25 saves for Val-dOr while Brandon Whitney allowed seven goals

TORONTO -- Over the years, the Toronto Raptors have heard all about the perceived disadvantages of NBA life north of the border. Gilbert Arenas Jersey . The complaints have run the gamut -- from the long, snowy winters, to concerns about taxes to the lack of ESPN on cable TV. Instead of playing defence when it comes to perception, the franchise is going on the offensive. The Great White North is embraced and the Ontario capital takes centre stage in the teams new "We The North" campaign, which features a 60-second video that kicks off a massive franchise rebrand over the next two years. "This is the statement we want to make to Canada and I think this is the chip we have, which is were the north and theres no one else," Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Tim Leiweke said Wednesday from New York. "Its just us and everyone looks past us. But were OK with that now." The video is not meant to be an advertisement for a team preparing to make its first playoff appearance in six years. Instead, the franchise wants the spot and the campaign to serve as a foundation for a team revolution. "This is a crusade now," Leiweke said. "This is not just a rally cry, this is, I think, our identity. "I think thats what we like about this is for the next two to three years, this is who we are and this is who we represent and this is who we fight for." The team is still finalizing release plans for other components of the campaign. However, new colours and a new logo will be rolled out "in short order," Leiweke said. Toronto hip-hop artist Drake was "heavily involved" in the inspiration for the spot, and Leiweke said the teams global ambassador was also involved in logo plans and the decision to stick with the Raptors name. "He thinks that the Vince Carter generation, those kids that grew up and got inspired by Vince, these are now the (Anthony) Bennetts of the world and the (Andrew) Wiggins of the world," Leiweke said. "And they relate to the Raptors in a very different way than that Barney dinosaur or Jurassic Park marketing campaign. "Now this is a cultural thing and Drake said, Stick to it and just define your culture and make it you." In the video, clips of the city skyline are mixed with snippets of basketball action from local neighbourhoods and highlights of the Raptors in action. "And far from the east side, miles from the west side, nowhere near the south side, we are the north side," a narrator says in the piece. "A territory all our own. And if that makes us outsiders -- were in." "My favourite shot is the kid bouncing the basketball through the field of ice," Leiweke said. "And its like, Thats it right there. Thats what we want. People dont understand we have a revolution going on in Canada. Were producing great players. Weve got kids inspired that are playing the sport in record numbers. We have the highest growth level in North America. "We are a team that suddenly people are rallying around and are excited about. And by the way, all of our guys love playing for Canada and were it. Weve got 35 million people. No one has 35 million people in their marketplace." It has been a remarkable rebound season for a franchise that has been hamstrung by mediocrity. Toronto opened the current campaign with a poor 6-12 record but things turned around last December after Rudy Gay was dealt to Sacramento in a seven-player trade. The Raptors were energized by the move and have been one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference since. Toronto recently clinched the Atlantic Division title and took a 48-33 record into the regular-season finale Wednesday night in New York. The Raptors turnaround has been a pleasant surprise in a city where post-season action in any of the major sports is a rarity. Fans are still stinging from the Toronto Maple Leafs late-season collapse that cost them a playoff spot this year. The NHL club has made the post-season just once in the last decade. Down the road at Rogers Centre, it has been over 20 years since the Toronto Blue Jays last made the playoffs. The Blue Jays are coming off a last-place finish in the American League East division and are not expected to contend this year. The Raptors will take a page from the hockey teams playbook by hosting a "Party in the Square" in Maple Leaf Square outside Air Canada Centre for playoff games this spring. It was a hotspot last year during the Maple Leafs first-round playoff series with the Boston Bruins. Ticket demand also appears to be quite high for Canadas lone NBA team. Torontos average playoff ticket price is $125. However, a recent Forbes website report said the Raptors have the highest average playoff ticket price ($370.62) on the secondary market. "To me its less about what people are paying on the secondary (market) and more about we have a greater demand for NBA playoff tickets than any market today in the NBA," Leiweke said. "So out of those 16 markets, right now Toronto is the hot ticket. I think that bodes well." Toronto has reached the NBA playoffs on five previous occasions, the most recent being a first-round loss to the Orlando Magic in 2008. The Raptors lone series victory came in 2001 when they beat the New York Knicks before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. Tim Legler Jersey . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Troy Brown Jersey . Louis Cardinals are one of Major League Baseballs model franchises. https://www.cheapwizardsonline.com/629k-gus-johnson-jersey-wizards.html . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown.GATINEAU, Que. -- Louis-Philip Guindon stopped all 33 shots he faced as the Drummondville Voltigeurs blanked the host Gatineau Olympiques 4-0 on Sunday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. Frederick Gaudreau scored once and set up two more for the Voltigeurs (22-11-2), who won their third game in a row, while Giovanni Fiore added a goal and an assist. Matthew Boudens and Jerome Verrier also scored for Drummondville and Nikolas Brouillard tacked on two assists. Alexandre Chenier-Allard led the Olympiques (22-13-0) with seven shots on net. Gatineaus Robert Steeves allowed four goals on 14 shots and was replaced by Anthony Brodeur, who stopped all seven shots he faced in 20 minutes of relief. The Voltigeurs went 1 for 6 on the power play while the Olympiques failed to score on eight chances with the man advantage. --- SCREAMING EAGLES 5 ISLANDERS 3 SYDNEY, N.S. -- Cape Breton scored three times with the power play en route to defeating Charlottetown. Jeremy Beaudry, Charles-Eric Legare and Clark Bishop scored with the man advantage for the Screaming Eagles (19-12-3) while Cameron Darcy scored even strength and Kyle Farrell added another into an empty net. Matej Beran, Yan Pavel Laplante and Daniel Sprong supplied the scoring for the Islanders (14-17-5), who have just one win in their last 10 outings. Chase Marchand made 32 saves for Cape Breton as Eric Brassard turned away 25-of-29 shots for Charlottetown. --- DRAKKAR 5 REMPARTS 2 QUEBEC CITY -- Jeremy Gregoire scored twice and set up another as Baie-Comeau toppled the Remparts. Frederic Gamelin had a goal and and two assists for the Drakkar (23-8-4) while Alexis Vanier and Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau each scored once. Quebec (18-11-6) got goals form Zachery Moody and Anthony Latina. Baie-Comeaus Philippe Cadorette made 27 saves for the victory.. C. J. Miles Jersey. . Francois Brassard gave up four goals on 15 shots and was left on the bench for the third period. Callum Booth replaced Brassard and stopped 10-of-11 shots in relief. --- TITAN 4 ARMADA 3 (SO) BOISBRIAND, Que. -- Joel Blanchard scored the winner in the sixth round of the shootout as Acadie-Bathurst edged the QMJHLs top club, the Armada. Alexandros Soumakis, Gabriel Gosselin and Patrick Walsh scored in regulation for the Titan (14-18-3). Frederic Bergeron scored twice for Blainville-Boisbriand (23-5-7), who hold a three-point lead on the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for first in league standings, while Marcus Hinds had a goal and an assist. Acadie-Bathursts Mason McDonald made 24 saves for the win as Guillaume Decelles stopped 23 shots for the Armada. --- PHOENIX 3 HUSKIES 2 (OT) SHERBROOKE, Que. -- Simon Desbiens scored at 4:16 of overtime and Francis Desrosiers turned away 39 shots as the Phoenix slipped past Rouyn-Noranda. Daniel Audette and Dominic Talbot-Tassi scored in regulation for Sherbrooke (13-20-3) and Tim Wieser chipped in with two assists. Quinn OBrien and Jean-Sebastien Dea had a goal each for the Huskies (20-10-4). Rouyyn-Norandas Alexandre Belanger made 24 saves in a losing cause. --- FOREURS 7 TIGRES 5 VICTORIAVILLE, Que. -- Defenceman Randy Gazzola scored three times and added an assist as Val-dOr handed the Tigres their third straight defeat. Nicolas Aube-Kubel had a pair of goals for the Foreurs (24-11-1) and Louick Marcotte had a goal and two assists. Timotej Sille scored once and Guillaume Gelinas helped out with three assists. Tommy Veilleux, John Bowen, Mark Trickett, Matthew Boudreau and Jan Mandat scored for Victoriaville (13-17-4). Keven Bouchard made 25 saves for Val-dOr while Brandon Whitney allowed seven goals on 40 shots for the Tigres. --- ' ' '