[GDT] Ongoing 2025 WJC Game Day Thread

[Tacoman]

It would be phenomenal if Canada found a coach like what the US has in David Carle that they could stick with and have some consistency and accountability across multiple years. Lots of good young coaches in our country so I can’t imagine it’s not possible.

[edslunch]

Just watched a few Dave Cameron interviews. The guy doesn't seem to GAF at all. Totally uninvested in the outcome. I can't image this helped to inspire the team.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Honest question, because I didn't see it. But I also didn't watch 100% of every game.

Did McKenna & Martone ever play on a line together at even-strength?

Not once.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

This.

This isn’t a 7 game series that you need to grind it along the boards and taking a piece of flesh.

It’s a short 10 day tournament. It’s one and done. Take your best players and live woth the fact you will have to win 7-5.

It’s beyond ridiculous they need to craft a team to have a 3rd line grinder and all this crap. Sure Parekh may make a mistake but he will also create more opportunities on the other side. Dickinson made 2 glaring errors and was a ghost offensively.

Complete ####.

I wonder if, after decades of trying to build good, balanced teams, some coaches see this as the opportunity to build their dream balanced team - the pinnacle of what they've strived for their whole career. Picking only all-stars goes against what they believe, devalues their coaching experience, and is like cheating. Let's not have those coaches ever again.

[chemgear]

So it's a fantasy sports gambling team now? Oh goodie.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Predictable outcome in the end.

The team just didn't have enough talent and the skilled guys they did take just didn't have very good tournaments.

I blame the coaching more than I blame the players though TBH, poor selection from the start and then they just didn't look prepared in any of the games, and the coaches just kept cancelling practices.

100% this is on the coaches and everyone involved at HC with team selection, coach selection, and managing the team. They were unprepared, "too tired to practice", uninspired, unorganized, unfocused, and undisciplined. Someone made a comment about Cameron not wanting to be there - that was the impression I got too, like he was going through the motions , and couldn't wait for it to end. (Side note: that call for a review last night was one of the worst I have ever seen. Not only did it have ZERO chance of winning, but it destroyed their momentum)

I do not think this team was less talented than Latvia and Czechia, I think that it was poorly managed, and they got absolutely nothing out of the talent that they had there.

Originally Posted by stemit14

Also didn’t care for McKenzie’s take on the roster. He was defending the roster saying that there was no guarantee the players others thought should be there would have produced in this tournament. He argued that Ritchie and Cowan dominate the OHL and they didn’t produce so there’s no guarantee the players that were omitted (he used Sennecke as an example) would have produced.

Of course it’s not a guarantee. There are lots of prolific scorers in Junior that do not produce much at the World Juniors. But if you bring as many of these skilled players as possible to the tournament, you give yourself the best chance of at least a few of them producing.

Canada really needed players like Misa, Sennecke, Parekh and Yakemchuk at this tournament. Who knows which one of them (or any of them) would have produced or created chemistry in the roster but it would have at least maximized the chances of having some top end elite offensive talent break out in this tournament.

McKenna was just defending his teammates, I am not going to hold him to the comments. But what he said is wrong of course. Sure, there were talented guys there, and it didn't work out for them, but no one saying bring the other talented guys instead, they're saying bring ALL the talented guys - - more chance that someone gets hot, that something clicks, that they find ways to be better than the other teams.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Think the one thing they need to think of is maybe looking at a program coach full time to support the World Juniors and World Championships teams.

Cameron is busy coaching his junior team, how much time does he have truly to prepare for this and put together a game plan. Coaching is starting to feel like a bit of an issue in these tournaments.

Last year they took a more talented roster but still didn't seem prepared for what the other teams were doing.

This year they took a more balanced roster and the same issues were present (Discipline, Special Teams)

They take 4 coaches from across Canada from their junior programs, plop them together as a coaching staff and expect them to work together and put together a coherent coaching plan for the players.

Seems like you should be able to find a coach and GM to commit for a year at a time to head up the WJC and WC programs and put together an actual strategy.

I think that is exactly what they need - hire coaches to run all of the national programs, full time. Create consistency and purpose. Hire people on 3 year terms, and give them the opportunity, and the tools, to build a cohesive strategy.

My preference would be to have a full time national program, more like the US has, but I know that is a pipe dream.

Imagine having 3 elite, full time programs - one in the west, Ontario and in the east - developing the best kids on a full time or semi-full time basis. I know it would never happen, but it would be awesome.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Honest question, because I didn't see it. But I also didn't watch 100% of every game.

