GDT: 2023 World Junior Championship Thread (Clarke, Connors, Salin)

[bland]

Trying to figure out which ignored d-list poster is being the turd in today's punch bowl, but it's safe to assume that the answer is E, all of the above.

 

[King'sPawn]

I know when I was that age I loved going to practice. I didn't look forward to playing in the games nearly as much as I looked forward to practice, conditioning, and the weight room. I didn't need to play in actual games in order to figure out all the hard work I was putting in was making me better.

Yep. Who needs to play meaningful hockey for over a month when that's your career?

And we know it wasn't an injury. They could have put him on IR for more cap savings and make another callup.

 

[funky]

Could be BOTH.....his 9 games up here, he was getting crunched, regularly......and he was small to begin with, don't know how hard he got hit in the AHL.....but he could have gotten injured, could be nursing it,

There could be a whole plethora of reasons......but....naw, shit like that never makes any sense, it's that Rob Blake and whomever, don't know f***all about the game......and are doing everything they can to ruin the kid....cuz that's what makes the most sense? Right? (not saying those are your words)

Hey. I am one of the few that love Blake from his time in L.A and didn’t blame hime for leaving. Once Gretzky left there wasn’t a lot left to cheer for so when a massive Dman came along that shot middles and had an ass that left a mark I had something to cheer for.

I love his trades, or majority of them, I am not naive and don’t believe there is a possibility of them trading Kopi or Drew and I am not upset with their drafting as injuries have played a major role in the stalled development of a few star prospects

I am however second guessing their development process and some of their coaching decisions and I wouldn’t be a true fan if I didn’t get a bit emotionally invested.

Saying ghat none of us really knows what goes on behind scenes or closed doors.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Hey. I am one of the few that love Blake from his time in L.A and didn’t blame hime for leaving. Once Gretzky left there wasn’t a lot left to cheer for so when a massive Dman came along that shot middles and had an ass that left a mark I had something to cheer for.

I love his trades, or majority of them, I am not naive and don’t believe there is a possibility of them trading Kopi or Drew and I am not upset with their drafting as injuries have played a major role in the stalled development of a few star prospects

I am however second guessing their development process and some of their coaching decisions and I wouldn’t be a true fan if I didn’t get a bit emotionally invested.

Saying ghat none of us really knows what goes on behind scenes or closed doors.

Nothing wrong with any of that, you can absolutely wonder why things are done the way they are, the issue I have, with that crowd, is those that do, go automatically that they don't know shit, they are trying to re-invent the wheel, they are horrible etc, while ignoring the 20 other f***ing development trees that has happened under the same watch.....and here's the key....." none of us really knows what goes on behind scenes or closed doors."

Except some of these clowns think they know......

 

[funky]

Nothing wrong with any of that, you can absolutely wonder why things are done the way they are, the issue I have, with that crowd, is those that do, go automatically that they don't know shit, they are trying to re-invent the wheel, they are horrible etc, while ignoring the 20 other f***ing development trees that has happened under the same watch.....and here's the key....." none of us really knows what goes on behind scenes or closed doors."

Except some of these clowns think they know......

Yep. Would love to get behind the scenes for even a day. A day I. The life of Rob Blake if you will.

Always wanted to hang with Dean for a day as well. Got to meet Lombardi in a Calgary hotel about a year after the Jack Johnson trade. The guy was an absolute gem. Talked to a few of us for quite a while and asked our thoughts about some of the prospects.

Dustin Brown was also a gem. Got guys off the bus to sign some autographs.

Anyways. Rambled off topic. Next year will be interesting. To many players and not enough spots and a few key missing pieces. Want to see how Blake navigates the next 8 months.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Yep. Would love to get behind the scenes for even a day. A day I. The life of Rob Blake if you will.

Always wanted to hang with Dean for a day as well. Got to meet Lombardi in a Calgary hotel about a year after the Jack Johnson trade. The guy was an absolute gem. Talked to a few of us for quite a while and asked our thoughts about some of the prospects.

Dustin Brown was also a gem. Got guys off the bus to sign some autographs.

