OTTAWA -- Patrick Chan said he was like a "puppy in puppy daycare" at the Vancouver Olympics four years ago, a wide-eyed teenager at his first party, where everyone was cool and everything was free. "It was so exciting, like Oh my god, there are so many cool things. Cool clothes. And the gyms right here. Everything is available to you," Chan said Thursday, on the eve of the Skate Canada national championships. Chan only turned 23 on New Years eve, but hes a veteran on a completely different comfort level from the "deer in the headlights" who finished fifth in Vancouver. A move to Detroit last spring that also meant a split with his mom Karen (theyd been living together in Colorado Springs) hastened the maturing process. "Now it will be more normal (in Sochi) because I live on my own," Chan said. "I had the chance to have that excitement living on my own and going to the grocery store, and be like I want Oreo cookies today, or I want ice cream. "Im in complete control of what I want, so going to the Olympics will be more of a comfortable feeling as opposed to summer camp-kind of feel." Chan, who will take aim at his seventh straight Canadian senior title this week, has become the skater to beat at Sochi since winning three consecutive world crowns. At the Trophee Bompard Grand Prix in November, he ran away with gold, smashing the world records in the short and long program, and for overall score, to finish a whopping 31 points ahead of closest pursuer Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan. Chan predicts Hanyu, who trains in Toronto under Canadian coach Brian Orser, will be his stiffest competition in Russia. The 19-year-old beat Chan at the Grand Prix Final in December, and broke Chans world record in the short program. Still, Chan pointed out that Hanyu was skating on home ice in Fukuoka. "Its his first Olympic Games and its not in Japan. So Olympics is an even playing ground for all of us," Chan said. "But Im not going to write off anyone. Daisuke (Takahashi of Japan) has had a rough season, but he can do something special. And so can Javier (Fernandez of Spain). So can Denis (Ten of Kazakhstan)." Three-time world champion Elvis Stojko has been keeping an eye on the mens events this season, and predicts Sochi will be a two-skater race between Chan and Hanyu. "Theres an excitement level with Hanyu because hes got that unpredictability, that freshness to it. Then youve got the maturity of Chan," Stojko said. "(Chan) is going to need to be focused because the competition is getting close to him now," Stojko added. "Right now for me, (Hanyu) is the guy to beat. Hes at the top of his game. Patrick has the experience under his belt, he has the Olympics under his belt, hes the three-time world champion, hes going to have to stay focused and not allow the pressure to settle on him. "Itll be a little easier, because its not in Vancouver, its not in Canada. But its still going to be something where hes got to be very focused and not get caught up during the week." Kevin Reynolds had hoped to be in the medal conversation for Sochi as well, but Canadas No. 2 male skater is only just now making his season debut after six frustrating months of equipment problems. The 23-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C., had hoped to build on the momentum from the world championships last spring where he finished fifth. But his season came to a dead stop when he bought new skate boots that, despite custom fitting, were too wide for his narrow AA heel. "Theyre still not 100 per cent but Im feeling much better," Reynolds said. "Im able to do the skills not at a level Im comfortable with but hopefully Ill be able to manage through this week and manage through Sochi. "Its definitely not an ideal situation, nationals being first competition and Sochi being so close, about 30 days away," he added. "I really would have liked some competitions under my belt for that experience." Reynolds withdrew from both his Grand Prix assignments, and wasnt comfortable enough to do any of his big jumps in practice, which included his quads. He estimates hes onto his ninth or tenth pair of Risport skate boots since his previous skates wore out last season. He even travelled to the manufacturer in Italy to be custom fitted in December. "I was so frustrated at that point, I had withdrawn from my second Grand Prix and I wanted to do everything I possibly could in an Olympic year," Reynolds said. He tried to go back to last seasons skates, a pair of stock Risport skates that werent custom fitted but happened to fit perfectly. "They feel like tissue basically," Reynolds said. "Theres no life left in them." Canada has three Olympic berths in mens singles, ice dance and pairs, and two berths in womens singles, which make it the largest figure skating team in Sochi. Skate Canada will name its Olympic team on Sunday. Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will most likely be making their final competitive appearance in Canada at this weeks nationals, as theyre expected to retire following Sochi. The tightest race to make the Olympic team will be in pairs. Meagan Duhamel of Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford of Balmertown, Ont., won bronze at the world championships last spring and have set their sights on the podium in Sochi. Other teams battling for an Olympic berth are Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch, Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers, and Natasha Purich and Mervin Tran. Purich and Tran are in their first season competing together. Tran won bronze for Japan with former partner Narumi Takahashi at the 2012 world championships. Tracy McGrady Jersey . With the Pirates in the thick of the race in the NL Central, the timing couldnt be better. Liriano struck out a season-high 11 in seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season and Pittsburgh beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night. Dennis Rodman Jersey . For Sweed, a second round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008, this will be his second go around in the CFL after previously having spent time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. www.basketballpistonsauthority.com/allen...-pistons-jersey-c-2/. -- New York Yankees centre fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was sent for an MRI Thursday of his ailing right calf, which was negative. Mateen Cleaves Jersey . James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs. Ish Smith Jersey . Carreno Busta broke his opponent five times in the match, but also lost his serve three times in the second set before prevailing in the tiebreaker. Both players struggled with their first serve, as Carreno Busta landed just 51 per cent of his to 47 per cent for Kukushkin.Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games gold medallists Team Jacobs were crowned Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game champions after defeating Team Morris in the mens final – marking the foursomes first TSN skins game title. Overall, skip Brad Jacobs and his Northern Ontario team of Ryan Fry, E.J. Harnden, and Ryan Harnden took home a total of $65,500 from this weekends Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game, held at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff National Park. Albertas John Morris and his team of Pat Simmons, Carter Rycroft, and Nolan Thiessen did not go home empty handed, walking away with a total of $23,000 in prize money (see below for a breakdown of results). This years Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game marks Morris first TSN skins game as a skip, having played third in seven previous appearances, including six times alongside skip Kevin Martin – the top money-earning skip in the events 29-year history.dddddddddddd Draw Summary After a carry-over in the opening end, Team Morris took the first skin worth $4,000 without having to throw their last stone. The next end saw Team Jacobs get on the board, with skip Brad Jacobs making a delicate tap to the button for the skin and $3,000. Following two straight carry-overs, $13,000 was at stake in the sixth end. Team Morris weighed their options before throwing the final stone, with Morris missing his called shot but getting a lucky roll to score one and force another carry-over. The do-or-die seventh end saw Team Jacobs make a tap to the four-foot to score two and pocket the whopping $37,000 skin, cementing their victory. In a draw to the button finish following an 8th end carry-over, Brad Jacobs covered the pin to pick up the final skin of $13,000 Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '