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Olympian says Canada’s women’s hockey team can bounce back from coaching turmoil

While many saw the abrupt departure of Team Canada head coach Dan Church as a bad omen heading into the Sochi Olympics, a former mainstay of the national women's team believes it all may play out for the better.

Jennifer Botterill, who won three Olympic gold medals as a forward with Team Canada and will go to Sochi as a hockey analyst for CBC, says the coaching change won't be a big issue once Canada arrives in Russia. She says the players already believe in new head coach Kevin Dineen, who came aboard after Church resigned unexpectedly in December, because he brings so much experience to his first job in the women's game.

But she also believes the air around the team may be clearer with Dineen in charge.

``I talked to players after (Church) left," she says. ``It was a bit of a shock but it sounded to me like there was some that was building for months.

``The timing was surprising, but if you look at the positive, the players really respect Kevin Dineen on what he brings to the game, his knowledge. He's encouraging the girls to play with more creativity, which they're all appreciating."

Considering that Church said he resigned because others doubted his ability to win in Sochi, that may be a good thing.

``The girls understand the situation," Botterill says. ``Yes, it was quite dramatic and it seemed very bizarre and it was understandable that the rest of Canada felt very shocked, but for the players it was reality and they know they don't have to dwell on it."

Even though the team might be in a better frame of mind heading into Sochi, Botterill says the Canadians still have their work cut out for them. The Americans have dominated in recent months and are a formidable foe.

``Canada needs strong defensive play," says the 34-year-old Ottawa native, who retired in 2011. ``They have a talented roster with a lot of depth, but they need to play smart defensively. That's going to be key because the Americans are so fast and so puck-savvy."

Discipline will be a key, too, considering the strength of the American power play.

There's no doubt that the U.S. is the team to beat and that Canada is a close second at this point. That's a situation Botterill hopes will change in Sochi -- and not just from Canada's perspective.

The Sochi Games are crucial for women's hockey, which has basically been put on notice that unless teams outside North America start to move into the upper echelon the sport's Olympic status could be in jeopardy. Botterill says she sees signs of parity -- Finland lost to Canada in the recent Four Nations Cup final -- but there's still a ways to go.

``I'm hopeful, but time will tell," she says. ``Several teams have the potential to do well. Some of the teams have good goaltending and that can be a game-changer."

Russia could be a factor this year, especially playing on home ice and with the added boost of backing from former NHL star Alexei Yashin. She believes Russia and Finland will battle for bronze, with Canada and the U.S., as usual, fighting for gold.

``The gap hasn't closed as quickly as we'd like, but there is still potential for other teams to play well," she says.