Did McKenna & Martone ever play on a line together at even-strength?

Not once, yet the coach claims he had tried all line combinations

[devo22]

inevitable outcome. Team selection was questionable at best, no chemistry whatsoever, too many square pegs for round holes, way too undisciplined. Whine about the refs all you want (I usually love McKenzie, but that was disappointing), but Hockey Canada and Cameron can only blame themselves. Just pick the best players and figure it out ... instead, Cameron had them grind down teams like Germany and Latvia. That shot won't fly against talented teams in the knockout phase of such a short tournament.

I feel for the players, they were in tough spot from the beginning. But Cameron and HC fully deserve this.

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

McKenna was just defending his teammates, I am not going to hold him to the comments. But what he said is wrong of course. Sure, there were talented guys there, and it didn't work out for them, but no one saying bring the other talented guys instead, they're saying bring ALL the talented guys - - more chance that someone gets hot, that something clicks, that they find ways to be better than the other teams.

You're mixing up Mackenzie and McKenna.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by edslunch

I wonder if, after decades of trying to build good, balanced teams, some coaches see this as the opportunity to build their dream balanced team - the pinnacle of what they've strived for their whole career. Picking only all-stars goes against what they believe, devalues their coaching experience, and is like cheating. Let's not have those coaches ever again.

lol

I can imagine little Dave Cameron growing up dreaming up his 3rd line and unearthing the next Kris Draper for team Canada.

[jmac98]

Originally Posted by devo22

inevitable outcome. Team selection was questionable at best, no chemistry whatsoever, too many square pegs for round holes, way too undisciplined. Whine about the refs all you want (I usually love McKenzie, but that was disappointing), but Hockey Canada and Cameron can only blame themselves. Just pick the best players and figure it out ... instead, Cameron had them grind down teams like Germany and Latvia. That shot won't fly against talented teams in the knockout phase of such a short tournament.

I feel for the players, they were in tough spot from the beginning. But Cameron and HC fully deserve this.

And even if you ultimately didn’t select the best players, there’s still more than enough of a foundation to showcase a far better showing than what was on display this past week or so.

[Robbob]

The optics of it all just seems like bad. A bunch of players show up for a tournament and don't practice. That is either a beer league or a coaching team that think they will skate by on talent alone.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Still stunned at the panel. Zero accountability for the Cameron or Hockey Canada. McKenzie who looked to be having a bad day defending Cameron and blaming teenagers. Blaming the refs.

Did they even show highlights of the golden child and 1 man show Cowan going in on a 2-0 with a wide-open Bonk for a tap in and shooting it right into the goalie.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Robbob

The optics of it all just seems like bad. A bunch of players show up for a tournament and don't practice. That is either a beer league or a coaching team that think they will skate by on talent alone.

Maybe if you took the best players, you could say that.

Kind of insane. You have the worst PP and PK, and you spend the day getting away from the game and playing video games.

[EDMONTONisNG]

Terrible team Canada roster and an even worse coach. No Parekh, , sennecke, hage, Misa, Cristall, yakemchuk. They went the "truculence" route and just got killed by penalties. Glad parekh wasn't tarnished by this trash roster.

[Royle9]

Brucey Boudreau ripped into Cameron a bit in an interview with Geno.
Says he didn't appreciate the coach blaming the players for lack of discipline, nor sitting guys who wouldn't listen or play the style he wanted.

Cited he sat guys like Martone who he could have put in to replace the kids not listening, and great players on other lines. Said your 3rd and 4th line guys should be great players and they can replace guys on the top line easily.

It's up to the coach to dictate that stuff, so he's not buying it.
Also said its an excuse to say you cant cut kids ice time because its a short tournament, very easy to set the tone and expectation in game 1 and game 2.

Maybe we shoulda sent Brucey!

[WideReceiver]

Canada’s showing is my fault. I didn’t wear my Canada jersey for any of the games. I apologize.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Maybe if you took the best players, you could say that.

Kind of insane. You have the worst PP and PK, and you spend the day getting away from the game and playing video games.

Funny thing is, even looking at the young stars tournament. The first game is always a gong show, because a lot on the team, this is the first time they have skated together. After a couple practices, you can see the teams playing better. In a sort tournament like the WJ, you should probably take every opportunity you can to get the group on the ice together.

[Johnny Makarov]

With how much TSN hypes and puts money into this tourney they should have the final say on the Team Canada Roster.