WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[Statsy]

Historically Canada has always been bad at letting a 17 year old thrive in this tournament. Lindros in 1991 was simply too good for them to ignore, but normally if there is an exceptional 16 or 17 year old he gets a lot of time on the bench. Spezza in 2000 comes to mind. Nathan Horton and Eric Staal were cut in 2003 somehow. We all know the disaster with MacKinnon in 2013 who clearly was ready to dominate that tournament at 17. But they didn't let him. Lately it has changed with McDavid, Bedard etc.

Worth noting that two years in a row Canada has been led by an underager. I was starting to think we were finally coming around, but I have little faith with Cameron as coach.

 

[therealdeal]

I agree with all the posters about how short a leash the young players always get on these teams, and it drives me nuts.

My thoughts is that the organization really wants to drive in good habits early, like it sucks they lose ice time in that one game or two, but the lesson is meant for the long run. I would bet that’s the philosophy they’re taking.

 

[JackSlater]

I agree with all the posters about how short a leash the young players always get on these teams, and it drives me nuts.

My thoughts is that the organization really wants to drive in good habits early, like it sucks they lose ice time in that one game or two, but the lesson is meant for the long run. I would bet that’s the philosophy they’re taking.

That may be, but the elite players who typically make this team as undrafted players almost never end up available by the time they are 19. Off the top of my head only Ryan Ellis made a Canadian WJC team at 17 and then was still there as a 19 year old. I can see teaching lessons at lesser tournaments like the u17 or the u18 and Hlinka, but not the WJC. The goal for each year has to be to win.

I also think it depends on the coach in terms of how long the leash is for young players. Stamkos was used as a top line player when he was 17, and while MacKinnon was on the fourth line at 17 Drouin was in the top six at the same tournament at 17. I agree with the general sentiment in that these guys should be given a legitimate chance if they have the potential to be offensive difference makers.

 

[Crosby2010]

Worth noting that two years in a row Canada has been led by an underager. I was starting to think we were finally coming around, but I have little faith with Cameron as coach.

Yeah, the guy that left Nugent Hopkins off of the team in 2011. Not to mention he coached what might be the biggest choke job of all time in the WJC. Up 3-0 entering the 3rd period in the gold medal game and you lose 5-3. And I can remember him calling a time out and laying into the players when the score was 3-3. You call that timeout when the game is 3-2 to settle them down, not 3-3 when the horse is out of the barn already. I knew Russia was winning that game at that time. It was pretty much a lock. I can remember calling up a friend that night after the game and both of us were livid and we spent 30 minutes complaining about it and pretty much finishing each other's sentences with anger! lol.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Call me crazy, but these PP units seem awful.

 

[Statsy]

Yeah, the guy that left Nugent Hopkins off of the team in 2011. Not to mention he coached what might be the biggest choke job of all time in the WJC. Up 3-0 entering the 3rd period in the gold medal game and you lose 5-3. And I can remember him calling a time out and laying into the players when the score was 3-3. You call that timeout when the game is 3-2 to settle them down, not 3-3 when the horse is out of the barn already. I knew Russia was winning that game at that time. It was pretty much a lock. I can remember calling up a friend that night after the game and both of us were livid and we spent 30 minutes complaining about it and pretty much finishing each other's sentences with anger! lol.

Second hardest loss of my life. We freakin' had it!

 

[Mathieukferland]

Call me crazy, but these PP units seem awful.

Is Easton Cowan this years recepaient of the Fraser Minten over utilisation award? I get he had a good year in London last year but he had a pretty anonymous tournament and has done nothing internationally to show he deserves first line minutes, first PP

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Yeah, the guy that left Nugent Hopkins off of the team in 2011. Not to mention he coached what might be the biggest choke job of all time in the WJC. Up 3-0 entering the 3rd period in the gold medal game and you lose 5-3. And I can remember him calling a time out and laying into the players when the score was 3-3. You call that timeout when the game is 3-2 to settle them down, not 3-3 when the horse is out of the barn already. I knew Russia was winning that game at that time. It was pretty much a lock. I can remember calling up a friend that night after the game and both of us were livid and we spent 30 minutes complaining about it and pretty much finishing each other's sentences with anger! lol.

Cameron is a conservative coach and is slow to adapt/make the required player deployment or tactical changes to change momentum, or to really go for the jugular so to speak. My observation from watching him coach the 67s is that he tends to be a classic "sit back and protect the lead" style of coach which can obviously lead to some drastic and poor results in top-end competition. Momentum can really work against his teams. It can be a reasonably successful strategy to employ over a 68-game OHL season though as not all teams have the horses to change momentum and chase down leads.

