World Junior Hockey Championships

[Acadian Rider]

O.K. this is Canada and we're in late December.  Guess the world junior hockey championship tournament is just around the corner.  

For starters, even if this is not MC related, moderators are forbidden to move this thread.  

Being the Acadian Rider, I was pleased to see Patrice Cormier named captain of team Canada.  Even though he won't light it up offensively he'll be one of the hardest workers out there.  Here in Moncton we started to hearing about him a long time ago when he played Tier II Junior at 14.  Yes that's right, 14.  http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=90481  He's a hero in the small Acadian village of Cap-Pelé where he grew up just down the road but I'm sure that he's not the only one that hails from smalltown Canada.  Afterall, hockey is our sport.  

I'll have special intetrest in this year's tournament with Patrice Cormier in it for the 2nd year and Bourque who was just traded to the Moncton Wildcats.

So, what are our chances this year?  

 

  

[Against The Wind]

I'm a bit out of it this year but I will watch. Go get em boys!  

[ScottB]

Depends on Mr. Hall's knee, but looks like all is well.  Should be fun to watch!

[Baz]

The JR. Hockey Tournament. My favorite time of year,
A big screen TV, a fridge full of beer.
My wife, my family want to meddle.
I prefer to watch us take the gold medal.

 

[Baz]

 

Team Canada 16
Team Latvia    0

 

Shots on goal 66-10.

[veefer800canuck]

 

Team Canada 16
Team Latvia    0

 

Shots on goal 66-10.

Next we're going to thump Rwanda, Malawi and Liberia.  

[Acadian Rider]

I'll have special intetrest in this year's tournament with Patrice Cormier in it for the 2nd year and Bourque who was just traded to the Moncton Wildcats.

Seven points for Bourque!    I think I'm gonna like watching this guy.  

I know the real test will come later for but it doesn't matter who they played, 16-0 is 16-0.





 

[Shrike]

Personally... 16 - 0 is a bit of overkill. Almost like pouring salt into a wound. I do understand why as goals for / against will count later but.

[Baz]

The problem with this competition is that countries like Latvia, have a small number of players to pick a team from. I believe they had a list of 1500 Jr players that were eligible to play, while Canada has over 10,000 players to pick from.

You have to feel sorry for the smaller countries like Latvia, who will more than likely never field a very competitive team just due to sheer numbers.

Last year I watched an interview with one of the small country coaches, and while realizing this, he still claimed that the tournament helps improve the skill level of the game. (I guess after loosing 16-0 you would listen to your coach a little more  ).

I believe the Latvian team showed up a little early and were able to play Jr. teams around the country. I am sure that was a great learning tool for all those on the team. (The games were actually very competitive at that level)

I have to say that I love the hockey in these tournaments better than the NHL level, especially in the final rounds.
 

[Acadian Rider]

Another easy one for Canada yesterday against the Swiss team.  

As an aside, I often wonder what language they speak on the bench of the Swiss team.  

It should make for a little better game today against the Slovaks but I'm not worried.  

[Baz]

Another easy one for Canada yesterday against the Swiss team.  

As an aside, I often wonder what language they speak on the bench of the Swiss team.  

It should make for a little better game today against the Slovaks but I'm not worried.  

No different than any NHL team. The Oilers locker room has more different languages spoken than a UN meeting.  

They start out in Engrish and then the translating starts. I can tell you one thing. Our old coach Mac T did not understand Slovak player digs at him.  

[Acadian Rider]

I think I found the answer.  I knew they had several official languages in Switzerland and that English wasn't one of them.  Here's the breakdown.  

http://www.all-about-switzerland.info/swiss-population-languages.html

They probably speak German mixed in with French.  

There is a show on French T.V. every night on RDS (Anti-Chambre) and they often have Michel Bergeron on it.  One night they were talking about languages and he related in a funny way how it was when the 3 Statsnys (Slovaks) played for him and how he didn't know if they were talking about him.  

[Baz]

German & French mixed? Good lord.  

Well anything would pretty up the German language.  

Since the Oilers aquired Pat Quinn, an inside source tells me that there is now a real issue with locker room language translation to to a generational gap. Even the English players have no idea what sayings like "Nancy Boys or giggle water" mean, when Quinn uses them.  

[Against The Wind]

Apparently Mr. Hall has the touch.

[Flyer]

Apparently Mr. Hall has the touch.

 
I'll be in the Jack Gatecliff Arena in St.Catharines on NYE to watch Alex Pietrangelo and the boys show the US Juniors how sad their 2010 is going to be.
 

[ScottB]

This is all just preliminaries for me this year...










I have tickets to the Olympics gold medal game.  

[Acadian Rider]

I have tickets to the Olympics gold medal game.  

You suck!    

[ScottB]

Not a word of a lie... I requested no less then 40 tickets in the first round of the lottery, and all we got were the two tickets to the gold medal game.  And frankly, that's all I really cared about, so I'm a happy man.  

Watch for me on TV, I'll be waving from up in the nosebleeds.  

[Baz]

I put in for every round of hockey, and so did 3 of my friends in Vancouver, with the understanding we were going to share if one of us hit the jackpot.

None of us got lucky.

We play USA today  

[Against The Wind]

Tonight should be fun. Eh, O, Canada Go !!!!!