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By chance, Ronald "Popeye" Jones bumped into Joe Sakic in the weight room of the arena in Denver way back when. It shouldnt have been a big deal. After all, Jones Denver Nuggets and Sakics Colorado Avalanche shared the Pepsi Center. Jones, a 6-foot-8 power forward, had more than casual conversation in mind for their first meeting almost 13 years ago, though. He told Sakic, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, that he had two young boys who wanted to play hockey and no clue how to help them. "He looked at me all the way up and into my eyes," Jones said. "He saw how big I was. He said, Hes going to be huge. Make sure he knows how to skate." So Jones signed up his boys, including youngest, Seth, for skating lessons. Sakics small piece of advice turned around one boys direction. Now, its Seths turn to return the favour for an organization. The 18-year-old Jones has grown into one of the top prospects in hockey and is the consensus No. 1 pick in the NHL draft later this month. That pick belongs to the Avalanche — now led by Sakic, the teams former captain who was recently promoted to executive vice-president of hockey operations. "All the goals hes set as a hockey player," Popeye said, "hes been able to accomplish." Hows that for a proud pop? Popeye, Seths mother and other friends and relatives will attend the June 30 draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Popeye worked last season as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets and lives about 20 minutes from the draft site. Dad was a second-round pick, 41st overall. Seth could be the first black player ever taken No. 1 in the NHL draft. "Im trying to embrace it," Seth said. "Its going to be fun in New Jersey, for sure. I cant wait to share those experiences with my family." It may be a pretty big family reunion in Denver. Jones older brother, Justin, also played hockey and they all got along with Patrick Roys family as they grew up. The Roys and Joneses were close and spent time at each others houses, in fact. And it just so happens that Roy — a former goaltender who also won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche — was just hired to coach Colorado after the rebuilding franchise missed the playoffs. "Jones is a heck of a player," Roy said. "No matter what the decision for our organization — are we going to keep first overall, are we going to move first overall, whatever were going to do, we know that the team that picks first, second or third are going to get three outstanding players." Jones, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin are expected to go 1-2-3 in the draft. The Florida Panthers hold the second draft pick and the Tampa Bay Lightning are No. 3. Based on talent and need, Jones shouldnt drop past the Avalanche. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound defenceman met with members of the Avalanche scouting team last month before moving on to the NHL draft combine in Toronto. He would become the first American picked No. 1 since Chicagos Patrick Kane in 2007 and seventh overall. In a sport where the majority percentage of players are white, its that slice of history he would make as the first black selected No. 1 — topping Evander Kane, picked fourth 2009 — that means so much to both of them. "I dont think about it too much," Seth said. "Hopefully, I can encourage young African-Americans to play hockey and try it when theyre at a young age. Its definitely a white-dominated sport. But there are a lot more that are starting to play." Kane, Pittsburghs Jarome Iginla, Philadelphias Wayne Simmonds and Washingtons Joel Ward are among the more prominent black players in the NHL. Ward was the victim of a series of racist tweets during last years playoffs after scoring the winning goal in Game 7 against Boston. During a preseason game last year, a fan threw a banana on the ice at Simmonds. Those are gloomy signs that, unlike the other big three sports, tolerance is a still a problem. "Theres never been one racial thing that happened to him," Popeye said. "I think his teammates always accepted him for Seth Jones the hockey player, the great teammate, the great team player. He never put himself above anybody. Theyve always accepted him for who he was and never looked at race." Theyve been awed looking at his career arc, though. He blossomed when he was still in elementary school and played in Pee Wee tournaments in Quebec City at 10 years old. The tournaments, however, were meant for kids 11 and 12. And he has won three gold medals in international play, including this year at the World Junior Ice Hockey championship. So, hes already seasoned, globally, as a competitor. Jones played two seasons in Toronto and was stopped in arenas each time he watched Seth play. "Theyd say, What are you doing in the hockey rink? Whats your kid doing out here playing hockey," Popeye said. "Why arent you at the gym playing basketball?" Jones, who averaged a modest 7.0 points over an 11-year career, realized early on that getting Seth to follow in his sneakers was a lost cause. Sure, little Seth tagged along with dad to the gym and theyd bond watching the NBA finals together. But those 1-on-1 father-son games in the driveway never caught steam and Seth did not play organized basketball growing up. He simply had no desire, because hockey was his passion. "That was all the motivation that I had," Seth said. With Popeye on the road, Seths mother, Amy, steered her son down the right path from home. "Mom taught me everything from how to be a young man, to a handshake, eye contact, all sorts of things," Seth said. "She just wanted me to be respectful." Seth spent more time with his dad when the latter was an assistant coach for a few seasons in Dallas. Seth broadened his worth ethic by watching how tirelessly players like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry prepared for every practice and game all season. "You can tell anyone how to be a pro," Popeye said. "But until they see it with their own eyes, its put a whole new light about what it really takes." Lesson learned. Now its Seths turn to take all hes learned and show a team like Colorado hes ready to make an impact next season. "Its a special category to be put in. Colorado would be special," Seth said, "but at the end of the day, my goal is play in the NHL." That goal is about to be met. Kevin Durant Jersey . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. Its an injury that will require about eight weeks to heal. He finished a disappointing campaign just 14-13 with a career-worst 4. Marvin Webster Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. https://www.cheapthunder.com/1591h-chris-paul-jersey-thunder.html . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Dennis Schroder Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Danny Vranes Jersey . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Geoffrey Boycott, 1979 In the 1970s English cricket was bemusedly looking down upon its own creation, this new knockabout stuff, treating it rather like an exotic pet.The national selectors assumed their best Test XI must also be their best knockabout XI, and so Boycott played 36 one-day internationals for England. He, of course, made sure of a healthy average (36.06), but his one-day legacy was sealed in that staggering stand with Mike Brearley in the 1979 World Cup final at Lords.They produced 253 runs in 103 overs in that tournament, saving their best for last, a stand of 129 that sucked up 38 of the 60 overs England had in which to chase 287 against West Indies. Some even say Clive Lloyd deliberately spilled a simple catch off Boycott; which makes you realise that when Boycott went berserk in the 1965 Gillette Cup final, with a boundary-rich 146, it really was one of the great wonders of our time.Ian Botham, 1992 When I was a boy and the world of cricket was opening up, there was a fat man with a moustache and a great big mullet playing for England. Theres nothing wrong with being a fat man with a moustache and a great big mullet who plays for England - unless you are playing hopelessly. He lumbered in off a short run and let go some wobblers, although wobble was far more conspicuous during the run-up. His batting was groggy. Yet time and again the selectors kept coming back to this Beefy.The pinch-hitter was born in the 1992 World Cup, and Botham was chosen to give it a thrash at the top. At the SCG he destroyed the Australians but overall averaged 21.33 from ten innings. The nadir was at the MCG against South Africa. Brian McMillans ball was straight, Bothams shot was a hopeless heave, and middle stump was violently splintered. I felt embarrassed. Then granny dusted down a video of the 1981 Ashes. Apparently, he could play a bit.Neil Smith, 1996 Lets be honest, there is only one true English pinch-hitter. Smith played seven one-day internationals, and only three as an opener, but it was enough to acquire a legendary reputation.Smith was, in fact, a fine all-round cricketer, part of the great Warwickshire side of the mid-90s. Yet he shall forever be the misfiring pinch-hitter whose most memorable contribution to the 1996 World Cup was the previous nights pizza reassembled on an outfield in Peshawar.One-day cricket was evolving rapidly, and the England selectors, way ahead of the game, shoved some No. 8s to the top of the order: Chris Lewis, Phil DeFreitas, Craig White and, at the World Cup, NMK. Other countries had noticed you were better off opening with your established strokemaker, not a tailender. Thus India opened with Sachin Tendulkar, Sri Lanka with Sanath Jayasuriya, New Zealand with Nathan Astle, Australia with Mark Waugh.dddddddddddd England rolled out NMK.He didnt do so badly: 27 retired ill against the UAE, 31 against Netherlands and 11 against South Africa. But so feeble were England that poor, vomiting Smith was held up as a symbol of failure.Mal Loye, 2007 Loye should have been Englands dynamic opener for a new multi-dimensional era. The pinch-hitter was passé. A genuine opening batsman was wanted, but he had to be unorthodox.England summoned 34-year-old Malachy Loye from Northampton. For one thing, he had an unorthodox name. And he also had a shot, a slog-sweep all his own that he used exclusively against fast bowlers. Loye was tossed a debut at the Gabbattoir against the Australians, rampant after what was, until recently, the worst of all Ashes drubbings. Fifth over of the innings, Lee to Loye, down that right knee plonks outside off stump and swish... six! Ninth over of the innings, McGrath to Loye, whoosh, there it goes again. These shots, against these bowlers, rescued me from the inferno. The Test team, and 2005, had been vaporised. Now I could feel the blood surging back through my veins. Take that, Pidge! And that! God, what release. Loye never reached 50 that series but there were two more delightful cameos at the SCG. I was still basking in the glory of it all when the selectors, damn them, dropped him for the 2007 World Cup. Phil Mustard, 2008 Between times the England think tank made an executive decision, that your wicketkeeper must open the batting. This was not whimsy. The selectors had hard evidence to call upon: Adam Gilchrist. If he could do it, why the bloody hell couldnt anyone else?Between 2004 and 2011, England, on the front foot as ever, tried a string of Gilchrists: Matt Prior, Geraint Jones, Mustard, Craig Kieswetter, Simon Davies. There was only one hitch: none of them were Adam Gilchrist. Mustard didnt help himself by telling one journalist: I could be the new Gilchrist.Here was an earnest man of the shires, a Durham lad with round, rosy cheeks and a mischievous unfettered character. I interviewed him once, in the back of a press hut in Dubai, but so happy-go-lucky was Mustard that it felt more like a chat round the fireside while clutching hot mugs.Yes, we could have had a lot of fun with the Colonel, a nimble, grinning wicketkeeper and bold left-hand bat who would hammer it square. But in ten attempts he played only one innings of true note and, well, thats hardly Gilchristian, is it? Back to the shires he went ' ' '