Now that the team is formed, I'm most interested in watching Cameron's coaching this tournament.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Is Easton Cowan this years recepaient of the Fraser Minten over utilisation award? I get he had a good year in London last year but he had a pretty anonymous tournament and has done nothing internationally to show he deserves first line minutes, first PP

Or I mean maybe Tanner Howe? Like Cowan was the OHL MVP in the regular and post season last year....he isn't close to an egregious choice to be in an offensive role lol

 

[Crosby2010]

Cameron is a conservative coach and is slow to adapt/make the required player deployment or tactical changes to change momentum, or to really go for the jugular so to speak. My observation from watching him coach the 67s is that he tends to be a classic "sit back and protect the lead" style of coach which can obviously lead to some drastic and poor results in top-end competition. Momentum can really work against his teams. It can be a reasonably successful strategy to employ over a 68-game OHL season though as not all teams have the horses to change momentum and chase down leads.

Now that the team is formed, I'm most interested in watching Cameron's coaching this tournament.

Why on earth did they pick him again? While we're at it, let's pick Steve Spott who somehow managed to get us to finish outside of the medals despite an NHL lockout happening then and the previous two times this happened Canada had the best and second best teams in WJC history.

Second hardest loss of my life. We freakin' had it!

I have to ask, what was the hardest?

 

[Mathieukferland]

Or I mean maybe Tanner Howe? Like Cowan was the OHL MVP in the regular and post season last year....he isn't close to an egregious choice to be in an offensive role lol

Howe as well, Cowan is just playing the PP role McKenna played at u18 and Hlinka which is why I mentioned him

 

[Juxtaposer]

Is Easton Cowan this years recepaient of the Fraser Minten over utilisation award? I get he had a good year in London last year but he had a pretty anonymous tournament and has done nothing internationally to show he deserves first line minutes, first PP

I'm not exactly super high on Cowan's play this season, but I don't feel like he was even in the top half of reasons those PP units seem bad.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Call me crazy, but these PP units seem awful.

Yeah those are brutal lol. Howe on PP1 has got to be a joke.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Howe as well, Cowan is just playing the PP role McKenna played at u18 and Hlinka which is why I mentioned him

I feel like Cowan should be in the bumper spot on the PP and let McKenna run the half wall myself. Howe shouldn't be on either unit.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Steve Spott

Steve Spottgod for how prestigious the programme is you’d figure they’d be able to attract more qualified and prestigious names than Steve Spott, Tim Hunter, Alan Letang etc

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Why on earth did they pick him again? While we're at it, let's pick Steve Spott who somehow managed to get us to finish outside of the medals despite an NHL lockout happening then and the previous two times this happened Canada had the best and second best teams in WJC history.



I have to ask, what was the hardest?

Someone asked that earlier, I suspect its to give him an opportunity to coach Team Canada (and hopefully win gold...we'll see about that) one final time before retirement. He's nearly 70. And the tournament is in Ottawa, so logistically it kind of makes sense. Who knows. We all know how Hockey Canada operates.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Call me crazy, but these PP units seem awful.

Would rather see Pinelli on the PP than Howe.

 

[Dominance]

What in the absolute f*** are we doing here?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Dickinson not factoring into either PP unit is kind of crazy to me as well but atleast the other two defensemen are legit great players....but the guy is like a 1.5 PPG defensemen and just not putting him into an offensive role is kinda wild.

 

[landy92mack29]

Call me crazy, but these PP units seem awful.

Is this coach trying to lose with these? No Yager on either unit...lmfao

 

[Statsy]

Why on earth did they pick him again? While we're at it, let's pick Steve Spott who somehow managed to get us to finish outside of the medals despite an NHL lockout happening then and the previous two times this happened Canada had the best and second best teams in WJC history.



I have to ask, what was the hardest?

Delete

 

[Halfy]

Dickinson not factoring into either PP unit is kind of crazy to me as well but atleast the other two defensemen are legit great players....but the guy is like a 1.5 PPG defensemen and just not putting him into an offensive role is kinda wild.

It's even funnier when 1.5 PPG sounds insane until you realize he's actually at an even higher 1.75 PPG lmao. But he's big so he must be a PK guy I guess...

 

[VeteranPresence]

What in the absolute f*** are we doing here?

Trying to make a good case for why Dave Cameron should never be allowed near TC again. What a hack.

 

[MrCreamm]

I don't have lots of faith in Cameron but its practice and this is subject to change. I think McKenna will work his way on to PP1 if he isn't pegged for it come the first game. I'd probably have McKenna, Ritchie, Catton, Schaefer or maybe one of Luchanko/Rehkopf replace Catton to play netfront.

 

[DuklaNation]

Not having Yakemchuk and Cristall on this roster is criminal. Schaefer has great potential but I'm not bringing a 17 yr old dman except for very rare exceptions.