sabresfan129103
1-4-6-14
I actually think this is the year they bring gold back home. They have a pretty ridiculous roster this time around.
A Lot on the Line for Canada at the World Juniors
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THall4
Registered User
HC on the junior side is turning into a fraturnity and not picking the best players.
Best goalie was not taken.
Dylan Strome whos been lighting the world on fire on McDavid's wing was not taken. You'd think in a short tournmant, chemistry between players would have been considered..
Best goalie was not taken.
Dylan Strome whos been lighting the world on fire on McDavid's wing was not taken. You'd think in a short tournmant, chemistry between players would have been considered..
I put the pressure on management, not the kids. It's not the players fault Hockey Canada leaves some of its best players off the team.
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TOML
Registered User
Haven't been assembling the correct teams or deploying them effectively in recent years. That being said, Canadians have been satisfied with their dominating Olympic performances during this period.
If the Olympics are gone, perhaps more focus will be put on dominating WJC's? We'll see.
If the Olympics are gone, perhaps more focus will be put on dominating WJC's? We'll see.
Tkachuk Norris
Registered User
- Jun 22, 2012
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Reinhart and McDavid will be much, much better this year. Hopefully Jonathon Drouin has learned to pass by now.
The D looks very strong this year. They have a lot of returning players. I feel this will be a better team this year.
My biggest issue with hockey Canada is that they have tended to go away from physical hockey in international tournaments. Players last year like Emile Poirier, Darnell Nurse and others were left off the roster in favour for small "skilled" guys like Taylor Leier. Usually those surprise guys that have one good year and were undrafted disappear in this tourney. Sure maybe Poirier or Nurse might take a few penalties, but their physicality gets the rest of the team engaged from the start. We need to go back to black and blue Canadian hockey. It's like we are trying to beat the Europeans at their own game.
The D looks very strong this year. They have a lot of returning players. I feel this will be a better team this year.
My biggest issue with hockey Canada is that they have tended to go away from physical hockey in international tournaments. Players last year like Emile Poirier, Darnell Nurse and others were left off the roster in favour for small "skilled" guys like Taylor Leier. Usually those surprise guys that have one good year and were undrafted disappear in this tourney. Sure maybe Poirier or Nurse might take a few penalties, but their physicality gets the rest of the team engaged from the start. We need to go back to black and blue Canadian hockey. It's like we are trying to beat the Europeans at their own game.
I've felt the exact opposite. Hockey Canada seems to think it's going to face-punch its way to gold when obvious you need skill to win. I don't care what team you are, you win games by scoring goals not by going out of position to make a big hit. We've seen that problem in the Olympics as well.
TheGuyInTheChair
Registered User
- Sep 21, 2014
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By leaving off the top scorers in the Q and the O, though? They just don't make sense.
oceanchild
Registered User
It's totally unreasonable for adults to put this much pressure on kids in my opinion. It's a little sad really that as a nation we expect perfection from a group of teenages every year to allow us a passing moment of civic pride while we sit on our arse and watch games. I feel different about pros being paid millions, but when it comes to these kids and how we dissect there failures and don't look at anything other than golds as an accomplishment and allow past "faluires" to somehow make his year tournament have more "value" is sad. I think as a nation we have robbed a group of kids a great experiance by calling the failures and continually rehash it annually to rub it in.
This is the annual stepping-stone to the NHL, those who perform really well in this tournament tend to go higher In the draft. Its a tournament filled with the best of the best ( Usually ) for each country.
The pressure is full - well justified as they are going to receive the same if not more to perform at the biggest stage in the world, The NHL... If you don't perform in the NHL and deliver a Stanley Cup for your club. The team either gets blown up, a coach or management get fired, and you get less money the next time your contract is up.
If these kids cant hack the pressure..i cant imagine how they will handle the pressure as pro players, as annually teams battle it out for the Stanley cup... that WJC gold medal is the Stanley cup of the WJC, and im sure all the players have enormous pride pulling on there countries sweater...as would I.... and fully accept the responsibility and pressure that entales.
As far as expecting gold, wouldn't you expect anything less...
Lets say you were an Olympic athlete and were chosen to represent your country in say... Skiing...are you going to the Olympics to participate and have a good time or are you going to prove you are the best in the world...and up your stock when it comes to endorsements etc...
The world junior championship does this at the very core...we expect no less than Gold because the country is so good at hockey...( See the Olympics ) that its mind boggling with big name up and coming talent that we even considering losing...and its a major opportunity for players to live up to the hype and push there draft stock and gain experience.
