IIHF World Junior Champioship

[Golfbum]

Hockey Canada has announced their selections for the Under 20 National Team. Once again it looks like Canada should have a contender at the IIHF World JR Tournament. The tournament starts on Boxing Day with Sweden being the host country.

Team Canada will have some players returning from last years team, which is always a bonus. The London Knights have two of their players going to the camp, Goalie Steve Mason, who has been sensational in net for the Knights this year. In 26 GP he has a 19-7 record, 2.90 GAA to go along with a .924 SA.

Rookie Sam Gagner has also been selected from the Knights. Sam has some pretty impressive stats for a Rookie. 26 GP, 16 G, 44 A +17 and only 12 PIM's. He is currently tied with teammate Pat Kane for the scoring race in the OHL.

Here is the roster for the Selection Camp
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.cfm...eam_id/645.htm

Here is the link for the WJC Schedule.
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.cfm...eam_id/645.htm

I feel Canada once again has a solid chance of bringing home the GOLD!

[knickers]

They really do. They have 11 returning from the team last year and some great additions to choose from this year. Would have liked to see Logan Couture get the chance to tryout. But he's had an injury plauged season on a team that is last place. Cory Emmerton from Kingston would have been a good pick as well. John Tevaras should make the team. He's young and has alot of years left to play for this team. He is a diver but a tourny like this could slap some sence into him and put him up there on a Cidney Crosby level by the time hes eligible for the draft. Defence will be the best in the tourny and goltending is giong to be a hard chioce for who goes(wich is always a good problem to have).

[Golfbum]

Yes it is a shame about Logan Couture. I watched him play JB for a season with the St Thomas Stars. He is a great player. Too bad he had mono this season. I think that is the main reason he was not picked.

I would love to see Cory Emmerton make the team, he is a St Thomas boy! His only drawback might be his defensive play. He is -7 this season. However that does not always reflect soley on his play, team play factors in big time with that stat.

D will be solid as usual. 6 of the 12 D picks are from the WHL. They build some stud defencemen out there! Big strong farm boys! However the ones chosen from the OHL are not too shabby either.

Goalies, whoever gets hot and stays hot!

[mberube]

This is my hockey tournament every year. I love the World Junior. Great hockey, more entertaining then the NHL IMO.

You guys did not talk about Esposito. He has lots of IIHF experience, young, very speedy and has great hands. Can’t forget his memorial cup win last year.

It’s going to be quite the battle for every spot. Lots of vets from last year but lots of young speedy talented players that are racking up numbers this year. It’s going to fun to watch.

[Golfbum]

This is my hockey tournament every year. I love the World Junior. Great hockey, more entertaining then the NHL IMO.

You guys did not talk about Esposito. He has lots of IIHF experience, young, very speedy and has great hands. Can’t forget his memorial cup win last year.

It’s going to be quite the battle for every spot. Lots of vets from last year but lots of young speedy talented players that are racking up numbers this year. It’s going to fun to watch.

Great talent.
I just mentioned the two from the London team simply because that is the OHL Team closest to me!

[Moose Head]

Love this tournament, it has become a holiday tradition.

I'll be keeping an eye on Claude Giroux from the Gatineau Olympiques. He is from the same hometown as me (Hearst, Northern Ontario) and has been selected by Philadelphia in the first round (22nd overall). This kid is really good and playing awesome this year (30 goals, 34 assists) in only his second year.

Team Canada is looking promising for another tournament win.

[Shivas Irons]

This is my hockey tournament every year. I love the World Junior. Great hockey, more entertaining then the NHL IMO.

Couldn't agree more. This is my favourite part of the holidays. I actually book time off work to make sure I don't miss any of the Cdn boys games and it's great, passionate hockey every year.
I heard yesterday that the Pens may not release Staal though.

[Golfbum]

In case you did not catch the Sports here is the final lineup for Team Canada for the World JR tournament

GO CANADA GO

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.cfm...s_id/23170.htm

[davevandyk]

super excited for this tourney every single year. This year the team has two hometown boys, Marc Staal and Tom Pyatt so that should give me some added interest, but i would watch every game no matter who plays!

[Shivas Irons]

Team Canada is looking promising for another tournament win.

Let's hope.
I've also read that the US, Russian, and Sweds have very good teams. I've already booked Jan 5th off work on the ASSumption our boys will be in the gold medal game. IMO this is the most exciting hockey of the year.

[Golfbum]

A solid start for Canada with the 2-0 win over Sweden. Price was solid in net, the D looked pretty good. Less time in the Sin Bin might be nice though.

Meanwhile USA gets shocked in their opening game against Germany. Should be interesting to see how they handle Canada today.

GO CANADA GO

[jonf]

dunno how solid that start with. I agree that Price looked really good, but I don't remember any solid offensive chances. They were good enough to win one game, but they're going to have to get a lot better if they want the gold.

[Golfbum]

A very interesting story I read this morning.

