The puck drops for the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship on Boxing Day and while its still 112 days away, Canadas challenge remains the same - figuring out which players may or not be available to Team Canada because of potential spots available on NHL rosters. The challenge was certainly there during the gold medal years, but the spoils of victory demonstrated the enormous depth of talent Team Canada could draw upon. Now going five years without a gold medal - not to mention two consecutive years without any medal at all, five countries winning gold in the past six years and this years tournament on home ice - Hockey Canadas challenge isnt any easier. And the expectations remain as high as ever. Starting today and at the start of each month going into the 2015 tournament, TSN will examine candidates for Team Canada leading up to the selection camp in December. A roster of 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders will be tabled, along with other potential players who could challenge. And this list will certainly change as the season unfolds. The September edition allows us to look at all candidates prior to NHL training camp. For the initial roster, Jonathan Drouin is not listed because the belief that hell be in the NHL on Oct. 8 is very strong. Who are the other players Canada may be missing? As always, the players are ones that can have a significant impact on the team. Its one thing to understand who may be unavailable, but the challenge is actually identifying the players who can fill the void. First-overall NHL draft pick Aaron Ekblad will almost certainly be unavailable. Think back to the 2014 Mens Olympic Team when head coach Mike Babcock wanted balance between the left and right shots on the blue line. With the absence of Ekblad, that leaves one right shot defenceman - Madison Bowey - on the roster. Chris Bigras was on the World Junior Team last winter, but with the quality of players on the left side he may have to demonstrate a strong ability to play the right side. Jeremy Roy is a draft eligible player for next June - and is a very good player at that. His maturity is excellent and he may be able to challenge for a spot. Given that hes a right-handed shot, it could give this years team the balance theyre looking for. At forward, the potential for missing players is always at the top end of the lineup in terms of skill and impact. Possible returnees Sam Reinhart and Curtis Lazar lead the group and Max Domi was close to starting with the Phoenix Coyotes last season. Replacing Sam and Curtis is a significant challenge, because their impact has a wide-ranging effect. They can play all situations in the game, are versatile and can move throughout the lineup. Theyre also game changers and either one of them could be team captain. Meanwhile, Jake Virtanen is coming off shoulder surgery and his health may be a key factor in stepping into the void. He fits the bill of being a top-end talent with the skill to impact a game. The tricky part of the evaluation is identifying those players who can play outside their natural positions and contribute. Centre Robbi Fabbri had a fantastic playoff for the Guelph Storm and would be a leading candidate to step into a vacancy because hes shown a capability to play to his strengths - down the middle or on the wing. On the left side, Anthony Duclair is a tremendously talented player and when looking to replace a guy like Max Domi, it appears to be seamless with respect to his skill. Keep in mind that Sam Bennett and Connor McDavid have played alongside one another with great success, so this may be a natural fit. Brendan Lemieux brings a different element, but his ability to rise to the occasion in important games could see him fit in a different way - perhaps coming in from the bottom part of the roster as others push up. Canadas depth is strong, but replacing key performers is never easy. The expectations arent lower, but the task for the Team Canadas personnel is to form a team that meets those expectations - regardless of whos available or not. Curley Culp Titans Jersey . -- The Detroit Lions made it crystal clear to Golden Tate that he was their top target in free agency. A.J. Brown Youth Jersey . Costa Rica followed up its wins over Uruguay and Italy by holding England to a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday, enough to finish first in Group D. http://www.authentictitanspro.com/Bruce-...