WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[Mathieukferland]

Perimeter player? PP merchant?

It's Cristall and he leads the WHL in even-strength points per game by a mile. In 15 games he has 40 points and 9 of those on the PP. He was the best player in the Summer Showcase too.

Don't let the facts get in the way of your arguments.

I didn’t watch the summer showcase as Hlinka was on at the same time; I hated the way he played at u18, for the reasons I listed. But it looks like he’s having a good season in Kewlona and we will see what his chances are for December

 

[jj cale]

Hagel with 5 helpers tonight.

 

[qc14]

I didn’t watch the summer showcase as Hlinka was on at the same time; I hated the way he played at u18, for the reasons I listed. But it looks like he’s having a good season in Kewlona and we will see what his chances are for December

Insane that the talk around him from Canadians is about whether he can be a good 13th forward and not as the player they should be building the team around. He's not just having a good season in Kelowna -- it's a historically amazing season and probably the best junior season period by any u20 forward in the world this year.

As an American I'll take them overthinking things and holding spots for plugs like Barkey and Luchanko though

 

[ORRFForever]

Hagel with 5 helpers tonight.

Wrong thread, my friend.

 

[jj cale]

Wrong thread, my friend.

The message comes across in either one

 

[1Gold Standard]

No thread for the CHL - USA games?

I do hope this is the format Hockey Canada will stick with indefinitely for World Junior evaluations pre-camp, I've been wanting the other team dropped for better competition for about a decade.

 

[ORRFForever]

No thread for the CHL - USA games?

We've been waiting for you to start one up. Glad you're here to do just that.

 

[Oak]

We've been waiting for you to start one up. Glad you're here to do just that.

Just came looking and surprised there isn't one yet.

 

[kyle44]

No thread for the CHL - USA games?

I do hope this is the format Hockey Canada will stick with indefinitely for World Junior evaluations pre-camp, I've been wanting the other team dropped for better competition for about a decade.

I mean, I suppose they are using it as a tool, but given the tendency to almost always favor 19-year olds and players in their D+1 (who aren't playing in these games) I don't think it will be very useful for choosing the U-20 team outside of maybe 4-5 guys per year. That is, unless they change the format to allow players on both sides that are over 18.

Looking at this team, only Martone, Misa, Spence, Schaefer and Ravensbergen/Ivankovic have realistic shots at a camp invite, let alone a roster spot. This format is not like the old CHL-Russia series where the best of the CHL players, regardless of age and draft status, were evaluated against international competition.

 

[JackSlater]

I mean, I suppose they are using it as a tool, but given the tendency to almost always favor 19-year olds and players in their D+1 (who aren't playing in these games) I don't think it will be very useful for choosing the U-20 team outside of maybe 4-5 guys per year. That is, unless they change the format to allow players on both sides that are over 18.

Looking at this team, only Martone, Misa, Spence, Schaefer and Ravensbergen/Ivankovic have realistic shots at a camp invite, let alone a roster spot. It is not like the old CHL-Russia series where the best of the CHL players, regardless of age and draft status, could be evaluated against international competition.

True, and this year is probably an outlier in that Canada has multiple highly touted 18 year olds who are old for the 2025 draft.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Leroux saying in air that they’re going to have a small camp this year; only 6 or 7 players to cut. Disappointing that they’re not having a real camp

 

[dino200022]

Leroux saying in air that they’re going to have a small camp this year; only 6 or 7 players to cut. Disappointing that they’re not having a real camp

I agree, having the internal competition between 40 or so players is super healthy and will let you pick the rights players for the roles you are looking for. It also lets you see the players that have cohesiaon which is huge for short tournament.

Just hand picking 25 guys and hoping they gel does not make much sense to me.

 

[JackSlater]

Leroux saying in air that they’re going to have a small camp this year; only 6 or 7 players to cut. Disappointing that they’re not having a real camp

Not surprising that they are not shaking things up despite last year featuring the worst decision making in recent Canadian WJC history. Not smart either obviously.

 

[Statsy]

I agree, having the internal competition between 40 or so players is super healthy and will let you pick the rights players for the roles you are looking for. It also lets you see the players that have cohesiaon which is huge for short tournament.

Just hand picking 25 guys and hoping they gel does not make much sense to me.

I'm not personally against a large camp, but to say there would be more cohesion with a large camp doesn't really make sense. A smaller camp lets the players play more with one another to build that chemistry.

