Are we in Canada paranoid about 2026 or should we not be worried?

[Crosby2010]

In my opinion Canada doesn't have much if any of a skill advantage at this point. I also don't think the respective U.S. and Canadian rosters will be all that physical. Canada does have more depth, but I'm not sure that will make much of a difference this go around in a best on best.

And the top end talent as well. Arguably the best three players in the world are Canadian right now, And who knows, Bedard could be among the top 5 in 2 years. That's some serious top end talent. You basically always have one of them on the ice at all times. And even Crosby just never seems to get old.

 

[ORRFForever]

And the top end talent as well. Arguably the best three players in the world are Canadian right now, And who knows, Bedard could be among the top 5 in 2 years. That's some serious top end talent. You basically always have one of them on the ice at all times. And even Crosby just never seems to get old.

Jake Neighbours is an odd duck. He has 26 goals but only 11 assists. I know he's a winger but...

How does that happen?

************************************************************

If you needed additional proof of how GREAT Nathan MacKinnon is...

Look at Drouin's stats in 2024.

*************************************************************

Jordan Kyrou's stock has fallen.

​

 

[Spirits]

He is no more uncomfortable with that then you are with the fact you have a population of over 300 million.He's right........if we had a population that big with the hockey culture we have and our hockey infrastructure you could forget about the U.S ever having even the wildest chance of taking the heavyweight championship from Canada in hockey.

We would eat you alive till the end of time. After all, as you said yourself........all your best athletes play different sports.

Count your blessings instead of attempting to antagonize.

Yes, if you guys could have 10x the population...what a ridiculous argument.

 

[jj cale]

Yes, if you guys could have 10x the population...what a ridiculous argument.

About as ridiculous as suggesting a mythical reality in which hockey is the most popular sport in the U.S. when it's obviously not and never will be.

Congratulations, you have tried to create an alternative reality of pure fantasy just as we did and you beat us to the punch in doing so by suggesting this fantasy world first..

Good work.

 

[jj cale]

I agree that our best will never play hockey, but we certainly don't need our best athletes to play hockey to decimate Canada at it lol.

Now I know you're just messing around. I'd like to see the all time record in hockey of Canada vs the U.S................I think you would be pretty humbled, lol.

 

[Spirits]

Now I know you're just messing around. I'd like to see the all time record in hockey of Canada vs the U.S................I think you would be pretty humbled, lol.

I've said all along that Canadians are the best hockey players in the world and almost all of my favorites are Canadian. I don't think it is debatable.

I don't even think we will compete with Canada in my lifetime, but I do know it isn't because we are incapable. Same reason high schools that have 5,000 students don't compete with high schools that have 500 students. It is a numbers game.

 

[jj cale]

I've said all along that Canadians are the best hockey players in the world and almost all of my favorites are Canadian. I don't think it is debatable.

I don't even think we will compete with Canada in my lifetime, but I do know it isn't because we are incapable. Same reason high schools that have 5,000 students don't compete with high schools that have 500 students. It is a numbers game.

who said you were incapable? certainly not me.

 

[ORRFForever]

Akil Thomas got his first NHL goal.

A gentle reminder : He's the young man who scored the Gold Medal Winning WJR goal in 2020.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

And the top end talent as well. Arguably the best three players in the world are Canadian right now, And who knows, Bedard could be among the top 5 in 2 years. That's some serious top end talent. You basically always have one of them on the ice at all times. And even Crosby just never seems to get old.

I assume you are referring to McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar. Yes, three great players and I would say three of the top five or six players in the world. That said, the U.S. can put out Matthews, a healthy Eichel, and Q. Hughes which is comparable. I think the real advantage Canada has is a winner's mindset. That may be the difference maker.

 

[Crosby2010]

Akil Thomas got his first NHL goal.

A gentle reminder : He's the young man who scored the Gold Medal Winning WJR goal in 2020.

