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TAMPA, Fla. Fake Air Max Plus . -- Loyalty, respect and the potential to win for years to come kept Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay.The Lightning captain said Thursday that he followed his heart in re-signing with the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2008 rather than testing free agency, where he likely would have commanded much more than the $68 million hes due to earn over the next eight seasons.Some people when theyre in this position chase, obviously, the most money possible, the two-time NHL scoring champion said during a conference call.For me, I realize the situation and understood that there could have been some money left out there. But for me, thats not what its all about. Its about going to an organization that I was comfortable with, and something that gave me the best chance to win in my mind, Stamkos added.It was a very tough decision. It truly was. I cant sit here and say this past week has been fun. ... It was pretty stressful, to be honest. Im glad its over with.A person with direct knowledge of how the contract is structured said Stamkos will make $9.5 million in each of the first five years of the deal, then $7.5 million in 2021-22 and $6.5 million in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because those details have not been revealed.Stamkos, who helped the Lightning reach the Eastern Conference final three times in eight seasons, cited his relationship with owner Jeff Vinik, his respect for general manager Steve Yzerman and the coaching staff, as well as a talented nucleus of players built to win for years as significant factors in his decision.Tampa Bay lost to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, then made it back to the Eastern Conference final this year before falling to Pittsburgh in seven games.Stamkos is the teams biggest star, but hardly a one-man show on a roster also featuring defenseman Victor Hedman, young forwards Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn, and goalie Ben Bishop.My intention all along was to hopefully work something out with Tampa. Its been a great eight years that Ive been here. ... This team is on the verge of hopefully competing for Stanley Cups for years to come, the four-time All-Star said. With me being a captain, and being the leader of that team, I felt kind of in my heart that was always the place I wanted to stay.Stamkos has won the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHLs top scorer twice, including 2011-12, when he had a career-best 60. Hes had 40-plus goals in a season four times and had a shot at doing it again this year before being sidelined in April by surgery to treat a blood clot discovered near his right collarbone.The injury kept him out of the lineup until Tampa Bays 2-1 loss to the Penguins in Game 7 of the East final.Yzerman announced the deal Wednesday night, saying he believes the 26-year-old center is entering the prime of his career and that his best years are ahead of him.Stamkos willingness to accept less money than he figured to be offered by potential suitors in free agency provides the Lightning with some flexibility in trying to keep the teams core intact in coming seasons.Were trying to put as competitive a team on the ice (as possible) and we asked Stammer, will you work us on this? This is what were trying to do. Were trying to be the best team we possibly can be, Yzerman said.Stamkos hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings were among the teams expected to make a run at the Tampa Bay captain if he had become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.I think Tampa gives me the best chance to win and be successful moving forward, Stamkos said.Obviously being there the past eight years and knowing what to expect, knowing what we have going forward with the core group of guys we have plays into the decision, he added. And for me, it was just following your heart and being loyal to an organization that has brought me up and made me the player and the person I am today.Stamkos, who has 312 goals, agreed with Yzermans assessment that hes yet to peak as player.A lot of people are going base your performance on statistics and goals and points, but I can say 100 percent that Im a better player in all areas than I was when I first entered the league, Stamkos said.Theres still lots of room to grow as a player, to get better, he added. As long as youre willing to put the work in, theres no reason why it shouldnt happen.---AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., contributed to this report. Air Force 1 Cheap Wholesale . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Wholesale Air Max 90 Cheap . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. http://www.outletsneakersclearance.com/ . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. ORLANDO, Fla. -- Arkansas State and UCF certainly have a lot in common heading into Saturdays AutoNation Cure Bowl matchup.Both are led by their defenses, have developing high-octane offenses and have made the postseason after impressive turn-around seasons.The Knights are 6-6 and back in the bowl mix after coming off a frustrating 0-12 season in 2015. Arkansas State finished the season strong by winning seven of its final eight games and earning a share of the Sun Belt Conference after beginning this season 0-4.That doesnt happen unless a whole teams buys in and are working together, first-year UCF coach Scott Frost said of Arkansas State. I think thats probably happened on both campuses. So this is exciting game for both teams and I think both teams have some similarities.The two programs are meeting in the second Cure Bowl, which was started to bring more awareness to breast cancer. But with this years matchup, it could easily be dubbed the Comeback Bowl.Both coaches have praised their respective programs for their resolve. The Red Wolves (7-5) appeared on the verge of having their run of bowl appearances come to an end. But they will be appearing in a school-record six straight bowl.It is hard to really explain just how proud of this group I am, Arkansas State coach Blake Anderson said. I dont know really a way to get it across to you that makes a lot of sense. There just arent many teams that go through what we went through and then have the result that we had.Frost shares that sentiment after taking over a Knights program that fell on hard times under George OLeary last season. He came in from Oregon with a new energy and excitement that produced results on the field.Aside from a blowout loss at Michigan and a 17-point season-ending defeat at American Athletic Conference rival USF, the 6-6 Knights were a handful of plays from a possible 10-win season.We had a chance to win a bunch of games this year and we won enough to get to a bowl game, but I expect our young players to enjoy their succeess and use this as a springboard to keep on improving, Frost said. Fake Nmd For Sale. Were on the right track and were going to keep taking steps in that direction.---Some other things to watch in the AutoNation Cure Bowl matchup between UCF and Arkansas State:SACK TANDEM: Arkansas State enters the game tied for 12th in the country with 37 sacks on the season, thanks in large part to the defensive end duo of senior Chris Odom and junior JaVon Rolland-Jones. Odom led the Red Wolves with 12 + sacks this season, while Roland-Jones -- the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year -- had 11 +. Combined, the two had 36 tackles for losses for the season.FRESHMAN SENSATION: Since taking over as the starter in the third game of the season against Maryland, freshman quarterback McKenzie Milton has been a stabilizing presence for the Knights. He is completing 60 percent of his passes and has a QB efficiency rating of 114.33.RED WOLVES REBOUND: The Red Wolves enter the Cure Bowl having won at least a share of the Sun Belt championship in five of the last six seasons, but theyve lost their last two bowl games. After opening this season 0-4, Arkansas State rebounded with a six-game winning streak and victories in seven of its last eight games to end the regular season.EASY MONEY: Money Hunter had only one interception in the Arkansas State secondary this season, but the senior did what he knows best with it -- returning it 46 yards for a touchdown in a win over New Mexico State.IMPACT PLAYER: It seemed like a reach when the new coaching staff decided to move junior Shaquem Griffin from safety to outside linebacker this season. But after being named AAC Defensive Player of the Year it seems like a great decision. He has 11 sacks this season, which ranks him 12th in the nation. Griffin also ranks 10th nationally in tackles-for-loss with 19.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '