The NCAA drops the puck today on their mens hockey tournament and there will be no shortage of Canadians on the ice as 16 teams try to make their first step to becoming National Champions. The tournament includes a total of 109 Canadian players. There are 35 players from Ontario, 35 from British Columbia, 18 from Alberta and seven each from Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Many of those players are trying to follow in the footsteps of several successful Canadian NHLers who went to college, including four members of the gold-medal-winning Sochi Olympic team: Jonathan Toews (North Dakota), Martin St. Louis (Vermont), Patrick Sharp (Vermont) and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State). "I think that if more Canadian families were exposed to what college can do — as parents for your kid socially, athletically and academically ... I think more people would be doing it," said University of Denver coach Jim Montgomery, a Montreal native who went to Maine and ended up playing 122 NHL games. Among the 945 players to see NHL action this season, 100 were Canadians who played at a U.S. college. Naturally, many went the more traditional road, through the QMJHL, OHL or WHL. But the NCAA is slowly becoming another acceptable way to get there. "Theres no wrong path," Phoenix Coyotes assistant general manager Brad Treliving said. "I think as a Canadian guy you grew up and youre around major junior hockey more, so ... youre closer to it than you are U.S. colleges, but, jeez, theres no wrong answer. Its an individual choice and theres benefits to both." Treliving said major junior hockey is the "quicker" path to the NHL because it has more of a pro-style schedule and grind. But others point to colleges 40-game season as a better chance for some players to develop. Theres more opportunity to lift weights and practice. "Theres the Sidney Crosbys and the Ovechkins and the Malkins of the world that could grow under a rock and are going to play in the NHL," Montgomery said. "Theres other perfect examples — elite players like the Paul Kariyas of the world. Those are the ones everyone knows but its like, did he really need to go to college? Well, Paul Kariya needed to go to college because he was 155 pounds and in 18 months of college he was 175 pounds ready to play against 30-year-old men that are 225 pounds. "It teaches you how to be a man quick." Perhaps some notoriety can come from watching this NCAA tournament. Boston College defenceman Michael Matheson (Pointe-Claire, Que.) is a first-round pick and top prospect for the Florida Panthers, while Quinnipiac has Connor and Kellen Jones (Montrose, B.C.) and Matthew Peca(Petawawa, Ont.). Wisconsin goaltender Joel Rumpel (Swift Current, Sask.) has been one of the best in the country this season and could soon follow in the footsteps of other recent Canadian college players like Matt Read, Ben Scrivens and Cory Conacher who have signed NHL contracts. Hamilton brothers Greg and Matt Carey recently signed deals with the Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively, after playing at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Greg Carey came away satisfied with his direction, which was only possible because playing tier-2 junior hockey opened him up to the world of U.S. colleges. "You have friends, older friends on your team who have the ability to go and to head down to the States and play and it looks like a lot of fun," Carey said in a phone interview. "And then you get to go on your visits and you get exposed to this world that you really dont see as a Canadian kid growing up. We see a lot of the major junior with the Dub and the O and the Q and the NHL is right there, front and centre, so we dont really get the NCAA." Looking at the tournament from an NHL draft perspective, the top eligible player in the tournament, according to Craig Buttons rankings, is Boston Colleges starting goalie Thatcher Demko. Demko posted a .921 save percentage and 2.13 goals against average in 21 starts this season. NFL Jerseys Cheap Authentic . Kerr said he had dinner with Jackson, his former coach with Chicago and the new Knicks team president, on Friday night and they talked again Saturday. Kerr is in New York to work the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors for TNT. Wholesale Jerseys Authentic .com) - Chris Kreider tallied a goal and an assist as the New York Rangers capped a successful California road trip with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. http://www.wholesalejerseyschinastitched.com/.J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . The Oilers will try to get back in the win column on Monday when they continue a four-game road trip with a battle against the Buffalo Sabres. Edmonton won its third straight game last Wednesday against visiting San Jose, beating the Sharks 3-0 as Scrivens stopped 59 shots to set an NHL record for saves in a regular-season shutout.The decision on whether Russian athletes can compete at the Rio Olympics is likely to be made at the IAAF council meeting in Vienna on June 17. Russia was suspended by the IAAF, athletics world governing body, in November after being accused of state sponsored doping in a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.The country announced reforms on Wednesday that it hopes will repair the credibility of its anti-doping operation, with all track and field athletes expected to undergo a minimum of three independent, externally administered anti-doping controls before the Olympic Games. Russia announced measures on Wednesday to help improve its anti-doping operation Two independent international experts, nominated by WADA, will be based full-time in Moscow from the end of April.They will have full and free access for as long as necessary to ensure the Russian anti-doping system is free of undue interference and is fully independent, the ministry of sport said.Russias minister of sport Vitaly Mutko said: We believe that sport must be clean and fair at all levels, from grassroots through to elite. Russian athletes will face more stringent doping controls as they look to secure their place at the Olympic Games We are 100 per cent supportive of WADAs efforts, alongside the International Olympic Committee and IAAF and other organisations, to stamp out cheating.ddddddddddddClean athletes dreams must not be allowed to be destroyed because of other peoples mistakes. This is an important step in our journey.The Olympic athletics programme begins on August 12 and if the Council does readmit Russia to the sport, most of its athletes would likely have only a matter of weeks to achieve the qualifying marks required for participation.Meanwhile, WADA has suspended the accreditation of the National Anti-Doping Laboratory in Beijing, China for four months. The statement said: During the period of suspension, the laboratory is required to take five remedial steps highlighted by the disciplinary committee in its recommendation.If the Beijing laboratory satisfies the disciplinary committee in meeting these requirements, the laboratory may apply for reinstatement prior to the expiry of the four month suspension period.Earlier this month, WADA revoked the accreditation of Moscows anti-doping laboratory, which was suspended in November after a WADA independent commission report alleged state-sponsored doping and cover-ups in Russia. ' ' '