Anyways. Rambled off topic. Next year will be interesting. To many players and not enough spots and a few key missing pieces. Want to see how Blake navigates the next 8 months.

You didn't know? He's gonna trade Byfield for Reaves, Turcotte for Clutterbuck, and Clarke for Luke Schenn, then turn around and trade Kaliyev, Fagemo, and Spence for a 5th rounder.....

Just saying....

 

[Fishhead]

Whatever they are doing with Clarke, it's fairly obvious at this point that the organization believes that whatever he needs to work on will not be addressed by spending a bunch of time in Junior. They want him around the team and their coaches.

I don't think the 10th game thing plays a big role, so I'm puzzled why he hasn't drawn in. Maybe that's more important to the team than I believe.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Whatever they are doing with Clarke, it's fairly obvious at this point that the organization believes that whatever he needs to work on will not be addressed by spending a bunch of time in Junior. They want him around the team and their coaches.

I don't think the 10th game thing plays a big role, so I'm puzzled why he hasn't drawn in. Maybe that's more important to the team than I believe.

I keep thinking it's about his frame....him getting bigger, stronger, able to take the beating he's gonna be getting....

 

[BigKing]

It's just cool to have what looks like your last Top 10 pick of a rebuild not have his post-draft seasons impacted by COVID like so many of the other rebuild prospects only to choose to basically give him a COVID season like the rest of them.

As for his game, I thought he generally looked very good in the offensive zone and supremely confident. Shame the goal was taken off the board but we can take it as a positive since that offsides wasn't a factor in the actual play that he made.

I want to see him on PP1 but the unit they had out there was really moving it around for great chances as well. I'm not intimately familiar with Team Canada but it looked like they may have had only one defenseman on PP1 with Bedard on the point? Could have just been Bedard covering a pinch at that point.

 

[King'sPawn]

It's just cool to have what looks like your last Top 10 pick of a rebuild not have his post-draft seasons impacted by COVID like so many of the other rebuild prospects only to choose to basically give him a COVID season like the rest of them.

As for his game, I thought he generally looked very good in the offensive zone and supremely confident. Shame the goal was taken off the board but we can take it as a positive since that offsides wasn't a factor in the actual play that he made.

I want to see him on PP1 but the unit they had out there was really moving it around for great chances as well. I'm not intimately familiar with Team Canada but it looked like they may have had only one defenseman on PP1 with Bedard on the point? Could have just been Bedard covering a pinch at that point.

Yeah, PP1 was:
Bedard - Wright - Othmann - Guenther
Zellweger

I forgot who was on PP2

 

[Trash Panda]

It's just cool to have what looks like your last Top 10 pick of a rebuild not have his post-draft seasons impacted by COVID like so many of the other rebuild prospects only to choose to basically give him a COVID season like the rest of them.

As for his game, I thought he generally looked very good in the offensive zone and supremely confident. Shame the goal was taken off the board but we can take it as a positive since that offsides wasn't a factor in the actual play that he made.

I want to see him on PP1 but the unit they had out there was really moving it around for great chances as well. I'm not intimately familiar with Team Canada but it looked like they may have had only one defenseman on PP1 with Bedard on the point? Could have just been Bedard covering a pinch at that point.

You’re correct. It’s essentially just Zellweger getting the power play minutes for the defensemen.

 

[ru4reals]

Listening to Craig Button and the play by play guy say Latvian player named Bogdans HODASS is f***ken hilarious.

 

[King'sPawn]

Standings after 2 days.

Group A:
Czechia - 2-0-0-0; 6 points +12 differential
Sweden - 2-0-0-0; 6 points +12 differential
Germany - 0-0-0-1; 0 points -1 differential
Canada - 0-0-0-1; 0 points -3 differential
Austria - 0-0-0-2; 0 points -20 differential

Group B:
Switzerland - 0-2-0-0; 4 points +2 differential
Finland - 0-1-1-0; 4 points +2 differential
USA - 1-0-0-0; 3 points +3 differential
Latvia - 0-0-1-1; 1 point -4 differential
Slovakia - 0-0-0-1; 0 points -3 differential

Kings Prospects:
Brandt Clarke: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 Pts, Minus-1, 2 PIM
Kenny Connors: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 Pts, Plus-1, 0 PIM
Otto Salin: 2 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt, Plus-1, 0 PIM

 

[King'sPawn]

Yikes. USA down 4-2.

