A Lot on the Line for Canada at the World Juniors
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1Gold Standard
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- Jun 13, 2012
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The reasonable expectation is, more often than not and over the long haul, Canada should be vying for gold medals, i.e. playing in the gold medal game. We all realize that in certain years there'll be stinker tournaments and disappointing finishes, but playing in the gold medal game should be the baseline expectation. If they do that, they'll win their fair share...
if they come up short again this year, on home-ice no less, then I hope the pink slips are flying at HC HQ on the 6th of January. Regardless of the result come the 5th of January, there are certain individuals at HC who I'd like to see ****canned anyway. and Mr. Ufa lamps would be at the top of that list.
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StevenEllisNHL
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- Nov 29, 2014
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Here's my personal view on it.
I'm Canadian, of course I want them to win. However, as someone who follows the international game extensively, I want to see as many countries competing for gold as possible.
If that means Canada needs to lose ten years straight, fine. But why? That forces them to change their program if they need to, and hopefully, build a program that's unbeatable like they were ten years ago and ten years before that.
At the same time, of course I want them to kick ass this year at home. Will it happen, don't think so, but the pressure is surely on more than usual due to their recent lack of success.
I'm Canadian, of course I want them to win. However, as someone who follows the international game extensively, I want to see as many countries competing for gold as possible.
If that means Canada needs to lose ten years straight, fine. But why? That forces them to change their program if they need to, and hopefully, build a program that's unbeatable like they were ten years ago and ten years before that.
At the same time, of course I want them to kick ass this year at home. Will it happen, don't think so, but the pressure is surely on more than usual due to their recent lack of success.
WaltWhitman
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- Oct 18, 2010
- 942
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DCantheDDad
DisplacedNuckfan
Canada always must have the goal and confidence that we can and will win it all. Anything less is settig yorself up for failure. We aren't always going to win, but we must always have the mindset of champions and fix what isn't working to ensure we stay on top.
All that said, I am very excited for this year's tourny. Even my wife, who isn't a huge hockey fan, loves watching the WJC with me and has expressed her excitement with this year's offering.
GO CANADA GO!
All that said, I am very excited for this year's tourny. Even my wife, who isn't a huge hockey fan, loves watching the WJC with me and has expressed her excitement with this year's offering.
GO CANADA GO!
The fact of the matter is that all teams should have the expectation that they will make it to the gold game and win. For years Canada fostered the best hockey talent in the world, which is why they dominated tournaments so often. In today's world, hockey talent is coming from more places and many countries have players that make up teams that are equal to or even superior to Canada's. There is a kinda of parity in the world of international hockey now so it is infeasible to believe Canada will ever truly dominate like they used. It's not what Canadians would like to hear, but the days of breezing through tournaments is over. Sure they will have strong campaigns sometimes, but in reality, many teams can will gold other than Canada.
habsrule4eva3089
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- Nov 22, 2008
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A lot on the line, what do they think this is, the Olympics lol. It's a junior tournament, losing it doesn't mean players are not being produced in the ranks. It'll become more and more difficult to win this tournament going forward for Canada because of the fact all the NHL teams keep their young players even though they have no production whatsoever. And then the depth will be tested, but that depth no longer exceeds the talent of the likes of the best Swedes-Fins-Russians-Americans, it's either close to being on par or below what those countries bring. No harm in that, it makes for a more fun viewing.
A lot on the line? Meh - it's just another international hockey tournament. They may win, they may lose. No biggie, they have won plenty adding one more makes no difference.
I don't understand, I disagree with every statement you make.
only a junior tournamnet.
no production what so ever.
Just another International tournament. I think the kids see it as a heck of alot more than that.
Besides you took the time to come to this thread so I'm sure you have some interest in the tourney, aka hockey+Canadian= heart
covfefe
Zoltan Poszar's Burner
- Feb 5, 2014
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I watch the WJCs fairly religiously every year, and am curious to see if anyone else feels similarly to me re. the structure and regimentation of the Canadian teams.
