TORONTO – Sixteen of the 20 players who dressed for the Leafs on the night of November 14, 2009 are now gone. That night, with the Calgary Flames in town, a little-known defender and seventh-round selection from Sweden made his NHL debut. Nearly four years later and only Carl Gunnarsson and the trio of Phil Kessel, Nik Kulemin and Colton Orr still remain in Toronto. "Weve been through a lot," Gunnarsson said of the remaining handful during a conversation with TSN.ca earlier this week. "Ups, mostly downs, but last year was a big change. It feels good." With a sense of ownership rivaling few in the room in terms of longevity, Gunnarsson believes the time is right for him to emerge as a leader. On the verge of his fifth season in Toronto, he wants the responsibility that comes with steering the ship. "And thats something I expect from myself," he said, "taking that next step and hopefully have just as good a season as last year." Leadership is imparted in many different forms. Gunnarsson just hopes to find his suited brand and help guide the Leafs up another rung on the ladder, following a long-awaited playoff appearance last year. "Some guys talk a lot, some guys dont," Gunnarsson said of leadership. "But if you can say something in the room thats good or if you can just help the new guys out with whatever it might be ... Ive been here for awhile, had Randy for a season and a half. Im one of those guys that kind of knows what its all about. And obviously I need to be reminded too, but if I can help some other guys get into it quicker thats part of it." Valued as a quiet and stable cog on defence, one upon whom the coaching staff can rely on for extended minutes in varied situations, the Leafs wisely chose to keep Gunnarsson in the fold, signing him to a three-year contract worth $9.45 million this past summer. "They put a lot of trust in me," he beamed proudly of the deal. "They, as I do too, have some high expectations. It feels good that they really want me on the team. Thats how I looked at it. Especially this year when a lot of guys dont have contracts, cap is lower. That was huge for me." While he struggled some in his sophomore season, the Leafs havent had to worry much about the reliable 6-foot-2 defender, who tends to go about his business quietly. Now with 224 games of NHL experience, Gunnarsson believes hes better prepared to hurdle past adversity at this stage in his career, wiser than when he first made the jump from Sweden. "Experience, thats knowledge too," he grinned. Suiting up for 37 games last season, Gunnarsson was bothered by a troublesome issue in his hip from the outset of training camp. The injury persisted all year – he missed 11 games – but with an off-season of rest and treatment there was an expectation that he would feel better in the fall. Early reports suggest that being the case, this after a series of two-a-day on-ice workouts just this past week. "Right now where I am from last year its a huge difference I think," Gunnarsson said. "Not saying that Im not going to have to get treatment or stay on top of it everyday because thats what its going to be. I think thats how it is for every injury. If you have a knee surgery or you strained your ACL or whatever it might be, youve got to stay on top of that. Some guys play with braces or whatever it might be. I feel way better from last year so thats a good feeling coming into this season. Hopefully its going to stay on this level and whenever we get a couple days off just treat it the way it needs to be treated." One of the few known commodities and a source of understated stability, the Swedish defenders ongoing health is quietly crucial to the makeup of the Toronto defence. While maybe not perfectly cast for the role Gunnarsson has nonetheless proven he can absorb difficult minutes on a first pairing with Dion Phaneuf. Chuckling as he describes himself as "old and wise" after a stuffed four years in the league, Gunnarsson knows he represents a rare symbol of longevity in Toronto and hes now ready to do his part and lead. -- [i] Tyler Bozak made his NHL debut on October 13 before returning to the Marlies until January. Angels Jerseys 2019 .J. -- The Houston Astros had the No. Fake Angels Jerseys . -- Michael Phelps is 0 for 1 in his comeback to the pool. https://www.cheapangels.com/. When New Zealand finally held on for an 8-7 win, France No. 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collapsed to the ground, having given every drop of energy he could muster, and lay prone as All Blacks danced around him in celebration. Few critics had given France any chance, but coach Marc Lievremonts team rallied from 8-0 down and came within one kick of taking the lead with 15 minutes remaining, only for flyhalf Francois Trinh-Ducs 49-meter effort to drift wide. Cheap Angels Jerseys . After deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league would consider pulling out of Sochi if something "significant" happens before players arrive, those set to participate are trying not to worry about that scenario. Los Angeles Angels Store . - The Green Bay Packers got back to work on Friday without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.FONTANA, Calif. -- With