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The author of one of Canadas defining moments at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is "99 per cent" certain hes retiring. Jon Montgomery, the gold-medal winning skeleton racer who celebrated his victory by chugging from a pitcher of beer handed to him by a fan, says his failed attempt to qualify for the Sochi Games will in all likelihood mark the end of his sliding career. "Im done. As a competitive athlete, this is the end of the road for me," Montgomery said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press on Thursday, before later adding: "I would say 99 per cent of me is certain that I am done. "You wont see me (racing) next year or the year after and Im 99 per cent sure you wont see me trying to gain a spot for (the 2018 Winter Olympics in) Pyeongchang." The 34-year-old Montgomery was one of the stars of the Vancouver Games, memorably drinking from that pitcher on national television as he walked through a crowd of rabid Canadian fans in Whistler, B.C. But the Russell, Man., native struggled to find consistency on a new sled in the leadup to Sochi and missed out on a chance to defend his title in Russia. "Physically Im at the top of my game. Im going out faster than Ive ever been in my career but its a bit of a sacrifice to make sure that I dont get hurt," he said. "I dont know what sort of long-term damage Ive done to my brain but in terms of getting a concussion — which is a really distinct possibility, or a brain injury — I need to make the right choices based on my family." Montgomery said even had he made it to Sochi and topped the podium a second time, the emotions from Vancouver would have been difficult to repeat. "Nothing can ever replace your first Olympic gold medal," he said. "To have done that on home soil with friends and family and countrymen by my side ... you just cant top that." Although he wanted desperately to represent Canada again, Montgomery said hes been watching these Games intently. "Its the human drama that takes place in front of us every day during the Olympics," he said. "Its unbelievable. I enjoyed being part of it as an athlete and (enjoy) being part of it as a fan." Montgomery took the 2011-12 season off and found it difficult racing on the new sled he helped build from scratch when he returned to the track. He had used his previous sled for eight years, but felt it was necessary to go with new technology in order to defend his Olympic gold in Sochi. In the end, he never got that chance. "It was really frustrating because you had achieved a certain level of performance that you were used to being able to get back to week in and week out," said Montgomery. "Consistency is a huge part in our sport. You have to be very athletic to push the sled, but its more of a game of skill and touch. "Its about that feel and that muscle memory, that finite muscle control, and thats what I was struggling with — to get that feel and that touch back to my sliding game." Montgomerys path to Sochi was always going to be difficult after he failed to earn one of the three mens spots on Canadas World Cup team. He instead raced on a lower circuit where point values for results are lower, but was promoted to the World Cup team in January. He needed at least a fourth-place finish in his final race to get a third Canadian sled into the Olympics, but wound up a heart-breaking seventh. That disappointment aside, Montgomery is adamant he did everything possible to give himself the best chance at success. "I can say until the day I die that there wasnt anything that we didnt address," he said. "I built a gym in my home garage with equipment that I felt was necessary for me to get quicker, bigger, faster, stronger and that paid off. "With the equipment development end of things, unfortunately we didnt realize the goals that we had set for ourselves — we fell a little bit short. "It was mostly timing. An opportunity to get comfortable with the equipment that wed built was really where we fell short. But as far as making the choices and decisions we made, zero regrets." Montgomery became somewhat of a folk hero after the 2010 Games and was in Calgary on Thursday to promote Proctor & Gambles "Thank You, Mom" campaign for the 2014 Olympics. He and his mother, Joan, starred in a video highlighting how she helped him through some tough times early in his career prior to the Olympic gold medal. She played a similar role again when her son failed to qualify for Sochi. "My mom was there to help me pick myself up and move on with some purpose and dedication towards what happens next in life," said Montgomery, who hosted the first season of CTVs "Amazing Race Canada" last year and has signed on again for a second instalment that begins shooting in the spring. That television career will keep Montgomery in the public eye, but he will likely always be known as the Canadian Olympic champion who chugged beer with a gold medal around his neck. "Lots of great memories, lots of good friends and a lot of pride in what we were able to accomplish for ourselves as individuals and for us as a country," he said. "I havent given a formal (retirement) announcement. "I havent gone to a press conference and cried like Wayne Gretzky yet, but if that day comes Ill probably do that too." Vapormax Plus Sale . Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers, including his 400th shot in a Red Sox uniform, and drove in a career high-tying six runs to power Boston past the Houston Astros 10-7 on Saturday night. Nike Air Max 1 Just Do It Canada . