Team USA Brings Home Gold From WJC

I just want to say how awesome it was to actually watch live hockey again, despite having to wake up at 3 in the morning it was worth it to watch these young players battle it out and leave it all on the line. After all the blood, sweat and tears of the tournament two teams stood above the rest; Team USA and Sweden. The powerhouse and defending World Junior Champions team Sweden vs. the underdog Americans.

Going into the 2013 World Junior's not many people gave the Americans a fair shake at winning the tournament after their 7th place finish in 2012 and having

only 3 returning players on the roster. But defenceman Seth Jones believed in his team when no one else did stating "We're the best team!". People scoffed at his comments, but it turns out the draft-eligible defenceman was right- the Americans really were the best team in the 2013 World Junior Championships and to prove it they skated away with the gold medal.Team USA came into the tournament with little pressure, other than themselves no one expected them to make it to the medal round. But they worked hard and battled to the end in every game to advance to the semi-finals.

[caption id="attachment_1868" align="alignright" width="300"]
Team USA celebrates after wining the 2013 World Junior Championships[/caption]

In the semis they beat a Canadian team that they had earlier lost to and surprised the Canadians who thought it would be a easy victory. The Americans earned their spot in the gold medal game. They then relied on strong goaltending and heroics from lesser known prospects to get them the win over the Swedes.

Besides goaltender John Gibson- who was hands down the best player in the tournament, the best player in the finals was American forward Rocco Grimaldi. At the beginning of the tournament the NCAA freshman had been placed on the Americans first line, then a few games later he found his butt glued to the bench after head coach Phil Housley benched him. After getting let out of the "dog house" Grimaldi did not disappoint scoring 2 big goals for the Americans in finals- including their first goal which gave them life and the go-ahead goal. After Grimaldi gave them the lead Gibson was able to shut the door the rest of the way, leaving Sweden stymied.

Now lots of things had to come together for the Americans to claim the gold medal- team chemistry, good coaching, staying out of the box, timely goals and timely saves. But the two of the biggest reasons they were able to capture their 2nd gold in 4 years is because they didn't have politics when picking their roster and the emergence of Gibson as a elite goaltender.

I touched about the lack of politics when picking the team in my last post, but it goes deeper than just cutting big name players. Housley showed faith in NCAA players and they didn't disappoint. Jake McCabe was an excellent captain leading the Americans to a win over rivals Canada in the Semi's and ranked

[caption id="attachment_1863" align="alignright" width="300"]
John Gaudreau celebrates after scoring.[/caption]

3rd among defenceman with 6 points. For his efforts he was also named to the all-star tournament team. Next to McCabe, the biggest forward for the Americans turned out to be one of their smallest- John Gaudreau. Gaudreau had a fantastic tournament and really showed how valuable he can be to a team. Johnny hockey had 3 multi-point games in a row leading up to the semi's including 7 goals in 3 "must-win" games and led the tournament in scoring, proving it doesn't matter how "big" a player is as long as they can score! Of course we already talked about benefit that Rocco Grimaldi had in the finals, heck if it wasn't for his 2 goals the Americans may be wearing silver around their necks. Jones also stepped up playing a major leading role on the blue-line despite his inexperience, he showed maturity with the puck and may have solidified top spot in the 2o13 draft.

But the biggest story for the Americans was the play of John Gibson. When watching the Anaheim Ducks prospect throughout the tournament you just sit back and marvel at some of the big time stops he was able to make. Finishing the tournament with the best Save Percentage (.955) and Goals Against

[caption id="attachment_1865" align="alignright" width="300"]
John Gibson makes a save in the finals against Sweden[/caption]

Average (1.36) which also gives him the highest Save Percentage of any American goaltender at the World Juniors. To say Gibson stood on his head would be

an understatement, he led the Americans to victory and stood tall against the opposition time after time. His play earned him tournament MVP, top goaltender and a gold medal. His play was somewhat reminiscent of Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller during the 2010 Olympics. The Americans were the underdogs in the Olympics much like this tournament but the strong play of Miller between the pipes led the team right to the gold medal match against Canada- closer to a gold medal than anyone thought the Americans would come. The only difference between the two is Gibson was able to lead his American squad to a gold medal where Miller fell just short in OT.

Congrats to team USA on winning gold in the 2013 World Junior Championships, it was a well deserved championship that reminded everyone never to count the Americans out.

