WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

TheBeastCoast

Registered User
Mar 23, 2011
32,773
34,132
Dartmouth,NS
I wonder if Cristalls brutal U18 tournament soured them on him going forward? Not that it justifys it as they took other players that also didn’t perform at that level.
 

Static

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2006
49,664
38,427
SoCal
It’s the same as any other year. 4/5 spots open.

This is no different than any other year.
I think what is meant is, if the players that perform better during the games are still cut, what is the point of the camp?

Maybe they just wanted more bodies, but it's not a great message to send.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wickedwitch

BondraTime

Registered User
Nov 20, 2005
29,871
25,582
East Coast
I think what is meant is, if the players that perform better during the games are still cut, what is the point of the camp?

Maybe they just wanted more bodies, but it's not a great message to send.
There are a group of 10/12 guys that are playing for 4/5 roster spots, just like every year. Cowan wasn’t trying out for the team, neither was Molendyk, neither were 14 others. They are on the team, and a 2 day camp isn’t going to change that. The filler, that’s where the camp “may” make a difference.

Performing better is a completely subjective matter in here, that honestly likely isn’t an accurate depiction of what was happening or what was being looked for.

Gauthier, Rehkopf, Price, Dickinson, Pinelli, Mynio “won” spots. The rest of the roster was known before they came to camp. That’s not to say they were the correct calls, but that’s what was deemed correct by HC.
 

mooseboy28

Registered User
Nov 28, 2024
7
8
B. Nadeau - C. Ritchie - B. Yager
G. McKenna - B. Catton - P. Martone
C. Rehkopf - J. Luchanko - E. Cowan
T. Howe - C. Beaudoin - M. Cataford
A. Cristall

T. Molendyk - O. Bonk
S. Dickinson - Z. Parekh
S. Mynio - M. Schaefer
A. Gibson

C. Bjarnason
C. George
S. Ratzlaff

Enough crying about the selections. LET’S GO!!!
The final team I had is nearly identical, seeing Ratzlaff getting cut sure is surprising considering he’s older and a returnee. I also didn’t have much faith in Wood making it.
 

JT3

Registered User
May 27, 2013
1,031
1,699
Has Akey's game really evolved this season? From previous viewings the past few years I find it hard to fathom him being ahead of some of the guys that didn't make the team.
 

Static

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2006
49,664
38,427
SoCal
The rest of the roster was known before they came to camp. That’s not to say they were the correct call, but that’s what was deemed correct by HC.
This is what we are talking about and what you are agreeing with. I understand it is subjective, but the pre-tourney games feel like an exercise in pageantry more than anything else.
 

Hale The Villain

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Apr 2, 2008
26,905
15,629
I wonder if Cristalls brutal U18 tournament soured them on him going forward? Not that it justifys it as they took other players that also didn’t perform at that level.

They seem to be putting an insane amount of weight on previous performance in a Team Canada sweater, even if it was years ago.

As someone who lives in Kelowna and watches a lot of the Rockets, Price making the team and Cristall being cut is absolute insanity. It's like they haven't watched their games at the WHL level at all.
 

BondraTime

Registered User
Nov 20, 2005
29,871
25,582
East Coast
This is what we are talking about and what you are agreeing with. I understand it is subjective, but the pre-tourney games feel like an exercise in pageantry more than anything else.
It’s a last tryout for the 10-12 guys battling for the 4/5 spots they are trying to fill.

The team is 80% chosen prior to camp, as it is every year. The camp is for the Dawson Mercer’s, the Ethan Gauthier’s, the Camden Price’s. The guys who have to ply their way into the team or into the good graces of the coaches.

The guys who played 2 games, those are the guys still battling for a spot. This is who the camp was meant for.
 

Static

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2006
49,664
38,427
SoCal
It’s a last tryout for the 10-12 guys battling for the 4/5 spots they are trying to fill.

The team is 80% chosen prior to camp, as it is every year. The camp is for the Dawson Mercer’s, the Ethan Gauthier’s, the Camden Price’s. The guys who have to ply their way into the team or into the good graces of the coaches.

The guys who played 2 games, those are the guys still battling for a spot. This is who the camp was meant for.
Yeah I understand how it's supposed to work on paper.
 

HighLifeMan

#SnowyStrong
Feb 26, 2009
7,490
2,823
Cristall has to be wondering what the hell he needed to do to be on this team.

He has a CHL leading 2.43 pt/s game.. which is 0.35 higher than anyone else. He's a 19 year old to boot.

I get that they want to "construct" a complete roster but they had the opportunity to bring 25 guys this year.. Leaving game breaking talent at home (Cristall, Parekh, Sennecke) in favor of guys who are simply no where near as talented as the extra's is a silly decision, and limits the upside of the team overall.
 

vapejuice

Registered User
Dec 13, 2024
3
0
I think the roster looks good. Sennecke is a surprising cut but not wood or barkey. I don't think Dickinson looked good at all. I think scoring will come fairly easily.

I don't understand all the Pinelli hate. He had 50 goals last year. He can score but he's not digging the puck out for you.

With the right combinations up front this team will be extremely hard to play against. I think with this years team vs last it will be night and day.

My biggest concern is this tournament exposes CHL players that are stars on their respective teams. Last year was a good example of that. Some of the players that made the cut aren't the ones I'd have picked but that's why I'm here typing instead of choosing.
 

vapejuice

Registered User
Dec 13, 2024
3
0
Has Akey's game really evolved this season? From previous viewings the past few years I find it hard to fathom him being ahead of some of the guys that didn't make the team.

He has always been great. He had double shoulder surgery last year and missed most of it. At camp in Edmonton just after the draft he was a standout and earned a pre season game. That says a lot for a team that went to the cup finals last year.

I think he was the best d man in his own end and with his skating has a lot of upside. I think he will surprise everyone at this tournament. Playing behind Brandt Clarke for 3 years makes it tough to break out of his shadow. Especially missing the year he was set to become the anchor for Barrie.
 

JackSlater

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
19,418
14,791
This is a strong roster. The dissatisfaction is due to thinkong about what could have been. Winning is the goal and would make complaints go away, but some of the choices are not really justifiable right now. For example Pinelli making it as a small one way player, over bigger players who are also better scorers. Even when he played yesterday he was the clear third best player on his line with Sennecke and Rehkopf. I do not see the point in cutting Wood from the team either. Very rare case, getting cut as a returning player, especially one who played well the year before. But Howe was a lock.

Anyway while there are other questionable choices I hope the team wins. I expect that the team will play quite well even if they seemingly intentionally lowered its ceiling.
 

hockey20000

Registered User
Dec 23, 2018
5,012
3,016
cutting barkley and sennecke is dumb also wood smh hope the tools upstairs get cleaned out after this year if we dont win a medal
 

Lou Sassole

Registered User
Oct 15, 2020
370
571
They seem to be putting an insane amount of weight on previous performance in a Team Canada sweater, even if it was years ago.

As someone who lives in Kelowna and watches a lot of the Rockets, Price making the team and Cristall being cut is absolute insanity. It's like they haven't watched their games at the WHL level at all.
Cristall would've made the Caps out of camp if we had created room, he was that good. Definitely one of our best 12 forwards.
 

Bonin21

Registered User
May 1, 2014
2,577
1,419
Cutting Wood seems stupid. Did he get hurt or is it just Hockey Canada hitting back at college hockey? Maybe he'll be back for the Gophers game tomorrow and pissed off.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad