WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[Mathieukferland]

Genuinely curious but would most fans here rather they skip a camp and just select the highest scoring CHL players at the time the team needs to be selected? It seems that’s the case lately. Which ok, fine, they should do that just to quiet all the critics and give them what they desire, and if we win, awesome that’s what we all want anyways, and if we don’t, we can all swallow our pride and accept that it’s a competitive tournament and we’re not the only good country. Some years you win, some you don’t.

I can only speak for myself but you can go look at my mock roster on page 19/20/21 of this thread:

M. Misa-Catton-Greentree
Mckenna-Ritchie-Sennecke
Rehkopf-Yager-Martone
Cowan-Luchanko-Boisvert
Nadeau

Molendyk-Yakemchuk
Dickinson-Bonk
Schaefer-Brunicke (Brunicke since injured)
Price

Bjarnason
George
Ravensbergen



I had left Cristall and Parekh off for noted concerns about versatility and reliability off the puck.

Granted, I was comfortable leaving those two off because I filled out the team with a lot more creative players who did not have near the level of concern off puck, but I think there are legitimate reasons to balance reliability and productivity, without just statwatching and picking leading Defense scorer 1 through 6 and leading forwards scorers 1 through 12

 

[Divine]

What are the odds if Canada wins the gold medal these 2 don’t like the posts?

 

[JackSlater]

That wasn’t a great game for the Americans overall imo. Danny Nelson had a really good game and they did execute when needed, but Latvia was the better team for some stretches there, and had plenty of good scoring chances throughout. They could have easily had 4-5 goals, US goalie played well, with some luck. I didn’t think the Hagens line, despite the points, was very dangerous throughout. Have to forecheck the US D, they’ll turn the puck over a lot if so. All in all good for the US here and Latvia for playing a solid and entertaining game on a tough back to back. Come out of this one feeling a bit better about Canada’s chances. Especially since we know they can beat the Swedes and Czech’s based off the pre tourney, which is has the same intensity as prelim games. Hopefully they come out with a fresh mindset tomorrow and a willingness to go to the net.

Regardless of the Latvia game Canada can still compete with all of the other teams and win, I think most know that. There is not an exceptionally strong team at this tournament. Canada has not played USA yet but through two games USA has been pretty loose defensively. We all know Camada's issues already. Sweden would be tough in a rematch from the pre-tournament game.

 

[JackSlater]

On TSN, Bob McKenzie projected some changes for the Canadian lineup. Typically his projections are usually very accurate. Anyway, he projected this lineup vs Germany:

Beaudoin Ritchie Cowan
McKenna Catton Pinelli
Nadeau Yager Howe
Cataford Luchanko Gauthier
Rehkopf

Molendyk Gibson
Dickinson Bonk
Mynio Price
Akey

Scratched: Martone

I doubt that people are going to be thrilled about Beaudoin on the top line if that happens, but I like moving Nadeau down so that Yager can play with some talent and I've liked some parts of Beaudoin's game. Martone being scratched isn't shocking since he sat out basically the whole third against Latvia, but I don't see why he would be out while Cataford continues to play. In Canada's situation with several passengers thus far, you can probably take the risk with Martone and see if talent takes over at some point.

 

[shaner8989]

Losing the best D in the tourney and potential number 1 pick in the draft is a huge loss

 

[NordiquesForeva]

On TSN, Bob McKenzie projected some changes for the Canadian lineup. Typically his projections are usually very accurate. Anyway, he projected this lineup vs Germany:

Beaudoin Ritchie Cowan
McKenna Catton Pinelli
Nadeau Yager Howe
Cataford Luchanko Gauthier
Rehkopf

Molendyk Gibson
Dickinson Bonk
Mynio Price
Akey

Scratched: Martone

I doubt that people are going to be thrilled about Beaudoin on the top line if that happens, but I like moving Nadeau down so that Yager can play with some talent and I've liked some parts of Beaudoin's game. Martone being scratched isn't shocking since he sat out basically the whole third against Latvia, but I don't see why he would be out while Cataford continues to play. In Canada's situation with several passengers thus far, you can probably take the risk with Martone and see if talent takes over at some point.

It’s such an ugly-looking team. Reminds me of the 2014 team in a lot of ways (which is not a good thing).

 

[WhatTheDuck]

McKenna - Ritchie - Sennecke
Rehkopf - Misa - Cowan

Should be the top six, but two apparently weren't worthy of camp invites (initially in Sennecke's case) and another needed a complete debacle to draw into the 13th F spot.

 

[Shark Finn]

Losing the best D in the tourney and potential number 1 pick in the draft is a huge loss

Uh oh, maybe they should've picked the BPA for each position so covering the loss of Schaefer would be a bit easier.

 

[wetcoast]

Totally agree. The Canadian team did not compete for the interior ice and the Americans got to the slot more than enough based on the highlights of the goals I saw. With Dave Cameron at the helm and all of the game breaking talent left off this roster I think the US team destroys them on New Year's Eve....

Glad that you felt compelled to create an account to pile on...hand in your toque and beer dude.

 

[hockey20000]

martone scratched meh he's not been great but he still has better potential then cataford and a few others if he breaks out

 

[yessir29292]

The rest of the world is slowly clipping away at the Canadian dominance in ice hockey.

No they’re not. Canadas best players not being here are the only reason other countries have a chance.

If their top line is Benson-Celebrini-Bedard no on has a chance.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

martone scratched meh he's not been great but he still has better potential then cataford and a few others if he breaks out

He’s been completely ineffective and hasn’t used his size and skill to attack the middle of the ice. Content to play the perimeter. Cataford has been ineffective as well but a conservative coach like Cameron will go with the older player who can eat some minutes on the PK.

 

[MNRube]

No they’re not. Canadas best players not being here are the only reason other countries have a chance.

If their top line is Benson-Celebrini-Bedard no on has a chance.

U.S. would have a shot with Will Smith reuniting with GP & RL. As would Sweden with Carlsson. Canada would be heavy favorites but they would still have to work for it and a hot goalie can stop any team.

Wish I could find the post of the Canadian fan who said something like “this tournament is more fun when we don’t destroy everyone”. Like they haven’t watched it in the past decade.

 

[kyle44]

U.S. would have a shot with Will Smith reuniting with GP & RL. As would Sweden with Carlsson. Canada would be heavy favorites but they would still have to work for it and a hot goalie can stop any team.

Wish I could find the post of the Canadian fan who said something like “this tournament is more fun when we don’t destroy everyone”. Like they haven’t watched it in the past decade.

Carlsson is not eligible for this tournament.

 

[MrNasty]

 

[MNRube]

Carlsson is not eligible for this tournament.

Amended my post.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

U.S. would have a shot with Will Smith reuniting with GP & RL. As would Sweden with Carlsson. Canada would be heavy favorites but they would still have to work for it and a hot goalie can stop any team.

Wish I could find the post of the Canadian fan who said something like “this tournament is more fun when we don’t destroy everyone”. Like they haven’t watched it in the past decade.

Come on, that would be a heck of a line even in the NHL.
To his point though, we've been hearing about the decline of Canadian power for 20 years now. Yet we keep producing the Bedards, Celebrini's, Schaefers and McKenna's. We'll be fine.

 

[JackSlater]

Yes Canada would win this tournament the vast majority of the time if everyone was available every year but no, that doesn't really matter in terms of the tournament itself. The WJC is not all that useful for comparing countries outside of very broad strokes. That a country can compete year after year indicates that they are on a certain level. That a country won in a given year or not doesn't indicate a whole lot since one loss changes things so much. When Sweden won the 2006 Olympic tournament, none of those players had ever won the WJC. USA and Czech Republic had never won the WJC when they won actual best on best tournaments in 1996 and 1998.

Winning the tournament is the goal. What could have happened doesn't really matter.

 

[MNRube]

Come on, that would be a heck of a line even in the NHL.
To his point though, we've been hearing about the decline of Canadian power for 20 years now. Yet we keep producing the Bedards, Celebrini's, Schaefers and McKenna's. We'll be fine.

Yeah the US appeared to be narrowing the gap for a couple years there but Bedard, Celebrini, McKenna etc have cinched any progress that was made

 

[lakai17]

Rehkopf should be in

 

[Leviathan899]

Glad that you felt compelled to create an account to pile on...hand in your toque and beer dude.

If the Americans play us like they did Latvia, they won’t be destroying anybody. Frankly, if it wasn’t for Sluykinsky and some good luck, that’s a 5-4 game. Latvia had more dangerous looks against the US than against Canada. Main difference is they capitalized on changes, we didn’t. The US wasn’t dominating them at all.

 

[Leviathan899]

Come on, that would be a heck of a line even in the NHL.
To his point though, we've been hearing about the decline of Canadian power for 20 years now. Yet we keep producing the Bedards, Celebrini's, Schaefers and McKenna's. We'll be fine.

Not that draft position means everything, but we had 19 first round picks last year, while the US had 4. I imagine if that was reversed, how much people would be beating up on Canada for that? Where as we don’t hear anything about this being an issue for the Americans. They’re held to a far lower standard than us yet get the idea they’ve surpassed us, it drives me nuts. If the Americans want to be the number 1 hockey nation, you have to be under the microscope like Canada is. Let’s nitpick their roster selections… Adam Kleber, Colin Ralph, Austin Burnevik, Brandon svoboda, max Plante, Carey Terrance, Aram Minnetian. None of these guys would sniff a team Canada and yet you don’t hear anything about how the USA has a lot of guys who are grinders. Carey Terrance isn’t even out scoring Malcolm Spence in Erie, yet Spence wasn’t even considered for this years team.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

This coaching staff is galaxy "brain-ing" themselves into a quarter final loss.

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

Scratching Martone is not the solution but whatever….

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Love Cole Beaudoin as a player but he belongs in the bottom 6.

Cameron should just be like George Costanza and do the opposite of whatever he's thinking.