The NHLPA says the Calgary Flames cannot mandate its players wear protective foot and ankle equipment commonly known as "shotblockers." Flames general manager Jay Feaster instructed his players get fitted for the guards after Calgary captain Mark Giordano suffered a broken ankle and veteran forward Lee Stempniak broke his foot after being hit by pucks last month. Flames players have informed the Players Association they were strongly encouraged by Flames management to wear the shotblockers, but were told the equipment wasnt mandatory. However, Feaster says this is a mandatory team policy which may create a problem as such a policy could be viewed as a CBA violation. (CBA 30.3 Amendments -- The NHL and its Clubs shall not, during the term of this Agreement or any extension thereof, amend or modify the provisions (or portions thereof) of the League Rules or any of the Leagues Playing Rules in existence on the date of this Agreement that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player, without the prior written consent of the NHLPA which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The NHL shall furnish proposed amendments to and/or modifications of League Rules that affect any terms or conditions of employment of any Player upon the NHLPAs written request.) "No team can unilaterally make a piece of equipment mandatory," Mathieu Schneider, Special Assistant to NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr, told the Dreger Report. Equipment discussions and proposed changes are expected to funnel through the newly-formed equipment sub-committee before moving on to the joint competition committee and, ultimately, to the board for final approval. All Flames players are complying with managements policy and are currently wearing some form of additional foot protection. The NHLPA intends on reaching out to the NHL to discuss its concerns with Calgarys approach. While very sensitive to why the Flames are doing what they are doing, Schneider worries about "knee-jerk" reactions by NHL clubs and the potential for unintended consequence, such as another injury if teams are allowed to armor their players without going through the appropriate procedural steps. Schneider points toward the ongoing work being done between the league and PA on potential changes to shoulder pads as an example of how thorough the process of full-scale equipment changes has to be. Years ago, players opted for a much larger shoulder pad for added protection. Now, the focus is on developing a smaller and less damaging shoulder pad, in hindsight, correcting an issue that was created by good intentions and in the spirit of safety. Air Max 720 Sortie . We wonder if the price of a Roberts rookie card has at least gone up a few cents? Tribute Tweets #Padres Tony Gwynn had 287 career plate appearances against #Braves trio of Maddux, Glavine, & Smoltz, he hit . Air Max 720 Pas Cher En Ligne . Julien coached the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championship in 2010-11 and is the longest serving coach in consecutive seasons in the teams history. Claude is one of the top coaches in the NHL and has consistently shown a passion for winning, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Sunday in announcing the signing. http://www.airmax720pascher.fr/ . -- Michael Phelps is 0 for 1 in his comeback to the pool. Air Max 720 Pas Cher Chine ." Those traits were clear to the 24,071 at Olympic Stadium on Saturday as the Impact dominated the scoring chances but settled for a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls in a battle of still-winless Major League Soccer teams. Air Max 720 Acheter . -- Aaron Rodgers looked fine on the practice field Thursday.The NHLs Mar. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out todays trade-related reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates. Any Takers? TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported on RDS Thursday that Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has informed the other 29 NHL teams that winger Rene Bourque is available. Bourque has two more years left on his contract at a cap hit of $3.3 million per season. Green Means Go? According to Mike Wise of The Washington Post, it may be time for the Washington Capitals to move defenceman Mike Green. Wise says Green could still bring the Capitals something good in return, maybe even a veteran tough guy or a defensive defenceman for a change. According to Wise, it may take several trades, but seeing as how Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are understandably untouchable, Green is the one who can bring the most back now.dddddddddddd For both parties involved, he adds that Green should be moved for the right player or players as soon as George McPhee can get it done. On An Island Arthur Staple of New York Newsday writes that Thomas Vanek said he understands that the New York Islanders need to know in the next week or two whether hes open to signing with them long term. He also understands that if he cant give an answer or doesnt like a contract offer, the Islanders may trade him by the Mar. 5 deadline. Vanek said even if hes traded, hed consider signing with the Islanders if he hits the open market on July 1. Forward Motion Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports that the Phoinex Coyotes are on the lookout for help. The return of Zbynek Michalek has pretty much crossed a defenceman off general manager Don Maloneys wish list and directed all of his attention to finding offence. "I dont want to trade a forward for another forward," Maloney said. "Youre always looking to upgrade, but were looking to add instead of give a forward to get a forward." ' ' '