Canadian Juniors set for tournament
By Aaron Bell
It doesn’t take Dave Cameron long to sum up what his team needs to do to win the gold medal at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships.
“Consistent. Play to our strengths.”
Cameron, the head coach and general manager of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, will guide Canada’s National Junior Team for the first time when the tournament opens on Boxing Day in Buffalo, NY.
The Canadians had a good set of pre-competition games, waxing Switzerland 8-0 on Monday in Oshawa and then a 4-1 win over Sweden at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Tuesday, before wrapping up Thursday night with a 5-2 win over the Finland in Kitchener. They open the tournament against Russia on Sunday (3:30 p.m. Eastern on TSN).
“I think we need to be big and physical and chip pucks out,” said Canadian captain Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires. “We’re not super skilled so I think the simple plays are how we’re going to win games.”
After a string of five straight gold medals, Canada took the silver last year in Saskatchewan after a 6-5 overtime loss to the United States. The Americans have as many as eight returning players from last year’s squad – including goaltender Jack Campbell of the Windsor Spitfires – and are considered one of the favourites to win it again this year – on home ice.
“It’s an honour anytime to get to wear this jersey but I think this time there’s a bit of revenge in mind,” said Ellis, one of four returning players on Canada’s team and the only third time member of Team Canada on the roster this year.
“We want to get that gold back in Canada and that’s our main goal right now.”
Ellis is joined on the blueline by returnees Calvin de Haan from the Oshawa Generals and Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs. Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the lone returning forward.
After spending most of the first half of the season in the NHL with the Los Angeles, Kings, Schenn comes into the tournament as one of Canada’s elite offensive performers. But he said that the scoring on this team will be spread throughout the lineup.
“I see it pretty much year to year – there are guys with more points than others and it’s good to see that guys are stepping up and chipping in,” said Schenn, who scored a highlight reel goal to put Canada on the board against Sweden on Tuesday.
“It doesn’t matter who scores as long as you get the win in the end.”
In their first two pre-tournament games, the Canadians scored 12 goals – all from different players.
“When you looked at this team and the way these guys play (with) their club teams and you broke them down I don’t think there was anybody that was really dynamic or tearing their league apart,” Cameron said. “But all of them were able to score and be real respectable in their leagues. They’ve brought that to this team.
“We don’t give anything up to create offence – we don’t cheat.”