2025 World Junior Championships

Pigskin · December 20, 2024, 06:14:26 PM

The boys opened up the exhibitions round with a 7-1 win over the Swiss.

Yager is one of the Jets tops prospects and will wear the C for team Canada.

Dave Cameron from Manitoba is the head coach.

The only player from Manitoba is backup goaltender Carson Bjarnason 6"3" 202, from Carberry.

Canada/Finland on December 26th @ 7:30. EST To start there tournament off.

Cody Barlow had a slow start to the season and didn't make team Canada.

Pigskin · December 22, 2024, 05:10:02 PM

Nice 4-2 victory over Sweden. Boys scored 3 in the 3rd. for a solid come back. Ritchie, and Cowan, were outstanding.

Jesse · December 24, 2024, 03:27:58 PM

Canada's tournament opens up against Finland at 6:30 on December 26th.

Let's go, boys!

Pigskin · December 24, 2024, 04:14:57 PM

Canada play a pretty solid game against a big strong Czechia club. Czechia goalie was out outstanding. Nice 3-2 victory.

Jockitch · December 24, 2024, 09:57:41 PM

Good team effort and quite agree that the opposition goalie was truly great

DCM · December 26, 2024, 11:40:38 PM

Well let's see what we got going here.

Pigskin · December 27, 2024, 03:08:25 AM

Nice win for Canada. PP needs a little work, but the boys looked pretty solid.

DCM · December 27, 2024, 03:08:36 AM

Nice opening 4-0 win over Finland. Latvia tomorrow.

Jockitch · December 28, 2024, 03:10:37 AM

Stunning loss by Canada to Latvia, of all teams
Latvias goalie was terrific to virtually sensational

Jesse · December 28, 2024, 12:03:06 PM

That was embarrassing.

These were the kind of match-ups we used to be scoring in the double digits.

Pigskin · December 28, 2024, 05:54:51 PM

Canada with 56 shots. Lat also blocked 37 shots, and 8 shootout attempts. Just not enough goal scoring. Not enough bodies in front of there net. A bunch of stupid penalties. This has to be a wakeup call for this team. PP did look better, but still has some work to do. The 3 on 3 in OT was all over the map. They should look at the Jets or Oilers 3 on 3 video.

Jockitch · December 28, 2024, 08:10:13 PM

Tend to feel after watching the 2 pre tournament and now these
first two that their is sparse cohesion in the bottom 3 lines, despite pouring on the shots.
Basically what I'm saying .....is the finish is being choked by players still trying to invent the cute play
Regardless, do hope the lines get fixed and really do wish
our young budding star Yager can start filling the net

Pigskin · December 28, 2024, 09:40:15 PM

Canada has lost Schaefer for the rest of the tournament. Canada has take the most penalties in the tournament which is 12.

Pigskin · December 30, 2024, 04:12:06 AM

The boy's are having a hard time finding the back of the net. There also still taking to many penalties.

blue_gold_84 · December 30, 2024, 01:28:50 PM

After a pretty convincing win over Finland, the last two games have been forgettable. I still can't believe they lost to Latvia.

Can't say much about the offense thus far. They struggle to finish plays and they pass too much at times. Defensively, this team looks sound and George is one heck of a goalie.

Tomorrow's tilt vs. the US should be a gooder.

dd · December 30, 2024, 03:02:30 PM

We lost to Latvia?? On home turf?? totally embarassing. We used to beat those guys 15-1, now we can't score if our lives depended on it.

Jesse · December 31, 2024, 12:39:18 PM

I'm cautiously optimistic about today.

Even though this looks like a struggling team, our goalie and defence have been lights out and we're generating lots of shots.

If we can hit the back of the net a couple of times, we can still beat the US.

Or this will be a major beat down. Who knows?

blue_gold_84 · December 31, 2024, 01:39:56 PM

Always a good matchup on NYE and I'm sure this Team Canada will be up to the task.

Defensively, this team looks strong, and that's bolstered by their goalie. Offensively, this team still seems to be finding its way. Maybe that happens tonight...?

Pigskin · December 31, 2024, 05:58:57 PM

Canada has to stay out of the penalty box tonight. The US will make us pay if we don't.

CZE and SWE should also be a very good game.

To bad the Jets game and the Canada/USA game are on at the same time.

bluengold204 · January 01, 2025, 02:49:04 AM

Probably first time I'll be rooting against Canada going forward in the tournament. Playing like a bunch of undisciplined brats. Don't deserve to win anything.

Pigskin · January 01, 2025, 05:24:11 AM

Well, they had to stay out of the penalty box and they could do that. I thought Yager had a stronger performance. 11 penalties is out of control. Team Canada has a lot of work ahead of them.

blue_gold_84 · January 02, 2025, 01:17:57 PM

Quote from: bluengold204 on January 01, 2025, 02:49:04 AMProbably first time I'll be rooting against Canada going forward in the tournament. Playing like a bunch of undisciplined brats. Don't deserve to win anything.

That's pretty pathetic. Your reasoning is even more pathetic.

Quote from: Pigskin on January 01, 2025, 05:24:11 AMWell, they had to stay out of the penalty box and they could do that. I thought Yager had a stronger performance. 11 penalties is out of control. Team Canada has a lot of work ahead of them.

Discipline has been a major issue for this team. I also didn't like Cameron's response post-game; he was pretty flippant about the loss to the US.

