As communities and towns right across Canada gear up to celebrate our nations birthday on Monday, European footballs wheelers and dealers --check book and the de rigueur brown paper bag stuffed with cash at the ready -- are salivating at the thought the summer transfer window officially opening for business the very same day. In the run up to Monday clubs have been permitted to consummate deals with the proviso the buying and selling club hail from the same domestic league. Typically Real Madrid has been at the forefront of getting their bids in early. The wannabe 10-time Euro champs displayed their intentions and used their first-mover advantage to maximum effect earlier in the week with news the Madristocrats had locked up one of Spains prime young assets: former Malaga midfielder Francisco Alarc&覫n Su&覙rez. Better known under his one-name moniker, “Isco” gave the perfect account of himself when he was voted the tournaments Golden Boy as Spain retained the UEFA Under-21 Championships in Israel earlier this month. A lifetime Barcelona supporter, Isco is sure to go down well with the locals when he takes his dog for a stroll round the Madrid streets. The ex-Malaga mans dog is called Messi. Not too sure it will be wise to throw him a ball though. Next up in the Los Blancos sightlines are none other than Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez and this summers most in-demand glamour boy, “My Left Foot” himself: Gareth Bale. If Perez is successful the total transfer outlay on these three musketeers - when combined with the 35m euro [$45m CAD] Real reportedly paid Malaga - would most certainly exceed a quarter of a billion dollars. Factor in the existing salaries of this mega Grade-A talent and Madrids total capital investment could exceed the half billion mark. Evidently, Florentino Perez hasnt read any of Michel Platinis memos on UEFAs Financial Fair Play model that comes into full effect this upcoming season. FFP is that utopian one-size-fits-all financial model which restricts and requires clubs across European football to spend what they earn that sounds great in theory. However, in practice FFP will allow the clubs who sign the blockbuster sponsorship deals and receive the greater proportion of broadcast revenues - domestically, continentally and globally - to pull further away from clubs towards the middle and bottom end of the European football food chain. Then factor in, say, the Emirates box office on match day compared to Anfields. The comparison is $5 million vs. $1.5 million and we havent even discussed the icing on the FFP cake; club merchandise. The abundance of Ronaldo, Messi and Rooney [who himself could be on the move this summer] shirts walking round Canadian and U.S. streets alone likely outnumbers the gross domestic merchandise product for the French Ligue 1 and Dutch Eredivisie combined. The rich will indeed get richer and continue to win most if not all the silverware. Just like in the real world itself, over the long run the wealth gap between the ‘haves and the ‘have-nots will widen. It could get to the point when – by time Europe next gets to host a World Cup Finals in 2018 - even Nik Wallenda himself would turn down opportunity to tightrope across such an exhaustible and unbridgeable gap. Just ask yourself why Manchester United CEO David Gill and Roman Abramovich have cuddled up to Platini. Something about protecting future earnings, anyone? Jurgen Klopp, who knows a thing or two (and certainly a lot more than any UEFA FFP Panel) used the platform of the UEFA Champions League Final to full effect when on the eve of the final, Klopp voiced very legitimate fears that he saw a day the Bundesliga would mimic the Scottish Premier League. With Bayern playing the role of Celtic, UEFA Financial Fair Play must be the reason why the monopoly board was invented in the first place. Bayern, so optimistically influencing, spent their additional (very lucrative) Champions League broadcast revenue even before they earned it when in late April they captured the $45 million signature of Klopp prodigy Mario G&覮tze. The threat of barring clubs from elite competitions will in time result in such demand for top notch club accountants and lawyers they themselves will likely have to hire player agents as they hold out for 150,000 euros-plus per week in tax free salaries like the players themselves. Surely this was the summer UEFA would have forecasted we would witness a dramatic downturn in spiraling transfer fees. When in reality we may well soon see Torres: Version 2.0. Take it back to late January 2011 and the cart-before-the-horse scenario where Liverpool, to save face pushed back Abramovichs opening salvo for their prime Spanish ace. Anfield requested Torres put in a transfer request as the storied English club demanded 50 million pieces of William and Kate silvers to cut ties with El Nino. Roman duly obliged back then. Now we have reports Liverpool will demand Suarez place a transfer request ahead of any such 50m pound move to Bernabeu. The transfer request is an important factor because placing one denies the player any percentage of his fee garnered at market. These percentages which - in this era of football doping, as Wenger describes it - tend to be negotiated with the player and his management team on an individual basis and can be as lofty as 15 per cent. Not a bad days work for a signature. And we thought there was a growing market for signed baseball cards. Frighteningly, just as the final whistle sounds in Sunday evenings mouth-watering Confederations Cup Final at the mythical Maracana it will also signal a mad dash to the airport as players the world over begin making their way back to their European football outposts. Yes, folks, in the coming two weeks right across the UEFA continent players who have not participated in any spring international tournaments