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With the National Hockey League announcing Friday that its players will be heading to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, its time to start thinking about which players Canada will send to defend its gold medal in mens hockey. The selection of Canadas national team always makes for an intriguing debate and never moreso than right now as the team transitions from some of its long-standing veterans to a young core that began its foundation at the 2010 Vancouver Games. The 2010 team that captured gold on home soil was a mixture of decorated international veterans like Scott Niedermayer and Jarome Iginla, alongside an injection of highly skilled young players like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. So, which pieces of that team will return to the Olympic ice to defend the Maple Leaf? The most final line of defence is perhaps the hottest debate swirling ahead of the selection of Canadas 2014 team. A man that has recently been given his starters job back on his NHL club might just be the man to lead Canada into Sochi as Roberto Luongo has been tapped by TSNs panel to make the trip. After a years-long fight for playing time in the Vancouver crease with recently-traded tandem-mate Cory Schneider, Luongo is the right man to get the start according to TSN Hockey Insider Jamie McLennan. "Going into this season you know that hes going to be the starter for the Vancouver Canucks," McLennan said of Luongo. "Hes going to be in mid-season form come the Olympics. Lets not forget: He won last time, so he has the experience and the confidence to know what it takes to help Team Canada win." Joining Luongo in net for Canada is an Olympic newcomer in Montreal keeper Carey Price. While short on Olympic experience, Price will forever be remembered for standing on his head at the 2007 World Juniors to help Canada secure gold. Rounding out the crease crew is Chicago netminder Corey Crawford. Fresh off back-stopping the Hawks to a second Stanley Cup in four years, Crawford was believed by many to be a Conn Smythe Trophy front-runner before the award was eventually given to Patrick Kane. TSN tapped eight forwards to return for 2014, including Crosby, Toews, Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Rick Nash, and Mike Richards. Returnee Patrice Bergeron was also included as one of the surplus forwards. TSN Hockey Analyst Dave Reid thinks that Bergeron will not be an extra piece for very long on Canadas final team. "Even though hes in the number-five spot at centre on that list, I think hes going to quickly move up to be a huge player for Team Canada," Reid said. "Hes fantastic on the draws, he can play on the power play, he can kill penalties and can play in every situation. "He is a player that will be utilized throughout this tournament in many ways that only the players and the people within the team understand." Another Olympic vet also made the cut, but it was a member of the 2006 team that was sent to Turin in Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis. Rounding out the forward corps are St. Louis Lightning line-mate Steven Stamkos, and Flyers captain Claude Giroux who would slot in on the top two lines. The third line brings a blend of familiarity and youth to Toews flanks with a pair of Olympic rookies: John Tavares and Patrick Sharp. Meanwhile, the fourth line sees Richards slide over to the wing to play alongside the Ducks duo of Getzlaf and Perry. Jamie Benn joins Bergeron as a forward depth option on the roster. The defence is anchored by a trio of returnees who have all been nominated for or won the Norris Trophy since the Vancouver games: Chicagos Duncan Keith, Los Angeles Kings rearguard Drew Doughty and Nashville captain Shea Weber. All three were under the radar a year prior to the selection of the Vancouver team and theyre joined by another Norris winner in Montreal blueliner P.K. Subban. Vancouver returnee Brent Seabrook earns another Olympic engagement on TSNs list, which is rounded out by a trio of offensive-minded blueliners including Pittsburghs Kris Letang, Rangers veteran Dan Girardi and young St. Louis blueliner Alex Pietrangelo. . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- SEATTLE -- Sue Bird hit a season-high five 3-pointers and scored 15 points to lead the Seattle Storm to a surprising 79-72 victory over the WNBA-leading Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.Coming off her record seventh gold medal in international competition at the Olympics, Bird was 5 of 7 from behind the arc for the Storm (10-15). She also had six assists.Bird has four Olympic and three world championship gold medals.Olympic teammate Breanna Stewart made just 2 of 13 and scored five points, though she did have 11 rebounds. Crystal Langhorn had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle, and Jewell Loyd added 15 points.Nneka Ogwumike had 28 points for Los Angeles (21-4), 15 in the fourth quarter.SUN 84, LYNX 80UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Alyssa Thomas scored 15 points to lead Connecticut past Minnesota.Jasmine Thomas scored the tiebreaking basket with 15.2 seconds to play and finished with 12 points, and Alex Bentley and reserve Courtney Williams also had 12 points for the Sun (9-16) in their third straight victory. Chiney Ogwumike had 11 points and 10 rebounds.Lindsay Whalen and Syliva Fowles had 16 apiece for defending champion Minnesota (21-5), but former UConn star Maya Moore, was held to eight on 3-for-12 shooting.MERCURY 98, WINGS 72PHOENIX -- Penny Taylor scored 22 points and the Phoenix Mercury returned from the five-week Olympic break to rout the Dallas Wings 98-72 on Friday night.Taylor, who played for Australia in Rio, was 8 of 9 from thee field.dddddddddddd Candice Dupree was 8 of 10 and scored 16 points for Phoenix (11-14). Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, U.S. gold medal winners, had 13 apiece. Griner also eight rebounds and six blocked shots. DeWanna Bonner had 14 points and 10 rebounds.Plenette Pierson had 18 of her 23 points in the first half for Dallas (9-17).LIBERTY 84, STARS 77SAN ANTONIO -- Sugar Rodgers scored eight of her 18 points in the third quarter and New York topped San Antonio.Tina Charles, a member of the champion U.S. team in the Rio Olympics, had 13 points and 10 rebounds for her league-leading 15th double-double for New York (19-8). Epiphanny Prince played her first game this season after tearing an ACL in November playing in Russia. She had five points in seven minutes.Appel-Marinelli had a career-high 17 points for San Antonio (5-19). The Stars have lost six straight.SKY 90, ATLANTA DREAM 82ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Elena Delle Donne scored 34 points in the first game after helping the United States win an Olympic gold medal, leading Chicago past Atlanta.The Sky (12-13) used a 15-0 run in two minutes in the third quarter to take the lead and then pulled away after the Dream (13-13) cut a 13-point deficit to one with four minutes to play.Cappie Pondexter had 17 points, and Cheyenne Parker 14 for Chicago.Angel McCoughtry led Atlanta with 22 points. ' ' '
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