WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[SannywithoutCompy]

Caden Price is on pace for a 90+ point season. I don't think we're going to have a hard time finding decent PP quarterbacks.

So was Josh Brook in 2019, doesn't mean he should have played PP over Bouchard or Dobson.

How'd that work out last year? Noah Warren was really impactful!

So much surplus of skill guys last year they had 18 year old Oliver Bonk running a power play unit. He didn't even do that with London.

You're more likely to say, 'I wish we had more firepower' than the other way around. These decision makers operate under the assumption that these "skill guys" are robots incapable of adapting their games. A lot of these kids are elite prospects for a reason.

And again this is a Camp roster. This isn't even the final version which makes it all the more ridiculous.

Honestly the decision should be as easy as: would you make the best Canadian 4th line C in the league the 4th line C for the 4 nations tournament? If you'd rather have a 1C there, then it doesn't make sense to do the same thing at the world juniors.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Caden Price is on pace for a 90+ point season. I don't think we're going to have a hard time finding decent PP quarterbacks.

Cristall helps that number. I like Caden Price and he deserves to be on this camp roster but I don't think he's that kind of true talent player at this level. Same with Molendyk. They are ES drivers. Parekh is a tier or three above offensively.

 

[hockey20000]

Well we are witnessing the politics in Canadian hockey. There are guys on this team who absoutley should not be there and it's difficult to explain without assuming there's politics behind the scenes and it's more about who you know.

No Yakemchuk is an idiotic move.

Not a good start. Do not want to see this team do well this year.

i want them to do well but will also laugh at hockey canada if they got elminated in the qf lol

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Only he won’t be playing against CHL teams. Talented teams will exploit him which will more than offset whatever offensive contribution he makes.

 

[Dack]

So was Josh Brook in 2019, doesn't mean he should have played PP over Bouchard or Dobson.

This. At a certain point, it's more about traits and talent than the actual production. Anyone getting picked for Team Canada is a good player having a good season. That said, Parekh would be the guy I'd want QBing the PP if Canada is down a goal late in a game.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

No Yakemchuk is an idiotic move.

More like incomprehensible.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

After last years disaster, I thought they’d at least try to make a team that could score in bunches but no. Canada always has to make it hard for themselves by omitting top players.

 

[Statsy]

So was Josh Brook in 2019, doesn't mean he should have played PP over Bouchard or Dobson.

Touché.

 

[macbowes]

So was Josh Brook in 2019, doesn't mean he should have played PP over Bouchard or Dobson.


Honestly the decision should be as easy as: would you make the best Canadian 4th line C in the league the 4th line C for the 4 nations tournament? If you'd rather have a 1C there, then it doesn't make sense to do the same thing at the world juniors.

They're not going to have a 1C as the 4C on team Canada. They'll have someone like Cirelli. It's the same reason that Hyman has a better chance of making team Canada than Scheifele.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

They're not going to have a 1C as the 4C on team Canada. They'll have someone like Cirelli. It's the same reason that Hyman has a better chance of making team Canada than Scheifele.

And the same reason we didn't take Crosby in 06

 

[HUSH10]

Watching Pinelli and Allen get invites over Sennecke, Misa, Yakemchuk, Parekh, and Marelli is actually atrocious and the coach should be embarrassed

 

[Starry Knight]

I really don't understand the decision to omit Parekh at all. Sure Dickinson and Schaefer could probably run a decent powerplay, but they're both players whose value is more from being all-around defencemen. Parekh is the type of talent that you can bring in a tournament as a 7th defenceman and have him permanently out there on the powerplay or when you're down a goal.

He's so dynamic at creating offensive chances on the powerplay and HC has always had some issues when they've lacked a dynamic talent on the PP. You really need someone like Parekh to take charge and be creative when you're dealing with a short tournament with little practice time. Otherwise you end up with predictable and inefficient schemes that are easy to shut down.

So many of the top players in the CHL play PK anyways, so there's no point in bringing extra 'shut down' types. Lean into your depth of talent and always have better players on the ice than your opposition.

 

[Mathieukferland]

coach should be embarrassed

GM; maybe Cameron has something to do with it but we’re talking about the same guy who took Allard and Minten instead of more talented options and played them more TOI than Celebrini

 

[Dominance]

Based on what I see, here’s what I expect HC to do regarding the roster:

Forwards (13):
Brayden Yager (05) - returnee
Matt Wood (05) - returnee
Carson Rehkopf (05) - returnee
Easton Cowan (05 - returnee
Gavin Mckenna (07) - obvious
Calum Ritchie (05) - age plus obvious
Jett Luchanko (06) - “almost made nhl”
Porter Martone (06) - size and obvious
Andrew Cristall (05) - extra forward
Bradly Nadeau (05) - pro experience
Denver Barkey (05) - bottom 6
Cole Beaudoin (06) - bottom 6
Mathieu Cataford (05) - QMJHL mandatory inclusion

I also feel Gauthier has a strong chance with his HC past.

Defence (7):
Oliver Bonk RH (05) - returnee
Tanner Molendyk LH (05) - made ‘24 team, injured
Sam Dickinson LH (06) - obvious
Matthew Schaefer LH (07) - could see a shocking cut
Andrew Gibson RH (05) - random low scoring size guy for bottom pair
Caden Price LH (05) - 2 u18 experiences
Cam Allen RH (05) - HC guy, will be looking to give him a spot with even an okay camp

Goalies (2):
Carson Bjarnason (05) - performing best
Carter George (06) - u18 performances

Don’t be shocked if Ratzlaff makes it because he was “on the team” last season.

(This is not what I’d do but what I feel HC will do)

Let’s rock with this. Who wins?

Team A - WJC

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Cowan-Rehkopf-Martone
Cristall-Luchanko-Yager
Barkey-Beaudoin-Wood
Cataford

Dickinson-Bonk
Molendyk-Allen
Schaefer-Gibson
Price

Bjarnason
George
Ivankovic

Team B - EE (“everyone else”)

Benson-Bedard-Sennecke
Iginla-Celebrini-Hage
Misa-Catton-Greentree
Parascak-Heidt-Gauthier
Pinelli/Howe/Finnie/Lardis

Morin-Yakemchuk
Mynio-Parekh
Chadwick-Brunicke
Dupont/Akey/Marrelli/Mews

Ratzlaff
Ravensburgen
the guy ripping it up in the Q

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I don't care if they win the tournament, this decision making is inexcusable.

Somebody needs to frame this and hang it on a wall. Glorious.

 

[SpoolCat]

TSN had Cataford, Howe and Gibson as highlighted players so I'd imagine at least 2 of them will make the team.
I kind of expected Parekh as not being invited (shades of Brandt Clarke) but I have to admit both him and Yakemchuk not being even invited is shocking. It just feels like every year we handicap ourselves. Canada had the depth to overcome this often but you really have to wonder how often we win because of these depth players versus in spite of them. As Mathieuferkland mentioned in an old post did Canada win because of Owen Beck, Zack Ostapchuk or was it because Bedard went bananas.
And the thing is I don't even think you should completely give up on grinders it just feels like Hockey Canada takes it too far. For example I feel like our optimal defence could look like
Dickinson Bonk
Molendyk Yakemchuk/Parekh
Stay at home Stay at home
Schaefer/ Parekh
It just feels like you would rather have too much scoring rather than too little which has been an issue in 2024, 2019.

 

[Statsy]

Let’s rock with this. Who wins?

Team A - WJC

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Cowan-Rehkopf-Martone
Cristall-Luchanko-Yager
Barkey-Beaudoin-Wood
Cataford

Dickinson-Bonk
Molendyk-Allen
Schaefer-Gibson
Price

Bjarnason
George
Ivankovic

Team B - EE (“everyone else”)

Benson-Bedard-Sennecke
Iginla-Celebrini-Hage
Misa-Catton-Greentree
Parascak-Heidt-Gauthier
Pinelli/Howe/Finnie/Lardis

Morin-Yakemchuk
Mynio-Parekh
Chadwick-Brunicke
Dupont/Akey/Marrelli/Mews

Ratzlaff
Ravensburgen
the guy ripping it up in the Q

"Everyone Else" was already a stacked roster even before the addition of Bedard, Celebrini, and Benson. Oh, what could have been!

 

[therealdeal]

How did Iginla not make this team?

 

[Bonin21]

Camp is 12/10 - 12/13? Any way they let Wood out on the 12th so he can fly back for the massive series the Gophers have that weekend?

 

[Mathieukferland]

Last point I’ll make is I was so distracted by the omissions and the inclusions of Allen and Gauthier that I didn’t see Howe; maybe he was being dragged down by the bad team around him in Regina but my god was he hot garbage in the 2 u18s he played in

 

[wickedwitch]

How did Iginla not make this team?

He's put up good but not great point totals this year. (His stats were even worse before a 5 point night on Saturday, and I expect the decision was also made before that game.) He's well below Cristall and basically tied with Price despite playing for the same team. And his stats were atrocious before Cristall returned, albeit in a very small sample size.

 

[JackSlater]

When I figured that Yakemchuk would make the team I forgot that Canada had... Cam Allen at its disposal. Likewise no Iginla or Sennecke when Tanner Howe is waiting in the wings.

 

[Esko]

Anyone surprised Joshua Ravensbergen didn't get an invite to camp? I know nothing about junior hockey so I plead ignorance, I just see he is commonly mocked in the first round of the 2025 NHL draft.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Most surprising thing about the Brunicke selection is his current wrist injury, tbh. Guess they think he'll be healthy in time to have a shot. I will say as a Pens fan, he was going to going to make the opening night roster until Karlsson returned from his injury early -- he was that impressive.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Anyone surprised Joshua Ravensbergen didn't get an invite to camp? I know nothing about junior hockey so I plead ignorance, I just see he is commonly mocked in the first round of the 2025 NHL draft.

Slightly, but Ivankovic was so unbelievable at Hlinka that he probably gets the benefit of the doubt over Ravensbergen who apparently didn’t have a good summer camp

When I figured that Yakemchuk would make the team I forgot that Canada had... Cam Allen at its disposal.

This one is the most perplexing to me, what does Hockey Canada see in this guy that 32 NHL GMs and scouting staffs don’t? If they pick a team on right left balance im somewhat horrified that he could actually make the team