WJC: Whats wrong with Canada?

[Joe Zanussi]

I think most would agree with the 2nd sentence. Do you have a theory as to why they’ve finished in 5th place in consecutive years?

Cuz WJC hockey tournaments are difficult to win? Cuz other countries have birth years where they have players who can compete (or be better) than the Canada kids born in that one year? And sometimes that happens two years in a row?

I think all the panic is misguided. The gap is closing for sure….but there still a gap

 

[Golden_Jet]

Interesting. OHL guy saying the 67s couldn't make moves today partly because a lot of players do not want to play for Dave Cameron.

Seems like OHL guy was wrong, they made a few moves, guess that’s why link is gone,

And so the day after getting a couple of draft picks from the Peterborough Peters for overage winger Brady Stonehouse, Boyd completed his deadline haul by moving Mews for defenceman Nolan Jackson, two second-round picks in 2027, third-round picks in 2025 and 2027, a fifth-round pick in 2025 and three conditional picks that include a seventh-rounder in 2028, an eighth-rounder in 2027 and a ninth-rounder in 2027.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Can he take some Hockey Canada big wigs with him?

Okay, so in Canada we like to pump our history up and while no one has better history let's look at it with some context.

Gold medals at WJC:
Canada 20
Russia 13
USA 7

Silver medals:
Russia 13
Sweden 12
Canada 10

Okay, so check this out, the last 20 years, going back to the 2006 tournament:
Gold:
Canada 9
USA 6
Finland 3
Russia 1
Sweden 1

Silver:
Russia 6
Sweden 6
Canada 4

One notable thing, Russia which always medals normally, hasn't since 2020, but has not been allowed to play in the last 4 tournaments. So basically the reason their numbers aren't higher, at least with the Silvers, is they aren't there.

So you can say, no big deal, even in the last 20 years Canada is ahead, and we win the gold medal at the same rate as we have all-time. But in the last 6 years Canada 3 gold USA 3. So basically it is the US who is going hand in hand with us right now.

This downturn shouldn’t last, but hard to paint a positive picture when they just finished with back-to-back 5th-place finishes for the first time in program history. Also, Canada won 60 percent of the 22 WJCs between 1988 and 2009 and only 31 percent of those played between 2010 and 2025.

So glass half empty, Canada’s dominance has been halved over a period of almost two decades. Clearly concerning for Hockey Canada, but then again, making a profit from the tournament is probably paramount and they seem to do a good job with that every non-COVID year.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If they'd stop using David Desharnais as their first line center...

(Sorry, wrong thread.)

 

[Crosby2010]

This downturn shouldn’t last, but hard to paint a positive picture when they just finished with back-to-back 5th-place finishes for the first time in program history. Also, Canada won 60 percent of the 22 WJCs between 1988 and 2009 and only 31 percent of those played between 2010 and 2025.

So glass half empty, Canada’s dominance has been halved over a period of almost two decades. Clearly concerning for Hockey Canada, but then again, making a profit from the tournament is probably paramount and they seem to do a good job with that every non-COVID year.

And that's the thing, how much national pride is in Hockey Canada? I can't imagine much. But profit? Plenty. And that is their key year after year.

 

[Tutu to]

I know everyone in Canada is panicking about recent world junior results but I think Canadian hockey is still in a very good spot. If we are going 05 ( World Juniors age) onwards most of the elite talent is Canadian.
Id say the best player from the 23-27 draft are all Canadian

23-Bedard
24- Celebrini
25- Schaefer
26- Mckenna
27- Dupont

I know a lot of people have Hagens 1st this year ( I don’t ) and a lot can happen before Mckeena and Dupont get drafted but I actually think Canadian development has actually regained and widened the gap from the 98-04 generation and is nicely set up for best on best tournaments in the future.

That being said Hockey Canada itself needs to be a lot better.

 

[Tutu to]

I think you have to blame it on Hockey Canada and on how they select and coach their teams.

It’s definitely not a lack of talent coming from the supply lines. Bedard, Celibrini, Mckeena, Sennecke, Schaefer, Dupont, Misa ect…

That being said I do think the Canadian hockey identity is changing. We are known for having bigger and physical teams that are difficult to play against which hasn’t really been the case recently. This goes for the 4-nations roster as well.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Shout-out to the U-18 women's team for helping keep Hockey Canada's head above water!

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I know everyone in Canada is panicking about recent world junior results but I think Canadian hockey is still in a very good spot. If we are going 05 ( World Juniors age) onwards most of the elite talent is Canadian.
Id say the best player from the 23-27 draft are all Canadian

23-Bedard
24- Celebrini
25- Schaefer
26- Mckenna
27- Dupont

I know a lot of people have Hagens 1st this year ( I don’t ) and a lot can happen before Mckeena and Dupont get drafted but I actually think Canadian development has actually regained and widened the gap from the 98-04 generation and is nicely set up for best on best tournaments in the future.

That being said Hockey Canada itself needs to be a lot better.

So Canada just had their worst result in forever, the year before might’ve been their least talented team in forever, their percentage of NHL’ers keeps deceasing, they might not have the best team in a best on best tournament for the first time maybe ever, but they’re widening some gap?