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oceanchild
Registered User
Many kids that do well in the world jr do not become stars in the NHL, many teams that do not win the cup do not get blown up. It's an accomplishment to win a Olympic gold, or a stanly cup for sure and guys making millions should expect pressure. These are kids however, they are not fully grown physically or mentally and it's bull that you or anyone else feels you can project what success is to them. I personally feel talhat anyone who makes the Olympic Games has accomplished a great deal and yes I'm sure they all hope to win gold, but how do they owe you or anyone else anything? I think instead of relishing these experiences they come back feeling like faluires and why? so someone like yourself how I doubt will ever be in the top 20 in there group at anything can feel a bit of pride ?
Entitled much ?
For some of these kids this will be the greatest accomplishments of there life and they should be judged on what you think they should accomplish? Is it because you somehow no that how someone deals with pressure at 18 will somehow be the same as they deal with it at 30? Is it because if they don't get drafter in the first round they won't make the NHL or is it because you think they owe you something because you like to watch hockey over Christmas and will enjoy it more if they win?
I feel like the pressure is too much for our kids. They have a hard time trying to just make the NHL now they have Canada watching them expecting a gold medal in a close competition. On paper, we're either #1 or #2 best in the tournament the last 5 years. Coaching hasn't been awful it just seems like the players are tired, they don't seem hungry. I don't know what it is but then they go back to junior and continue doing well in their seasons and go on to look as good NHLers.
Is it pressure? Is it just bad luck? Ever since that dramatic 2009 World Juniors the players for Canada just don't seem to play well as a group.
Is it pressure? Is it just bad luck? Ever since that dramatic 2009 World Juniors the players for Canada just don't seem to play well as a group.
Warden of the North
Ned Stark's head
nothing of extreme importance no, but here's a little known fact (not so little to every die hard hockey fanatic especially a follower of the world juniors) Canada has won a medal every time the tourney was held in Canada so that's pattern that they would not want to break I imagine.
My unprofessional guess is that Canadian players are not as well developed with playing with in a system at that age compared to players on a team like Sweden or Finland
. Even tho the talent is much greater it does not translate to a team that wins. I think it shows a lot more when you throw a bunch of guys together and expect them to perform at the WJC.Look at last year when Finland
won, they shut every team down.Edit: It's not a stab at Team Canada, I just think there might be a difference in the development culture.
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this is a very good post.
I think what you have seen in the key difference between the likes of Sweden and Finland, is that the team buys into a system that also allows the players to play to their strengths. They aren't forced into a "pro-style" system, or any system really that doesn't fit their game. The most successful teams are the ones who work together as a team but also play off the individual strengths of players.
I sure hope Groulx lets McDavid loose in the tournament.
tony d
New poll series coming from me in June
Steveorama
Registered User
Canada has a lot of 19 year-olds this year.
Playing at home, I will be surprised if they don't win.
I really hope the Canucks release Horvat for the tourney. You need strength down the middle, and McDavid, Reinhart and Horvat are an impressive set of centres.
Gardner McKay
RIP, Jimmy.
Duclair would be one of the top scorers if he was still in Juniors. He is on the team now
Riseonfire
Josh Bailey! GAME ONE, TO THE ISLAND!!!
- Nov 8, 2009
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True, but in 2005, Canada won with the most dominant performance in juniors ever. I don't know if we would win every year, but certainly would've won more than 0 golds in the past 5 years. If all countries could have the NHL talents this year, Canada would profite the most AINEC. Imagine adding MacKinnon, Ekblad, Horvat, Drouin, and Lazar to that group of McDavid, Reinhart, Duclair, Fabbri, Dal Colle, Petan, etc.(not mentioning Bennett who is injured) One of the best rosters in WJRs history imo. Can you imagine a powerplay with Drouin, McDavid, MacKinnon, Duclair, and Ekblad? They would destroy the opposition. Or in that 2010 tournament (we lost in OT to the US) if we had Stamkos? A 50-goal scorer in the NHL that season? I think he would help quite a bit.
BigBen
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- Dec 5, 2014
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I'd say it's pretty fair to say Canada would have a huge boost if that was the case. Obviously that can't be an excuse to why they lose, but it would definitely make them a better team. The year of the lockout, the US had Trouba and Galchneyuk who would have been NHL ready (and both played later that year), while Canada only had RNH and Huberdeau.
This year, Canada would have Ekblad, Mackinnon, Drouin, Lazar and Horvat, which would be a huge boost. The only guy the US is missing out on this year is Jones.
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danron1376
Registered User
- Jan 3, 2011
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anything can happen in a short tourney, even if you have the best players/team. that's why it's so fun to watch. as for people caring about the tourney, they care, at least in canada. tsn keeps breaking viewership records.
