The Sharks have two games in hand on Vancouver while the Coyotes have three. Kevin

He played in 271 regular season games and 18 playoff games, winning three Grey Cups. He finished second in CFL history with 1,151 tackles and was named Most Outstanding Canadian back in 1999. These are the accomplishment of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers new head coach, and 30th in team history, Mike OShea. Pretty impressive, but does all that on-field success translate to a person ready to be a great head coach? Not really. Being a football coach and being a football player are in some ways polar opposites, both in terms of skill and ability. One is a performer and producer, the other is a teacher, organizer and motivater. But, what is tangible is transferring the experience of football success and failure as a player to your coaching career. Mike OShea has 20 years experience in this game and this style of game; 16 as a player and four as a special teams coach. It would take some serious biographical research to list all the players, head coaches, coordinators, positional coaches, and management types he has been around, observed, and in the end, learned from. Often but not always, we are products of our environment. If you put a person around enough good people, they learn what to do and, of even greater importance, what not to do. That is Mike OSheas greatest asset. Through experience, he knows what works and what doesnt because he has seen it all over the last 20 years. In many ways, this job was made for him. Sometimes people achieve positions of authority or success through nepotism or attrition; we have all had those moments of sublime internal conversation, asking "how the heck did he or she get that job?" But with OShea, the time is now and the timing is perfect . There have been enough moments of "been there, done that" in his experience that its now time to try something that he hasnt done yet. That is the nice and fluffy news; hear is the hard reality and truth: Winnipeg has a long way to go. Last year there were only two aspects of football they excelled in: surprisingly they finished last year third in red zone offence and second in red zone defence. But that was about it. On offence, they scored the fewest points in the league, just 20 per game. And on defence, they allowed the most, 32 per game. On offence, out of the top eight relevant statistical categories of success, the Bombers were eighth in seven of them and seventh in the other one. On defence, they faired a little better but seventh in net yards allowed and seventh in passing yards allowed rescinds any other positive aspect of defensive play. The single and most logical issue is ball security. Winnipeg gave the ball away 64 times last year, thats more than three times a game. Because of that, their critical giveaway/takeaway ratio was -27, eighth again in the CFL. A lot will depend on OShea and quarterback Drew Willy, but the pressure is also on General Manager Kyle Walters. Right now the Bombers do not have enough good players to compete for the Grey Cup. It is up to Walters to find those diamonds, or talents that others dont appreciate or want. Now not all is dome and gloom. The new stadium, the teams excellent fan base (second only to Saskatchewan), and a new direction headed by a new vision. And of course, the 2015 Grey Cup is in Winnipeg. Those are all environmental factors to build on. Still, ask anyone who has dedicated their profession to football and without good players, history, fan base, and facility mean little. So how will OShea do? A complete mystery is about to unfold. And it will be fascinating to watch because football is not an instantaneous success sport; quite the opposite. Its much more methodical and incremental. So time is a price to be paid and an element to be used. After the third season you, me and all that follow will see a pattern of success or frustration. It has been a long time since the city of Winnipeg has hoisted a Grey Cup, and it may take a little longer, especially with the Bombers back in the West (Thank you football Gods). Yet the first few bricks of building a winner have been put down and they are important ones, because the next ones to follow may be easier to find and develop based on the experiences of the main piece: Mike OShea. Austin Bryant Jersey . Hazard lasted just 18 minutes in Tuesdays contest before being substituted with the calf problem, and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes he will be without his star winger for at least the next two weeks. Kerryon Johnson Womens Jersey . -- Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday for the first time in his seven-year career because of a swollen muscle in his left upper back. http://www.lionsfanspro.com/Black-Kerryon-Johnson-Lions-Jersey.html?cat=955 .ca. Mr. Fraser, It looks like Martin Brodeur is coming back to play for the Blues. I was wondering if you have any great stories or fond memories of your time on the ice with Brodeur - in the NHL, or maybe even the Olympics. Jarrad Davis Youth 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. Jahlani Tavai Lions 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.The Winnipeg Jets open a two-game road trip tonight in Vancouver. Its a 7pm ct face off on TSN 1290 Radio and TSN Jets TV. Due to the 5pm local time start, neither team had a pregame skate this morning. This is the Jets lone appearance in Vancouver this season. The remaining two regular season games between these teams will be at MTS Centre. The (16-16-5) Jets are sixth in the Central Division with 37 points. They trail fifth-place Dallas by three points, and are one point ahead of seventh-place Nashville. The Stars have two games in hand on Winnipeg while the Predators have one. Winnipeg has two players, Andrew Ladd and Evander Kane, who are from British Columbia. Mark Scheifele is on a five-game point streak (three goals, four assists). Kane has two goals and two assists in his last three games. For just the second time this season, Bryan Little is without a point in two straight games after being held off the scoresheet Friday at home against Florida. Anthony Peluso is available to the Jets to play tonight after serving his three-game suspension. The (21-11-6) Canucks are fourth in the Pacific Division with 48 points. They trail third-place San Jose by two pointts and are four up on fifth-place Phoenix.dddddddddddd The Sharks have two games in hand on Vancouver while the Coyotes have three. Kevin Bieksa will play his 500th NHL game tonight. He is the lone Canuck to register a point in his last two consecutive games with two assists. Former Jet Mike Santorelli leads the Canucks at plus-14. 25-year-old defenceman Yannick Weber has four points (one goal, three assists) in four games lifetime against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise. There are eight current Canuck players that played with the AHLs Manitoba Moose: Jannik Hansen (129 games) Ryan Kesler (111 games), Alex Burrows (107 games), Kevin Bieksa (108 games), Jordan Schroeder (72 games), Eddie Lack (53 games), Alex Edler (51 games), and Chris Tanev (39 games). Lack and Tanev were on the last Moose team to play in the AHL before the NHL returned to Winnipeg. The Canucks have won their last five games in a row on home ice. Vancouver has the number one penalty kill in the NHL at 90 per cent. Following tonights game, the Jets fly to Edmonton and play their final game before the Christmas break tomorrow against the Oilers (8:30ct on TSN 1290 / TSN Jets). ' ' '