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday. http://www.airvapormaxcanada.com/ . The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists detailed in a report how Russian and international journalists have been harassed and prevented from covering sensitive stories in Sochi such as the abuse of migrant workers and environmental issues. Vapormax Cheap Sale . -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew practiced in a limited capacity Friday, a positive sign he might be able to play against the Tennessee Titans. Vapormax Moc 2 Canada .com) - The surprising Calgary Flames host the winless New Jersey Devils at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday. EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oil Kings refuse to be written off. Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for his third shutout of the playoffs as the Oil Kings won their second straight game at home to even up the Western Hockey League final, coming away with a 2-0 victory over the defending champion Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday. Mitchell Moroz and Curtis Lazar scored the goals for the Oil Kings, who have looked a lot slicker at home as they improved to 10-0 on home ice and tied the Ed Chynoweth Cup at two heading back to Portland, Ore., for Game 5 on Friday. "At the end of the day, we know we are the underdogs in this series," said Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal. "However, we are tied 2-2 in the series going back to Portland. We are going to have to win one game in that building and our mindset is why not Friday night? "We want to make a series of this. We want a chance to win the Western Hockey League championship. These kids have worked hard to get it to 2-2. Some people wrote us off when we were down 2-0, but you have to give our guys credit. We came out tonight with probably our best effort in the playoffs thanks to (Tristan Jarrys) goaltending and the leadership of guys like (Griffin Reinhart)." It was the first game of the series that the Oil Kings werent trailing within the first three minutes and Moroz said it was nice not to have to dig themselves out of a hole for once. "We came out the way we wanted to in this game," he said. "We had some chances early and didnt capitalize, but we kept working away at it. We didnt give up the first period goals this time, which was nice, not having to battle back like we did in the other games. "We just played our game. We stuck with it and were patient." The Winterhawks have lost two in a row after allowing only three losses in their previous 45 games, a string of success dating back to Jan. 11. "We didnt get the start that we wanted tonight," said Portland forward Adam De Champlain. "We came out a bit flat. Having to kill seven penalties hurt us and it really allowed them to feed off their fans. When we had the momentum we had trouble sticking it. We didnt have the energy we needed on the bench." It was the first time since December 2011 that the Winterhawks, who led the league with 338 goals this season, have been shut out. "Its playoff hockey, everyone understands the goals are harder to come by," said Winterhawks head coach Mike Johnston. "There are going to be moments like this. It is just a bit of adversity for us to handle right now.dddddddddddd We just need to get through it. "We just have to regroup. It is a best two-out-of-three series now." The Oil Kings had a much better start to the game than the previous three outings as they avoided allowing a goal against in the first three minutes of the matchup. Edmonton actually had the bulk of the scoring chances in the first until the Hawks came back late. The Oil Kings had 14 shots in the scoreless first on Portland goalie Corbin Boes, while the Winterhawks responded with 13 on Jarry, a second-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013. Edmonton finally broke the scoring deadlock nine minutes into the second period. After sustained pressure on the shift, a Dysin Mayo shot caromed off the boards and rolled off the top of the net to Moroz in front where the Edmonton Oilers draft pick slammed his fifth goal of the playoffs past Boes. Jarry prevented Portland from tying the game up two minutes later as Oliver Bjorkstrand picked the pocket of Reid Petryk at the Edmonton blue-line, but couldnt beat the Oil Kings goalie on the partial breakaway. The edge in shots had increased to 28-18 for Edmonton by the end of the second period. The Oil Kings made it 2-0 six minutes into the third as Brett Pollock threw a hard pass on net on a two-on-one and Lazar was able to tip the puck through Boes legs. It hit the post, but then went in off of the Portland goalies skates to count as the Ottawa Senators prospects eighth goal of the playoffs. Edmonton kept driving and it was only the heroics of Boes that kept the game close midway through the third as he stopped breakaways by Petryk and Lazar in a span of just over a minute midway through the third. The Oil Kings thought they put the game away for good with an empty-net goal by Pollock, however the play was ruled off-side. Notes: The Winterhawks managed to score in the first three minutes of each of the first three games of the series, holding an edge of 7-0 in first-period goals in the series coming into Wednesdays game. ... Its the third consecutive season that the Oil Kings and Winterhawks are meeting in the WHL final. Edmonton defeated Portland in seven games to win in 2012, while Portland won in six games last year. It is Portlands fourth consecutive trip to the league championships. ... The Winterhawks power play was just 1 for 13 through the first three games of the series. ... Portland has 10 players on its roster who have been drafted by NHL teams, while the Oil Kings have five. ' ' '