Almost every year we have players who are surefire NHLers...guys who have either gone in the top-10 in the draft or are expected to in the future. Yet these hugely skilled, creative players are forced to play within the confines of a highly structured, predetermined, pro-style system. More often than not, you end up only seeing a percentage of their skills on display, because the concept of playing such a "team" game ends up limiting the ability of players who are almost always the #1 or #2 players on every team they have ever played on. These guys are coming from junior leagues where they are given free reign to play creatively and to make things happen out of nothing, and in my eyes they are asked to learn too many concepts in too short a period of time. The teams would fare better if they simply gave the TOP kids the keys to the castle (well..within reasonable limitations)
When you watch the Swiss, or Sweden, or Finland last year, their top players truly stand out. Teravainen was able to display his skill on command in last year's tournament; and in my eyes the decision to not stifle a player with top-flight skill was significant and brilliant...the Finns won the tournament. I remember the same thing with watching Nino Neiderreiter a few years ago, he was just absolutely dominant...so fast and strong on the puck, and he really affected the outcomes of games for the Swiss. Almost always when you watch Sweden play, their first rounders and second rounders just have so much more impact on the games, they really stand out as opposed to our guys.
Even with Slovakia in last year's tournament, Martin Reway was lights out and you really noticed his skill when watching that team play. There is no question that, were Reway a Canadian, he wouldn't have even been able to sniff a spot on the CAN roster. Yet you give a player like Reway the opportunity to play to his strengths, and look what happens...he ends up outscoring 99% of the Canadian roster in the same tournament, on the same rinks...playing the same opponents.
Ultimately, I'm not sure if I am completely able to verbalize all of my feelings with regard to this situation (apologies as I am a francophone so I sometimes struggle to translate french concepts into plain English). I feel as though I have a fundamental disagreement with the philosophical foundation of Hockey Canada and how they want to build these teams; re. their continual attempts to build pro-style teams for a tournament in which the winner almost always plays a junior-style game. Last year we took players like Rychel, Josh Anderson, and Taylor Leier, all of whom end up combining for a whopping 2 points; that just makes no sense to me. Why not take guys who may not be as 'pro' ready as more physically mature players, but who have way better individual skills? You give them some game experience and by the time the next year's tournament comes around, you have a bunch of guys you know you will be able to count on. Nick Merkley/Dylan Strome stand out to me as candidate for this last category. Both of them are all but leading their leagues in scoring, but they aren't even given a chance to come to tryouts and show what they can offer. That type of bureaucratic idiocy just makes no sense to me.
I realize such a long post about a relatively trivial topic is probably humorous for people, but I've been thinking about some of these thing for a while and felt like throwing my opinions into the mix.
Almost every year we have players who are surefire NHLers...guys who have either gone in the top-10 in the draft or are expected to in the future. Yet these hugely skilled, creative players are forced to play within the confines of a highly structured, predetermined, pro-style system. More often than not, you end up only seeing a percentage of their skills on display, because the concept of playing such a "team" game ends up limiting the ability of players who are almost always the #1 or #2 players on every team they have ever played on. These guys are coming from junior leagues where they are given free reign to play creatively and to make things happen out of nothing, and in my eyes they are asked to learn too many concepts in too short a period of time. The teams would fare better if they simply gave the TOP kids the keys to the castle (well..within reasonable limitations)
When you watch the Swiss, or Sweden, or Finland last year, their top players truly stand out. Teravainen was able to display his skill on command in last year's tournament; and in my eyes the decision to not stifle a player with top-flight skill was significant and brilliant...the Finns won the tournament. I remember the same thing with watching Nino Neiderreiter a few years ago, he was just absolutely dominant...so fast and strong on the puck, and he really affected the outcomes of games for the Swiss. Almost always when you watch Sweden play, their first rounders and second rounders just have so much more impact on the games, they really stand out as opposed to our guys.
Even with Slovakia in last year's tournament, Martin Reway was lights out and you really noticed his skill when watching that team play. There is no question that, were Reway a Canadian, he wouldn't have even been able to sniff a spot on the CAN roster. Yet you give a player like Reway the opportunity to play to his strengths, and look what happens...he ends up outscoring 99% of the Canadian roster in the same tournament, on the same rinks...playing the same opponents.
