Canada 5, USA 6
Published January 5, 2010 @ 22:40 in Hockey Canada

The last time I wrote a World Junior Hockey Championship game recap without Canada winning the gold medal was January 5, 2004. I titled that entry "Silver Sucks".

Since then, we've won five straight gold medals and silver still sucks. Tonight we lost, but not before coming back from a two goal deficit with only a few minutes to play in the third. It was another Canadian comeback, with an unfortunate change in the script. The good guys lost.

In my desperate search for a silver lining, I think I found a good one. The last time Canada didn't win the gold in this tournament, games like this were also taking place. Yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs were a playoff team.

Follow the logic... In 2004, Canada loses the gold medal game to the USA and the Leafs make the playoffs and beat the Sens in 7. Canada goes on to win five straight medals and the Leafs fail to play another playoff game.

Maybe this is a good omen?

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Come on CANADA!
Published January 5, 2010 @ 20:38 in Hockey Canada

Canada, your junior team needs you. It's 2-2 in our gold medal game against the USA, after one period. We're gunning for #6 in a row.

Come on CANADA!

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Canada 6, Switzerland 1
Published January 3, 2010 @ 19:42 in Hockey Canada

I think we all had Russia pencilled in as our semi-final opponent today, but somehow Switzerland upset Russia and had the pleasure of taking us on.

No problemovitch. It was a fairly easy victory for Team Canada as we earned a berth in our 9th World Junior Hockey Championship final in a row. We'll be playing for our sixth straight gold medal. Now that's dominance.

The final takes place Tuesday night at 8pm against either Sweden or the USA. Bring it on.

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The Story of Canada 5, USA 4
Published January 1, 2010 @ 13:02 in Family, Hockey Canada

I was psyched for this one. Last New Year's Eve, I had to write an entry during the second intermission entitled "Bestest Game Evah!". In that game, the USA was up 3-0 before we stormed back. I just knew we were in store for another doozy.

Grandma came over, pizza was ordered and we were an hour from puckdrop. That's when my carefully planned New Year's Eve was thrown a curve ball. My son's stomach pain returned, pain he's complained about off and on for four days, and we decided I'd take him to the emergency room to rule out appendicitis.

We actually watched the first period of the game from the paediatrics emergency waiting room at St. Joe's. I pissed off a handful of sick kids when I turned the station from Treehouse to TSN. I stand by my decision.

We eventually saw a doctor who ordered an ultrasound for 9am this morning. James gave some blood and we headed home to watch the end of the game. With only ten minutes to play in the third period, and our beloved Team Canada down 4-2 to the Yanks, I fed the kids a promise. If Canada lost the game, I'd sleep outside.

Michelle loved that idea, and it perked up James as well. My wife and mom both thought I was crazy, because when Canada lost and I didn't sleep outside, I'd be revealed as a fraudster. I, however, have seen enough Canadian hockey to know we'd find a way to win. I had no doubts.

The rest is history. Jordan Eberle notched his second of the game to cut the American lead in half and Alex Pietrangelo tied it with a short-handed snipe with 4:15 remaining. Then, after overtime, our shooters were perfect in a shootout, which included a complete beauty by Future Stanley Cup Winner Nazem Kadri™. The good guys won in the end.

Here's the complete shootout. Kadri's goal is at 1:08. Awesome.

And I didn't have to sleep outside. The boy has since had his ultrasound and after a few more hours at St. Joe's we got the all-clear. He doesn't have appendicitis.

What a comeback! Happy New Year indeed...

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Canada 8, Slovakia 2
Published December 30, 2009 @ 09:34 in Hockey Canada

In our first three games of this tournament, we've outscored our opponents 30-2. That's a serious goal differential margin, but goal differential isn't going to matter. It's all going to come down to whether we beat the USA tomorrow night as to whether we get a bye to the semi-finals or not.

Last year's New Year's Eve game against the USA was epic. Here's hoping this one is just as good with Canada advancing to the semis.

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Canada 6, Switzerland 0
Published December 28, 2009 @ 21:59 in Hockey Canada

It took me a while to get used to the fact the red and white team was the enemy and we were wearing green. Once I successfully overcame my natural instinct to cheer on the red and white, I enjoyed another overwhelming victory for Team Canada as we remained unbeaten and untested.

Sure, it's against Latvia and Switzerland, but our powerplay is currently clicking along at a 67% success rate. You don't want to take a penalty against this team.

Our first real test comes tomorrow against Slovakia.

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Canada 16, Latvia 0
Published December 26, 2009 @ 18:46 in Hockey Canada

Watching this afternoon's 16-0 Team Canada victory over Latvia, I had a déjà vu moment. At about this time last year, I sat down and watched Canada defeat Kazakhstan 15-0. In my recap of the game, I wrote "there's no glory in crushing a lesser-light".