Carey Price has come a long way


Carey Price

Canadian Press
12/28/2006 12:29:48 PM
LEKSAND, Sweden (CP) - Carey Price was climbing into an airplane at the crack of dawn to get to hockey practice when other kids his age were piling into the family car to do the same.
Canada's starting goaltender at the world junior hockey championship grew up in tiny Anahim Lake, B.C., which has a population of about 700 when combined with the nearby Ulkatcho First Nation.
When Price began playing minor hockey at 10, the closest teams were 320 kilometres east in Williams Lake.
So he and his father Jerry drove the 640-kilometre round trip three times a week for practices and games, until Jerry decided to put his pilot's licence to use.
''Eventually it got to be a lot of hours in the car so he just bought an airplane so he could fly it,'' Price explained.

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At $13,000, the four-seat Piper Cherokee wasn't fancy.
''It was more a lawnmower with wings,'' Jerry said.
Price and his Canadian teammates meet Germany in a Pool A match Friday (TSN, 1 p.m. ET).
Price's father, an administrator of an adult learning centre, mother Lynda, who is chief of the Ulkatcho First Nation, and sister Kayla are all in Sweden to support him.
Like a youngster who gets to hold the steering wheel of the car while sitting on his father's knee, Carey occasionally took a turn on one of the two steering wheels in the Piper Cherokee.
''I learned to fly at a young age so I got a little extra out of it,'' he said. ''You've just got to keep it in a straight line and go over that mountain. The wind blows you every which way, but you just keep her steady.''
They couldn't fly all the time due to bad weather or the fact Jerry wouldn't fly at night, so it was back to more hours in the car.
''That whole time, flying or driving, was a special time because we got to spend a lot of time together,'' Jerry said. ''Driving home late at night, we'd listen to hockey games because out in the boonies we could get radio stations from everywhere late at night in the winter.''
The family kept a second car and a condo in Williams Lake for the thrice weekly trips there during Carey's minor hockey career and he eventually moved there to finish high school.
Before Carey started playing organized minor hockey, Jerry took him to summer hockey schools to expose him to the indoor rinks that Anahim Lake didn't have.
Because of the geographical challenges, Jerry and Lynda invested a lot of time and money in their son's career, but Jerry doesn't want to be mistaken for a pushy hockey parent.
''I wouldn't trade a minute of it whether he was here or driving a back-hoe,'' he said. ''Whether he ever developed and became good or not was not the point.
''He liked to play and I wanted to give him the chance to play if that's what he wanted to do because I know how important hockey was to me in my life.''
Jerry is a former goaltender who was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers and whose career ended in the minor leagues because of knee injuries.
His father's experience has been helpful to Carey, whom the Montreal Canadiens drafted fifth overall in 2005 but have yet to sign.
''He knows the ups and downs of hockey and he knows how to deal with it,'' Carey said. ''He's been through everything I'm going through.
''His knowledge is such a big help for me.''
The six-foot-two, 216-pound goaltender is in his fourth full season with the Western Hockey League's Tri-City Americans.
He was a surprise pick at No. 5 by Montreal and his reaction was refreshingly honest when he said: ''I wasn't expecting to go this high, but I'll take it.''
Price has solid technique and fills the net with his frame, but what stands out about him is his puckhandling ability, which he says he learned playing defence at a young age and also watching NHL goalies Martin Brodeur and Marty Turco.
''He handles the puck well and I think that's an advantage on the big ice,'' Canadian head coach Craig Hartsburg said. ''We're not asking him to make great passes with it, but certainly in helping us handle the puck below the goal-line.
''He looks big in net and we feel very confident in him.''

[mberube]

Great story.

[Pinshark]

Great story and what a result! This kid is Good. I for one think he will make it. He has great positioning and can make the save when needed.

[NoBack]

WOW

It took 7 Rounds in a shootout for Team Canada over the US, to advance to the Gold Medal Game. 5 goals for Canada and 4 four the US.

[mberube]

I missed the game on TV but listened to it on TSN live on the Internet. It sounded like an unbelievable game. Too bad I missed it.

[Golfbum]

During regulation it was not Canada's best effort. Mind you USA blocked a lot of shots.

Killing off that minor in the OT was HUGE for Canada.

The shootout. What can I say? I was on the edge of my chair for that. I am a big fan of shootouts. However I still sit on the fence when it comes to deciding big games like that with shootouts. But this one was awesome.


All I can say is Blakhawk fans had better be pretty excited about Jonathon Toews. That kid has an NHL shot already.

Jack Johnson from the US Team. STUD....... LA will be happy with him.

On to the Gold Medal Game we go

[Ginker]

Oh man.. I am so glad I got home for lunch with 5 minutes left in the 3rd.. Mind you I think I almost had at least 4 heartattacks.. That was awsome. The US powerplay in overtime was intense.. So Russia or Sweden friday?

[mberube]

Will we see a classic Russia vs Canada gold medal game or will the host team beat the Russian rockets???

[Shivas Irons]

Nice win for the boys, hopefully we can bring back the gold again. I was wartching this on TSN Broadband and it crashed just as the OT ended, so I saw the entire game except for the shootout!!!

[dasnutz]

A horrible way to decide a semi-final game. Let the boys play until someone scores.

[Big Johnny69]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O!!!!!

[Chieflongtee]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O!!!!!

Reminiscing 20 years ago:
Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZMEE7tlq6A

[LobWedge]

Reminiscing 20 years ago:
Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZMEE7tlq6A

Ahhhhh, the good ol' days.