Now that another Olympic Games is over, many across Canada know the stories of our athletes and the various roads they took to get to their ultimate goal. Montee Ball Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Well, meet Derek Amell, 17-year NHL linesman and now an Olympian. When I turned on the mens hockey gold medal game between Canada and Sweden, I was happy to see that an old acquaintance would be working the lines for the biggest game on the worlds biggest stage. You see, over 25 years ago, Derek and I worked together at a drug store chain in Whitby, Ontario. I was a university student taking a year off school and he was a high school student looking to improve on his first job working the night shift at Burger King for $2.85/hr. There were two things I remembered about Derek back then: he was a lot bigger than me, and he had a very calm personality. Looking back, those are two good attributes for an NHL linesman. For Derek, the dream took off at the age of 24 when he worked his first Ontario Hockey League game. Three years later, he started working American Hockey League games and this is where our paths would cross again. I was an off-ice official with the Hamilton Canucks and Hamilton Bulldogs in the 1990s and we would touch base now and again at Copps Coliseum. I could see then that he was on his way to the NHL. "I felt the NHL was an attainable goal after working the AHLs Calder Cup Final in my first year," said Amell. He wouldnt have to wait long for the big moment. The following year, he found out he would be working NHL games in the upcoming season. In his first NHL season, the league made the decision to return to the Olympics in Nagano, meaning there was now another rung on the ladder of success for NHL players and officials. There would be some career highlights along the way, such as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, the 2009 and 2012 Stanley Cup Finals as well as the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. Could the Olympics be next? And then he got the news. Unlike the athletes who are introduced at news conferences, Amell was contacted through e-mail by Stephen Walkom, the NHLs director of officiating. The message was sent on December 1, naming the 13 NHL officials who were chosen to work in Sochi. Of course, when athletes go to the Olympics, they stay in the Athletes Village and invite family and friends to share in the experience. Is it the same for the officials? "The officials stayed together in a hotel right inside the Olympic area. It was great to be together with all the amateur officials," said Amell, who is a married father of two children but did not have any family join him in Sochi. To work the gold medal game, he had to prove himself again. "The gold medal officials were chosen by a panel of supervisors from various countries and it was based on performance during the tournament. We were told by e-mail after the semifinal games," said Amell. When the officials for the gold medal game were announced, former NHL player and Swedish international Peter Forsberg was incensed that Canadians would be working the game but some current Swedish players defended the decision, saying their nationality wouldnt affect their decision-making. "We knew there would be extreme scrutiny on the officiating when it was announced that the officials were Canadian," said Amell. "We knew the players would be comfortable with us since we are all in the NHL. It was more an issue with the media than with the players. "At the end of the game, the entire Swedish team came over and shook our hands and told us we did a great job. That was very satisfying for us." So which was more nerve-racking: the first NHL game or the gold medal game? "Working the gold medal game was the most nerve-racking game I have ever officiated," he admitted. Its been a long road from collecting shopping carts in Whitby to officiating at the gold medal game in Sochi. And while Amells appearance at the Olympics may not have been as celebrated as many of the athletes, or even noticed by most viewers, the accomplishment is no less significant. And just like the athletes, family plays an integral role in the success of officials, offering support and enduring hardships over the years. "Since we only work 6-8 games a year at home, the family sacrifices are large," said Amell. "I miss most of my childrens sports activities and birthdays. They understand the life of an NHL official, but it still can be very difficult on my wife and children," said Amell. As for the hundreds of people who show up at the airport for our returning athletes, how does the return of an official compare? "No one met me at the airport," Amell laughed. "It was like coming home from any other road trip!" The Olympics is a place where dreams can come true. Most people dream of winning a gold medal but dont tell Derek Amell that his accomplishment is anything less. He just achieved his Olympic goal with a lot less fanfare. And, like a linesman who goes unnoticed when he does a good job, thats the way he likes it. Trey Flowers Jersey . -- Cordell Cato scored his first goal of the season and the San Jose Earthquakes survived a full half playing a man down to beat FC Dallas 2-1 Saturday night. Elandon Roberts Jersey . Bayern led second-place Leverkusen by 10 points with a game in hand, while Dortmund was another four points off the pace. Freiburg midfielder Felix Klaus scored in the last minute as his side twice came from behind to climb provisionally out of the relegation zone. http://www.patriotsauthenticshop.com/Patriots-Duke-Dawson-Draft-Jersey/ . