Free Republic

Canada will play for gold. Again. And of course. A powerhouse Canadian squad humbled Russia — as they have just about every other country they’ve played — with a 5-0 victory Monday night at the world junior hockey championship. The Canadians have a chance Tuesday night at Edmonton’s Rogers Place (9:30 p.m. Eastern) against the Americans to defend the gold medal they won last year in the Czech Republic. The U.S. beat Finland 4-3 in the late semifinal. “It’s a great feeling that we are here, and that we got here, but the job’s not done yet,” said goalie Devon...

PITTSBURGH - Perhaps the most cherished prize in Canadian sport is not proudly displayed dangling on a wall for all to see. Nor is it perched majestically in a trophy case, serving as the glistening centrepiece in a glass-encased stage showcasing what stands to be a remarkable Hall of Fame career one day. Nope, you won’t find Sidney Crosby’s 2010 Olympic gold medal in any of these places. Instead, the immortal momento of Crosby’s Golden Goal is stuffed in a drawer back at his home in Coal Harbour, N.S., where it anonymously collects more dust than compliments. “I don’t think...