-round draft pick of the Atlanta Flames in

MONTREAL - While his former club celebrated a South American championship, midfielder Ignacio Piatti was getting his first look at his new team: the Montreal Impact.The long-awaited designated player from Argentina worked out with the Impact for the first time on Thursday, a day after his old club, San Lorenzo, pulled off a victory without him over Uruguayan side Nacional Asuncion in the Copa Libertadores final.Im very happy for San Lorenzo, but now Im thinking about the Impact, the 29-year-old said through an interpreter. Ill do everything I can to help this team.Piatti signed with Montreal on July 2, but the Impact agreed to let him stay for San Lorenzos climb through the final stages of the Copa Libertadores, the South American champions league.However, the sports governing body FIFA turned down his request to stay with Pope Franciss favourite team beyond the Aug. 8 close of the international transfer window. So Piatti played in the first leg of the final last week, but was not allowed to play in the return leg in Buenos Aires.Coach Frank Klopas confirmed that Piatti signed a three and a half year deal with the Impact.The midfielders skill and his ability to play on the left wing or in the middle will be welcome on a team that sits last in Major League Soccer at 3-14-5.But how much he can help this season remains to be seen. Newcomers to MLS tend to need a half-season to adjust to the travel and the physical style of play. Klopas called him a player the team can build around in the next few seasons.He will likely see some action in Montreals home game Saturday against the Chicago Fire and is ready to accompany the side to El Salvador next Wednesday for a CONCACAF Champions League game against CD FAS.I think the adaptation is not going to be a problem, said Piatti. I know the team is having a bad season. Im ready for the challenge.Piatti sent a chill through Impact fans hearts last week when he told an Argentine reporter he hoped eventually to play with an American MLS team like New York or Miami. On his arrival on Wednesday, he said his words had been taken out of context and that he was glad to be in Montreal.Having a new player from a winning program may help boost spirits on the Impact, who have lost seven league games in a row.Any time you bring in a quality player like that it lifts everybody on the team, said Klopas. You could sense a bit of that (at practice).But we have to understand its one player. Hell make us better, but our whole team has to lift our game a bit.The five-foot-11 Piatti, who speaks Spanish and Italian, had been on the Impacts radar for two years. An attacking midfielder, he played for St. Etienne in France and Lecce in Italy before returning to Argentina in 2012 with San Lorenzo, where he scored 12 goals in 54 matches.Just having him on the field with the ball, with his ability to beat players and put the opposing team under pressure, can help us a lot, said Klopas. Theres a period of adaptation for every player, but he brings a lot of quality and I think instantly hes going to add a lot to our team.His new teammates liked what they saw of Piatti in practice at Saputo Stadium. He played mostly on the left side during a scrimmage, in the position normally held by fellow Argentine Andres Romero. It would not be a surprise if Piatti subbed in for Romero, or vice versa, against the Fire.Im very happy hes finally here, said defender Hassoun Camara. Its been a long time that we were expecting him.But we know he doesnt have to be the hero. We dont have to put a lot of pressure on him. Hes here to help the team.He is the teams second DP along with 38-year-old striker Marco Di Vaio, who is expected to leave at the end of the season. Another DP, midfielder Hernan Bernardello, left last month to join Mexican club Cruz Azul.Di Vaio said hes looking forward to having a talented midfield player to help create offence. He said Piattis personality and confidence showed in the fact that he has taken No. 10, which is normally reserved for a teams offensive leader and best attacking midfielder.Everyone in Montreal has been waiting for a number 10, said Di Vaio. I hope he can do something big for us. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .twitter.com/xBTpoAKLJk — Daryl Zerr (@darylzerr) May 29, 2014 @BarDown I give to you the @SquirrelsNCHL aka the Fighting Squirels. Red Schoendienst Jersey . -- Jerome Verrier scored once and set up two more as the Drummondville Voltigeurs downed the visiting Chicoutimi Sagueneens 5-1 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. http://www.cheapstlouiscardinalsjerseys.com/. The same cant be said of last Saturdays 2-2 draw at Olympic Stadium against a very weakened New York Red Bulls side and one which had three stalwarts in Henry, Cahill and Olave back home in Harrison, NJ. Matt Carpenter Jersey . Parmelee hit a game-ending shot in the ninth inning and the Minnesota Twins overcame David Ortizs big night to beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Tuesday. Bob Gibson Jersey .com) - Coming off a pair of tough losses last week, the Syracuse Orange will try to put an end to their first losing skid of the season when they pay a visit to the Maryland Terrapins at the Comcast Center on Monday night in Atlantic Coast Conference action.PHILADELPHIA -- Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon kept everyone guessing right up to his announcement to open Fridays NHL draft. "We proudly select, with the first pick overall of the 2014 NHL draft from the Ontario Hockey League," Tallon told a feisty full house at Wells Fargo Arena. And then he paused for dramatic effect. "Aaron Ekblad," Tallon finally pronounced. "I did not know. I was freaking out there for a second when he stopped," said Ekblad, a normally unflappable 18-year-old defenceman from Belle River, Ont., seen as perhaps the most NHL-ready player in the draft pool. "It was breath-taking to say the least." Said