Well, it’s the end of December and an annual tradition awaits us all.
No, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talking about something far more important than that.
It’s time for the World Junior Hockey Championships.
And what does that mean for Canada this time around?
It means it’s time for Canada to redeem itself as it hosts the 2015 World Juniors.
We’ve been held off of the podium for two straight years. What’s worse is our gold medals were won by four different countries since our ‘Fix for Six’ was nixed by the Americans in Saskatoon.
But now we’ve got the team, and the ice surfaces, that will lead Canada back to the golden Promised Land!
Sure, the roster might not yet be finalized, but it doesn’t really matter who gets picked out of the 26 players left in camp.
Either way we’ll have a solid team. Of course the question once again will be in net. Zach Fucale is the frontrunner for the starting job for Canada, however I personally do not see him as the best option.
He has subpar numbers this season, with a GAA of 3.20 and a save percentage of .890. Eric Comrie, meanwhile, has a GAA of 2.50 and a save percentage of .921, far more impressive than that of Fucale.
Then again does that matter? Not to me! For I see this Canadian team in the light of the 1980’s Edmonton Oilers (thankfully it’s not the current Oilers). All they need is average goaltending, because they’ll most definitely fill the net.
NHLers Anthony Duclair (New York Rangers) and Curtis Lazar (Ottawa Senators) will feast on junior goaltenders in this tournament after playing against the best the world has to offer in the NHL.
Connor McDavid and Sam Reinhart will also cause nightmares for opposing netminders while any and all of the blueliners, from Haydn Fleury and Madison Bowey through to Darnell Nurse and the monstrous Samuel Morin , will break opposing forwards’ hearts as they attempt, in vain mind you, to get a quality scoring chance on net. Did I mention the defencemen can also put the puck on the net with their huge blasts from the point? No, I didn’t? Well they can.
Even the ice surface will play to our advantage. Sure the Americans will be used to the smaller NHL standard ice surfaces in Toronto and Montreal just like Canada will be. However, Canada will have a raucous and partisan crowd behind them.
America will have… A retired Stephen Colbert? No competition.
So what does that mean? That means it’s time, Canada.
We’ve lulled the hockey world into a false sense of security. We shared our gold medals by letting the Finns, Swedes and Russians experience the amazing feeling of winning a gold medal.
Heck, we even allowed the Americans to win twice (what gracious neighbours we are, eh?) but now, now is the time the Canada reclaims the World Junior gold medals.
And it will be done on home soil, no less.
