WJHC: Team Canada goes for 6th Straight Gold!

From Guest Writer Dustin Borotsik:

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That’s right, we’ve won 5 straight. Impressive, EH?

Actually it’s the second time in the last two decades we’ve

won 5 straight as Canada also took 1^st place each year from 1993 to 1997. In fact – if truth-be-known, we’ve won 12 golds, 4 silvers and 2 bronzes in the last 20 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Which brings me to one reason why the World Juniors are so great – 60% of the time we win EVERYTIME!

Figure 1: To Show Ryan P that Graphs are Cooler than Charts

The US may dominate the Summer Olympics and squeak out victories at the Winter Olympics*, but like the land mass that is North America – when it comes to World Junior Hockey we’re BIGGER and we’re ON TOP!

* We will beat them at the Vancouver Olympics

Russia? Puh-Leeze! They may be the main competition, but just have four Golds in the past 20 years to show for it. And one of them was under the psudo-nom of “CIS”. What-the-shit Russia? If we actually knew that was you back in 1992, we probably would have found a way to pound you that year too!

Picture 1: For all their personal and team success at the NHL level, neither Malkin nor Ovechkin ever tasted World Junior gold. (Editors note: This picture could be a 2010 Olympic Preview)

Sweden? Well, let’s just say that in World Junior Hockey, Canada is my new little puppy and Sweden is my hard wood floor. You would be correct to assume that Canada does a lot of pooping on Sweden. In fact, Canada has beat Sweden in the last two Gold Medal games. This past weekend Sweden even tried to say “Enough is Enough” in Regina during pre-tournament action. They brought it physically and even got a little dirty, but by the time the clock had run out it was a 6-2 win for the Canadians and the Swedes refusing to shake hands after the game. They even left the ice before the player of the game presentation. Wow – Kent Forsberg must be teaching these youngsters all he knows about class.

Who’s-Who: Team Canada 2010?

Nobody likes clichés, but when it comes to Canadian Junior Hockey there are a couple worth repeating as they ring so true. These young men truly do play for the logo on the front and not the name on the back. They have yet to be spoiled by stardom nor has their love for the game been subdued by the business side of the professional ranks. These guys LOVE the sport and LOVE their country and it shows on every shift. It is an honour for them and they take it seriously. I once heard that pulling on that jersey with the Maple Leaf on the front makes each of them an inch taller and 20 lbs heavier. Perhaps that’s not possible – but SHHH!! Let’s not tell the team that. They believe it, and I appreciate the passion!!

Captain

Patrice Cormier – Typical Canadian player. Not overly blessed with finesse or dangle, but a huge heart and he never stops working!

Returnees

Six in all, including Cormier, Stefan Della Rovere, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Ellis, Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Teubert. Three forwards, three D-Men. Nice and balanced. And really, do you think Eberle even had to try-out for the team after his heroics last year? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8v8C3scwvg)

The other five returnees other than Cormier will alternate the “A” duties, as is tradition with Team Canada.

Goalies

Jake Allen has won for Team Canada at the under-18s. And he plays for the Fog Devils of the Q. Spectacular numbers while playing through all that Fog?? – I’m very optimistic! ;-)

It seems like Martin Jones from our own Clagary Hitmen will play the role of the backup. Martin is one of the few players who lacks international experience and while nobody doubts he could get it done, it certainly seems like Allen’s job to lose.

D-Men

Much talk about our “Shutdown” tandem of returnee Colten Teubert and Marco Scandella. While from different ends of the country, they are actually being re-united from those under-18 days. Team Canada has always had a shut-down pair of bone-crushers on the blue-line (Myers / Aulie, Parent / Staal, Phaneuf / Webber) and this year is no different. It was mused this week that if Teubert was a comic book character, he would be The Punisher.

After those two, the main talk revolves around the amazingly skilled Ryan Ellis. Picked 11^th overall in last June’s draft despite being just 5’10” and 170 lbs, Ellis is such an effective Powerplay QB that they actually dusted off an old LA King PP scheme for the team last year which clicked at 50% early on in the 2009 tournament.

The remainder of the guys round out with a big shot (Hamonic), a big body (Cowan) and great all-around returnee in NHLer Alex Pietroangelo. I don’t know much about the guy pegged to be the 7^th D-Man, Calvin de Haan, but he went 11^th overall to the Islanders so I’m willing to say he’ll be OK.

