IIHF 2012 World Juniors

Not sure how many people here at SJ watch the World Juniors tournament, but I always thought it was a great tournament. Looking forward to Canada's first match up against Finland tomorrow afternoon.

 

Gehrig, I kinda figure you're a Canuck so you know that outside Canada this tournament means squat to the rest of the world. In Canada, it's our March Madness.

Well, the US is interested if they win a Gold but otherwise, not on the radar.

Canada's in tough this year. Not a formidable team with questionable goaltending and not a lot of AAA firepower.

It's a four team tourney: Canada, USA, Sweden and the Russians

Games in Calgary & Edmonton have been sold out for weeks.

We'll be watching Canada's game tomorrow afternoon.

 

Nice scheduling by the Canucks to give Canada the day off before NYE showdown with the U.S. while Yankees play Czech the day before.

 

Oh, I understand that for sure, JR.

I totally agree with your thoughts about Team Canada this year. Goaltending worries me, and there's not a "superstar" on the team this year. I believe they'll finish in the top three, but I think Russia will win it all again this year.

Look out for Nail Yakupov, he's really talented and I have a feeling he'll have some highlight reel goals in this tournament. He's supposed to go first overall in the next NHL draft.

 

I have seen Yakupov, he is the real deal. No idea how good the rest of the Russian team is.

JR's analysis of Canada is spot on although in the past these are the kind of teams that tend to surprise. Defence is all new but there are several first rounders, loads of size and I think guys like Dougie Hamilton and Nathan Beaulieu will lead the way.

There are plenty of snipers like Sciefele, Pearson, Strome and Stone, but the Canucks will get a huge boost if Jonathan Huberdeau can regain his form after a broken foot. I saw him play at the Memorial Cup and the guy is an incredibly dynamic player. Devante Smith-Pelly will be a wrecking machine out there, particularly on the small ice.

Goaltending looks dodgy. Visentin hasn't played well in the OHL this year and didn't look good the other night against Sweden. I have seen Wedgewood play and he is steady, nothing spectacular. Tough to root against a guy from Brampton.

Sweden looked good the other night and I suspect the US will once again be a major contender.

Like the rest of the country, I will be in front of my TV this afternoon. One big bonus: no Pierre McGuire That's the best Christmas present any Canuckistani hockey fan could hope for!

Instead we get Ray Ferraro, much more understated and I am sure he will avoid McGuire's incessant coach speak, constant shout outs to junior and college coaches and proclaiming every Canadian player is a great character kid who will be playing in the NHL next season.

RIP the Pierre McGuire drinking game.

http://uranowski.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/world-jrs-pierre-mcguire-drinking-game/

 

Not having McGuire screaming for ten days straight may be the best Xmas present a Canuck could ask for.

Ray Ferraro is my favourite analyst and that includes anybody on CBC or NBC. Low key

 

Awesome. The tournament hasn't even started and the Americans are whining already.

 

What? You guys mean you're not going to miss quotes like "Double Dion" from Pierre?

LOL.

 

Canucks play three in four to start the tourney and will deserve a day off after what will surely be a stern test against Denmark on the 29th!

 

I had an agent who had plenty of guys play for Canada - and other teams - at the WJC, tell me he felt McGuire's incessant proclamations that every kid on the Canadian team was ready to embark on a 10-year, all-star NHL career the next year did plenty to overinflate the egos of a lot of kids who had a pretty huge sense of self-entitlement to begin with. He said it got really tough to talk your guy off the ledge if his NHL team sent him back to junior or to the AHL.

 

Why is that every time they show highlights from some guys OHL career, he's scoring on Brampton?

 

Already setting up the excuses.

Here's one, what do you think would happen if the Canadians had Seguin, Hall and Nugent-Hopkinns in their lineup?