Canada’s Camp Roster Already Under Scrutiny Ahead of World Juniors

[WhatTheDuck]

It seems like they have decided who their star defensemen will be so to speak. They are going to lean on Dickinson, Bonk and maybe Schaefer to be the studs who drive the play and command tons of puck time. Then they are auditioning the rest to figure out who would make up the steadiest support cast of reliable shutdown guys. Likely just didn't see Yak or Parekh fitting the latter role.

Not saying I agree with it, just trying to come up with a reason why they were excluded (or originally in Parekh's case)

 

[Dack]

You can have 7D at the World Juniors. Parekh is the perfect powerplay specialist to bring on your roster.

I don't feel that confident about anyone else on the team having the offensive ability to run the powerplay in a short tournament. Schaefer is probably next best, but he's only 17 and you don't want to heap that pressure on and underager at the WJC. Dickinson has put up a lot of points this year, but London is able to overwhelm with talent and better coaching. I don't think Dickinson is a PPQB in a short tournament with a lot of parity at the top.

This is my opinion on it. I think Parekh is the best choice for a "break glass in case of emergency" option. You can take him along as a 7th D or bottom pairing guy and play him sparingly, using him on the powerplay. If the team is defending a lead you cut his minutes and if you need a goal you put him out there more often.

I wouldn't have excluded Yakemchuk from this camp either but Team Canada doesn't seem to trust the defense of either of them.

 

[Haatley]

Yeah, Parekh is incredible soft and very poor defensively. Not the type of player I would personally add to a WJC roster.

Winning CHL defenseman is effectively given to the top scoring dman, which is made easier when you essentially play as a 4th forward on a stacked team.

Look at some of the recent winners:

Nathan Staios
Noel Hoefenmayer
Ty Smith
Ryan Sproul
Tony DeAngelo
Derrick Pouliot

Not the most prestigious list of players. They didn't originally have him on the roster, so I'm guessing Hockey Canada doesn't put a lot of weight into that award either.

How many of these did it in their draft year?

Some very good defencemen have won that you left off the list.
Olen Zellweger
Thomas Chabot

But none of them did it in their draft year.

Parekh is not bad defensively. You clearly haven't watched him play. He's not great... but I have seen him live multiple times this season. He's not as bad as people like you make him out to be.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

How many of these did it in their draft year?

Some very good defencemen have won that you left off the list.
Olen Zellweger
Thomas Chabot

But none of them did it in their draft year.

And he's not going to win it in his d+1.

My point is that winning that award means doesn't really mean you're a good defenseman. It means you can score points.

Parekh is not bad defensively.

Couldn't disagree more. There are some things that he does well because of his skating, but he's very easily exposed by a heavy forecheck.

You clearly haven't watched him play. He's not great... but I have seen him live multiple times this season. He's not as bad as people like you make him out to be.

I have watched him like 15 times. He is very below average defensively, especially when we are talking about WJC dmen.

 

[Gravity]

Hage should have at least got an invite. He's impressing in the NCAA.

 

[lakai17]

It seems like they have decided who their star defensemen will be so to speak. They are going to lean on Dickinson, Bonk and maybe Schaefer to be the studs who drive the play and command tons of puck time. Then they are auditioning the rest to figure out who would make up the steadiest support cast of reliable shutdown guys. Likely just didn't see Yak or Parekh fitting the latter role.

Not saying I agree with it, just trying to come up with a reason why they were excluded (or originally in Parekh's case)

Molendyk injured then or what? Another stud from the dub not getting recognition

 

[Larry Fisher]

Some guys just kinda suck in international play. Despite it being in Ottawa this year they're using IIHF refs and some kids can't adapt. Oh and I think he's turning out into a solid pick for the Sens.



Have you followed Hage at all this season? The kid's turning out pretty fricking awesome despite being drafted by the awful Habs... LOL

Nobody jumped on this but I think you made a valid, important point here on Yakemchuk. Discipline can be an issue for him or over-aggressiveness, which could prove costly with the international rules. Maybe Hockey Canada considered him a liability for that playing style, which is great in the WHL and will be awesome in the NHL but not necessarily in IIHF events.

That said, I still think Yakemchuk should be there. He's now the only available Top 10 pick from 2024 not attending camp with the additions of Sennecke and Parekh, plus Iginla's surgery taking him out. And the fact Yakemchuk was one of the oldest players from his draft class, already 19 for a 19-year-olds tournament, makes me think he could have dominated alongside Dickinson on a big, imposing top pairing.

 

[Larry Fisher]

So how is Canada looking for WJC?

McKenna-Catton-Cowan
Rehkopf-Ritchie-Nadeau
Howe-Yager-Martone
Cataford/Beaudoin/Pinelli-Luchanko-Gauthier

Dickinson-Bonk
Schaefer-Gibson
Molendyk-Akey
Price/Mynio

George
Ivankovic
Bjarnason

Is that a gold medal-winning roster?

 

[frontsfan67]

So how is Canada looking for WJC?

McKenna-Catton-Cowan
Rehkopf-Ritchie-Nadeau
Howe-Yager-Martone
Cataford/Beaudoin/Pinelli-Luchanko-Gauthier

Dickinson-Bonk
Schaefer-Gibson
Molendyk-Akey
Price/Mynio

George
Ivankovic
Bjarnason

Is that a gold medal-winning roster?

Can be but I predict states win still unfortunately

 

[Maitz]

So how is Canada looking for WJC?

McKenna-Catton-Cowan
Rehkopf-Ritchie-Nadeau
Howe-Yager-Martone
Cataford/Beaudoin/Pinelli-Luchanko-Gauthier

Dickinson-Bonk
Schaefer-Gibson
Molendyk-Akey
Price/Mynio

George
Ivankovic
Bjarnason

Is that a gold medal-winning roster?

The will challenge for the bronze medal

 

[VeteranPresence]

This is one of the least inspiring TC rosters I can remember. Heidt, Sennecke, Yakemchuk, Parekh, Greentree, Misa and Cristall were all right there and Cameron opted for a bunch of pluggers who will work hard but lack the skill to break games open.

I'd easily take the following roster over the "A" team:

Cristall-Heidt-Sennecke
Greentree-Hage-Parascek
Misa-Boisvert-Wood
Finnie-Sawchyn-Masse
Barkey

Smith-Yakemchuk
Bertucci-Parekh
Chadwick-Mews
Morin

Ratzlaff
Gardner

 

[shello]

A 07 birth is make me feel like Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan

 

[lakai17]

This is one of the least inspiring TC rosters I can remember. Heidt, Sennecke, Yakemchuk, Parekh, Greentree, Misa and Cristall were all right there and Cameron opted for a bunch of pluggers who will work hard but lack the skill to break games open.

I'd easily take the following roster over the "A" team:

Cristall-Heidt-Sennecke
Greentree-Hage-Parascek
Misa-Boisvert-Wood
Finnie-Sawchyn-Masse
Barkey

Smith-Yakemchuk
Bertucci-Parekh
Chadwick-Mews
Morin

Ratzlaff
Gardner

With no Russia, Canada could enter another team in the tournament. They do in the U17 tournament with team red and team white.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

So what players does everyone think shouldn’t have made the team?

 

[Dominance]

This is one of the least inspiring TC rosters I can remember. Heidt, Sennecke, Yakemchuk, Parekh, Greentree, Misa and Cristall were all right there and Cameron opted for a bunch of pluggers who will work hard but lack the skill to break games open.

I'd easily take the following roster over the "A" team:

Cristall-Heidt-Sennecke
Greentree-Hage-Parascek
Misa-Boisvert-Wood
Finnie-Sawchyn-Masse
Barkey

Smith-Yakemchuk
Bertucci-Parekh
Chadwick-Mews
Morin

Ratzlaff
Gardner

Even without counting Bedard, Benson and Celebrini, the team of eligible-but-not-selected would have a damn good chance of beating the actual selected team if they played a seven-game series.

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Cowan-Catton-Martone
Rehkopf-Luchanko-Yager
Howe-Beaudoin-Cataford
Gauthier/Pinelli

Dickinson-Bonk
Molendyk-Gibson
Schaefer-Akey
Price/Mynio

Cristall-Misa-Sennecke
Iginla-Hage-Wood
Barkey-Heidt-Greentree
Parascak-Finnie-Lardis
Desnoyers/Bear

Morin-Yakemchuk
Smith-Brunicke
Marrelli-Parekh
Chadwick/Dupont

 

[sting101]

i would have taken Sennecke Yakemchuk and Igina for Gauthier Price and Howe but you gotta give the coaches the nod to build it out the way they see fit

As a Nucks fan super happy for Mynio. He looked fantastic at camp

Can't wait

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

They absolutely blew it on the blue line. Just another example of the old guard in hockey not being as smart as they think they are.
As a Rockets fan having Price and no Iginla or Cristall is hilarious to me.

 

[FourQuarters]

They absolutely blew it on the blue line. Just another example of the old guard in hockey not being as smart as they think they are.
As a Rockets fan having Price and no Iginla or Cristall is hilarious to me.

I think Price deserves it, but Hockey Canada doesn't deserve Cristall.

 

[Bileur]

They absolutely blew it on the blue line. Just another example of the old guard in hockey not being as smart as they think they are.
As a Rockets fan having Price and no Iginla or Cristall is hilarious to me.

It reeks of trying to be the smartest in the room

 

[joestevens29]

Same shit different year. Massive complaints no matter what roster they ice

 

[Fatass]

Even without counting Bedard, Benson and Celebrini, the team of eligible-but-not-selected would have a damn good chance of beating the actual selected team if they played a seven-game series.

McKenna-Ritchie-Nadeau
Cowan-Catton-Martone
Rehkopf-Luchanko-Yager
Howe-Beaudoin-Cataford
Gauthier/Pinelli

Dickinson-Bonk
Molendyk-Gibson
Schaefer-Akey
Price/Mynio

Cristall-Misa-Sennecke
Iginla-Hage-Wood
Barkey-Heidt-Greentree
Parascak-Finnie-Lardis
Desnoyers/Bear

Morin-Yakemchuk
Smith-Brunicke
Marrelli-Parekh
Chadwick/Dupont

And that’s the rub with selecting the Canadian junior team. There can be mistakes in player choices but the overwhelming depth of the player pool compensates for the mistakes and the club still wins, and (as a result of winning) hockey Canada can justify their player selection.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Same shit different year. Massive complaints no matter what roster they ice

I can only speak for myself but when they pick a good roster, I say so. I think Canada picked a good 4 nations team an avoided any galaxy brain decisions.


I know they got goalied in the final by Spencer Knight in a game they largely outplayed the states, but that 2021 team for me is an example of how much you can control games if you bring your best players. They limited Finland to 12 shots, Russia to 15, and probably the best ever NTDP class to 21 shots in a game which they out chanced them by double.

They absolutely had the talent to build a similar team this year, but for some reason the management the last 2 years has convinced themselves that bringing along a bottom 6 as if they have a salary cap to adhere to is the way to go. It was masked in Halifax by the fact Bedard went supernova, but last year it was clear to see that depth scoring had been gutted and the team had no answer beyond the top 6.


All that to say it’s still a really elite top 4 and top 6, but it’s frustrating that the same GM from last year is back and has stuck to a similar, not fit for purpose approach to roster construction