Forwards

We have the three returnees: Eberle, Cormier and Stefan Della Rovere. Della Rovere is another guy who plays the traditional brand of Canadian Hockey. He is not afraid to go to the tough areas of the ice and isn’t afraid of anything. In fact, I’ve been told that before he goes to bed at night, the boogie man checks his closet for SDR.

Eberle (Pats) currently sits 2^nd amongst WHL scorer and is joined on Team Canada by the #1 overall scorer in Brandon Kozun (Hitmen) and the #5 scorer Brayden Schenn (Wheat Kings). Kozun is under-sized but dynamic, while Schenn almost made an over-achieving Kings team out of camp and actually signed a one-game “Try Out” contract to play a big-league game with them earlier this month in Vancouver.

As a Westerner I hate to admit it, but most of the flash up-front will come from the OHL this year. We have an entire line from the Memorial Cup winning Windsor Spitfires, including the projected #1 overall pick in 2010: Taylor Hall. Many are expecting John Travaras type heroics from this young man, and he should certainly feel at home with line mates Greg Nemisz (Flames 1^st round pick in 2009) and Adam Henrique. Together with Ryan Ellis, this group makes up Windsor’s “Fab Four”.

FYI - The last time one Major Junior team sent four representatives to a World Juniors it was from the Memorial Cup Winning Kamloops Blazers in 1996. (Jarome Iginla – tournament leading scorer, Nolan Baumgartner, Hnat Domenichelli and Jason Holland). And that year - Team Canada won gold!

Leaf top pick Nazem Kadri battled off a slow start to selection camp to make the squad.

3^rd overall in Q scoring, Luke Adam, rounds out the forward ranks with Gabriel Bourque, Brandon McMillan and Jordan Caron. Of those four, look for Brandon McMillan of the WHL to become a quick fan favourite.

By The Numbers

- 8 WHLers, 7 OHLers, 6 from the “Q” and 1 NHLer (Pietrangelo – STL)

- 6 players are captains on their current team, 10 are assistants.

- 10 first round picks, 6 second round picks and one draft eligible 2010 player. (Taylor Hall)

- For the first time in five years, there are no members of Team Canada from US College Hockey.

Who is not on Team Canada

It always blows my mind how Canada continues to dominate this competition without drawing from some of their elite Jr talent. Only during the NHL work stoppages of 94/95 and 04/05 did Canada field a team of our very best – and those two tourneys were blow-outs in favour of the guys wearing the Maple Leaf. This year is no different to most as at least 8 players will be missing from our squad….and I’m not even sure if my list is complete. It is certainly impressive. The following players are all age-eligible but are holding down NHL jobs:

- John Tavaras, NYI

- Steven Stamkos, TB (Getting Olympic consideration)

- Matt Duchene, Col

- Evander Kane, ATL

- Ryan O'Reilly, Col

- Tyler Myers, Buf

- Michael Del Zotto, NYR

Add to the list Cody Hodgeson (Van), who would most likely be in the show if not for a back injury

Finally, the biggest surprise cut from this year’s team was Tyler Seguin. He is second in OHL scoring and is discussed along with Taylor Hall as a potential 2010 #1 overall pick. This was his first camp and Tyler felt the pressure. It happened to Taylor last year. Don’t worry Ty – if you’re not in the NHL next year you’ll be running this team!

The Pool

Canada has Latvia (Dec 26^th), Switzerland (Dec 28^th), Slovakia (Dec 29^th) and the US (Dec 31^st) to contend with. More on all the non-Canada teams in a future preview article.

Quick Flash Back

I should really write an entire piece on just the 2005 team, but if I haven’t convinced you yet that this is the greatest tournament on Earth I thought I’d just quickly list some players who have donned the Red-and-White over the past five gold medal teams. For brevity – I tried to keep the list to only players who are locks or contenders for Canada’s 2010 Olympic Team.

- John Tavaras (08 and 09)

- Steve Mason (08)

- Steven Stamkos (08)

- Drew Doughty (08)

- Jonathan Toews (06/07)

- Dion Phaneuf (05)

- Shea Webber (05)

- Brent Seabrook (05)

- Jeff Carter (05)

- Sidney Crosby (05)

- Ryan Getzlaf (05)

- Corey Perry (05)

- Mike Richards (05)

Yes – if you are a hockey fan you should be watching this tournament. Chances are, you’re getting a peek at the captain of the next Stanley Cup champion or the Top line of the next Olympic Team.

Oh – and for those of you who are wondering, Kent Forsberg is Peter Forsberg’s dad. And he’s a huge douche bag.

Dustin B