CANADA STRIKES GOLD AGAIN WITH VICTORY OVER RUSSIA

For the second straight year, Canada is on top of the junior hockey world. In a 5-0 victory over Russia at Vancouver’s GM Place on January 5, the Canadians succeeded in neutralizing super sniper Evgeni Malkin and fulfilling Head Coach Brent Sutter’s defence-first plan to perfection. » more | box score

CANADA 4 - FINLAND 0

With a hard-working 4-0 semi-final win over Finland, Canada secured its berth in the gold medal game on Thursday, January 5 (4 pm PT, TSN/RDS). » more

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CANADA 3 - USA 2

Canada claimed first place in Group A and a bye to the January 3 semi-finals » more

CANADA ADVANCES TO SEMI-FINALS
OF THE 2006 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP » more

NORWAY 0 - CANADA 4

Team Canada got its third straight win Thursday at the 2006 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, shutting out Norway 4-0 in front of 16,083 fans at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. » more

CANADA 4 - SWISS 3

Canada edged Switzerland 4-3 Wednesday night at the Pacific Coliseum on the strength of David Bolland’s goal at 13:39 of the second period. » more | Box Score

ITS BACK AGAIN !
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While interest in the annual IIHF World Junior Championship is enormous in Canada, some hockey fans elsewhere in the world don’t get as pumped up about it. » more

The 2005 gold medal-winning edition of Team Canada represented one of the deepest squads the nation has ever sent to the World Juniors. » more

FINLAND 1 - CANADA 5

On a day when Canadian shoppers go hunting for bargains, Team Canada fans were clearly sold on what the 2005 World Junior edition has to offer. » more

CAM BARKER:
“YOU JUST HAVE TO PLAY YOUR GAME”

Canadian defenceman Cam Barker’s 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship participation was cut short after three games because he was diagnosed with mononucleosis. But now he’s back » more

WORLD JUNIOR ALUMNI
SUIT UP FOR CANADA AT SPENGLER CUP

Six former members of Canada’s National Junior Team will represent their country once again at the 2005 Spengler Cup in Switzerland from December 26 to 31.

They include defencemen Matt Kinch (2000 WJC, now with Switzerland’s Langau), Zenith Komarniski (1998 WJC, now with Omaha of the AHL), and Ian White (2003 WJC, now with Toronto of the AHL), and forwards Hnat Domenichelli (1996 WJC, now with Switzerland’s Ambri-Piotta), Josh Holden (1998 WJC, now with Switzerland’s Fribourg), and Brandon Reid (2000 and 2001 WJC, now with Switzerland’s Rapperswill).

COACH SUTTER HOLDS COURT AFTER CANADA’S DECEMBER 27 PRACTICE

If you thought Canadian Head Coach Brent Sutter would be in a buoyant, over-exuberant mood after opening the tournament with a 5-1 win over Finland, think again. » more

THE CANUCK CONNECTION
WITH TEAM CANADA 1995

Ten years before stars like Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, and Corey Perry made the 2005 version of Team Canada the strongest-ever World Junior entry, there was another gold medal-winning team that thrilled the host nation. » more

TEAM CANADA DETERMINED TO DEFEND ITS TITLE

When Canada takes to the ice December 26 against Finland at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum, it will be a young and relatively inexperienced group striving to earn this nation a second straight gold medal. With only one returning player from the 2005 championship team in Grand Forks, North Dakota (defenceman Cam Barker), there are no automatic household names. Last year’s team featured the likes of Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter and Dion Phaneuf, and dominated the championship from beginning to end. But the IIHF World Junior Championship is an opportunity for new stars to shine, and this year the stage is wide open. With only six players on the 22-man roster under six feet tall, Canada will have a powerful team, and it’ll need to punish opponents physically to be successful. » more

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CANADA DOMINATES RUSSIA IN EXHIBITION PLAY

With an 8-1 drubbing of Russia Thursday night in Kamloops, Canada remained perfect in exhibition play leading up to the 2006 IIHF World Junior Championship.
» more | box score

BLUNDEN’S LATE GOAL GIVES CANADA EXHIBITION WIN OVER CZECHS

Live Game Summary It took until the final minute of the game to seal the deal, but Canada delighted a Kelowna crowd Tuesday night, winning 2-1 in dramatic fashion over the Czech Republic. » more | box score

READERS WILL LOVE
THE SPECTACULAR SIDNEY CROSBY

To build a winning team, you ultimately have to focus on the players you have, not the ones you don’t have. » more

DOWNLOAD TEAM CANADA
PLAYER PROFILES

Downlaod the player profiles for Canada's 2006 National Junior Team as they appear in the official Hockey Canada media guide. 
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PLAYER TO WATCH
Cam BARKER
D Chicago Blackhawks
Rep. 2004 Dft (1, 3)

Barker will undoubtedly be the only returnee to this year’s edition of the Canadian National Junior Team. He will be called upon to lead through his steady play. He will most certainly see considerable power play time and will be counted on to chip in offensively.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Luc BOURDON
D Vancouver Canucks
Rep. 2005 Dft (1, 12)

Has everything you look for in a defenceman with good size and strength to go along with fantastic mobility. The main weapon in his game is his exceptional skating ability. Excels at dishing out physical punishment. Possesses a heavy accurate slap shot that has been clocked at 92 miles per hour.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Andrew COGLIANO
F/A Edmonton Oilers
Rep. 2005 Dft (1, 25)

The former Junior A standout has begun his career at the University of Michigan and his incredible speed will allow him to create offense throughout the Championship. Has much better hockey sense then he is given credit for and has the ability to score big goals.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Benoit POULIOT
F/A Minnesota Wild
Rep. 2005 Dft (1, 4)

Is an incredible skater and possesses fantastic offensive sense. Although this will be his first international hockey event, Team Canada will no doubt rely heavily on him to provide scoring throughout the event.

PLAYERS TO WATCH PROVIDED BY ISS - www.internationalscouting.com

TEAM CANADA OVERVIEW

At last year’s World Junior Championship in North Dakota, Canada ended its gold medal drought with a resounding tidal wave, beating Russia by a 6-1 count in the championship game. It’s worth noting that fifteen members of last year’s gold medal winning team have already played at least a game in the NHL this year. Canada has now won 11 gold medals all-time at the World Junior Championship.

Canada’s head coach Brent Sutter, a former NHLer who owns and coaches the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League, brings a winning tradition to team, having won Stanley Cups, Canada Cups, a Memorial Cup and now the WJC.

Sutter and his staff will be hard pressed to top last year’s performance. It was Canada's first World Junior title since 1997, and particularly satisfying considering the team lost the gold medal game by one goal in each of the previous three years.

The host Canadian team that will attempt to defend the World Junior Championship is shaping up to be a young one. The majority of players on national junior team are usually 19 years old (born in 1986). But Canada seems to have more depth in talent among its 18 year-olds this year. This year’s team has only one returning player, Cam Barker, and will lack some of the firepower up front that last year’s gold medal team enjoyed.

Canada will once again have depth and versatility, along with physical defencemen that won't lack for mobility and two solid scoring lines.