Team USA Beats Canada Advances to Gold Medal Match

For the fourth straight year Canada will be leaving the World Junior Tournament without a gold medal after losing to team USA 5-1 in the semi-finals. The game was completely dominated by the Americans and the confused Canadians were left just watching their opposition skate around them, so much for the "dream team" assembled due to the lockout.

The Canadians got off to a slow start and were quickly left in the dust of the Americans who came out ready to play and with something to prove. With 2 first period goals by American captain Jake McCabe they found themselves in a deep hole, needing to score 3 goals on the red hot John Gibson. Going into the 2nd period the Americans scored the next 2 goals and the game was quickly put to bed before Canada was even able to show up. Whether it was the 2 days off after earning the quarter final bye or they were to over confident, they just didn't show up ready to play when the puck dropped and that's what killed the Canadians.

Team Canada

The Canadian players played with no heart or passion during the tournament and the reason is they have a sense of entitlement. They believe because they're star Canadian players and wear the maple leaf on their chest they should immediately be in the gold medal game. The star players on the Canadian team were just given a spot on the team and weren't forced to work hard and actually make the team. Just look at the games during selection camp, every player who had already made the team (after only 1 practice) got to sit in the press box and eat wings while the fringe players (many of whom got cut) had to fight like crazy for a chance to represent their country.

[caption id="attachment_1834" align="alignright" width="300"]
Canadian players upset after loss to Team USA[/caption]

When watching Canada in the tournament you could tell that players like Jonathan Drouin who had to battle to earn the honour to put the Canadian jersey on, were the better players and they actually seemed to care. For the first round draft-picks who were given a spot on the roster before touching down out West, the tournament becomes almost a "right of passage" that they must compete in before making the jump to the NHL. It seems like they don't put their full heart into the tournament because they know they're already headed to the NHL.

When push comes to shove Canada just expects to win gold, so much has been made about hockey being their game and how dominate they used to be that they just expect to wind up in the gold medal game. You could see today that was the mindset they brought into the semi-finals, they just expected to be in the finals but team USA had other plans.

Thanks to the lockout Canada had the added benefit of some very talented players including first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. With so many stars suiting up for Canada there are 2 things to take away. The first is the fact that all the star players are used to being the star players, it's hard for 5 guys who are used to be being "the guy" to come together and mesh as a unit and thats what happened. When watching them play it truly looked like 5 individuals out on the ice instead of a team as each guy wanted to be the hero and tried to do to much. The second thing to take away is the coaching from head coach Steve Spott, I have no clue where they drew his name from, but he had absolutely no clue how to coach the players. One thing that really stood out for me was the fact he didn't even go into the room before the semi-final game, what kind of coach doesn't at least talk to his team before a big game like this? He was unable to get the right lines together and flat out did a horrible job managing the players.

Now moving onto the underdogs of the tournament Team USA.

After a disappointing 7th place finish last year at the World Juniors, Team USA has rebounded nicely and will now be going home with at least a silver medal. Not a bad turnaround by the Americans who chose a fine mix of CHL players and NCAA players. The best part of the Americans roster going into the tournament was the lack of politics. They were comfortable cutting first round draft picks Stefan Matteau and Brady Skjei because they didn't perform as well as other players during the selection camp. That's a team that is willing to take the best players instead of the biggest names.

Their decision to take college players John Gaudreau and Rocco Grimaldi payed off in the end as Gaudreau scored 2 big goals in the win over Canada and is 2nd in scoring with 9 points (7 goals and 2 assists). When you have 3rd and 4th liners who are able to produce at the rate Gaudreau has been able to it makes scoring a lot easier. All 5 goals scored by the Americans against Canada came from players playing in the NCAA (Gaudreau 2, Jake McCabe 2, Jim Vesey) proving that you can win with players from anywhere.

But perhaps the biggest story and the number 1 reason they're in the finals is due to the play of goaltender John Gibson. He has been absolutely phenomenal throughout the tournament and if it wasn't for a questionable whistle would have recorded his 2nd straight shutout. The Canadians had many golden chances where players were left alone in front of the goaltender but Gibson stood strong and shut the door time after time. With his strong play he ended up getting into the Canadians heads forcing them to miss the net trying to pick corners or shooting right at him. When a team is able to get the strong type of goaltending team USA has gotten, it does wonders for the confidence of the team. Going into the tournament their main goal was defence but against Canada they managed to generate offence and let Gibson take care of the rest.

The Americans knew they had something to prove after last years tournament and their satisfactory play during the round robin, beating Canada who they had lost to earlier would be a huge step for them. They came out for the semi-final game on fire, ready to play and with a chip on their shoulder. They were a determined team and right from the start they showed they weren't going to roll over.

During the semi-final match team USA was the better team, period. They out-played Canada in every aspect from skating, to scoring to goaltending. After their effort they were the team that deserved to advance to the gold medal match not Canada. At the end of the day you have to earn your way into the gold medal match not just show up. While I stand by the Canadian hockey team, their effort today in the semi-final was pathetic and an embarrassment to themselves and Canada. They didn't bother to show up until the 3rd period and by then the game was over, they allowed themselves to become impressed by who they were and believed they couldn't be beat.

10 Players to Watch During the World Juniors

The World Juniors are upon us once again. This tournament is one of the highlights for every hockey fan and this year it may be the biggest highlight due to the lack of NHL hockey. This years tournament will feature some extra talented players many of whom are NHL-Calibre, but in addition to players well on their way to their NHL career there are also several prospects playing to help improve their stock for the 2013 draft. So while the following list may not be the biggest names, they are players who have a lot to play for and don't always get the recognition they deserve.

10. Joel Armia- Finland

I'm not just saying this because he's a Buffalo Sabres prospect, but Armia does not get the recognition and respect he should for his talent. Finland is flying
high after defeating both Canada and the US in the pre-competition games and one major reason for their surging play is Joel Armia. He is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons for Finland and is extremely dangerous on the powerplay. Since he has not made the jump over to North America yet he has the added benefit of knowing the international style of play.

9. J.C Lipon- Canada

J.C Lipon is the underdog that you fall in love with. After not being selected in either of the last 2 NHL drafts, Lipon is hoping the 3rd time is the charm and now that he's made team Canada, he may just fulfill his dream and hear his name on draft day. After being dubbed a "late bloomer" Lipon is finally starting to turn heads and garner some interest. While he wont play a huge role with team canada (3rd or 4th line) he will be a key player while killing penalties and is one of those players that are crucial to every winning team.

8. Aleksander Barkov- Finland

Although Finland is sometimes considered a 2nd tier team at this tournament they have a serious chance of bringing home a medal from this years World Junior tournament. They have some high flying offensive players one of which is Aleksander Barkov who many are saying could be the highest scoring European in the tournament. He is also ranked as the highest European for the upcoming draft, with a big tournament he could challenge Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones for the first overall pick. This will be Barkov's second crack at the World Junior tournament and he'll look to provide more of a leadership role and lead the talented Finish squad to a gold medal.

7. Jonathan Drouin- Canada

Before the tournament almost nobody expected the young 17 year-old to even crack the Team Canada squad, but team Canada saw something special and made him a member of the team. But he's now slated in on the 2nd line and ranked ahead of teammate MacKinnon. If you've read my last articles about team Canada you'll know how excited I am to see Drouin play in the tournament, strong play will significantly help his draft stock. Drouin may be one of the underdogs on the Canadian squad and could play a big role in the end.

6. Olli Maatta- Finland

I said Finland had a solid team this year and the addition of first round pick Olli Maatta doesn't exactly hurt their cause. He played in just 1 game for the Finish team at last years World Junior Championship but will undoubtedly have a much bigger role this time around. He will be relied on to be the top shutdown defenceman and help calm down a offensive focused squad.



5. Jake McCabe- United States

Now if you're not familiar with the NCAA and the Wisconsin Badgers chances are the name Jake McCabe means nothing to you. But that should be changing within the next week. The US junior team named McCabe captain for this years World Junior tournament ahead of fan favourite J.T Miller. It's a smart move by the Americans naming their captain as a defenceman since their team is focusing on a strong defence this year. McCabe along with Jones will both be key leaders on the backend and the captain should help with Jones' game.

4. Elias Lindholm- Sweden

Elias Lindholm is another top notch European player looking to up his draft stock for the upcoming draft. He's playing against older and stronger men in the swedish elite league but has still managed 21 points in 32 games and currently sits 4th in the draft rankings. He'll be responsible for replacing the offence of Mika Zibanejad who will not be suiting up for team Sweden. Leading the team will be no easy task for the un-drafted prospect but considering he's already drawing comparison's to Peter Forsberg he should have a big tournament.

