WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[Juxtaposer]

This caught my interest. I had never considered it but there are more number one overalls who have played in the WJC (after being drafted) than I expected off the top of my head.

Modano
Sundin
Lindros
Daigle
Jovanovski
Phillps
Fleury
Ovechkin
Malkin
Johnson
Nugent-Hopkins
Yakupov

Some were only available due to a holdout or lockout, but it does happen. Regardless, Fleury is the only one who was an active NHLer and sent to the WJC. In terms of playing well, to be lazy and use flawed goaltending stats Fleury was 74th in save percentage that year and 86th in GAA. Pittsburgh was an awful team at the time but Fleury wasn't exactly setting the world on fire.

So anyway, first overalls are never sent when they are playing decently. Sometimes they can be pretty poor (Thornton, Hughes, several others over the years) and still stick with the main team.

Appreciate you doing the legwork on this one!

Definitely supports my point, which is that it's been a really long time since a 1st overall player who was playing in the NHL at the time of the WJC was loaned out. And Celebrini is not the guy I see breaking that trend, not least because he's going to sell a lot of Sharks tickets this season and they'll want him to be around during the holidays when kids are on vacation and people are going to go to games. I'd say there's maybe a 1% chance of him being released.

Smith on the other hand I could easily see having a solid first half of his season but who might be in a position where it would benefit him to gain confidence against juniors for a while instead of the NHL. I'd call him 60/40 in favor of staying in the NHL right now.

As much as they would have similar impacts on their respective WJC rosters as the 1C, let's not act like Celebrini and Smith are equal as prospects. I don't think it would be a declaration of war on Hockey Canada to release Smith but not Celebrini like some in this thread seem to think it would be.

 

[De Montreal]

For the Quebecois, would you rather feel your people are represented or have the best team selected?

I seriously don’t get why this should matter. Shouldn’t any fan of the team won’t the best players selected because that’ll give the team the best chance to succeed?

Seems like it’s catering to people that don’t even care most about the team’s results.

I think stricly from a development point of view, it would be good for Québec to have his own team on international level like other non sovreign naton have in other sports. Maybe to have a development program like the US team does is what the province need to get things back on track, but I dont hold my breath.

 

[jj cale]

Oh oh.........now we are sliding into political issues here on what is just a thread about the Canadian wjc team.

We are straying off course big time, let's get back on track.

 

[DavidLamb]

Based on your assessment, would agree that HC needs to combine the roster as follows in order to face a very quick USA team :

Rehkopf - Ritchie - Wood
Nadeau - Catton - Cowan
Barlow - Yager - Gauthier - (checking line)
Heidt- Barkey - Martone
*Romani or Sennecke - as a possible replacement for Gauthier or Martone depending on the night

Molendyk - Yakemchuk
Chadwick - Bonk
Mynio - Parekn
Price- Gibson

After watching the summer showcase, there are a few players who just do not have the speed and pace to play EFFECTIVELY AGAINST competitive opponents like USA and Finland, note that Sweden was not available from the USA hockey site or other sites:

Barlow - looks a lot slower when matched against other elite junior players
Gauthier - did not get to see him
Yakemchuk- looks like he is slower than other defensemen and was not very effective defensively or offensively


I will rate players based on their summer showcase performance only and poorer performers will move down the depth chart:

Rehkopf - Catton - Wood
Nadeau - Ritchie - Cowan
Barkey - Yager - Sennecke - (checking line)
McKenna -Heidt - Martone
Crystall

Forwards to be observed during Dec Camp:

Iginla Lindstrom Gauthier
Barlow -Beaudoin- Romani

Molendyk - Bonk
Mynio - Parekn
Dickinson - Gibson
Price -Yakemchuk

 

[kuchfan02]

I’m curious as to what’s the deal with Cam Allen? How often does it happen when a captain of both U18 teams fall from their radar.

 

[joeyrikley]

I’m curious as to what’s the deal with Cam Allen? How often does it happen when a captain of both U18 teams fall from their radar.

I was thinking the same recently, but even on those teams they were using him on the 3rd pair...he was always an odd case

 

[cmcneil02]

Got to think Luchanko makes the team, looking like he might crack the Flyers out of camp for a possible 9-game tryout. He’s really been rising up the rankings.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

So with decision time coming on NHL rosters what drafted Canadians look like they will break with their NHL team? Looking like Cowan will be heading back to London.

