From Monday through Friday, youll find Akim Aliu on the ice training and practicing with the Ontario Hockey Leagues Mississauga Steelheads - staying in shape while waiting for the phone to ring. Vans Shoes Sale Uk . At 25, the second-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007 is still chasing the dream of playing in the NHL. His passion for the game remains strong - as strong as the responsibility he feels to create a more comfortable life for his mother Larissa and father Tai. They dedicated their lives to Akim his older brother Edward, and in Akims case, gave him the opportunity to play a sport they knew very little about. Alius most recent brush with the NHL came in the form of a tryout with the American Hockey Leagues Rochester Americans, the affiliate team for the Buffalo Sabres. Aliu scored three goals in his first three games with Rochester to start the season, but couldnt crack the lineup. He was released and remains in a place hes been before - hoping for a brighter future, but still haunted by his past. Born in Africa, Aliu spent most of the first 10 years of his life in Russia. With a masters degree in geology, his father moved the family to Canada in search of a better life. Their small family rented a one-room apartment in Toronto and supported by welfare, Tai Aliu delivered pizzas while both parents held down odd jobs to pay the bills. Hockey was foreign to this family, but they quickly recognized it was part of the Canadian way. While Akim didnt understand the game and couldnt speak a word of English, his father purchased a pair of skates at a garage sale (four sizes too big) to introduce his young son to the culture of the sports. By his own admission, Akim couldnt skate in his first month of house league in Parkdale. And yet a few months later, he led the league in scoring and the seed for a promising career had been planted. Aliu jumped from house league to AAA the following season, playing with future Montreal Canadiens star P.K. Subban on the North York Rangers. From there he moved on to the Toronto Marlies, joining forces with the likes of future NHLers John Tavares, Sam Gagner and Brendan Smith. Aliu remained with the Marlies until getting drafted into the OHL, sixth overall by the Windsor Spitfires. He was big, aggressive, had offensive talent and could play forward or defence. Aliu was on his way. I didnt grow up in this game, he explained. For me, everything was trial and error. But as I got older, I started to understand the discipline of the game. But Alius critics will say, he lacks discipline - and perhaps, he has in varying forms. Aliu admits that stemmed from his early days of talking back to coaches, missing curfew or being late for practices. Hes made mistakes and hes willing to own up to them all. That said, he isnt speaking out now to give excuses or seek pity either. He simply wants another chance to prove he can be the player some predicted he might be when he was highly-ranked for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Following a much-publicized hazing controversy in 2006 (where a 16-year-old Aliu refused to participate, resulting in a fight with Spitfires captain Steve Downie that ultimately led to both players getting traded, Windsor coach and GM Moe Mantha getting suspended and the Spitfires slapped with a $35,000 fine), things started to turn and for a while, the world was right. Aliu fit in well with his new team the Sudbury Wolves, scoring 20 goals and 42 points in his draft year. He was told he would be a first-round pick, perhaps as high as the Top 15. But that didnt happen. I sat there for three hours with my family and it was the most miserable three hours of my life, Aliu recalled. Its hard to explain how difficult it is to sit there and hear all of the names called out, agonizingly waiting for mine. And the name Akim Aliu was called in the second round, 56th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. His fear that a tarnished reputation would take its toll became reality. Leading up to the draft, I kept hearing things about my character that simply werent true, he said. I felt helpless and kept trying to think of ways to get the message out. Aliu admits it took years to get over his draft day disappointment and he has regrets about what followed that fateful day. As a 20-year old in Chicagos system and playing in Rockford under head coach Bill Peters, he said he felt the pressure of Chicagos younger first rounders gaining the edge. Aliu could feel his stock dropping and didnt handle it well. I didnt know how to deal with coaches, he explained. I wasnt good at taking criticism. I thought I was doing everything right and everyone else was wrong. Following the departure of Dale Tallon and Rick Dudley from the Blackhawks organization, things spiralled further down for Aliu. He would rejoin Dudley in Atlanta, but the Thrashers soon became the Winnipeg Jets and his opportunity faded again. He eventually made his way to Calgary, where then-Flames GM Jay Feaster was intrigued by his size and skill. Aliu made his NHL debut in April of 2012 and in just his second game with the Flames, scored two goals in a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. His play earned him a one-year contract for 2012-13, but it took a hit because of a lockout-shortened season and significant injuries that required surgeries on both his wrist and ankle. Yet another speed bump on his path to the NHL. There are a number of reasons for Aliu to abandon his dream, but hes far from doing that. Hes had offers and opportunities to return to Europe or join former NHLers in the KHL, but hes not ready to do that either. He believes there has to be a spot for a Dustin Byfuglien-type player - capable of playing forward or defence - and that he can be a role model for kids growing up with little money and facing some of the difficulties he faced himself - and is still trying to overcome. Akim Aliu believes. Now he just needs to find someone in the NHL who believes in him. Cheap Vans Shoes Uk .com) - Jimmy Butler made four key free throws down the stretch to lift the Chicago Bulls over the Boston Celtics, 109-102, on Friday. Vans Outlet Uk Online .Heres Ralph the Dog with the crew here at TSN jumping into the James Duthie TradeCentre selfie: Happy to drop by! RT @TSN_Sports: @tsnjamesduthie: Take this Ellen. http://www.discountvansuk.com/ . DeGrom outpitched Jake Peavy in a tantalizing hitless duel that carried into the seventh inning Saturday night before the New York Mets broke loose and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2. TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs stood pat Wednesday, deciding that the cost to make a move on trade deadline day was too much. "We would have been hurting ourselves long-term and we werent prepared to do that," Dave Nonis, Torontos senior vice-president and general manager, told reporters. Nonis, who said he made plenty of calls to test the waters, said the asking prices were high and the talent on offer limited. The sense he got was there might be more movement come the summer. "There wasnt a lot available in general," he said. "I think deals that changed the look of your team seemed to happen at the draft." Nonis acknowledged that his team had been up and down, putting the onus on the Leafs to return to their winning ways before the Olympic break. "If we do, we should be fine. And if we dont, then were going to have some difficulties," he said. "But its not a bad team. I think weve got a good core group. Were very young still." Nonis said he did get trade inquiries, pointing to younger players like rookie defenceman Morgan Rielly -- who turns 20 on Sunday. "Morgan Riellys easy to move today. But it doesnt makes sense to us." He said the team could have got some "pretty good high picks" for some of its players facing unrestricted free agency this summer. One of thoose is forward Dave Bolland, who is recovering from a tendon injury. Cheap Vans Shoes Wholesale. There is no time frame on his return, with Nonis saying some movement was still causing him discomfort. "Its going to take however long it takes. Im hopeful and confident that hell be back this year," said Nonis. Bolland had surgery after being checked into the board by Zack Kassian in a 4-0 loss in Vancouver on Nov. 2. Asked about taking on other teams unrestricted free agents via trade, Nonis said either the price was too high or he felt the Leafs already had comparable players. "Why pay a price for nothing? Asked how close the Leafs were to being a Stanley Cup contender, Nonis said the salary cap has changed the NHL landscape so that anyone who gets into the post-season has a chance to win it all. "Are there favourites? No question, Would I put ourselves in as a favourite? No. But I think you saw in the last year we were pretty close to moving on." Toronto, which took Boston to seven games in the first round of last seasons playoffs, was 32-23-8 going into Wednesday nights game in New York against the Rangers. Other Leafs who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents after the season are forwards Nikolai Kulemin, Jay McClement, Mason Raymond and Troy Bodie, and defenceman Paul Ranger. ' ' '