There will be no Jason Spezza or John Tavares to boost Canadas lineup at this years Spengler Cup. Gary Payton Thunder Jersey . A 24-man roster released Sunday has Canada back to using permanent European league players, plus two American Hockey League additions, for the Dec. 26-Jan. 1 tournament in Davos, Switzerand. Canada sent a stacked team to last years event thanks to the NHL lockout. They pounded host HC Davos 7-2 in the final to win the worlds oldest international pro hockey tournament for a 12th time. Spezza, Tavares, Patrice Bergeron, Matt Duchene, Sam Gagner, Tyler Seguin, Ryan Smyth, Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier are all back in the NHL this time. But they will still have seven players back from 2012, including defencemen Geoff Kinrade, Micki DuPont, Maxim Noreau, Derrick Walser and Travis Roche, plus forwards Brett McLean and Byron Ritchie. "We think well be a good skating team with a lot of offensive prowess," said Hockey Canada vice-president of hockey operations Brad Pascall. "Last year, we had a good team overall, but we lost the first game against a German club team. "It wasnt a cakewalk. But as it went on, we dominated because Canadians want to win every tournament theyre in and because we had players from the lockout." Canada is in a three-team group with HC Davos and the Vitkovice Steel of the Czech league and will play its first game Dec. 26 against the Steel. The other group has Swiss club Servette Geneva, which is boosted by goalie Robert Mayer from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, as well as CSKA Moscow and the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The Americans were invited to the event for a second time after finishing third in 1996. Former NHL player Doug Shedden, who coaches EV Zug of the Swiss league, is back as Canadas head coach for a second year. He helped select the team along with Pascall and two NHL assistant general managers — Craig Heisinger of the Winnipeg Jets and Brad Treliving of the Phoenix Coyotes. Canada will have a national team in the tournament for a 30th straight year. For fans watching on TV at home, it is a chance to see mostly European club teams in gaudy gear plastered with advertising battle on the international ice surface at the Vaillant Arena in scenic Davos in the Swiss Alps. Its also a chance to catch up with several former NHL players now skating in Europe. Among them are goalie Chris Mason, defencemen Walser, Jim Vandermeer and Joel Kwiatkowski and forwards Ritchie, Anthony Stewart and Glen Metropolit. "Its special for the players who are there with their families," said Pascall. "Theyre away in a different country and this is a chance to spend a week with other Canadians and celebrate Canada." Also on the squad are former Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Allen York, who has been bouncing around the AHL and ECHL this season, and forward Alexandre Bolduc of the AHL Chicago Wolves. Others on the team include rearguards Travis Ehrhardt and Brendan Bell and forwards Colby Genoway, Alexandre Giroux, Brett McLean, Ahren Spylo, Jason Williams, Ryan MacMurchy, Darren Haydar, Jacob Mikflikier and Eric Beaudoin. Mason plays in Italy, Ehrhardt in Norway and Haydar in Germany, but all the other Europrean-based players are from the Swiss league. Canada won the first time it entered the Spengler Cup in 1984 and had a stretch of four wins in a row from 1995 to 1998. The win last year ended a four-year drought, although they have been in the final in 10 of the last 12 years. The first Spengler Cup was played in 1923 and HC Davos, whose lineup includes Swiss national team veterans Andres Ambuhl and Reto Von Arx, has won 15 times. Abdel Nader Jersey .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Kevin Durant Thunder Jersey .J. -- The New Jersey Devils are so bad in shootouts, coach Pete DeBoer doesnt mind seeing his team take chances in the five-minute overtime. https://www.thunderrookiesshop.com/Devon-Hall-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Founding members of the Genie Army, a group of Eugenie Bouchard supporters who cheered for the rising tennis star during the Australian Open in January, will be in the city for the Rogers Cup, beginning this weekend.TORONTO -- Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista has defended his failed attempt to steal third Friday night, saying he was just trying to get something going. With the Jays trailing Boston 5-0 with one out in the fourth inning, Bautista doubled. But after Edwin Encarnacion walked, Bautista was caught trying to steal third. Dioner Navarro then popped up to end the Toronto threat. The Red Sox went on to win 8-1, with Boston starter Jake Peavey calling the failed Bautista steal "a shot in the arm for us." Asked what Bautista was thinking by trying to take third, Toronto manager John Gibbons replied: "Ive got no idea. Its not smart winning baseball. Im sure he wont do it again." Bautistas explanation Saturday was that he was saw an opportunity to improve his teams position. "I thought it was a great chance to get two guys in scoring positioon, even though we were down 5-0," he said. Dennis Schroder Jersey. "Obviously, the only thing I regret is that I didnt make it. "But the pitcher was being slow to the plate. I thought I had a pretty good idea that the pitch was going to be a breaking ball, and I also know that the catchers not the best catch-and-throw catcher in the league. Maybe my lead wasnt that big. Maybe I didnt get off to a great running start. But I thought it was a great opportunity for us to get two runners in scoring position with less than two outs. Sometimes you take chances and it doesnt work out, and thats part of the game. "The only way you can make a mistake is if youre out there on the bases. It just didnt work out for us last night." Bautista clearly hoped Encarnacion might follow his lead on the bases, but said he did not have a chance to flash his teammate a sign. ' ' '