Longtime Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee has become the first general manager of the NHLs expansion franchise in Las Vegas.After an exhaustive process that included interviews with as many as seven candidates, owner Bill Foley -- with the help of adviser Murray Craven, a longtime NHL player and close associate of Foleys -- opted to go with McPhee. He was announced as team GM at a news conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon.The Las Vegas team, as yet unnamed, was awarded the NHLs 31st franchise in June, shortly before the leagues annual awards ceremony held in Las Vegas.Our mission here is clear: Were going to build an organization and a team that people in Nevada and Las Vegas will be proud of, and were going to do it quickly, and were aiming at the Stanley Cup, McPhee said Wednesday. Its that simple.Prior to the expansion announcement, Foley had said in an interview that hiring the right GM was a crucial step to building a team that can be competitive early in the process. Although there were a number of current assistant general managers or top player personnel executives considered for the job, McPhees experience was a key factor in his earning the post, those close to the process said.We all want to win, and hes going to win for us, but I like to have people that I really get along with and that I can communicate with, Foley said of McPhee. We had great candidates; they were all good. I just felt there was a little something extra with George.Among those also considered for the post were associate?Pittsburgh Penguins?GM Jason Botterill, assistant?Tampa Bay Lightning?GM Julien BriseBois, and Paul Fenton, who holds a similar position in?Nashville. The Las Vegas team also asked for permission to speak to former Florida GM Dale Tallon, who recently moved into a?more senior position with the?Panthers, but its believed the two sides did not speak about the job.McPhee, a 58-year-old native of Guelph, Ontario, was most recently an adviser to New York Islanders GM Garth Snow.?One of McPhees top priorities will be to build a scouting staff, a source close to the process said.Many NHL scouts have a window in their contracts that would allow them to seek other employment opportunities, and it will be key for the Las Vegas franchise to move quickly to assemble a top-notch scouting staff for the coming season.The Las Vegas franchise will begin play in 2017-18. In advance of its first season, the team will draft players from the current 30 teams in an expansion draft that will be held next June, shortly before the annual entry draft.Each NHL franchise can expect to lose one player in the draft, and it will be up to McPhee and his staff to assess which players might be made available to them, as well as any potential deals that could be made in advance of the expansion draft.McPhee said tearing down and rebuilding a team can be negative fun and called taking over a brand-new team a phenomenal opportunity.Here you come in and its a clean slate and you get to pick everyone in your organization, McPhee said. This is what every GM wants to experience at some point in his career, to be able to start with a new franchise.McPhee began his NHL management career with Vancouver?and was part of a Canucks team that advanced to the 1994 Stanley Cup finals.He was named GM of the Capitals in 1997 and guided the team to its first and only trip to the Stanley Cup finals the following spring, when the Capitals were swept by the Detroit Red Wings.McPhee was forced by ownership to sell off the teams high-priced players during the 2003-04 season. He then rebuilt the team behind homegrown stars, such as?Alexander Ovechkin?and Nicklas Backstrom,?a process that no doubt was a factor in his hiring for the Las Vegas position.He took Washington from being a team that was scrambling and sort of turned it around, so I think that experience will be a big plus, said Doug MacLean, who was the?Columbus Blue Jackets GM when they entered the league in 2000. I think its a real good fit.Under McPhee, the Capitals became a regular-season titan, winning seven Southeast Division championships and a Presidents Trophy as the NHLs top regular-season team in 2009-10.Apart from the obvious selections of players such as Ovechkin, McPhee was also responsible for drafting and developing key Capitals personnel, including defending Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby (drafted 93rd overall in 2008), highly skilled forward?Evgeny Kuznetsov (picked 26th overall in 2010) and promising young netminder Philipp Grubauer (selected 112th overall in 2010).Although the Capitals could not replicate their significant regular-season success in the playoffs during McPhees tenure -- ultimately leading to his dismissal in the spring of 2014 -- the Capitals under his watch became one of the most vibrant hockey markets in the United States.In a short period of time after the 2004-05 lockout, fans began flooding to the Verizon Center in Washington to support the Capitals, and they continue to do so to this day.I think Ill be hopefully even better the second time around, McPhee said. There are lots of GMs in this business that have done a good job in one place and gone to the next place and won Cups. Id like to be one of those guys.For all his talk about wanting to win right away, McPhee has shown restraint and patience as a GM. A title is his goal, but first its about putting a team on the ice that will thrill the 15,000-plus fans who signed up for season tickets to make the NHL in Las Vegas happen.The whole thing is a process, McPhee said. Well play a brand of hockey that people will like. Ive never enjoyed that sit-back style of hockey. I like a team thats attacking all the time, pressuring pucks all over the ice. I love the way Pittsburgh played this year, and they won the Stanley Cup. Well be doing the same sorts of things.McPhee played for four years at Bowling Green State University and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player in 1981-82. He went on to play 115 NHL games as a forward, all but one with the New York Rangers.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.? Air Max 1 Australia Wholesale .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Cheap Wholesale Nike Air Max 1 . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. http://www.cheapairmax1australia.com/ . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. Cheap Air Max 1 Australia . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Cheap Air Max 1 Online Australia . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Heres a look at Saturdays NFL preseason games. (All times EDT):VICTORS BACKGiants at Jets, 7:30 p.m.Victor Cruz has come full cycle against the Jets.The undrafted free agent from nearby Paterson, New Jersey, made the Giants as a free agent in 2010 in large part by catching six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns in a preseason game against the Jets. By the following season, he was one of the NFLs most dynamic receivers and would stay that way for three years.A knee injury that limited him to six games in 2014 and a calf injury that wiped out last season have put his roster spot in jeopardy. The 29-year-old Cruz missed the first two preseason games with a groin injury and will make his preseason debut in Week 3. Of course, the Jets are the opponent.Its the story of my life, Cruz said. You cant write it any better than this. This is the way my career has gone. Its the way my professional career has gone. The Jets preseason game has always been some type of landmark situation for me, so here we go again.Jets starters are expected to play at least the first half. Geno Smith remains the No. 2 QB behind Ryan Fitzpatrick despite Bryce Pettys solid performance -- 16 of 26 for 242 yards and two touchdowns -- in a loss to Washington last Friday night. Smith was 6 of 13 for 47 yards and an interception.Running back Matt Forte (hamstring) could see his first game action for the Jets, along with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, whos coming off a broken leg suffered in the season finale against Buffalo.LIMPING ALONGKansas City at Chicago, 1 p.m.Kansas City is banged up, and so is Chicago. Expect both teams to be missing some prominent players.The Chiefs will be without several starters and backups, among them pass rusher Tamba Hali (knee), running backs Jamaal Charles (knee) and Charcandrick West (elbow), and linebacker Josh Mauga (groin). Kansas City is taking a slow approach working Hali, who returned to practice this week, and Charles back into the rotation.A major concern for the Bears is right guard Kyle Long after the three-time Pro Bowl lineman hurt his shoulder at New England last week. Coach John Fox isnt saying how much time Long will miss. Veteran Ted Larsen, who had taken over for the injured Hroniss Grasu at center, practiced at right guard this week, with Cornelius Edison at center.HELPING HANDSPhiladelphia at Indianapolis, 7 p.m.The Colts are reaching out to the people of Kokomo, Indiana, which was hit by an EF3 tornado on Wednesday that had an estimated peak wind of 152 mph. The tornado traveled nearly 5 miles on the citys south side, was about 300 yards wide and lasted 10 minutes.The NFL team is providing tickets and concession vouchers to Saturdays game for the Kokomo High School football team, including their family members and coaches. They will also be recognized on the field during pre-game ceremonies.Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will play one half. The banged-up secondary willl be without recently signed Antonio Cromartie.ddddddddddddagles coach Doug Pederson plans to play his starters into the second half. Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will play with the first unit and see more action in his second game since being acquired from Tennessee.FLAK ATTACKDetroit at Baltimore, 7 p.m.Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will make his debut, playing around a half. Its his first action since tearing the left ACL and MCL in a Nov. 22 win over the Rams. Linebacker Terrell Suggs could also make his 2016 debut after tearing his Achilles tendon in last years opener.It would be great not to get hit, said Flacco, who has not been hit since the injury. I dont need to get hit. But if I do, it is not a bad thing.The Lions will take another close look at seventh-round pick Dwayne Washington, who leads the team in rushing and has returned a kickoff for a touchdown this preseason.HOLDING BACKTennessee at Oakland, 8 p.m.The third exhibition game is often viewed as the final dress rehearsal for the regular season, with starters getting their most extensive time mixed with a little game planning. But with the Titans and Raiders set to play again on Sept. 25, dont expect either to show too much.A little unorthodox or unusual that you have a team that youre playing in the third preseason game that youre going to turn around and play them early in the season like that, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. We both understand what it is.The Titans should get their first look at linebacker Kevin Dodd. The No. 33 overall pick did not play last week in a loss to Carolina as he works his way into shape from surgery in May on his right foot. Dodd had 12 sacks last season for Clemson, and Tennessee is counting on him to provide much-needed depth at outside linebacker.NOT NO. 1, YETLos Angeles at Denver, 9 p.m.No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff of the Rams is slowly adjusting to NFL life. Goff has completed 12 of 21 passes for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He has a 69.5 quarterback rating.Case Keenum has started the first two games and completed 10 of 12 for 111 yards and a TD. He has a 133 rating.If things continue, Keenum may be No. 1 when the season starts.Rams defensive end Robert Quinn is expected to make his debut after missing the final six weeks last season because of back surgery.Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib (back) is expected to make his preseason debut after missing the last two games. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware isnt expected to play and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips may keep him on a play count in the regular season.---AP Pro Football Writers Teresa M. Walker and Rob Maaddi, and Sports Writers Tom Canavan, Dennis Waszak Jr., Andrew Seligman, David Ginsburg, and Josh Dubow contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL. ' ' '