THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 SPORTS All Blacks talent drain to hit home in 2016 NELSON: The decision of All Blacks fly- their careers, assisting the All Blacks Olympics,” he told the stuff.co.nz web- squad members while not necessarily “You’ve got guys that are committing half Colin Slade to head to Europe after into an easy rollover of talent, are now site. first-choice selections. (to New Zealand) and you’ve got guys the World Cup came with a rider creating a talent drain by luring up- “We could lose up to 15 players out Talismanic skipper Richie McCaw, 34, that are heading overseas. We certainly Tuesday that the exodus of New and-coming stars. of our current 31-man squad, which is deflects questions about his future, but feel that we’re taking a bit of a hit at the Zealand players is not yet over. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder, massive.” The 17-Test Slade may not the indications are he will retire at the moment but it’s a long-running battle.” Slade is the 10th All Black so far to who stands to lose two fly-halves to have been the All Blacks’ first choice fly- end of the year along with fellow Test At Super 15 level, in the space of 12 announce he is heading offshore at the French clubs in Dan Carter and Slade, half but he was crucial to Hansen’s centurions Keven Mealamu, aged 36, months the Crusaders will have lost end of the year after the 27-year-old put a positive spin on the losses. plans because of his ability to cover and Tony Woodcock, 34. With the bank three All Blacks-fly-halves in Carter, was offered a deal reportedly worth “It’s a good opportunity for some wing and fullback, his sound defence accounts of the European clubs Taylor and Slade-while former New 660,000 euros ($698,000) a year to join young guys to put their hands up and and coolness as a goalkicker. bulging, New Zealand Rugby Players Zealand Under 20s star Tyler Bleyendaal French club Pau. for us to start again almost,” he said. But New Zealand’s player exodus also Association chief Rob Nichol expects left for Munster last year. Still to confirm their post-World Cup with the New Zealand sevens squad includes Carter (Racing Metro), Ma’a more All Blacks to depart despite the “It’s a concern every time you lose a futures are Julian Savea, Sam Cane and also able to call on All Blacks for the Nonu (Toulon) and Conrad Smith (Pau), effort going into keeping them in the player because it’s taking away another Ryan Crotty and, coupled with expect- Olympics next year, Hansen admitted who are near the end of their interna- country. brick from the wall, and if you take too ed retirements and the impact of the 2016 would be “one of the most difficult tional careers. “They’ve still got another couple many away, eventually the wall will fall Olympics, coach Steve Hansen is brac- years” for All Blacks rugby. But Charles Piutau (Ulster), Francis that they’re working through but we’ll over,” Hansen said. ing for a difficult 12 months following “Not only are we losing people as it’s Saiili (Munster), Tom Taylor (Bayonne) just let that process pan out,” he told “I understand in some circumstances the September-October tournament in time for them to go overseas or retire, and Frank Halai (Wasps) are just start- Radio Sport. there’s a really good reason for some England. and we’ve lost one or two other people ing theirs. Tight forwards Jeremy Thrush “We’re going through that two-three people to do it, but in others I just wish Cashed-up European clubs who we didn’t want to lose, but we’re also (Gloucester) and Ben Franks (London month frame where guys are making they’d hang on and chase their dream a once targeted players in the twilight of going to lose some guys to the Irish) are also considered valuable really big decisions about their future. bit more.” —AFP Race to Stanley Cup wide open in years NEW YORK: The two-month Stanley Cup playoff race begins this week boasting one of the most wide open fields in recent memory, with some perennial powerhouses having failed to qualify and very little separating the contenders. The absence of the Los Angeles Kings, who became the first Stanley Cup champions to miss the playoffs in their defending season since 2007, and Boston Bruins, who won it all in 2011 and had the best record last year, has given hope to many others. Playoff teams were separated by a mere 16 points during the regular season, which is the smallest gap since the NHL adopted a 16-team postseason format for the 1979-80 season. Not only will the tournament feature seven teams that missed the cut last year, it will also include five of Canada’s seven teams, represent- Yuzuru Hanyu in action in this file photo. ing the most from the hockey-mad nation since 2004. The race to capture hockey’s ultimate prize Hanyu aims for redemption requires a team to win four best-of-seven playoff series. The action begins on Wednesday with TOKYO: Olympic gold medallist Yuzuru Miyahara in the eight-skater national line- Montreal, Washington, Nashville and Vancouver Hanyu will carry Japan’s hopes into the ISU up. Five other teams-Russia, US, Canada, hosting the openers of their respective series. World Team Trophy in Tokyo this week, France and China-will join the hosts to The New York Rangers have earned home-ice determined to bounce back in front of compete in men’s and women’s singles, advantage for the playoffs after finishing first home fans after an injury-plagued season. pairs and ice dance disciplines in four days overall in the regular season. But that guaran- Hanyu, men’s individual champion at of competition beginning today. The team tees them nothing more than a first-round date with reigning league MVP Sidney Crosby and the the Sochi Games last year, is nursing ankle with the best combined points total from NEW YORK: Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers takes a break during the game in this Pittsburgh Penguins. problems and slipped to a disappointing the four disciplines will emerge victorious. file photo. —AFP second place behind Spain’s Javier Teenagers Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and The Anaheim Ducks, powered by Ryan Fernandez in the World Championships in Elena Radionova, who clinched the Getzlaf and Corey Perry, are the top seed in the title by one point. drive against in 2010. Shanghai last month. The 20-year-old told women’s gold and bronze medals in Western Conference, but could be in tough ver- Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman, who spent his The Predators boast Finnish goalie Pekka the Yomiuri Shimbun this week that he had Shanghai, will spearhead Russia’s chal- sus a physical and fast Winnipeg Jets team that playing career with the Detroit Red Wings before Rinne, while Chicago got a huge boost when for- “failed” after managing only a silver medal. lenge. finished 10 points below them in the standings. joining the Tampa Lightning as a general man- ward Patrick Kane, who broke his collarbone in “This season has felt like three years to Victory in Shanghai marked an incredi- The Ottawa Senators put together a late-sea- ager, will get a chance to topple his former team, February, was cleared this week to return for the me,” he said, referring to surgery for a blad- ble turnaround for the 18-year-old son surge behind the storybook play of goalie which is appearing in the playoffs for a 24th con- series opener. The Vancouver Canucks and der problem in December and a sprained Tuktamysheva, who failed to make the Andrew Hammond, earning a wild-card playoff secutive year. Calgary Flames both missed the playoffs last ankle that kept him from training until ear- Russian team for last year’s Olympics after a berth and a matchup with the rival Montreal The Minnesota Wild have been the best team year, but one is guaranteed to reach the second ly March. miserable season. Canadiens and Carey Price, the NHL’s top net- since goalie Devan Dubynk made his debut for round as they are set to meet in a series that is In Shanghai, Hanyu was unable to land a “I am full of emotion right now. This is an minder. the franchise in January, and will face the St. expected to be close. Each team won two of the single quad jump in his free skate, making amazing moment,” she said following the Two of the NHL’s best players will go head-to- Louis Blues in a matchup featuring a pair of four regular season games played against each only two rotations on a salchow attempt, win. US hopes will rest on female skaters head when Washington Capitals captain Alex teams built for the playoffs. The Chicago other, one on the road and one at home. before falling badly on a toeloop. Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner, fourth and Ovechkin, coming off a league-high 53-goal Blackawks, who last won a Stanley Cup in 2013, Winnipeg, Nashville, Ottawa, Washington and Hanyu-a hugely popular figure in skat- fifth respectively in Shanghai, and Jason campaign, faces New York Islanders counterpart will face the Nashville Predators, the same team the Islanders are the other five teams back in the ing-mad Japan-is joined by women’s World Brown who just missed out on a world John Tavares, who missed the league scoring they opened their Stanley Cup-winning playoff playoffs after missing out last year.