You might want to circle December 23rd on your calendar. Canada’s World Junior hockey team will play an exhibition game against Finland that night, just before heading off to Buffalo for the best tournament of the year, starting December 26th. That’s right, I said it — the best tournament of the year. The World Juniors have become the tournament for me, better even than the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The time of year may have something to do with it (nothing says Christmas like this tournament), not to mention my love of junior hockey. But mostly I think it’s the calibre of play. The tournament never ceases to amaze and entertain.

Anyway, the game at The Aud. It’s one of four exhibitions being played around southern Ontario before the tourney opens for real in Buffalo on Boxing Day (Oshawa, Toronto and St. Catharines have the others). Tickets are only $26, not a bad price for the hockey fan on your Christmas list. Canada, by the way, will move on to Group B when the tournament opens. Sweden, Russia, Norway and the Czechs are also in that pool. Canada’s first tournament action is against the Russians on the 26th.

If you’re a big Gabriel Landeskog fan (and who isn’t?), you can catch Sweden’s junior team in an exhibition against Team Canada on December 21st at the ACC. I may be putting the cart before the horse in saying Landeskog will make the team but, really, is it much of a stretch? Heck, what do you say the chances are of seeing Ryan Murphy or maybe even……Jeff Skinner???….wearing the Maple Leaf for that tune-up at The Aud?

Just sayin’.

We’re on the road in Peterborough tomorrow. Bus leaves at 2. It’s our first midweek road trip. Some of the players will be out of school early and I get to play hooky from work. Check back for an update from the bus.