TSN: Canada's list of invited players

[J-D]

on the hockeycanada website it says picard will be there??

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/teams/mens/junior/2005/rosters/can_sel.html

There are two Alexandre Picards. The D-man, and the forward.

 

[bonefizzle]

w just better this year

i don't think their is any discrimination on the Q... or favortism to the W.. .it just so happens the whl is stacked this year... look at the canada russia challange scores .. the first game w smoked them... if their was favortism then they would have picked brule

 

[pei fan]

on the hockeycanada website it says picard will be there??

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/teams/mens/junior/2005/rosters/can_sel.html

Wrong Picard,there's actually three in the Q right now.The one everyone is
talking about was picked 8th overall in the first round of last years draft.He's a
forward and plays for Lewiston.He has a solid all-around game.

 

[Boondock Saint]

As much as I think this team has a bunch of great players, I honestly can't see, even as a Westerner, how you could possibly invite 21 out of 32 from the WHL?

For christ sake is Dubnyk that far better than Shantz? Fraser over Picard?

I think when it comes down to it, ties have to go to making even representation. (maybe not even...but sure as heck closer than this)

Screw representation.

The best team is not made up of the best individual players.

Brent Sutter has put together a roster that he feels will result in the best team.

There is too much on the line for him to be lamely playing favorites, so everyone he has there, he has there for a reason.

He was chosen as the coach that Hockey Canada wanted to lead this team, so they obviously have faith in the guy. He should be given the benefit of a doubt for the job he has done in Red Deer.

 

[sharkyz15]

Why has no one been complaingin about the selection of Andrew Ladd ahead of Bernier, Picard and all the other Q's

Andrew Ladd: 31 gp 10 goals 13 assists 23 pts #38 in scoring in the WHL!!!!!!!!!

This guy although a good player hasnt proven that he is more then a one year wonder yet.


I really hope Parise, O'Sullivan, Montoya, and Hennessy (hopefully) go out there and win this thing again and show Canada what big mistakes Canada made.

 

[Mess]

Goaltending is still better in the Q. Just so happens the best ones are small right now, see Ellis and Houle.

Goalie depth in the QMJHL is still the best in the CHL, its just the WHL has more high end guys in the opinion of Hockey Canada.

Do you honestly believe that the Q goalies did not get selected based on size and not talent ??

Logic would suggest that since most of the players are from the WHL and all the defensemen nearly that the WHL goalies face higher levels of competition day in and day out ...

and the same goes for all the WHL forwards selected to the camp they play against the Phaneuf's and Barker's and Coburn's every night .. and if you want to project how your players could play in the WJC .. why not hold their WHL performance against Canada's best Dmen as a measuring stick ..

Bernier is measured against the Q dmen , and Fraser, Stone, Meyer against much stronger competition ...

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I was a little surprised Zajac wasn't invited. He had a good camp and is having a great first year. This team is going to lose to the team that has the best PP. Give Russia atleast 10 PP opportunities in a game and they will for sure score 3 or 4.

 

[Pascha]

WTF? No Gilbert Brule?? What a joke! He was one of the best players on the ice in the 2nd WHL v Russia game, despite being sick.

 

[pei fan]

i don't think their is any discrimination on the Q... or favortism to the W.. .it just so happens the whl is stacked this year... look at the canada russia challange scores .. the first game w smoked them... if their was favortism then they would have picked brule

IF you look at the Russia VS. Q series they had 2 players that dominated:their
Goalie and Alexander Radulov.Radulov plays in the Q by the way.Those were the
only 2 games that those players played,so the OHL and WHL played a weaker team
plus they played them at thend of a 6 game road trip.Also the Q was missing
their 2 best players:Crosby and Picard .AS well,alot of the top players in the Q
this year are Europeans so the Q is plenty competitive.

 

[The Old Master]

No because the team next year will be made up of entirely 1987 born players! 1986's in Canada are very weak! Next year you will see Brule, Cogliano, Bertram, Little and co.

you won't see brule he will be in the nhl. as for the others ?

 

[Blind Gardien]

i don't think their is any discrimination on the Q... or favortism to the W.. .it just so happens the whl is stacked this year... look at the canada russia challange scores .. the first game w smoked them... if their was favortism then they would have picked brule

I think this viewpoint is just as wrong as the usual "Hockey Canada is a joke" moaning that goes on every year.

There was favouritism shown to the WHL. There is really no other way to explain the four goalies or the preponderance of additional selections of the Fraser/Boyd/MacArthur variety when identical or superior players were available from other leagues and were overlooked.

However, the key (and several others have correctly pointed this out already), is that it doesn't matter if there is favouritism shown to the WHL. The end product will still be a fabulous team, and it is entirely reasonable that Sutter would want to work with the players he is most familiar with and try to build a well-rounded team with players who fill a variety of roles.

