WJC: Canada's dominance - Your take!

[Zam Boni]

I'd like to hear some of your reasons behind Canada's dominance in the WJC.

Name a couple of the main reasons, why and how the factor in.
And please, do expand. Stating "Cuz they are teh best" doesnt give much insight.

Click to read more...

 

[Jack Bourdain]

No such thing.

We have great players, but in a short tournament like the Olympics, there's always room for upsets and miracles. However, Canada is a favorite going into this tournament, as are the Russians. Gold is ours to lose? I agree.

 

[therealdeal]

For whatever reason, this tournament is held really high in the eyes of Hockey Canada and all of Canada, and I think that really makes the players play above their heads a lot of the time.

I think its pretty clear that Canada has a pretty damn good development system, and can produce a lot of high end talent year after year. Rarely are their lules or gaps in big talent. Most other teams will have some talent every year, but not throughout their entire line up.

It being in Canada on small ice is also a huge disadvantage for the Europeans. I do hope that the tourney starts venturing back into Europe a lot more frequently.

I think Canada generally has really good coaches for this, and Hockey Canada is very good at managing and preparing for this tournament.

 

[PumpkinBombX]

Jordan Eberle x2, Jonathan Toews, Matt Halischuk to name a few.

 

[YogiCanucks]

probably an unpopular opinion but I always believe that Canadian hockey players (or even American hockey players that grew up in Canada) have that extra edge in a close game due to the passion. All we talk about growing up is hockey hockey hockey. So when you have an even match up, I'd give the edge to the Canadians.

That, and the program of excellence.

 

[Wilma]

They just have greater depth than most teams. The superstars for another nations at least match up with ours, but their third and fourth lines rarely do.

That said, I would be reluctant to refer to their past two years as "dominance". They've now played two very tight games with the Americans, lost to the Swedes and barely got by the Russians.

They've been the best team, but not by the landslide that the Latvian or Switzerland games would indicate.

 

[Paxton Fettel]

depth.

if you have to make up national teams composed of players born in a 2 year period, no country can compete with Canada.

 

[Freudian]

It's a numbers game. They have so many players compared to any other country that it is not surprising they have more top players than any other nation.

Also hockey is the number one choice in Canada for many youngsters who are talented at sports. In most other countries football will absorb a lot of talented youngsters.

 

[CapsWolverinesUSA]

depth.

if you have to make up national teams composed of players born in a 2 year period, no country can compete with Canada.

This, for the most part.

When teams can draw from a 15+ year window for the Olympics, Canada is nowhere near as dominant as they are in the WJC. This Canada team -- a good one, but not one necessarily viewed as an all-time great crop -- has 10 guys already drafted in the 1st round and a few more who will be this year. No country can match that. And that's not even considering the fact that at least 5+ eligible 1st rounders are already in the NHL fulltime.

I do think the national obsession with the tournament helps somewhat as well.

 

[sbtatter]

It's a numbers game. They have so many players compared to any other country that it is not surprising they have more top players than any other nation.

Also hockey is the number one choice in Canada for many youngsters who are talented at sports. In most other countries football will absorb a lot of talented youngsters.

Agreed

 

[Blender]

It's the depth, no other team can ice as deep a team as we can right now.

 

[Mach 9*]

They definitely dominated the US last night

 

[Zetsyuk]

They definitely dominated the US last night

If the US didn't let up in the third, that game was theirs.

 

[Mach 9*]

If the US didn't let up in the third, that game was theirs.

yeah, Campbell played a very solid game, but his positioning was a tad off towards the end of the game.

Campbell nearly stopped Canada's 2nd SO shot, but he pushed it over.

 

[Hybbe]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey#Number_of_registered_players_by_country

This, I would guess, is the biggest factor.

 

[John Torturella]

probably an unpopular opinion but I always believe that Canadian hockey players (or even American hockey players that grew up in Canada) have that extra edge in a close game due to the passion. All we talk about growing up is hockey hockey hockey. So when you have an even match up, I'd give the edge to the Canadians.

That, and the program of excellence.

Not an unpopular opinion, just a stupid one. Any player that is at that level is pretty close to being an NHL player. They do not get to that level with out passion for the game.

 

[Everest]

Luck has had something to do with it. There have been games we should have lost. Gotta' admit.

 

[HockeyAddict]

I think the fact that Canada has embrassed this tournament like no other nation is one of the big factors. Its become a x-mas tradition and these young kids become as popular as NHLers for a couple of weeks and they know that they are expected to win or they let the whole country down. Thats HUGE pressure/motivation but Canada also ensures they are given every opportunity to succeed as well.

But I wouldn't use the word domination because we have come VERY, VERY close to not winning several times and other nations are really not that far behind ( see USA/Russia/Sweden ).

 

[Ward Cornell]

It's all the money that is being put in minor hockey from the 50-50 draws at the WJHC.
I've heard that the winner last night walked out with $110,000

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/16980/la_id/1/ss_id/25001/nr_id/69514.htm

With soaring prize pools, to say the 50/50 draws at this year’s IIHF World Junior Championship have been a hit is a huge understatement.

