CALGARY -- One of the most recognizable faces on the Canadian womens hockey team will not play in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Madison Bumgarner Jersey . Defenceman Tessa Bonhomme was among three players released from the team Tuesday morning along with defenceman Brigette Lacquette of Waterhen, Man., and Winnipeg forward Jenelle Kohanchuk. Bonhomme was a veteran of the womens team that won Olympic gold in 2010 in Vancouver. "I dont think it matters who you are, youre always surprised when a cut is made," Bonhomme said. "Ive never counted my chickens before they were hatched and I always knew I would have to earn my spot no matter what. "At the beginning of the year, I felt great, like I was playing the way I should and then I kind of ran into a little bit of health issues and didnt really bounce back the way I wanted to." Head coach Dan Church reduced his roster to 24 players as Canada prepares for the chance to defend gold in February. One more defencemen and two more forwards will be released before the 21-player Olympic roster is announced in late December. Bonhomme raised her profile and that of womens hockey with appearances on "Wipeout Canada" and CBCs "Battle of the Blades" post-2010. Bonhomme has also done television work for Leafs TV in Toronto. The 28-year-old from Sudbury, Ont., represented Canada in four world championships in addition to the Olympics. She won three gold and two silver in those tournaments. "I tried this afternoon to try to sit down and realize what Id worked so hard for the past three years isnt going to happen," Bonhomme said. "Im OK with that. Im an adult and this is what I signed up for, an opportunity to try out. "Im thankful Dan and Hockey Canada gave me the opportunity to come out here and try and prove what I got. Unfortunately it wasnt enough." Bonhomme, Lacquette and Kohanchuk had just played in the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., where Canada beat Finland 6-3 in Saturdays final. Kohanchuk scored twice in the championship game. "We didnt foresee they were going to be able to move themselves up enough to overtake who was ahead of them on the depth chart at this point," Church said. "It didnt matter how many weeks were still (to go), we didnt see that happening based on the body of work to date." Lacquette, 21, and Kohanchuk, 23, were rookies on the national team. Between them, theyve played 15 international games since the 27 players arrived in Calgary in August. Bonhomme appeared in her 100th international game during the Four Nations. Offensively skilled and quick on her skates, Bonhomme has 10 goals and 41 assists for Canada, but didnt have any points in Lake Placid. She sat out some games this fall because of a crushed nerve she suffered in an Oct. 1 game, as well as a bout of shingles. "Those are by no means excuses," Bonhomme said. "I would never rely on one of those for the reason I was playing bad. Maybe I just didnt perform up to the standard or up to par that they wanted and they decided to release me at the first chance they got. "Ive trusted the coaching staff from the get-go and I trust that they made the right decision. I have no doubt in my mind this team will be successful." Bonhomme was one of 13 veterans from 2010 invited to try out for the Olympic team again, but she was beaten out of her job by younger defenders. Lauriane Rougeau, Laura Fortino, Courtney Birchard and Tara Watchorn are newcomers to Canadas blue-line since 2010. Jocelyne Larocque, who was released from the 2010 team, and 2010 vets Catherine Ward and Meaghan Mikkelson are the experienced defencemen remaining. "In looking at the number of defencemen we have, it comes down to a numbers game and who is ahead of whom at this point in the season," Church said. "We have a lot of talented young players playing really well right now. "At this point, we have seven defencemen here who have been a little bit more consistent in their level of competition and thats why theyre still here." The Canadian women often say the Olympic Games is their Stanley Cup. That makes it difficult to tell them they wont be going, said Church. "While its a real tough day for coaches, its the toughest day for players," Church said. "They were all emotional in their own way, but they all handled it very dignified. It was a tough day all around. "Tessa was a true professional. She just thanked us and that was pretty much it." Bonhomme intends to return to Toronto, re-join the Toronto Furies of the Canadian Womens Hockey League and pursue a masters degree in speech pathology. She was the first female hockey player on "Battle of the Blades" which pairs hockey players with figure skaters. Bonhomme and David Pelletier were crowned the winners. "Maybe Ill go online and check out some new reality TV shows," Bonhomme said. "Theres got to be a few shows I can apply for and hopefully get on." Meghan Agosta-Marciano, Rebecca Johnston, Jennifer Wakefield, Gillian Apps, Caroline Ouellette, Melanie Daoust, Jayna Hefford, Bailey Bram, Brianne Jenner, Haley Irwin, Hayley Wickenheiser, Natalie Spooner, Vicki Bendus and Marie-Philip Poulin are the remaining forwards after the release of Kohanchuk. "Jenelle had played very well from the start of the season until now. We just didnt see that she was going to be able to move up enough to make our final roster," Church said. "Shes a hard-working player and a real good person, so it was hard to let her go, just as it was the other two players. "Brigette is a talented defender and I think theres potential for her down the road if she matures and becomes a more well-rounded athlete." Shannon