Die Anpflanzler [DA] » how the course will be

OTTAWA - For the second straight year the Ottawa Senators have lost their captain on the opening day of NHL free agency. The Senators traded Jason Spezza, who was coming off his first year as captain, to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday for winger Alex Chiasson along with prospects Alex Guptill, Nicholas Paul and a second-round pick in 2015. Ottawa prospect Ludwig Karlsson was also part of the trade. Last year the Senators bid farewell to longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson after he chose to sign with the Detroit Red Wings. News of Spezzas departure was much less shocking to Senators fans, as the 31-year-old had requested a trade following the end of the season. "It was a combination of things and the fact I have one year left on my deal," said Spezza, when asked for the reasons behind the trade request. "Only having one year left on my contract I thought it was fair talking to Bryan (Murray) now so we dont get into a situation next year where were always talking about if Im extending or why Im not extending or whats going on moving forward. "I felt like it was best for me to move on and this was the appropriate time to take care of all this through the summer so that I can have a fresh start during the season and move on and the team can move on as well." Senators general manager Bryan Murray acknowledged this was a very difficult deal to be made. "As I said all along you dont get equal value for a skilled point getter, but with the request being three or four times made to us, and in spite of what everybody else says we didnt encourage any movement, we were asked if it would happen," said Murray. "I didnt want to go through another summer of issues … Dallas was the one option that I had. Jim Nill was very straightforward in what he could offer me." Murray told reporters that a contract extension had been offered and refused by Spezza. He said three trade offers had been in play at the NHL draft last weekend, but disappeared as the days went by leaving the Dallas offer as the lone deal on the table. The Senators would like to add another centre to their lineup and Murray said hes working on a deal that he hopes to finalize soon. With Spezzas departure Murray sees the Senators forging a new identity and believes Chiasson will fit right in. "Weve always wanted to shift to a hard working, competitive team that we had two years ago and then last year for some reason we got off the track," said Murray. "Were going to try and get that back on track." Chiasson, who had 13 goals and 35 points with the Stars last season, is the centrepiece of the trade, but in no way will the 23-year-old replace Spezza. Love him or hate him, Spezza was a point-per-game player over his 11 seasons with the Senators. In 686 games Spezza scored 251 goals and had 687 points. Spezza is in the final year of his contract with a $7 million cap hit and $4 million in actual salary. Over the course of his career Spezza has often been a lightning rod for criticism, and things seemed to come to a head this season for the veteran centre. When asked whether or not he felt the criticism was fair, Spezza said it came with the responsibility of being a star player. "I was the highest paid guy on the team and the guy who had been there for a long time so fingers were pointed at me at times, but I also got credit at times," Spezza said. "When you play in a Canadian market and you play in a city like that and youre in the same spot for a long time if you expect not to have the finger pointing you have unrealistic expectations. So at times the finger was pointing at me, but it was the reality of the situation that I was in." Spezza said his decision didnt come lightly and that he will miss many things about Ottawa, but in the end he was looking for a team that would give him the best chance at winning a Stanley Cup. Fans will remember that Alfredsson uttered nearly the exact same words last year after signing with Detroit. With two of its top players bolting from the organization one has to wonder what effect this will have on the Senators reputation. Murray is clearly frustrated by the perception that Ottawa is being viewed as a frugal team thats not willing to spend. "Ive never had one player Ive called and asked if they would be interested in coming to Ottawa say No Im worried about the money on your team and I wouldnt come," said Murray. "Perception is what you make it to be and what you really believe to be true. I think players know they come here and are treated well." Despite losing Spezza and Alfredsson in the span of two years, Murray said the team wont be forced to go into a rebuild. "No, were past that," said Murray. "Were going to have a good hockey team. Were going to compete. We lose a little bit at centre ice, we gain a little bit on the wing, weve got a couple of young guys coming that are going to be a different brand of player…I think our team is going to be really competitive, hard working group of people. I think were going to be well off going forward." Joining Spezza in Dallas is Ales Hemsky, who turned down an offer from the Senators for a contract extension. Hemsky was acquired at the trade deadline and showed chemistry with Spezza, but knowing the captain wanted out left Hemsky with little reason to remain in Ottawa. Both players said they were looking forward to being reunited in Dallas. The Senators did re-sign left-wing Milan Michalek to a three-year, $12-million contract Tuesday. Murray said Michalek had been offered a five-year offer elsewhere, but chose to remain in Ottawa. 