The WHL is the strongest league in the CHL. Above and beyond that, it has slightly biased representation on the WJC camp roster. But there are very good and acceptable reasons for that. We won't do ourselves any favours by denying the bias, and the reasons for it, any more than we would do ourselves any service by ranting that "hockey Canada is a joke". They know what they're doing. And actually, from a programmatic perspective, they almost can't go wrong with the calibre of '85s they have to choose from.

 

[SeLaine]

IF you look at the Russia VS. Q series they had 2 players that dominated:their
Goalie and Alexander Radulov.Radulov plays in the Q by the way.Those were the
only 2 games that those players played,so the OHL and WHL played a weaker team
plus they played them at thend of a 6 game road trip.Also the Q was missing
their 2 best players:Crosby and Picard .AS well,alot of the top players in the Q
this year are Europeans so the Q is plenty competitive.

I don't know what you are trying to say here. If the top players in the Q are Europeans as you say then it is no wonder why the majority of the invitees come from other leagues. If the top players are not Canadians then how do you expect them to be invited to Team Canada's camp?

 

[Sammy*]

I think this viewpoint is just as wrong as the usual "Hockey Canada is a joke" moaning that goes on every year.

There was favouritism shown to the WHL. There is really no other way to explain the four goalies or the preponderance of additional selections of the Fraser/Boyd/MacArthur variety when identical or superior players were available from other leagues and were overlooked.

However, the key (and several others have correctly pointed this out already), is that it doesn't matter if there is favouritism shown to the WHL. The end product will still be a fabulous team, and it is entirely reasonable that Sutter would want to work with the players he is most familiar with and try to build a well-rounded team with players who fill a variety of roles.

The WHL is the strongest league in the CHL. Above and beyond that, it has slightly biased representation on the WJC camp roster. But there are very good and acceptable reasons for that. We won't do ourselves any favours by denying the bias, and the reasons for it, any more than we would do ourselves any service by ranting that "hockey Canada is a joke". They know what they're doing. And actually, from a programmatic perspective, they almost can't go wrong with the calibre of '85s they have to choose from.

Finally some common sense. As much as I would have like to see Brule & Bernier on the team, obviously Sutter picks the players he feels will give him the best chance of winning regardless of the league.
God I hate the whining that goes on after this list is made & the team is announced. You'd think everyones first born was getting screwed over.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I feel the OHL is better then the WHL. They actually have a mix of offense/skill and grit. There were a couple players from the OHL who got screwed out of an invite. Sutter has a serious hate for the Q....I don't know why, maybe he was jealous Lemieux and Savard where so much better hockey players then him...I dunno.

I just hope his team makes it to the memorial cup and Lewiston pounds them with two players (Picard and Bourret) who he shafted getting first and second star.

 

[gb701]

I think this viewpoint is just as wrong as the usual "Hockey Canada is a joke" moaning that goes on every year.

There was favouritism shown to the WHL. There is really no other way to explain the four goalies or the preponderance of additional selections of the Fraser/Boyd/MacArthur variety when identical or superior players were available from other leagues and were overlooked.

However, the key (and several others have correctly pointed this out already), is that it doesn't matter if there is favouritism shown to the WHL. The end product will still be a fabulous team, and it is entirely reasonable that Sutter would want to work with the players he is most familiar with and try to build a well-rounded team with players who fill a variety of roles.

The WHL is the strongest league in the CHL. Above and beyond that, it has slightly biased representation on the WJC camp roster. But there are very good and acceptable reasons for that. We won't do ourselves any favours by denying the bias, and the reasons for it, any more than we would do ourselves any service by ranting that "hockey Canada is a joke". They know what they're doing. And actually, from a programmatic perspective, they almost can't go wrong with the calibre of '85s they have to choose from.

Well said. The quibbling over who may or may not be better at the weak end of this team, or who should be there to be cut (i.e. - the extra goalie), is just a waste of time and the annual venting of the "we are not appreciated" whiners. The players most likely to gel and succeed have been selected - Sutter does not coach for his health or for the egos around him, he coaches to win. Period.

One side note - look for Stone to make it over Fraser (or I may have to eat my words of praise for Sutter). Stone is becoming a force and his style of play lends itself to Sutter hockey.

 

[gb701]

I feel the OHL is better then the WHL. They actually have a mix of offense/skill and grit. There were a couple players from the OHL who got screwed out of an invite. Sutter has a serious hate for the Q....I don't know why, maybe he was jealous Lemieux and Savard where so much better hockey players then him...I dunno.

I just hope his team makes it to the memorial cup and Lewiston pounds them with two players (Picard and Bourret) who he shafted getting first and second star.

Yah, right...it all goes back to Sutter being jealous.

As to offense, skill and grit, we have plenty of all three out here.

 

[gr8haluschak]

As much as I think this team has a bunch of great players, I honestly can't see, even as a Westerner, how you could possibly invite 21 out of 32 from the WHL?

For christ sake is Dubnyk that far better than Shantz? Fraser over Picard?