 

[JackSlater]

It looks like Canada won't be all that picked apart this year. Obviously Bedard, Benson, and Celebrini won't be there. Molendyk and Yakemchuk were sent down so now all the defencemen are available other than Brunicke, and you'd have to think he isn't making the NHL as an 18 year old defenceman. Cowan is still with Toronto but it seems clear he's going down. Nadeau was assigned to the AHL, so he's somewhat iffy but looks likely to be available. Luchanko is still with Philadelphia but that also seems unlikely to last for the whole year.

Should be a solid team.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Will be interesting to see how many draft eligible players get taken this year; 3 was the highest I can remember in a single year within the past decade (2020: Lafrenière, Byfield, Mercer), and I think there’s a real possibility that mark could be broken this year (Potential names like Martone and McKenna seem like locks, and Ravensberg, Ivanković, and Misa are all making a case with their strong starts)

 

[darthwispy]

Ritchie made the Avalanche's roster, who knows if he will stick the whole year once Nichushkin and Lehkonen are back though.

 

[JackSlater]

Ritchie made the Avalanche's roster, who knows if he will stick the whole year once Nichushkin and Lehkonen are back though.

Good call.

Will be interesting to see how many draft eligible players get taken this year; 3 was the highest I can remember in a single year within the past decade (2020: Lafrenière, Byfield, Mercer), and I think there’s a real possibility that mark could be broken this year (Potential names like Martone and McKenna seem like locks, and Ravensberg, Ivanković, and Misa are all making a case with their strong starts)

It's definitely possible. McKenna and Martone seem like they have good chances. Ravensbergen is highly touted but also a 2006, so he will be 18 at the time of the tournament. McQueen and Spence are also very old for the upcoming draft - 2006s who will be 18 for months by the time of the tournament. Can't hurt their chances, though Hockey Canada seems to think of age in terms of draft year too often as opposed to how long a player has been in the CHL (or other development league).

I wouldn't be shocked if 4 make it. Have to think Martone is the most likely.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Not a former first or second round pick, but given his fast start with the 67's (and Cameron coaching thr team) is there a place for Pinelli in the top 9?

 

[Eye of Ra]

Landon Dupont is too good to keep off the roster. He is a generational talent.

 

[jj cale]

Landon Dupont is too good to keep off the roster. He is a generational talent.

He won't be on the team.

 

[Eye of Ra]

He won't be on the team.

Wont, but should.

 

[jj cale]

Wont, but should.

Possibly, tough for me to make a call on the should as I've only watched highlights of the kid thus far.

Pretty tough to send guys his age to this tournament though no matter how talented you are, especially on defense.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Wouldn't mind giving the kid an invite to camp but it is tough for me to see them actually taking a 15 year old to this tournament. Next year though, that is his time.

 

[ORRFForever]

Wouldn't mind giving the kid an invite to camp but it is tough for me to see them actually taking a 15 year old to this tournament. Next year though, that is his time.

Who are you talking about?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Who are you talking about?

Dupont.

 

[ORRFForever]

Dupont.

Thank you. TBH, I read back and figured it out after I posted.

 

[Kuracmugger]

The level of the tournament is higher than in the WHL and bedard didn‘t play as a u16 there were other circumstances back then tho since it was the first year after the 2020 covid season but i doubt tha dupont will be on the team since canada doesn‘t have many underagers usually

 

[joeyrikley]

Threw together this roster, and honestly, it was the toughest one in years. Had to cut some young studs (that may not even be available next year). I also included Ritchie and Luchanko, I'm optimistic they'll be available come Christmas (Ritchie less so). Let me know who I left out, included some "cuts" so you could see who I was considering. *Misa should have been included in the cuts

 

[ORRFForever]

Threw together this roster, and honestly, it was the toughest one in years. Had to cut some young studs (that may not even be available next year). I also included Ritchie and Luchanko, I'm optimistic they'll be available come Christmas (Ritchie less so). Let me know who I left out, included some "cuts" so you could see who I was considering. *Misa should have been included in the cuts
View attachment 917732

Nice job.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Threw together this roster, and honestly, it was the toughest one in years. Had to cut some young studs (that may not even be available next year). I also included Ritchie and Luchanko, I'm optimistic they'll be available come Christmas (Ritchie less so). Let me know who I left out, included some "cuts" so you could see who I was considering. *Misa should have been included in the cuts
View attachment 917732

Good roster. IDK how much thought you put into the lines or if it was more of a depth chart by current ability, but if Barkey makes it I do think it would make sense for Cowan/Barkey to play together since they already have chemistry. Would probably mean moving Cowan down to more of a 3rd line, though I think this roster is more likely to have fairly balanced ice times throughout.