 

[yessir29292]

I'm not personally against a large camp, but to say there would be more cohesion with a large camp doesn't really make sense. A smaller camp lets the players play more with one another to build that chemistry.

exactly why the camp is small… to use it more as a training camp than selection camp

 

[SpoolCat]

Well I'd imagine the camp roster will be announced soon so I figured I'd give my roster. I tried to take into account a mixture of what I'd want and what I expect.

Rehkopf Yager Wood
Cowan Heidt Nadeau
McKenna Ritchie Sennecke
Barkey Luchenko Martone
Cataford

Molendyk Yakemchuk
Dickinson Bonk
Chadwick Parekh
Mynio
Bjarnason
Ratzlaff
I agree with others I'm not sure about the top end of this team but I feel all the forwards can score and are very balanced. I worry that Luchenko might get put in the Minten position he might be overplayed because he played in the NHL when I feel like he's probably best in a bottom six role as a matchup centre.
I have Heidt over Catton because he is older. I feel like Hockey Canada are big believers in paying your dues.
I read an article from the Hockey News and I think I saw somewhere else that Hockey Canada might want just one of Yakemchuk or Parekh. I think I'd lean Yakemchuk because he's older and he had an excellent pre season in the NHL. I'd expect the bottom pair to be made up with Chadwick or Mynio or someone else more defensive than Parekh but I just don't can't leave off a top 10 pick. Lastly I really wish I could have put Schaefer in there but I just couldn't find a spot.
I don't really see anyone talking about the goaltending but I'm kind curious; Ratzlaff is a rare returnee goalie but Bjarnason is the better goalie this season statistically.

Lastly I really wish we would utilize the spares. I feel like every year since 2019 now we've had at least one injury. Last years team had a lot of problems but I believe a big one was the fact that we were constantly bringing in new players so there was no chemistry. Hockey Canada says they don't want to take players away from their teams unnecessarily but I don't know I just don't know if that works for me. The hardcore junior fans would be excited that one of their players is on the Canadian national team getting experience for later down the year in the playoffs. The casuals probably wouldn't even know. Worse case scenario you can just make the spares 18 year olds for experience. I don't even think the way Hockey Canada does it is even kind to the players. Wasn't Jorian Donovan at a spa with his girlfriend and Nelson was on a family vacation so all their plans were thrown into a blender at the last minute.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Well I'd imagine the camp roster will be announced soon so I figured I'd give my roster. I tried to take into account a mixture of what I'd want and what I expect.

Rehkopf Yager Wood
Cowan Heidt Nadeau
McKenna Ritchie Sennecke
Barkey Luchenko Martone
Cataford

Molendyk Yakemchuk
Dickinson Bonk
Chadwick Parekh
Mynio
Bjarnason
Ratzlaff
I agree with others I'm not sure about the top end of this team but I feel all the forwards can score and are very balanced. I worry that Luchenko might get put in the Minten position he might be overplayed because he played in the NHL when I feel like he's probably best in a bottom six role as a matchup centre.
I have Heidt over Catton because he is older. I feel like Hockey Canada are big believers in paying your dues.
I read an article from the Hockey News and I think I saw somewhere else that Hockey Canada might want just one of Yakemchuk or Parekh. I think I'd lean Yakemchuk because he's older and he had an excellent pre season in the NHL. I'd expect the bottom pair to be made up with Chadwick or Mynio or someone else more defensive than Parekh but I just don't can't leave off a top 10 pick. Lastly I really wish I could have put Schaefer in there but I just couldn't find a spot.
I don't really see anyone talking about the goaltending but I'm kind curious; Ratzlaff is a rare returnee goalie but Bjarnason is the better goalie this season statistically.

Lastly I really wish we would utilize the spares. I feel like every year since 2019 now we've had at least one injury. Last years team had a lot of problems but I believe a big one was the fact that we were constantly bringing in new players so there was no chemistry. Hockey Canada says they don't want to take players away from their teams unnecessarily but I don't know I just don't know if that works for me. The hardcore junior fans would be excited that one of their players is on the Canadian national team getting experience for later down the year in the playoffs. The casuals probably wouldn't even know. Worse case scenario you can just make the spares 18 year olds for experience. I don't even think the way Hockey Canada does it is even kind to the players. Wasn't Jorian Donovan at a spa with his girlfriend and Nelson was on a family vacation so all their plans were thrown into a blender at the last minute.

Thanks for this. After the disaster that was last year, I hope the management learns from it. I would find it really hard to leave out Schaefer and Catton. For me if you’re going to go down, go down riding your most talented players, which was not the case last year.

If you’re a Lethbridge fan, apart from the obvious connection to management, what do you see that would tip the balance in the direction of Chadwick over Schaefer for 3LD in terms of on ice attributes?