(Ottawa) Scott Salmond says the message will be clear to all players.
Posted at 1:19 a.m.
Joshua Clipperton
The Canadian Press
Canada’s quest for another gold medal on home soil at the World Junior Hockey Championship will require something the team lacked during its disastrous fifth-place finish on the road last year.
“We could have been more competitive,” said Salmond, Hockey Canada’s senior vice-president of high performance, reflecting on the current squad that began assembling for selection camp Tuesday night in a foggy nation’s capital.
“If you want to play, we need talented guys, we need fast guys, we need competitive guys. We want a real Canadian team. We want to have a Canadian identity. »
The country’s under-20 men’s program held an evening practice at TD Place, the first in a series of on-ice sessions that will include two exhibition games against Canadian university stars before cuts take place. be done later this week.
But due to the bad weather that hit Ottawa, only 14 of the 33 prospects were on the ice.
“It was a difficult day,” Salmond admitted. We expect everyone to be there [mercredi]. »
One player who will not be part of the pre-tournament camp, which runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, but already has his name on the final roster, is Carolina Hurricanes 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau .
The 19-year-old forward, originally from Saint-François de Madawaska, New Brunswick, played one game in the NHL this season and collected 12 points in 20 games with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League.
The inclusion of Nadeau means one less spot on the wing, which should make for some very fierce competition.
“He’s a very good player,” said Canadian head coach Dave Cameron, who normally leads the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
“We expect him to be an important part of this team. »
Three eligible NHL players – forwards Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks and Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabers – are not expected to be loaned by their professional teams.
Salmond said Canada may not make its final cuts immediately after Friday’s second game against the U Sports All-Stars because countries can host up to 25 players this year.
“All players in this camp will remain eligible until we have signed all 25 cards,” he said. This gives us some flexibility. »
Absents and additions
Canada, which will look to build on its record 20 gold medals, has seven players returning from last year’s group, which traveled to Sweden before being eliminated in the quarterfinals, but there are no guarantees that they will all be there under Cameron’s leadership.
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan – who has at least one point in 56 consecutive OHL games but is not participating in drills this week after being hit hard on Friday with the London Knights – will be the team if he is healthy.
Forward Brayden Yager (Winnipeg Jets) also appears to be assured of his position, as do defensemen Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers) and Tanner Molendyk (Nashville Predators).
Molendyk was expected to make the team last year, but suffered an injury before the tournament.
But forwards Carson Rehkopf (Seattle Kraken) and Matthew Wood (Predators), as well as goaltender Scott Ratzlaff (Sabres), could be in trouble if they don’t stand out.
Canada, which will hold a training camp in Petawawa, Ont., once its roster is established, has brought a lot of youngsters to Ottawa.
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna, 16, leads the Western Hockey League (WHL) with 60 points and could be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
Two players expected to battle for the top pick in June’s draft are also in the running: 17-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters (OHL) and 18-year-old winger Porter Martone of the Steelheads. Mississauga (OHL).
Two other 18-year-old players were eventually invited after initially being left out of the selection camp.
Promising Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit (OHL) was added due to Harrison Brunicke’s injury, while Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks) received the invite due to injury. absence of Cowan.
A different scenario this year?
Former head coach Alan Letang, who led the 2024 squad, spoke repeatedly about the need for his squad to penetrate the paying areas around the opponent’s net as the tournament progressed ago 12 months.
This never really happened.
Salmond highlighted a number of reasons on Tuesday why Canada didn’t get the desired result in Sweden, including the lack of a summer camp and a head recruiter.
“These things sound like excuses, and maybe they are,” Salmond admitted. There are a number of factors, but ultimately it’s the message that comes from the organization through the coaches to the players.
“And the expectation they have in the locker room on themselves. »