That was a great game. I can remember Tretiak was the one handing out the medals after the game and the Russians squandered the lead and it showed him in the back hallway reacting to the lead being squandered and you can tell it irritated him. The last Canada/Russia game we've seen and it was a beaut.

I assume you are referring to McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar. Yes, three great players and I would say three of the top five or six players in the world. That said, the U.S. can put out Matthews, a healthy Eichel, and Q. Hughes which is comparable. I think the real advantage Canada has is a winner's mindset. That may be the difference maker.

I don't think it is comparable though. Matthews is not the complete offensive player, Eichel does have a Cup after missing the playoffs his entire career but he has several seasons with under a PPG. Matthews is much inferior to McDavid and Eichel is not close to MacKinnon either. Quinn and Makar are closer, but you give the edge to Makar here overall. I am also predicting Bedard is right there so who knows by then we could have the top 4 players in the NHL on one team. As a fan of the Leafs even if Matthews was Canadian I'd put him on only because of his shot. His passion is what concerns me.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Wyatt Johnston with his 30th goal and 31st assist, tonight.

The kid is 20. LOL.

Geez, I'm not even familiar with the kid. Surprised he isn't getting more hype, at least on social media where I get most of my hockey info

 

[ORRFForever]

That was a great game. I can remember Tretiak was the one handing out the medals after the game and the Russians squandered the lead and it showed him in the back hallway reacting to the lead being squandered and you can tell it irritated him. The last Canada/Russia game we've seen and it was a beaut.



I don't think it is comparable though. Matthews is not the complete offensive player, Eichel does have a Cup after missing the playoffs his entire career but he has several seasons with under a PPG. Matthews is much inferior to McDavid and Eichel is not close to MacKinnon either. Quinn and Makar are closer, but you give the edge to Makar here overall. I am also predicting Bedard is right there so who knows by then we could have the top 4 players in the NHL on one team. As a fan of the Leafs even if Matthews was Canadian I'd put him on only because of his shot. His passion is what concerns me.

That is funny. One of my main memories, as well, is Tretiak's reaction as he walked down the hall. His smirking face said, "Our Russians kids have blown it, again".

 

[ORRFForever]

Geez, I'm not even familiar with the kid. Surprised he isn't getting more hype, at least on social media where I get most of my hockey info

He plays in Dallas so he's out of the Canadian Hockey market's zone of interest. Plus, he's not Bedard.

Between Johnston, Stankoven and Bourque, the Stars have a beast of a Canadian line - Bourque is the oldest at 22.

 

[Crosby2010]

That is funny. One of my main memories, as well, is Tretiak's reaction as he walked down the hall. His smirking face said, "Our Russians kids have blown it, again".

I mean, he was a good sport about it. Having to give the Canadian kids gold medals when his team blew a 3-1 lead with 12 minutes left. But Jean Beliveau was the guy who handed the Americans the World Cup trophy in 1996 on the ice after the won. I am guessing they assumed Canada would win and having Beliveau hand the trophy over to Gretzky would have been iconic.

 

[Nucks2001]

I assume you are referring to McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar. Yes, three great players and I would say three of the top five or six players in the world. That said, the U.S. can put out Matthews, a healthy Eichel, and Q. Hughes which is comparable. I think the real advantage Canada has is a winner's mindset. That may be the difference maker.

People are acting like Canada doesn’t have any depth. Brayden Point who I would take over Matthews in big-games is never talked about. Stone, Marchand, Marner, Barzal, Thomas, Scheifele. Yes, the USA depth might be better, but it’s not a huge gap by any means.

 

[ORRFForever]

I mean, he was a good sport about it. Having to give the Canadian kids gold medals when his team blew a 3-1 lead with 12 minutes left. But Jean Beliveau was the guy who handed the Americans the World Cup trophy in 1996 on the ice after the won. I am guessing they assumed Canada would win and having Beliveau hand the trophy over to Gretzky would have been iconic.

Yes he was. I've always liked him.

 

[ORRFForever]

Jack Quinn (22) with a pair of goals, tonight. If he could just stay healthy...

Zack Benson (18) with 2 assists, tonight, and 2 assists in his last game.

 

[ORRFForever]

Shane Wright with a pair. Nice !!!!

Edit : And an Assist.

 

[ORRFForever]

I always scoffed when posters said that Covid took a huge toll on the development of Canadian players but I'm starting to think it was true. So many Canadian kids seem to be catching up all at once.

 

[Nucks2001]

I always scoffed when posters said that Covid took a huge toll on the development of Canadian players but I'm starting to think it was true. So many Canadian kids seem to be catching up all at once.

I thought it was rather obvious. Not just playing games, but CHL kids couldn't even train properly or have access to usual resources during COVID-19. So big during those developmental years.

 

[ORRFForever]

I thought it was rather obvious. Not just playing games, but CHL kids couldn't even train properly or have access to usual resources during COVID-19. So big during those developmental years.

I was wrong. Big time.

 

[Crosby2010]

I thought it was rather obvious. Not just playing games, but CHL kids couldn't even train properly or have access to usual resources during COVID-19. So big during those developmental years.

Plus you had plenty of players who didn't get a shot at the Memorial Cup, or their junior playoffs. The following year there was 15 or so games in the WHL (Connor Bedard led the league with 28 points). It ruined and stagnated some careers and it was noticeable to me because 2020 was a strong draft at the time and still will be when all is said and done. But the lockdowns were a bad idea and really killed the development of players at the utmost critical time. Lafreniere for example stopped playing with teenagers in March of 2020 and then was thrown into the fire and played with grown men in January of 2021 with nothing in between. And people dumped all over him because he didn't run laps around the NHL. Well, I got why.

 

[ORRFForever]

Plus you had plenty of players who didn't get a shot at the Memorial Cup, or their junior playoffs. The following year there was 15 or so games in the WHL (Connor Bedard led the league with 28 points). It ruined and stagnated some careers and it was noticeable to me because 2020 was a strong draft at the time and still will be when all is said and done. But the lockdowns were a bad idea and really killed the development of players at the utmost critical time. Lafreniere for example stopped playing with teenagers in March of 2020 and then was thrown into the fire and played with grown men in January of 2021 with nothing in between. And people dumped all over him because he didn't run laps around the NHL. Well, I got why.

Well said.

 

[ORRFForever]

LAF with his 27th goal, tonight - all be it an Empty Net. He also had a assist. IF the Rangers go out early, I'd love to see him play for Team Canada. Unlike last year, he has NO contract excuse.

Robert Thomas is terrific and needs to find his way onto Team Canada - best on best. He had a 4 point night.

Always a fan of Luke Evangelista, and he's playing well at 22 averaging less that 14 minutes a night - he should also be on Hockey Canada's radar for the World Championships - perhaps as a spare.

Wyatt Johnson with another multi point night - 2 assist.

J Drouin has finally come to life and will likely reach 20 goals this year - he's a year older (29) than the man who brought him back to life and gave him a work ethic - MacKinnon.

 

[Crosby2010]

LAF with his 27th goal, tonight - all be it an Empty Net. He also had a assist. IF the Rangers go out early, I'd love to see him play for Team Canada. Unlike last year, he has NO contract excuse.

Robert Thomas is terrific and needs to find his way onto Team Canada - best on best. He had a 4 point night.

Always a fan of Luke Evangelista, and he's playing well at 22 averaging less that 14 minutes a night - he should also be on Hockey Canada's radar for the World Championships - perhaps as a spare.

Wyatt Johnson with another multi point night - 2 assist.

J Drouin has finally come to life and will likely reach 20 goals this year - he's a year older (29) than the man who brought him back to life and gave him a work ethic - MacKinnon.

There are times when Lafreniere makes those sort of Lecavalier-esque type of moves and he did this last night with that behind the back pass that almost resulted in a goal. Man does this guy ever show flashes of brilliance, in bunches now.