begin reporting to training camp. Fitness levels will be checked as financial wherewithal reaches a new dimension. By the end of August when the window closes lets see how vast the EU aggregate spend is. With the prospect upon us that Bale, Cavani, Suarez, Lewandowski and Rooney could be joining the likes of Tevez, Isco, Fernandinho and G&覮tze before them and running out next season in a different jersey than the one they threw into the crowd at the end of last season puts a whole new dimension on European club football finances. Now add in just for fun comments earlier this week from the Legendinho himself: Johan Cruyff. The Dutch Master suggested in a MARCA interview that with the $70m-plus Neymar now installed at the Camp Nou, the club Cruyff took to its very first European Cup in 1992, should take advantage of the rising market prices and sell the current face of the franchise: Lionel Messi. As he holidays in Milan, what price would the Argentine maverick command? The just-turned 26-year-old who we are yet to see the very best of? Told you it was fun. So many euros will be required by Sheik Mansour it will likely lead to a rise in the value of Europes beleaguered currency unit. Not sure this was in any UEFA FFP forecasts. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 .com) - Darius Carter and Ron Baker scored 18 points apiece to help 13th-ranked Wichita State beat Evansville 61-41 on Saturday. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/. Fabio Fognini pulled off a surprise 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray to level the best-of-five quarterfinal at 2-2 before Andreas Seppi defeated James Ward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . They have watched it from afar. And now they have seen it for themselves. Hurricanes Jerseys 2021 . Kamloops, B.C., the host city of this years Tim Hortons Brier, is where he won his first Canadian mens curling crown in 1996. DENVER -- Matt Duchene was simply going for a cross-ice pass. A fortunate bounce turned it into the winning goal. The Colorado forward didnt know it until the roar of the crowd clued him in. Duchene scored 2:33 into overtime, and Semyon Varlamov stopped 33 shots to lift the Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night. "Were all pretty exhausted," Duchene said. "I felt like I was back in high school playing hockey, but those games are fun to win." Duchene got free after a nifty move in the corner and saw Ryan OReilly on the far side. Duchene tried to thread a pass to him, only to have it hit the stick of Jets defenceman Tobias Enstrom and bounce in the air. The puck hit Duchene in the leg, dropped down to his stick. From there he lifted it over backup goalie Al Montoya. "I didnt even know it went in," said Duchene, who has a point in a career-high eight straight games. "I just heard the crowd cheering, and I figured it went past him. It was a good bounce, nice to get that one." Montoya was almost as surprised. "I dont even remember it. I really dont, sorry about that," he said. "I know the puck bounced in front of me, was poked in front of me, and it landed right on the guys tape." Enstrom made quite a save to make sure the game reached overtime. Late in the third period, Enstrom dove after a puck that was rolling toward the net. He swatted it away just before it crossed the line. Jets coach Paul Maurice didnt fault Enstroms attempted clear. "Just a little bad luck in front of the net," Maurice said. "Bobbled the puck and its in the back." John Mitchell, Andre Benoit and Duchene provided an offensive spark on a night the Avs lost another forward when P.A. Parenteau hurt his right knee early in the game. They were already without Paul Stastny, who was sidelined because of a sore back. Avs coach Patrick Roy said Parenteau could miss significant time with an MCL injury. "I think hes going to miss the remainder of the regular season, and well see for the playoffs," Roy said.dddddddddddd"(Tuesday), well know more. Im just guessing right now." Winnipeg had a 2-on-1 opportunity in overtime, but Varlamov deflected Olli Jokinens shot into the netting behind the goal. Colorado scored 4:38 into the second period on a goal originally credited to rookie Nathan MacKinnon, when it looked as though he tapped in a pass from Mitchell. But the goal was later awarded to Mitchell after the puck appeared to hit off the stick of Jets defenceman Zach Bogosian. The lead didnt last long as Byfuglien scored twice in a span of 1:48. He tapped his first goal past Varlamov on a power play. Later, Byfuglien bounced a puck off Varlamovs left skate from near the boards behind the net. Benoit tied it with 12 seconds remaining in the second on a slap shot from near the blue line. It was a frenetic first period that featured no scoring but plenty of big hits and a penalty shot by Jim Slater after Marc-Andre Cliche hooked him from behind. Slater couldnt capitalize, though, lining his shot into Varlamovs glove. Varlamov later turned back Evander Kane on another breakaway attempt. The Jets were flummoxed by Varlamov all period, even running into the Colorado goalie twice and drawing penalties. The Avs were on the power play four times in the first period, but couldnt sneak anything past Montoya, who gave Ondrej Pavelec the night off. Colorado lost Parenteau in a collision near the blue line with Mark Stuart less than four minutes into the game. After a quick rest, Parenteau momentarily returned to the ice to test out the knee before heading into the dressing room. "He was in pain, but you know P.A.," Roy said. "Hes a great team guy, and he wanted give it a try." NOTES: Jets F John Albert left in the second period because of an upper body injury and didnt return. ... F Bryan Little recorded two assists, giving him 52 points for the season, which is a career high. ... Varlamov earned his 32nd win of the season. ' ' '