VANCOUVER -- Losing some of its top executives leaves Hockey Canada with some big skates to fill. But Canada has the depth of talent to remain a winner on the international stage, says the man who coached the mens team to back-to-back Olympic gold medals. "I am really confident," Detroit Red Wing coach Mike Babcock said Monday. "The group at Hockey Canada have done great things and have lots of different people. "Thats part of it. Different people get opportunities. They grow from it and they move on. A new group will get an opportunity and thats great." Steve Yzerman, Team Canadas executive director at the last two Winter Olympics, has already said he will not lead the team at the 2018 Games at Pyeongchang, South Korea. Bob Nicholson, who spent 16 years as president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada, stepped down in May to take a job overseeing business operations for the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL. Under Nicholson, Canadian hockey teams won seven Olympic gold medals. Brad Pascall, Hockey Canadas vice-president of hockey operations and national teams, has joined the NHLs Calgary Flames as an assistant general manager. Yzerman said Nickolson always stressed that Hockey Canadas role was to develop people for the next level. "Not only for players, but also for coaches, for managers, for all people," said Yzerman, the former Detroit star who is now general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. "I think Bobs great legacy at Hockey Canada is the structure he set up and the mentality of what we are trying to do in Canada with hockey. Great people will fill those shoes. With Bob Nicholson, those are big skates to fill. But I have no doubt there are tremendous people in this country with a passion and drive. The program will continue to succeed." Babcock and Yzerman were in Vancouver as part of the Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic. A Monday night gala paid tribute to the 2014 Order of Hockey Canada honourees coach Clare Drake, player France St-Louis and Yzerman. Also attending were members of the Olympic champion mens team, the womens team that won gold at the Sochi Olympics in Russia and the team that won the womens under-18 championship in Budapest. Babcock said Canada can be proud of its Olympic success but must continue to work hard if the country hopes to remain on top of the podium in four years. "You take a lot of pride in being the best," he said. "In order to be the best you have to find the best to win. "Were going to have to continue to grow our game over the next four years. If you want to have success at the next Olympics, 2014s effort wont be good enough to win the next one. We have to keep getting better." The NHL hasnt committed to sending its players to the 2018 Games. Among the leagues concerns are a 12-hour difference between Pyeongchang and the Eastern Time Zone, taking a break in the middle of the regular season, and the danger of players being injured. Sidney Crosby, the Canadas captain in Sochi, understands the problems but still thinks the Olympics are worth the effort. "I go back to my two experiences," said Crosby, who scored the Olympic winning goal in overtime in 2010 in Vancouver. "They were pretty good. "To think of all the things that had to happen to make them work, especially in Russia, it would be a similar case, maybe even a little more difficult the next one. Like I said, representing your country and to have those opportunities, I dont think that ever gets old, no matter what the situation. As a player, you want to be part of that." As a possible alternative to the Olympics, the NHL is discussing with the NHL Players Association about holding a World Cup of Hockey tournament in 2016. Yzerman said a World Cup has the potential to gain the same prestige as an Olympics. "It will take some time," he said. "The Olympics have been around for a long time on the world stage. If done right, I can see it being really successful." Babcock said the Olympics "are so special" because they are watched by people who are not even hockey fans. "My mom never watches sports but she watches the Olympics Games," he said. "People who are not interested in sport still follow it. "I think its the greatest opportunity, best-on-best, to celebrate the sport. Its something you want to be part of and you want other people to be part of. Its a thrill of a lifetime." All three people named to the Order of Hockey in Canada were recognized for their contributions to the game. Yzerman played 22 seasons in the NHL and played for Team Canada eight times, including at two Winter Olympics. As a member of Canadas national womens team St-Louis won five world championships and a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics. In 28 seasons as head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears Drake led his teams to six national championships and 17 Canada West titles. Babcock compared Drake to legendary NCAA basketball coach John Wooden. "He is one of the builders of hockey in Canada," said Babcock. "Clare is a gentleman who shared everything he had. He tried to make us all better. "He led the way so guys like myself, who werent NHL players, could one day coach in the NHL." Cheap Sports Jerseys .The Hamilton Tiger-Cat defensive back always has the required receipt. But he also walks around with a tangle of metal screws, rods and plates after breaking his neck in 2006 playing high school football in Louisiana. Fake Sports Jerseys . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena. https://www.discountsportsjerseyscheap.com/. The second-ranked Jayhawks will play the Miners of Texas-El Paso at Imperial Arena in the Bahamas. The game can be seen live on TSN2 starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. Discount Sports Jerseys . -- Colin Kaepernick insists he just happened to pull on a pair of socks with dollar bill prints all over them Wednesday morning -- before he learned he had struck a new fortune with the San Francisco 49ers. Clearance Sports Jerseys . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive.LONDON -- A rejuvenated Mesut Ozil helped Arsenal secure a place in the FA Cup semifinals for the first time since 2009 while Manchester United eased past West Bromwich 3-0 to keep alive its faint top-four hopes in the Premier League on Saturday. Arsenal beat Everton 4-1 at Emirates Stadium to become the first team through to the last four, with substitute Olivier Giroud scoring two of the hosts three goals in the final 22 minutes. Yet it was the display of Ozil that stood out, the Germany playmaker responding to criticism of his lacklustre recent performances by scoring the opening goal in the seventh minute, setting up Girouds second and working tirelessly for the team. "Physically he looked regenerated, with more power in his runs," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "and, as well, what I liked is he did a lot of dirty work for a player like him." The other quarter-final matches are on Sunday. Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck scored for United at The Hawthorns to move the beleaguered champions up to sixth, provisionally nine points behind fourth-place Manchester City. It will need an almost-flawless run-in for United to finish in the Champions League positions but the result at least will boost confidence that dropped to a season low after losing 2-0 at Olympiakos in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match 11 days ago. "We were hurt after losing to Olympiakos and we wanted to come and show everyone were a good team," Rooney said. "We played with great energy and we always looked a threat." City, which plays defending champion Wigan in the FA Cup on Sunday in a repeat of the 2013 final, has two games in hand over United in the league. Jones headed United in front in the 34th minute from Robin van Persies free kick and an unmarked Rooney nodded in Rafaels crooss in the 65th to virtually secure three points.dddddddddddd Welbeck added a third in the 82nd as United climbed above Everton on goal difference. In one of four other Premier League games later, Chelsea can extend its lead to seven points by beating Tottenham. Arsenal has dropped off the pace in the Premier League title race by winning just one of its last four matches, and is unlikely to progress beyond the last 16 of the Champions League after a 2-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in their first leg. That means the FA Cup has become a priority for the Gunners, who are without a trophy since 2005, and it took the 61st-minute introduction of Giroud when the score was 1-1 to turn a tight contest against Everton. The France striker, on for inexperienced and ineffective compatriot Yaya Sanogo, gave Arsenal more presence up front to allow the teams attacking midfielders to shine. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was tripped by Gareth Barry for a penalty, which Mikel Arteta needed to convert twice - the first was ruled out for encroachment by Giroud, to give Arsenal a 68th-minute lead. Giroud sidefooted home Bacary Sagnas cross from close range in the 83rd and, after another flowing move, Ozil supplied a centre for Giroud to apply another simple finish two minutes later. Ozil has been criticized by English media in recent weeks while some Germany supporters directed their ire at the playmaker during the midweek friendly win over Chile. But he was impressive here, slotting home neatly from Santi Cazorlas pass to put Arsenal in front, only for Romelu Lukaku to equalize in the 32nd. Everton youngster Ross Barkley squandered a great chance for the visitors in the 54th minute and it was all Arsenal after Girouds introduction. "It was important for us to win today," Wenger said, "on the psychological front." ' ' '