Szabados, Charline Labonte and Genevieve Lacasse will be Canadas goaltenders in Sochi. Church informed Bonhomme, Kohanchuk and Lacquette of his decision prior to the teams departure for Grande Prairie, Alta., on Tuesday. The Canadian women resume their schedule of games against Alberta Midget Hockey League teams there Wednesday. Canada has played 27 games against mens teams in the AMHL and international womens teams since the players centralized in Calgary in August. Canada and the U.S. women will meet again Dec. 12 in Calgary, followed by their exhibition games in Grand Forks, N.D., on Dec. 20, St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 28 and Toronto on Dec. 30. San Francisco Giants Jerseys .J. Ellis have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract. Brandon Belt Jersey .J. - The New York Jets have signed former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Graham Harrell, giving them some added depth at the position. http://www.authenticbaseshopgiants.com/customized/ . -- Felix Girard scored on the power play in the third period to lift the Baie-Comeau Drakkar past the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Friday.MIAMI -- Strange as it sounds, missing shots worked wonders for the Miami Heat. And after the Brooklyn Nets went nearly 2 minutes -- a basketball eternity -- without the ball down the stretch, the two-time defending NBA champions would soon find themselves two wins from another trip to the Eastern Conference finals. LeBron James scored 22 points, Chris Bosh added 18 and the Heat pulled away late to beat the Nets 94-82 on Thursday night, taking a 2-0 lead in the East semifinals. "To be able to get some stops like that at the end, and then execute, its something thats critical in this series," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Dwyane Wade had 14 and Ray Allen scored 13 for the Heat, who tied a franchise record with their eighth straight playoff victory. Theyll go for No. 9 on Saturday night, when the best-of-seven series shifts to Brooklyn for Game 3. For the second straight game, Miami had five players in double figures. "Thats what our team is all about," James said. "We dont really care who scores." Mirza Teletovic set a Nets playoff record with six 3-pointers, on his way to a 20-point night off the bench. Shaun Livingston scored 15, and Paul Pierce and Joe Johnson each added 13 more for the Nets. Deron Williams was 0 for 9 from the field, the worst shooting night of his career. "That one hurt," Nets coach Jason Kidd said. "We were right there. We gave ourselves, on the road, an opportunity against the world champs. We let the game slip away. That one possession when they got four offensive rebounds, it didnt lose the game for us." It was three rebounds, but no matter. It was still a backbreaker for the Nets. Teletovic scored inside with 3:39 left to get Brooklyn within eight. For the next 100 seconds, Miami kept possession. James missed a 3-pointer, and Allen -- who led Miami with eight rebounds -- manoeuvred his way around four Nets to grab the rebound. James missed again, and Wade grabbed that board. James missed a layup, but Bosh controlled that board. And finally, almost mercifully, Wade found James for a layup with 1:59 remaining. The lead was 10, the outcome decided. "That was a killer," Johnson said. Wade had just six points in the games first 37 minutes, then eight more in the next thhree, setting the tone for a grind-it-out fourth quarter from Miami. Hunter Pence Jersey. "Youve got to do the little things until you get your opportunity," said Wade, who finished with seven rebounds and seven assists. "Thats what I was able to do." The Heat led 79-77 when Brooklyns Marcus Thornton missed a 3-pointer with 6:21 left -- which, had it gone down, would have had the Heat facing a fourth-quarter deficit for the first time in these playoffs. But it missed. And thats when the Heat found separation for the first time all night, at the most critical point. James was in trouble with less than 4 seconds on the shot clock and still found a way to get a bounce pass out to Mario Chalmers in the left corner for a 3-pointer. James passed on the fadeaway, deciding it would be a bad shot, and made the decision to send the ball to Chalmers. "Just get it there," James said he was thinking. He got the pass there, Chalmers made the shot, and after a stop on the ensuing Brooklyn trip, Allen hit from the same spot as Chalmers for an 85-77 lead. "As the game wore on we started picking up the pace," Allen said. "We started to getting how we play basketball." Teletovic kept the Nets afloat. He made his first four 3-pointers, needing less than six minutes to do so after checking in for the first time late in the opening quarter. He had 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc by halftime alone, a boost that Brooklyn definitely needed. And his shots came at big times. Of Teletovics five 3s in the first half, three broke ties. His sixth 3 of the game, late in the third, tied the game at 61. But in the end, Miami was too much. "This series is far from over," Johnson said. NOTES: Trying to save a loose ball in the third quarter, James leaped over a row of people sitting along one sideline, then ran about 10 more rows deep into the stands. ... Mason Plumlee had three first-half fouls for the Nets, matching the entire Heat total. Brooklyn didnt take any free throws until the third quarter. ... Miami went scoreless for the games first 3:32, its longest drought to open a home game since Feb. 26, 2005 -- 443 contests ago. ... 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