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Daley had a goal and an assist, Kari Lehtonen recorded his fifth shutout of the season, and the Stars clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with a 3-0 victory against the St.RIO DE JANEIRO - Like other delayed venues for the beleaguered Rio 2016 Olympics, work on the golf course has fallen behind schedule. But grass has been going down for several weeks at the course, which has created an upbeat mood as golf prepares to return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence. That changed Saturday when Rio organizers confirmed that a state prosecutor could halt work on the course unless the developer shows it is following environmental regulations and other requirements under Brazilian law. Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada confirmed the inquiry on Saturday and said developers had been asked to provide documentation that would allow the work to continue. "The state prosecutor is asking for the papers to show the work is proceeding according to the law," Andrada told The Associated Press. "We believe all the rules are being followed." Any delay would be another blow to Rios troubled Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has dispatched a special troubleshooter to accelerate Rios work, and recently IOC vice-president John Coates called Rios preparations were the "worst" in memory. Construction on the privately developed course, located about 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Rios famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, had been delayed by an on-going legal dispute over land ownership, protests by environmentalists centred on the loss of a wetland area, and teething problems for a sport new to Brazil. Plans call for the course to be public after the Olympics, although its being built in a luxury apartment development where units are selling for a minimum of $2.5 million with many priced much, much higher. In a recent interview with AP, American golf architect Gil Hanse said the course should be fully grassed by November, and could be playable midway through 2015. He said it would not be "tournament ready" until a few months before the games begin on Aug. 5, 2016. "I think we are as organized as we have ever been," he said. "Going forward we have to make sure we dont all of a sudden start to rush the finish work. Because ultimately the details of the finished surface are what players are going to see. You need to lavish lots of time and attention on the details of the finished surfaces." Hanse said a test event is likely before the Olympics, although Peter Dawson, head of the International Gollf Federation, suggested it might be difficult.dddddddddddd The course itself could be dwarfed by whats going up around it in Barra da Tijuca, the site for the Olympic Park and many games venues. Developers plan to build 160 luxury apartments in four 20-story towers overlooking the course. A key player in the project is Italy-born Pasquale Mauro, one of the largest landowners in the Barra area. The opulent marble and glass units — most from 266 square meters (2,850 square feet) to 648 square meters (6,975 square feet) — are selling for between $2.5 and $7 million with completion set for a year after the Olympics end. One building features a 1,308 square-meter (14,100 square feet) penthouse serviced by six elevators, two bedrooms for maids, and one master bedroom for the "governess." The development will have an Italian flavour — called Riserva Golf-Vista Mare Residenziale — and is billed in sales literature as "Rio de Janeiros most exclusive address." Among the amenities are squash and tennis courts, swimming pools in every building, a 50-meter outdoor pool, a golf simulator, ferry service across the lagoon to the sea, a dance studio, gym and a multi-purpose court for basketball or three-man soccer. "Besides the workout academy, there are five massage rooms and a martial arts room to help quell day-to-day tension," the sales literature says. A spokeswoman for the Rio city government, which is supervising the private-sector project, said the course would be public for 10 years after the Olympics. Its not clear how the course will be run after that. Hand-painted signs near the course suggest not everyone is happy. "Golf for Whom?" reads one. The course got other unwanted attention late last year when broad-snooted caimans that survive in a fetid lagoon nearby wandered on the course. The alligator-like creatures took refuge in ponds on the golf course, and are a common sight in the area where population growth has pushed them from a bordering mangrove swamp, which has been polluted with raw sewage from unplanned development in the area. "They seem to be happy to co-exist with us now," Hanse said of the wildlife. "The birds have been back in droves. Ive seen the alligators swimming around, but I actually havent run into them. Its our hope they find this an acceptable habitat." ' ' '