The draws for this year’s tournament at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon and Brandt Centre in Regina are using a new electronic system and sales have far exceeded organizers’ expectations. The new system was developed by 50/50 Central, a company based in Summerside, P.E.I.

“The total pot sizes have been nothing short of phenomenal, and all the winners have just been ecstatic,” said Craig Sled, assistant vice-president of sales and marketing for the host organizing committee.

The winner of Saturday’s draw during the game between Canada and Latvia walked away with a whopping $34,980 – half of the total pool of $69,960.

What makes the electronic system so unique is that fans can see the up-to-the-second running total of the 50/50 pool on screens around the arena. As soon as someone buys a ticket, the pool is updated on the screens.

“Having the displays on the scoreboard, the TVs around the arena and at each 50/50 station really builds the excitement. The lineups to get tickets have just been unbelievable,” said Sled.

It’s not just Canada’s games that are raking in big pools either. Sunday’s game between United States and Switzerland featured a total 50/50 pool of $50,010. And the pools are only expected to continue growing as the tournament goes on.

“Our goal is to break $100,000 for the U.S.-Canada game on New Year’s Eve,” said Sled.

To keep up with the high demand for tickets the host committee is increasing the number of 50/50 stands from six to eight and the number of handheld stations from 12 to 18 for Canada’s game against the Swiss on Monday.

With pot sizes as big as they have been, it hasn’t taken much enticing from the volunteers selling tickets to get fans to buy.

“People just come. They’re excited when they can see the amount increasing right there on the screen,” said volunteer 50/50 vendor Marj Stevens.

The host committee uses its half of the pools to pay for the expenses of hosting the tournament. Any net profit made by the committee goes back in to minor hockey programs in Saskatchewan.

 

[Schenn Him]

Hockey Canada starts identifying players for this tournament around Pee Wee age I don't know of any other country that has a comprehensive system for identifying players that early, getting them playing in high end tournaments and keeping tabs on them.

Hockey Canada has put a lot of time, money and effort into fielding an elite squad at this tournament. Obviously, it has paid off. The success provides them with more money to pump back into the system.

Its not magic or 'Canadian heart' or anything like that. Its a system that has been developed and refined over a number of years.

 

[RandV]

I think the fact that Canada has embrassed this tournament like no other nation is one of the big factors. Its become a x-mas tradition and these young kids become as popular as NHLers for a couple of weeks and they know that they are expected to win or they let the whole country down. Thats HUGE pressure/motivation but Canada also ensures they are given every opportunity to succeed as well.

But I wouldn't use the word domination because we have come VERY, VERY close to not winning several times and other nations are really not that far behind ( see USA/Russia/Sweden ).

This seems to be a fairly common opinion but I don't know if it's really accurate. Definately as spectators us Canadians have completely embraced the tournament well beyond any other country, most of whom don't consider it to be that big a deal. But you really think that applies to the players themselves? If you're one of your nations best for your age group and get to represent your country on a national stage that will be crawling with professional scouts, don't you think the kids are going to play their hardest and try to win regardless of what popular opinion is back home?

The topic question though has already been answered, it's a reflection of the Canadian depth that we always like to talk about and has us dreaming of sending multiple teams to national tournaments. When you change the age group from a 20 year spread to 3 years other countries have a hard time icing consitantly good teams as Canada.

 

[HockeyAddict]

This seems to be a fairly common opinion but I don't know if it's really accurate. Definately as spectators us Canadians have completely embraced the tournament well beyond any other country, most of whom don't consider it to be that big a deal. But you really think that applies to the players themselves? If you're one of your nations best for your age group and get to represent your country on a national stage that will be crawling with professional scouts, don't you think the kids are going to play their hardest and try to win regardless of what popular opinion is back home?

The topic question though has already been answered, it's a reflection of the Canadian depth that we always like to talk about and has us dreaming of sending multiple teams to national tournaments. When you change the age group from a 20 year spread to 3 years other countries have a hard time icing consitantly good teams as Canada.

No arguement with that at all... I did state "one of the big factors" but def. depth is huge. I do however think having the "weight" of a country on your shoulders explains some of our success - especially when you're playing at home in front of 15,000-18,000 fans ( and millions watching on television ).

Also, I could also see us going 3-5 years without much success since there are some really skilled teams from other countries constantly knocking at the door.

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

As Pierre MacGuire would say:

"Team Canada - too big, too strong, too fast."

 

[chaosrevolver]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey#Number_of_registered_players_by_country

This, I would guess, is the biggest factor.

Really impressive with what Belarus can do when they have so few people signed up.

 

[Telos]

Far more youth grow up playing the sport in Canada over any other country. In the US, most kids are exposed to and play three or more sports, but overall, hockey would probably be in fourth to fifth place or less amongst U.S. youth behind baseball, basketball, football, and soccer (give or take). If hockey were bigger in the U.S., given the substantial population difference between the two, it would be a different story; but in Canada, hockey is the number one sport far above all others. More people playing means a greater chance of acquiring more top end talent.