HF Habs: 2025 World Junior Championship Finals Day: Sunday, January 5, 3:30 PM (Bronze) & 7:30 PM (Gold)

[MarkovsKnee]

As per tradition, I wonder who gets the most death treats on social media? Cameron, Gibson, or #17?

Probably Cowan. There's as many Leafs haters out there as Leafs fans. Some Leaf fans are probably turning on him, too. Just look at this board with Mesar last year. People were flipping out because he was only ppg. Every shift was diagnosed & analyzed to death, and became a reflection of his overall future.

I liked Cowan his draft year & wanted Montreal to select him with a 3rd round pick. Leafs really reached for him. A lot of things I valued him for, he seems to have moved away from. He was a possession monster, who could take pucks away on the forecheck by getting in underneath guys, he drove the net with or without the puck opening up ice for his teammates, he had enough skill level to score goals or set them up.

He was terrible in this tournament, though, and showed a real lack of on-ice awareness and IQ.

 

[sampollock]

left scoring at home
Cowan is a pretty boy fig hot dog
coaching sucked. no practices wow
fire all the management and never bring back weed wacker hair cut Cameron back

 

[MarkovsKnee]

The only good thing about this tournament is that Easton Cowan was a complete flop!

It was a real Jake Virtanen type performance. At least he's unlikely to wind up on the front pages of newspapers across the country. Virtanen kept taking dumb penalties & making the stupidest mistakes on ice that the Vancouver organization had to defend him & remind people he wasn't solely responsible for TC's loss.

That was 2016 WJC. Canada lost the QF to Finland that year.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Cowan taking the shot sorta sums up this tourney for team Canada

Yeah, wide open net for Bonk if he just passed the puck. Bonk was so pissed, too. Lol

Offensively, Cowan passed when he should have shot (like that backhand pass he did that became a turn over when he had a lane to the net & a shooting angle), or shot instead of passing like this play here. His decision making was just awful throughout this tournament.

He seems like a Sami Kapanen type of player now.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah, wide open net for Bonk if he just passed the puck. Bonk was so pissed, too. Lol

Offensively, Cowan passed when he should have shot (like that backhand pass he did that became a turn over when he had a lane to the net & a shooting angle), or shot instead of passing like this play here. His decision making was just awful throughout this tournament.

He seems like a Sami Kapanen type of player now.

Leafs fans should be happy with Cowan, we know that the WJC is not the measure of success, but they had him built up as this sure fire top liner and he's more of a middle 6er.. which is great because they need middle 6ers as soon as possible on cheap ELCs.

He's their version of Beck with more offensive upside, way less defensive upside and won't stick down the middle.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Leafs fans should be happy with Cowan, we know that the WJC is not the measure of success, but they had him built up as this sure fire top liner and he's more of a middle 6er.. which is great because they need middle 6ers as soon as possible on cheap ELCs.

He's their version of Beck with more offensive upside, way less defensive upside and won't stick down the middle.

Beck has a much, much better shot & is far more physical, too. He will play center while, yeah, Cowan is a winger. Lol

 

[Habs Icing]

Wow...Easton Cowan not top 3 players for Canada....

Excuse me...hahahahahahahahahahahah.....breath.......ahahahahahahahahahahah

I dislike that player, and not because he's a Leafs' pick. Last night on two separate occasions he had the puck stripped off his stick near his own blue line and on both occasions, he gave up on the play and watched the opponent attack. I can't believe this is a player that has been playing for the London Knights. I have a long mental list of bad plays from this kid but I won't bore everyone by listing them.

 

[Habs Icing]

Such a shitty team... Misa and Hage must be laughing !

What I don't understand is that they passed over Lindstrom, Misa, Sennecke and Iginla but chose Martone, and Cowan.

 

[Habs Icing]

The potential to make it to the medal round was there this year. Whether it's poor coaching, questionable team selection or very undiscipline play we fell short and it requires a lot of self reflection

It was a combination of all three.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

What I don't understand is that they passed over Lindstrom, Misa, Sennecke and Iginla but chose Martone, and Cowan.

Lindstrom and Iginla are injured long term.

The other two should have been there for sure, along with Parekh and Yakemchuk on D. This was the most unskilled Canada team I’ve ever seen.

 

[sampollock]

Leafs fans should be happy with Cowan, we know that the WJC is not the measure of success, but they had him built up as this sure fire top liner and he's more of a middle 6er.. which is great because they need middle 6ers as soon as possible on cheap ELCs.

