Canada vs. U.S. more than just a hockey game
Merits of NCAA, CHL in spotlight at world juniors
When Canada and the United States meet at the world juniors, the stakes go well beyond international bragging rights.
It’s two hockey development systems trying to one-up each other.
A victory is the best recruiting tool ever in the constant talent tug of war between the Canadian Hockey League and the NCAA ranks.
Every one of these players in this Boxing Day battle, as young as 15 years old, had to make one of the most difficult choices of their fledgling careers: major junior or school?
Each highly skilled American boy who gets his arm twisted to play for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program — the official pipeline to big-time college puck — is also a top-end OHL, WHL or QMJHL prospect tempted by the opportunity to play a more pro style schedule and climb the ladder to the bigleague ranks a little quicker.
This year, there is little blend to the two rosters.
The Canadians are almost exclusively CHL products, save for defenceman Jacob Bernard-docker, a member of the NCAA’S No. 1 ranked University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. The national junior team’s GM Mark Hunter and coach Dale Hunter, who run the OHL’S London Knights, are the foremost recruiters of American talent over the past 15 years.
Many of those players — from Patrick Kane to John Carlson to Matthew Tkachuk — had been committed to schools before opting for the OHL ranks.
The majority of the American squad, too, is plucked straight from college, with only difference-making forwards Nick Robertson, Arthur Kaliyev and backup goalie Dustin Wolf the major junior outliers. The coaching staff, led by Minnesota-duluth skipper Scott Sandelin, is university-heavy with 108 NCAA seasons combined with six national titles.
There is the usual furor at team-selection time that the process is rigged to prop one system over the other. That groan popped up after Alex Newhook of Boston College was cut by the Canadians. It certainly came under scrutiny when London co-captain Alec Regula, who turned down a University of Michigan scholarship to join the Knights three years ago, wasn’t among the Americans’ final seven defencemen, despite his standout season.
If it’s close, it makes sense that people stick with the players they know best or feel most comfortable with for this kind of short event.
In the end, the best players will succeed, no matter what road they travel.
U.S. star forward Cole Caufield still would have Canadiens fans going ga-ga over his scoring exploits if he chose the Soo Greyhounds over Wisconsin.
And Maple Leafs second-rounder Robertson would be just as dynamic as a college scorer as he is with the Peterborough Petes.
But for the kids who have yet to make their decision, they’ll be watching the tournament at Ostrava — and this first Canada-versus-u. S. tilt — with keen interest.
You never know how it may sway where someone ends up playing.
LEADERSHIP GROUP: Barrett Hayton has 14 NHL games and a goal to his credit with the Arizona Coyotes, so the 19-yearold from Peterborough was a no-brainer to be named Canada’s captain. He served in that role last season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and he’s one of the five returning players to the world junior team. American leaguer Joe Veleno (Red Wings), Spokane D-man Ty Smith and Flint’s Ty Dellandrea were named alternates. Smith and Dellandrea currently wear the ‘C’ for their respective junior teams. Five more Canadian players — Owen Sound’s Aidan Dudas,
London’s Liam Foudy, Kelowna’s Nolan Foote, Rimouski’s Alexis Lafreniere and Niagara’s Akil Thomas — are also captains with their club squads. It was a wise decision to keep Lafreniere in the leadership background. Some teams would slap the ‘C’ on him, but the 18-year-old has more than enough attention to handle as the No. 1 prospect for the 2020 NHL draft.
A BIG TASK: It was only a pre-tournament game, but Cole Caufield buried four goals in the U.S.’S 7-1 tune-up of Germany. The Americans scored 13 times in their two exhibition tests. Canada, meanwhile, held Finland and the Swiss to a combined two goals. Caufield is one of the smaller players in the event, but has looked right at home on the big ice. Part of his comfort level is that three of his Wisconsin teammates are on board the U.S. train: Ty Emberson, K’andre Miller and Alex Turcotte. Put players that know where Caufield is going to be on the ice, it’s a four-goal recipe.
WELCOME COMMITTEE: Canada usually wins on Boxing Day and it’s often by a big margin. No one is expecting a blowout for either side this time. The Canadians have won three straight openers since a 4-2 loss to the United States in Helsinki at the 2016 event. Auston Matthews scored the Americans’ fourth goal. Maple Leafs teammate Mitch Marner drew an assist on Canada’s second tally. That was the Great White North’s only defeat in an opener over the past 20 years. They started with a loss to host Finland in 1998 and played to a scoreless draw with Slovakia to kick off the 1999 event.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Canada is 3211-2 against the U.S. and has outscored them 185-131 at the tournament … In their most recent meeting, the U.S. beat Canada 4-3 in a shootout on Dec. 29, 2017 in an outdoor game at Buffalo’s New Era Field. Kieffer Bellows scored twice in the win … In the last decade, no country has won more international medals than the U.S. at 49 (Olympic, Paralympic and IIHF action).