RALEIGH, N. Kevin Greene Womens Jersey .C. -- Jim Rutherford stepped down as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, and the team promoted Hall of Fame player Ron Francis to replace him. In a series of moves, the Hurricanes also hired Mike Vellucci as assistant GM and director of hockey operations and promoted Brian Tatum to assistant general manager. Rutherford, who also owns part of the team, will remain in an advisory role as team president. He assembled the teams that won one Stanley Cup, played for another and reached the Eastern Conference final in 2009. The Hurricanes havent made the playoffs since then, the longest active drought in the East. "I look at this as a fresh start," Francis said. "I dont want to just kind of build a team that gets into the playoffs for one year. I would like to build it so that its a very solid franchise and we can do it on a yearly basis." Francis had long been considered the teams GM-in-waiting. The former team captain holds team records with 382 goals, 793 assists and 1,186 games played. He has been the teams vice-president of hockey operations since June 2012. He took over as the teams director of player development in 2006 and was an assistant coach under Paul Maurice from 2008-11 before returning to the front office that June as director of hockey operations. Now that hes running a team for the first time, it remains unclear just how much financial flexibility Francis will have. The four highest-paid players -- forwards Alexander Semin and Eric and Jordan Staal, and goalie Cam Ward -- are coming off subpar seasons. They made a combined $28 million last year and will do so again in 2014-15. "This year we were at the (NHL salary) cap, I believe. Didnt make a heck of a lot of difference, did it?" owner Peter Karmanos Jr. said. "Well set the budget wherever we think we can have the most competitive hockey team." One of Francis first jobs will be deciding whether Kirk Muller will receive a fourth year as coach. Muller is 80-80-27 in three seasons and the Hurricanes finished 13th in the 16-team East this year with a 36-35-11 record. "In fairness, I think its a decision that kind of needs due process," Francis said. Rutherford, 65, is a former NHL goalie who spent two decades as the clubs GM, and helped shepherd its move from Hartford to North Carolina. He said he and Karmanos casually discussed stepping aside and those talks grew increasingly more serious beginning in January and February and continued through the early off-season. "Twenty years is a long time for me," Rutherford said. "Ive thought about this for a few years, and certainly the time is right now." Vellucci, 47, will oversee the teams scouting and player development after spending the past 14 seasons as head coach and general manager of the Plymouth Whalers -- the Ontario Hockey League team owned by Karmanos. Tatum, 40, is entering his 17th year with the team and has been its vice-president of team operations since 2012 after spending five years as its senior director of team operations. Hines Ward Steelers Jersey .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Kevin Greene Steelers Jersey . Trailing 5-4 in the third set, the 12th-ranked Isner fought off two match points and evened it at 5-5 with consecutive aces. The former University of Georgia star had his only service break of the match to go up 6-5 before firing the last four of his 30 aces to close out Ginepri, an Atlanta resident ranked 281st. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Lynn-Swann-Elite-Jersey/ . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre.NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Chuck Pagano wanted to take a moment before turning his attention to the playoffs for his Indianapolis Colts to soak in all they have accomplished together.Three seasons and 11 wins in each. Pagano now is only the second NFL coach to win 11 or more games in each of his first three seasons, joining Jim Harbaugh with San Francisco.Andrew Luck threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns in grabbing the Colts single season passing record away from Peyton Manning, and Indianapolis tuned up for the post-season by beating Tennessee 27-10 on Sunday.Extremely proud of what everybody in that room has been able to accomplish, Pagano said. Were not satisfied by no means.The Colts (11-5) had to wait until the final game of the regular season to learn they will host Cincinnati on Sunday in an AFC wild-card game. Wide receiver Reggie Wayne is ready to get to work.Its playoff time, Wayne said. It doesnt matter what your record was. It doesnt matter what you did in the division. It just matters what team is the best team that day. Hopefully this is momentum for the playoffs. Now the real season starts.The Titans (2-14) only have the 2015 draft next after losing their 10th straight and 14th in 15 games. They even missed out on the top pick overall with Tampa Bay losing to New Orleans, so they will pick second. Ken Whisenhunt wasnt ready to assess his first season and what needs to change just yet but plans to stick with his approach.We have had success with it, Whisenhunt said. Its just a lot of things we have to do in the off-season to get it accomplished.Here are a few things to know about the regular season finale between the Colts and Titans:LUCK TOPS MANNING: By the time hes finished, Luck may wind up topping Peyton Manning across the Colts record book. On Sunday, he set the franchise record for yards passing in a single season with 4,761, topping the 4,700 yards Manning had in 2010. Luck needed only 100 yards for the mark, and he had 160 yards passing by halftime. Luck got the recordd on his 80-yard catch-and-run to Reggie Wayne, something Pagano thought was perfect. Merril Hoge Youth Jersey. Unbelievable, Pagano said. I didnt realize that was the play that the record was broken. We gave Andrew a game ball and obviously credited him. Great milestone. Great record for Andrew, but very fitting that 87 was on the other end of that.Luck also became the eighth quarterback in NFL history with 40 TD passes and 4,000 yards passing in a single season.MISSED ONE KICK: Adam Vinatieri just missed a chance to celebrate his 42nd birthday by becoming the oldest kicker in NFL history to finish a season perfect on field goals. The Colts kicker finished the season 30 of 31 after one of his three attempts when a 46-yarder drifted just wide left.You never want to miss, Vinatieri said. Every time you step on the field you have an opportunity to help your team win games and put points on the board. Thats the frustrating part that I didnt help my team on that play. You cant make them all, and all good things come to an end I guess at some point. I would sure like to have that one.AFC SOUTH DOMINANCE: The Colts have won nine division titles, but they just swept the division for a second straight year for the first time in franchise history.TWO BAD SNAPS: The Titans came in with 15 players on injured reserve, not counting a couple more starters deactivated with injuries. But they had two bad snaps on drives where they had goal-to-go, something Whisenhunt called inexplicable because he hadnt seen them happen anywhere else. They shook off the first and scored a touchdown. On the second, Whitehurst could only smother the ball while being sacked, and they settled for a field goal.PICKING SECOND: The Titans will pick second overall for the first time since 1984. They also will pick second in the third and fifth rounds and draft first in the second, fourth and sixth rounds.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker ' ' '