a straight-faced Tallon: "I thought we were in show-business. This is entertainment isnt it?" "I made Ekblad sweat a little," he added. With Kingston Frontenacs forward Sam Bennett ranked No. 1 ahead of Ekblad among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, there was Ontario competition for the top pick. Bennett eventually went fourth to the Calgary Flames. Kootenay Ice centre Sam Reinhart went second to the Buffalo Sabres and Prince Albert Raiders forward Leon Draisaitl was selected third by the Edmonton Oilers. Draisaitl becomes the highest-drafted German-born player in NHL history. Previously that honour was held by Marcel Goc, taken 20th overall by San Jose in 2001. Tallon had two "really substantial" offers for his pick, but elected to stick with the big Barrie Colts blue-liner. "We decided at noon we were going to go this way," he said. Ekblad, who spent three seasons with the Colts, is seen as a potential franchise defenceman who is ahead of many of his fellow juniors in terms of size, strength and maturity. The teenager with Hollywood good looks feels he can help the Panthers in the fall. "Ive said that from the very beginning that I believe in myself and Im confident," he said. "I think if you dont believe in yourself and youre not confident, youre putting yourself behind the eight-ball right off the bat. I believe that if I work hard this summer, I can really step into the NHL next year. Obviously Im going to need a lot of help and its going to be a learning curve, but again Im confident in myself." The six-foot-three 216-pound Ekblad, granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada to enter the OHL at just 15, had 23 goals, 30 assists and 91 penalty minutes in 58 games last season. Ekblad says he plays "strong responsible defence" while trying to contribute on offence. He is the 13th defenceman to go first overall in the draft and the first since 2006 when St. Louis took Erik Johnson. The Panthers (29-45-8) won the draft lottery ahead of Buffalo (21-51-10) to kick off the draft for the first time since 1994 when they selected defenceman Ed Jovanovski, now 38 and on his second stint in south Florida. Florida also won the draft lottery in 2002 and 2003, but traded away the pick both years. There was a run on blue-liners in the 90s with Roman Hamrlik (1992, Tampa Bay), Jovanovski (1994, Florida), Bryan Berard (1995, Ottawa) and Chris Phillips (1996, Ottawa) all going first overall. The Panthers will be hoping to repeat the success of Colorado last year with the first pick. Centre Nathan MacKinnon jumped directly to the NHL from the Halifax Mooseheads, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie along the way.dddddddddddd After Bennett, Oshawa Generals winger Michael Dal Colle went to the New York Islanders and Calgary Hitmen winger Jake Virtanen became a Vancouver Canuck. Red Deer defenceman Haydn Fleury was chosen seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, ahead of Modo forward William Nylander (Toronto), Halifax winger Nikolaj Ehlers (Winnipeg) and Peterborough winger Nick Ritchie (Anaheim in a pick obtained earlier from Ottawa). Ehlers becomes the second-highest drafted Danish-born player in NHL history after Mikkel Boedker, picked eighth overall by Phoenix in 2008. The Canucks selected Sault Ste. Marie centre Jared McCann with the 24th overall pick and the Montreal Canadiens took Russian winger Nikita Scherbak of the Saskatoon Blades with the 26th selection. Ottawa did not have a first-round pick, having traded it to Anaheim in the Bobby Ryan deal. After Fridays first round, there will be six more rounds Saturday. Apart from Tallons cheeky delay at the mic, there were few other surprises. The top names all went high. Ekblad was ranked second among draft prospects by the International Scouting Services, which had Reinhart No. 1. Reinhart, an 18-year-old from North Vancouver, is seen as an elite playmaker with good skating and puck skills. The six-foot-one 185-pounder, named WHL player of the year in 2013-14, has true hockey bloodlines. Brother Max was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round (63rd overall) in the 2010 draft, while brother Griffin was chosen fourth overall by the Islanders in 2012. Father Paul, a 12th-round draft pick of the Atlanta Flames in 1979, played 11 NHL seasons with the Flames and Canucks. The crowd at Wells Fargo Center started a "Lets Go Flyers" chant before the opening roll call of teams. Every other team was greeted with the word "Sucks" as their name was announced -- with the exception of Pittsburgh and Boston, who drew deafening boos. Comcast president Dave Scott, head of the company that owns the Flyers, congratulated the Los Angeles Kings on winning the Stanley Cup -- and defeating the rival Rangers in the final. The feisty crowd loved the kicker. Commissioner Gary Bettman was booed long and loud when he took the stage. "I love your passion," said the unflappable commissioner. The crowd kept booing and Bettman kept up the one-liners as the evening wore on. The Canucks stole much of the pre-draft thunder earlier Friday, sending centre Ryan Kesler to Anaheim and defenceman Jason Garrison to Tampa Bay while acquiring forward Derek Dorsett from the Rangers. For Ekblad, it was "by far the longest day of my entire life." But it ended well. He is the sixth OHL player drafted No. 1 overall in the last eight years, following in the footsteps of Patrick Kane, Steve Stamkos, John Tavares, Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov. NOTES: The 30 players selected in the first round were born in 10 different countries: Canada (14), United States (five), Czech Republic (two), Finland (two), Russia (two), Denmark (one), England (one), Germany (one), Sweden (one) and Switzerland (one) ... Eight of the first 10 overall picks, including all of the first seven, came from the Ontario Hockey League or Western Hockey League. Ehlers (ninth overall) was the only one from the QMJHL. ' ' '