tires and tempers blowing up all over the track for 400 crazy miles, Kyle Busch stayed calm and relied on his remarkable knack for big finishes at Fontana. Busch won on this 2-mile oval for the second straight year Sunday, holding off Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart and his older brother Kurt on a frantic two-lap sprint to the finish. Kyle Busch capably blocked Larson and outlasted a crowded field to win a race featuring a track-record 35 lead changes and numerous tire problems. Busch stayed out of trouble and roared up late for his second straight stunner in Southern California, following up the Las Vegas natives final-lap surge to victory a year ago. "Holy cow, what do you expect when youve got a green-white-checkered finish and everybody has to come down pit road and put four tires on?" Busch asked after his third career win at Fontana. "That was Days of Thunder right there. Unbelievable day." With his 29th career Sprint Cup victory in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch is NASCARs fifth winner in five races already this season. He led just five laps -- the fewest of his career in a win. Jimmie Johnson was comfortably in front when he blew a tire with seven laps left, precipitating the wild finish. Jeff Gordon moved in front until Clint Bowyer spun with two laps to go, setting up an overtime finish. Gordon was hoping to finish on old tires when Bowyer spun, but then elected to pit along with most of the leaders. Kurt Busch gambled with just two tires, allowing him to restart in second, but his younger brother came up from fifth in the final two laps to win. "I came off the fourth turn in disbelief that we won this thing, because we were mediocre all day," Kyle Busch said. "It was really weird for us, not a race that were typically used to. But now theres a load off your shoulders that you can go out the rest of the season and race the way you want to." He also got a thrill from outlasting Larson, the 21-year-old rookie who held him off Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race. "I guess you couldnt ask for more, but I was surprised to get up there late in the race," Larson said. "We were probably a 12th-place car for most of the day." He had to settle for the best finish of his Sprint Cup career in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing. Kyle Busch, who went to Larsons car Saturday to congratulate him on his Nationwide win, pointed out his window at Larson after Sundays finish, pumping his fist in approval. "What a shoe that boy is," Kyle Busch said of Larson. KKurt Busch finished third, with Matt Kenseth in fourth and 2012 champion Stewart in fifth.dddddddddddd Several teams had serious tire problems on this weathered track, with multiple flats and cautions for various problems throughout the hot afternoon. The problems likely were the latest effect of NASCARs new aero rules, which are producing higher speeds that lead to extra stress on the tires -- particularly on the bumpy asphalt on Fontanas back straightaway, which already wears out tires aggressively. Those problems might frustrate pit crews, but they can also lead to phenomenal racing, as the sellout crowd on its feet for the finish could attest. "By no means is this a problem for Goodyear," Kurt Busch said, referring to NASCARs tire manufacturer. "Its just a thumbs-up for NASCAR for allowing teams to get aggressive in all areas." The intrigue and weirdness started early on at Fontana -- which somehow seemed appropriate for a race in which the Muppets Gonzo told the drivers to start their engines. Several drivers complained during an early pit stop that the red light was on, indicating pit road was closed. Gordon, Bowyer and Brad Keselowski did not pit because of the red light, and all were adamant NASCAR needed to correct their position in the running order. Robin Pemberton, NASCARs vice-president of competition, was told that the official in charge of displaying the flag got his uniform caught in a hole in a fence and couldnt move, preventing him from flipping off the red light. Its the second consecutive week an issue with the caution light affected the race: At Bristol last Sunday, someone in the flagstand leaned on the button that turned the caution lights on right before Carl Edwards took the white flag. Rain then began to fall heavily, and the race could not be resumed, so Edwards won under caution. Edwards finished 10th at Fontana and stayed one point ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 12th, for the overall points lead. Fontana didnt get a repeat of last years exciting duel between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, the unfriendly rivals who crashed into each other on the final lap while racing for the win. Hamlin was a last-minute scratch with a sinus infection, depriving him of the self-described chance for redemption after getting airlifted away from the track last year with a broken vertebra. Sam Hornish Jr. took his place in the No. 11 JGR Toyota and finished 17th. Logano, in a backup car after a crash earlier in the week, had to go to the garage after 114 laps, knocking him out of contention. He finished 39th. ' ' '