TORONTO -- LeBron James going home to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers led to speculation about whether a star NHL player might do the same in the near future. Naturally, Steven Stamkos was at the centre of that speculation. The Tampa Bay Lightning captain and Markham, Ont., native could be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2016, and the allure of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be there. "Well see what happens. Its a couple years away," Stamkos said Wednesday. "Right now Im focused on what I have to do to win in Tampa, and I think weve really established ourselves as a team that can compete in upcoming years. "For me, thats the important thing is getting a chance to win. It looks like were going to have that chance for a couple years." At the age of 24, Stamkos is one of the most marketable stars in the NHL. He has topped 50 goals in a season twice already and only missed out on representing Canada at the Sochi Olympics because of a broken leg. Stamkos made a run with the Lightning to the Eastern Conference final in 2011, and Tampa Bay was swept by the Montreal Canadiens in this years playoffs. The Stanley Cup is his priority now, something he can legitimately think about with general manager Steve Yzerman piecing together one of the best young teams in the league. "We have a good thing going down in Tampa," Stamkos said at a Coca-Cola ball-hockey promotional event. "We have a great owner, we got a great GM in Steve Yzerman and we got a good young team. I want to win, and hopefully I can do it in Tampa." Stamkos said with the additions of centre Brian Boyle and defenceman Anton Stralman and the re-signing of winger Ryan Callahan, the Lightning are probably better on paper than they were at the end of last season. "We didnt have the finish we wanted to last year, but with the new faces coming in, the expectations are probably set a little higher," he said. Stamkos said chatter about joining the Leafs in two years was "absolutely not" a distraction for him in Tampa, where hell begin his first full season as captain this fall. "I try not to focus about that stuff," he said. "I think thats the great thing about playing in Tampa is hockey isnt the mecca that it is here in Toronto and you can kind of go about your life and kind of get away from the game when you need to." That said, Stamkos added that he loves playing in good hockey markets, including Toronto. "Im from around here and grew up cheering for the Leafs, so any time I get a chance to come back here I enjoy it, and any time I get a chance to play against the Leafs its fun," he said. "Its also fun beating them, too, because a lot of my friends are still Leaf fans." Stamkos is set to make US$13.5 million over the next two seasons. What could be in his not-too-distant future is a contract like the ones Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane signed with the Chicago Blackhawks: $84 million over eight years. "The business part of the game, its growing," Stamkos said. "Obviously the games in good shape, and when that happens the caps going to grow and players are going to get paid more money. Those guys deserve it: Theyre great players in this league, theyve won championships. "Thats the goal for me is to win a championship. You let your play take care of itself on the ice and when its time to re-sign or sign a contract, you back it up with your play." When James left the Miami Heat for the Cavaliers earlier this month, the chance to return to his native Ohio was cited as a prominent reason. James won two NBA titles during his time with the Heat. "He won his championships, he said he always wanted to come home and play, thats where it started," Stamkos said. "Good for him for making that decision." 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City, fielding a depleted team having already qualified, was twice pegged back by the plucky Czech champions but substitute Negredo tapped home in the 78th minute and Dzekos header made sure of victory in the 89th. The result kept City three points behind Bayern Munich ahead of their meeting in Germany in two weeks.CINCINNATI - Eric Winston was wondering if hed play again in the NFL. A team that knows him quite well finally gave him a chance.The Bengals signed the right tackle to help fix one of their biggest trouble spots heading toward the post-season. Winston practiced with the Bengals on Wednesday after a rushed evening of trying to learn the playbook.The 31-year-old lineman was released by Seattle during the preseason and didnt get picked up by another team, leaving him to work out at his home in Houston and serve as president of the NFL Players Association.He was starting to think that hed never play again.I was wondering after week two if I was going to get a chance, Winston said Wednesday. You just stick it out, you stick through it. I promised myself that I was going to run this year out and stay shape and be ready and not give up. Im glad I did. Its given me a chance to be here now.Cincinnati (8-3-1) leads the AFC North by a game and a half and is in good shape at most positions, with one notable exception. The Bengals lost right tackle Andre Smith to a tore left triceps suffered two weeks ago during a win in Houston.Marshall Newhouse and Clint Boling alternated at the position during a 14-13 win at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Neither one played well enough to earn the job.Im not going to say its an evaluation mode, offensive co-ordinator Hue Jackson said. I know we have some candidates. Well go through the week and see what is going to give us the best opportunity to play at the highest level. We played a couple of guys there (in Tampa) and based on matchups this week well see whats best for us.Winston started at right tackle for five seasons in Houston and one each in Kansas City and Arizona. He had tryouts with several teams this season, including Minnesota last week. None offered a contract until the Bengals brought him in on Tuesday to see if he was in shape.Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has knowwn Winston since high school and has worked with him in the players union.dddddddddddd Coach Marvin Lewis knows him through his work on the NFLs Competition Committee.We always sat by each other, Lewis said. Im glad we were able to get him signed. He gives us an uplift. He gives us a guy that if called upon to play, he can do it at a high level.Winston spent several hours on Tuesday night trying to learn the offence. The blocking schemes arent much different than what hes experienced, but Cincinnatis terminology is new to him.Whitworth thinks he can help in other ways while he figures things out.The guys played a ton of football, Whitworth said. Hes got some insight on some of the players well probably play and situations that you play in. For now hes another guy that can help with those kinds of things. Anytime you have a guy like him who is a veteran and a leader, its another guy people can look up to for stuff.Winston said that resuming his career wont affect his work with the NFLPA.We have a good staff in Washington that does the day-to-day stuff, he said. If they need me, Im a phone call away. But my focus is here playing and making the push here for the playoffs.Notes: The Bengals signed free agent LB Chris Carter, a fourth-year veteran who played with Pittsburgh from 2011-13. He was waived by Pittsburgh after the preseason, signed with Indianapolis and played in one game, then was waived on Oct. 6. ... CB Adam Pacman Jones sat out practice Wednesday with a concussion. He was examined for a concussion during the win at Tampa but told the medical staff he had no problems. After the game, he told them he had a concussion. ... LB Vontaze Burfict sat out practice, an indication hell miss a sixth straight game following knee surgery. DE Robert Geathers (hip) and DT Domata Peko (elbow) also missed practice.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Discount Jerseys ' ' '
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