VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks have named Jim Benning as their new general manager. Benning is the first significant hire made by new Canucks president of hockey operations Trevor Linden, who was handed the franchises reins after the team missed the playoffs for the first time in six years following a disastrous 2013-14 campaign. Benning spent the last eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, including seven as the clubs assistant general manager. A former Canucks defenceman during his playing days, the 51-year-old Benning is the 11th general manager in franchise history -- a post he has never held with an NHL club. "Jim brings a wealth of hockey experience as a builder and talent evaluator that will benefit this team for years to come," said Linden in a statement. "We are aligned on how we want to build this team and Jims level of commitment to building a championship team is exciting. I look forward to re-introducing him to Vancouver on Friday." The Edmonton native replaces Mike Gillis, who was fired as Vancouvers president and general manager a day after the club was eliminated from playoff contention with three games left in the regular season. Bennings first order of business with the Canucks will be to hire a new head coach after Linden axed John Tortorella earlier this month following one tumultuous campaign. Benning will also have to prepare for next months NHL draft and assess a roster that Tortorella accused of being "stale" at his end-of-season press conference. Apart from helping to shape a Bruins team that defeated the Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, Bennings managerial resume also includes 12 seasons with Buffalo Sabres, with eight of those spent as that clubs director of amateur scouting. Selected sixth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1981 NHL draft, Benning played nine seasons with Toronto and Vancouver, collecting 52 goals and 191 assists in 610 career games. Fake NCAA Jerseys . The Blue Jackets play Thursday night at New Jersey in their first game after the NHLs Olympic hiatus. A native of Trencin, Slovakia, Gaborik has represented his country at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics but was unable to play in Sochi because of his injury. Fake Nike Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Florida – Its been almost seven years since the Blue Jays last won a series at Tropicana Field. http://www.fakejersey.com/fake-football-jerseys/. Or at least on everyone elses expectations. Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another World Cup stunner on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process. Fake Soccer Jerseys . The 27th-ranked Austrian underwent surgery on a torn tendon in October and needs more time to recover, the Austria Press Agency reports on Saturday. Fake Jerseys Website . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Latvia won a four-man World Cup bobsled race Sunday, while the U.ROME -- Key defender Giorgio Chiellini was included in Italys preliminary 30-man World Cup squad Tuesday, ending doubts that he might face a code of ethics punishment for his three-match ban with Juventus. United States-born forward Giuseppe Rossi also made it, having just returned from a four-month layoff due to a right knee injury. Among those who missed the cut were forwards Alberto Gilardino and Pablo Osvaldo, Sunderland winger Emanuele Giaccherini, attacking midfielder Alessandro Diamanti, who recently joined Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, and Zenit St. Petersburg fullback Domenico Criscito. The forwards included are Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano, Alessio Cerci, Mattia Destro, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and Rossi. On Monday, Chiellini was banned by the Serie A judge for elbowing Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic in Juventus 1-0 win Sunday. But Italy coach Cesare Prandelli apparently viewed the incident as not having any intent of violence. Last month, Roma forward Destro was left off the squad for fitness tests while he served a three-match ban for punching an opponent, and several other players have missed matches due to similar code of ethics violations. Prandellis latest squad announcement was made with a press release by the Italian football federation -- with no comments attached. Also left out was 17-year-old Udinese goalkeeper Simone Scuffet, hailed as the next Gianluigi Buffon. Torinos 24-year-old fullback Matteo Darmian was a surprise inclusion. Parmaa goalkeeper Antonio Mirante was left off the 30-man list but was called up to train with the squad in case of an injury to the three goalkeepers selected -- captain Gianluigi Buffon, Salvatore Sirigu and Mattia Perin.dddddddddddd Its Buffons ninth call up to a major international tournament, moving him level with former Germany great Lothar Matthaus as the top Europeans -- and it would have been 10 if Buffon hadnt been injured for the 2000 European Championship. Four-time champion Italy is in Group D with England, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Final 23-man squads are due June 2. ------ Italy: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain). Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan). Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (AC Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Romulo (Hellas Verona), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain). Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Mattia Destro (Roma), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina). ' ' '