Connors with a solid check, but was penalized 5+game for boarding

 

[Trash Panda]

Yikes. USA down 4-2.

Connors with a solid check, but was penalized 5+game for boarding

It was a solid, clean hit.

I don’t know how you can constitute that as boarding, but IIHF reffing is notoriously cream puff.

 

[kilowatt]

Not a great showing thus far from our three players. Connors just got kicked out of the USA-Slovakia game. Stupid, dangerous penalty to take in this scenario, although if that's his attitude in the NHL I think I might like him.

 

[bland]

Clear

Not a great showing thus far from our three players. Connors just got kicked out of the USA-Slovakia game. Stupid, dangerous penalty to take in this scenario, although if that's his attitude in the NHL I think I might like him.

Clearly a full stride too late, hard to argue that one.

 

[kilowatt]

Clearly a full stride too late, hard to argue that one.

I agree, but I think it is perhaps exacerbated by the fact that the Slovakian player admired his pass and didn't think any contact was coming. Combine that with a late hit in a dangerous area and it's a no brainer game misconduct for an international juniors competition.

 

[King'sPawn]

Clear
Clearly a full stride too late, hard to argue that one.

That would be an interference penalty. No way that warrants 5+game.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Clean hit maybe interference for the NHL, banned for life and 40 minute penalty for IIHF/WJC

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Clarke appears to have already been demoted.

 

[bland]

That would be an interference penalty. No way that warrants 5+game.

In the WJCs? That's a 5 and game every time. He waited a beat, the player dropped his guard clearly not expecting to be hit, then he blasted him from the side into the boards. Call it whatever you want, it was a violent late hit out of frustration.

 

[Trash Panda]

In the WJCs? That's a 5 and game every time. He waited a beat, the player dropped his guard clearly not expecting to be hit, then he blasted him from the side into the boards. Call it whatever you want, it was a violent late hit out of frustration.

It’s a great hit in the game of hockey that I grew up playing, and sadly is being phased out.

Guys just don’t protect themselves anymore, and I guess I’ve gotta quit being the old timer who gets grouchy about it.

 

[King'sPawn]

In the WJCs? That's a 5 and game every time. He waited a beat, the player dropped his guard clearly not expecting to be hit, then he blasted him from the side into the boards. Call it whatever you want, it was a violent late hit out of frustration.

It appears you may be right as there's a LOT of subjectivity in the boarding rule:

A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any Player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the Boards violently or dangerously.

The severity of the penalty, based upon the impact with the Boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee. There is a considerable amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees. The duty is on the Player applying the check to ensure their opponent is not in a defenseless position and if so, they must avoid or minimize contact. However, in determining whether such contact could have been avoided, the circumstances of the check, including whether the opponent put themself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the check or whether the check was unavoidable can be considered. This balance must be considered by the Referees when applying this rule.

Any unnecessary contact with a Player playing the puck on an obvious “icing” or “off-side” play which results in that Player hitting or impacting the Boards is “boarding” and must be penalized as such. In other instances where there is no contact with the Boards, it should be treated as “charging.”

https://blob.iihf.com/iihf-media/iihfmvc/media/downloads/rule%20book/220721_iihf_rulebook_v22.pdf

So the question is if:
1) the opponent was defenseless
2) the impact against the boards was violent or dangerous

The opponent wasn't expecting to be hit, as there was a good amount of time after he made the pass. The hit came from his periphery, though. If he wasn't admiring his pass, he likely would have spotted the danger. He was more upright than hunched over. I don't know if I'd call it defenseless though.

He did hit the boards violently.

I still maintain 5 and a game is pushing it, but I can see the argument for it too.

 

[King'sPawn]

Looks like Clarke got a secondary assist on Bedard's second of the night.