia relievers. "You feel like youve hit a good stride," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "And all of a sudden you go through a stretch where you score one run in 27 innings, and lucky enough to win one of those games." Hamels and the Phillies bullpen combined on the seasons fourth no-hitter, blanking the Atlanta Braves 7-0 Monday. Atlanta lost 4-0 two days earlier to Miami and beat the Marlins 1-0 Sunday. The Braves, who had won 11 of 15, began Monday 1 1/2 games back in the NL wild-card race. But nobody could solve Hamels and the Philadelphia bullpen. Jason Heyward drew two walks and stole three bases. Atlanta was otherwise punchless. "He walked a few guys on and he gave us an opportunity," Justin Upton said after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. "We should have executed in that situation, but we didnt and it just kind of steamrolled from there." It was all the more unusual in that Hamels left the game with his bid intact after six innings. He was fine with the decision, too, having already thrown 108 pitches at a hot afternoon at Turner Field. "Just understanding the situation, every time I went out there I was battling control issues," Hamels said. "I wasnt getting ahead of guys. Walking the leadoff hitter will put you in a lot of trouble, and it does. It builds up your pitch count." Hamels (8-6) struck out seven, matched a season high with five walks and hit a batter. Relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and closer Jonathan Papelbon each pitched a perfect inning to finish off the gem. A smiling Hamels watched from the bench as they finished off what he started. Clayton Kershaw and Josh Beckett of the Dodgers and Tim Lincecum of the Giants threw no-hitters earlier this year. Right fielder Marlon Byrd foiled the Braves best bid for a hit. With runners on second and third in the third inning, Byrd raced in and toward the line to make a diving catch on Chris Johnsons slicing liner to end the inning. Johnson came close again in the ninth with a grounder up the middle. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins ranged behind the bag to make the play. Phil Gosselin then lined out to first baseman Darin Ruf, who had taken over in the ninth for Ryan Howard, to end the game. Hamels singled and scored in the sixth inning, and got pats of congratulations in the dugout after pitching the bottom half.dddddddddddd He was on deck in the seventh, but a decision already seemed to be made when he was pulled for pinch-hitter Grady Sizemore. The 30-year-old Hamels already had impressive accomplishments on his resume -- in 2008, he was the MVP of the World Series and the NL championship series, and hes a three-time All-Star. Diekman struck out two and Giles fanned three before Papelbon took over. This was the 11th combined no-hitter in major league history. Kevin Millwood and five Seattle relievers teamed up to do it against the Dodgers in 2012. The first combined no-hitter came in 1917 when Babe Ruth walked the first Washington batter of the game and was ejected, and Boston Red Sox reliever Ernie Shore didnt allow another runner. Roy Halladay pitched the previous two Phillies no-hitters -- he threw a perfect game against the Marlins in 2010, then threw a no-hitter the same year in the playoffs against Cincinnati. It was 12th no-hitter in Phillies history. The last pitcher to no-hit the Braves was Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado in 2010. Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg knew Hamels was tired and ready to come out of the game. Their discussion was a quick one. "He was pretty well spent there," Sandberg said. The early innings had something to do with it. The stressful innings, stranding the runners at second and third a couple of times, but he wasnt going to go nine." Ben Revere tripled and drove in a career-high five runs. The leadoff man started the day with 15 RBIs this season. Julio Teheran (13-10) gave up five hits and five runs -- two earned -- with four walks in 6 2-3 innings. He left after Reveres bases-loaded triple made it 5-0 in the seventh. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons error set up the runs. Philadelphia has won Hamels last five starts against the Braves. He owns a 0.97 ERA and four victories in that span. "Past the third inning he started throwing the ball where he wanted to," Johnson said. "With that cutter and that sinker both in, you didnt know which way it was going to go, whether it was going to go in on your hands or back towards the plate." UP NEXT Phillies: RHP Kyle Kendrick (7-11) starts Tuesday vs. Atlanta. He has a 6.55 ERA over his last nine starts. ... Braves LHP Mike Minor (6-8) is winless with two losses and a 2.77 ERA in two starts against Philadelphia this year. ' ' '