Francois Beauchemin And Team Canada

Editor's Note: Our good friend Blurr1974 is taking a hiatus until the season starts in the interim I will be ever present once again. If you have a blog or any links e-mail them to me by 11pm for inclusion in the next day's FTB and to ensure that you're in my Google Reader.

First off, a hearty tip of a baggy green cap to the motherland as the Lions roared at The Oval to claim a 197 victory over Australia. In the process they reclaimed The Ashes two years after being whitewashed 5-0 down under and four years after ending a 16 year drought.  Mattblack likely had to take the day off in order to celebrate and I wish I could get cricket on tv.

To make up for my sadness I'll have to check out some links:

• MOST IMPORTANT: Tonight is Jays Night with PR Man Extraordinaire Eyebleaf. If you can make it, drop him a note in his FanPost.
• Hungry Leafs Fan let his creations do the talking when he met his hero.
• Alex Tran applies Behind The Net's NHL Equivalencies to the Leafs' rookies.
• TSM has the skinny on some smaller personnel moves made by Brian Burke.
• TML Nation is sick of the Kessel rumours that won't die.
• TML Central likes one of our nicknames.
• Leaf & Lion is a relative newcomer and he has the scoop on the Leafs' battle at centre.
• MC79 looks at the PP/ES points split for the forwards drafted from the OHL in 2004.
• Beauchemin will be carrying the Blue Maple Leafs' pride during Vancouver.
• Our Luke and Saviour is not in the top 25 under 25 years of age but comes in at 28. Thoughts?
• Here's my take on Zipay's rumour: Sundin won't play for $3M a season.
• Here are a couple of new sites to possbly keep an eye on: The Leafs Loft and Duke's Dog Pound News
• Cycle Like The Sedins' re-draft of the NHL just completed it's 9th round. So far the Leafs have: Marc Savard, Alexander Semin, Sergei Gonchar, Jean-Sebastian Giguere, Teemu Selanne, Willie Mitchell, Patrice Bergeron, Mike Komisarek, and Matt Niskanen.

If I miss anything toss it in the comments and I'll update it when I wake up.