Interesting comments from Cameron on the practice time. If the players are exhausted, it shouldn't be a shock. They're in the midst of a long and tough CHL schedule, and instead of getting a break over Xmas, they're on to Ottawa for some of the most intense games some of them will ever be involved in.
Canada needs to start looking at what they do south of the border. The bulk of the U.S. team is drawn from players who play with the United States Team Development Program (USTDP). They play together as a team for an entire season or maybe even more, and test themselves by playing tough games against NCAA and USHL teams.
Then when the World Juniors are prepared to play, they supplement their basic roster with a few NCAA players and maybe even a few USHL all-stars, as well as any Americans playing Major Junior in Canada.
It's a process that simply produces a more cohesive and stronger team imo. Canada draws from a group of tired CHL players right across the country, who can be worn out from the all the league travel they do.
I fear that unless things change in Canada, we should be prepared for domination of this tournament by the Americans for years to come.
