HF Habs: 2025 World Junior Championship discussion thread

[themilosh]

What does this team look like with Hage, Sennecke, and Misa? Athleticism often dominates these tournaments and size/skill/mobility up the middle is a proven strategy at every level. Being team Canada and having Bonk run your PP is both a roster construction and coaching failure that’s hard to justify. Went with role players but didn’t bother filling the most critical roles on a team with the best players available.

Feels like TC management were operating like NHL GMs identifying undervalued role players rather than having the opportunity to handpick elite talent to create whatever roster they’d like.

Here’s to hoping they have a big bounce back.

it's also unfair to those who are on the team not to take advantage of more fire power. It's like sitting on a lottery ticket and not cashing in.. insane.

 

[Draft]

it's also unfair to those who are on the team not to take advantage of more fire power. It's like sitting on a lottery ticket and not cashing in.. insane.

Just weird decisions across the board. I'm usually careful to be overly confident criticizing decisions (or non-decisions) that NHL GMs make as we don't have the info to know who was/wasn't available, how players are valued, timing, etc. when making deals. That's not the case here. This team has the pick of the litter, years of data on short tournaments, and no restrictions around team construction. They can fill any role with the best available players. They can build whatever identity they'd like.

Leaving significant talent on the table, not filling key roles, AND not shaping the team based on a cohesive identity? Not fast, not big, not physical, not defensively elite, not all-out offence, not much of anything. Definitely good enough to still be competitive, but TC needs to start making more optimal choices if they want to continue to dominate this tournament moving forward.

 

[Fuonki]

some things are bigger than politics

Well hope you enjoy your 2-team tournament then. Or perhaps make it 4 with Slovakia. Russia won't be allowed in any team sport for quite a while, let alone something as political and popular as hockey so better get used to it

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Czech's destroyed Kazakhstan 14-2.

USA goes up 1-0 on Latvia only 2 minutes into game.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Latvia out shot US 8-7 in 1st period. Still 1-0 USA after 1.

 

[SlafySZN]

Hagens looks very nice

 

[Habs13]

I hope the Habs have scouts at Latvia's games. No quit in these kids. They've been a joy to watch

 

[Maliki2]

Let's go!!! USA!

 

[MarkovsKnee]

USA beats Latvia 5-1. They take sole possession of 1st OA of A group with 6 pts. Canada is at 4 pts.

A 2nd place finish for Canada would likely match them with Slovakia in QF.

Good game by Latvia considering they were playing their 2nd game in less than 18 hours. It's not a good schedule for them.

 

[Runner77]