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05.11.2014 - 11:30
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SAINT JOHN, N. NHL Jerseys Black Friday .B. -- Theyve long competed in the shadow of Canadas Olympic ice dance champions, but Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje dont mind flying under the radar into Sochi. Weaver and Poje were runners-up once again to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir this past weekend at Skate Canada International, but the gap between scores was the closest its ever been -- giving Canada not one, but two ice dance teams that could reach the medal podium at the Sochi Olympics. "Being in the same sentence as Scott and Tessa is an extreme honour for us," Weaver said, after their lyrical free skate tango Saturday night to music by Argentine composer Astor Piazaolla. "Weve grown up with them, it feels like, for the past six years that weve been on the international circuit. Every time we get to share the ice with them I feel like we get stronger because theyre everything we strive to be." Virtue and Moir have wrestled American rivals Meryl Davis and Charlie White for the top step of the podium in every major international event for the past four years. The Canadians, of course, edged the Americans to win Olympic gold in Vancouver, and the two teams have split the last four world championship gold medals. A revolving door of skaters, meanwhile, have won bronze. Weaver and Poje -- second to Virtue and Moir in Saint John by less than six points -- say its an advantage to go into Sochi without the heavy expectations that sit squarely on their Canadian counterparts. "Thats a great spot for us to be in," Weaver said. "We love the attention for sure. But it helps us just focus on ourselves and makes us feel more normal, so were looking to peak at the right time and well definitely have all the pressure then, but its nice to maintain a bit of normalcy right now in the lead-up." "We dont have to be in the limelight as much," Poje added. "I think that adds a certain pressure to the situation thats already high stress. Its an extra distraction, so being able to sort of fly underneath the radar is something we definitely appreciate." Weaver and Poje were fourth at the 2012 world championships, then fifth at the worlds last March -- the most recent result coming after Weaver was sidelined for almost the entire season with a broken fibula. She was sidelined again this past summer after having the hardware removed from her ankle. "It was another month off the ice which was discouraging at first, that was the last thing I wanted to do," Weaver said. "But it was totally worth it, because everything is healthy and I dont have to worry about having five screws sticking into my skate and right now its not even a thought on either of our minds. So it was totally worth taking the extra time to heal it again." Weaver, a lover of old movies, watched her favourite -- the 1933 film "42nd Street" -- during her rehab, so the music was an obvious choice for their short dance this season. They turned to friend Geoffrey Tyler, who acted in the "42nd Street" musical at the Stratford Festival to help them choreograph the program. "(The movie) has always had a special place in my heart, because I skated to it when I was younger, and through my injury it was the one movie I could find solace in, it really helped me feel comfortable and it kind of took my mind off what was actually happening," she said. Weaver, 24, and the 26-year-old Poje teamed up in 2006 when both skaters found themselves without partners. Weaver, who was born in Houston, obtained her Canadian citizenship in 2009 to make her eligible to compete for Canada. The five-foot-six Weaver, and 6-3 Poje -- who might have been drawn by a Disney artist, theyre that wholesome/goodlooking -- teamed up in 2006 when both skaters found themselves without partners. Weaver, who was born in Houston, had been competing for the U.S., but obtained her Canadian citizenship in 2009. They narrowly missed qualifying for the 2010 Olympics, but it surely wont be the same story this time around. And with the expected retirement of Virtue and Moir following Sochi, ice dancing in Canada will certainly still be in good hands. Cheap Jerseys Black Friday . The Toronto Argonauts head coach needed just one phone call to find a replacement for Chris Jones, who left last month to become the Edmonton Eskimos head coach. Cheap Jerseys . Williams was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round in the 2006 NFL Draft. He remained with the Bears until 2010 when he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. http://www.cheapjerseysfox.com/ . 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Check out todays trade-related reports and speculation from around the NHL beat, including breaking news around the New York Rangers plans for captain Ryan Callahan. Blue-shirt biddingsTSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger tweeted Friday that Western Conference teams are suggesting the New York Rangers are collecting information on St. Louis Blues forward Chris Stewart. With rumours swirling around pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Callahan, Dreger tweeted "Callahan for Stewart would be a sweet deal for Blues. On Wednesday, Dreger said he was told that "Rangers general manager Glen Sather has reached out to a number of general managers and he is gauging trade interest on Callahan." The Rangers captain is in the final season of a three-year, $12.825 million deal. He has nine goals and 20 points in 38 games. Rapid responseColorado Avalanche forward P.A. Parenteau has found himself front and centre of trade rumours with the Montreal Canadiens. Talking to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post on Sunday, Parenteau addressed his current situation with the Avalanche and the potential for a move to Montreal. "Any time a top-six guy on a team is out of the lineup (rumours) are going to go around. Its parrt of the game, but its not fun with family and stuff like that. wholesale jerseys. Its Montreal, too, and everyone was calling me. But Im trying to block that out and wait for my turn," he said. Parenteau, 30, is in the second season of the four-year, $16 million contract he signed with the Avalanche as an unrestricted free agent in 2012. Patiently waitingThomas Vanek is close to making a decision on his future with the New York Islanders, or so his agent says. Steve Bartlett, who spoke to Newsdays Arthur Staple on Wednesday, said the Austrian winger is not quite ready to seal his fate, but that "we continue to have what I consider very good and constructive conversations with the Islanders." The Islanders acquired Vanek last October from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matt Moulson, a conditional first-round pick in 2014 -- New York could defer the pick to next year if it is a top-10 selection -- and a second-round pick in 2015. "We certainly understand the team will want to explore [a trade] and try to recoup some of the assets they gave up," Bartlett said. "We are getting close to that line in the sand time and we understand the risks and rewards of the situation were in. (GM) Garth (Snow) and the Islanders have been nothing but great in this whole process." ' ' ' |
