Canadas Kevin Reynolds was hoping to use his breakthrough year on the mens figure skating circuit as a springboard for greater success during the current Olympic season. Instead, equipment issues have forced him to withdraw from this weeks Grand Prix event and it remains unclear when hell be ready to make his return to the ice. Reynolds pulled out of the Cup of China because of problems with his skating boots. He has been unable to get them to fit properly this season and it has hampered his training. Not exactly an ideal situation for a potential medal contender at the Sochi Games. "When youre dealing with equipment, sometimes you get a pair of skates and theyre the same make, same model youve used for years and sometimes the fit just isnt right," Skate Canada high-performance director Mike Slipchuk said Thursday. "It just seems that he hasnt had much luck this fall with even a few backup pairs that have come in. Theyve been having a hard time finding a pair that fit like his previous ones did during the (previous) season." Reynolds used a different pair of skates last season when he had his breakout victory against a tough field at Four Continents in Japan. Those skates are too worn to be used again this season, Slipchuk said. Reynolds and coach Joanne McLeod were not available for comment. However, McLeod did discuss Reynolds equipment challenges in early September at the teams high-performance camp in Mississauga, Ont. "One of the boots that he received was twisted to the sole," she said after watching him at practice. "Sometimes boots can warp. It just didnt sit right. He toughed it out. It wasnt like he was complaining. He toughed it out and tried to make it work and I was pushing him hard with that boot. "But it just became complicated and frustrating. And you dont want to have any regrets (in an) Olympic year." McLeod said the issue could present challenges for the upcoming season although she was hopeful they would get past it. "So yes, things might be rocky -- you have to alter, you might have to cancel a couple things," she said. "But you dont want to have any regrets. You dont want to be going into an Olympic year thinking, Darn, I should have switched that boot because it haunted me for the entire season. You dont want that." In addition to his victory last season, Reynolds reached the Four Continents podium in 2010 with a third-place effort. The 23-year-old North Vancouver native was fifth at the 2013 world championships. Although Canadian teammate Patrick Chan has garnered most of the mens figure skating spotlight in recent years, Reynolds has made significant strides and could be in the mix of contenders in Sochi. In addition to the individual competition, Canada is also a medal favourite in the new team event. "The No. 1 priority now is to get into a pair of skates and get out and compete because its a big season and you dont want to be starting in January at (nationals)," Slipchuk said. "The months of January and February are going to come fast. "You need to get those programs out for not only your training, but for the judges to see and prepare for the season. Time is ticking quick. Were hoping this can all be rectified soon and he can get back out and get competing." Some skaters change their skates two or three times per season. When a new pair arrives, it can take anywhere from a day to a week or longer to work them in. Reynolds usually breaks in new skates every six months -- traditionally in early January before the nationals and then again in early July. Slipchuk said equipment choices are primarily left up to the athlete, adding it can be quite common for challenges to pop up. When they do, it can often take time to sort out. "Its not like you can just go down to the corner sporting goods store and pick up a pair," Slipchuk said. "For any elite athlete, its a very highly built and highly tuned piece of equipment and specific for what theyre doing. "Often if a skate has to be remade, it does take a little time for that to happen. The companies are good, they get the equipment out fast and hopefully theyre able to get this all rectified." Slipchuk said he was planning to get an update from Reynolds and his team by the weekend. "If you ask any skater, there is a process for breaking in new skates," McLeod said. "Its not like a car, you get into it and (drive) and everything is just amazing. Its a little bit different than that. "The boots are very hard and it takes the skaters mobility with their ankle and their leg strength to break it in in a certain way." Reynolds is scheduled to compete at the Nov. 22-24 Grand Prix event in Moscow. The national championships are set for Jan. 9-15 in Ottawa and the 2014 Sochi Olympics will be held Feb. 7-23. Chris Doleman Youth Jersey . -- Ben Brust scored 19 points to lead six Wisconsin players in double figures as the No. Brian ONeill Jersey .S. Olympic hockey management team have been making what he called "ghost rosters" since August. http://www.authenticvikingspro.com/Brett...vikings-jersey/. - Aaron Rodgers makes tough throws that can leave fans of the Green Bay Packers speechless. John Randle Jersey . Johnny Manziel, college footballs most entertaining player with the reputation for pulling off magical plays, was selected with the No. Alexander Mattison Jersey . - The Jacksonville Jaguars are leaning more toward playing injured quarterback Blake Bortles against Tennessee on Thursday night.TORONTO - Drew Hutchison was roughed up by the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon; a brief, poor outing that served to highlight two trends that have developed this season. The first: Hutchison is dominant pitching on the road and has been anything but throwing at Rogers Centre. After Sundays outing in which he tossed only three innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits (two home runs) and one walk in a 5-0 Toronto loss which dropped his personal win-loss record to 4-4, the splits look like this. Hutchison at home: 5 Games Started, 1-3, 8.72 ERA, 7 HR allowed and a 1.892 walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP). Hutchison on the road: 8 Games Started, 3-1, 2.03 ERA, 3 HR allowed and a 0.973 WHIP. Both Hutchison and his manager appear to be at a loss to explain the discrepancy. "Obviously I feel the same when I take the mound every time, at home and on the