GDT: WJC 2024 Thread

Kryten

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On forward: McKenna, Catton, and Nadeau all look great

On D: Price, Mynio, and Bonk have stood out positively

Biggest surprise so far is how awful Dickinson looks
Catton looked higher than giraffe p***y while watching fr9m the bench on the tying goal
 

VanJack

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If you can't score, you can't win. And when you take seven undisciplined penalties, it's an even higher mountain to climb.

I'd be surprised if this Canadian team can even get by the Czechs. The second-guessers are already out in full force questioning some of the roster decisions.
 

SeawaterOnIce

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USA hockey is probably better at producing and developing talent than hockey canada, at this point. USA has a stronger olympic roster, too.
Hockey Canada has seen a dramatic drop in hockey enrollment. We have an aging population and newcomers are electing to put their kids in sports that don't cost a fortune.

I keep saying it...it's so ridiculously f***ing expensive to do anything in this country and many local governments are broke and cannot maintain arenas.

I'm amazed this country keeps churning out decent players but at some point you expect hockey USA to run away with the sport.
 

VanJack

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Hockey Canada has seen a dramatic drop in hockey enrollment. We have an aging population and newcomers are electing to put their kids in sports that don't cost a fortune.

I keep saying it...it's so ridiculously f***ing expensive to do anything in this country and many local governments are broke and cannot maintain arenas.

I'm amazed this country keeps churning out decent players but at some point you expect hockey USA to run away with the sport.
I've got news for you.....it's expensive everywhere these days, and the USA is no different. That's why lot of U.S. hockey players come from wealthy family backgrounds like Austen Matthews who's family could afford to buy him all the ice-time he ever wanted in Phoenix, which is basically in the middle of the desert.

It's worthwhile noting that Macklin Celebrini, Zach Benson and Connor Bedard would be eligible for this tournament if they weren't in the NHL. And I have no doubt that Hockey Canada could have picked a B-team for this tournament that might be as good or maybe even better than the current Team Canada picks.

But for comparisons sake, the USA has a population of 350 million; Canada is at just over 40 million; and Sweden is about 10 million; and Finland barely five million. And Germany is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe with a population of more than 83 million, but their junior teams really don't do much of anything.

So sure hockey is an expensive sport.....always has been and always will be. But hockey in Canada is doing just fine imo, given all the other sports that kids can play these days. And soccer, basketball, baseball and tennis will probably always be cheaper.
 

1440

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Mynio was good versus the USA despite not getting any special teams time in a game filled with powerplays. He took a penalty that the US scored on, but it was a very soft call.
Overall Canada was dominant at even strength and would have run away with it if it weren't for the penalties. The refereeing was horrendously one sided but the Canadian players were running around a bit late in the game.

Canada now sits at a ridiculously low 10/178 = 5.8% shooting percentage, so they are due for some serious positive regression. They have generated the most shots in the tournament but are tied for fifth in goals. Their main medal competition in Czechia 25/127 = 19.7%, Sweden 24/163 = 14.7, and USA sit at 22/158 = 13.9%. I would expect Canada to shoot about 14% in a tournament like this (they have been at about 14% the last 4 tournaments), which would put them at 25 goals with their shot total, so I think they should still be considered the gold medal favourite.
 

LemonSauceD

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Mynio took a pretty bad penalty that costed Canada a goal but his play last night was very good for the most part. He played relatively safe and I would’ve liked to see him jump up onto the play but very clearly that’s not his role for Canada. Him and Price were the shutdown D getting paired against the Hagens line and they did well to keep them off the score sheet 5 on 5. For instance, USA was only able to register 7 shots while Mynio and Price were on the ice (counted). Mynio in particular was very effective at using his lower body strength to get low and muscle out forecheckers and to snuff out pucks from corners. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s about 190 pounds now.

I’ve mentioned this hundreds of times now but skating ability is just absolutely elite. He generates an immense amount of power in very few strides and his edge work is among the best of U21 prospects which I don’t say lightly considering Buium, Molendyk, Mateychuk, and of course Willander are some of the best skating defensive prospects out there currently.

hopefully others who haven’t really watched him play before get the chance to watch him and make judgements for their own in regards to his skating because to me his skating ability is equivalent to Willander’s and in some aspects, probably even better.
 

Mr. Canucklehead

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Easton Cowan just saved Mynio from becoming the scapegoat

That was a buttery soft call on Mynio as well, to be fair.

Hard to remember the last time a Canadian team looked this uninspiring. Wonder if they get through the quarterfinals.

Great to see Willander playing so much in all key situations for Sweden. He can’t get to Vancouver’s blueline fast enough.
 

Bojack Horvatman

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Hockey Canada has seen a dramatic drop in hockey enrollment. We have an aging population and newcomers are electing to put their kids in sports that don't cost a fortune.

I keep saying it...it's so ridiculously f***ing expensive to do anything in this country and many local governments are broke and cannot maintain arenas.

I'm amazed this country keeps churning out decent players but at some point you expect hockey USA to run away with the sport.

Ice rinks are bit out of my domain, but I work for municipal recreation centres in fitness. Ice rinks are expensive to run, maintain, staff, and pay for utilities. They also don’t bring in as much money as other expensive facilities to run like pools, weight rooms, or golf. One issue is that an ice rinks entire demographic is kids and working adults. Where other facilities have lots of seniors to use the space during working/school hours. It also doesn’t get nearly as much summer activity as a pool. Can only make so much money from free skates and private bookings, so it’s up to hockey and figure skating to foot the rest of the cost and make a profit. That less people are putting their kids in hockey because of the price only compounds the issue and makes it more expensive for everyone else.
 

4th line culture

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If you can't score, you can't win. And when you take seven undisciplined penalties, it's an even higher mountain to climb.

I'd be surprised if this Canadian team can even get by the Czechs. The second-guessers are already out in full force questioning some of the roster decisions.
It's not really second guessing if it was said immediately when the roster was announced
 

SeawaterOnIce

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I've got news for you.....it's expensive everywhere these days, and the USA is no different. That's why lot of U.S. hockey players come from wealthy family backgrounds like Austen Matthews who's family could afford to buy him all the ice-time he ever wanted in Phoenix, which is basically in the middle of the desert.

It's worthwhile noting that Macklin Celebrini, Zach Benson and Connor Bedard would be eligible for this tournament if they weren't in the NHL. And I have no doubt that Hockey Canada could have picked a B-team for this tournament that might be as good or maybe even better than the current Team Canada picks.

But for comparisons sake, the USA has a population of 350 million; Canada is at just over 40 million; and Sweden is about 10 million; and Finland barely five million. And Germany is one of the wealthiest countries in Europe with a population of more than 83 million, but their junior teams really don't do much of anything.

So sure hockey is an expensive sport.....always has been and always will be. But hockey in Canada is doing just fine imo, given all the other sports that kids can play these days. And soccer, basketball, baseball and tennis will probably always be cheaper.
It's far from perfect in the United States but some states do well to raise funds through taxes and donations to subsidize youth sports (football, soccer, hockey). Their High School and College/University sport programs are light years better than ours.

A massive issue here too is the absolute gross corruption when it comes to organizations like Hockey Canada and Canada Soccer. Cronies have come in with the sole intent of enriching buddies.

Remember, the decrease in hockey enrollment in this country has been an issue this decade. We are probably going to see the full impact by the 2030s.
 

wetcoast

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Nov 20, 2018
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Hockey Canada has seen a dramatic drop in hockey enrollment. We have an aging population and newcomers are electing to put their kids in sports that don't cost a fortune.

I keep saying it...it's so ridiculously f***ing expensive to do anything in this country and many local governments are broke and cannot maintain arenas.

I'm amazed this country keeps churning out decent players but at some point you expect hockey USA to run away with the sport.
Canada is turning out great players though.

That being said everything about this team is foff, is it the players, construction, managment who knows.

But they went through the entire round robin without giving up and ESG.

They have outshot their opponents.

They have had a distinct advantage in possession.

They just can't finish though.

It's not really second guessing if it was said immediately when the roster was announced
But would Team Canada B really be any better off with the same coach?
 

VanJack

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Jul 11, 2014
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It's far from perfect in the United States but some states do well to raise funds through taxes and donations to subsidize youth sports (football, soccer, hockey). Their High School and College/University sport programs are light years better than ours.

A massive issue here too is the absolute gross corruption when it comes to organizations like Hockey Canada and Canada Soccer. Cronies have come in with the sole intent of enriching buddies.

Remember, the decrease in hockey enrollment in this country has been an issue this decade. We are probably going to see the full impact by the 2030s.
You can't have it 'both ways' when it comes to sport development in a country the size of Canada.

Thirty years ago, hockey was the only game in town. It bordered on a religion. But now kids have a lot more options and they're only taking the opportunities available to them.

Look at the players Canada is turning out in the NBA; Professional Tennis; Soccer, Baseball and even football. There's more Canadians in the NBA, NFL and MLB than there's ever been. And in soccer, Canada is on a steady march to perhaps even reaching top-20 in the world.

And that's even mentioning track and field, winter sports like skiing and snow-boarding and swimming. The reality is Canada bats far above its weight in just about every sport.

Then there's the reality of Canada's plummeting birth-rate. Like a lot of developed countries, there's just fewer and fewer kids even being born to enter all these sports.

So in light of all that, Canada is doing just fine hockey--despite a declining enrolment in hockey programs.
 

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