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Mike Johnston feels like he is back where he belongs. Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Its just a statement on who he is. "(Coaching) is in your blood when the pre-season starts until it finishes at the end of the year," he said. "Its just kind of that own ownership, being able to coach, being able to compete, and you miss that when youre away from it, for sure, and its a good feeling to be back." Heading into Saturdays home game against the Kamloops Blazers, he has guided the defending WHL champions to a 3-3-1 record. Johnston was suspended last November after a league investigation determined the Winterhawks provided improper, undisclosed benefits that included free flights for players and parents. The team, which was also fined $200,000 and lost several draft picks, and league disputed the allegations publicly but Johnston ultimately accepted his punishment. He didnt get mad. He got busy, even though he was prohibited from going into the teams office or having any contact with players. "I tried to focus on what I could do rather than what I couldnt do, and I could still evaluate older players or our team for the future, and I could evaluate players who were on our list and determine if they were ready to fit into our program or were a ways away," he said from Portland in a recent phone interview. "I couldnt watch our team, but I could watch the other Western league teams." Johnston watched games online and also ventured to numerous rinks to scout Winterhawk hopefuls playing at lower levels. He also attended major coaching clinics in Burnaby, B.C., where he was a speaker and attended sessions to get insight on his profession. "Any time youre not coaching, like summer hockey, I always try and see if theres some way I can improve and try and study what other teams are doing, what other coaches are doing, take a look at our team, the organization, to see if theres any way to get an edge, to improve in what youre doing from that perspective," he said. Johnston, a Dartmouth, N.S., native who is in his early 50s, has been trying to get an edge on the bench since he stopped playing university hockey and got into coaching while in his 20s. He joined the Winterhawks after serving in the NHL for almost a decade as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He has also won several medals with Canadian junior and senior-age national teams and served as an assistant with Canadas 1998 Oympic team in Nagano. His resume includes Canadian college coaching experience with the Camrose Kodiaks, a tenure with the University of New Brunswick and a stint as an assistant at the University of Calgary, where he obtained a masters degree in coaching science. He also co-authored the book, "Simply The Best -- Insights and Strategies From Great Hockey Coaches." After joining the Winterhawks early in the 2008-09 season, he guided the team to the playoffs for the first time in four years and built them into the powerhouse that won the WHL title last season. Former assistant Travis Green filled in as head coach before taking a job as head coach of the Canucks new AHL affiliate in Utica, N.Y. Although he was exiled from the club, Johnston took considerable satisfaction from the accomplishment. "Every year, we were making strides, we were taking steps and then last year we were able to break through," he said. "I was extremely proud of the coaching staff, the players and the whole team on how we handled the steps that wed been through the last four to five years -- how they progressed, how they developed and how they finally pushed over that hurdle to win a WHL championship." Now Johnston is setting his sights on a possible repeat and another berth in the MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament with the bulk of the roster that prevailed last season. The Winterhawks lost seven players to graduation and promotion to the pro ranks. Defenceman Seth Jones, the fourth overall pick in this years NHL draft, has moved on to the Nashville Predators, while winger Ty Rattie, a St. Louis Blues prospect who placed third in the WHLs scoring race with 48 goals and 62 assists, is now playing for Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Defenceman Tyler Wotherspoon is also in the AHL, toiling for Calgarys affiliate in Abbotsford, B.C. Portland still has 15 holdovers from the championship club. Among the returnees are Brendan Leipsic, who had 49 goals and 120 points last season. "Its going to be challenging, its going to be difficult," Johnston said of the effort to repeat. "But it wasnt easy to do what we did the last couple years. There are a lot of good teams in the league. Its a well-coached league, a well-run league and every season there are five or six teams that are playing at a level where anybody could win it. "This year it looks like its even more wide open than that. But weve got a good nucleus back, weve got a good core group and I believe that well have a chance to play (for a title). Well be right there." And so will Johnston. He declined to discuss his suspension in detail, and a team spokesman noted the organization is moving on from it. Johnston also declined to indicate whether the Winterhawks have reviewed or changed their recruiting procedures in wake of the suspension. But the club is treading carefully now that Johnston has been reinstated. "Were making sure that everything we do is in conjunction with what is being allowed by the league," said Johnston. "So we are making sure that (with) any grey area, any questions we have, we are checking with the league office first to make sure were in accordance with exactly how everything should be done." That way, Johnston, a self-described career coach, can focus on guiding his charges without fear of sanctions and a hiatus that, despite his efforts to keep busy, still caused obvious discomfort. "This is what I do, what I love to do," he said. "It means a lot to be back coaching." Bill Dickey Yankees Jersey . As TSN reported Thursday, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is under intense pressure from the federal government to focus drug testing on athletes who compete in international events representing Canada. 