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Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta is one step closer to being ready for the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 1 at the Bell Centre. For a second straight day, Gionta took part in practice without his non-contact jersey. Gionta, who underwent surgery on a torn bicep back in May, wont be playing in any pre-season games this weekend but is hopeful to be ready to play by next week. "My preference would be to get in more than one pre-season game but well have to see how it goes next week," Gionta told the media on Thursday. The Canadiens are taking their time with their captain, who has been practicing on a line with Michael Bournival and Martin St. Pierre. However as he progresses, it is likely he will rejoin the line with Rene Bourque and Tomas Plekanec. There was also some good news for Gionta off the ice as the Canadiens announced that he is this years recipient of the Jean Beliveau Trophy, awarded to the player that shows a strong charitable commitment to the community. On top of participating in many fundraising events, Gionta and his wife Harvest started an initiative to allow sick and underprivileged children the opportunity to attend Canadiens home games in a private suite donated by the Gionta family. At the end of this season, Giontas financial support to the community will have reached an amount over $250,000. "It has been something that has been close to our hearts for a while now and we are lucky and fortunate to be able to give back to people in need," Gionta said after practice. In other news from training camp, it wasnt a good day to be a defenceman for the Canadiens. Francis Bouillon and Douglas Murray are both day-to-day with lower body injuries. Michel Therrien referred to them as "training camp"-type injuries. "It is more of a precaution. If it was the regular season, they wouldnt be out," Therrien said at his news conference. A more seriously injured defenceman is Davis Drewiske, who hurt his shoulder in practice on Wednesday and will be out for the next four weeks. The Canadiens recalled Darren Dietz late Wednesday to replace Drewiske. Howie Kendrick Jersey . They say things like "stress is when you dont know what youre doing" and "I wasnt hired to motivate players, I was hired to coach motivated players." They ring as true now as they did when Mularkey heard them the first time playing tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame coach 25 years ago. Wilmer Difo Jersey . -- Arizona coach Bruce Arians says there "were obviously very, very many problems" with the officiating in the Cardinals 24-21 loss at Philadelphia. https://www.cheapnationals.com/137r-mich...ationals.html.C. -- Carter Ashton had a pair of goals and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 on Saturday in the American Hockey League. Cheap Nationals Jerseys . -- Packers cornerback Tramon Williams has been fined $26,250 for contact with an official, per NFL guidelines. Kyle McGowin Nationals Jersey . The league-leading New York Rangers outhit and outmuscled the Maple Leafs during a 3-0 victory on Saturday. Backup goalie Martin Biron stopped all 20 shots he faced to complete a nice workmanlike effort by the visitors.MONTREAL -- Rachel Homans Canada team defeated Val Sweetings Alberta rink 8-6 to win a second consecutive Scotties Tournament of Hearts on Sunday night. The Ottawa team of Homan, lead Lisa Weagle, second Alison Kreviazuk and third Emma Miskew, defended the Canadian womens curling championship they won last year in Kingston, Ont. At 13-0, they are the first since Linda Moores rink in 1985 to go undefeated at the tournament. Homan took early leads all week and did it again by posting three points in the second end, although Sweeting answered with a hit for two in the third. Sweeting was a tad strong on a raise in the fourth and Homan came around the right side to hit for two. Alberta got one back in the fifth. Canada was in trouble in the sixth when a Sweeting draw left Alberta with three stones near the button, but Homan scattered them with a hit to salvage one point. Sweeting drew for two in the seventh to close the gap to one point, only to see Homan pick off two Sweeting draws to score two in the eighth. A Sweeting bid for a double takeout fell short and the Alberta skip was forced to draw for one in the ninth, handing Homan the hammer and a two-point lead going into the final end. Canada ran them out of rocks to clinch the victory. Prime Minister Stephen Harper witnessed the win from the grandstands at the Maurice Richard Arena. He was wearing a Canadian Olympic team jacket and posing for pictures with fans between ends. Harper has been to the mens Brier, but a curling official said it was his first visit to the Scotties Manitobas Chelsea Carey won the bronze medal game 7-3 over Saskatchewans Stefanie Lawton. It offered some consolation for not reaaching the final.dddddddddddd "The disappointment doesnt go away, but you want to at least salvage what you can out of it," said Carey. "I dont agree with this even being a game. I never have. "The Page (playoff) system builds in a bronze medallist. But, as much as I disagree with the game, its nice to win a game to get there." Carey made two perfect draws to score two in the eighth end for a 4-3 lead. Lawton blanked the ninth and had the hammer going into the final end, but then disaster struck. Second Sherri Singler threw a flash, third Sherry Anderson hit a guard and soon there were five Manitoba stones ringing the button. Lawton tried to sneak in an angled raise with her last shot, but it couldnt get through and Carey got a steal of three. "It was worth a try,"said Lawton. "It was there...I had to stick it right on the nose. I couldnt roll off. But it was a bit too hard. We didnt leave ourselves in a great position to score one that end. "It would have been nice to finish with a medal, but Im proud of our girls. It was a great tournament for us. Its unfortunate how it ended." The winning team splits $25,500 and gets gold rings with a diamond, while the silver medallists get $15,500 plus a gold ring with a ruby. Careys squad gets $12,000 and a gold ring with an emerald. Because of her repeat win, the Homan teams diamonds will be twice the size of last year. Lawtons side gets $7,000. All 12 teams get $4,167 for wearing title sponsor crests. The winner usually gets $40,000 from the Own The Podium program, but in Olympic years that goes to the team that qualifies for the Winter Games. ' ' '