I can't see this team having the horses to do much in the elimination round. Today's game is going to be tough one vs. Czechia.

dd · January 02, 2025, 02:27:16 PM

The difference in the game was penalties, Canada just couldn't keep out of the penalty box and the US PP was the difference in the game. Hutson had a nice goal

Pigskin · January 02, 2025, 06:55:55 PM

LAT. put up a good battle against Sweden. 3-2 Sweden.

theaardvark · January 02, 2025, 07:15:12 PM

For every 2 min in the box, you lose 2 shifts on the ice after.

FAFO.

Sounds like some of these kids are used to getting away with stuff because of their nameplates appearing on the top draft pick lists, or having been drafted high.

Their agents need to tell them to keep their sticks on the ice, and play the game. I stress their agents as the messengers, because they are the "experts" on each player's branding and how their p[lay here affects that, and potential earning going forward.

They need to play disciplined, and as a team. And the coaches need to lower the boom.

blue_gold_84 · January 02, 2025, 08:03:20 PM

Quote from: theaardvark on January 02, 2025, 07:15:12 PMFor every 2 min in the box, you lose 2 shifts on the ice after.

A good way to accomplish nothing.

blue_gold_84 · January 02, 2025, 08:12:45 PM

Switzerland getting absolutely dismantled by the Americans.

Jockitch · January 03, 2025, 03:03:45 AM

That's it for our lads
Yager received a watch as 1 of 3 players for 🇨🇦 voted as the best performance for the team

Pigskin · January 03, 2025, 03:45:14 AM

I thought it was the best game Canada played in the tournament. Unfortunately a late penalty did them in.

bluengold204 · January 03, 2025, 05:00:48 AM

No real shocker here more dumb penalties cost Canada again.

blue_gold_84 · January 03, 2025, 08:33:09 AM

Quote from: Pigskin on January 03, 2025, 03:45:14 AMI thought it was the best game Canada played in the tournament. Unfortunately a late penalty did them in.

I still think their opening game vs. Finland was their best performance. It all seemed to go downhill from there, even with them beating Germany.

Discipline was nowhere to be found.

This should serve as a wake-up call to Hockey Canada, IMO.

blue_gold_84 · January 03, 2025, 11:27:45 AM

https://thehockeynews.com/news/world-juniors-2025-canadas-kids-lost-but-the-adults-were-largely-to-blame

Quote...it's hard not to notice that Peter Anholt and Brent Seabrook are two of the common denominators between last year's failure and this one.

For a country that used to physically dominate this tournament, Canada's 2025 roster was not very big overall. And that was certainly a factor in what will go down as one of the country's worst offensive performances ever: in five games, they scored only two more goals than Kazakhstan - the team that got relegated.

Discipline, preparation - that's on the coaches. It is rare for a Canadian coach to inspire as much venom as Dave Cameron has during this tournament, but the decisions made by him and his staff were baffling, over and over again.

Pretty scathing - but rightfully so.

Jesse · January 03, 2025, 01:26:36 PM

Quote from: blue_gold_84 on January 03, 2025, 08:33:09 AMI still think their opening game vs. Finland was their best performance. It all seemed to go downhill from there, even with them beating Germany.

Discipline was nowhere to be found.

This should serve as a wake-up call to Hockey Canada, IMO.

Same problems against Finland though. Just couldn't get the puck in the net.

It was a weak showing from start to finish.

Pigskin · January 04, 2025, 10:26:52 PM

Finland with an upset win over Sweden.

dd · January 05, 2025, 11:52:13 PM

A REAL big wake up call for Hockey Canada. Back to back years out of the medals and this year was an embarassment, an out and out embarassment. And to have the Hockey Canada management team arrogantly defend what happened was the most sickening thing about the whole ordeal. You need to cast the talent net outside the OHL and you need to play with discipline and be smart, especially in the last minutes of a tie game.

No doubt changes are forthcoming, as this performance by players, coaches and management was a disgrace.

Jockitch · January 06, 2025, 04:32:46 PM

Yes it was a surprise and full of disappointment
The variety of decisions needed, on and off the ice, were certainly damning and the poor result occurred.

Meanwhile I do believe the best team, USA, did what it took and the victory was the crowning piece

Jesse · January 06, 2025, 06:54:10 PM

At the end of the day, we're never going to dominate like we used to, the rest of the world has picked up their development to be at the same level or better than Canada's.

But this was a pretty embarrassing couple of years that we should hope to never experience consecutively like this.

dd · January 07, 2025, 05:48:35 PM

Sad to say, but the USA team played like we used to play-- physical, fast and skilled and disciplined---no stupid penalties by team USA during tournament and they deservedly took home the gold. Canada now has to get its collective act together.

Pigskin · January 07, 2025, 06:22:25 PM

Quote from: dd on January 07, 2025, 05:48:35 PMSad to say, but the USA team played like we used to play-- physical, fast and skilled and disciplined---no stupid penalties by team USA during tournament and they deservedly took home the gold. Canada now has to get its collective act together.

Oh, they took there fair share of stupid penalties, just not as many as Canada did.

dd · January 07, 2025, 11:41:35 PM

Quote from: Pigskin on January 07, 2025, 06:22:25 PMOh, they took there fair share of stupid penalties, just not as many as Canada did.

Nothing as stupid as Canada's tripping penalty 4 seconds into a power play in the offensive zone. That was brutal. So was the open ice kneeing penalty with a couple of minutes left in a tie game. Zero situational awareness. Zero. That was the difference in the game right there. We give up a PP and then turn around and give them one with 2 minutes left.