I'm going to copy and paste that same sentiment here. This was our first meeting against Latvia and the result was never in doubt. It was men playing against boys as we dominated every aspect of the game, making for a pretty darn boring game.

Gabriel Bourque tied a team record with three goals and four assists. The game also tied the long-standing mark for biggest winning margin ever at the worlds for Canada, and set a new one for largest shutout victory, eclipsing that 15-0 defeat of Kazakhstan in last year's championships.

I understand goal differential in the preliminary round can be a key tie-breaker, so Canada can't let up when up 8-0 in the second period, but this doesn't seem right to me. It doesn't seem Canadian. It doesn't seem fair to Latvia.

Tauta cries miljons asaras.

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Team Canada 2010 Roster for World Junior Hockey Championship
Published December 16, 2009 @ 11:22 in Hockey Canada

I love the world junior hockey championship. This year, it's in Regina, and it all gets underway December 26.

We've won five in a row, and we're still hungry for more.

I'll be focusing on a certain forward named Nazem Kadri. Here's the 22-man roster.

Player	Age	Ht.	Wt.	2009-10 team
GOALTENDERS
Jake Allen	19	6'1	180	Montreal (QMJHL)
Martin Jones	19	6'4	193	Calgary (WHL)
DEFENCE
Jared Cowan	18	6'5	220	Spokane (WHL)
Calvin de Haan	18	6'0	184	Oshawa (OHL)
Ryan Ellis*	18	5'9	176	Windsor (OHL)
Travis Hamonic	19	6'0	202	Moose Jaw (WHL)
Alex Pietrangelo*	19	6'2	204	Niagara (OHL)
Marco Scandella	19	6'3	217	Val d'Or (QMJHL)
Colten Teubert*	19	6'3	189	Regina (WHL)
FORWARDS
Luke Adam	19	6'1	210	Cape Breton (QMJHL)
Gabriel Bourque	19	5'9	186	Baie Comeau (QMJHL)
Jordan Caron	19	6'2	206	Rimouski (QMJHL)
Patrice Cormier*	19	6'1	201	Rimouski (QMJHL)
Stefan Della Rovere*	19	5'11	200	Barrie (OHL)
Jordan Eberle*	19	5'10	181	Regina (WHL)
Taylor Hall	18	6'1	185	Windsor (OHL)
Adam Henrique	19	6'0	196	Windsor (OHL)
Nazem Kadri	19	6'0	177	London (OHL)
Brandon Kozoun	19	5'7	156	Calgary (WHL)
Brandon McMillan	19	5'11	190	Kelowna (WHL)
Greg Nemisz	19	6'4	200	Windsor (OHL)
Brayden Schenn	18	6'0	192	Brandon (WHL)

*denotes returning player

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Henderson Made a Wild Stab For It and Fell
Published September 28, 2009 @ 17:34 in Hockey Canada

37 years ago today, on September 28, 1972, "The Goal" was scored. There was only 34 seconds left in the eighth and final game of the Summit Series, and only a win would allow Canada to lay claim to victory in the series against the USSR. 32 years ago today, Paul Henderson scored for Canada.

Here's what Foster Hewitt said as it happened.

Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here's a shot - Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here's another shot! Right in front - THEY SCORE!!! Henderson has scored for Canada!

     Foster Hewitt

Here's what Gord Downie said in "Fireworks".

If there's a goal that everyone remembers it was back in ol' 72. We all squeezed the stick and we all pulled the trigger, and all I remember was sitting beside you.

     Gord Downie

Excuse the quality of this video, but it's surprisingly hard to find "The Goal" on YouTube.

37 years ago today...

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It is Over! Paul Romanuk's Most Memorable Call
Published August 25, 2009 @ 13:47 in Hockey Canada, Links to External Web Sites

I remember Paul Romanuk calling international hockey games in the 90s and his signature call "It.. is Over!" I've used that call several times in the past year alone, but I'm a sucker for memorable sports calls.

Paul Romanuk is also a regular reader of this blog. I received a nice note from him and I promised to plug his blog. He's living in England now but he keeps tabs on the homeland by reading the sludge posted here.

Go to http://www.paulromanuk.com/ and click "blog" at the top. I'd link straight to the blog, but Paul thinks it's 1997 and is using frames.

Here is where I'd insert the audio or video of Paul Romanuk declaring "It is Over!" but he doesn't have it and I can't find it anywhere on line. If you've got it, and I'm looking at you Down Goes Brown, hook me up and I'll share it.

As for this entry, it is over!

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