ST. JOHNS, N.L. - The St. Johns IceCaps will have to rely on their defence as they try and make a return trip to the Calder Cup final.Head coach Keith McCambridge said St. Johns will be hoping to establish a defence-first team that capitalizes on its chances after losing a lot of firepower after last season.We will have to be good defensively, limiting opportunities against, and hope our special teams are strong and we are able to capitalize while leaning on those younger players to score goals, he said. We are missing a lot of offence. Three of the top-four scorers from last year have left the Winnipeg Jets American Hockey Lague affiliate in the off-season: Andrew Gordon, Jerome Samson and Kael Mouillierat. Only captain Jason Jaffray remains from that group.There is 75 goals that you take out of our line-up, so were going to have to find people to score goals this year, Jaffray said. We will need to find guys (to step up) and score some goals and provide offence for this team.Jaffray, now a 32-year-old veteran, will again be counted on for his leadership and consistent scoring. He will get offensive support from Eric ODell, who was sent back to the AHL from the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. ODell has 199 points in 143 games for St. Johns.Carl Klingberg, entering a contract year, will be looking to build on a career season in which he scored 22 goals en route to a 42-point campaign.Klingberg really took a step forward last year and provided some offence, Jaffray said. He provided a jump for us last year and scored some big goals in big moments.McCambridge said the team is also expecting second-year professionals JC Lipon and Austen Brassard, newly-acquired Patrick Holland, and rookies Scott Kosmachuk and Ryan Olsen to help fill the offensive void left by key departing players.The nature of the beast in the AHL is that there is a lot of turnover, a lot of new faces. Younger players come in, and prospects is what this league is about, McCambridge said. The goal is to try and get the younger players to be good professional hockey players, making sure the skill set continues to grow and the players get better every day. We need to continue to push forward with the identity of being a hard-working team.Defenceman Ben Chiarot, entering his fourth year, is among those younger players who will be looking to build on his game.I want to keep that same foundation of being strong and physical, but maybe add a little more offence, and get more shots through from the point, said Chiarot, who was among the last cuts on defence at Jets training camp. I want to expand my game and work on all areas of it. If you only focus on one thing, thats when you start to regress.The IceCaps defence looks better on paper than last season despite losing offensive powerhouse Zach Redmond.Its going to be a really strong defence-core, obviously, Chiarot added. We have a lot of experience now with a core group of guys who have been here the last couple of years.Keaton Ellerby, a veteran of 211 NHL games, was cut from Winnipeg at the same time as Chiarot and could bring some stability to the young team. Will ONeill looks primed to take another step in his development, if he can follow up his 16-point playoff performance from last season. The IceCaps hope sophomore Brenden Kichton can build on his 48-point standout rookie campaign.We have eight solid defencemen right now. The coach has tough decisions going into the weekend, Jaffray said.The hardest IceCaps player to replace will likely be Gordon, who finished the season with 56 points while consistently paired on a line with Jaffray. Having spent 90 per cent of his playing time with Gordon, Jaffray said a player like that is nearly impossible to replace.Its not just his offence, Jaffray said. Its also the leadership that he brought in the dressing room. He made my life much easier, having a guy like that around that has won some championships and been around and put up a good chunk of points for many seasons.Despite losing some veteran scorers, Chiarot said some of the younger IceCaps are ready to contribute.A lot of our forwards are young but they were high scorers in juniors, so its only a matter of time until those guys get confidence and bring out their offensive game here too, he said. Rookie Connor Hellebuyck and NHL veteran Peter Budaj should form a solid goaltending tandem for the IceCaps.Hellebuyck, 21 is coming off two standout seasons with UMass-Lowell in the NCAA. Budaj is a veteran of 296 NHL games and backed up Carey Price with the Montreal Canadiens last season. Second-year pro Jussi Olkinuora could also factor into the equation.The IceCaps kick off their season Friday in Providence against the Bruins. Their home-opener is,Oct. 17, against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Joe Montana Jersey . Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. Tony Gonzalez Jersey . James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs. http://www.officialkcchiefspro.com/Patrick-mahomes-ii-chiefs-jersey/ . CEO Steve Koonin on Tuesday told the Hawks flagship radio station that he made the decision to discipline Ferry but allowed him to keep his job managing the team. He did not say what the punishment was, but noted that he relied on a law firms three-month investigation of Ferry and him describing Deng as someone who has a little African in him. Custom Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . Speaking with TSN 1050 following Brendan Shanahans introductory press conference, the Leafs GM also addressed the clubs perceived leadership issues and the type of working relationship that can be expected within Torontos front office. Len Dawson Jersey . Spains victory rendered Frances 3-0 win against Finland meaningless as Spain needed just one point to secure passage to Brazil. Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema scored either side of Joona Toivios own-goal as France advanced to the playoff among the eight best second-place finishers.TORONTO -- Dont expect Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen to shed any tears for cs current crisis in defence. "Weve lost far more than them over the first eight games of our season and nobody felt sorry for us," Nelsen said prior to Friday nights game in Kansas City. "Just because theyre missing two or three, were missing three in our midfield. So actually were probably hurting more than them, to tell you the truth." Nelsen notes he has been able to use his starting lineup once this season, a reference likely to the D.C. United game back in March. While Toronto (4-4-0) has question-marks in midfield, the defensive cupboard is almost completely bare for Kansas City (5-4-2). Matt Besler is with the U.S. World Cup team while Lawrence Olum has been summoned by the Kenyan national team for a two-legged Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Aurelien Collin is nursing a hamstring injury and Ike Opara is out for the season after ankle surgery. To make matters worse, 17-year-old defender Erik Palmer-Brown was sent off for two yellow cards in his MLS debut last weekend, a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire that saw Kansas City give up two penalties. So Palmer-Brown is suspended for Fridays game. Kansas City is also without key attacking midfielder Graham Zusi, whos with the U.S. team. Manager Peter Vermes started the Chicago game with a 3-5-2 formation, with Palmer-Brown between fullbacks Chance Myers and Seth Sinovic at the back, in a bid to work around his lack of defensive options. He had to return to a four-man backline after Palmer-Browns ejection. Palmer-Brown, reportedly a target of Juventus, still made history by becoming the youngest defender to start an MLS game. He turned 17 on April 24. Collin and defensive midfielder Uri Rosell, who could drop back in defence, may be healthy enough to play Friday. But with three games in eight days -- Kansas City hosts the Red Bulls next Tuesday and visits D.C. United on May 31 -- Vermes will likely not want to rush players back. While the MLS champions are still a quality team, they have lost two straight. And a makeshift defence would seem like catnip to Torontos Jermain Defoe, who has five goals in all competitions. Nelsen has questions of his own, facing five games in 15 days. He has lost American midfielder Michael Bradley and Brazilian goalie Julio Cesar to the World Cup.dddddddddddd. Brazilian Jackson (concussion) is not expected to play and fellow midfielder Jonathan Osorio is doubtful (hamstring, hand injury). Nelsens other questions are selection-related. Rookie defender Nick Hagglund had a strong game against New York in place of Doneil Henry while Bradley Orr, pushed up into midfield, also impressed. Henry, 21, already has 40 MLS starts under his belt but has made some costly errors in recent games. Nelsen, perhaps easing the blow, said he was moved to the bench against the Red Bulls because he had played 120 minutes midweek in Vancouver and had a few knocks. Hagglunds fine play against French star Thierry Henry and Englands Bradley Wright-Phillips, the leagues leading scorer, may extended Henrys time on the sidelines. "Nick was brilliant," said Nelsen. Nelsen, while not showing his hand, rejected the suggestion that time on the bench might offer a mixed message to Henry whom he regularly talks up. "I sat on the bench at D.C. United and I was three years older than Doneil. They sat me," said Nelsen. "Its going to happen. Its going to happen when youre 20, its going to happen when hes playing in the Premier league or in the top level." "Theyre not bumps, theyre life experiences that youve got to deal with. Everyone deals with them in any job, in any profession ... its just how you react." "Generally the best ones find a way on the field pretty quickly," he added. The 21-year-old Hagglund has already won kudos on the field for his no fear approach. Off the field, his bubbly personality is also appreciated. "Hes a massive part of this squad, this changing room, for such a young kid," said captain Steven Caldwell. "He takes a lot of stick. He laughs, he smiles. His personality rubs off on everybody, Hes a pleasure to have here." Nelsen could retain Orr in central midfield and has newly acquired Collen Warner available, although he may have to play on the flank if Osorio, as expected, cant go. Warner was the last man off the practice field Wednesday, chatting with Nelsen en route to the locker-room. Rookie Daniel Lovitz, who has impressed since returning from loan in Wilmington, is another midfield option. Torontos career record against Kansas City is 4-10-4, including 1-7-1 on the road. 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