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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. Khalil Mack Jersey . 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Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. William Perry Bears Jersey .NYCFC confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday that this week Lampard signed a contract to start in July — midway through the new teams first season in MLS. Akiem Hicks Jersey . -- Chris Jones and Louisville have done a tremendous job protecting the basketball this season and thats led to easy victories.TORONTO -- Troy Bodies trying to make the best of his time in the American Hockey League. Bodie had the winner and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies extended their win streak to three games on Tuesday with a 3-2 win over the Charlotte Checkers. The 28-year-old winger saw the writing on the wall when the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Peter Holland from the Anaheim Ducks last Saturday. Bodie was assigned to the Marlies to make space for Holland, a badly needed re-enforcement at centre for the NHL club. "I kind of saw that coming just being a little thin at centre. Thats how the game goes and you work hard and move on," said Bodie on Tuesday. "Youre always a little disappointed when you get sent down, but thats the game. "Youre here to play the game and play your best." Bodie re-directed a John-Michael Liles point shot at 13:26 of the third period, beating John Muse for his first of the season as Toronto defeated Charlotte for the second time in three games. "I thought Sam (Carrick) and Josh (Leivo) did a good job in the corner just battling it out and Josh threw it out to Johnny, who put a good wrist shot on net and I was lucky enough to get a stick on it," Bodie said of the goal. Leivo and Brad Ross had the other goals for the Marlies (9-6-1), while Drew MacIntyre made 15 saves improving to 9-4-0 on the season. Brett Sutter and Rasmus Rissanen scored for the Checkers (5-10-1), who have now lost a franchise-worse seven in a row. Muse stopped 27 shots. Sutter tied the game 2-2 at 2:17 of the third, beating MacIntyre blocker-side for his first of the season. "We knew Charlotte was going to come. Theyre a team thats trying to find an identity," said Marlies coach,, Steve Spott.dddddddddddd "Theyve got some young players and we knew that they were going to come hard. Charlotte played a real hard game." Marlies defenceman Petter Granberg stepped up the physical play in the second period. Granberg caught Sutter, with an open-ice, blindside, hit near the 13-minute mark of the period. Sutter struggled to get to his feet and left the game briefly. Granberg did not receive a penalty on the play. A minute later, Granberg levelled Checkers forward Sean Dolan in the corner and was assessed a minor penalty for boarding. Dolan was able to skate to the Charlotte bench under his own strength and remained in the game. "Hes a lot more physical than people give him credit for and hes a tough guy to play against," said Spott. "There was some hits there that we had to kill off, but ultimately weve got a big, tough group and we know thats going to be part of our mindset." Rissanen got Charlotte on the board at 11:02 of the first period when his point shot got past a screened MacIntyre. Torontos Ross tied it 1-1 at 14:30 putting home the rebound off a Granberg shot past a sprawling Muse. Leivo gave the Marlies a 2-1 lead, on a power play, at 5:39 of the second beating Muse glove side with a wrist shot for his fifth of the season. Notes: Toronto assigned goaltender Garret Sparks to the ECHLs Orlando Solar Bears and recalled Christopher Gibson. Marlies forward Jamie Devane was suspended one game by the American Hockey League on Monday for a boarding penalty he received in Torontos 3-2 shootout victory Sunday. The AHL and Marlies announced Monday that Toronto will play an exhibition game Feb. 15 against Farjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League. ' ' '