The answer to the thread in a macro sense is nothing, but I think the most incorrect answer is “actually, they’re lapping the field right now and dusting every other country.”

 

[Tutu to]

So Canada just had their worst result in forever, the year before might’ve been their least talented team in forever, their percentage of NHL’ers keeps deceasing, they might not have the best team in a best on best tournament for the first time maybe ever, but they’re widening some gap?

The answer to the thread in a macro sense is nothing, but I think the most incorrect answer is “actually, they’re lapping the field right now and dusting every other country.”

Results aside I stand by my statement.

In terms of elite prospects Canada is vastly out producing any other nation currently. We produced the last 2 first overalls and have a solid chance of producing at least the next 3. This is apposed to a period of time where I felt America was producing the best prospects.

Obviously a lot can happen though.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Results aside I stand by my statement.

In terms of elite prospects Canada is vastly out producing any other nation currently. We produced the last 2 first overalls and have a solid chance of producing at least the next 3. This is apposed to a period of time where I felt America was producing the best prospects.

Obviously a lot can happen though.

Yes, they produce the highest draft picks because NHL front offices, that are overwhelmingly filled with Canadian executives, have a bias towards believing the Canadian players are better.

How do you think it occurs that these lowly draft picks from other nations end up outproducing the Canadian players relative to draft position? Maybe Canadian players are overrated when it comes to the NHL draft. Seems like the logical conclusion from that data set.

 

[Hanji]

That being said I do think the Canadian hockey identity is changing. We are known for having bigger and physical teams that are difficult to play against which hasn’t really been the case recently. This goes for the 4-nations roster as well.

Canada hasn't changed in this regard. Other nations have caught up to Canada in the physicality department.
No top nation is gonna physically intimate another one on any regular basis these days.

 

[waitin425]

Nothing is necessarily wrong with Canada. There are some things wrong with Hockey Canada including how they build their teams.

Include the past two first overalls who are still eligible for this team, and remove the politics and overthinking and we have ourselves a pretty dominant team.

Catton - Bedard - Yager
McKenna - Celebrini - Sennecke
Cowan - Misa - Martone
Cristall - Luchanko - Wood
Hage

Schaefer-Bonk
Dickinson-Yakemchuk
Molendyk - Parekh

No American team is beating that....even if you add Will Smith

 

[Lumber]

So Canada just had their worst result in forever, the year before might’ve been their least talented team in forever, their percentage of NHL’ers keeps deceasing, they might not have the best team in a best on best tournament for the first time maybe ever, but they’re widening some gap?

The answer to the thread in a macro sense is nothing, but I think the most incorrect answer is “actually, they’re lapping the field right now and dusting every other country.”

While I agree with your premise I don't think that the WJC results over the past two years are indicative of major drop in talent. The 2024 version of Team Canada was missing Bedard, Benson, Wright and Korchinski who were in the NHL and the problem was further compounded by injuries to 2 players Molendyk and Luneau just before the tournament started. To make matters worse Savoie was hurt part way through. The 2025 team was without Bedard, Benson and Celebrini who were in the NHL. The team was also poorly constructed and coached.

 

[Tutu to]

Yes, they produce the highest draft picks because NHL front offices, that are overwhelmingly filled with Canadian executives, have a bias towards believing the Canadian players are better.

How do you think it occurs that these lowly draft picks from other nations end up outproducing the Canadian players relative to draft position? Maybe Canadian players are overrated when it comes to the NHL draft. Seems like the logical conclusion from that data set.

High draft picks flop from every country. Its more likely to happen to Canadians because there are more of them. Its early but Bedard and Celebrini have been the best players from their respective drafts. Canadian talent is doing fine but Hockey Canada sucks.

 

[kyle44]

I'm probably in the minority, but I cant wait for some of the top Canadian U-20 CHL guys to play NCAA. Some of these guys need to be challenged against older competition and learn to make decisions with less time and space. American U-20 teams the last decade or so have had incredible pace and an ability to make quick decisions, whereas I notice a lot of Canadian players wait for the game to come to them and react slower. I think this a a product of how the CHL game is played and we'll see a notable difference once we see a U-20 team with 8-9 NCAA (formerly CHL) guys.

I think one of the reasons Celebrini adjusted so quickly was because he learned to play this way before coming to the NHL. Comparatively, Bedard had to spend a full year (and part of this year) adjusting to the pace and limited time/space.

 

[Mathieukferland]

I'm probably in the minority, but I cant wait for some of the top Canadian U-20 CHL guys to play NCAA. Some of these guys need to be challenged against older competition and learn to make decisions with less time and space. American U-20 teams the last decade or so have had incredible pace and an ability to make quick decisions, whereas I notice a lot of Canadian players wait for the game to come to them and react slower. I think this a a product of how the CHL game is played and we'll see a notable difference once we see a U-20 team with 8-9 NCAA (formerly CHL) guys.

I think one of the reasons Celebrini adjusted so quickly was because he learned to play this way before coming to the NHL. Comparatively, Bedard had to spend a full year (and part of this year) adjusting to the pace and limited time/space.

Yeah, I agree with this sentiment. The CHL might be a loser in the CHL/NCAA agreement, but Canadian players will definitely benefit from this