WJC: 2023 Team Canada Roster Talk

[GermanSpitfire]

Not including McTavish and Wright.

Roy - Stankoven - Guenther
Othmann - Bedard - Johnston
Ostapchuk - Kidney - Savoie
L'Heureux - Bolduc - Gaucher
Dach/Dean

Zellweger - Clarke
Del Mastro - Korchinski
Lambos - Matier
Ceulemans

Milic
Gaudreau
Brennan

Very nice team - I would want Zelweger and Clarke on separate lines however.

 

[PecnoTrunk]

Why nobody loves geekie ? Mateychuk?

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Winterton gotta be on this one.

 

[Mooche]

Would love to see a few talented right handed shots in the mix for the roster in 2023.

Not in terms of sacrificing talent, per se, but it sure would be nice. It's a tough ask of some of these guys to go their off-side and perform at a high level in pressure packed moments.

 

[Dominance]

Not including McTavish and Wright.

Roy - Stankoven - Guenther
Othmann - Bedard - Johnston
Ostapchuk - Kidney - Savoie
L'Heureux - Bolduc - Gaucher
Dach/Dean

Zellweger - Clarke
Del Mastro - Korchinski
Lambos - Matier
Ceulemans

Milic
Gaudreau
Brennan

This is a great line-up for what is going to be a comically dominant team, and there are a ton of players you did not list who could absolutely explode this year (looking at Mateychuk, Pickering, Geekie, Beck, Firkus, Winteron, and Goyette in particular). I would adjust your defense pairings, as Ceulemans is far too good to be a 7D.

Zellweger-Ceulemans
Del Mastro-Clarke
Lambos-Korchinski

 

[My3Sons]

As always some players will make the NHL some will be injured that two week period and there will be a surprise cut or two. Still an excellent team but Canada almost always brings an excellent team. There is defiantly an element of hot goalie and team momentum that plays a role as well. These are just kids. Some are big kids but they are kids. Kids are unpredictable and have peaks and valleys. Also will any NHL team ask a top prospect to skip the tournament as a few did this go around (I realize the summer venue is largely responsible but now that it’s happened I could see it happening again) The tryout camp should be spirited to say the least.

 

[JackSlater]

Would love to see a few talented right handed shots in the mix for the roster in 2023.

Not in terms of sacrificing talent, per se, but it sure would be nice. It's a tough ask of some of these guys to go their off-side and perform at a high level in pressure packed moments.

Yeah, didn't love the 7/8 defencemen being LHD experiment, particularly as the team notably struggled to cleanly exit the defensive zone. I'm comfortably with Zellweger playing on the right side after this last tournament and Clarke and Ceulemans are 19 year old first round RHDs. I doubt we'll see Mailloux even at the selection camp but who knows. Between Clarke, Ceulemans, and Zellweger being proven on the right it should be ok.

 

[Statsy]

Why nobody loves geekie ? Mateychuk?

I like both of those guys. Man, our next crop looks good!

 

[landy92mack29]

This is a great line-up for what is going to be a comically dominant team, and there are a ton of players you did not list who could absolutely explode this year (looking at Mateychuk, Pickering, Geekie, Beck, Firkus, Winteron, and Goyette in particular). I would adjust your defense pairings, as Ceulemans is far too good to be a 7D.

Zellweger-Ceulemans
Del Mastro-Clarke
Lambos-Korchinski

Nolan Allan should be on this team and is a great fit with Zellweger...plus Mateychuk>>>>>>>>>>>>Korchinski

Allan-Zellweger
Lambos-Clarke
Mateychuk-Ceulemans
Pickering/Del Mastro

That's what I'd go with on D

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I actually don't think Lambos is a lock to return...

 

[Statsy]

I actually don't think Lambos is a lock to return...

Perhaps not a lock, but as a returning player he will be on the inside track. Then again, with us having so many potential returnees, that likely waters down the value of any one individual player that could return. So I guess what I’m saying is… that I have no idea.

 

[SOLR]

This is a great line-up for what is going to be a comically dominant team, and there are a ton of players you did not list who could absolutely explode this year (looking at Mateychuk, Pickering, Geekie, Beck, Firkus, Winteron, and Goyette in particular). I would adjust your defense pairings, as Ceulemans is far too good to be a 7D.

Zellweger-Ceulemans
Del Mastro-Clarke
Lambos-Korchinski

Without mentioning Yager, Benson and Fantilli...there will be at least another draft-eligible not named Bedard.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Perhaps not a lock, but as a returning player he will be on the inside track. Then again, with us having so many potential returnees, that likely waters down the value of any one individual player that could return. So I guess what I’m saying is… that I have no idea.

All it takes is a monster start of the year for Mateychuk and Korchinski and their draft pedigree gives them an edge - there is a legit possibility Lambos might be playing #7/8D again...

 

[ORRFForever]

Gord Miller mentioned that ticket sales are going really well - I can't remember how he phrased it. My fear is Miller was exaggerating in the hope of getting people to buy.

Seats : 10,500 for Team Canada's home arena, 8,800 for the other pool.

Edit : Perhaps demand for the option to buy tickets was high...

"Since demand for the 2023 World Juniors is expected to exceed the number of available tickets, the Priority Draw ensures fans have equal opportunity to access a limited number of tickets when they become available. Fans who are interested in attending the 2023 World Juniors can enter the Priority Draw free of charge for their chance to purchase tickets when they become available.The draw opens May 5 at 1 p.m. AT/9 a.m. PT and closes Aug. 5 at 11 p.m. AT/7 p.m. PT. Draw winners will be notified via email by Aug. 10, 2022 with more information."