3. J.T. Miller- United States

Despite being drafted in the first round in 2011 and playing in the AHL. J.T. Miller is one of the most unknown players for the United States. Despite not being given the captaincy of the US national team, he was given the role of alternate captain. Miller will be called upon to lead the offence for the Americans and help score goals for the defensive minded squad.

2. Mikhail Grigorenko- Russia

The Russians have some fantastic offensive talent and having Buffalo Sabres first round pick Mikhail Grigorenko at their disposal wont hurt their chances of making it to the finals. Grigorenko is a big, tough natural goal scorer, he's 2nd in QMJHL scoring with 29 goals and 21 assists for 50 points. While he may have to sit in the passenger seat while Nail Yakupov leads the team it doesn't mean he won't be a productive scoring leader for the Russians. After last years 5 points and a silver medal, Grigorenko is hungry to add a gold medal.

1. Andrey Vasilevskiy- Russia

Vasilevskiy was the first goaltender selected in the 2012 draft ahead of team Canada's starter Malcolm Subban. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal in last years tournament and finished the tournament with the highest save percentage (95.31). He was also the netminder who surrended 5 goals against Canada in the nail bitting 6-5 Russia win. Because of his poor play against Canada he was benched during the finals but this year he's looking to avenge last years benching and help lead Russia to a gold Medal. Vasilevskiy will need to shut things down in net and keep opponents goals total to a minimum or face losing his job to Sabres prospect Andrey Makorav who took over in the finals for Vasilevskiy and played exceptionally well.

 







 

 

Why Jordan Binnington Should Start Over Malcolm Subban

After finishing the selection camp and heading over to Finland, almost all the positions for team Canada were spoken for. For the most part we knew who the top defence pairing would be and who the top forward line would be. But the one position still with question marks is the most important one, the goalie. Heading into the pre-competition games it was rumoured Malcolm Subban had been pencilled in as the starter and Jordan Binnington would be the back-up, but coming out of those games I hope head coach Steve Spott has an eraser handy.

While Subban may be the higher touted goaltender of the two, being drafted in the first round by the Boston Bruins and playing in the summer series against Russia, he has looked shaky at best during his time battling during selection camp and in his first pre-competition game. Coming out of the selection camp Subban was arguably the worst goaltender but because of his strong play this summer and phenomenal stats with the Belleville Bulls he was given the benefit of the doubt. Binnington on the other hand was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft by the St. Louis Blues and wasn't even invited this summer to compete against Russia. He used his snub this summer as added motivation and earned an invite to selection camp based on his exceptional start of the season with the Owen Sound Attack.

Both netminders have similar records this season in the OHL; Subban going 15-7-3 with a save percentage of .932 while Binnington has gone 17-6-3 with a .930 Save percentage. After not having a clear cut number 1 goalie since 2005 (Carey Price) team Canada needs to pick the goalie who will give them the best shot at winning the gold medal not the "politically correct" goalie and based on pre-competition play that is Jordan Binnington.

Now I know there is still lots of time for Subban to find his game during the round robin games and will likely be given every opportunity to win back his starters job, but in a tournament this short you have to play the hot goalie. Subban has looked shaky and nervous during his turns between the pipes, something is just off he isn't the same goaltender who suits up for the Bulls and is lacking confidence. Giving the starting job to Subban while he's not playing well will prove both detrimental for Subban and team Canada. If Canada comes home with anything less than gold they will likely be met with criticism, something Subban may not react well to considering he's never played in a tournament of this magnitude before. Binnington has proven he's confident and ready to suit up for team Canada and his 30 save shootout win in which he looked composed and confident only further proved the point he is the real deal.

Right now Binnington is the hot goaltender, he has the confidence, the swagger and has flat out out-played Subban. He deserves, based on play, to be the starting netminder for team Canada. Heck he's even won over the support of the players;

"There was one flurry in the 2nd where he was unbelievable. He lost his stick and we were on the bench saying wow!" ~Team Canada forward Ryan Strome

Having the confidence from the team goes a long way, especially in a short tournament like this. Last year the players lost trust in Mark Visentin and became more focused on the back check then scoring goals. They quickly found themselves trailing Russia and ended up losing 6-5 forcing them out of the gold medal game, mainly because of weak goaltending. When a team is able to score 5 goals they should be winning the hockey game, but to see your netminder let in 6 is a real tough pill to swallow. It is crucial this year that the Canadian players have faith in their goaltender, based on pre-competition games they don't seem to be a high scoring team so they will rely even more on the goalie to keep the games close until they can capitalize.

With teenage athletes, especially goalies, poor play is often magnified with pressure. Both goalies are still young and have some maturing to do but the pressure of being the number one goaltender for team Canada is no easy burden. Right now all the pressure is on Subban, he was expected to be the starter, played against Russia in the summer and was a first round pick. Where as Binnington came out of no where, out-played Subban and has been flying under the radar this season. There's less pressure on Binnington, he wasn't the rumoured starter and had to work hard just to make the team after the snub in the summer. If he's named the starter people will be impressed by his performance no matter how things turn out as they weren't expecting him to lead the team.

While fans may get to see a little bit of both goaltenders throughout the round robin games, the brunt of the load should be given to Binnington. He's proven he's ready with his strong play and right now is more stable than Subban. Right now the best bet for Canada to win gold is if Binnington is the starter, but I've seen Spott make worse decisions. Whoever he decides to name starter, he should announce it soon. Subban is already doubting his play and if given the starting job will have a hard time getting the naysayers out of his head. We saw last year how well not declaring a starter went for team Canada, they don't want to head down that path again.

Team USA UnderDogs in WJC

Considering the US junior team failed to advance from the round robin play in the 2012 World Junior Championship, they have a lot of work to do in order to get themselves back into the "elite" division in World Junior hockey. But one American defenceman believes that won't be an issue at all;

"I think we're the best team! We have a lot of speed up front, we're great defensively and we have good goaltending so I think we have all the pieces to win the gold medal." ~ Projected first overall pick and defenceman Seth Jones

[caption id="attachment_1547" align="alignright" width="300"] Seth Jones[/caption]

A bold prediction from the young defenceman suiting up in his first World Junior tournament. It will be no easy task for the boys in blue and white to reclaim the gold medal with only 3 players on the roster with World Junior experience and only 2 players who would likely be up in the NHL if not for the lockout. Jones who many are saying will be taken first overall in the 2013 draft, is by far the biggest name on the roster and may end up as the top shutdown defenceman for the Americans.

Outside of the rookie Jones, J.T Miller, Jacob Trouba and John Gibson are the 3 returning players from last years disappointing 7th place finish. These 3 will have to lead the team and help the younger rookies adapt to the pressures of the playing in the World Juniors.

“J.T. is key for us on and off the ice and we really listen to what he has to say." ~Jones

If the Americans have any shot of challenging for the gold medal they will need Miller to step up and lead this team in scoring. Miller is the only member of the team playing in the AHL and well on his way to a NHL career. Despite his slow start with the Connecticut Whale the New York Rangers junior team he's racked up 14 points in 26 games and will need to further elevate his game to lead the Americans to victory. He still has a bitter taste from last years tournament and will be looking to win big this year to erase last years pitiful performance.

In addition to the scoring threat of Miller, Sarnia Sting forward Alex Galchenyuk will be another dangerous offencive weapon. The third overall pick in the 2012 draft, he's the highest drafted player in the Americans line up and is virtually ready for his shot in the NHL. He's been lighting up the OHL in recent weeks racking up 19 goals and 40 points in his last 18 games and is 2nd in OHL scoring behind team Canada's Ryan Strome. If Miller goes quit look for Galchenyuk to pick up the slack and perhaps lead the team in scoring.

[caption id="attachment_1549" align="alignright" width="300"] Jacob Trouba[/caption]

On the back end the focus will fall on Jacob Trouba and Jones to shut down the opposition. Jones has lofty expectations for his team on the backend stating he wants the team to "Give up the least amount of goals in the tournament". A lofty goal which puts added pressure on the defence and goalies. While Jones has something to prove for the upcoming draft and facing off against fellow top ranked prospects Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon, Trouba has already been drafted and is one of 3 returning players. Trouba's job will be to lead the defence and set the tone of play. Trouba was taken in the first round by the Winnipeg Jets and has had previous success with the U17 and U18 American team. After the dismal showing last year look for Trouba to be motivated to bring home a medal.

