WJC: Whats wrong with Canada?

[Hockeyfrilla]

Canada just made history with back to back losses in the QF, both times against Czechia.

I thought Canada would come out guns blazing and redeem themselves this year (Home advantage, small rink etc) But no.

So, whats wrong with Canada at the World Juniors?

Click to read more...

 

[Khrox]

They picked a team that is better off for 7 game series rather than a team that is good for single elimination. And this tournament is single elimination.

 

[alko]

Everybody knows how to play ice-hockey.

Ok, except of Slovakia...

 

[Mathieukferland]

Coaching and management. More talent available to them than any other team, and they try to build a team that has too much of an emphasis on roles and not enough of an emphasis on versatility

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Listening to Cameron's responses, it's pretty clearly ego and arrogance among the HC leadership group.

 

[Fatass]

Coaching and management. More talent available to them than any other team, and they try to build a team that has too much of an emphasis on roles and not enough of an emphasis on versatility

This ^^^
Player selection seems (imo) to be partially based on some kind of quota system. Must have players from different regions and prospects from certain nhl teams. All to drive the money making machine.

 

[trick9]

Coaching.

Team selection.

In general, when these things get fixed, they are fine. They lacked scoring year ago, but that team still put up 10 more goals than this one. There were pieces to bring in more offensive flare but they instead went with the grinders and in the end in several plays it was those very same grinders who dug them a hole that they couldn't get out of, because they lacked the offense that they didn't bring.

Pieces are there. This was just a complete failure.

 

[Prior]

Listening to Cameron's responses, it's pretty clearly ego and arrogance among the HC leadership group.

I think arrogance also boils down to the players. All these kids are used to being the big fish in a small pond that is their CHL team. Very few look like they know what it means or takes to play off others to beat players and teams that can match their ability top to bottom. The CHL model as a whole isn’t helping them as a lot of these other teams and players are accustomed to playing against men and simply better competition and know what it takes shift in, shift out. For Canada, there’s no kids to take advantage of like their is in their regular season once you get passed the cupcakes of the tournament.

 

[1Gold Standard]

It's going to be a fun year.

 

[FourQuarters]

They forget that winning is never easy, let alone "guaranteed." Even the last time they beat the Czechs in the final, they didn't win easily, and if kulich had controlled the puck tighter and hadn't turned it over, the Czech might have won. It's just that winning two titles in a row has made them forget how hard the battle is.

 

[Vipers31]

Only having heard it on here, but if the (relative) lack of practices is true, that’s absolutely fascinating. You make roster selections that are clearly designed to create a supposedly „coachable“ team that would be fitted to execute a coach’s vision, and then you don’t use some of the limited time in this short tournament to actually make this work. It’s just weird.

 

[janesy12]

This crap about taking the "right" players is foolish too.
They left some game breaking talent home. Take the best players, they'll adjust to the role that is given. Ridiculous roster omissions this year.

 

[Strangle]

Pretty simple answer here.

They aren’t good enough

 

[bobber]

The only player that showed up was George.

 

[John Price]

bad coaching and bad roster construction

 

[matt trick]

I really don’t get leaving Misa and Parekh at home. Parekh is the premier PPQB, perfect guy to bring as your 7th dman. Misa can play any style and gives you an immediate option if any center or left wing goes down.

Sennecke had something to prove and Yakemchuk looked great with Ottawa. It’s a 19 year olds tournament, but leaving all four at home doesn’t make much sense to me.

Canada doesn’t need a checking line and an energy line. US, Sweden, and Finland all lack high-end scoring depth, let your differentiator be that you have three scoring lines and an elite two way line centered by a guy like Luchanko.

 

[GettingYourMoms]

Nothing, Czechs are just better. They showed it year before and confirmed it this year and Czechs didn´t even have their best players aside from Galvas.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Nothing's "wrong" with them, they just didn't have it this year.

The sooner the media here stops cranking the hysteria up to 11 after every WJC loss, the better.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Stop ignoring college players would be a start. Michael Hage is right there with Hagens and Leonard for points but never even got a camp invite as it’s all predetermined - also only 6 PIMS…

 

[Hallonbroder]

They lost to another hockey country. S*** happens

 

[GettingYourMoms]

Nothing's "wrong" with them, they just didn't have it this year.

The sooner the media here stops cranking the hysteria up to 11 after every WJC loss, the better.

You are going to get used to it. Future czech junior teams have same deep D core but in forward group they are far far stronger than this team and its not even close. I though that silver generation is just flop, one strong year, but looking at future prospects it just never stops, there is not going to be a year without czech 1st rounder for at least 5 years in future and i am sure than at least 2 of those years will have MULTIPLE czech 1st rounders. At most 10 years from now czechs will be top3 nation in G and D part.

 

[PainForShane]

They lost to another hockey country. S*** happens

Seriously. There's nothing wrong with Canadian hockey the world's just caught up with them. Or at least caught up enough that most games in the knockout phase have parity.

If you've paid attention it's happened at the NHL level too. The best d-man is Cale Makar, but Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox aren't too far behind, if we're being realistic neither is Hedman or even someone like Dahlin in a short tournament. The best goalies in the world are Shesty and Hellebuyck, Canada's best goalie is... Adin Hill? Canada does have the world's best centers (McD, MacK, personally I'd still lump Sid in here) but definitely does NOT have the best wingers. So, a strong but not dominant best-on-best roster at the NHL level. It's been like this for at least a few years.

Anyway imo this idea of Canadian exceptionalism in hockey is probably over, or at the very least shouldn't be taken for granted the way it's been for the past however many years. Yes, they should be expected to reach the semis most years but imo there are about 5 other countries (I'm counting Russia) who have enough talent to ice a world class team. Losing to a good team in the quarters isn't some crazy outlier result in my opinion, regardless of team construction and / or coaching

 

[Warden of the North]

Hubris

 

[optimus2861]

This crap about taking the "right" players is foolish too.
They left some game breaking talent home. Take the best players, they'll adjust to the role that is given. Ridiculous roster omissions this year.

Exactly this. IIRC it was Al Arbour who said, "Give me the scorer and I'll teach him defense."

Hockey Canada's approach this year seemed to be, take players who supposedly know how to play defense and we expect some of them will figure out how to score. And take a coach who .. won't actually .. coach. Because his teenaged players got exhausted. From not even practicing. ... Sorry, my brain hurts trying to figure out the reality in which Cameron's thinking actually makes sense.

Total HC failure. If the organization were properly functioning, heads would be rolling today. Instead I expect HC will blather that it "wasn't our year" and do absolutely nothing differently because they'll host the tournament again in two years and make bank. Obstinate fools.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Multiple top 10 picks left off the roster, Martone sitting, no practice for a week