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SACRAMENTO, Calif. Chris Wondolowski USA Jersey . -- Jimmermania began in Sacramento with hundreds of fans gathered at the airport to cheer the arrival of a player most had only watched on television or read about during the NCAA tournament. Its headed for a much quieter conclusion. As the Kings and guard Jimmer Fredette worked toward reaching a buyout of his contract, the former BYU sensation was not in attendance for Tuesday nights 129-103 loss to the Houston Rockets. Kings coach Michael Malone said the team advised Fredette to stay home until a resolution is reached. Malone said he wished Fredette well and believes the third-year guard can carve out an NBA career somewhere -- just not in Sacramento. "For whatever reason, Jimmer was never able to find success, whether they were unrealistic expectations from his college career or whatever it was," Malone said. "But he just wasnt able to play to the level that everybody wanted him to play, which is somewhat maybe unrealistic. Maybe we have to temper our expectations for Jimmer and let him just become a solid NBA player. And theres nothing wrong with that." Fredette, who turned 25 years old Tuesday, is making about $2.4 million this season. He will be a free agent if -- and most likely when -- he clears waivers. Kings general manager Pete DAlessandro told reporters at the teams morning shootaround that he was approached by Fredettes representatives about a buyout. He said Fredette no longer fits into the teams plans but Kings owner Vivek Ranadive "loves Jimmer and wants to do the right thing by Jimmer. Were just talking about things at this point. Theres nothing done at this point." A person with knowledge of the discussions, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing, said the sides hoped to finalize an agreement by the end of the week. Yahoo Sports first reported the buyout talks. Fredettes locker at the arena also was cleared out. Fredette was drafted 10th overall in 2011 after dazzling at BYU, where he won The Associated Press player of the year award his senior season. Fredette never lived up to the fanfare in Sacramento, though the franchises instability -- playing for three different coaches, two different ownership groups and constant relocation chatter -- didnt help his cause. Fredette is averaging 5.9 points and 11.3 minutes this season, shooting 47.5 per cent from the floor and 49.3 per cent from 3-point range. For his career, hes averaging seven points, 1.5 assists and 1.1 rebounds while shooting 41.6 per cent overall, including 40 per cent from beyond the arc. But the same concerns some scouts had about Fredette when he entered the league -- his defence, ball-handling skills and ability to score off the ball against bigger and more athletic defenders -- persist. "Every time he shot it, I thought the ball was going in. I will say that," Malone said. Fredettes time in Californias capital city has been nearing an end since the Kings decided not to pick up a team option before this season on his contract for the 2014-15 season. Sacramento also tried to move Fredette before last weeks trade deadline but couldnt get any suitable deals. Since Sacramento traded Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans last week, Malone promised to use the remainder of the season to give rookie guards Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum more playing time. That move buried Fredette even further on the bench. Fredette led the nation in scoring at 28.5 points per game and guided BYU to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament as a senior. Big performances in big games had NBA stars tweeting his name, President Barack Obama mentioning him while filling out his bracket and college basketball fans in a frenzy. The Kings acquired him in a draft-day trade with Milwaukee as the 10th overall pick. Fans have remained incredibly vocal about Fredette, often screaming at games for him to play more -- and cheering louder for him than other reserves when he finally enters. . Paul Westphal was the only one of Fredettes three coaches committed to giving him extended minutes. Even that didnt last long. Westphal was fired after a 2-5 start in Fredettes rookie season. Keith Smart and Malone both opted to go away from Fredette in favour of other guards, most notably Isaiah Thomas, who has outplayed Fredette since their rookie season. "Jimmer knows how to play, hes a worker, hes a great kid," Malone said. "And I just hope that he goes to a team that allows him to play and put him in a position to have success and maybe he can catch on with somebody." Gregory van der Wiel Netherland Jersey .com) - The Vancouver Canucks hope an upcoming stretch of home games will be enough to get the club into the postseason. David Alaba Bayern Munich Jersey . PAUL, Minn.Growing up, every young Canadian hockey player dreams of one day playing in the National Hockey League and scoring a game-winner in overtime. And just days away from his 25th birthday, Kitchener, Ontarios Mike Hoffman is living that dream. And in Game 42 of his NHL career on Thursday night, Hoffman delivered the decisive blow 2:39 into OT in a 4-3 Ottawa Senators win over the Edmonton Oilers, ending the night in chilly Edmonton the way it started - with Hoffmans first of two in the game to spark the Sens to a much-needed victory. It was the second two-goal game of the year for Hoffman, who according to Elias, is just one of two rookies in the NHL with a pair of multi-goal games (LAs Tanner Pearson - another Kitchener native - being the other). Pearson and Hoffman share another piece of history - one that isnt that kind to their hometown OHL team the Kitchener Rangers. Their crystal ball must have been cloudy when deciding that neither Pearson, Hoffman, nor Winnipegs Mark Scheifele (another Kitchener kid who slipped past many in the 2009 OHL Draft before being claimed by Saginaw in the seventh round, 134th overall) had good OHL upside. Just a year earlier, the Barrie Colts took a chance on Pearson - a former Rangers stick boy - and selected him in the 14th round. Hoffman wasnt drafted by an OHL team and was considered a Kitchener call-up during the 2006-2007 season before finally getting waived by the league. That freed him to jump to the QMJHL, where his game started to take shape. He was guided with quality coaching from Gatineaus Benoit Groulx, Drummondvilles Guy Boucher and Saint Johns Gerard Gallant during his time in the Q, which included being named the leagues most valuable player as a 20- year-old and finished his junior career as the Sea Dogs top scorer in 2009-2010. Gallant, now head coach of the Florida Panthers, tells The Dreger Report he isnt surprised by Hoffmans NHL success. He could always shoot and score, he explained. He just had to feel comfortable in the league and like most players, playing in the minors never hurts. As they say, stuff happens and the OHLs Rangers - like so many other major junior teams - are careful with local kids, recognizing sometimes its best to pass them over rather than potentially burn relationships if things dont work out. But it appears to be working out for all three players. With six goals in his last five NHL games, Hoffman is making the most of an opportunity and isnt worrying about days gone by. Hes described as strong and wiry with explosive speed, a high level of skill and a dangerous one-timeer. Geoff Cameron USA Jersey. And thats part of the reason hes getting a role on Ottawas second power play unit. Like all inexperienced players, Hoffman has flaws. The scouting report says he can get too cute at times, trying to make plays with his hands rather than his speed and there was a point not long ago when Sens brass had serious conversations over whether or not he had a long-term place in the organization. The one question that was repeatedly asked: Can he do it at the NHL level? And 13 games into the season, Hoffmans seven goals, eight points and undeniable chemistry with Mark Stone and Curtis Lazar on Ottawas Kid Line may make it time to stop asking that question. Methot On The Mend Staying on the topic of the Senators, Ottawa defenceman Marc Methot appears to be getting closer to returning to play. Methot, who has been plagued by back and hip problems, saw a specialist last week who confirmed his injury is soft-tissue based. Thats Good news. Early next week, the Senators are hoping to have a better sense as to when the veteran blueliner will be healthy enough to return. Meanwhile, theres been no progress made on his contract negotiations with the Senators - and virtually no discussions over the past three weeks - which continues to fuel trade speculation. The Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are believed to be among the teams interested. GM Meeting Next Week NHL general managers will meet on Tuesday in Toronto, traditionally setting up the March meetings where the executives decide on rule changes or amendments. While NHL executive vice-president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell is closely guarding the meetings agenda, the laundry list of items - and early season observations - will most certainly include a lengthy debate on overtime. Based on the success of 3-on-3 in the American Hockey League and the growing number of believers outside of the NHL Commissioners office, GMs are confident the leagues current overtime format - as compared to the AHL experiment - will be a primary focus next week. While the shootout is still considered a valued piece of entertainment, some of the leagues decision makers say its lost its novelty and think its unfair to dismiss 3-on-3 until its been tested at the NHL level. While no decisions are expected to emerge from Tuesdays meeting, it will be interesting to get a read on how views have changed on 3-on-3 given the evidence supplied by the AHL. Look for a complete breakdown on Tuesday during Insider Trading on SportsCentre and on TSN.ca. Cheap China Jerseys