ASS News » seat in the locker-room to allow Daniel Alfredsson

OTTAWA - This was one time Clarke MacArthur didnt mind being sent to the corner.The Ottawa Senators winger was relegated to a corner seat in the locker-room to allow Daniel Alfredsson to return to his regular stall one last time.Alfredsson announced his retirement Thursday morning, but will take part in the Senators warm-up prior to the game against the New York Islanders after signing a one-day ceremonial contract. Alfredsson will also take a ceremonial faceoff.Im more than happy to be put in the corner here, said MacArthur laughing. Theres going to be a lot of jitters. Im already nervous. I dont know why as it has nothing to do with me, but its going to be a big night. It will be pretty cool and he can have my spot on the wing too for warm up if he wants.The Senators slightly altered their game-day routine to allow the entire team to be present for Alfredssons announcement.Being a part of it, in Ottawa, this is where he belongs, said Chris Neil, who played 11 seasons with Alfredsson. If it happened in Detroit it just wouldnt be the same.Longtime friend and teammate Chris Phillips felt it was important for the players to take part and show support for Alfredsson in what will be an emotional day.We wanted to be there, said Phillips. Im sure he appreciated seeing us there. Its a big event, not only for the guys that played with him, but for the team and the organization and for us to be there and represent that.Phillips said it will be strange to warm up in front of a packed crowd and hadnt yet decided whether or not he would alter his own routine and stay out a little longer to take in the experience.Phillips said the time leading up to the game will be meaningful as they know the significance this will hold for Alfredsson.It will be fun before the game to see him sitting there (in his old stall), said Phillips. It will be kind of a different routine from the normal and then having him back here will be a lot of fun for all of us.Neil anticipates the warm-up being special for everyone involved.I cant even imagine what its going to be like, Neil said. Its going to be overwhelming, just talking about it sends goose bumps down your back. To watch the fans and how they react with him is going to be unbelievable.Captain Erik Karlsson disputed the notion that the warm-up could pose a distraction to the actual game.I think everything thats going to go on today will be a lot of fun. Its something that everyone wants to be a part of and all we can do is try and soak it in as much as we can and still get ready for the game, he said. Were all professionals and it shouldnt affect the outcome of the game.Karlsson and Alfredsson became extremely close in the four years they played together and Karlsson anticipates the magnitude of the event could get the best of his mentor.It will be fun for him and hell enjoy every moment of it and it will be a very special night, said Karlsson. I might (get emotional) too. I think tonight hes going to let it go a little bit. His emotions will probably be a little more visual than they were this morning.Notes: Craig Anderson will get the start for the Senators. Andrew Hammond will back-up Anderson as Robin Lehner is dealing with a minor aggravation. Bobby Ryan (broken finger) will be a game-time decision. Senators coach Paul MacLean said D Marc Methot should be available for the warm-up and would be a game-time decision. However the Senators would need to make a roster move to make room for Methot. Marcelo Real Madrid Jersey . - The infectious smile was missing from Nam Nguyen last week. Casemiro Real Madrid Jersey . Head of clinic Josef Obrist tells the Austria Press Agency on Thursday that Morgenstern "is doing surprisingly well. ... He still has a memory gap but thats nothing unusual." Morgenstern has moved to a rehabilitation clinic in Klagenfurt for further recovery. http://www.realmadridfcprohop.us/Sergio-Ramos-Real-Madrid-Jersey/ . Sections of the British media reported Friday that Brooklyn Beckham, the son of United great David, was invited to a training session at the club on Thursday. Raphael Varane Real Madrid Jersey . Inter Milan ended its five-match winless streak in all competitions by beating 10-man Bologna 3-1 on new manager Claudio Ranieris debut, while injury-plagued AC Milan edged Cesena 1-0 with an early goal from Clarence Seedorf. Keylor Navas Real Madrid Jersey . -- Brendan Leipsic had two goals and an assist and Nicolas Petan extended his point streak to 11 games as the Portland Winterhawks slipped past