McKenzie has struggled to find impact players his first two ye

TORONTO - When Kyle Lowry was first introduced to the city of Toronto back in the summer of 2012 he was forced to share the stage with a new teammate, Landry Fields, the two acquired by the Raptors three days apart. Lowry, Torontos fallback option after a failed attempt to woo Steve Nash, was brought in from Houston to battle incumbent point guard Jose Calderon for the starting gig. Then general manager Bryan Colangelo had high hopes for Lowry but at that moment, a consolidated news conference in the concourse of the Air Canada Centre, he was just another player. He was due to earn $5.8 million that season. For Lowry those days are long gone. Thursday morning represented the Raptors first opportunity to make sure he knew that. With the official announcement of Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquezs extensions on hold, likely until early next week, this day was all about Lowry. It was his moment, well deserved, not unlike his freshly signed contract and significant pay raise. "This is awesome," Lowry said, borrowing the phrase from GM Masai Ujiri, who had used it moments earlier. Ujiri and his star point guard sat side by side on stage in Real Sports Bar and Grill, located across from the ACC in the heart of downtown Toronto. This was not your run-of-the-mill press conference. It was an event. The Raptors had opened up the festivities to their fans, who played hooky from school and work on a Thursday morning to support a player they have adopted as their own. They screamed, they chanted, they took photos and Lowry - an introvert, who doesnt generally hand out smiles - couldnt wipe the smirk off his face. Retaining Lowry had been the Raptors top priority from the moment last seasons playoff run came to an abrupt end. They spared no expense in showing the 28-year-old how much he means to the embattled franchise and they wasted no time in getting him locked up. Lowry agreed to terms on a four-year, $48 million deal last Wednesday, officially putting pen to paper Thursday morning when the free agent moratorium period was lifted. Lowry was courted by a number of teams - including title contenders in the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat - when free agency unofficially opened on July 1. "They were real factors," Lowry admitted. Returning to Toronto, however likely, was not a lock. Along with his family and agent, Andy Miller, he considered his options, weighing pros and cons and doing his due diligence before coming to a quick decision. It didnt take long for him to realize where he wanted to spend the next three years, with a player option for the fourth. "I think the process was a difficult one but at the end of the day it was an easy one, it was the best one," Lowry said. "I didnt really think about it, honestly, until a week before free agency started. I knew it was going to be kind of stressful, but stressful in a good way. At the end of the day it was easy, it was easy to come back here." "I didnt want to wait for everybody else," he continued, taking a subtle shot at a few of his fellow free agents, who appear to be in no rush despite holding up the process for the rest of the league. "Im not going to wait for this guy to make a decision, I wanted to make my own decision and I wanted to make it when I was ready and I was ready after day one. So thats how easy the process was." Houston and Miami offered him a chance to compete for a championship right out of the gate but Toronto countered with their recently constructed winning environment, high aspirations, and an opportunity for incremental growth on the way to their ultimate prize. Most importantly, Lowry - an alpha dog by nature - wanted to lead a team to the promise land. Make no bones about it, the Raptors are Lowrys team. "The driving factor was winning," he said. "Honestly, I knew the money was going to come. I knew the years [were] going to come, so that wasnt too much of a worry. I just wanted to be in a situation where I can win and personally grow, as a man and as a player, and help a team and help an organization get to the point where theyre holding that trophy up." With the spotlight comes the pay cheque. "I was [financially secure] before," he joked in response to a question about his new pay raise. "[But] this helps." His new contract will be more than twice the size of his previous one, a four-year, $23.5 million deal signed in 2010, having earned a total of $28.8 million over the first eight years of his career. Lowrys one-time reputation for being a malcontent, like his anonymity, is a thing of the past. Of course, hes not the only one that stands to benefit, shedding a less than flattering league-wide perception as a result of this remarriage with the Raptors. "Everyone says Toronto cant do this, or Toronto cant sign back their own free agents," Lowry acknowledged, with a tip of the cap to the franchises disappointing history. "I just proved that wrong. Im back." Before the Raptors can establish themselves as a preferred destination for the NBAs brightest stars, they know they must take care of their own. Even in a years time - as the team has turned its fortunes and its fan base has reminded the league why theyre one of the best - Ujiri continues to notice a significant change in how the city is perceived when speaking to players around the association. "100 percent," said the Raptors GM. "I think people saw what happened here." "Players want to win and players want to be treated well and we try to treat players well," Ujiri continued. "I think Kyle Lowry was at the forefront of that. Players in the NBA see that and they want to come play where its a great atmosphere, theyre treated well and theres a culture of winning. We expect more players to come here." According to Ujiri, Lowry was ready and willing to do his part in the recruitment process almost immediately after agreeing to terms last week. Still technically a free agent, Lowry texted the Raptors GM shortly after the two reached a verbal agreement to ask him if there was a player he could call and try to steer in Torontos direction. "I wish I had more money to sign another player," Ujiri joked. While all-star and leading scorer DeMar DeRozan remains an integral part of the teams future - and played a significant role in Lowrys decision to return - the unmistakable face of the resurgent Raptors was sitting centre stage. The team is his and, evident in Thursdays mornings turnout, so too is the city. He wont be