Defenseman Aaron Ekblad and the Florida Panthers have agreed to an eight-year, $60 million extension.?The news was first reported by the Miami Herald and confirmed by ESPNs Craig Custance. The final details are still being worked out and the deal likely wont be official until next week, the source told Custance.I dont think its any secret, Panthers general manager Tom Rowe said.Hes a guy we want in the fold for a long time to come. Ekblad was an All-Star in each of his first two years with Florida, and now clearly becomes a face of a franchise that believes it is getting closer to finally hoisting the Stanley Cup.Couldnt be happier, Ekblad wrote on Instagram as he posed in a Florida jersey. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft and already is Floridas franchise leader with eight career game-winning goals.An exceptionally skilled, intelligent and mature young player that is a difference maker for our team both on and off the ice, Rowe said.The Panthers won the Atlantic Division last year, reaching the playoffs for just the second time in 15 seasons. The ownership group led by Vincent Viola has made no secret that it is driven by winning a championship, and Florida is starting to look like a real potential contender.He bought the team to win a Stanley Cup and the players that weve got here all want to win a Stanley Cup, Rowe said. We felt what we did today gives us a better chance of doing that.There were other moves, including the signing of goaltender James Reimer to a five-year, $17 million deal to share the workload with starter Roberto Luongo.Reimer has spent six seasons in the NHL, mostly with Toronto. He also appeared in nine games --eight regular-season, one playoff --with Stanley Cup finalist San Jose this past season.Reimer came to South Florida to see the Panthers facilities Friday and was quickly convinced he was making the right decision.Weve got a great team and great management and ownership, theyre passionate about winning, Reimer said. As a player, thats the organization you want to be a part of.Luongo is still one of the best in the NHL, but the Panthers have been mindful of not overusing their 37-year-old goalie. Hes sat out roughly one of every four Florida regular-season games in each of the last two years and had offseason hip surgery. The Panthers made a trade for former Colorado backup Reto Berra late last month. If Luongo isnt ready for opening night, Berra would begin as Reimers backup.Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.?Deion Sanders Youth Jersey . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Jay Novacek Youth Jersey . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/amari-cooper-jersey/ .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Troy Aikman Womens Jersey . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Tony Pollard Womens Jersey . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.There will be two Cranbourne Cups next year with a new date found for the meeting blown away by high winds.Last months Cup program was called off after one race for the safety of horses and riders.The Cranbourne Cup and the Apache Cat Classic will now be run in the evening on March 3.Racing Victoria and the Cranbourne Turf Club have agreed on a change of distance for both races.The Cup has been shortened from 2025m to 1600m while the Classic has increased from 1000m to 1200m.The two races will revert to their original distances in the spring of 2017.ddddddddddddCTC chief executive, Neil Bainbridge, said the club was excited at the opportunity to run the rescheduled Cranbourne Cup on a Friday night.Whilst the club was devastated with the abandonment of the Cup in the spring, the rescheduled Cup provides the club with an opportunity to run our premier race under lights for the first time, Bainbridge said. ' ' '