the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action.HOUSTON -- James Harden was out with a thumb injury, and then Dwight Howard got off to a slow start. It sure looked as if it was going to be a long night for the Houston Rockets. Then everything changed in the third quarter. Howard got back on track and a pair of role players stepped up to help Houston rally for a 97-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. The Rockets trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half before scoring 33 in the third to go on top. San Antonio used an 11-3 spurt to pull within two in the final minutes, but Howard and Jeremy Lin helped Houston hold on for the win. "We just kept grinding it out," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We changed a couple of things defensively and the guys kind of dug in and got stops." Howard had 23 points and 16 rebounds for Houston, which enjoyed a 55-39 advantage on the glass. Terrence Jones scored 21 points and Lin added 18 points and eight assists while starting in Hardens spot. Harden, who leads the team with 23.7 points a game, was out with a bruised left thumb. "I know I missed a lot of shots early," Howard said. "I didnt lose focus. I got a little frustrated because I wanted to make those shots, especially against Tim (Duncan). But I just tried to stick with it and show the team that no matter what Im going to battle." Boris Diaw scored a season-high 22 points for the Spurs, and he also had 11 rebounds. Tony Parker added 17 points and Duncan had 12 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Houston was clinging to a 90-88 lead with less than two minutes left when Howard had a dunk and Lin made a jumper. Duncan had a layup on the other end, but Lin sunk a pair of free throws to secure the victory. Houston has won all three meetings with the Southwest Division-leading Spurs to secure the season series for the first time since 1996-97. They have one scheduled game left on April 14 in Houston. San Antonios 90-point performance ended a streak of 15 straight games with at least 100 points and sent the Spurs to consecutive losses for the first time this season. The last time they were held below 100 was a 111-98 loss to Houston on Christmas Day. The Spurs got within six on a hook shot by Diaw early in the fourth quarter. Lin then scored five quick points to extend Houstons lead to 81-70.dddddddddddd Houston was up by four points with four minutes left in the third quarter when San Antonio resorted to the "Hack-a-Howard" defence, fouling the centre every time the Rockets got the ball. Howard made 13 of 25 foul shots on the night, leaving him at 52.2 per cent from the line for the season. "I figured they were going to do it," he said. "Im just glad I made most of them." Duncan lamented that the tactic backfired for the Spurs. "Thats what he had to do to get us out of it," Duncan said. "He made free throws and he hurt us with them." The Spurs employed the strategy on eight straight possessions, with Howard making 10 foul shots while they had six points as Houston extended its lead to 70-62. Diaw made a jump shot at the end of the third quarter to cut Houstons lead to 72-64 entering the fourth. The Rockets opened the second half with an 11-2 run, capped by a two-handed dunk by Howard, to take their first lead of the game at 50-48. Lin started the run with a 3-pointer and also had two free throws in the surge. Manu Ginobili made four free throws for San Antonio before Houston scored six straight points to take a 56-52 lead. Ginobili and Chandler Parsons then exchanged rim-rattling dunks in rapid succession. The 36-year-old Ginobili injured himself on his jam and was soon limping and holding his upper left leg. He remained in the game for a bit before walking off the court and into the locker room at the next timeout. The team said he had tightness in his left hamstring. He missed time earlier this month with the same problem. San Antonio led by 10 points in the second quarter before Howard made his first basket of the night after starting the game 0 for 8. The bucket was the first of five straight points for Howard with San Antonios only points in that stretch coming on a layup by Marco Belinelli, helping Houston close to 46-39 at halftime. Houston struggled early without Harden and San Antonio jumped to a 9-0 lead thanks to five points from Diaw. The Spurs pushed the lead to 21-6 with about five minutes left in the first. NOTES: Harden injured his thumb in Houstons last game at Memphis on Saturday. ... Diaw has scored at least 10 points 20 times this season. ' ' '