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ÉCJ: Don Cherry asks people to “not be too hard on the youth”

 Félix Forget
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ÉCJ: Don Cherry asks people to “not be too hard on the youth”
Credit: Getty Images

Last night, Canada’s defeat at the World Juniors really made waves. The country, which is supposed to be a hockey powerhouse, was eliminated in the quarter-finals and ended the tournament with a record of 2-3.

To put it politely, it’s a disaster.

Since that moment, everyone is getting scrutinized. The leaders and coaches (especially Dave Cameron) are taking the brunt of the heat, but the players are also being thrown under the bus.

But seeing the players targeted doesn’t please everyone. Don Cherry, for instance, is among those who doesn’t like to see the kids singled out this way… and he issued a little heartfelt plea on X:

Don’t be too hard on the kids. They tried their best. – Don Cherry

Cherry’s message suggests that the blame should mainly be directed at Hockey Canada, which does not provide stability for the youth on the international scene. He would like to see the organization hire full-time coaches for the World Juniors, but also for the U18 and U17 teams to provide some consistency.

And in fact, it’s not crazy: if the U17 coaches are on the same page as those at the World Juniors, it means that the group of young players, who will grow together, will already know what to expect from one year to the next.

Were the players perfect during the tournament? Absolutely not. That said, Cherry does have a good point: with everything being said about Dave Cameron at the moment, one can wonder if the coaching group gave these young players any chance at all.

And regardless of the answer to this question, going to comment a flood of insults in the comments of young players is unacceptable. There are other ways to express frustration… and a constructive comment like the one Don Cherry made is a good example.


In Brief

– Speaking of the World Juniors.

– Four time zones in a week, it is true that it’s a lot.

– A new acquisition for CF Montréal.

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