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Duck Calling With several marquee centres available via trade and expected to be available via free agency, the Anaheim Ducks could be primed to be big players in the coming days. TORONTO -- Ricky Ray and Chad Owens heeded their coachs call Saturday. Ray threw for 407 yards and three TDs while Owens amassed 248 all-purpose yards and a touchdown as the Toronto Argonauts stunned the Saskatchewan Roughriders 48-15 before a sparse Rogers Centre gathering of 17,758. The win was redemption for Toronto (1-1), coming off a dismal 45-21 season-opening loss in Winnipeg. Whats more, Saskatchewan (1-1) began its Grey Cup defence registering 10 sacks in a lopsided 31-10 home win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On Friday, Argos head coach Scott Milanovich said he was looking forward to seeing which of his players would step up against the defending CFL champions. "Those were two of the guys I expected to do that," Milanovich said of Ray and Owens. "I guess I just expect it at this point. "Last week wasnt good . . . I think our pride was hurt, I think we were embarrassed by the way we showed up. Professional athletes are very competitive, very prideful and to take a whooping like that when you didnt see it coming, that sticks with you. It mayve been a good thing for us in the longterm to kind of open your eyes and show us we need to step up every week." Toronto quickly took control, surging to a 17-1 half-time lead that swelled to 24-1 just five minutes into the second half. Being firmly ahead allowed the Argos to continue utilizing their entire playbook and maintaining a balanced attack to keep Saskatchewans defence guessing. Toronto ran for 161 yards with sophomore Curtis Steele rushing for 59 yards and two TDs on eight carries while rookie Antony Coombs added 52 yards on six carries. Ray also got into the act, running four times for 32 yards. Falling behind forced Saskatchewans run-first offence to go to the air 33 times -- compared to just 15 rushing plays. That allowed Torontos defence to come after Riders quarterback Darian Durant, sacking him five times (four in the second half) and registering two Antwuan Molden interceptions. The newcomer took one 108 yards for a TD late in the game. "I thought it was a key that we get out to a lead . . . it allowed us to stay balanced and continue to mix it up a little bit with our ground game," Milanovich said. "It gave our defence a little confidence playing with the lead and let them come after the quarterback." Torontos defence, which opened the season with just four returning starters, had four more new faces against Saskatchewan. Cornerback Vincent Agnew, safety Jermaine Gabriel, linebacker Molden and defensive tackle Marcus Thomas all started as cornerback Matt Ware, linebacker Jamie Robinson and safety Matt Black went on the injured list while defensive lineman Greg Romeus was placed on the practice roster. But Toronto didnt emerge unscathed as linebacker Shea Emry (head) and slotback Andre Durie (shoulder) were injured. Milanovich wasnt sure how severe either was. Ray completed 29-of-37 passes, many being short underneath tosses that alllowed his receivers to quickly get upfield and gain yards after the catch. Derek Rivers Jersey. Owens was especially effective, registering 11 catches for 159 yards and a TD while also returning six punts for 89 yards. "Hes so shifty out there," Ray said of Owens. "I just got to get the ball into his hands and hes going to cut all the way across the field and make guys miss and turn short gainers into big plays for us. "Its nice to have a guy like him who makes my job easier. Im not having to throw it 30 yards downfield, Im just throwing the little short ones and hes taking it 40 yards." Owens said it was important for Toronto to rebound from its opening-season loss. "You never want to start the season 0-1, let alone 0-2," he said. "We knew it was a must-win game for us and playing Saskatchewan we knew it was going to be a battle. "Even after the first half I wasnt satisfied with the lead just knowing how quickly they could score." Saskatchewan made it interesting in the third after Rays 14-yard TD strike to Jason Barnes put Toronto ahead 24-1. Durant hit Taj Smith with a 59-yard touchdown strike at 10:22 before finding Antony Allen on a nine-yard toss at 13:16 to pull the Riders to within 25-15. But thats as close as Saskatchewan got as Swayze Waters 40-yard field goal to open the fourth put Toronto ahead 28-15. Durant finished 17-of-29 passing for 295 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Allen ran for 158 yards on 27 carries last weekend against the Ticats but was held to 66 yards on nine carries versus Toronto. Riders head coach Corey Chamblin admitted he was shocked by the one-sided outcome. "We didnt think the game would turn out this way," he said. "But you have to be perfect to win against Ricky Ray. "I felt we didnt have a good practice and we were not good enough to win off a short week." Durant sensed the Argos defence was intent on redemption following its performance last weekend in Winnipeg. "They had a great defensive gameplan," he said. "They came out after the loss last week and wanted to perform for their fans at the home opener. "We played against a good football team and a great quarterback." Mike Bradwell had Torontos other TD. Waters added five converts, two field goals and a single. Saskatchewans Chris Milo had two converts and a single. NOTES -- Since 2008, Durant has started 12 of Saskatchewans 13 games versus Toronto, the exception being Aug. 9, 2008 when former Argo Michael Bishop was under centre. During that span, the Argos have had seven different quarterbacks face the Riders . . . Slotback Chris Getzlaf and offensive lineman Levy Adcock were Saskatchewans pre-game scratches. Linebacker Greg Jones and defensive lineman Delano Johnson were Torontos scratches . . . Riders defensive back Dwight Anderson celebrated his 33rd birthday Saturday . . . Country artist Brett Kissel performed at halftime. 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