Between the pipes the US will turn to John Gibson who was the back-up netminder during last years tournament. Gibson got a first hand look of what it takes to win games from last years tournament and has the added benefit of a second chance to fix mistakes. Playing in 20 games this season with the Kitchener Rangers he's won 13 games and has a solid .929 Save Percentage. After playing second fiddle last year, Gibson is ready to take on the starting role and hopefully propel the Americans back into medal contention. He will have the benefit of playing behind a team that is focusing mainly on defence but will still need to stay sharp and come up big during the penalty kill.

While games against their rivals Canada and Russia will be big games, the Americans will have to stay sharp and get the "easy" wins against teams like Slovakia and Germany to insure their inclusion in the medal round. In addition to some of the big names up front the Americans will be relying on some of their smaller players to help give them a boost. Rocco Grimaldi is the smallest player on the roster at 5 foot 6 and wont add much in terms of physical play but if he's given the time and space, the big ice surface will give him room to do his thing and could add another offencive weapon. Speed kills in the World Junior tournament and Grimaldi has tons of that.

This years American team has an added focus on defence and is looking to play close games like their overtime win over Sweden in the pre-competition.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300"] Team USA will need to band together and stay out of the box[/caption]

Much like team Canada they will need to adapt to the way international refs call the game, the ruff, tough, hard hitting hockey played over in North America isn't

usually welcomed in Europe and the Americans have already found themselves in penalty trouble. The key for the Americans is to stay out of the box and play sound defensive hockey. While most people aren't expecting team USA to make it to the finals, they have the potential to be a surprise team. Coming in as the underdogs there is no room to slack off.

Team Canada Showing Trust In Jonathan Drouin

When team Canada named their final roster to head over to Russia for the World Junior Championship, many were surprised they took both Halifax Mooseheads and linemates Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon. The later of the two was said to have a better shot of making the team, all be it not at his natural position. But Drouin with the help of his linemate made quite the impression at camp and earned himself a spot.

It was a risky move to put 2 17 year-old forwards on the final roster, but the talent the two have is hard to pass up on. Due to the great chemistry the linemates show both in the QMJHL and at training camp, it



was expected that they would be paired together on the 3rd or 4th forward line where they would be able to do the least damage. But head coach Steve Spott has decided to give one of them a much larger role and not the one you'd expect

Team Canada currently has Drouin playing on the 2nd line with Niagara IceDog teammates Ryan Strome and Brett Ritchie while Nathan Mackinnon is on the 4th line wing slated as the 13th forward. Yes you read that correctly, Canada currently has Drouin in the top 6 forwards while the projected 1st overall pick is stuck in the bottom 6.

MacKinnon and Drouin sit 3rd and 10th respectively in the QMJHL scoring, but many attributed Drouin's success to the benefit of playing with a world class player such as MacKinnon. With the all star centre, Drouin has managed to rack up 19 goals and 28 assists for 48 points and is only 4 points behind his linemate. Even more remarkable he is managing an average 2 points per game. It may be time to give Drouin the credit he deserves.

When the Mooseheads drafted Drouin 2nd overall in the QMJHL draft, they felt they had landed their next franchise player. Now calling someone a "franchise" player is nothing to shake your head at and 9 times out of 10 they will be the most talked about and best player on the team. It wasn't until they were able to land the only player taken higher then the perspective franchise player in the QMJHL MacKinnon, that Drouin started to fade into the background. But the fact Drouin was drafted to become the next big star for the Mooseheads means he's a pretty spectacular hockey player and has just as much right to be on the world junior team as MacKinnon.

Due to the fact Drouin plays on the same line as MacKinnon and is often overshadowed by the big name player, going into team Canada training camp many



thought he was un-proven and only earned an invite on MacKinnon's bill. In order to see his true potential he needed to be separated from his linemate, butSpott kept the two together and their chemistry turned heads and ended up earning both a spot on the final roster. Finally Drouin doubters are getting what they want, him on a line away from MacKinnon and he seems to be doing just fine.