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The 27-year-old forward has informed the Leafs that he will be unable to play in Monday nights home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.BALTIMORE -- At first, it appeared the unrelenting snow would be the main topic of conversation. Then came an incredible flurry of touchdowns -- five over the final 125 seconds -- that truly made this a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable football game. After Joe Flacco threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie Marlon Brown with 4 seconds left to give the Baltimore Ravens a 29-26 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Ravens couldnt contain their excitement. "Do you believe in miracles?" cornerback Jimmy Smith shouted as he ran off the field. "What just happened?" Ravens kicker Justin Tucker exclaimed. The game featured six different lead changes in the fourth quarter. That is the most fourth-quarter lead changes in a single game in NFL history. And Jacoby Jones, who took a kickoff back 77 yards for a touchdown during the back-and-forth excitement, said: "You couldnt even get emotional. It was too confusing." Browns catch concluded a five-play, 80-yard drive that took only 41 seconds. Before that: --Dennis Pitta, in his season debut following a hip injury, caught a 1-yard, fourth-down pass from Flacco for a 15-12 lead with 2:05 remaining. --Toby Gerhart, subbing for an injured Adrian Peterson, ran 41 yards to put Minnesota up 19-15 with 1:27 to go. -- Jones went the distance with the ensuing kickoff to give Baltimore a 22-19 edge with 1:16 left. -- Matt Cassel threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to Cordarrelle Patterson with 45 seconds to play. Then the Ravens (7-6) answered with one final salvo. "Ive never seen a game like that before," Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "Besides the Super Bowl, thats probably the most special win Ive been a part of. Crazy game." Baltimore (7-6) has its first three-game winning streak of the season and the inside track for the second AFC wild card. Minnesota (3-9-1) lost Peterson in the second quarter with an ankle injury, then dropped a game it appeared to have won. Twice. It also was officially eliminated from playoff contention. "There were so many momentum shifts in the last couple of minutes, it seemed like the game would never end," Cassel said. Peterson, the NFLs leading rusher and 2012 MVP, hurt his right foot in the second quarter after catching a short pass and being tackled near the sideline by linebacker Arthur Brown. "We did X-rays, and it came back pretty clear," said Peterson, who finished with 13 yards on seven carries. "The next step is to get an MRI done (Monday) and find out more." Gerhart gained 89 yards on 15 attempts. Cassel went 17 for 28 yards for 265 yards. Flacco completed 28 of 50 passes for 245 yards and three interceptions. "It was unlikely that we win this game today," he said, "but we did." The Vikings took their first lead, 12-7, when Cassel threw an 8-yard pass to Jerome Simpson after an interception by safety Andrew Sendejo. Baltimore then moved to the Minnesota 21 before Vonta Leach was stuffed on a fourth-and-1. That appeared huge, but the teams had plenty of time left to run up and down the sloppy field. "You think youve seen everything and then a game like this happens," Tucker said. "To sum it up in one word, it was pandemonium." Minneesota went to overtime in each of its previous two games.dddddddddddd. And then this. "These losses, you dont practice this hard to come up short," coach Leslie Frazier said. "Its tough for our guys, its tough for our staff, its very disappointing. You practice and work as hard as we do to get wins, and youve got to be able to make those plays to get those wins." Before the game and in the first quarter, small tractors with plows and workers with shovels tried to clear the snow, to no avail. After the snow let up, tractors moved it from between the hash marks and shovels cleared the yard lines. The wet football and messy field had an immediate impact. Flacco underthrew his receiver and was intercepted by Chad Greenway to end the opening possession, and the Vikings second drive ended when Gerhart fumbled. The ball was recovered by safety Matt Elam at the Minnesota 25, and Flacco slipped and skidded for 22 yards before passing to Ed Dickson for a 1-yard touchdown. It became apparent early that scoring would be difficult, and more so for the Vikings after Peterson left. So Frazier kept his offence on the field on a fourth-and-3 at the Baltimore 38. The Vikings converted to set up a 39-yard field goal by Blair Walsh -- a kick that followed a good deal of preparation by holder Jeff Locke, who used a towel to clear the placement spot. Walsh added a 40-yarder in the third quarter after Cassel completed a 19-yard pass to Greg Jennings. NOTES: Ravens LB Elvis Dumervil was inactive (ankle). ... Vikings TE John Carlson left with a concussion. ... Baltimore moved over .500 for the first time since being 3-2. Minnesota went to overtime in each of its previous two games. And then this. "These losses, you dont practice this hard to come up short," coach Leslie Frazier said. "Its tough for our guys, its tough for our staff, its very disappointing. You practice and work as hard as we do to get wins, and youve got to be able to make those plays to get those wins." Before the game and in the first quarter, small tractors with plows and workers with shovels tried to clear the snow, to no avail. After the snow let up, tractors moved it from between the hash marks and shovels cleared the yard lines. The wet football and messy field had an immediate impact. Flacco underthrew his receiver and was intercepted by Chad Greenway to end the opening possession, and the Vikings second drive ended when Gerhart fumbled. The ball was recovered by safety Matt Elam at the Minnesota 25, and Flacco slipped and skidded for 22 yards before passing to Ed Dickson for a 1-yard touchdown. It became apparent early that scoring would be difficult, and more so for the Vikings after Peterson left. So Frazier kept his offence on the field on a fourth-and-3 at the Baltimore 38. The Vikings converted to set up a 39-yard field goal by Blair Walsh -- a kick that followed a good deal of preparation by holder Jeff Locke, who used a towel to clear the placement spot. Walsh added a 40-yarder in the third quarter after Cassel completed a 19-yard pass to Greg Jennings. Notes: Ravens LB Elvis Dumervil was inactive (ankle). ... Vikings TE John Carlson left with a concussion. ... Baltimore moved over .500 for the first time since being 3-2. ' ' '