WJC: 2025 Team Canada Roster Talk

[TheBeastCoast]

Nadeau just wasn't really doing much of anything on that top line...so hopefully Beaudoin can just muck it up and play the puck retrival role and maybe Nadeau and Yager can get some offense out of our 3rd line.

 

[Heldig]

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.

As a Utah HC fan, this is exciting but not sure why he is on the team let alone being moved to the top line.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

As a Utah HC fan, this is exciting but not sure why he is on the team let alone being moved to the top line.

For his age he's an excellent 2-way defensive centre. At the U-18s he was the guy matched up against the other teams top line to shut them down. That's why he's on the team.

Having him centre the top line is a head scratcher when he has 13 goals this year in the OHL and Canada has high end offensive players sitting in the stands or barely playing.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

For his age he's an excellent 2-way defensive centre. At the U-18s he was the guy matched up against the other teams top line to shut them down. That's why he's on the team.

Having him centre the top line is a head scratcher when he has 13 goals this year in the OHL and Canada has high end offensive players sitting in the stands or barely playing.

Ritchie will be the centre no?

 

[JackSlater]

I guess Cam Robinson watches TSN too. I'll say this, I like the general idea of what they are doing with the Beaudoin and Nadeau spots. Ritchie and Cowan were playing fairly well together on the first line but Nadeau seemed like a spare part. Beaudoin knows his role - be physical and support the rest of his line. It could work. Yager is the only bottom six forward who looked to generate a chance with any regularity, I'm very glad to see him with a player with some offensive talent in Nadeau.

Now further assuming McKenzie is right, I would rather Rehkopf play on a line and not as 13th forward, and I would rather Martone play and try to get him going rather than going with a low ceiling player who hasn't done much anyway (take your pick of the various options). It also sounds like they are strongly considering putting Rehkopf on the second PP unit, as both McKenzie and Anholt mentioned this. It's a start.

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.

Yes Canada is held to a higher standard than others, as in Canada is compared to Canada of the past, but that's a good thing. It's rare that USA has the depth Canada has at this tournament, this year included. What randoms claim doesn't matter, Canada needs to make good choices to win these tournaments.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Honestly, anything could still happen. I haven't been too impressed with any team.
Swiss just put 5 on Sweden, US let Germany light the lamp, were in a battle vs Latvia for 30 mins, and are now 1-1 with Finland.
Take care of business today, iron out some kinks and grow some chemistry. 1st big game on Tuesday.

 

[Leviathan899]

For his age he's an excellent 2-way defensive centre. At the U-18s he was the guy matched up against the other teams top line to shut them down. That's why he's on the team.

Having him centre the top line is a head scratcher when he has 13 goals this year in the OHL and Canada has high end offensive players sitting in the stands or barely playing.

Yeah Beaudoin is one of those guys where points truly don’t tell the full story. He’s a horse and a load to handle, he just has to keep his feet moving. I’ve watched a lot of Barrie games this season and he’s been their best player by a wide margin imo. He can really create space for more skilled players to make plays. Hopefully he plays his rambunctious style and plays physical. Ritchie wins a lot of puck battles down low with his stick and size, if Beaudoin can use his size to go to the net and box out defenders, Ritchie and Cowan just need to throw picks at the net and let Beaudoin bang in rebounds or get some tips. Nadeau should inject a bit more creativity into the bottom 6. It’s funny that the one guy playing in a men’s league seems like one of the softest players on the team. Nadeau has a great shot and can score, but he disappears for long stretches at a time. Hard to nail down what his potential at the NHL level will be.

 

[JackSlater]

Canada's practice lines and power play units





These power play units look better than what Canada has gone with so far.

 

[MikeGoods]

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

Yup that’s why I created an account. Just to piss in your cornflakes “Westcoast”……

You should post here a little les by the looks of it and get a life lol.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

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

Is this stat watching?


Akey+Gibson+Mynio combined as 19YOs: 69 games - 13G, 32A, 45P

Parekh last year as a 17 year old...........: 66 games - 33G, 63A, 96P

Oh, and Parekh won the Memorial Cup.

Like, how bad defensively could he really be, compared to a bunch of other 19 year olds?

It doesn’t matter If all he’s there to do is play PP, like Ryan Ellis did for what, three tourneys in a row - you take the best offensive defenseman in the country.

And if you don’t, congratulations, you outthought yourself.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Looks like Canada-USA is for 1st or 3rd.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Canada might still end up winning gold, but my god this team seems to love to make it more difficult on itself with its roster decisions.

 

[ello]

Not sure why everyone's clamoring for Misa to be there. 17 year olds almost never contribute meaningfully on these teams and Misa certainly isnt a Celebrini or Bedard. Look at what role Martone is playing.

