Toggle sidebar

WJC: 2015 — Canada Roster Talk

  • Xenforo Cloud has upgraded us to version 2.3.6. Please report any issues you experience.
Status
Not open for further replies.
GuillaumeLetsundress said:
I think he could be useful as a 13th forward, never taking a regular shift but taking draws in his own zone, playing the pk and last minutes of games. As long as he is not taking a regular shift I will be happy, and as it looks right now there is too much skill ahead of him for him to do anything otherwise
Click to expand...

I absolutely hate this notion.

Taking a guy with the pure intention of using them as the "spare" in one specific role, taking defensive zone faceoffs/PK is a disaster waiting to happen. For a guy like Gauthier...with his Jrs club he plays everything always, huge minutes. It's not the easiest adjustment to suddenly be sitting on the bench most of the game, only to go out there and take draws, kill penalties at the most critical of moments in a game cold off the bench.

It's not fair to the player, or the team.

Take players you think are can be key contributors in those important roles as the "main players"...bring a 13th forward who can fill any role as injuries/suspensions/slumps happen. Bring a guy who can play C/W, and won't look out of place on a scoring line or a checking line, can play PP or PK equally well. Utility is the name of the game for that 13th forward. Pick 12 forwards who you think can fill every important role with aplomb as a base team...then bring a true "spare" who can sub in anywhere without disrupting the rest of the lineup.

It's why i'm really surprised Hawryluk wasn't an invite. He'd fit that to the letter. Or McCann as the semi-homer vote. A few others as well. Bring a guy like that though...a jack of all trades as the "spare". Not a "specialist".

SergeConstantin74 said:
And yet often don't invite them even when they have quality.

Duclair, Poirier, Mantha at 18 (and a bubble player at 19?!), Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Vlasic are some examples...

Dauphin is a damn good player. Where is he?
Click to expand...

Canada has a lot of good players. This year, the Q doesn't have as many of the very best this country has to offer. Other years, they have more. Next year they may have a very strong crop.

Dauphin is a very good player...but there are a dozen others comparable in the OHL and WHL who didn't get an invite either. That's the business of Team Canada...we've got good players.

StrictlyCommercial said:
So there's only 5 right-handed shots even invited to camp.

That's crazy. Makes me pretty confident Virtanen will have a spot on the team at least.
Click to expand...

Really makes you wonder...the PP is the biggest area where the LH-RH shot balance is likely to be a factor...

Can't help but wonder if Team Canada might end up using Virtanen as that LW half-wall shooting option in the "umbrella". He does a lot of that for the Hitmen, and there's a plethora of LH defencemen who can run the other side of things...But aside from Bowey, how many bigtime RH shots are even invited to the camp? Will be interesting to see how that all plays out.

clarkebr said:
I have said it before. Please leave him where he is at.You don't want to go there.
Click to expand...

re: Drouin and/or players in the NHL who don't seem to want to "go back" to the WJC...i agree completely. Drouin on talent alone, you'd expect to absolutely shred a tournament like that...but if his heart isn't in it, you just can't take him. You have to be so careful with any potential NHLers being "loaned" to the team. Some guys maybe it's fine, you get a superior player and all is well. But for others...they just don't care enough and that's a problem...because if they're around, the team is going to look to those guys to set the tone...and setting a tone of, "meh, i'd rather be in the NHL" is a bad tone to set. You don't want to go there.
 
leafsfuture said:
Generally they dont discriminate by league. I can't give firm stats, but I do believe that the QMJHL contributes significantly less players to the NHL than the WHL or OHL. I know its a different game, but the main point is I think most accept it doesnt produce the same quality of pro.
Click to expand...

Quebec is producing less NHL players, absolutely. But it is not an issue of politics (at least within the hockey community).

Quebec's issue goes into a grass roots problem. The overall number of kids playing hockey in Quebec has been shrinking the past number of years while it is growing in other provinces, and this is especially pronounced at the highest level of hockey (i.e. AAA). At every age level Quebec is producing less and less hockey players.

Even within that context this is a down year it seems for the Quebec talent, but there is a long term trend at work.
 
Domi- McDavid- Fabbri
Dal Colle- Reinhart- Virtanen
Klimchuk- Petan- Ritchie
Dickinson- Gauthier- Baptiste
Point

Morrissey- Bowey
Nurse- Theodore
Fleury- Bigras
Morin

Fucale
Comrie

That's my best guess at the roster.
 
ottawah said:
Quebec is producing less NHL players, absolutely. But it is not an issue of politics (at least within the hockey community).

Quebec's issue goes into a grass roots problem. The overall number of kids playing hockey in Quebec has been shrinking the past number of years while it is growing in other provinces, and this is especially pronounced at the highest level of hockey (i.e. AAA). At every age level Quebec is producing less and less hockey players.

Even within that context this is a down year it seems for the Quebec talent, but there is a long term trend at work.
Click to expand...

Makes you wonder about the checking age rules.
 
TherapyforGlencross said:
Does anyone have ANY idea on why Strome wouldn't get invited?!??
Click to expand...

