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Karl Subban kept a hockey stick in his car, just in case.That way, once finishing his night school teaching job, Subban could call home to see if his son P.K. was up for a moonlight skate at the rink outside Torontos City Hall. Though many 4-year-olds are in bed before 9 p.m., Karl made this exception for an enthusiastic boy already displaying a passion for hockey.Skip a night and the youngster was upset. And once he was on the ice, P.K. Subban didnt want to leave, even for the pizza slice that usually followed.We would be out there until midnight, and many nights after midnight, the father said. I didnt plan to stay late, but the hockey players would come out once the public skate ended. And P.K., he was so hungry for it. He would say, Daddy, I want to stay and play.Pernell Karl Subban is still hungry.At 25, the Toronto-born son of parents with Caribbean roots has taken the NHL by storm entering his fifth full season playing defence for the Montreal Canadiens.Subbans exceptional puck-handling skills, cannon-like shot and over-the-top personality have turned him one of the leagues transcendent stars. The 2013 Norris Trophy winner is as recognized on the ice as the red carpet, where he recently befriended movie director Spike Lee.Subbans talent is occasionally overshadowed by his extraordinarily playful demeanour — and colorful goal celebrations — that some call brash.I dont know why people would think that, he said. Just because youre outgoing, doesnt mean youre selfish.The topic of selfishness was brought up by Subban while discussing the expectations that come with his new eight-year, $72 million contract.For a team to be successful, the best players have to understand that theyre not going to be the stars every night, Subban said. I think the selfish guys want to be stars every night. Theres nothing wrong with that. But you have to do your job and be the greatest player in your role, whatever that is.For Subban, that role includes a commitment to playing defence because of an unbridled playing style that led to him being called a threat — as a scorer but also as a defensive liability.If you want to win, then really it shouldnt change how you feel. And it hasnt for me, he said. At the end of the night we get two points, Im a happy camper.By that measure, Subban is succeeding on a team that hasnt won the Stanley Cup since 1993. The Canadiens have been near the top of the Eastern Conference standings all season.Subban is still contributing on offence. Tied for second on the team with 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) through 39 games, he is on pace to match the career-best 53 points (10 goals, 43 assists) he established last season.And hes become more responsible on defence. Subbans plus-minus rating is a healthy plus-10, and hes part of the NHLs fifth-ranked penalty-killing unit.Coach Michel Therriens objective is harnessing Subbans talents to make him an elite two-way player. The challenge is tweaking Subbans game — not the person.We go step by step. But one thing for sure is we dont want him to lose his personality off the ice, Therrien said. Hes a fun guy to work with because we know where the potential is.Subban relishes the challenges that come with being the NHLs top-paid defenceman and playing under the microscope in the dual-language hockey mecca of Montreal. Hes as comfortable discussing his new role as a first-time assistant captain as he is revealing on TV how his pregame diet gives him gas to gain an edge while near opposing goalies.At his stall in the visitors locker room in Buffalo in late November, Subban is engaged in what appears to be a heated exchange with defensive partner Andrei Markov over a post-practice stretching exercise. As Markov shakes his head and leaves, Subbans mood brightens. He looks up and greets a visitor with a smile.It is this light-hearted approach that makes Subban a fan favourite in Montreal, where he is heavily involved in numerous charitable causes. His Twitter account (@PKSubban1) has more than 500,000 followers and features references to hockey and Hollywood, and a picture of him posing with Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.In recent months, he made the cover of a Sports Illustrated issue distributed in Canada; was featured in The New Yorker; and followed around by 60 Minutes for a profile.Issues of race — Subban is black — dont seem to affect him.After Subban scored in double-overtime in the first game of a second-round playoff series at Boston in May, several Bruins fans posted racists comments on Twitter. Subban defused the controversy by saying he didnt consider the comments to represent the Bruins or their fans.Were so far past that, Subban said. What I said is exactly what I felt, that the game of hockey and the people in it are great.And yet, there have been detractors.In 2010, former Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards questioned Subbans character as a rookie.Hes a guy that comes in the league and hasnt earned respect, Richards told a Montreal radio station. Its just frustrating to see a young guy like that come in here and so much think that hes better than a lot of people.Now with the Los Angeles Kings, Richards wasnt interested in revisiting those comments following a recent loss at Buffalo.Its so far gone, Richards told The Associated Press. Honestly, my impressions, I dont have anything either way. Im not going to discuss that.Former teammate Daniel Briere called Subban genuine and a perfect fit to handle the pressures of playing in Montreal.A lot of guys sometimes crumble, said Briere, now with Colorado. He wants it. I think he feeds off that. ... Hes very charismatic.Karl Subban has seen that in his son all along, and watched P.K.s confidence sprout because of his ability to excel at hockey.The one thing I know is that the younger a child can become good at something, the better they feel, the better their self-esteem is, Subban said, addressing his sons critics. They can say whatever they want, but they cant change how he plays on the ice. When its all said and done, is P.K. able to get the job done on the ice? ... The bigger the game, the better he plays.The elder Subban is particularly proud by how P.K. has handled himself when faced with adversity.The minute you take your eyes off your destination, you will never get to where you want to go in life, he said. We have seen how hes handled himself from stuff around race or his contract and playing in Montreal when the teams not playing well. He embraces all of that.___AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker, in Nashville, Tennessee, and freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report. NFL Wholesale Jerseys China .Steamboat Ski Resort contends Steamboat Springs, Colorado has long been known as Ski Town, U.S.A., and claims in a new lawsuit that Salt Lake tourism officials violated their trademark when they rolled out the Ski City marketing campaign last month. Wholesale Jerseys NFL . -- The Orlando Magic finally are showing the patience in critical moments that coach Jacque Vaughn has been waiting for all season. http://www.cheapnflwholesalejerseys.org/. His apology came before a pregame ceremony in which the team honoured its 2004 team that won Bostons first World Series championship since 1918. "I realize that I behaved bad in Boston," Ramirez said. Cheap NFL Wholesale China Jerseys . That little deal worked out in a big way for the Mavericks. Nowitzki had 21 points Tuesday night to pass Oscar Robertson for 10th on the NBAs career scoring list, leading the Mavs to a 95-83 victory over the Utah Jazz. Cheap Jerseys 2018 .C. -- Eric Staal kept his focus after his apparent breakaway goal was waived off early in the third period.(SportsNetwork.com) - New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will cap an interesting past eight days when the Dallas Cowboys pay a visit to the Superdome Sunday night in a matchup between division leaders. You can watch all the action on TSN beginning with Football Night in America at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. In his first season running the Saints defense, Ryan has implemented a 3-4 scheme in the Crescent City and the players have adjusted nicely save their effort against the run (25th, 121.2 ypg). The Cowboys have struggled moving the chains on the ground and Ryan hopes to take advantage of his former employer. Ryan, of course, ran Dallas defense from 2011-12 and parted ways this past offseason. He eventually signed a deal to spearhead the Saints defense, which is fifth against the pass (211.9), eighth in points allowed (19.4) and ninth in yards allowed (333.1). Ryan is coming off an emotional 26-20 loss at the Meadowlands last Sunday against twin brother, Rex, who is the head coach of the New York Jets. The Saints trailed 20-14 at halftime and limited the Jets to six points in the second half. The only problem was that the Saints also scored six points over the final two quarters. New Orleans allowed 338 total yards and once again struggled to stop the run, as New York running back and former Saint Chris Ivory ran for 139 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Ryans defense did not force any turnovers and registered just two sacks. Saints veteran linebacker Jonathan Vilma is one of Ryans best players and wasnt pleased with Sundays loss, saying the defense has "to get better" and his knee issue is nothing to worry about. "I wish we could have won the game. I wish I could have made more plays to help the team. Outside of that I feel good," Vilma said. "I think tomorrow will be a good test, and then coming back Wednesday for practice will be a good test to see how the knee feels." Guess what? The knee doesnt appear to be strong enough to last the season and Vilma was reportedly placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Vilma played just 12 snaps in his first time back on the active roster Sunday. He was one of the four players suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last year for his alleged role in the Saints bounty scandal. New Orleans has lost two of three games since opening 5-0 and leads the NFC South by a game ahead of Carolina. The Saints upcoming schedule is not a forgiving one, as they are scheduled to play Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle and Carolina. But first the Saints have to take care of business with the Cowboys. Theyre hoping the defense shows up in this one. New Orleans recorded just 30 sacks last season, but already has 26 through eight games. Defensive end Cameron Jordan and outside linebacker Junior Galette have six and five sacks, respectively, and cornerback Keenan Lewis has three interceptions. Inside linebacker Curtis Lofton leads the Saints defense with 75 tackles. Lofton was asked about thhe mindset in the locker room and how the Panthers are creeping up in the NFC South because the Saints have lost two of three.dddddddddddd "Well we dont care what any other team does. We dont care where Carolina is at or what theyre doing. We care about what we can control, and thats how we play," Lofton said. "If we go out and take care of business, we dont have to worry about any other team. November and December is the time where the real teams start to separate themselves. The great teams separate themselves from the good teams. We know that, and thats what were going to do." The Saints are 4-0 at home this season and 14-3 in the last 17 November games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys lead the NFC East by a game ahead Philadelphia and kept it that way by squeezing out a 27-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday in Big D. Dwayne Harris 7-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds to play lifted the Cowboys, winners in three of their last four games. Tony Romo passed for 337 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while going 34-for-51, while Jason Witten caught eight passes for 102 yards and a score for the Cowboys, who bounced back from a one-point loss in Detroit. "All wins are big," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "Every one is big. You only play 16 games and you count the wins up at the end. You have to bring your best every Sunday in this league. Weve got to learn from this one, move forward and get ready for New Orleans." One week after blowing up on the sidelines, Dallas mercurial wide receiver Dez Bryant caught six passes for 64 yards and was flagged for taking off his helmet to argue a penalty. Still, Bryant has emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game and is one of the reasons why Dallas is ninth in passing yards (267.1) and fourth in scoring (28.6). Bryant leads the Cowboys in receiving yards (705) and TD receptions (8). Terrell Owens had a team-record 15 TD catches back in 2007, so Bryant is getting close. You cannot count out Romo either for Dallas success. Romo is on pace for his fifth 4,000-yard passing season and already has 20 touchdown passes in 2013. His 100.0 QB rating is one of the best and he will look to exploit a tough New Orleans defense. Since the Cowboys have struggled to run the football, Romo will most likely attempt 45 to 50 passes Sunday. Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray returned after missing two games with a knee injury Sunday and had just 31 yards on four carries. He has 11 total carries in his last two games played. The Cowboys will enter the bye week after visiting the Saints, who trail the all-time series with Dallas by a 10-15 count. The Saints recorded a 34-31 overtime win in the last meeting on Dec. 23, 2012, as New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 446 yards and three TDs with no interceptions. Romo passed for 416 yards with four touchdown strikes and no picks. New Orleans has a 19-8 record on primetime television since 2006. ' ' '