World Junior Championships (All WJC talk here)

[Hawkaholic]

Since we are probably all sick of talking and reading about the lockout, lets talk about some actual hockey.

The WJC is right around the corner. Team Canada will announce their final cuts tomorrow, and I'm sure most teams will be doing the same very shortly. (When do the Americans announce theirs?)

So far, McNeill and Danault have survived TC, and Danault is a lock. We will find out about McNeill tomorrow. I think he has a very good shot at this team.

I believe the only other players that will be playing are:
Teuvo Teravainen (Finland)
Maxim Shalunov (Russia)

Who do you think wins it all?
Who leads the tourny in Scoring?
Who's your breakout player? (someone who isn't highly thought of that will have a monster tourny)
Who will be a major disappointment?

Click to read more...

 

[HockeySauce]

I think Canada wins.. but I have no idea who'll lead the tournament in scoring, although, I will say, I don't think it will be RNH even though I think he's the best player in the tournament. My breakout player is, unbiasedly, Phillip Danault; I think by the end of the tournament Canada will be in love with the way he plays and I think he'll produce a decent amount of offense. As for a disappointment? I think team-wise it will be Russia and an individual player it will be Yakupov or Grigorenko.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Isn't Broadhurst on the preliminary roster for America?

Also, 'Merica

 

[HockeySauce]

No, Broadhurst wasn't invited. He would have had to be amazing in London to earn an invite, and while he's been good for London (especially lately), he hasn't been great and benefits alot from playing with Griffith and Domi.

 

[Bubba88]

keep the information coming. Not easy to keep up with everything that happens in germany

 

[RedBaronIndian]

Canada vs CIS is on right now. Stream available at http://www.fasthockey.com/

Danault is playing really well and garnering a lot of praises

 

[HockeySauce]

Both Danault and McNeill have been good today. McNeill has an assist after winning a battle and keeping a puck in, also sent Dumba in on a breakaway after breaking up a pass, 5-on-3 and spotting Dumba coming out of the box - Dumba missed. Danault's just been flying around everywhere. Had a great backcheck that lead to a 2-on-1, but Hudon/Ritchie couldn't score.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Canada in dominating fashion.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

Canada cut McNeill. Screw Canada!

 

[Hawkaholic]

Mark McNeill has been cut. - beat me to it.

 

[RomersWorld*]

If they decided to take Wilson over McNeill....lol, terrible choice.

I figured he'd be cut though just because Canada doesn't seem to like him. No reason he shouldn't have been on the summer camp roster. Honestly I am surprised he wasn't cut in the 1st round of cuts like last year even though he played better than others that stayed around.

 

[RomersWorld*]

Anthony Camara who had 16 goals and 33 points last year makes it over McNeill. The other guy is the undrafted JC Lipon.

I could've seen if they went with Shinkaruk but no reason for Camara and Lipon to be there instead of McNeill other than stupidity. Especially for bottom 6 roles.

 

[HockeySauce]

Hockey Canada reeeally hates McNeill. What a joke. Good on McNeill for being classy, but I would have been pissed if I were him. JC Lipon made the team over him? Are you ****ing serious? Like.. really? The kid played with Drouin/MacKinnon most of the camp and today played on a line with McNeill and Camara.. Lipon had a nice set-up, that was only made possible because McNeill, like a bull, kept the puck in the zone and got it down low to Lipon. Not to mention, for my money, McNeill was the best PKer not named Danault or Jenner.

Hockey Canada is a joke, if Danault wasn't on the team, I'd have a hard time cheering them on. McNeill gets **** on by them again.. it's like they like ****ing with him.

 

[BBSeabs27]

Rooting for Danualt. Though I always find myself rooting for the swedes. Dislike the russians, so they're a definite no. USA i'll root for since its my country, finland im neutral. I hope TT does well.

 

[BruinsBtn]

I just stopped in to say that you guys have a gem on your hands with Danault.

