DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche shored up centre ice by signing Matt Duchene to a five-year, US$30-million contract extension Thursday. Duchene, 22, has 82 goals and 111 assists in 266 games with the Avalanche. Colorado selected centre Nathan MacKinnon with the first pick in last months draft and also has Paul Stastny signed for one more season with a cap hit of $6.6 million. Ryan OReilly is expected to move to wing given the Avalanches depth down the middle. That depth could last a while with Duchene signed through 2018-19. "Matt already is and will be a big part of our teams nucleus for the long term," Avalanche executive vice-president of hockey operations Joe Sakic said in a statement. "We all felt that it was important for us to secure his rights for several seasons. With his great skills, speed and character, he represents the identity we want the Avalanche to be." Basketball Shoes Online Store . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Discount Basketball Shoes . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . PETERSBURG, Fla. Basketball Shoes 2020 .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. WASHINGTON -- Struggling Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Jonathon Niese will try to get on track in the bullpen after being removed from the starting rotation.Pirates manager Clint Hurdle announced the decision to demote Niese to the bullpen on Friday before the team opened a three-game series at the Washington Nationals. Niese is 7-6 with a 5.13 ERA in 18 starts this season after Pittsburgh acquired him from the New York Mets for second baseman Neil Walker.We felt at this time to get him unplugged, to get a different look might help him moving forward, Hurdle said. We told him this wasnt a banishment out of the rotation for good. Were just unplugging him, putting him in the bullpen for right now, see where that can take us.Niese, 29, has allowed 20 home runs, struck out 71 and walked 36 in 101 2/3 innings. A groundball pitcher, he allowed 20 home runs all last season and is two away from tying a career high.Niese said he understood the decision but didnt expect it.Id rather start, obviously. Its where my hearts at, Niese said. I knew the rotation was getting pretty crowded. ... I knew something was going to happen. I was certainly hoping it wasnt me to get bumped. It is what it is. I understand the results werent there in the first half.During a radio appearance Friday morning, Pirates general managger Neal Huntington said in hindsight that taking two fringe prospects from the Mets might have been a better return for Walker than Niese, who has not worked out as planned.ddddddddddddGiven the thinness of the starting pitching market, given the dollars that we had available, we felt that that was our best return and it has not played out that way and thats a challenge, Huntington said on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. We own that. We accept that.Huntington said that based on the Pirates young pitchers hed potentially be interested in trading a veteran, which could mean Niese, fellow lefty Jeff Locke or both.One of those young pitchers is ready to return as Gerrit Cole will be active off the disabled list to start Saturday. Cole, 25, had been out with a strained right triceps muscle.Cole said he doesnt know if there will be any limitations on him in his first start back.Im just excited to not sit on the sidelines all of the time, he said. Im sure theyll take it inning by inning. See how the game is unfolding.Chad Kuhl is lined up to pitch Sunday, and Huntington said top prospect Jameson Taillon could get another start during next weeks series against the Milwaukee Brewers. ' ' '