Ultimately, I'm not sure if I am completely able to verbalize all of my feelings with regard to this situation (apologies as I am a francophone so I sometimes struggle to translate french concepts into plain English). I feel as though I have a fundamental disagreement with the philosophical foundation of Hockey Canada and how they want to build these teams; re. their continual attempts to build pro-style teams for a tournament in which the winner almost always plays a junior-style game. Last year we took players like Rychel, Josh Anderson, and Taylor Leier, all of whom end up combining for a whopping 2 points; that just makes no sense to me. Why not take guys who may not be as 'pro' ready as more physically mature players, but who have way better individual skills? You give them some game experience and by the time the next year's tournament comes around, you have a bunch of guys you know you will be able to count on. Nick Merkley/Dylan Strome stand out to me as candidate for this last category. Both of them are all but leading their leagues in scoring, but they aren't even given a chance to come to tryouts and show what they can offer. That type of bureaucratic idiocy just makes no sense to me.
I realize such a long post about a relatively trivial topic is probably humorous for people, but I've been thinking about some of these thing for a while and felt like throwing my opinions into the mix.
Yes, the tourney is interesting to me but more from a standpoint of who is going to be in the NHL in coming years. Canada has won what - 14 or 15 of these things? It really makes no difference if we add one more to the pile. It is nice to win but really doesn't matter. If we were like France and have never won one, it would be much more important.
Sure, the kids playing care but, to the average Canadian, does winning one more really make a difference? I would rather see some underdog country pull it off for the first time.
Arent we hearing this from other nations as well? And there has been 2 tournaments on canadian soil over the past 5 years where I think they have had better teams than they have this year. I also think USA has the best team this year, with that said... Canada is always dangerous and favorites, especially on hometurf. Cant wait for this years tournament.
I agree big time, we had better players than Teravainen last season yet he was so dominant just by himself. I mean Drouin, and Mantha are better players than Teravainen yet he was more effective?
Sometimes I don't like this junior tournament because it doesn't feel like a team won it, it seems like a superstar or two won it for their team + good goaltending.
Past Considerations
Registered User
For example a year ago the amount of players not being available due already playing in NHL was pretty even across the top teams. And if anything, relatively this should affect Canada less because you simply have abundancy of top or nearly top prospects.
Past Considerations
Registered User
I don't really understand your or foxygen's point. Last year was then certainly an exception, or am I the only one who remembers all the whining and crying about Finland playing boring, disciplined trap hockey?
Lol. Not saying the world is over if we don't win, but it is pretty important to win on home soil, after 5 years of waiting. I believe it will be a highly watched tournament, especially since it is in Montreal and Toronto. The team should be stacked even without MacKinnon, Drouin, etc. To not win this tournament simply can't be an option and I believe players will battle and play hard to do anything for gold.
Finland was good last year defensively, they play that style and I don't have a problem with "trap" hockey but when they got the puck they had good players with it but it seemed like Teravainen's line was the only line they could do something offensively and the others weren't doing much other than trying to create something but more importantly not let the other team score.I don't really understand your or foxygen's point. Last year was then certainly an exception, or am I the only one who remembers all the whining and crying about Finland playing boring, disciplined trap hockey?
BigBen
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- Dec 5, 2014
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I agree. Team Canada is all about politics, whether that's the world junior team or the Olympic team. I also think it's pretty dumb to build a team like an NHL team where you have energy lines and guys like Anthony Camara, where there is zero fighting and no need for enforcers.
A perfect example is them not picking Nurse last year because they said he supposedly needed to work on his team game, while he was probably one of the best defensemen available for the team. And picking a guy like Ryan Murphy a few years ago because he was on the head coach's OHL team.
AlternateSideParking
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- Dec 11, 2005
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Canada hasn't lost because of pressure. They've lost because they aren't icing their best roster and the coaches generally suck.
What Babcock did at the Olympics was masterful. If Canada plays a defense-oriented counter game they will win. It won't be sexy but they'll win.
But if they won't. It'll be track meet after track meet and likely another poor tournament.
What Babcock did at the Olympics was masterful. If Canada plays a defense-oriented counter game they will win. It won't be sexy but they'll win.
But if they won't. It'll be track meet after track meet and likely another poor tournament.
There is pressure. On a personal level, it doesn't bother me if they don't win, it's a fun tournament. If it was the best every country could bring, I'd be more concerned about winning. Right now it's the bast U20 Canadian kids that haven't made the NHL yet. It's exciting and become a holiday tradition more than anything and I forget the result by mid-January.
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