FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - NFL Players Association records show New England special teams captain Matthew Slater has signed a two-year contract extension.Slater called the extension humbling on Wednesday but declined to go into details. The Patriots dont announce contract extensions.The total value of the deal is $4 million.Slater said hed rather talk about his teams game on Sunday against Green Bay.Im just so thankful for what the Lord has done in my life and my career, developing me here as a player and as a man; and Im thankful for an opportunity to continue that development, Slater said. And Im thankful to the coach staff, Coach (Bill) Belichick and this organization for believing in me and appreciating a player like me and guys like myself across this team.The 29-year-old wide receiver has been to the last three Pro Bowls. He has played offence and defence, but hes known for his special teams play.Its huge. Slate jumps off the screen, said safety Devin McCourty. I dont care what unit you watch — whether hes being triple teamed on kickoffs and still able to get to the ball, he just jumps off the screen every time hes on the field. Its a credit to the work hes put in.McCourty says it wasnt always like that for Slater.It was a steady progress where he just kept working and having him around here is great because hes a role model — for everybody on the team — of working hard and becoming great at your craft, he said.Belichick said Slater works well with younger players as well as his peers.Hes very well respected in the locker room, not just by the players, but Id say by the entire organization, just by the way he goes about his job, how committed he is to the team, how dependable he is, his work ethic, his attitude, his toughness, he said. Hes really pretty much a model player. Id love to have 53 guys like him.Times have certainly changed for special teamers, and the Patriots have had two of the best in Slater and Larry Izzo.I think that phase of the game has always played a role in teams being successful and I think here we have a coaching staff and people that understand that and appreciate that, Slater said. I think thats part of the reason why weve had success over the years.NOTES: The Patriots added TE Xavier Gamble and LS Charley Hughlett to the practice squad, releasing LB Deontae Skinner and DB Daxton Swanson. Fake NHL Jerseys . Prado stuck his glove down with Colorados Charlie Blackmon sliding into the bag, and quickly jumped back in pain after applying the tag. Prado held his left wrist as trainers came out of the Diamondbacks dugout to check him. Fake Jerseys Online . Billy Hamilton finished off Cincinnatis biggest comeback of the season for a doubleheader sweep. http://www.fakejersey.com/fake-college-jerseys/ . A spokeswoman for the NLRB says its "a very incremental move" and does not necessarily indicate the board is close to a finding in the case. NFL owners filed an unfair labour charge against the players union in February, arguing that the union was not negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in good faith. Cheap Fake Jerseys .com) - Nino Williams posted 18 points and seven rebounds, as Kansas State edged No. Fake Puma Jerseys . With Bernard hurt, the second-round pick has emerged.Hill ran for 152 yards during a 27-10 win at New Orleans on Sunday, his second big game. He also ran for 154 yards against Jacksonville earlier this season.(SportsNetwork.com) - Home ice hasnt been much of an advantage for the Toronto Maple Leafs in recent meetings with the New York Rangers, but the Leafs hope to reverse that trend when they host their Original Six rivals on Saturday. Although Toronto has won the last two encounters with the Blueshirts, including a 6-3 win in New York on Oct. 12, the Rangers have claimed five of the past six battles at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs are only 3-4-0 as the host this season, but will be glad to be home after going 0-1-1 on a recent two-game swing trip to Arizona and Colorado. Toronto was dealt a 3-2 setback by the Coyotes on Tuesday before dropping a 4-3 shootout decision Thursday against the Avalanche. Alex Tanguay scored the deciding marker in the third round of the shootout to defeat the Leafs. Toronto did well to earn a point, however, as Richard Paniks game-tying goal with 1:16 left in regulation pushed the game to overtime. Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel also scored goals for the Maple Leafs, who hope to avoid their first three-game skid since closing 2013-14 with four straight regulation losses. Kessel, who leads the Leafs with 18 points this season, had a goal and two assists in Torontos rout of the Rangers last month. The American winger has eight goals and 11 assists over 28 career games against New York. Jonathan Bernier suffered the loss against Colorado despite making 31 stops. It was a great effort tonight to get a point. We played really well in overtime, said Bernier. Toronto could use both Bernier and James Reimer in net this weekend. The Leafs also are in action Sunday in Ottawa. There was a scary moment in Thursdays tilt as Leafs forward Daniel Winnik was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Winnik absorbed a hit from Avs defenseman Jan Hejda and smacked the back of his head on the ice as the two players were tangled up. Winnik was not taken to a hospital and he could play in tonights game. Defenseman Jake Gardiner also left the game with a lower-body injury and is questionable for tonight. New York, meanwhile, will welcome Derek Stepan to the ice on Saturday, as the clubs top centerman expects to make his season debut. Stepan has missed the first 12 games of the season while recovering from a fractured fibula suffered during practice in late September. In 882 games last season, Stepan scored 17 goals and set career highs with 40 assists and 57 points.dddddddddddd The 24-year-old pivot has registered a point in nine of his 14 career games against Toronto, posting two goals and nine assists. Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle also skated with the team Friday and could return next week after recovering from a broken hand he suffered in the season opener against St. Louis. Boyle, who signed as a free agent in July, was hurt while blocking a shot against the Blues. Like Toronto, the Blueshirts are also playing on both Saturday and Sunday, meaning backup Cam Talbot will start over Henrik Lundqvist tonight. Talbot has seen action in three games this season and made his second start of 2014-15 in Mondays shootout loss to St. Louis. Lundqvist will start Sundays game against Edmonton. Talbot relieved Lundqvist in this seasons earlier meeting versus the Leafs. New Yorks No. 1 netminder took the loss on Oct. 12 after yielding all six goals on just 24 shots. Talbot is 2-0 with a 0.80 GAA in his three games (two starts) against the Leafs. Lundqvist helped his club halt a two-game slide Wednesday against Detroit. Lundqvist made 25 saves in the 4-3 overtime win and Derick Brassard delivered the game-winning goal to help the Rangers close a four-game homestand with a 2-0-2 record. After Pavel Datsyuk went off for tripping, New Yorks Dan Girardi unleashed a blast from the point. Jonas Gustavsson made the initial save, but the rebound trickled across the crease to Brassard, who was present at the right side of the net to wrist it home for the win. We knew from the beginning we were facing a pretty good team playing some good hockey, but we found a way, said Brassard. We made some hockey plays there and it is what it is. In overtime, we had the chance to get it done. Martin St. Louis and Brassard finished with a goal and an assist apiece and Rick Nash and Lee Stempniak both scored for the Rangers. Nash has 10 goals this season, leaving him one shy of Anaheims Corey Perry for the league lead. The Brampton, Ontario native has notched five goals and six assists in 15 career games against Toronto. The Rangers, who are 2-2-0 as the guest this season, are on the road for one game before playing their next three at Madison Square Garden. ' ' '