Forennews » and talks to Lars after each one. The post-Game 7 conve

The last six months have been a whirlwind for Kevin Dineen. In October he was coaching the NHLs Florida Panthers. But after being fired in November, he was named the Canadian womens team coach and guided the squad to a stirring fourth straight Olympic title in Sochi, Russia. Dineen is now with a third team, preparing the Canadian under-18 mens squad to defend its world title in Finland. "Its been (a whirlwind) but you know what, its a hockey life," Dineen said. "You have tough times with the lows, you get fired and its an emotional deal. "As I told the women before the gold medal game, I knew the day I was hired I had to be on my toes and it was kind of like someone lit a match under my fanny. I just really enjoyed that whole process. You never know how those things are going to end. "Just like this one, you dont know. Weve got to have some luck and have some things work in our favour but its not always about the ending. Its about the ride youre on, it really is." The 50-year-old Quebec City native will have plenty of international experience at his disposal when Canada begins its title defence Thursday against Sweden in Imatra, Finland. Thirteen players on the roster participated in last years under-17 World Hockey Challenge in Quebec while eight skated in this years under-17 event in Cape Breton, N.S. And nine players helped Canada win gold at the Ivan Hlinka tournament last summer. However, Dineens biggest challenge is quickly moulding his players into a tightly knit team. "Yes there are challenges like having to gel and find some chemistry in a timely manner," he said. "A lot of the European teams have been together for a while and the Americans are centralized all year so those teams have an advantage. "But thats what makes it fun putting this team together. These boys are really excited to represent Canada and that works in our favour. Theyre sharp kids." And big, with 14 players being six feet or taller. But its still a team, Dineen says, that can excel on the larger international ice surface. "Even though I talk about our size, that does not in any way take away from our skill," Dineen said. "I think were a team that has some skill and I believe we can compete with any team. "That makes it enjoyable to have those guys who can play the game anyway we need to play to have success." Dineen is familiar with international hockey. He played for Canada six times, claiming world championship silver medals in 85 and 89 and winning the 87 Canada Cup. The 19-year NHL veteran also wore the Maple Leaf at the 84 Winter Games. In December, he joined a national womens program stinging from coach Dan Churchs sudden resignation and having lost four straight pre-Olympic tuneups to the archrival United States. In Russia, Canada beat the Americans twice, including a thrilling 3-2 overtime decision in the gold medal game after trailing 2-0 late in regulation. "If you were going to ride a roller-coaster and go the top, I couldnt have done better than that," Dineen said. "I had a pretty good buzz for about three weeks after Sochi, just enjoying it and the enjoyment people got out of that tournament. "Thats a special moment for Canada and you can compound that a lot for me and the players as well." Since Sochi, Dineen has been overwhelmed by people anxious to share their Olympic experience. That includes former NHL goalie Fred Brathwaite, now an assistant coach on the under-18 squad. "He was telling me he was on Highway 401 driving to a game and couldnt watch but found it on the radio," Dineen said. "After we scored in overtime, there was like 50 people around him all honking their horns. "A fireman from Hamilton told me how they were so mad they had to leave on a call during the game and when they returned there was skiing on TV. They thought theyd missed it but it was just the holdover until overtime. The next thing you know, the whole firehouse was watching and went bonkers. "When you hear those stories -- and Ive heard literally hundreds and will never tire of anybodys story -- its pretty special. Im not afraid to share those experiences with these boys." Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Point, a late cut from last years team, said Dineen has quickly made an impression on his young players. "Hes an awesome guy," said the 18-year-old Calgary native. " Hes got real good systems and hes really good with the players. "Everyone respects him a ton and its real easy to learn from him." Kingston Frontenacs defenceman Roland McKeown, a returnee from last years squad, said Dineens message is a simple one. "Hes preaching the Canadian way," McKeown said. "At the Olympics you saw how dominant the mens and womens teams were and that was doing it the Canadian way with hard work, that two-way game and everyone buying into a role. "Thats what were going to do." The six-foot-one 195-pound McKeown, an 18-year-old native of Listowel, Ont., hopes last years experience helps him become a key contributor this time. "Last year proved every guy has to take a role and buy in to win a championship," he said. "I gained a lot of experience from the guys who were here last year and want to use that to take a leadership role with this team." Dineen has taken an unplanned detour to land behind the under-18 teams bench, but hes a better coach because of it. "I coached six years in the American Hockey League and always took pride in being able to work with either veterans or young players but these guys are all young," Dineen said. "That really makes it enjoyable because theyre a good bunch. "To me, thats one of the advantages, just coming here and working with these players. Youre getting better every day and thats a good thing for me." Paul George Clippers Jersey . Cornet won six straight games to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take the first set. The 25th-ranked Frenchwoman broke back twice in the second set before Bacsinszky saved a match point at 5-4. Paul George Jersey . According to USA Today the Finns have tapped forwards Jarkko Immonen and Sakari Salminen to replace injured forwards Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula at the Sochi Games. https://www.clipperslockerroom.com/Patrick-Beverley-City-Edition-Jersey/ .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. Johnathan Motley Clippers Jersey . -- Another baseball tradition is about to largely disappear: a manager, with a crazed look in his eyes, charging the field and getting into a face-to-face shouting match with an umpire. JaMychal Green Clippers Jersey . "I love the game, its the best job you can have," he explained Tuesday as the players left Joe Louis Arena for the summer. "Ill sit down with my wife and well go from there.MINSK, Belarus - Olaf Eller watched from afar on his computer as his son Lars and the Montreal Canadiens lost Game 5 to the Boston Bruins, and he didnt believe the series would end well. That changed after talking to his 25-year-old son that night. "He is always very honest," Olaf Eller said Thursday at the world hockey championship. "So I was a little bit surprised when I got the strong feeling from him that they would win that series. After Game 5, he was very clear and very sharp: Were gonna win that thing. That was not the opinion I had after Game 5. "After Game 5, I didnt think they would win. But he said, We are all very sure that were gonna run them out." Run them out, the Habs did 4-0 in Game 6 before finishing off the Bruins with a 3-1 victory in Game 7 on Wednesday night. That was not a result Eller, coach of Denmarks junior team, could have predicted earlier this week. But he felt OK going into the series, based on this past regular season. "You could see during the season that they had the assets, the tools," said Eller, who is in Minsk as a member of the Danish teams support staff. "You could see that in the games against Boston during the season, they were able to play a good game against Boston. ... I had a feeling that if they could come around Tampa, I had the feeling they could beat Boston." Its not easy for Eller and his wife to be in Minsk right now. In addition to Lars being in the East final that begins Saturday against the New York Rangers, 18-year-old son Mads is in the Memorial Cup with the Edmonnton Oil Kings.dddddddddddd Olaf Eller finds a way to watch all the games on his computer from in Europe — he only missed one game of the Habs-Bruins series — and talks to Lars after each one. The post-Game 7 conversation was a particularly enjoyable one. "He was very, very happy," Eller said of his son. "They were in the bus on their way to the airport, so everybody was very happy." Lars Eller has nine points through 11 games, leading Montreal forwards in scoring and trailing just star defenceman P.K. Subban. His father is proud of how his son rebounded from a rough regular season. "He managed to start another season, show that the post-season is another season and he has been good in the playoffs," said Olaf Eller, who plans to go to Montreal if the Habs reach the Stanley Cup final. Beyond just being a hockey dad, Eller is the coach of Esbjerg IK in Denmarks top hockey league. Because of that, he has an appreciation for the adjustments Montreal coach Michel Therrien and his staff made in these playoffs to get to this point. Eller praised Therrien for shuffling Daniel Briere, Brandon Prust, Travis Moen, Francis Bouillon, Douglas Murray and Nathan Beaulieu in and out of the lineup at the right times. "I think the coaching staff, by their analyzing of their opponents, by their ability to adjust the team in the lineup from game-to-game ... made a huge success there," he said. "All those small adjustments paid off, eh?" --- Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '