SOCHI - What she remembers most is what it felt like to stand on the blue-line, proudly watch the Canadian flag rise for the first time and hear OCanada belted out passionately amongst a sea of Americans. "Just that feeling of complete satisfaction," said Jayna Hefford. "Feeling like everything we went through paid off." It was 2002 in Salt Lake City and the first of three consecutive Olympic gold medals for the national womens hockey program with Hefford, a native of Kingston, Ontario, scoring the game-winning goal in triumph over Team USA. The bid for a fourth straight gold begins Saturday at Shayba Arena with a preliminary round matchup against Switzerland. "Its a memory and a feeling Ill never forget," said Hefford of winning gold for the first time, one of three on the roster to do so in 2002, 2006, and 2010. "It was a special time so Im hoping we can recreate it here [in Sochi]." Getting to that point is certain to include yet another round of hostilities with an American team bent on ending Canadas run of dominance at this event. Though theyve captured four of the past five World Championships, beating the Canadians each time, the US squad has fallen in two of the past three gold medal games, yet to triumph at the Olympics since 1998. "Obviously we have a great rivalry with them," said Hefford, "but theres a lot of games before then and if we dont take care of ourselves here we could face them either earlier than we want in a medal round or not get to a medal round so its really day-by-day and I think thats the best way to look at it." These will be the fifth Olympics for Hefford, but she says the experience remains as fresh and exciting as it was 16 years ago when womens hockey was first introduced to the Olympic stage in Nagano - she and the Canadians were edged by the Americans in the gold medal game. "You still have that youthful energy and that excitement," she said. "Its so exciting to be here. You try to take lessons that you learned along the way and bring them into this one, but it still feels like the first one." And thats just one of the lessons shell try to impart on a group of teammates itching for their first taste of gold - enjoy the moment. "It goes by so quickly and you wait so long to get here so really just take in every day and enjoy that," said Hefford, also advising patience with the teams plan of attack. "Theres tough days and theres going to be challenges in these next two weeks, but believe that in the end we can be where we want to be." Nikolaj Ehlers Jersey . Sam, who joined the Cowboys in early September, has spent the entire season on the practice roster. Winnipeg Jets Jerseys . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. 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According to a report from the Hamilton Spectator, Infrastructure Ontario has informed the City of Hamilton and the Tiger-Cats the stadium may not be ready by the June 30 deadline.CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jimmie Johnson believes NASCARs new championship format produced the correct champion and a Ryan Newman victory would have been tough to swallow for the sport.Johnson began the season as the six-time and defending champion, but he was eliminated from title contention in the revamped Chase for the Sprint Cup format. A 16-driver field was whittled down to four for Sundays finale, where Kevin Harvick beat Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano to claim his first title.I feel like Kevin winning was the right thing when you look at the winners and the dominant cars throughout the year, Johnson said Thursday.Harvick had to win the race to wrap up the title, and found himself in a late shootout with Newman for the victory. Newman, in his first season for Richard Childress Racing, advanced to the finale through consistency after a winless season.The Chase format this year was touted by NASCAR chairman Brian France as one that would put an emphasis on winning, and Harvick won three Chase races, including the final two. But, he nearly lost the title to Newman, who finished second in the finale. The highest-finishing driver Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway was guaranteed the title.Ryan had every right in the world to be the champion, the rules were laid out that way, said Johnson, who was eliminated after the second round, or the sixth of 10 races. But if (Newman) wins the championship, I think that would have been tough to swallow for the sport. Its not taking anything away from Childress or Ryan, they had an awesome year and collected a ton of points. Theres some danger for the sport with this format.Johnson said he discussed the new format with France at the start of the season. He believed, based on performance during the regular season, the finale should have beenn between Harvick, Team Penske drivers Logano and Brad Keselowski, and Jeff Gordon, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.dddddddddddd Those four drivers combined for 12 wins in the first 26 races, and eight wins in the 10 Chase races.But Gordon and Keselowski were both eliminated after the third round, and Gordon last week called on NASCAR to set a separate points system for the Chase drivers. Gordon felt it was unfair for the Chase drivers to be scored against the entire 43-car field, and they should only be scored against the Chase drivers.Still, drivers have praised the new elimination system, with Newman saying the intensity of the sport has gone through the roof, because of the Chase. The high stakes produced drama on and off the track, including a pair of brawls in in the final seven races.The system is fine. Its exciting. Every race is exciting, Hamlin said. Theres not been one boring race. This is the best thing thats happened to this sport in a really long time.But Johnson said attendance and television ratings are the true measure. Although attendance was improved at many tracks this season, TV ratings were flat. The 10-race Chase drew an average of 4.41 million viewers for ESPN/ABC, and a 2.7 rating. Last season drew an average of 4.5 million viewers and a 2.8 rating.We need to do something to drive the viewership up, said Johnson, who supports heat races capped by a final A main-style race slotted into a television window.Maybe we qualify on Saturday and thats televised, and then run some heat races and a feature on Sunday, in a four-hour time window, he said. It sticks to our roots, sticks with what weve always had and done, gives some natural pauses for the show for the social element at the track. I think that would be a pretty entertaining format. 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