WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[jj cale]

Cristall is at least trying to get noticed defensively. A lot of effort.

Martone just scored after Catton generated a chance on the rush. Game is tied 2-2.

How's Catton looking overall? he will have to be a go to guy for offense.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Give Cristall props there, he played hard and bought time for the linemates to catch up for the pretty goal. Rehkopf with the hat trick, pass from Sennecke.

 

[jj cale]

Give Cristall props there, he played hard and bought time for the linemates to catch up for the pretty goal. Rehkopf with the hat trick, pass from Sennecke.

Cristall gets a thumbs up from you and Slater.....good news.

He's hungry to be on this team, that's what we want.

I've always liked Rehkopf. He can do a little bit of everything.

 

[JackSlater]

How's Catton looking overall? he will have to be a go to guy for offense.

Not bad, didn't stand out massively but looked solid. He was the interview during the second intermission and noted that the USports team is good and that they don't make a lot of the mistakes the CHL guys are ued to feasting on.

I didn't see the first period but Sennecke and Rehkopf stood out the most among Canadian forwards from what I saw. Gauther scorer but was also noticeable at other times.

 

[ORRFForever]

You're a great guy OF but keep this up and i'll have no choice but to block you.

I assume no one has told you this is a negative free thread, Canadian fans always keep it light and mellow.

Touché, JJ. My bad. I won't let it happen, again.

You got me good!

 

[Statsy]

Not bad, didn't stand out massively but looked solid. He was the interview during the second intermission and noted that the USports team is good and that they don't make a lot of the mistakes the CHL guys are ued to feasting on.

I didn't see the first period but Sennecke and Rehkopf stood out the most among Canadian forwards from what I saw. Gauther scorer but was also noticeable at other times.

We get an annual reminder of how good these University guys are. A few years development makes a big difference. Canada did manage to pry the game open in the third, but there certainly wasn't much the first two periods. Good defensive game both ways, actually.

 

[JackSlater]

We get an annual reminder of how good these University guys are. A few years development makes a big difference. Canada did manage to pry the game open in the third, but there certainly wasn't much the first two periods. Good defensive game both ways, actually.

Yes we see it pretty much every year, those extra years help, and most of those USports players would have been very good junior players before. I remember a time or two when a USports player was someone who had actually gone to Canada's camp a few years earlier. Canada did crack them early in the third but it is also good that the Canadian defence looked solid throughout.

As always it will be interesting to see how much these games matter to the coaches. Rehkopf was on the team last year, Sennecke was good in the summer camp, both have scored a ton in the OHL so far, and then they were the best forwards today. They should be on the team unless the management/coaches just are set on not having them.

 

[hockey20000]

will there be cuts tonight or they waiting tell after 2nd game?

 

[jj cale]

will there be cuts tonight or they waiting tell after 2nd game?

Ratz

 

[qc14]

Does anyone have the line combos from earlier? Can't seem to find them anywhere

 

[Digital Dog]

Does anyone have the line combos from earlier? Can't seem to find them anywhere

 

[Leviathan899]

That is true. But I suspect that Anholdt/Cameron went into this camp with a really good idea of who they wanted on the eventual roster, with maybe 2-4 spots open for players who really impress at the camp; even that may be generous. Hearing McKenzie's views on him, I suspect Howe was always a lock to make the team.

Howe is a really good player and someone who will surprise people. Just does all things pretty well and he plays with a ton of jam and compete. Can still make plays and he goes to the net pretty hard. Not mad at him making it at all.

 

[kyle44]

Howe is a really good player and someone who will surprise people. Just does all things pretty well and he plays with a ton of jam and compete. Can still make plays and he goes to the net pretty hard. Not mad at him making it at all.

I'm personally not mad at him making it either and appreciate his unique skillset, but I do find it odd that a guy who hasn't performed all that well for Canada in previous competitions, who has had some good but not amazing CHL seasons, and who is below average in size, is essentially a lock for the team without even needing evaluation against U-Sports.

Conversely, you have guys on the team last year like Wood who, for all his faults, is one of the top scorers in the NCAA, and Rehkopf, who played well when given elevated minutes last year and is among the top scorers in the OHL, have to play U-Sports games and are essentially told they need to pick up their socks or they'll be cut. Then you have a 6'4 3rd overall pick on pace for 50 goals who isn't even invited to camp without injuries, while Howe is handed a spot.

I fully appreciate that these players are not competing for the same roles, I just find the decision-making suspect, especially when watching Rehkopf and Sennecke yesterday and they are the best players on the ice (which many junior hockey watchers would've predicted).

 

[novisor]

It might have been a faux pas but the TSN announcer when talking about Martone in the scrimmage game said he was expected to go first overall in this years draft.

He certainly could. It's a four way race, with Hagens having an edge currently and Martone I would say having the 2nd or 3rd best odds to do so (along with Schaffer). Outside chance for Misa to go #1, though not being at this tournament won't do him any favours.

 

[Statsy]

I'm personally not mad at him making it either and appreciate his unique skillset, but I do find it odd that a guy who hasn't performed all that well for Canada in previous competitions, who has had some good but not amazing CHL seasons, and who is below average in size, is essentially a lock for the team without even needing evaluation against U-Sports.

Conversely, you have guys on the team last year like Wood who, for all his faults, is one of the top scorers in the NCAA, and Rehkopf, who played well when given elevated minutes last year and is among the top scorers in the OHL, have to play U-Sports games and are essentially told they need to pick up their socks or they'll be cut. Then you have a 6'4 3rd overall pick on pace for 50 goals who isn't even invited to camp without injuries, while Howe is handed a spot.

