WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[TheBeastCoast]

This roster won't beat the Americans IMO....

Hitting was non-existent last night as well.

Not like the Americans looked amazing yesterday lol

 

[Matty Sundin]

didn’t think they looked bad with stuff to maybe work on still. It’s their first official game playing together for games that count and the Fins aren’t exactly an ideal tune up match up.

 

[Crosby2010]

They looked good, goaltending was solid, and they were dominant in the first two periods. Finland is decent, and they should have two easy games in Latvia and Germany to fine tune things before the U.S. game and the medal round. Dave Cameron as a coach makes me nervous though. Shades of 2011 and that collapse. I just don't trust him to close the deal. I hope I'm wrong. This might be one of those teams where the best players on the team are the draft eligible ones, and that isn't a bad thing. Gavin McKenna strikes me as someone who is going to improve each game in this tournament.

 

[All the Answers]

It’s unfortunate that Bonk will get the Ryan Murphy/Joe Hicketts treatment from us Canadian fans for being a poor QB on our PP, when in reality the blame rests solely on Cameron for not putting his player in a position to succeed.

Bonk is a good player who can help Canada win, but anyone who watches OHL hockey can tell you he’s not a capable PP QB and actually plays the bumper on the London PP.
Dickinson, Schaefer and Molendyk are all better options there for Canada.

He doesn't play the bumper for London. He's net front.

 

[Dominance]

This team sucks massively, in exactly the same way as last year. f*** the GM and this prehistoric roster composition, f*** the coach and these useless lineup and flaccid powerplay, and f*** the jackasses in here who defended the 6+ indefensible selections. It’s not too early. This is EXACTLY what was predicted and the outcome is all too obvious.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

This team sucks massively, in exactly the same way as last year. f*** the GM and this prehistoric roster composition, f*** the coach and these useless lineup and flaccid powerplay, and f*** the jackasses in here who defended the 6+ indefensible selections. It’s not too early. This is EXACTLY what was predicted and the outcome is all too obvious.

I think you need to take it down a gear or two. A lot can change in a week. Like less then 24 hours off a convincing win over Finland. I would say you are over reacting more then a little bit.

 

[Mathieukferland]

I think you need to take it down a gear or two. A lot can change in a week. Like less then 24 hours off a convincing win over Finland. I would say you are over reacting more then a little bit.

The same issues were more or less apparent against Finland too; bottom 6 didn’t create a lot and didn’t score, Canada didn’t have a proper PP1 QB

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The same issues were more or less apparent against Finland too; bottom 6 didn’t create a lot and didn’t score, Canada didn’t have a proper PP1 QB

I see those issues as well....I am saying that proclaiming that the team sucks on the 27th of December is extreme. I remember in 2020 when we got absolutely steam rolled by Russia on Boxing Day and ended up winning the tournament.

 

[therealdeal]

It is odd watching this team, I’m not sure who is supposed to be scoring the goals or driving the play? Who is supposed to be our top line? Seems like we have 13 grinders up front.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

It is odd watching this team, I’m not sure who is supposed to be scoring the goals or driving the play? Who is supposed to be our top line? Seems like we have 13 grinders up front.

Nadeau-Ritchie-Cowan is the top line. McKenna can drive offense on the 2nd line.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Think we shot ourselves by not taking a one dimensional type on the back end and I agree we need a bit more skill, they can still make changes but man other than the top 6 this team isn’t skilled enough to beat the Americans.

It’s wild because we have the depth throughout what is eligible.

 

[NyQuil]

It’s funny because it was so predictable.

 

[Dack]

Wrote this in the game thread:

It dawned on me why they have Bonk on the powerplay lol. They must want a RHD specifically, their options are Bonk, Gibson or Akey (who has barely played) so it more or less comes down to Gibson or Bonk.

Literally the only thing that would make sense. Dickinson and Molendyk are both clearly better options than Bonk who doesn't even PPQB in the OHL, but that doesn't matter if they're not even in contention for the position.

I don't think Cameron and co are dumb enough to think that Bonk is actually a good PP option but I'd bet they're stubborn enough to think that with all of their other pieces that even the wrong player who fits the archetype (RHD in this case) is good enough (it's not).

This is a big part of the reason I thought Canada was dumb for inviting neither of Parekh or Yakemchuk to the selection camp. Both of those guys provide offense that the rest of the defense (especially the right side) can't match. It's so dumb to waste the 8th D-man spot on a guy who can fill in and play 8 mins a night on the bottom pair instead of a wildcard who you can throw on the ice when you need offense.

Cristall, Sennecke and Misa are also sorely missed. Canada needs creators in the worst way, we're in a dogfight with Lavia and the two best players on the team thus far have been the 2 youngest.

 

[alphahelix]

RE: the goal song, does anyone know how these kids wound up picking an Austrian song from the 1980s? I know it dates back to at least the u18s if not earlier, but just curious if anyone knows how it first made it onto the rotation, which player or parent suggested it?

 

[Statsy]

RE: the goal song, does anyone know how these kids wound up picking an Austrian song from the 1980s? I know it dates back to at least the u18s if not earlier, but just curious if anyone knows how it first made it onto the rotation, which player or parent suggested it?

That’s a tough thing to know. Really, the important fact is that they’ve won a couple of U18 events with it, so that’s what got it here. Definitely not hearing it enough tonight though.

 

[ORRFForever]

This roster won't beat the Americans IMO....

Hitting was non-existent last night as well.

Then you might as well not watch.

 

[NyQuil]

RE: the goal song, does anyone know how these kids wound up picking an Austrian song from the 1980s? I know it dates back to at least the u18s if not earlier, but just curious if anyone knows how it first made it onto the rotation, which player or parent suggested it?

It’s a bit of a fixture at all international tournaments, especially in Europe.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

How does Dave Cameron keep getting work?

 

[TheBeastCoast]

How does Dave Cameron keep getting work?

Lifetime member of the old boys club.

 

[Dominance]

Embarrassing the country.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Embarrassing the country.

Wild hot takes everywhere.

 

[HabsPetes119]

How is Dickinson not on PP1 or powerplay at all? Was asking myself this after first game as well. He has best stats in OHL by a mile and main guy on the best team. How is Bonk ahead of him when he isn't even PP1 in London.

 

[Dominance]

Schaefer gone and McKenna playing like he did at the Hlinka rather than the U18s. Needing our goalie to keep us in it against f***ing Latvia.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Not sure what to say but you can see the lack of creativity, I’m sorry but it’s not like we have made this goalie make that make big saves. Or threatened that much…

 

[DJB]

The Americans are going to crush us.

And just like many of us predicted , we don’t have enough offense from the back end and it’s hurting us 5 on 5 and the PP.

And we left too many talented skilled forwards at home for worker bees.

But Team Canada continues to try and outsmart themselves year after year