-titans-jersey/. Numbers Game looks at the As getting Jon Lester from Boston, sending Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox along with a deal involving the As and the Minnesota Twins. The Athletics Get: LHP Jon Lester, LF Jonny Gomes, OF Sam Fuld and cash. Derrick Henry Titans Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Corey Davis Youth Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers made it official Tuesday and signed pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract.MINNEAPOLIS -- Derek Jeter was a huge hit from the very start in his final All-Star game. Batting leadoff for the American League, the 40-year-old shortstop for the New York Yankees soaked in an ovation that lasted more than a minute at Target Field, then seized the moment Tuesday night by hitting a double. Jeter soon crossed the plate for the games first run. After three innings of action, he was ceremonially removed from his familiar position in the field to one more round of revering cheers as his mom, dad, sister and nephew watched from the stands. "Its been fun family time for us," Jeter said later. The double was one of Jeters classic, opposite-field line drives to right. He singled to right field in his next at-bat, too, raising his All-Star batting average to a robust .481 -- 13 hits in 27 at-bats. Thats the second-best of all time for players with 20 or more at-bats, behind Charlie Gehringer. OK, so maybe NL starter Adam Wainwright admitted he threw something juicy for Jeter to hit. "I was going to give him a couple pipe shots," the right-hander said. "He deserved it." Wainwright later said that he didnt want to take away from Jeters first inning hit. "It was mis-said," the pitcher said in a television interview. "I hope people realize Im not intentionally giving up hits out there." Jeter showed off in the field, too. In the top of the first, he made a slick, diving stop on Andrew McCutchens sharp groundball up the middle. Jeter got to his feet and fired an on-target throw to first base, but the fleet-footed McCutchen was too fast, beating it out for a leadoff single. McCutchen smiled and pointed at Jeter, who grinned back at the reigning NL MVP. The Yankees captain also had a few words for his teammates. AL manager John Farrell of Boston asked Jeter to speak to the players in the clubhouse before the game. "Just said a couple things," Jeter said. This was the 14th time Jeter was picked as an All-Star. Hes set to retire after this season. When Jeter stepped to the plate, the crowd gave him a 63-second ovation, prompting him to wave, nod and tip his helmet several times. Wainwright, who spoke the day before about how proud he would be to pitch to Jeter on this memorable occasion, backed up toward second base and left his glove on the mound so he could clap along with everyone else at the ballpark. "For him to do that meant a lot to me," Jeter said. With a wide smile, Jeter shouted a few words towward the St.dddddddddddd Louis ace, good-naturedly encouraging him to get the inning going. "Just saying, Dude, Im not going anywhere until this ovation is starting to die down," Wainwright said. "So he was telling me to go, and I just thought he deserved it." Fittingly, a recording of late Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppards famous monotone introduction was played as he walked up for his at-bat with thousands of smartphones snapping away in the seats: "Now batting, for the American League, from the New York Yankees, the shortstop, No. 2, Derek Jeter, No. 2." The tribute came right after a national television audience tuned to Fox saw a Nike commercial that featured the likes of Michael Jordan, Jay-Z and Rudolph Giuliani paying their respects to the captain. Right after that, he connected on the second pitch from Wainwright. "I didnt know he was going to hit a double, or I would have changed my mind on that," Wainwright said. "I thought he was going to hit something hard to the right side for a single or an out. I probably should have pitched him a little bit better." In the third, Jeter took Cincinnati ace Alfredo Simon to a full count before his single. Then, right before the fourth inning began, Jeter was taken out for Alexei Ramirez and the captain jogged off. With Frank Sinatras "New York, New York" playing on the stadium speakers, he waved to the crowd and exchanged hugs and handshakes in the AL dugout and then took a curtain call before the game resumed. Earlier in the day, Jeter was the first player to ride down the red carpet that was rolled out for downtown parade of the games greats, from their hotel to the ballpark about 10 blocks away. The hearty ovations started there, while Jeter rode with his parents and other family members, who came to Minneapolis for the event. "I think everyone WANTS it to sink in that this is my last," Jeter said in the clubhouse before batting practice, "but Im just trying to enjoy it while Im here and stop thinking about this is the last one." Commissioner Bud Selig said Major League Baseball has been discussing ways to formally honour Jeter as he enters the final few months of his career. "If you were sitting two decades ago and you said, Boy, this is a guy I want to be the face of baseball and be what this generation will remember, you couldnt have written a script like this," Selig said. "He is just remarkable."