Warren Rychel unloads on Hockey Canada's World Junior Showing

[Drake]

It was awful... it sucked, really. The team had no camaraderie. I don't know what the situation was there. Kids were playing out of position. We [Canada] were down two games, no line changes were made, we had guys playing centre, they were playing left wing. Connor McDavid didn't play. You put him in a shootout [against the Czech Republic after he had been benched in the third period] and he's ice-cold.

"There was really no camaraderie between the players in my personal opinion, as a hockey guy sitting there, whether it was my son or wasn't. But it didn't seem like the cards were in line for us to win a medal. So that's my honest opinion and maybe people disagree, but it just never seemed to feel confident, watching the team play with zip or play with zest. People say, 'well you have to play more physical' but you know how it's called over there — as soon as you lay a finger on somebody the whole crowd yells, you're in the box.

"... It just didn't seem right from the start. We got what we deserved — which was nothing.

" ... It was a lot of individual play by some guys who wouldn't move the puck at the proper time. You know, you can say you can have a big camp and everyone gets tired [or] you can have a small camp. I think, you have 10 '95 or younger born players. It's really a '94 tournament. Yeah, you bring [16-year-old] McDavid and [17-year-old defenceman Aaron] Ekblad. They're that good. After a while you've got to get some men in there that are 19 years old who can push people around and make plays.

"Whether it was a tune-up for next year or not, we bring so many '95s, people were saying back in Canada it's a tuneup for next year. In that case you should have brought [the London Knights'] Max Domi, in my opinion. We needed skill, we needed more things to happen when we got the puck. It just didn't happen."

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrh...050944270.html

[_Q_]

The team was Sutterized.

[Badgers Nose]

Can't argue with him. Those are all valid points and observations. There were a few head scratchers.

[dammage79]

Fair enough. The whole "tune up for next year" thing if true, is a terrible way to go at this tournament. Also a major reason why I've grown bored of Canada's efforts in this tournament. You simply cannot assume you are the best hockey country in the world if you aren't out to win it every single time you play it. Instead of picking which tournament you want to win. And that to me is my problem with Canada. It's entitlement and a lack of willing to use everything necessary to win. It's a systemic failure from the top and it does eventually trickle down to the kids.

I have no qualms with Rychels comments.

[FlamesAreGreat]

The problem was a weak group of Canadian forwards in 94. Rychel is just bitter his son didn't make it.

[Clever_Iggy]

Next year is in Toronto/Montreal, correct? Building for next tournament is such BS.

[foshizzle11]

ya, if that is the case, it is a joke. No way Hockey Canada should be doing this. We should send the best team, no matter what, no matter the age of the players, no matter what?

Is Brent done coaching this team?

[Roof-Daddy]

It wasn't the amount of 94's we took, it was how ineffective the 94's we took were.

[Table 5]

Is that old what's his nuts in the background?

[Trojan97]

Look at your son Warren, Kerby had 0 pts in 7 games and was a -3. Guys like him pissing their pants on the big stage are the reason Canada didn't medal not Brent.

[sun]

[trumpethead]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Is that old what's his nuts in the background?

that aint ol' whats his nuts, that's Bob Boughner

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

It wasn't the amount of 94's we took, it was how ineffective the 94's we took were.

It was both.

The 94s, like Gauchier, Leier, etc were useless. Even guys like Laughton (except for PK) and Horvat provided little of anything.

But it was also the case that there were too many younger guys. You simply can't expect 17 year olds to generate your offense in a tournament for 19 year olds.

Canada looked for offense from a few players (some of which were too young to provide it) and then sent out 19 year olds that brought nothing to the table.

A really poorly built team.

And the D was as weak as I can ever remember it.

Hated the team going in, and I wasn't surprised they came home empty.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by trumpethead

that aint ol' whats his nuts, that's Bob Boughner

That's the one! I knew he looked familiar.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by Trojan97

Look at your son Warren, Kerby had 0 pts in 7 games and was a -3. Guys like him pissing their pants on the big stage are the reason Canada didn't medal not Brent.

In fairness, Kerby was stapled to the bench for the most part.

I agree with his comments with respect to age - and disagree with Hockey Canada that (paraphrasing) they "took all of the best players available" for this tournament.

[macrov]

When will people start to understand that Brent Sutter is just a really ####ty coach who was lucky enough to coach junior teams that were stacked in terms of talent.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by macrov

When will people start to understand that Brent Sutter is just a really ####ty coach who was lucky enough to coach junior teams that were stacked in terms of talent.

and those teams played on NA-sized ice. I could have coached them.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by macrov

When will people start to understand that Brent Sutter is just a really ####ty coach who was lucky enough to coach junior teams that were stacked in terms of talent.

Except that the 2006 team was nowhere near stacked. In terms of talent, it was probably far behind this year's team overall. Sutter and Hockey Canada certainly deserve criticism for how poor this tournament went. But don't let your bitter Flames fan hatred for how Calgary failed under him lead you to revise history. Sutter is, and always was, a very good junior coach. Even if he certainly did not show it here.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Except that the 2006 team was nowhere near stacked. In terms of talent, it was probably far behind this year's team overall. Sutter and Hockey Canada certainly deserve criticism for how poor this tournament went. But don't let your bitter Flames fan hatred for how Calgary failed under him lead you to revise history. Sutter is, and always was, a very good junior coach. Even if he certainly did not show it here.

Maybe he's a bad coach who just got lucky once or twice.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Resolute 14]

Or maybe you are totally ignorant.