Hage and Sennecke really shouldve been there. The NCAA politics remain beyond stupid. I must be missing something about Sennecke cuz how do we have second rounders from the same draft on the team but not the third overall pick who's progressed well from last year and played well in camp???

Cristall shouldve been given a chance I dont love how 5 poor games like 2 years ago seems to have him blacklisted from TC events.


Boisvert I agree wouldve been a great depth guy. Leads UND in scoring, big, strong, heavy shot and plays very chippy

 

[yessir29292]

Lack of talent isn’t why Canada lost to Latvia, maybe they would’ve won with Misa and Parkeh but they should’ve won anyway. Their 4th team beats Latvia 99/100.

Maybe there’s a reason Parkeh doesn’t belong on this team, could be a liability at this level. People cried when Brant Clarke didn’t make the team at 18 but then didn’t like him as a 19 year old. Dominating guys fresh out of u16aaa doesn’t mean it’s going to translate to World Juniors.

 

[NordiquesForeva]

Canada's practice lines and power play units





These power play units look better than what Canada has gone with so far.

I’m encouraged Cameron changed up the PP units. I didn’t think the stubborn old sonofabitch had it in him.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Lack of talent isn’t why Canada lost to Latvia, maybe they would’ve won with Misa and Parkeh but they should’ve won anyway. Their 4th team beats Latvia 99/100.

Maybe there’s a reason Parkeh doesn’t belong on this team, could be a liability at this level. People cried when Brant Clarke didn’t make the team at 18 but then didn’t like him as a 19 year old. Dominating guys fresh out of u16aaa doesn’t mean it’s going to translate to World Juniors.

Clarke had 2 goals and 6 assists in 7 games while not getting top minutes or first unit PP time. The idea that his game didn't translate is hilarious

 

[yessir29292]

Clarke had 2 goals and 6 assists in 7 games while not getting top minutes or first unit PP time. The idea that his game didn't translate is hilarious

He was solid. But a liability at times, the same people who cried when he didn’t make it at 18 said he wasn’t a good enough skater and was a liability at 19.

Putting up 8 points in a World Junior tournament where you play some much inferior teams is total domination, unstoppable and some of the best hockey we’ve ever seen at the level? Because that’s what Clarke was in the OHL that year.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

He was solid. But a liability at times, the same people who cried when he didn’t make it at 18 said he wasn’t a good enough skater and was a liability at 19.

Putting up 8 points in a World Junior tournament where you play some much inferior teams is total domination, unstoppable and some of the best hockey we’ve ever seen at the level? Because that’s what Clarke was in the OHL that year.

There were people saying how great Zelleweger was while having no goals and 6 assists while getting almost all the top PP time. Clarke is abrasive and some people don't like him because of it, nothing more than that. All the talk about Clarke's skating has always been ridiculously overstated

 

[Mattb124]

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.

Celebrini is Canadian, but he’s been playing in the U.S. since he was 14 or younger. It is a stretch to credit Canada for “producing” him even though he plays for Canada internationally.

 

[NyQuil]

Celebrini is Canadian, but he’s been playing in the U.S. since he was 14 or younger. It is a stretch to credit Canada for “producing” him even though he plays for Canada internationally.

Well, when a daddy and a mommy love each other very much…

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Celebrini is Canadian, but he’s been playing in the U.S. since he was 14 or younger. It is a stretch to credit Canada for “producing” him even though he plays for Canada internationally.

So he was born in Canada, and played the majority of his hockey in Canada, but it's a stretch to say Canada produced him? Did you really need to post this?

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

delete

 

[Mathieukferland]

Glad they won, but the number of interior chances conceded to GERMANY is extremely concerning. Hats off to George, he was their best player tonight. No point in rehashing the scoring and penetration issues, I have repeated those ad nauseum

 

[JackSlater]

Well, the Germany game wasn't exactly what you'd hope for. Some signs of life in the third even if the team still really struggles to generate legitimate chances. Defensively Canada has solid structure for this level and George has looked really good. Would be nice if Canada played a gritty game and forechecked hard since the team left a lot of skill at home and takes undisciplined penalties, but that has not been the case. Despite how lacklustre the team has been they have solid odds of leading the group.

Canada's offence vs USA's defence is the resistible force meeting the moveable object. USA has been pretty sloppy and loose, which should be nice for Canada's offence, but they are very dangerous in transition so the team needs to play smart or get lit up. Should be a very interesting contrast of styles.

 

[yessir29292]

Celebrini is Canadian, but he’s been playing in the U.S. since he was 14 or younger. It is a stretch to credit Canada for “producing” him even though he plays for Canada internationally.

Okay Canada will take the Hughes and Sanderson… and more