00m).ddddddddddddI felt like if that horse had spurred on more my blokes definitely had more in the tank.The way he relaxes hell give himself every chance to run a mile and a half. Hes obviously a

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Six years ago, almost to the day, the tiny village of Russnas (population 90) in Sweden was bustling. Right at the intersection off the main road that leads to the big road that takes you to the highway, under the sign that welcomes visitors to the village, there was a big photo of Niklas Hjalmarsson in his Chicago Blackhawks jersey, with a message to the young man.Congratulations, Stanley Cup champion it said in Swedish. Next to it, there was a tin-foil replica of the Cup.The then-23-year-old defenseman had spent most of his two previous seasons in the AHL but had taken a permanent spot in the Blackhawks lineup that season. He addressed the villagers (and thousands of other fans) next to the playground where he had played as a kid, standing next to bales of hay and the Stanley Cup, his voice hoarse from a fun night with his family and friends.Six years doesnt sound like much time, but for the Hjalmarsson who met with the media at Team Swedens pre-World Cup of Hockey event here recently, the six years has been life-altering.Time flies. Ive got married, Ive become a father, bought a house, Hjalmarsson, now 29, tells ESPN.com. And then he added, after a pause, And have won two more Cups.Its been six awesome years, and I hope the next six will be as good. By then Ill be 35, and I hope to be able to play that long. After that, the body starts to feel a little old. Playing [in the NHL] until 35 is something of a goal of mine.Over the last six seasons, the defenseman has become a mainstay in the Blackhawks defense, one of the players in the teams core group GM Stan Bowman has built the championship teams around. Only seven players in Blackhawks history have won three Stanley Cups -- Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook and Hjalmarsson -- and Sharp is no longer with the team.Naturally, theres a special bond between us, Hjalmarsson said. In the beginning, none of us had kids, some of us were single, and now we all have wives and kids. Weve grown up together, and it almost feels that were brothers after all that weve gone through together on the ice -- and off it.Nothing brings teammates together like winning. Maybe its because only they know all the work and effort theyve put into it, and the struggles theyve gone through to make it happen.Hjalmarsson isnt one to reflect on his Stanley Cup wins too much, at least not before he turns 35, and communicating what it takes to go all the way in the Stanley Cup playoffs isnt easy. For anyone.I think [of all the non-players], my parents understand it best because theyve seen all the hard work Ive had to put in, he said. The toughest part of winning is the mental side of it, grinding through a long regular season and ... then 20-plus-game postseason on top of it, through injuries and everything.The will to win is always there; you want to win at any price. Im so grateful that Ive had the opportunity to play in three finals, and that weve won all three. Nothing beats the feeling of standing there as a winner. Its hard to explain, but when I see other athletes get emotional after their victories, like [Swedish swimmer] Sarah Sjostrom at the Olympics, it moves something in me. Its easy for me to relate to that feeling, and I get emotional myself.All 23 players on Team Swedens World Cup roster are NHL players, accustomed to the North American style of hockey and everything that comes with it. But coach Rikard Gronborg, 48, is a federation veteran, having started as a scout with the World Junior team in 2006, and then worked as assistant and head coach with the under-18, under-20 and mens national teams.However, he did spend more than 10 years in U.S. colleges as a player and coach in the 1990s and is considered well-versed in North American hockey.He seems to have the right mindset, which makes it easier for us [players] to adapt, said Hjalmarsson, who was on the 2014 Olympic team that lost in the gold-medal final to Canada.In the upcoming World Cup, Team Sweden hopes Hjalmarsson -- who is one of the core players in an impressive defense corps -- can bring some of that Blackhawks leadership and winning attitude with him. Sweden has never won the World Cup of Hockey, including its Canada Cup roots.Thats a great motivator. Its wonderful to play for my country and to get to know the guys on this team a little better. They seem to be pretty great guys outside the rink, Hjalmarsson said with a laugh.Back in 2010, when Hjalmarsson brought the Stanley Cup to his village for the first time, he ended the celebration in the neighboring town by singing John Denvers Take Me Home, Country Roads.Thats one of the things Hjalmarsson definitely hasnt done since.But winning? That never gets old. Cheap Oilers Jerseys . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Fake Oilers Jerseys . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. https://www.cheapoilers.com/ . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Wholesale Oilers Jerseys .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. Edmonton Oilers Gear . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Jay Ford has enthused about the win of New Tipperary at Rosehill even though he knows he is unlikely to ride him again.Ford picked up the ride on the $3 favourite in Saturdays November Topaz Hcp (1900m) when Brenton Avdulla injured his knee in a barrier mishap earlier in the day.Avdulla, who is at the top of the metropolitan and state premierships, limped away from Rosehill on his way to get precautionary scans on his knee and appeared to have sustained some ligament damage.His mount Cottage took fright in the barrier before the second race and as she was lashing out, she kicked Avdulla in the knee.Ford proved an able replacement on the Joe Pride-trained gelding, getting him home with a head to spare over Falkenberg ($4.20), a margin Ford said could have been bigger.He is lovely horse. He doesnt really know what its all about but the ability is certainly there, Ford said.Even halfway through the race we lobbed into a really good spot. Halfway through the race hes dropping the bridle and youve just got to keep him interested.He only won narrowly but I just felt with the second horse I held that heead margin for the last furlong (200m).ddddddddddddI felt like if that horse had spurred on more my blokes definitely had more in the tank.The way he relaxes hell give himself every chance to run a mile and a half. Hes obviously a promising horse on the way up and in the next six to 12 months it wouldnt surprise me if you see him in a stakes race.But hes Brentons ride.Pride was in Perth to oversee the preparations of Terravista for next weeks Winterbottom Stakes with his racing manager Hayley Devlin confirming the stables high opinion of New Tipperary.He battled all the way right down to the end, she said.We had a jockey change which isnt always ideal on the day but he did a super job and I think weve got a nice horse.Hes still learning his craft. I think weve got a really nice horse.I think hell be a horse that well turn away and bring back in the autumn. Hes got a big heart.It was the third successive win for New Tipperary, taking his record to six from nine starts. ' ' '