2023 IIHF World Junior Championship Tickets

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship will be played in Moncton, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia from Dec 26 - Jan 5.

www.hockeycanada.ca

Of course, people can sign up for the option and not buy - just ask the Bills In Toronto.

If anyone has any info on 2023 Ticket Sales, I am curious.

**************************************************************************************************

All it takes is a monster start of the year for Mateychuk and Korchinski and their draft pedigree gives them an edge and Lambos is playing #7/8D again...

In the NHL, when you don't clear the zone, all too often it comes back to haunt you. That doubles (or even triples) in junior hockey.

We have to have a better (puck moving / puck clearing) D at Christmas.

*****************************************************************************************************

Bedard is not ready to be our # 1 C.

 

[ORRFForever]

IF we win at Christmas, posters (myself included) will be posting about "could have been a 4-peat " if we'd beaten the Americans in 2021.

 

[ORRFForever]

Where is everyone?

I am having hockey / HF Board withdrawal.

 

[jackp0t]

Yeah, didn't love the 7/8 defencemen being LHD experiment, particularly as the team notably struggled to cleanly exit the defensive zone. I'm comfortably with Zellweger playing on the right side after this last tournament and Clarke and Ceulemans are 19 year old first round RHDs. I doubt we'll see Mailloux even at the selection camp but who knows. Between Clarke, Ceulemans, and Zellweger being proven on the right it should be ok.

I like Jack Matier for the 3rd pair. Long shot and not a popular player but he plays a different style and could add some size to the D. His junior coach is also Dave Cameron with the Ottawa 67s and he's his go-to guy already (22-23min / night).

His numbers are not good but Ottawa had the worst offense (only 199 goals) in the OHL this year. RHD also.

 

[jackp0t]

Why nobody loves geekie ? Mateychuk?

Nothing agaisnt Geekie, I just dont think he's talented enough to make the team at 18 years old. He has size but we already went with Nathan Gaucher for the 4C and I don't see him being Canada top 3 centers with all the players available.

Same with Mateychuk, he's a LHD. We already have Zellweger,Lambos, Del Mastro that will return and historically Team Canada prefers older and more mature players over the draft pedigree. Just this last tournament we only had Lambos as a first round pick (and he played 1 game). Everybody else was 2nd to 7th round.

 

[Statsy]

Bedard is not ready to be our # 1 C.

Sure but add another four months of development and much more importantly a better coach that isn’t going to do everything in his power to sap Bedard’s confidence.

In a way that was actually a perfect introduction to NHL hockey as Bedard needs to get used to an NHL coach trying to strip every last bit of offensive creativity from him. Kent Johnson, too. “No more lacrosse wraps, kid, just dump it in and dump it out!”

I like Jack Matier for the 3rd pair. Long shot and not a popular player but he plays a different style and could add some size to the D. His junior coach is also Dave Cameron with the Ottawa 67s and he's his go-to guy already (22-23min / night).

His numbers are not good but Ottawa had the worst offense (only 199 goals) in the OHL this year. RHD also.

Dave Cameron won’t be back to coach this team, so that inside edge for Matier won’t be in play.

 

[ORRFForever]

In a way that was actually a perfect introduction to NHL hockey as Bedard needs to get used to an NHL coach trying to strip every last bit of offensive creativity from him. Kent Johnson, too. “No more lacrosse wraps, kid, just dump it in and dump it out!”

TBH, I agree with him, S. I hate that "Michigan" stuff. I really think trying to be fancy hurts the kids.

 

[Statsy]

TBH, I agree with him, S. I hate that "Michigan" stuff. I really think trying to be fancy hurts the kids.

You should coach in the NHL!

Obviously, there is a fine line between having offensive creativity, and losing sight of the fundamentals. For sure Johnson is a kid that needs to be reigned in… a bit. These guys still need to be able to explore that part of their game, and in Johnson’s case particularly, he feeds off that creativity.

 

[ORRFForever]

You should coach in the NHL!

Obviously, there is a fine line between having offensive creativity, and losing sight of the fundamentals. For sure Johnson is a kid that needs to be reigned in… a bit. These guys still need to be able to explore that part of their game, and in Johnson’s case particularly, he feeds off that creativity.

True but prior to Johnson scoring the Golden Goal, he was getting ripped (mercilessly) on HF because of how ineffective he was. Why? He was trying to be too clever by half - instead, dump, chase and put the puck in the net. NO "Michigan" garbage.

 

[SOLR]

True but prior to Johnson scoring the Golden Goal, he was getting ripped (mercilessly) on HF because of how ineffective he was. Why? He was trying to be too clever by half - instead, dump, chase and put the puck in the net. NO "Michigan" garbage.

Johnson's problem has nothing to do with the Michigan or creativity, his decision-making is too slow so he misses simple plays. This is very frustrating for a coach, seeing all these opportunities just die on his stick - and then he goes to do something very experimental and it works, just compounds it.

 

[JackSlater]

I like Jack Matier for the 3rd pair. Long shot and not a popular player but he plays a different style and could add some size to the D. His junior coach is also Dave Cameron with the Ottawa 67s and he's his go-to guy already (22-23min / night).

His numbers are not good but Ottawa had the worst offense (only 199 goals) in the OHL this year. RHD also.

Canada usually has at least one seemingly out of nowhere selection on defence and he could be one. Not sure that Cameron is returning as coach... I certainly hope that he isn't. Matier was at the summer camp so he is at the very least on the radar.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Canada usually has at least one seemingly out of nowhere selection on defence and he could be one. Not sure that Cameron is returning as coach... I certainly hope that he isn't. Matier was at the summer camp so he is at the very least on the radar.

Would be nice to see Stéphane Julien named Head Coach, knows the upcoming age groups well and coaches a fast, offensive brand of hockey contrary to Cameron’s hermetic systems