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Sudbury's Olympians: Rebecca Johnston on a hunt for third gold medal

Olympic veteran has her eyes on the prize as the Feb. 9 start of the 2018 Winter Olylmpics approaches

Sudbury native Rebecca Johnston already has a pair of Olympic gold medals to her credit, as part of the Canadian women’s hockey team in both Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).

For very good reason, a third one in PyeongChang, South Korea, could be considered even more special. The winter Olympic Games begin Feb. 9.

“Each Olympics, you grow as a player, gain experience and knowledge, so your role definitely changes,” said Johnston recently, residing in Calgary these days along with the remainder of the squad that heads to Asia at the end of the month. “I’m playing a bigger role, looked to create chances and produce on the power play, on the PK.”

All signs point, yet again, to a Canada – USA showdown for gold, a matchup that contains an interesting history of inner dynamics. While Johnston and company have bettered their American counterparts in each of the past two sets of Olympics – four straight if you go back to the days before the Lo-Ellen Park graduate burst on to the scene – the United States can now lay claim to four consecutive World Championship titles, each one secured at the expense of a Canadian squad that settled for silver.

With the teams going head to head with regularity in recent months, Johnston noted an increased confidence as the Games are approaching.

“I think the training we’ve been doing, all the games we’ve been playing, both against midget AAA boys and the US, have given us confidence in our training schedule and the progress we’ve made these past five months,” she said.

“We’ve really grown as a team, and that goes a long way, both on and off the ice. In our D zone, we’re definitely becoming more comfortable with our systems, being more responsible in our zone.

“Offensively, we’re creating a lot of chances. We’ve been focusing on skills work and systems to create different types of plays, just creating offence.”

In Laura Schuler, Johnston will suit up for her third different head coach in as many Olympic Games. Still, she suggested the change is manageable. 

“Every coach is quite similar under the Hockey Canada program,” said Johnston. “Hockey Canada plays a certain way.

“But I think since we first started, we’ve transitioned the game a little bit more towards taking a little more risk, offensively, instead of just dumping and chasing and trying to retrieve the puck that way. We’re a little more creative now entering the zone. The coaching staff has been great, giving us the green light to try new things, especially in these games with the guys, to see what works and what doesn’t work.”

It’s a determination that, in the end, Johnston will rely on to fulfill her larger role on Team Canada – 2018, and look to score another gold medal for the Land of the Maple Leaf.

Randy Pascal is a freelance sportswriter in Greater Sudbury. He's also a renowned hockey scorekeeper who'll be making his second appearance at a Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.


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