WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[ORRFForever]

Why not play Team Chosen vs Team Cut at practice?

 

[Statsy]

Why not play Team Chosen vs Team Cut at practice?

Because the cut players aren’t sitting around. They’re heading back to their teams to play meaningful games.

 

[ORRFForever]

Because the cut players aren’t sitting around. They’re heading back to their teams to play meaningful games.

I figured as much. Still...

 

[Statsy]

I figured as much. Still...

It would be fun. If our cut team wins… then we send them to the tournament!

 

[ORRFForever]

It would be fun. If our cut team wins… then we send them to the tournament!

Works for me.

 

[Dominance]

Based on this, I’m confident the intended forward lineup is actually:

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Rehkopf-Catton-Martone
Cowan-Yager-Gauthier
Beaudoin-Luchanko-Cataford

 

[Woodrow]

Based on this, I’m confident the intended forward lineup is actually:

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Rehkopf-Catton-Martone
Cowan-Yager-Gauthier
Beaudoin-Luchanko-Cataford

I had a similar thought that Cowan was a placeholder for Nadeau but it seems weird that they would move two players from their intended lines at practice instead of one.

 

[LDN]

I had a similar thought that Cowan was a placeholder for Nadeau but it seems weird that they would move two players from their intended lines at practice instead of one.

I think cowboy gets some first line mins brotha

 

[Halfy]

Based on this, I’m confident the intended forward lineup is actually:

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Rehkopf-Catton-Martone
Cowan-Yager-Gauthier
Beaudoin-Luchanko-Cataford

Unfortunately you were wrong. McKenna relegated to fourth line. Gotta “pay his dues” of course

 

[Dominance]

Unfortunately you were wrong. McKenna relegated to fourth line. Gotta “pay his dues” of course

I’m hoping this is just your suspicion. Where have you seen this?

 

[BondraTime]

I’m hoping this is just your suspicion. Where have you seen this?

 

[Mathieukferland]

Take the best player in the CHL and put him in a checking role, never change Hockey Canada

 

[David Suzuki]

Laughably bad decision making per usual from HC

 

[Statsy]

Relax, boys, these are practice lines and they mean very little at this point. McKenna is still going to have a big role on this team.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Take the best player in the CHL and put him in a checking role, never change Hockey Canada

If I was to read into this, I would suspect McKenna is likely the 13F that will dress, and Pinelli is the 14F that will not dress. Between Howe and McKenna, I would suspect Howe gets more ES ice time, at least at the start of the tournament. McKenna with those two linemates in particular doesn't make a lot of sense; Howe makes more sense with Luchanko and Cataford if that's going to be a matchup line for Canada.

Don't shoot the messenger.

 

[Mathieukferland]

If I was to read into this, I would suspect McKenna is likely the 13F that will dress, and Pinelli is the 14F that will not dress. Between Howe and McKenna, I would suspect Howe gets more ES ice time, at least at the start of the tournament. McKenna with those two linemates in particular doesn't make a lot of sense; Howe makes more sense with Luchanko and Cataford if that's going to be a matchup line for Canada.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Yeah the tendency for self-sabotage is pretty hilarious.

And I wouldn’t even say it’s merited this time. When Bedard started as thé 13th forward in the winter 2022 tournament, he was coming off a slow start and was barely at a point a game. That’s understandable he was the 13th forward. He played his way up to the fourth line, but it took heroics by his part to earn that. Completely contrary to McKenna, who has been the best player in the country and has done all he can with medicine hat this year to deserve a spot in the top 6.


Lafrenière was on fire with Rimouski when he came into the camp as one of the top scorers in the CHL, and found himself as the 13th forward too and bizarrely getting called out by the head coach in a 15-0 win.


Even McDavid in 2013 was benched for Charles Hudon when he wasn’t even the main problem on that team, bar one penalty.


Never change Hockey Canada, never change

 

[Statsy]

Even McDavid in 2013 was benched for Charles Hudon when he wasn’t even the main problem on that team, bar one penalty.

In three exhibition games McDavid got six points, but because he took a selfish penalty (he fired the puck into the net after the whistle), he pretty much was taken out of regular rotation the rest of the way. To this day, I still wonder what could have been. It’s maddening.

 

[Mathieukferland]

In three exhibition games McDavid got six points, but because he took a selfish penalty (he fired the puck into the net after the whistle), he pretty much was taken out of regular rotation the rest of the way. To this day, I still wonder what could have been. It’s maddening.

Im from the same town as Charles in Quebec and have some mutual friends and to this day we still laugh that the words "McDavid’s struggles have helped opened the door for Charles Hudon to get some more playing time" have ever been said by anyone ever

 

[Halfy]

“We don’t look at the age on the birth certificate”

*relegates best offensive player on the team because of the age on the birth certificate*

 

[Mathieukferland]

“We don’t look at the age on the birth certificate”

*relegates best offensive player on the team because of the age on the birth certificate*

I seem to remember something similar in the summer 2022 tournament with Cameron. Bedard was the second leading scorer behind McTavish and was having a great first period against Finland, but because he turned the puck over on a two minute shift he finished by SCORING, he was immediately removed from the line with McTavish and placed in a reduced role in the fourth line with Gaucher and Desnoyers….

 

[JackSlater]

If I was to read into this, I would suspect McKenna is likely the 13F that will dress, and Pinelli is the 14F that will not dress. Between Howe and McKenna, I would suspect Howe gets more ES ice time, at least at the start of the tournament. McKenna with those two linemates in particular doesn't make a lot of sense; Howe makes more sense with Luchanko and Cataford if that's going to be a matchup line for Canada.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Yes I think that is the right read for now. These things change so it is far from set in stone that McKenna will end up 13th forward all the way, but it is a possibility that he spends time, maybe a lot, there. Considering McKenzie had him as one of the "prominent candidates" I figure that he will be given the opportunity to move up, but I also won't be shocked if he gets the Tavares 2008 treatment, namely 13th forward with some shifts at fourth line LW and then power play duties.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Yeah the tendency for self-sabotage is pretty hilarious.

And I wouldn’t even say it’s merited this time. When Bedard started as thé 13th forward in the winter 2022 tournament, he was coming off a slow start and was barely at a point a game. That’s understandable he was the 13th forward. He played his way up to the fourth line, but it took heroics by his part to earn that. Completely contrary to McKenna, who has been the best player in the country and has done all he can with medicine hat this year to deserve a spot in the top 6.


Lafrenière was on fire with Rimouski when he came into the camp as one of the top scorers in the CHL, and found himself as the 13th forward too and bizarrely getting called out by the head coach in a 15-0 win.


Even McDavid in 2013 was benched for Charles Hudon when he wasn’t even the main problem on that team, bar one penalty.


Never change Hockey Canada, never change

They never will change. My first year watching this tournament was 1991. There was a special draft eligible talent named Scott Niedermayer who made the team as the 7th d-man, but dressed for only a few games and saw limited ice time in the games he did dress in. These are the d-men he played behind:

Jason Marshall
Karl Dykhuis
Chris Snell
David Harlock
Patrice Brisebois
John Slaney

This has happened basically every year.

Don't forget about MacKinnon in 2013, the noted #4RW / 13th energy forward playing with/behind luminaries such as Ty Rattie, Anthony Camara and Mark McNeil. That was a 4th place team in a lockout year too.

 

[Woodrow]

I knew it didn't make much sense to have Cowan be a placeholder on the first line for Nadeau. I did however fail to consider the possibility that the team's best scorer was the placeholder for Nadeau. My bad.