I fully appreciate that these players are not competing for the same roles, I just find the decision-making suspect, especially when watching Rehkopf and Sennecke yesterday and they are the best players on the ice (which many junior hockey watchers would've predicted).

I think you’ve nicely summed up the perplexing state of affairs regarding the decision making here. It just seems odd.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

I think you’ve nicely summed up the perplexing state of affairs regarding the decision making here. It just seems odd.

Anholt/Cameron have evidently penciled Howe into a very specific role/spot in the forward group. To me the question is not why Howe doesn't need to earn that particular spot while players like Sennecke and Rehkopf apparently do need to earn theirs, but more why Anholt/Cameron decided on that particular player (Howe) amongst the (presumably) several similar players across the CHL. Howe should be competing against similarly-skilled players for that specific role in camp imo.

It seems Sennecke and Rehkopf are competing for different roles/spots than is Howe.

 

[kyle44]

Anholt/Cameron have evidently penciled Howe into a very specific role/spot in the forward group. To me the question is not why Howe doesn't need to earn that particular spot while players like Sennecke and Rehkopf apparently do need to earn theirs, but more why Anholt/Cameron decided on that particular player (Howe) amongst the (presumably) several similar players across the CHL. Howe should be competing against similarly-skilled players for that specific role in camp imo.

It seems Sennecke and Rehkopf are competing for different roles/spots than is Howe.

I agree. I just don't see what he has done at previous international events, summer camps and in the CHL that screams lock for the national team. To me, guys like Luchanko, Beaudoin and even Gauthier have shown far more in their international events, and then you have someone like Barkey who was invited last year over Howe, and they all have to compete for their spot.

Looks like he's in the lineup today, though, so maybe not the case?

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Based on the lines/defense pairings posted by Mark Masters this morning, and under the presumption that being scratched for one/both of the 2 USports games means you've made the team, looks like 10 forward spots are spoken for, as are 6 defense spots.

Without spending too much time on lines/d pairings, we have:

McKenna - Catton - Martone
Howe - Luchanko - Nadeau
Cowan - Yager - Ritchie
Cataford

Barkey, Gauthier, Cristall, Heidt, Wood, Pinelli, Rehkopf, Sennecke, Beaudoin are fighting for those last 3 spots

Akey - Bonk
Molendyk - Schaefer
Mynio - Gibson

Dickinson, Parekh, Price, Allen in the mix for the last spot. Gotta think its Dickinson here.

 

[ORRFForever]

Based on the lines/defense pairings posted by Mark Masters this morning, and under the presumption that being scratched for one/both of the 2 USports games means you've made the team, looks like 10 forward spots are spoken for, as are 6 defense spots.

Without spending too much time on lines/d pairings, we have:

McKenna - Catton - Martone
Howe - Luchanko - Nadeau
Cowan - Yager - Ritchie
Cataford

Barkey, Gauthier, Cristall, Heidt, Wood, Pinelli, Rehkopf, Sennecke, Beaudoin are fighting for those last 3 spots

Akey - Bonk
Molendyk - Schaefer
Mynio - Gibson

Dickinson, Parekh, Price, Allen in the mix for the last spot. Gotta think its Dickinson here.

 

[Statsy]

and under the presumption that being scratched for one/both of the 2 USports games means you've made the team,

You should absolutely not presume that getting scratched for one game means you’ve made the team. Two scratches is a pretty clear signal though.

 

[kyle44]

You should absolutely not presume that getting scratched for one game means you’ve made the team. Two scratches is a pretty clear signal though.

I do think its a fair assumption to make. If they're evaluating you for an additional game, I think it means they want to see more before deciding. If they weren't sure on whether a guy was making the team, they'd want to see him in more than one game I would think.

Put another way, if they were on the fence about a guy but only planned to play him in one game, why even invite him to camp? The one game guys seem to align with McKenzie's locks and frontrunners, and the only player scratched both games was Cowan, who we already know wasn't going to participate.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

You should absolutely not presume that getting scratched for one game means you’ve made the team. Two scratches is a pretty clear signal though.

Why wouldn't I presume that? What benefit is there to Cameron to scratching a player and losing an opportunity to evaluate him if said player is on the bubble? Why run the risk of a locked-in player dressing and getting injured?

Edit: I guess a rare case of the coach already seeing enough and not wanting/needing to evaluate that player any further if the player is clearly not good enough to make the team. None of today's scratches seem to fit that bill though. And this is a tight camp with hand-picked invites.

 

[Statsy]

I do think its a fair assumption to make. If they're evaluating you for an additional game, I think it means they want to see more before deciding. If they weren't sure on whether a guy was making the team, they'd want to see him in more than one game I would think.

Put another way, if they were on the fence about a guy but only planned to play him in one game, why even invite him to camp?

The first thing we need to keep in mind is that they need to actually field a team. You can’t have too many or too few suit up. Therefore some people just have to play even if they are in. I think it’s a pretty good sign if you played the first game and are scratched the second. However, if you are scratched the first and play the second it just might mean there weren’t enough spots open to get everyone two games.

Is the only guy playing neither game Molendyk? Did I miss anyone else?

 

[ORRFForever]

When will the final team be announced?

 

[MeHateHe]

When will the final team be announced?

Has typically happened shortly after the second USports game. I'd bet they let kids know today so they can head home tomorrow.