By Mike Beasley /
Boy how time flies when you’re a Junior hockey fan.
It’s seems like yesterday we were cheering Canada’s National Junior team as they skated around Scotiabank Place in Ottawa after another gold medal performance at the 2009 IIHF World U20 Championship.
Well, it’s that time of the year again as Team Canada prepares to ice another champion when the tournament is held in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan from Dec. 26, 2009 to January 5, 2010.
The selection process for this year’s squad started in August with a five-day development camp at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon.
Forty-four players were invited to the camp run by head coach Willie Desjardins (Medicine Hat Tigers) and his associates Dave Cameron (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors) and Andre Tourigny (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies).
After camp, the players started the season in September with their respective CHL, NCAA or CJHL teams and immediately fell under the watchful eyes of Al Murray, Hockey Canada’s head scout of men’s national teams.
Now, with two months of playing time under their belts, it’s time for the players to start shining against international competition with the upcoming Subway Super Series.
The six-game, six-city, three-league exhibition series will give the Team Canada decision-makers the opportunity to evaluate our country’s best Junior players as they compete against an elite team from Russia.
The series kicks off on Nov. 16 at Drummondville, Que. when the Russians will face the best from the QMJHL. Two nights later on Nov. 18, the series resumes in Shawinigan, Que.
Tourigny will be behind the bench for Team QMJHL.
Joining the QMJHL coaching staff will be Mario Duhamel, the head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs along with Eric Veilleux, bench boss for the Shawinigan Cataractes.
The series will then shift to the OHL with two games against the cream of the crop from that circuit.
The Russians won’t have much time to sight-see or rest as they will play their third game in four nights when they line up against Team OHL on Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Barrie Molson Centre.
After a three-day break, the series will start up again at the WFCU Centre in Windsor for Game 4 on Nov. 23.
Cameron will lead the OHL contingent with Steve Spott, Kitchener Rangers boss, by his side for both games in Ontario.
Barrie Colts head coach Marty Williamson will lend a hand in Game 3 while Bob Boughner, Windsor Spitfires pilot serving as an assistant for Game 4.
The province of British Columbia will be the stage for Games 5 and 6 with the WHL cities of Victoria and Kelowna playing host on Nov. 25 and 26 respectively.
Desjardins will be at the helm of Team WHL. Don Hay (Vancouver Giants) and Ryan Huska (Kelowna Rockets) will serve as Desjardins’ assistants.
Last year. the three Canadian hockey leagues combined for a 5-1 record against the touring Russian National team.
The Russians only win was a 4-3 victory in Game 2 at Saint John, New Brunswick.
Following that loss. Team Ontario and Team West won the next four matches. outscoring their opposition 16-6.
All six games of the 2009 Subway Super Series will be broadcast nationally on
Rogers Sportsnet. |