ven after Lucroy nixed a deal to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.That, Stearns said, was a pretty good indication that teams wanted to connect and get back in ... We were really able

TORONTO -- Late in Team Europes exhibition victory over Sweden, Danish forward Frans Nielsen looked at his countrys flag on his sleeve and reflected. Clearance Custom Hockey Jerseys .Nielsen remembered the 200 times Denmark played Sweden and lost.We tried so many times, but theyre just too good, Nielsen said.But on a team that mixes players from Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Austria and Norway, Nielsen beamed with pride that he finally -- finally -- beat the Swedes. It didnt matter that it was a pre-tournament game with no points on the line because Team Europe now has a belief going into its World Cup of Hockey opener Saturday against the United States.Its fun to come to a tournament like this and feel like you have a chance to do something, Nielsen said.Coach Ralph Krueger, a Canadian who serves as chairman of the Southampton Football Club, calls it the magic of Team Europe, the only one at the World Cup that wont have an anthem played before its games. Critics have complained that mashing together leftover European players is too gimmicky a concept, but the group together makes the World Cup far more competitive than if individual countries had to go up against titans like Canada and Sweden.Anze Kopitar is the only NHL player from Slovenia and knows his national team couldnt win a tournament like this. Slovakia has enjoyed some international success, but in a best-on-best competition, it cant hold up as well, and neither can most of the other countries.Together, its different.You dont feel like a complete underdog where youre going to be outshot 50-10 and your goalie needs to make numerous saves in order for you to have a chance to win a game, Danish forward Jannik Hansen said. You feel like the playing field is leveled a little bit because now you have the depth that is always lacking when you play these teams.Slovak goaltender Jaroslav Halak wont be counted on to be a hero. Halak stopped 34 of 36 shots against Sweden and could see a similar workload against the U.S.Hell have help because Europe is deep up front with playmakers Marian Gaborik and Thomas Vanek, all-around winger Marian Hossa and speedster Mats Zuccarello. Big Zdeno Chara and underappreciated Roman Josi anchor the defense, which will be tasked with stopping Patrick Kane and the Americans.Krueger believes it was good for his team to get whacked a couple of times by North America to shake off some summer sluggishness, break bad habits and prepare for the U.S.It was the best thing for us, he said.That is, until Europe scored five goals to chase The King, Henrik Lundqvist, and beat Sweden on Wednesday in Washington. Beyond giving Nielsen a sense of relief, that win was a major boost.Its just another step we took in the right direction, defenseman Christian Ehrhoff said. Playing a good team in Team Sweden and beating them, it gives us confidence and it shows that we are not just here to show up and lose.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno . Custom Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Custom Colorado Avalanche Jerseys . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. http://www.customjerseyshockey.com/custo...rseys-359b.html . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. MILWAUKEE -- The future started Tuesday for the Milwaukee Brewers.A day after dealing All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy and their top two relievers, the rebuilding Brewers called up their top prospect, shortstop Orlando Arcia, from Triple-A Colorado Springs.He will make his major league debut in San Diego against the Padres on Tuesday night. Arcia will start at short, pushing major league stolen base leader Jonathan Villar to third.Milwaukee dealt away a fan favorite in Lucroy and closer Jeremy Jeffress to Texas on Monday. But the franchise could have the first piece of its future core in the majors in Arcia.The over-arching goal for general manager David Stearns was to acquire top-flight prospects who could emerge to join Arcia in building a consistent winner. In that respect, there is no timetable yet for a renovation process that started a year ago.I dont know if we necessarily pick out finite milestones, Stearns said when asked if the latest deals moved the Brewers closer to the next phase of rebuilding.But the key is stacking solid decisions atop of solid decisions to become a consistent winner again, Stearns said Monday. We believe that todays decisions will help us get there.The arrival of Arcia could, too.The 21-year-old Venezuelan was hitting .267 with eight homers and 53 RBI in 100 games in his first season at Triple-A. He has 15 steals and been caught eight times. Arcia is a .282 career hitter in the minors.At 47-57 after a 7-3 loss Monday night in San Diego, the Brewers have played rrespectably for a team not expected to contend in the top-heavy NL Central. Custom Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys. ucroys club-friendly contract and solid all-around game made him an especially valuable trade target all season. Stearns said his cellphone kept buzzing even after Lucroy nixed a deal to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.That, Stearns said, was a pretty good indication that teams wanted to connect and get back in ... We were really able to jump right in where we left off.The Brewers got back two top prospects from the Rangers in outfielder Lewis Brinson and pitcher Luis Ortiz, along with a player to be named later.The key in dealing left-handed reliever Will Smith to the Giants was getting back 21-year-old right hander Phil Bickford. Milwaukee also received catcher Andrew Susac, who was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs.Still unclear is how much more shuffling is left to do among the veterans, most notably the future of outfielder Ryan Braun. Hes in the first year of a five-year, $105 million extension signed in 2011 that links him to the club through 2020.Villar and first baseman Chris Carter could also draw attention from other clubs.Stearns has been careful not to offer even a hint of a timeline. Hes the former assistant GM of the Houston Astros, which has had its own rise from also-ran to contender in recent years, infused with young talent like Carlos Correa and George Springer. ' ' '