While Drouin's spot in the top 6 forwards isn't carved in stone yet, his strong play earned him a spot to prove he is capable of playing in the top 6 and his new linemates believe he's doing just fine;

"Obviously he's got an unbelievable skill level,  I'm looking forward to playing with him. I feel pretty lucky. He's really calm out there, he's been composed the whole camp and in practice. He skates like a pro, he works like a pro, he's got skill like a pro." ~Ryan Strome

Drouin is certainly making an impression with many older already drafted players, maybe there really is something special about the youngster. Few have even gone as far to compare his style of play to Jordan Eberle or Patrick Kane, no matter which you slice it he's turning heads around not only the minors but also the NHL. With his strong play in the QMJHL this season, his spectacular showing at the Subway Super Series against Russia and his latest inclusion to team Canada his draft stock is rising and rising fast. He skyrocketed from 13th to 4th in the latest rankings and many fans and scouts say he has the potential to be a first overall pick. Can we see 2 Mooseheads go in the top 5?

While splitting up MacKinnon and Drouin isn't the recommended move, Spott seems comfortable with Drouin taking on a much bigger role. But things could change quick if the 2nd line goes south Drouin can easily drop down to the 4th line. But with a strong showing at the World Juniors, it may be Jonathan Drouin we hear more and more about in the coming months and maybe even separate from the name MacKinnon.

Canada Goes With Skill Over Grit for WJC

After 3 straight years with disappointing bronze and silver medals at the World Junior tournament team Canada has re-tooled for the 2013 tournament, choosing skill and speed over the usual grit. In doing so Canada will ice 3 scoring lines and 1 checking line up front, in addition the top defencive pairing featuring Dougie Hamilton and Morgan Rielly will also be offencive minded. The goal is simple for the red and white, win gold.

Edmonton Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins  has been named captain of team Canada, despite this being his first time competing at the World Juniors. While theres no question the NHL star has all the skill required to lead this team, his lack of experience at the tournament may have had him better suited to wear the A instead. Never the less this is Nugent-Hopkins team, he will be the first line centre accompanied by Jonathan Huberdeau and Mark Scheifele and look to earn Canada their first gold medal since 2009. This will be the go-to line and will be expected to lead this team by example, scoring goals and playing defence.

In a surprising decision 2 of the 3 17 year-olds invited to camp earned a spot on the final squad. The chemistry shown at camp between Halifax Mooseheads linemates Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin is likely the reason they were both included and beat out older and in some cases already drafted players. It's a strange move putting two 17 year-olds on a roster full of older, stronger 19 year-olds but with the talent the youngsters posses it would be a shame to have passed them by. It was less surprising for most that projected first overall pick MacKinnon cracked the roster  as many are touting him to be the best young player since Sidney Crosby, the only 17 year-old to make the team in 2005. But the inclusion of the unproven Drouin raised a few eyebrows, how will he fair if and when he is separated from his teammate? The youngsters will likely play in the bottom 6 forwards with JC Lipon, a spot usually reserved for the grittier and tougher guys.

Canada's second forward line will also be filled with immense scoring talent with Ryan Strome and Brett Ritchie two natural goal scorers who are lighting it up in the OHL. Don't be surprised to see Ritchie mix things up with opponents and be the "tough" guy for the red and white.

Similar to the forwards the defencemen are filled with versatility and are not afraid to join the rush. The only real "shutdown" pair are Scott Harrington and Xavier Ouellet who play a more defencive minded game and will be the go to guys during a penalty kill. Bruins prospect Hamilton who was virtually robbed of wearing a C/A will lead the defenceman and be a fantastic partner for Leafs defenceman Rielly. Also on defence will be Ryan Murphy who finally cracked the squad on his third attempt. After being cut the last 2 years, Murphy said he needed to stick to his game in order to make the team. Look for him to play with a chip on his shoulder and turn into one of the leaders of this team, not to mention his feel good story of finally making the squad.

Once again the only unclear position for Canada is goaltending. Canada has not had a clear cut number one netminder since the days of Carey Price and it's cost them their gold medal in the last couple tournaments. When a team scores 5 goals but their netminder lets in 6, it's a deflating feeling and no way to win a tournament. Going into selection camp Malcolm Subban was slated to carry the job but after a less than impressive camp which saw him land last on most scouting reports, it will be interesting to see if he still has the number 1 spot locked up. After cutting arguably the best goalie in camp Laurent Brossoit of the WHL for Jordan Binnington of the OHL, the goaltending situation is a little less clear. As of now it would be hard to start anyone but Subban who was taken in the first round by the Bruins and is arguably the most developed netminder, but if things go south for Subban look for Binnington to take over the lead role. None of these goalies have a had chance to play in something this big, only time will tell if they buckle under the pressure.

