A summer of reflection appears to have produced a new version of Dustin Brown, judging from his impactful opening month of the NHL season.Or has the old Dustin Brown returned?Either way, an offseason that saw him stripped of the Los Angeles Kings captaincy has certainly changed him.Theres a lot of things that go into it. I went through a lot of things this summer, Brown said Tuesday. I think the main thing is that Im just having fun playing again. We get to play a game for a living, and I understand that. But it doesnt matter what you do in life -- if youre not having doing fun doing it, sometimes its very difficult.The change was made in the summer, general manager Dean Lombardi said, to pass the mantle to other players who have developed into the role.Its essentially their turn, Lombardi told local media on a conference call June 16, a sentiment he reiterated to ESPN on Wednesday. This is something that was on the board, that a transition needs to take place, and theyve been groomed for this as players and leaders.As a result, the summer provided Brown -- a two-time Stanley Cup champion -- plenty of time to think about the game, his team and his role on it.For one, he no longer appears to be carrying a piano on his back.I put pressure on myself, just naturally, and collectively as a team and what our expectations are, Brown said. I dont think those expectations have changed, but my approach probably has. Just how I look at things has been a little bit different and has allowed me to enjoy the game again.Brown has put up eight points (two goals and six assists) in 13 games this season, while also providing the other elements that have made him successful. Hes on pace for 50 points after putting up just 28 last season.[He] can impact the game even when he is not scoring, a rival Western Conference head coach said via text of Brown, who averaged 54 points per season from 2006-07 through 2011-12. Looks like he is back on track this year. Extra effort is back and thats his game.Is Brown unburdened by no longer wearing the C? No player would admit that; theres so much pride in being captain of an NHL team. But Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton?reacted well, in terms of their production, after the San Jose Sharks removed their captaincies over the years.Thats the example I set forth to Brown, and he understood the point about shedding the mental burden of leadership.I think theres something to it, just on a day-to-day basis, Brown said. In a way I took everything personally, whether it was individually or collectively as a team. Whether its conscious or not, theres probably something to it, [and] you kind of let it go. My attitude is still the same. But its one of those things where I just try to support Kopy and just worry about my game.Yes, the fact that its his good pal Anze Kopitar who replaced him as captain clearly made the transition easier. Their stalls are right beside each other, on the road and in L.A.That deep-rooted friendship -- both are first-round picks, two years apart, and grew up together on this team -- has been key in this all working.Id say its not the ideal situation for both of us, obviously, Kopitar said Tuesday. Id say our friendship goes beyond that. Weve played together for 10-plus years and developed a friendship thats the type you dont lose overnight.It was maybe a little bit weird at first, at that exact moment, but weve been friends for a long time and thats not going to change.Added Brown: Its not like Kopy was in there knocking down doors, saying he wanted to be captain. That might have been more awkward, him pushing for it. But we talked pretty soon after it was announced. Its no different for us.I think it would be somewhat embarrassing initially, as in a What did I do wrong? way, said Ray Ferraro, a former captain of the Atlanta Thrashers and now an analyst with TSN. That team has been together so long, the feeling must be that Kopitar is the acknowledged leader, so it might make things easier. [Browns] great start looks like he is unburdened.Still, as excited, flattered and honored as Kopitar was to be the next Kings captain, he made sure from across the pond in Slovenia that his pal was OK.We texted back and forth. I guess I wanted to make sure there wouldnt be any hard feelings, Kopitar said. Brownie is a classy guy. I dont think there was any awkwardness between us at all. So that helped.Brown had heart-to-heart offseason conversations with Kings management.?Lombardi and Brown had five meetings and they werent just about the change in captaincy. The GM also told Brown he needed to get back to being an impact player, measuring up to his salary and contract. Brown shared his own thoughts, too. By all accounts, it was a healthy dialogue.It kind of caught me off guard, the timing of it. But it allowed me to have some candid conversations, both ways, Brown said. You get it out in the open and you move forward.Still, a proud man, Brown -- who replaced Rob Blake as captain in 2008 -- went through the gauntlet of emotions.You have to get through it and let the emotion settle down, Brown said. You got to let it settle and figure out what to do moving forward. Naturally, I was pissed off.I was pretty upset.Seems these days like hes funneling that emotion into his game.Now the question is where this all leads. Brown, who turned 32 last Friday, has a modified no-trade clause but not a full no-movement clause in his contract -- which means the Kings could expose him in the expansion draft in June. Its not to suggest I think they will, but people have wondered. He has five more years on his deal after this season at a $5.875 million annual cap hit.I want to be a King as long as they want me, Brown said when asked about his future. The biggest thing I can do for both myself and the team is just get back to the player that I can be. And help this team win games. Thats my immediate focus. Jose Berrios Twins Jersey . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Justin Morneau Twins Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. http://www.twinssale.com/twins-michael-pineda-jersey/ . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Marwin Gonzalez Jersey . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Blake Parker Twins Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. PANJSHIR, Afghanistan -- On a recent sunny morning in northern Afghanistan, excited children and bemused policemen lined the banks of a fast-flowing river to watch a group of Europeans in multicolored kayaks navigate the white water. A drone-mounted camera also followed the kayakers progress, buzzing and hovering above them like a mosquito.The boys, who were on their way to school, squealed and raced along the rocks as they watched the unusual spectacle -- no kayakers had ever come to the peaceful Panjshir Valley, some 140 kilometers (95 miles) north of the Afghan capital, Kabul.But according to Callum Strong, a Scot who recently graduated with a geology degree from Edinburgh University, Panjshir River offers some of the best kayaking in the world.Together with three friends, he spends all his spare time and money travelling the globe in search of the best white water. Panjshir looked promising on the map -- that Afghanistan is grappling with a 15-year insurgency was not going to deter them.Its extreme geography that attracts extreme sportsmen, not the fact that the place is at war, he told The Associated Press as he dragged his kayak out of the water following an invigorating three-hour paddle down the Panjshir River.His three friends -- Brit Joe Rea-Dickins, Scot James Smith and Austrian Kristof Stursa -- are also recent graduates in their early 20s and amateur kayakers who met through their love of the sport. They funded the trip to Afghanistan themselves, flying to Kabul with their kayaks and then employing a local travel agent to help them transport their kit, organize permission from security services to travel and move safely through dangerous areas.Then they spent 10 days paddling the length of the Panjshir River and introducing the local community to the sport.Before I came here, I was worried as the only news you hear from Afghanistan is bad news, Strong said. But I believe most places you go in the world, most people are good -- and the river here looked very good, so we wanted to come.His friend Rea-Dickins was similarly enthusiastic, comparing Panjshir to the best places hes kayaked in northern Europe, India and Pakistan. In terms of white water, this is as good as anywhere in the world, he said.One of the joys of the sport, he said, is that it takes you to pretty interesting places, it gives you purpose, you can be in a beautiful environment for weeks, you go off beaten tracks and stay where you end up and you meet with local people.Panjshir is considered one of the safest regions of Afghanistan. The roads are closeed to outsiders, who must register with security forces and explain the reason for their visit to gain access.dddddddddddd Many people come to enjoy the peace, as well as the pristine environment and the famous produce, including yoghurt, honey and lamb kebabs. Panjshir is also famous for precious stones -- especially rubies and emeralds- and as a smuggling route for millions of dollars worth of lapis lazuli, a blue stone largely unique to Afghanistan, mostly destined for Pakistan and China.It is also the home of the so-called Lion of Panjshir, Ahmad Shah Massoud, a military leader who earned his moniker fighting Soviet forces and the Taliban and whose legendary status was cemented when he was killed by al-Qaida sympathizers on September 9, 2001 -- two days before the 9/11 attacks that sparked the U.S. invasion and the Afghan war.The countrys chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, is also from Panjshir. His face beams from massive billboards alongside the portraits of Massoud and local jihadi leaders. Panjshir is a province that takes its war heroes seriously.It could soon take kayaking seriously, too, if the efforts of the four enthusiasts find traction here.After a week of paddling, the four set up a kayaking workshop to teach interested locals. The Panjshir football team showed up to give it a try, arriving straight from training in their bright green-and-white kit.They are very good learners, a lot of the guys we have seen are very fit and strong. And they are used to swimming in this river, which is very powerful, Strong said. Strength and comfort in the water are both good starting points for learning how to stay afloat, and have fun, in a kayak.While it might be many years before the emergence of Afghan kayaking clubs, Strong and his group are hoping that their visit will lay the foundations for others to follow and discover the beauty and power of the Panjshir River.We have paddled the river so we can tell other people the river is good and that when we were here, the political situation and security was good, he said. If that prevails, then kayaking can grow here, and you might see more international teams come here to do this river.Mohammad Zahir, a member of the Panjshir football team, was most excited by the possibility that kayaking could take him abroad.I would love to reach the level of our friends who are here from other countries, so I could travel to other places for kayaking, he said. ' ' '