sharing the stage, or the spotlight any time soon. Two years ago, almost to the day, Colangelo gave Lowry the keys. Now, Ujiri has given him the whole car. "You dont get many chances to say its your team," he said. "Honestly, you dont get many chances. As a competitor, as a professional, I relish in that, the fact that I get to say its my team, Im the leader of the team." Jalen Ramsey Jersey . - For a general manager who preaches building through the draft, Reggie McKenzie has struggled to find impact players his first two years in Oakland. Taven Bryan Womens Jersey . You can watch the game live on TSN2 and TSN Mobile TV at 9pm et/6pm pt. Jonathan Huberdeau and Quinton Howden are expected to make their debuts for Team Canada. http://www.authenticjaguarslockroom.com/...y-Elite-Jersey/. Samir Nasris 88th-minute equalizer at Etihad Stadium will be of little consolation to City, which is now six points behind league leader Liverpool and four points behind second-place Chelsea. Third-place City has a game in hand but the surprise result against Sunderland, coupled with Sundays 3-2 loss at Liverpool, may be a setback too far in its bid for a second championship in three seasons. Josh Oliver Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (4) – He had a strong game Sunday; was very good in tight with big saves on Crosby, Malkin and Neal in-crease. Chris Conley Jersey .J. -- New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is going to start the off-season training program with a surgically repaired left ankle. DALLAS -- Colton Sceviour has started to adjust to the speed of the NHL game. He scored his first game-winning goal at 17:08 of the third period and the Dallas Stars edged the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Tuesday night. A rebound of a Colorado shot bounced out to Rich Peverley, who put a pass on Sceviours stick for a breakaway against Avalanche goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 25 saves. But there was no save against Sceviour. "The first game seemed a little bit faster," he said. "There was an adjustment period. "(Peverley) caught up to (the puck) and made a great pass. I was able to pick it up in stride and put it in. "Any time you score a game-winning goal its pretty exciting, especially at the NHL level. And late in the third." Sceviour had played just two NHL games before being recalled Saturday from the Texas Stars, for whom he was leading the American Hockey League with 18 goals. He scored his first NHL goal that night at Winnipeg, and his second in three games Tuesday. Ray Whitney scored Dallas first two goals, which both erased one-goal deficits. They were his first goals in 13 games, since Nov. 3. The goal that night also broke a 13-game scoreless streak. "Its always nice to score, especially when youve been dry for a while. I hope were going to break that spell. We dont need to go through that again." Dallas victory followed a 6-2 loss on Monday against the Avalanche on the road. And it was with backup Dan Ellis in goal. "I thought we did an excellent job," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said of the teams turnaround. "With regards to Colorado, we didnt give them free ice the way we did (Monday) night. "We had the (penalty) kills early, and the second period was rock solid except the one we let in." Both Colorado goals, Matt Duchenes on a power play in the first period and Erik Johnsons slap shot in the second, came while a Dallas player was serving a double minor penalty. Whitneys second goal, which tied the game in the second period, was the Stars second in 49 power plays at home this season and their first since Nov. 21. In the third period, Ellis made a glove save on Gabriel Landeskog from close range on a power play, and prevented Colorado from scoring with an extra skater for more than a minute at games end. "Their goalie made some great saves," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "Landys shot, it was a great save by him at the end. We were buzzing as well and we had some chances." Ellis noticed something about the Avs before the game. "I hhad seen a little bit of their power play with him practicing that in the pre-game skate, so I knew he had a good one-timer," he said.dddddddddddd. "Thats what I was expecting." And at the end, "Its tough to find the puck. I want to make myself as big as possible. Its a battle for sight lines." Dallas had two chances to score into an empty net, but shot wide both times. Whitney said Ellis late saves were key. "The mad scramble around our net, thats where Dan was exceptional," he said. "That would have been really crushing if they would have come down and scored after we hit the posts." Duchene put in a rebound of Johnsons shot for a power-play goal just 2:37 into the game. Johnsons goal at 10:20 of the second period came when the teams were skating 4 on 4, with the Stars Antoine Roussel off for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct. The Avalanche had failed to score on all five power plays in Mondays 6-2 home victory over the Stars. Colorado was successful on 1 of 6 man advantages Tuesday. Dallas tied the score 1-1 at 7:31. Out of a scramble in front of the Avalanche goal the puck went to Whitney, and he knocked it past Giguere. The Avalanche put just two shots on goal in the second, but one was Johnsons slap shot from the right faceoff circle that restored Colorados one-goal lead. Whitneys second-period goal that tied the game 2-2 was Dallas second power-play goal at home in 49 opportunities this season. Dallas previous goal with a man advantage at home was by Stephane Robidas Nov. 21 in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Giguere saved 13 Stars shots in the period, but Whitney tied the score 2-2 at 17:19 with his second goal of the game and third this season. Alex Chiasson passed from behind the goal line to Whitney, who one-timed a shot from the right circle. The Stars had a 5-on-3 power play for 45 seconds early in the third period, but failed to score. Whitney had a chance for a third goal, but whiffed on a shot from left of the goal. NOTES: Dallas placed forward Vernon Fiddler on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 7, when he suffered an upper-body injury. Defenceman Aaron Rome did not play after sustaining an apparent leg injury Monday. Defenceman Cameron Gaunce, whose 11 previous NHL games all had been with Colorado, was recalled from Texas of the American Hockey League to fill Fiddlers roster spot. Gaunce played nearly 13 minutes and was credited wi