One player to keep an eye on is Lipon who will likely see time on the 3rd line with the youngsters. Lipon has flown completely under the radar and is a un-drafted player, but hockey Canada must have seen something special in his game. One thing the World Junior tournament is famous for is the coming out parties of many undiscovered solid young players. Look for Lipon to make a name for himself and show teams he's worthy of being drafted as an over age player next season.

All in all Canada has assembled a solid team that will light up the score board, the only question is



goaltending. As much as this pains me to say, I don't think this team is good enough to bring back the gold, I just don't. Sure on paper they look good, but Canada has had a lot of "good" teams on paper before. The offensive minded players they've put together need to remember to play in both ends and will need to find some chemistry in a hurry. Getting past Russia will be no easy task, especially when their main goal is to beat Canada.

Can Nathan MacKinnon Crack Team Canada's Roster?

On Monday afternoon Hockey Canada released the names of the 37 players who would be invited to the World Junior selection camp to battle it out for their chance to don the Red and White for the World Junior Championships in Russia. Amongst the 37 players was QMJHL star and projected 1st overall pick Nathan MacKinnon. But the question now becomes can MacKinnon crack the lineup for Canada when they kick off the tournament on boxing day?

Now you're probably thinking "of course the projected 1st overall pick is going to make the World Junior team, what a silly question", but there is some serious debate on whether he will be on the final 20 man roster and if he is at what position? There has never been a question about the depth Canada has to draw from, especially at the forward position and with the NHL lockout sending top prospects down to the minors the competition is that much tougher.

There is a very strong chance that in oder for MacKinnon to crack the team, he will be moved to the wing. With Edmonton Oilers youngster Ryan Nugent-Hopkins being invited it's almost a guarantee he'll centre the first line and having returning bronze medal winner and 3rd overall pick from 2011 Jonathan Huberdeau from last years squad tie up the 2nd line centre spot. Also in the mix for jobs at centre are, member of the 2012 squad Mark Scheifele and fellow 2012 Bronze medalists Boone Jenner and Ryan Strome. One of the new players battling for a spot against MacKinnon will be Ottawa 67's Sean Monahan. Of course Scheifele can move to the wing but that still leaves 4 centres, 3 of whom were on the bronze medal winning team in 2012, the chances of MacKinnon snagging a centre spot are slim to none at this point.

After being left off the roster last year as a 16 year-old, MacKinnon will be even more motivated to show team Canada that age is but a number and he can help bring home that elusive gold medal. He will be in tough again this year as 1 of 2 17 year-olds invited to camp who are facing off against mainly 19 year olds. At 5 foot 11 and 180 MacKinnon certainly won't be lacking size but he may be lacking maturity and experience which are vital aspects at the World Junior Championships. Another thing MacKinnon has that the 6 other centres don't is time, there are still 2 more World Junior Championships that he will eligible to play in.

On paper at the moment the best chance for the 17 year-old to crack the team is on the 2nd or 3rd line wing. Although putting him on the wing with Nugent-Hopkins would do wonders for his development and make for a flashy line up, putting the young kid on the first line is a bit of a risk and there's no guarantee the two would find chemistry. The best thing that could have happened for MacKinnon at development camp is his fellow linemate with the MooseHeads Jonathan Drouin was also invited. If the two of them get paired up for any stint during camp look for instant chemistry and stints of brilliance from the youngsters which may be enough to push MacKinnon into the top 6.

In a way the lockout is unfortunate for players like Drouin, Monahan, MacKinnon and even Hunter Shinkaruk who didn't earn an invite to camp as they may miss out on a chance to play for their country at the World Junior championships. Any other year and MacKinnon would easily be slated as the number 1 or 2 centre and one of the leaders on the team but this year he'll be in tough just to crack the top 9. But it's great for Team Canada as a whole as they have the ability to ice a team near the same calibre as 2005. This years squad may be Canada's best chance to win gold since 2005, but one thing to remember is both the Americans and Russians will also benefit from the lockout.

As of right now I imagine the majority of top 6 spots are already pencilled in, the only variable being MacKinnon. If he can spark some chemistry on the wing with one of the older centres then he'll likely earn a spot, if not he'll have to wait yet another year to play for the World Juniors. Do I see MacKinnon making the team as a centre, not a chance. Him on the wing, possibility.