He's their version of Beck with more offensive upside, way less defensive upside and won't stick down the middle.

dont see it
He did not show the desire to go the distance. not just saying that because he is a fig

we see. but he has a lot to prove at AHL level before the fig show in TO

 

[donghabs98]

It was a real Jake Virtanen type performance. At least he's unlikely to wind up on the front pages of newspapers across the country. Virtanen kept taking dumb penalties & making the stupidest mistakes on ice that the Vancouver organization had to defend him & remind people he wasn't solely responsible for TC's loss.

That was 2016 WJC. Canada lost the QF to Finland that year.

It truly felt like Cowan himself and Hockey Canada brass fell for all the hype Leafs fans and media have had for Cowan considering he was counted on to be our top forward and clearly that was not his role. It's another example of how much Hockey Canada misjudged this roster and made poor assumptions on the players they had.

 

[sampollock]

It truly felt like Cowan himself and Hockey Canada brass fell for all the hype Leafs fans and media have had for Cowan considering he was counted on to be pur top forward and clearly that was not his role. It's another example of how much Hockey Canada misjudged this roster and made poor assumptions on the players they had.

so agree

I can never say forsure. But I feel some nhl gm's have pull who is on the team.
would not surprise me at all.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Never take a coach with a formaldehyde face.

 

[sampollock]

Never take a coach with a formaldehyde face.

or bad hair

 

[McGuires Corndog]

or bad hair

Or makes turtle sounds.

 

[sampollock]

Or makes turtle sounds.

he does have a weird head and eyes.... lol

 

[Captain Mountain]

He needs to shut up. Everything that comes out of his mouth is seriously stupid.

He also said he has no regrets. GTFO, you sound like such an arrogant prick.

...which are the 3-4 teams he's speaking of? Because either he's being an idiot by not respecting Finland and/or Czechia, or he doesn't think Canada could have won, which may be worse.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

...which are the 3-4 teams he's speaking of? Because either he's being an idiot by not respecting Finland and/or Czechia, or he doesn't think Canada could have won, which may be worse.

Probably US, Sweden, Finland and Canada. The big 4.

 

[Ozmodiar]

He needs to shut up. Everything that comes out of his mouth is seriously stupid.

He also said he has no regrets. GTFO, you sound like such an arrogant prick.

Did he realize Canada wasn’t one of the 3 or 4 teams?

 

[Captain Mountain]

Probably US, Sweden, Finland and Canada. The big 4.

If we're going by the last couple of years, the big 4 is US, Sweden, Finland and Czechia.

 

[sampollock]

Did he realize Canada wasn’t one of the 3 or 4 teams?

big time excuse

get out you tool

 

[ChesterNimitz]

The other teams had jet lag and came from other time zones and countries.. we were at home.

Maybe, just maybe we have to realize that other countries have caught up to us in hockey. Maybe in the case of the U.S., have even passed us.

I would suggest that those who still believe that Canada can send multiple teams to these competitions and still walk away with multiple medals, are completely out to lunch. In these best on best competitions, even if we send our best, we will be strongly challenged.

Could you imagine the hand wringing and finger pointing if Canada fares poorly next month at the four nations tournament? And frankly, I don't like the defence that we are going with and I wouldn't be surprised if, like the recent WJC, we are again caught slow.

We never learn.

 

[sampollock]

Maybe, just maybe we have to realize that other countries have caught up to us in hockey. Maybe in the case of the U.S., have even passed us.

I would suggest that those who still believe that Canada can send multiple teams to these competitions and still walk away with multiple medals, are completely out to lunch. In these best on best competitions, even if we send our best, we will be strongly challenged.

Could you imagine the hand wringing and finger pointing if Canada fares poorly next month at the four nations tournament? And frankly, I don't like the defence that we are going with and I wouldn't be surprised if, like the recent WJC, we are again caught slow.

We never learn.

no practices says a lot

 

[Draft]

If you have the option, why wouldn't you:

1) Pick four or more elite centres with size, mobility, and skill (Sennecke, Ritchie, Hage, and Misa)? That's a proven recipe at any level.
2) Take potentially the best offensive d-man in junior hockey (Parekh) and arguably the best playmaker in junior hockey (Cristall) as specialists, even if you aren't confident about their 5v5 play? These two play against the best players in their leagues every night, let them show what they're capable of.
3) Build 4 lines as good or better than any other team's top-6 in this tournament? Roll 4 lines, take advantage of the depth of the Canadian system. Many of our elite players are on both special teams, we don't need a third liner from the OHL to PK.
4) Prioritize size and athleticism where possible? We've seen physically gifted players dominate this tournament and high-IQ types struggle enough times to see a pattern.
5) Create a cohesive team identity?

I'm really hoping for a change with Hockey Canada. The politics around picking this team are embarrassing for a national program. Leave that shit at the door when you're representing your country.