CALGARY -- After seven years of learning the ropes in Phoenix, Brad Treliving says hes ready to return home and take the reins of an NHL team in a hockey-mad market. The Flames announced Monday that Treliving, a former assistant general manager with the Coyotes, will take over the vacant GM spot in Calgary. "Im ready for this,"Treliving said. "I know the challenges here we have ahead of us as a team ... I know the expectations of this market. I know the expectations of this fan base. And I want you to know Im prepared for this and Im ready for this challenge." Team president of hockey operations Brian Burke officially announced the hiring at an afternoon news conference. "Make no mistake about it folks, Brad is the general manager of this team, effective right now," Burke said, adding that Treliving was the only candidate the Flames interviewed. "Its important people understand that. It speaks volumes for what we think of Brad as a general manager," Burke said. Treliving, a native of Penticton, B.C., referred to himself a "proud Western Canadian" and said he welcomed the move. "In a lot of ways I look at this as a homecoming," the 44-year-old said. "Coming in yesterday, seeing the Rocky Mountains ... I appreciate Brian and (Flames president and CEO Ken Kings) hospitality. You got rid of the snow for a guy whos had his blood thinning in the desert the past few years." Treliving also had kind words for the Coyotes organization, where he worked closely with GM Don Maloney and was in charge of their AHL affiliate in Portland. Treliving worked for the Coyotes while they were on shaky ground and administered by the NHL before being bought by a Canadian-led group last year. "I know for a lot of people up here and outside of the Phoenix market over the past few years, theres been a lot of stories written (but) it was a great experience there because of the people there." Treliving will take over general manager duties from Burke, who served as interim GM after firing Jay Feaster in December. "He is the single most significant factor for me being here today," Treliving said of Burke. Treliving is also assistant GM for Team Canada at the IIHF world championship. He previously served as president of the Central Hockey League and president and director of hockey operations for the Western Professional Hockey League, which he founded. The Flames missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season after finishing with a 35-40-7 record for 77 points. Calgary was 13th in the Western Conference standings. As the Coyotes vice-president of hockey operations, Treliving worked closely with Maloney on personnel matters and helping build a team despite the financial limitations of being run by the NHL for four seasons. "Brad has learned at the knee of a general manager for whom I have great respect, Don Maloney. Hes been directly and actively involved in every facet of the general managers job," Burke said "He has a keen mind and a reputation as an extremely hard worker. Its my job to provide Brad with whatever guidance and leadership I can." The team made the playoffs in each of their four seasons without an owner before failing to reach the post-season the past two seasons. Trelivings duties also included managing the professional and amateur scouting staffs and making player personnel assignments to the teams minor-league affiliates. Treliving, who played in the International Hockey League, AHL and ECHL, is the son of Boston Pizza co-owner Jim Treliving. Fake Vans SK8 . - A pitch clock will be used this season during minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A, but it has been ruled out for the major leagues this year. Fake Vans Old Skool . Harrison Barnes had 15 points and Reggie Bullock scored 11 for the Tar Heels (17-3, 4-1 ACC), who took the court for the first time without starter Dexter Strickland. The junior guard tore his right ACL last Thursday at Virginia Tech and will miss the rest of the season. http://www.fakevans.com/. Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion. Fake Vans From China .com) - The New York Rangers hope to punch their ticket to the second round when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for a Game 6 battle at Wells Fargo Center. Fake Vans Slip-on .com) - Patrik Elias registered the winner in the shootout as New Jersey nipped Toronto 2-1 at Prudential Center on Wednesday. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chris Tillman paid no attention to the Baltimore bullpen as it started to stir in the ninth inning. After all, he had made it this far before. There was no way he was leaving the game now. So after a leadoff single to start the inning, Tillman bore down against the Kansas City Royals. The young right-hander induced three straight groundouts to end the game, wrapping up a 4-0 victory for the Orioles and giving Tillman his first career shutout. "Ill take more of them," he said, "but thats not my goal." Maybe not. But it sure is nice. Tillman came within two outs of a nine-inning complete game earlier this season, and he was incensed when he was pulled from an eventual 3-1 win over Detroit. He hadnt been any happier of late, either, after scuffling through his last five outings. But behind a dastardly combination of curveballs, changeups and fastballs, Tillman (4-2) kept the offensively inept Royals off balance. He scattered five hits and a walk, his dominant outing coming one night after Wei-Yin Chen and four relievers combined to beat Kansas City 2-1. Chris Davis homered and Steve Clevenger also drove in a run for the Orioles. "This is Tillmans night," the Royals Billy Butler said. "Youve got to give him credit. He did his job today. He was locating, throwing all of his pitches. He did a heck of a job." Jeremy Guthrie (2-3) bounced back from a lousy start to last eight innings against his former team. The Royals starter allowed four runs, eight hits and a walk while striking out two. While falling to 0-3 with four no-decisions in his last seven starts, Guthrie at least was able to save a bullpen that had been chewed up in that close loss the previous night. "He threw the ball well. He really did," Royals manager Ned Yost said. As for that offence, which has managed one run in the last two games? "Offences heat up, cool off," Yost said. "Right now we dont have anybody where I can sit back and say this boy is really swinging thhe bat well right now.dddddddddddd" The game was played in a brisk 2 hours, 22 minutes, mostly because the starters were so effective. Tillman retired 13 of 14 batters after giving up a double to Norichika Aoki to start the game, and Guthrie only allowed a single by J.J. Hardy over the first three innings. Baltimore finally got to Guthrie in the fourth, and it was partly his own doing. Manny Machado led off by bunting back toward Guthrie, and he slipped while trying to field the ball. His hurried throw to first was wide of the bag for an error, and Machado trotted over to second base. Moments later, he headed for third when Guthrie threw a wild pitch. Davis walked to put runners on the corners for Cruz, whose single drove in the games first run. Clevenger then grounded into a fielders choice to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. It remained that way until the sixth, when consecutive singles again put runners on the corners. Cruz then lofted a fly ball deep enough to centre to bring home Adam Jones. Davis added his third homer of the season with two outs in the eighth. By that point, the only drama was whether Tillman would finish the game. The Orioles had two relievers up in the bullpen in the ninth, and the Royals got the leadoff man on base. But Tillman calmly got the next three batters to ground out to end the game. "We talked to him between innings, like we always do. It was a lot of effort but there was no real stressful innings for him," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We had guys up and there was a point he was coming out of the game, but he was not going to be denied." NOTES: The Orioles recalled RHP Brad Brach from Triple-A Norfolk and designated RHP Evan Meek for assignment. ... The Royals selected the contract of RHP Casey Coleman from Triple-A Omaha and designated OF Justin Maxwell for assignment. Coleman retired the side in the ninth. ... Baltimore RHP Bud Norris is scheduled to start Saturday. LHP Danny Duffy will start for Kansas City. ' ' '