Because this is a tournament for 19 years old and while 17 years old can get points by the thousands in the OHL because of a weaker level of competition, the WJC is not one of these *fun* occasions. You want a team of that dominates with physical maturity, particularly in a constant sudden death situation. Strome will make the team next year. What we are struggling to get in the team are the 19 years old top 5-10 selections. They all play in the NHL nowadays. Still hoping for Lazar / Duclair.
 
Last edited:
Have to agree with the criticism regarding the gifting of the goaltending positions. Fucale is not having a great season. I would say there are several goalies in the Q playing better than him this season.
 
If I had to guess this is how i would break down the invitees

No way they get left off
McDavid
Reinhart
Domi
Petan
Nurse
Morrissey
Bowey
The Goalies (:sarcasm:)

Have to play there way off the team
Morin
Theodore
Baptiste
Dal Colle
Ritchie
Fabbri
Virtanen

On the fence
Gauthier
Bigras
Fleury
Dickinson
Klimchuck
Point
Heatherington

In tough to make it
Hicketts
Sanheim
Chartier
Crouse
Elie
Paul

Defence is hardest to predict because there is at least 3 locks (Nurse, Morrissey, Bowey) and the rest are all extremely close
 
Mr Writer said:
politics are always involved when it comes to Hockey Canada. politics, ageism and incompetence = 5 year drought.
Click to expand...

The players are accountable too, though. Moreso than the management and coaching staff, IMO.
 
As someone who's gotten to know Ho-Sang quite well while he was in Windsor, I can almost guarantee you that the comment about his maturity had nothing to do with his on ice play. Ho-Sang is a diva, and taking him on the team would be a PR nightmare waiting to happen. He doesn't listen to coaches (or any authority for that matter). The kid seems completely out of touch with the real world, his sense of entitlement would make you sick. I'd imagine his attitude would be poison in the locker room, which would be especially detrimental in such a short tournament.

I know he's still a kid, but I promise if his attitude doesn't change he'll never have a permanent place with an NHL club. His skill was good enough to get him through juniors but NHL teams (and apparently WJC teams) won't tolerate his attitude.
 
Best case scenario Tampa, Ott, NYR & VAN let their rookies go, i can see the lineup going something like this:

Drouin CMD Lazar
Del Colle Horvat Vertanen
Petan Reinhart Fabbri
Crouse Gauthier Baptiste
Domi
Morrissey Nurse
Bigras Bowey
Fleury Morin
Theodore
Fucale
Comrie
 
arsmaster said:
Watch him play. He's been tasked with the tough matchup for the past 2 seasons in Victoria.
Click to expand...

This may be true, but that does not make him a shutdown defender. Of all the scouting reports I've read only 1 suggested he is anything more of a PMD , and none mentioned him as a shutdown guy.

Also lets say he is a shutdown guy. Id much rather have guys on the team who already have that identity such as Nurse, Morin, Heatherington.
 
I don't understand why we are putting in NHLers. This is discussed every year, and every year the NHLers do not participate in the WJC. Unless they are in the AHL or lower, it's not worth considering because u20 NHlers don't play in the WJC.
 
Man I wish Bennett was healthy. Give our top six just a bit more pop.

Just hard remembering the days of absolutely stacked teams that won all those gold. The Tavares-Eberle-Hodgson etc team always comes to mind.
 
Domi - McDavid - Chartier
Dal Colle - Reinhart - Virtanen
Klimchuk - Gauthier - Ritchie
Fabbri - Dickenson - Point
Petan

Hicketts - Morrissey
Nurse - Bowey
Morin - Theodore
Sanheim


Fucale
Comrie
 
Last edited by a moderator:
canucks10 said:
No way Petan is an extra he's a lock for the team and may even get a letter
Click to expand...

Petan did nothing in the super series. Dont give me this oh he played on the team last year hes a lock bs. This is a new year. New team
 
KyleMills said:
Petan did nothing in the super series. Dont give me this oh he played on the team last year hes a lock bs. This is a new year. New team
Click to expand...

Petan's been one of the most consistent players in the WHL since his draft year he was also one of Canadas best forwards at last years World Juniors.

I can guarantee you he finds a spot in the top 9 he's too skilled not to
 
le_sean said:
Gauthier? Really?

Other than Dumba, he is probably the worst player I've ever seen play for Canada. Maybe he'll be better on the smaller ice surface with his cement feet.
Click to expand...
I agree. Petan, Gauthier and Bigras all stunk but Bigras wasn't as bad as the other two. RJ. Broadhead kept going on about how great Gauthier is in the face off circle and how he was the captain of team Q and that he was also a returnee. The face-off only last about 2 seconds so for about 2 seconds each shift he might win a face off for us. But other than that he didn't throw a single check and all that stood out were his cement feet. But he was invited last year so he is a lock for our team... The same as Bigras and Petan. Both stunk.
 
I dont know what I think about the size argument being brought up in here. I'm usually a person that leans towards size but with the world juniors I'm not sure how important it is. A 6'1 North American trained player is going to be bigger and stronger than a lot of the players on a European country. The team doesnt necessarily need to bring a guy like Ritchie who is pretty big by NHL standards (I know he can make it for more than size), when there could potentially be more skill in a guy a bit smaller but still big for the tourney.

Tyrell isnt big but being used to NA hockey, still had the ability to run a train through Hedman.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom