WAIT IS FINALLY OVER

GANGNEUNG — In the heat of an Alberta summer back in August, Feb. 11 seemed an eternity away for Canada’s top women hockey players.

There were gruelling training camps with on- and off-ice workouts and 49 games played at various points around North America, all to prepare for the potential of five matches that await over the next couple of weeks.

“It is something we have been talking about since we came together in August — the Olympics, the Olympics,” Team Canada veteran Meaghan Mikkelson said on Saturday.

“It feels a little surreal but everybody is anxious to get going.”

The Canadians begin their journey to what they hope will be a fifth consecutive gold medal here on Sunday night when they face the Olympic Athletes of Russia. While not seen as a medal contender, the Russians are big and play physical which isn’t lost on Canadian coach Laura Schuler.

“A lot of their key players are the same and are talented individual,” said Schuler who played for Canada at the 1998 Games but is set to make her Olympic debut behind the bench. “I think it’s going to be important for us to play the body on them. They can be pretty tricky.

“For us, we’re just so excited to get going. Our girls have been training hard all year long and (Saturday’s practice was really good with good energy and a good attention to detail.”