road," said Hutchison. "I just havent executed well here and I havent put together good games." "Some guys are like that, its hard to put a finger on it," said manager John Gibbons. "But you cant pitch him on the road every time … He wasnt very good today. They hit him around a little bit. But hes been pretty good for us." Hutchison is coming off of Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, which was performed in July, 2012. He rehabbed for a full year and pitched briefly at Triple-A late last season and then in the Arizona Fall League. His 75 innings this year surpass, by far, his allotment from the abbreviated 2013 campaign. The Blue Jays are taking care of the 23-year-old. Prior to his last start, a scoreless, seven-inning gem last Tuesday in Detroit, Gibbons gave him a full weeks rest after he struggled in a home start against the Tampa Bay Rays. That leads to the second trend. Hutchison pitches much better when hes had extra rest, five or more days in between starts, than when he pitches on the usual four days of rest to which starters are accustomed. Here are the numbers: Hutchison on four days rest: 6 Games Started, 3-3, 5.94 ERA, 14 walks, 21 strikeouts, 7 home runs allowed. Hutchison on five or more days rest: 7 Games Started, 1-1, 2.62 ERA, 5 walks, 34 strikeouts, 3 home runs allowed. Expect Gibbons to cherry pick spots to give Hutchison extra rest over the course of the season but its difficult to do at the moment due to a lack of off days. Toronto has two more before the All-Star Break, one on Monday, June 16 and another on Monday, June 30. The task becomes easier in August when there are five off days in the month and becomes difficult again in September, when there is only one. By that point, though, the Jays hope to be counting on Hutchison in important games down the stretch. Hutchison, arguably, has been the Blue Jays second-best starter to Mark Buehrle and its likely the club will allow the 23-year-old to work through the ups and downs of a long season. Few are the young pitchers who thrive every time they take the ball. With a long road trip coming up, Hutchisons next two starts are scheduled to be in Baltimore on Friday night and against the Yankees, in New York, on the following Thursday. Dont expect Gibbons to take the ball out of Hutchisons hands on either occasion. LINDS SPLITS Adam Lind is strictly a platoon player these days. Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer is bound and determined to change that. "Im working my butt off to change that because I think he can be just as effective, or almost as effective, off lefties as what he is off righties," said Seitzer. "What happens with lefties and its guys that Ive worked with in past years, they get pounded in by hard stuff and they get to chase stuff and the breaking stuff and secondary pitches in any count." The narrative is that Lind, a left-handed hitter, cannot hit left-handed pitching consistently. The talking point is backed up by his career statisticss and the sample size, over nine seasons, is large enough.dddddddddddd Lind, versus right-handers: 2,263 plate appearances, .290/.347/.512, 122 home runs, 17 per cent strikeout rate. Lind, versus left-handers: 875 plate appearances, .216/.261/.337, 21 home runs, 25.8 per cent strikeout rate. Manager John Gibbons has worked accordingly this season, relegating Lind to starts against right-handers. Entering Sundays play, Lind had 20 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers for the entire season. "We have a team thats versatile and can do a bunch of different things," said Lind. "I face lefties at the end of the game. I just dont start when they start the game. I get my share of at-bats against those guys." Lind is quick to point out that he often gets the more difficult left-handed challenges. "I dont get the normal starters but Ill take the lefty specialists." Lind faced an old nemesis in Friday nights win over the Cardinals. He drew a full count walk off left-hander Randy Choate, a guy who Lind saw frequently when Choate was with division rival Tampa Bay. He fouled off some tough pitches in that plate appearance. "I played against some lefties at the beginning of the year and had some good at-bats, hit the ball hard, just didnt get a hit," said Lind. "When youre in June and you look back at May you dont remember who you faced and you dont remember what really happened. Its just a statistic now. I get it, thats just how it goes and thats how people are going to look at it over the course of a season." Seitzer, as much a psychological coach as a mechanical instructor, wants Lind to look for pitches out over the plate. He believes positive results will follow. "Thats all it boils down to is breaking that bad wound that hes put in his brain that hes got to get to pitches inside because thats where theyre going to come," said Seitzer. DICKEY ON STROMAN Marcus Stromans curveball has been on full display during his first two big league starts. Hes baffled Royals and Cardinals hitters with the pitch and hes impressed his veteran teammates. "Its his ability to spin the baseball that separates him from other guys," said Dickey. "He can really spin a ball and that takes a lot of arm speed, a lot of God-given, innate natural ability to be able to do that. You cant learn that." Stroman is scheduled to start Wednesday afternoons series finale against the Twins. Teams are developing a book on the 23-year-old, information which will only increase each time he takes the mound. Hitters will make adjustments. Itll be up to Stroman to do the same. "Thats one of the things that makes you successful and able to endure at this level," said Dickey. "Do you have an aptitude where you have the ability to make adjustments quickly? I dont see anything that would lead me to believe he doesnt have that. Hes got a lot of moxie, too. He seems pretty confident out there, which is great." In the spring, general manager Alex Anthopoulos joked that Stroman was the first pitcher hed ever seen blow a bubble in the middle of his windup. Its a common occurrence. "We were on the bench thinking, like, what is Matt Holliday thinking when hes in the middle of his leg kick and a big bubbles in his mouth," joked Dickey. "Hes probably just thinking, Throw the ball. I mean, thats just what you think but everybody has their own little thing."