'06 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka / U18 World Cup

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BlueJays

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Dec 12, 2005
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It would appear that Drew Doughty of Team Canada (Guelph Storm OHL) is also making himself a strong case for top 5 in 2008...
 

Misos Milakos*

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In the gold medal game, Canada is currently up 2-0 at the end of the 2nd. The scoresheet has changed Canadas 2nd goal from Torquato to Sonne, so he has both of Canadas goals. shots are 24-13 for Canada.

Russia took the bronze with a 4-2 win over Sweden. here is the gamesheet:
http://www.szlh.sk/core.tom?__S0U8NjExMDMhcXFzYDltb3Nn-A2-v3
 
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God Bless Canada

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Jul 11, 2004
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Bentley reunion
Congrats to Canada on winning the tournament. Obviously I'm pleased. For Canada, this is THE U18 tournament. The WU18 is played in May, and quite often, our finest U18 players are still in the playoffs, vying for the Memorial Cup, or zapped after a long junior season. This is the tournament that Hockey Canada sets out to win each year. Besides the WJC, it's the only elite junior tournament in the world in which Canada sends its best players. (Canada's best are split up by region at the WU17, and, as I mentioned before, the WU18 rarely features Canada's best U18 players).

Canada has failed to win this tournament only once in the last 10-12 years, dating back to when it was the Four Nations. It's a good sign each year when our best U18's win it. When they don't (2003, for example), it's usually a sign that we won't have a very good draft the following year. (2004 was not a good draft for Canada, but outside of the top two Russians, it wasn't a good draft for anyone). The 1989-born players are supposed to be the best crop of Canadian-born talent since the vaunted 1985's, so anything less than a gold would have been a disappointment.
 

Big Daddy

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Dec 16, 2005
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Congrats to Canada. A nice win by a very tough and skilled team. It would be interesting to see this team play the US with their best players. The NTDP kids are not allowed to play in this tournament as the US team was selected from their Select 17 camps. Not the same circumstances as Canada at World U-18 but the same effect. To bad there wasn't a time that both teams could field their best.
 

RUSqueelin*

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Nov 2, 2005
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ISS currently has him #1, unless these rankings are out of date.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=7006&hubname=

Not surprising since many scouts said he would have been a 1st rounder in this years draft. His late birthday makes him a lock for a top pick in 08. But since most of the players eligable for the 08 draft will start their juniors careers this year, this list will change dramatically in 2 years. Micheal Del Zotto has been described as a Drew Doughty but a little better in all areas - which is pretty scary. It will be interesting to see the team Canada sends next year to this tourney as it will be stacked also.
 

BlueJays

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Congrats to Canada. A nice win by a very tough and skilled team. It would be interesting to see this team play the US with their best players. The NTDP kids are not allowed to play in this tournament as the US team was selected from their Select 17 camps. Not the same circumstances as Canada at World U-18 but the same effect. To bad there wasn't a time that both teams could field their best.

You could also say that Canada didn't have all their best available players at this tournament either.
Can you imagine how much stronger Team Canada would have been with the addition of both Logan Couture and John Tavares to the line-up?

You are correct though Big Daddy, it is mind-boggling as to why USA Hockey does not send their NTDP Under 18 squad to this summer tournament as it would certainly be a great test for them.
 

Big Daddy

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Dec 16, 2005
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I don't think USA Hockey knows what it is thinking. They never cease to surprise people whenever they form tournament teams. Oh well, it makes for some good debates on HF.
 

time

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Feb 26, 2005
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Maybe this is the subject of a seperate thread, but does anyone else find it frustrating that there are precious few tourneys that actually allow all nations to play with the same advantages / weaknesses.

The difference in rules and rink sizes is clearly the biggest problem, but with the IIHF determined to hold "World Championships" during junior and NHL playoffs, a lot of politics and stubborness exacerbate the situation.

Of course, the World / Canada Cup is open to criticism as it is played in NHL rinks (but is it so bad that one senior tourney is played that way?). The U-18 Cup could be a really good match-up, except that the Americans won't send their hothouse team (content, I imagine, with winning the U-18 worlds against a bunch of all-star teams).

THe WJHC stands out I suppose, because it follows the rules of the host country. I would suggest that Canada and the US have a slight disadvantage here as their really exceptional players are locked up by pro teams by the time they are 19(Crosby, Staal, Thornton, Nash, etc... -- is there actaully an American example?). But to bemoan that disadvantage would be to ignore that those two countries + Russia have owned that tournament for most of the last ten years (I know, I know my Czech friends. . . you get an honourable mention).

And the Olympics, well yah, maybe, but again European rules and (shudder) refs, and the last two Games have tilted towards the host country's continental brethren.

Any ideas?
 
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