At this point, I would take him over any player outside of the top-10 in the 2011 draft.

He plays just like Patrice Bergeron. Awesome prospect.

 

[Hawkaholic]

They are clearly going with an all offense type of team. In past years, they have brought bangers and grinders, and it hasn't worked out so well.

Maybe they are trying something different with having Lipon and Camara instead of McNeill and Wilson/Graovac etc? I don't know to be honest.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I just stopped in to say that you guys have a gem on your hands with Danault.

At this point, I would take him over any player outside of the top-10 in the 2011 draft.

He plays just like Patrice Bergeron. Awesome prospect.

I have this gut feeling that he is NHL ready, and will be our 4th line C or possibly 3rd line C with Bolland moving up to 2nd line C as early as this year. To me, he is more intriguing than Saad.

 

[BobbyJet]

TSN aired interviews from most of the late cuts but McNeil was not among them. Maybe he’s pissed and thought better of displaying it. I wouldn’t blame him but I hope he goes away with the incentive to keep working on his game.

As for the team chosen. In the highlights I’ve seen, the team seems to be missing something on the defensive side. We could see some high scoring affairs, but I think it is a pretty big gamble to dress a couple of 17 year olds and leave the big bodied McNeil behind.

On another note. If the NHL lockout ends this month it could open up some spots.

 

[pvr]

I just stopped in to say that you guys have a gem on your hands with Danault.

At this point, I would take him over any player outside of the top-10 in the 2011 draft.

He plays just like Patrice Bergeron. Awesome prospect.

First round pick, with the pick from Washington acquired in the Brouwer trade. Seems to have filled out and added weight since drafted, while keeping all of his pre-draft qualities for which he was known. Looking forward to seeing him perform in the WJC.

 

[HockeySauce]

TSN aired interviews from most of the late cuts but McNeil was not among them. Maybe he’s pissed and thought better of displaying it. I wouldn’t blame him but I hope he goes away with the incentive to keep working on his game.

As for the team chosen. In the highlights I’ve seen, the team seems to be missing something on the defensive side. We could see some high scoring affairs, but I think it is a pretty big gamble to dress a couple of 17 year olds and leave the big bodied McNeil behind.

On another note. If the NHL lockout ends this month it could open up some spots.

McNeill's reaction was shown on TSN last night. He handled it with great class, as all the cuts did, but I think McNeill thought he did enough to make the team, just as he likely thought he had done enough to survive the first cuts and possibly make the team last year.

 

[Chris Hansen]

All I'll say is, I'm starved enough for hockey that I'll be waking up at all ungodly hours of the morning to watch this tournament.

 

[Sevanston]

One reporter tweeted earlier today that Duncan Keith also felt he was good enough to make the WJC teams after he was cut in 01 and 02.

 

[Sir Psycho T]

all i'll say is, i'm starved enough for hockey that i'll be waking up at all ungodly hours of the morning to watch this tournament.

^^^^
this!

 

[HockeySauce]

One reporter tweeted earlier today that Duncan Keith also felt he was good enough to make the WJC teams after he was cut in 01 and 02.

Certainly during the 2003 WJC's (02-03 season) he was good enough.. he was playing outstanding, on a stacked Kelowna team that went to the Mem. Cup. The D on that Canadian team was:

Brendan Bell, Carlo Colaiacovo, Steve Eminger, Alex Rouleau, Nathan Paetsch, Ian White and Jeff Woywitka.. underwhelming, at least at the NHL level.

 

[HockeySauce]

BTW, for anyone in Canada that's not aware, TSN will be broadcasting pre-competition games against Sweden and Finland. Here's the schedule: http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/feature/?id=4124

The US will also be taking part, and their games against Sweden/Finland will also be aired. All-in-all, assuming Teravainen plays in all the games (don't know that he will), there's the potential to see Teuvo 4 times prior to the tournament, where he'll be part of a seperate group.