SOCHI — Hayley Wickenheiser not only will carry the Canadian flag in the opening ceremonies on Friday, the hockey legend also carries high hopes for a fourth-consecutive Olympic gold medal and for the womens game as a whole. But before her work on the ice begins, shes going to savour a special moment at Sochis Fisht Olympic stadium on Friday. "Just going to enjoy it and take it all in and, you know, honour the fact that I have this opportunity and that my family is going to be in the building," said Wickenheiser, who hails from Shaunavon, Sask. "So its going to be a fun night, said the Olympic veteran," who will have 11 family members in Sochi. The 35-year-old Wickenheiser is well aware that if the womens tournament evolves as presumed with a Canada-United States gold-medal final on Feb. 20, the scrutiny will continue as to whether womens hockey belongs in the Olympics. But shes been around the international game for two decades, when she cracked the Canadian roster as a 15 year old in 1994, and she sees progress. Womens game in good shape “I always worry about the future of womens hockey, mainly because of the fact that most of the world pays attention to womens hockey only for two weeks out of every four years,” Wickenheiser said. “I dont worry about the womens game when I look at every game and what goes on internationally. “I look at Team Japan and what [current coach and former Canadian player] Carla MacLeod has been able to do to get that team to an Olympic Games, which is a huge accomplishment for a country. You look at Finland and how they centralize their under-18 and national teams. You look at Sweden and you look at Russia what Alexei Yashin [the teams general manager] has been able to do with his team.” Still, the Russians, Swedes, Finns and Swiss need to exhibit that they have closed the gap. But that wont be easy because Canada and the U.S. continue to elevate its level of play. “This is a dilemma womens hockey is always going to face. But the reality is were so much further ahead in this time span than say where mens hockey was in [after the first five Olympics]. I think the [womens] game has really come a long way in five Olympics.” Will this be Wickenheisers final Olympics? She wont decide on whether to continue or conclude her decorated career, that includes three Olympic gold medals, seven world championships and playing pro mens hockey in Finland and Sweden, until after the final buzzer sounds in Sochi. So what keeps Wickenheisers competitive clock ticking? “The No. 1 thing is a love of sport,” said the six-time Olympian said, who also competed for Canada in softball at the 2000 Sydney Games. “Ive loved hockey since the day I first put on skates when I was five years old. I have had a passion to play all these years. “I love being part of Team Canada and having the opportunity to win, and thats the main driving force now.” Nagano loss still hurts She forgot to mention that shes never been a good loser. At a team gathering on Monday evening, Wickenheiser and Hefford and assistant coach Daniel Goyette described the emptiness and hurt they felt when they finished second in 1998. “The worst thing in the world is to stand on the blue line with a silver medal around your neck,” she said. “It stays with you for a while.” There was some speculation that Wickenheiser wouldnt be around for the Sochi Games. There was some thought her game had dropped off and she was dealing with some injuries. “You battle injuries and you go through a lot of things as an athlete, but I could picture in my mind what I needed to do to get ready to play in these Games,” she said. “I guess its always a fragile existence as an athlete. Any day something can happen and your games are over, like we saw yesterday with the snowboarder (Norway slopestyle gold-medal contender Torstein Horgmo broke his collarbone during a trail run). “Im very grateful to be sitting here … and to have had the longevity Ive had.” (With files from CBC Saskatchewan) http://www.portugalnationalshop.com/Vieirinha-Portugal-Jersey/ .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. http://www.portugalnationalshop.com/Pepe-Portugal-Jersey/ . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. http://www.portugalnationalshop.com/Daniel-Carrico-Portugal-Jersey/ .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. http://www.portugalnationalshop.com/Fabio-Coentrao-Portugal-Jersey/ . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. http://www.portugalnationalshop.com/Beto-Portugal-Jersey/ . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger.BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Lindsey Vonn squeezed in a little freeskiing on Thanksgiving morning, a step in the right direction for a return to racing after reinjuring her right knee in a recent training crash. The reigning Olympic downhill champion posted on her Facebook page Thursday: "First day back on snow since my crash and it was awesome!" She also attached a picture of herself -- grinning -- on an empty slope in Vail. Although shes skipping the races in Beaver Creek this weekend, the 29-year-old Vonn hasnt ruled out a return to competition in Lake Louise, Alberta, next week. Good friend and rival Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany told The Associated Press on Thursday after a downhill training run that the two are planning to travel together to Lake Louise on Monday. "Shes really positive," said Hoefl-Riesch, who spent some time with Vonn earlier in the week. "Im looking forward to seeing her back on skis and finally back racing. "If she feels well and has no pain and no unstable feeling, I think shes strong enough in her head to ski 100 per cent." Vonn had a training mishap in Copper Mountain nine days ago and partially tore a reconstructed ligament in her right knee. At the time on Facebook, she called it a "temporary setback" and that "nothing will keep me from picking myself back up and continuing to fight for my dreams." The Sochi Olympics are in February. Vonn hasnt raced since tearing ligaments in her right knee during a high-speed accident at the world championships in February. She was welll ahead of schedule for a World Cup return -- with her first competition scheduled to be this weekend in Beaver Creek -- before her crash at the U.ddddddddddddS. speed centre in Copper. Just the news that Vonn was back on skis was greeted as a good sign for teammate Leanne Smith. "Im psyched for her," Smith said. "I just want her to feel comfortable and ready to get back on it. ... I know shes working (hard) and thats all that matters. I hope the progression is easy for her and that her confidence is right back again." In an interview with NBCs "Today" show on Wednesday, Vonn said that her recent crash was caused when she caught an edge, flipped over her skis and "went head-first into the fence." She said the knee wasnt the reason for the spill and that her protective brace saved her from possibly more damage. "Unfortunately, it was really bad timing for me," Vonn said. "Im still confident. I still feel like I have a lot left to achieve this season. ... I still have time before Sochi." In her Facebook post Thursday, Vonn didnt indicate how aggressively she skied or how long she was on the hill. She did thank Vail for opening the lifts early and wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving. "Im very thankful for many things this year (family, loved ones, great fans) but at this moment Im happy to be on the mountain doing what I love -- skiing!!" she posted. Vonn needs just three more wins to match Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proells record of 62 World Cup race victories. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China ' ' '