VANCOUVER -- One of Mike Gilliss final acts as Canucks general manager was to end the Roberto Luongo saga once and for all in Vancouver by trading the veteran goalie to the Florida Panthers last month. Adidas Stan Smith Heren Sale . And while the recently fired Gillis wont be around to reap any potential benefit from deal, Vancouver got its first real glimpse this week at one of the key pieces that came back the other way. Jacob Markstrom, acquired along with forward Shawn Matthias as part of the deal that sent Luongo back to his former team, allowed three goals on 27 shots in a solid first start with the Canucks as Vancouver fell 4-2 to the red-hot Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. The American Hockey Leagues goalie of the month for February while he was still a member of the Panthers organization, Markstrom watched from the bench for 15 straight games as Vancouver rode fellow Swede Eddie Lack in a failed attempt to make a run at the playoffs. After the Canucks were eliminated from contention for the first time in six years, head coach John Tortorella indicated that youngsters would play in the teams final three games and that Markstrom would get his chance to spell Lack, who started 19 in a row following the Olympic break. "I thought (Markstrom), with the amount of work hes done and the lack of play ... I thought he was really good, as far as the technical part that were trying to work on with him," Tortorella said after Thursdays game. That work the Canucks have been doing with Markstrom has included having him play deeper in his crease, a style preached by goalie coach Rollie Melanson. "A lot of the stuff Ive been working with Rollie with felt pretty good out there," said Markstrom, whose only other game with Vancouver was mop-up duty in a 6-1 loss to Dallas. "Its all repetitions and weve been doing it for quite a bit here so it felt pretty natural. "I was happy that I was playing but too bad we couldnt win." Markstrom might be untested, but he is by no means new to the NHL. The 24-year-old played parts of four seasons with the Panthers, including 23 games during the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign. In 45 career outings, Markstrom has a less-than-inspiring 11-26-5 record to go along with an .897 save percentage and a 3.20 goals-against average. But its his potential and six-foot-six frame that the Canucks were drawn to in the Luongo deal, which happened quickly after Tortorella chose to start Lack in the Heritage Classic. "I like Jacob Markstrom, I think hes a really good young talent in goal," Gillis said after the trade. "When I look at the return, obviously you want to try and get the absolute best and most that you can get, but there are circumstances that do impact and play a role in these things. And we were impacted by things that were somewhat beyond our control." At the end of last season, Vancouver had both Luongo and Cory Schneider, who was dealt to the New Jersey Devils in June, on the roster. Now with Lack and Markstrom, what had been a position of strength for the organization is now a major question mark. Tortorella decided against starting Markstrom with the Canucks still in this years playoff chase, describing his talents as "raw." "Really the biggest thing Rollie is trying to do is get him deeper (in his crease)," Tortorella said in late March. "Hes a really athletic guy, hes a big man. Hes trying to get him to play deeper. Again, I dont spend too much time asking questions, but hes trying to change his game a little bit. "Hes a young guy. We are very intrigued about his athletic ability and the size that he is and I think Ive got one of the best goaltending coaches around in dealing with these guys and teaching them." Markstrom, who is expected to play Vancouvers final two games of the season, said before Thursdays start hes fine with the Canucks trying to alter his game if it gets results. "At the end of the day its all about feeling good and stopping the puck," he said. "Youve got to go out there with a good feeling and be confident in what youre going to do and I feel really confident right now. "Im just trying to improve my game as much as I can. Obviously its a couple different steps with Rollie, what he does and what he wants his goalies to do." Meanwhile, Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa confirmed after Thursdays game that he will represent Canada at the world championship next month in Belarus. "Its an honour. I talked to (Canadian general manager) Rob Blake and he asked me if I wanted to play," said Bieksa. "I havent had many opportunities to play for my country before and I dont plan on missing the playoffs too many more years so I thought Id take this chance." Adidas Stan Smith Goedkoop . -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. Adidas Falcon Goedkoop . The 7-foot-1 Hawes, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, both career highs, and shoots 40 per cent from 3-point range. The 25-year-old Hawes is in his seventh NBA season. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/superstar-sneakers/superstar-dames.html . - Erick Torres scored his 10th goal of the season on a stunning volley, and Chivas USA edged 10-man Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday night. CLEVELAND -- Brian Hoyers story, seemingly pulled from a Disney movie script, took a cruel turn. The Cleveland quarterbacks season is over. A lifelong Browns fan living out his boyhood dream by starting for his hometown team, Hoyer tore a knee ligament while running for a first down Thursday night against Buffalo and will miss the remainder of this season. Its a devastating blow for Hoyer, who had waited five years -- three as Tom Bradys backup in New England -- to become an NFL starter and led the Browns to wins over Minnesota and Cincinnati while replacing an injured Brandon Weeden. "This is disappointing," Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said Friday on a conference call. "Its an unfortunate thing." Chudzinski said an MRI taken Friday showed Hoyer tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He will undergo surgery, ending his feel-good story after just three starts and with the Browns (3-2) rolling. Chudzinski said there is no other damage in Hoyers knee, which got caught in the turf at FirstEnergy as he slid and was hit by Bills rookie linebacker Kiko Alonso. The usual recovery time is nine months to one year, but for Hoyer the injury stole a chance to prove to Clevelands front office he could be their franchise quarterback. Chudzinski said he spoke with Hoyer after getting the medical results. "Its hard on him," said Chudzinski. "Obviously hes disappointed, but if you know him and you know how positive he is and the type of person he is. Hes already thinking about when hes going to be back. I reassured him that as well. I wanted to let him know how much he meant to us and what he did. But hell be back. Hell make it back. Hes that type of guy. "Hes the kind of guy you dont doubt." Chudzinski said there are no immediate plans to sign another quarterback and Weeden will return as Clevelands starter. Signed by Cleveland as a free agent in May, Hoyer, released by New England, Pittsburgh and Arizona in the past year, began the season as Clevelands No. 3 quarterback. With Weeden out recovering from a sprained thumb, Hoyer made just his second NFL start in Week 3 and led the Browns to consecutive wins, directing clutch fourth-quarter drives and throwing clinching touchdown passes in both games. "He did a great job and he was a big reason why we won those games, but not the only reason," Chudzinski said, professing the "next-man up" mantra all NFL coaches maintain because of injuries. Adidas Falcon Nederland. With the Browns trailing 7-0, Hoyer, flushed from the pocket, took off up field. He had just passed the first-down marker and was sliding when he took a blow near the helmet from Alonso in front of Clevelands sideline. Several Browns coaches and players screamed for a penalty as Hoyer lay face down in the grass. Chudzinski wouldnt say if he thought Alonso should have been given a personal foul. "If it was close," he said, "I dont think there was any intention there." With Hoyer out, Weeden, who returned from injury only to be demoted to a backup role, has his starting job back. Weeden replaced Hoyer against the Bills, and following a slow start -- some Browns fans booed his first few incompletions-- he rallied Cleveland to its third straight win. Weeden threw a 37-yard TD pass to wide receiver Josh Gordon in the third quarter and finished 13 of 24 for 197 yards. "The guys rallied around him," Chudzinski said. "It was a gutsy performance, and it wasnt always pretty. I think he was still a little bit rusty, but he got the job done and he was able to help us win that game. There were some ups and downs, but he was resilient and was able to make some big plays." Weeden was only cleared to play earlier in the week after he threw in Wednesdays practice. Chudzinski decided to have him as the Browns No. 2 quarterback and made Jason Campbell inactive against the Bills. Following the game, Weeden said he never lost faith despite being injured and dropping behind Hoyer on the depth chart. "I knew I couldnt, because regardless if I was the starter or not, eyes are on you," he said. "So I was upbeat the entire time, never let it bother me. It kind of lit a fire in me. I still needed to prepare, still needed to watch tape at night just in case something unfortunate happens." NOTES: Chudzinski said DE Desmond Bryant is "fine" after being kept overnight as a precaution at the Cleveland Clinic. Bryant was removed from the game with shortness of breath and an irregular heartbeat. Chudzinski expects Bryant to play next week against Detroit. Bryant had a similar problem last season with Oakland but played in the next game. ... Chudzinski said FB Chris Ogbonnaya is going through the leagues concussion protocol program after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit. ' ' '