the U.S., a position he reiterated after Thursdays gam

The hockey bloodlines run deep in this weekends NHL draft. Familiar names like Bertuzzi, Brodeur, Burke, Comrie, Domi, LaFontaine, Mantha, Rychel, Stevens, Subban, and Tambellini could be called Sunday at the podium at the Prudential Centre in Newark, N.J. Defenceman Darnell Nurse also has impressive family ties. But his come from the gridiron. Father Richard played wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His uncle, by marriage, is former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb. Darnell chose hockey. His parents were happy to see him opt for a different sports path. "That was more my Dad," said Nurse. "My Mom too. I mean they both pretty much said for safety reasons, stay away from football. Im thankful for it now." He sees the toll football took on his father, reeling off the damage he noted when the two were spending time together recently on the familys backyard deck in Hamilton. "His hands are mangled, he cant move some of his fingers and hes got an elbow that doesnt move right. I looked at that and though those are battle wounds. Something maybe one day I get to show my kid," Nurse said. Its not as if Nurse, who stands almost six foot four and weighs 185, took up a non-contact sport in hockey. "Not at all," he said. "I think the biggest thing for them is I can probably control a little more hitting people in hockey than in football where you get hit every play. Put me on the back end and I get to control what happens." Nurse, 18, has excelled in his chosen sport. Central Scouting ranks him fourth among North American skaters and second among defencemen behind Seth Jones. In his second year with the OHLs Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Nurse scored 12 goals and added 29 assists and 116 penalty minutes in 68 games. People have compared him to a young Chris Pronger. His high draft rating earned him a trip to the Stanley Cup final, along with Jones and top-rated forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. He already knew MacKinnon and Drouin from playing with them at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. At the Cup, Nurse marvelled at the media horde in the Bruins locker-room following a pre-game morning skate. "Something Ive never experienced before," he said. "It was kind of exciting to watch ... I was getting hot in there and I was doing nothing." He also enjoyed meeting Chicago stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. "The mess that they put defenders in, being able to meet those guys was great," he said. On the Boston side, he liked watching the David Krejci-Milan Lucic-Nathan Horton line. Nurse grew up idolizing the likes of Scott Stevens and Jarome Iginla. So it comes as no surprise that he likes being a prickly opponent. "One of the best part of my game is being someone whos hard to play against," he said. "I think the fights kind of come with just battles, and people trying to challenge me after I challenge them. Something Im not afraid to do but at the same time its not something I go out and look for." Nurse has also made a mark off the ice, winning the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHLs Scholastic Player of the Year this season. He earned an 85 per cent average in Grade 12. "His work ethic and lifestyle allow him to have elite results academically and athletically," Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas said at the time. As for football, Darnell is true to his Dad, following his beloved Tiger-Cats. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. College Jerseys Outlet . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. https://www.ncaajerseys2020.com/ . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. Fake College Jerseys . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. NCAA Jerseys 2020 . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. The Santa Clara police union has sent a letter to the San Francisco 49ers, warning that police might stop working the teams home games due to Colin Kaepernicks statements on police brutality and his wearing of socks during a practice that showed cartoon pigs dressed as police officers.The letter, obtained by NBC Bay Area, states that if the 49ers do not discipline Kaepernick, it could result in police officers choosing not to work at your facilities.The letter also states that the Santa Clara Police Officers Association has a duty to protect its members and work to make all of their working environments free of harassing behavior.It criticizes what it called anti-police statements made by Kaepernick, calling them insulting, inaccurate and completely unsupported by any facts.In another statement released Saturday, Chief Michael Sellers of the SCPOA said law enforcement officials have been saddened and angered by Kaepernicks stance, but plan to continue to do their jobs.[Kaepernicks] blanket statements disparaging the law enforcement profession are hurtful and do not help bring the country together, Saturdays statement said. As distasteful as his actions are, these actions are protected by the Constitution. Police officers are here to protect the rights of every person, even if we disagree with their position. Police officers have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution.I will urge the POA leadership to put the safety of our citizens first, Sellers said in the statement. I will work with both sides to find a solution. In the meantime, I will ensure we continue to provide a safe environment at Levis Stadium.The 49ers reiterated Friday night that they stand behind Kaepernick and respect his right not to participate in celebrating the national anthhem.ddddddddddddKaepernick has become the focus of intense scrutiny for not standing during the playing of the national anthem in the 49ers last two preseason games as a form of protesting racial injustice in the United States.He also received criticism from the head of a national police association after he appeared on the 49ers practice field wearing the socks.Kaepernick vowed to continue to not stand during the national anthem until he is satisfied with the changes made toward ending racial oppression in the U.S., a position he reiterated after Thursdays game against the San Diego Chargers.Once again, Im not anti-American, Kaepernick said. I love America. I love people. Thats why Im doing this. I want to help make America better. I think having these conversations helps everybody have a better understanding of where everybody is coming from.Kaepernick also said Thursday that he plans to donate $1 million to organizations that will help communities in need.The 49ers had previously released a statement on Kaepernicks actions, saying, In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.Kaepernick is expected to discuss his actions on Sunday at a San Francisco church known for its activism on civil rights causes.About 70 Santa Clara police officers work each 49ers game at Levis Stadium, according to NBC Bay Area.The union letter says Kaepernicks protest has threatened our harmonious working relationship with the 49ers.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '