Just 23, Tyler Ardron has big shoes to fill as Canadian rugby captain. Hans de Goede, Gareth Rees and Al Charron are just some of the rugby icons to lead Canada to battle. Other Canadian skippers of note include Mark Wyatt, Spence McTavish, John Graf and Mike James. More recently, Morgan Williams, Pat Riordan and Aaron Carpenter have captained Canada. Ardron, who has got congratulatory emails offering advice and support from many of those captains, really is the new kid on the block. "I know it is a great honour and its great to be able to follow up in those guys footsteps," said Ardron, who turned 23 on Monday. It speaks volumes that after being named captain, Ardrons thoughts were not about himself but of those who helped him along his rugby road. "Theres so many things that if they hadnt happened right, I wouldnt be here now," said the willowy back-row forward from Lakefield, Ont. With Carpenter transitioning to a new position -- from No. 8 to hooker -- Canadian coach Kieran Crowley opted for a new leader ahead of the June internationals. His choice was Ardron, who is coming off his first pro season in Wales with Ospreys. While young, with just 15 caps going into Saturdays Pacific Nations Cup match against the U.S. Eagles in Sacramento, Ardron is no stranger to leadership. He captained the McMaster University team, as well as Canada at the IRB Junior World Trophy. Ardron, who made his national team debut in June 2012, also led Canada twice in 2013 before Crowley made it permanent this year. "Hes a good player, he knows the game," said Crowley. "His year at Ospreys has really helped him. Hes even being brought into the leadership group in the Ospreys camp. So that just shows you what their opinion of him is. "I see him as a leader who could be a leader for Canada for a long time to come. Hes grounded, he has good character. Hes still obviously learning the whole leadership role of it but Ive been very impressed with him." The six-foot-four 242-pounder showed his commitment to the team last November in Tbilisi when Georgian flanker Vito Kolelishvili clotheslined Canadian fly half Liam Underwood. Ardron, who was captain on the day, confronted the Georgian and a brawl began, with several Canadians engulfed in packs of Georgia players. Almost every player on the field got involved, with several mini-clashes breaking out as Canadian trainers tended to the prone Underwood. Kolelishvili and Ardron were both red-carded when peace was restored. The Canadian forward escaped further sanctions because he did not throw a punch. Rees, currently manager of the national mens program, says Ardrons rugby story is one of a "meteoric rise." "For me one of the most important things with a captain is his name is one of the first on the team sheet, from the selection point, and it is in his case," said Rees, a member of the International Rugby Board Hall of Fame. "By no means a finished product in terms of captaincy but a really good head on his shoulders. Hes very open to using and engaging the other senior players which is something that I learned over my course (as captain) is really important." "A guy who cares about the jersey," said Charron, who like Rees played in four Rugby World Cups. Charron, no stranger to leading by example, likes what he sees on the field with Ardron. "Ive been impressed with his play," added Charron, Rugby Canadas manager of player advancement and alumni relations. Ardron grew up playing hockey, adding rugby in Grade 9. A centre in hockey, he played at the triple-A level and had dreams of playing in the OHL before focusing on university and rugby. He moved to Victoria during his third year at McMaster to take his rugby to the next level. He had already won sevens gold at the 2011 Pan American Games, a squad whose members continues to excel for Rugby Canada. This was the first season he hasnt played a sevens, due to his pro commitments with his Welsh club team. Ardron, who rooms with fellow Canadian Jeff Hassler in Wales, played 22 games for Ospreys in his debut season. "It went really well," he said. "Jeff made the dream (all-star) team of the league and played a ton. As a forward we had a lot more rotation but I still played well over 20 games and had a ton of game time." Nicknames are key on a team that includes five Jones, two Smiths and two named Thomas. There is more to life than rugby, however. Ardron continues his university studies in finance and economics online. An avid reader, he can see a future in real estate. With his growing club and international demands, it makes for a busy schedule but Ardron has no regrets. "Any time you take a step back and think if I had just done the normal thing and finished my degree, Id be sitting behind a desk probably now and wishing I was doing this. So Ive got plenty of time to do that when Im done. I think I just need to always keep that in mind and take a step back and look at it that way." Canada is ranked 16th in the world by the IRB while the U.S. is No. 18. Both teams are coming off earlier losses to Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup. Cheap MLB Jerseys Online . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Cheap Baseball Jerseys . You can watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 3pm et/Noon pt. The Thunder reclaimed the home-court advantage LA took with a Game 1 win on Friday night with a 118-112 road win in Game 3. http://www.mlbjerseyschina.com/. LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat. Wholesale MLB Jerseys China . Parmelee hit a game-ending shot in the ninth inning and the Minnesota Twins overcame David Ortizs big night to beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Tuesday. Cheap Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . The 34-year-old averaged 10.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 82 games played in 2013-14 with the Utah Jazz. Jefferson has averaged 14.5 points, 4.Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - The Charlotte Hornets used a dominant second quarter to crush the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-80 on Monday afternoon. The Hornets shot 12-of-22 from 3-point range overall to win for the seventh time in their last eight games. Gerald Henderson and P.J. Hairston each hit three triples, and Henderson led Charlotte with 17 points. Brian Roberts added 16 points and five assists for Charlotte, and the Hornets reserves outscored Minnesotas by a 52-31 margin. The Timberwolves lost for the second time in three games despite 18 points from Thaddeus Young. Andrew Wiggins added 12, but shot just 3-of-14 from the field. Final Score: Washington 111, Philadelphia 76 Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcin Gortat had 20 points to lead seven Washington Wizards who scored in double figures during a 111-76 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. The Wizards led the Martin Luther King Jr. Day game for the final 42 minutes and were ahead by double digits over the last 38 1/2. Kevin Seraphin scored 14 points off the bench and John Wall had 11 points and 10 assists for the Wizards, who have won seven of their last nine. Nene added 12 points while Paul Pierce, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter each scored 10. The Wizards shot better than 55 percent from the field, making half of their 14 3-pointers. They outrebounded the Sixers 53-30. Henry Sims led Philadelphia with 13 points. Jerami Grant scored 12 and Nerlens Noel had 11 with seven rebounds, three assists and four steals, but Michael Carter- Williams shot just 2-for-13 for seven points. The Sixers have lost four of their last five on the heels of a 3-1 stretch. Final Score: Atlanta 93, Detroit 82 Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Millsap and Mike Scott scored 20 points apiece and the sizzling Atlanta Hawks beat the Detroit Pistons 93-82 on Monday for their 13th consecutive win. Atlanta has won 27 of its last 29 games and is one victory shy of tying the longest winning streak in franchise history set in 1993. Al Horford, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, accounted for 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win. Greg Monroe had a big game in defeat, scoring 16 points and tying a career high with 20 rebounds. Fellow big man Andre Drummond totaled 13 points and 18 rebounds for Detroit. Final Score: LA Clippers 102, Boston 93 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - DeAndre Jordan scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked six shots to help the Los Angeles Clippers survive a late Boston Celtics rally in Mondays 102-93 win. The Clippers led by as many as 23 in the third quarter but allowed the Celtics to get as close as three late in the game before escaping with their third win in their last four games. Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with 22 points and the Clippers also received 16 points from both J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford. Boston fell for the fifth time in its last six games despite getting 59 points from its bench. Brandon Bass paced the Celtics with 17 points and Marcus Thornton chipped in 15 while shooting 3-of-6 from 3-point range. Marcus Smart scored 14 with four triples and seven assists, and Evan Turner contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds. Final Score: Golden State 122, Denver 79 Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Klay Thompson led five players in double figures with 22 points as Golden State pounded Denver by a 122-79 count on Monday. Stephen Curry went for 20 ppoints and eight assists for the Warriors, who have won two in a row since a 12-point loss in Oklahoma City over the weekend and improved to 10-1 in their last 11 outings.ddddddddddddShaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa each contributed 12 points and James Michael McAdoo had 11 in the rout as Golden State tied a franchise record with its 16th consecutive home victory. Ty Lawson netted 19 points and six rebounds for the Nuggets, who have dropped three straight games after winning five in a row. Jameer Nelson totaled 14 points and dished out five assists in defeat. Final Score: Dallas 103, Memphis 95 Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Monta Ellis scored 25 points and the Dallas Mavericks pulled away for a 103-95 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Dallas ended the game on a 14-4 run after Mike Conleys 3-pointer gave Memphis its first lead since the first quarter with 4:03 remaining. The Southwest Division-leading Grizzlies missed nine of their last 10 shots and had a four- game winning streak snapped. Dirk Nowitzki got eight of his 21 points in the game-ending run and Chandler Parsons scored 15 for the Mavericks, who pulled within a half-game of Memphis lead atop the division. Conley returned after missing two games with an ankle injury and scored 22 to lead the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol added 20 points and Zach Randolph scored 18 with 15 rebounds. Final Score: Houston 110, Indiana 98 Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - James Harden poured in a season-high 45 points to lead the Houston Rockets in a 110-98 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday. Harden scored 33 after halftime and was one point off his career high set back on Feb. 20, 2013 against Oklahoma City. Dwight Howard totaled 14 points and 17 rebounds, while Corey Brewer chipped in with 13 points off the bench for Houston. C.J. Miles and Donald Sloan went for 23 and 17 points, respectively, off the Indiana bench. The Pacers have dropped five straight games. Final Score: New York 99, New Orleans 92 New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Its over. Carmelo Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds as the New York Knicks snapped their franchise-record 16- game losing streak following a 99-92 victory over the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. The Pelicans trimmed a 15-point first half deficit to a point with under two minutes left when Tyreke Evans connected on a runner in the paint. Omer Asik was called for a foul with less than a second on the shot clock a bit later and with the time winding down again, Anthony found a wide open Jose Calderon in the right corner. 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