I think when it comes down to it, ties have to go to making even representation. (maybe not even...but sure as heck closer than this)

How is Shantz better than Dubnyk, obviosuly his 3.03 GAA and 0.907 save percentage, in a worse league and on a better team says he is not better than Dubnyk

 

[Slats432]

Screw representation.

The best team is not made up of the best individual players.

Brent Sutter has put together a roster that he feels will result in the best team.

There is too much on the line for him to be lamely playing favorites, so everyone he has there, he has there for a reason.

He was chosen as the coach that Hockey Canada wanted to lead this team, so they obviously have faith in the guy. He should be given the benefit of a doubt for the job he has done in Red Deer.

Screw the fact that Fraser is an inferior player compared to many mentioned here.

Sutter has shown more of a Western bias than any bias I have ever seen for a WJC. Couldn't take Munce/Shantz over Glass/Beauchemin? Dylan Hunter over Fraser?

Like it or not, Sutter is playing favourites not based on anything but guys he knows/likes and not based on ability.

 

[Big Deaner]

I was a little surprised Zajac wasn't invited. He had a good camp and is having a great first year. This team is going to lose to the team that has the best PP. Give Russia atleast 10 PP opportunities in a game and they will for sure score 3 or 4.

Disagree, I think are Pk will be fine. Stone is a fantastic penalty killer and has three short handed goals this year, Colliton is an excellent penalty killer, everyone keeps saying Dixon is on this team because of his penalty killing and defensive abilities. I'd love to see Stewart,Richards or Bergeron on the PK as well. Our defense will be fantastic. The only Penalty Killer I'm worried about is probably the goaltender. The goaltending this year makes me uneasy. And by the way, yes Russia will probably be dominant on the PP, but so will Canada, Carter, Getzlaf, Phaneuf, Barker, Bergeron, Perry, Crosby, Fehr and Stone (have combined for 23 PP goals and 43 PP points this year), Richards, Dawes. The possibilities are endless we will have 3 solid PP units to work with. Again the only thing that worries me is goaltending

 

[gb701]

Screw the fact that Fraser is an inferior player compared to many mentioned here.

Sutter has shown more of a Western bias than any bias I have ever seen for a WJC. Couldn't take Munce/Shantz over Glass/Beauchemin? Dylan Hunter over Fraser?

Like it or not, Sutter is playing favourites not based on anything but guys he knows/likes and not based on ability.

If all you can come up with is Fraser, Glass and Beauchemin, the fundamentals of this team are sound, since none of those three are likely to last past the camp anyway. I tend to agree on Fraser, but who cares? It is the top players who will decide this championship anyway.

See the post on Shantz above - he is not ready for this level.

Have to admit - I came on to check the posts just because I knew this list was going to drive the Q nuts. I am surprised at Hockey Canada but not at Sutter.

 

[LaLaLaprise]

Do you honestly believe that the Q goalies did not get selected based on size and not talent ??

Logic would suggest that since most of the players are from the WHL and all the defensemen nearly that the WHL goalies face higher levels of competition day in and day out ...

and the same goes for all the WHL forwards selected to the camp they play against the Phaneuf's and Barker's and Coburn's every night .. and if you want to project how your players could play in the WJC .. why not hold their WHL performance against Canada's best Dmen as a measuring stick ..

Bernier is measured against the Q dmen , and Fraser, Stone, Meyer against much stronger competition ...

Ellis is 18, leads the league in mins played, his team cant score and he has a .930 save %. Why wasnt he considered? I guess 6'00 is too small.

Houle is 5'10, it is common knowledge he gets no respect because of that.

 

[Big Deaner]

I just hope his team makes it to the memorial cup and Lewiston pounds them with two players (Picard and Bourret) who he shafted getting first and second star.

Dont worry about it, Rebels wont make it to the Memorial Cup.

 

[Pascha]

I feel the OHL is better then the WHL. They actually have a mix of offense/skill and grit.

Sounds like Gilbert Brule, to me.

 

[LaLaLaprise]

Dont worry about it, Rebels wont make it to the Memorial Cup.

Neither will Lewy...this year.

 

[Slats432]

If all you can come up with is Fraser, Glass and Beauchemin, the fundamentals of this team are sound, since none of those three are likely to last past the camp anyway. I tend to agree on Fraser, but who cares? It is the top players who will decide this championship anyway.

See the post on Shantz above - he is not ready for this level.

Have to admit - I came on to check the posts just because I knew this list was going to drive the Q nuts. I am surprised at Hockey Canada but not at Sutter.

As an Alberta boy, I am proud of the WHL quality of players, but this is homerism at its finest from Sutter.

There is no way that several of those players couldn't be replaced with players of the same quality from the other leagues.

I could say Bernier and Fehr is close. I could say that Roussin/Colliton were close...Hunter over Fraser?, Wolski over MacArthur?....there are tons of comparables.

And the list isn't going to make just the Q people nuts. It will make anyone that overlooks the fact they live in Western Canada that the list reeks with personal bias.(Just because Colin Fraser is his captain doesn't mean he is a better player than Dylan Hunter or Steve Bernier.)