ÉCJ camp: Canada gets eaten 6-1 by U Sports university all-star team

Today, Junior Team Canada played the second of two matches in as many days against the U Sports university all-star team.

This is good preparation for the Canadians, because the university players are older and more mature.

On the other hand, if things went well for the Canadian team yesterday… let’s just say the opposite happened today.

Our Canadian representatives allowed four consecutive goals in the third period of the game, before finally losing 6-1.

Ouch.

Team #USports scores 4 unanswered goals in 3rd period to win 6-1 over #ECJ

– Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) December 13, 2023

Far from ideal…

And this is definitely not the way Canada wants to prepare for the World Junior Championship.

The tournament hasn’t started, at least. But it’s still a bit of a kick in the butt for the Canadian team.

It was a tough game offensively for the Canadian squad, and it certainly didn’t help that Jordan Dumais had to leave the game as a precautionary measure in the second period.

Macklin Celebrini scored Canada’s one and only goal, off a Dumais pass. It seems the Blue Jackets prospect’s injury isn’t serious, though.

Celebrini was impressive yesterday and again today. I find it hard to believe that he won’t be in Canada’s line-up for the first game of the tournament… Even if he is only 17.

The full roster is not yet known, but it looks like Canada will decide to keep just 12 forwards to make room for an NHL forward.

Zach Benson could join the team in the next few days, according to Stéphane Leroux :

According to what I’ve learned, we’re going to cut 4 forwards to keep only 12 and thus leave a spot open for an #NHL player who could join the team on the 19th.

If #ECJ does this, I think there’s a good chance we’ll get a guy like Zach Benson.

– Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) December 13, 2023

The tournament kicks off in two weeks (December 26) and Canada had better be ready, otherwise the experience will be short-lived. Today’s match is proof of that.

Remember that this year’s edition will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In bursts

– Oops .

He would have been useful for Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier’s team… pic.twitter.com/HWX3XKmhUo

– DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) December 13, 2023

– Today’s activities at the waivers.

Vrana clears, Zboril (BOS) on waivers

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 13, 2023

– Coming up.

Hearing Bruce Boudreau is in the mix to coach Team Canada at the Spengler Cup.

– Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) December 13, 2023

– Great story.

In 2017, Pep Guardiola instructed a “ball boy” to speed up the pace of the match…

Today, that “ball boy” has just scored in his first match with Manchester City!

His name: Micah Hamilton
(: @ManCity) pic.twitter.com/kGTSv6U1iC

– RDS (@RDSca) December 13, 2023

– Really?

“On paper, the U.S. are the decisive favourite…“@TSNRyanRishaug, @PierreVLeBrun & @mike_p_johnson on the NHL’s 2025 plans for a 4-team international tournament, how strong a U.S. lineup would be and envision McDavid & Bedard together for such an event: https://t.co/B2jrSEJ8WA pic.twitter.com/4LctzPVv2D

– TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) December 13, 2023

– Adam Engström has a new coach. [Habsolument Fan]