BROSSARD, Que. Discount Jerseys For Sale . - The Montreal Canadiens were surprised to learn that their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins will start on Thursday night. They were expecting it to start on Friday, and the earlier date made for a busy day of preparations. The special teams unit was on the ice a half-hour early while the main practice went a full hour on Wednesday. "We werent really planning on playing a game (on Thursday), but it all works out better that way," said forward Max Pacioretty. "We were trying to cram in a bit of system stuff as well, so it was a good practice. "We found out (Tuesday) night. I like it better that way. Theres a little less time to think. Were jumping right back into the action. I think thats when I play my best hockey, when Im not thinking." The Canadiens have been idle since completing a sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 22. The Bruins finished off the Detroit Red Wings in five games on Saturday. Although the NHL had not released a schedule, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin mentioned a Friday start in a television interview this week. The opener was moved up reportedly because Northeastern University has graduation ceremonies at the TD Garden on Friday morning. Game 2 is expected to be played Saturday at 12:30 pm ET, although that has not been confirmed. Pacioretty likes that, too. "I like playing afternoon games," he said. "No meetings in the morning. Not thinking too much about the game. Just going out and playing." The Canadiens will have had eight days off between games. To break the monotony, they held a simulated game day on Monday, with a morning skate followed by an intra-squad game at night. Then they took Tuesday off. "Im about ready to stop practising and start playing," said goalie Carey Price. Jerseys For Sale . It will then be back to business once the puck drops as the two clubs battle for key points in their respective playoff races. Watch the game live on TSN Canadiens and listen on TSN Radio 690 starting at 7:30pm et. China Jerseys For Sale . The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately. https://www.jerseysforsalechina.com/ . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson.Carmelo Anthony said Wednesday that he has heard Phil Jackson will be "coming on board" with the New York Knicks, the strongest indication yet that the 11-time NBA champion coach will soon be taking over the teams basketball operations. Anthony went as far as to suggest that its no longer a question of if Jackson will rejoin the Knicks, but when. "Everythings in his hands now," Anthony told reporters in Boston at the Knicks gameday shootaround practice. Neither the Knicks nor Jackson had any immediate comment. Jackson played on the Knicks last championship team in 1973, and later went on to win six NBA titles as a coach with the Chicago Bulls and five more with the Los Angeles Lakers. "Im agnostic as to what team, but I would love to see Phil Jackson" back in the league, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday after speaking to the Boston College Chief Executives Club of Boston. "To have one of the greatest ever sitting on the sidelines is a loss for the league," Silver added. "The league needs him. I hope he lands with some organization." Jackson, 68, has said in the past that teams have tried to lure him back to the NBA, and there has been speculation for several days that this offer from the Knicks would be good enough to get him to interrupt retirement. Jackson has been out of the league and largely out of the public eye since 2011, when he ended his coaching stint with the Lakers. "I still dont have a lot of the details, all the details," Anthony told reporters. "Have I heard? Yeah, Ive heard that he will be coming on board. Its not official yet. You can always use Phil Jacksons insight on whatever ... his philosophy, his mindset, his resume, what he brings to the game, what he brings to a team or organization. That goes without even saying, so well see how that plays out." Anthony said he hasnt spoken with Jackson about his plans for the Knicks. If this deal becomes official, that will likely change quickly, since Anthony could leave this summer as a free agent. Anthoony said the Knicks told him about their pursuit of Jackson over the last couple days. Cheap Jerseys For Sale. He gave no indication if Jacksons potential involvement with the Knicks would affect his free-agency plans. "It wasnt something that was do-or-die based on my decision," Anthony told reporters. "Them guys was going to make that decision regardless of what I said." Ever since Jackson last coached, there has been a certain amount of guessing about when he would return to the league — or if any offer really could get him to leave Montana, where hes spent much of retirement. He didnt exactly slam the door shut in 2012, telling HBOs "Real Sports" that "there might be" a job that would bring him back to the game. In that same interview, Jackson called the Knicks roster at the time "clumsy" and said Anthony had to become a better passer. But he also seemed to suggest that if he wanted, he could still win. "The game doesnt pass a person by," Jackson told HBO in that interview. The Knicks won 54 games last season and considered themselves to be title contenders. They entered Wednesday on a four-game winning streak, but were still No. 10 in the Eastern Conference standings, 3 1/2 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Already, though, speculation is rampant that major changes are coming before next season. Knicks coach Mike Woodson has been on perhaps the hottest of hot seats, Anthony could go elsewhere, and it would certainly make sense if Jackson surrounded himself with people who are familiar with him and the style he used to coach the Bulls and Lakers to the 11 titles. "You cant take for granted what he knows about the game of basketball, whether hes on the sideline or in the front office," Anthony told reporters. "Im sure he will try to his best to do what he has to do to try to build a championship team. He knows how to put guys together, put a team together. Well see what happens." AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen in Boston contributed to this report. ' ' '