OTTAWA | That doesn’t say everything, but you only need to take a look at social media to realize that the entire country has lost hope in Junior Team Canada.
• Also read: ÉCJ finds another way to lose
Even the most optimistic begin to lose faith. After all, how can we realistically and objectively think that this version of Junior Team Canada has what it takes to turn things around and win the gold medal?
To do this, they will first have to defeat the Czechs on Thursday in the quarter-finals and, then, if logic is respected, it will be Sweden in the semi-final and, quite possibly, a rematch against the United States. United in the final.
After losing to Latvia, defeating Germany without fanfare and digging your own grave against the Americans, tell me without laughing that you would be ready to bet your money on a victory for Canada!
But, it’s not impossible. We could very well find ourselves, in a few days, with an incredible story and resilience and see Canada lift the trophy, leave Ottawa with the gold medal around its neck and thus give the finger to all those who doubted two.
To do this, many things will have to change. A lot.
Someone will have to stand up
Who is the leader of this team? Yes, Brayden Yager is the captain and the best natural leader of the team if we look at a promotional video broadcast during breaks where ECJ players are questioned on the identity of the leader par excellence of the team. team (all players surveyed named Yager while the latter gave his vote to Ethan Gauthier).
But, besides the letter, who is the player who is going to stand up and take charge of this team, drag it on his shoulders to help it dig itself out of the hole it is comfortably digging for itself?
For the moment, we only see a group of passengers. Tuesday, after the defeat against the United States, a match in which Canada simply shot itself in the foot with its indiscipline, no one seemed to have an answer to explain the fact that this team is the one which received the most of minor penalties in the tournament after four games.
Who will pay?
No more than coach Dave Cameron who put this failure in the hands of his players, ensuring that it was “up to them to decide” whether they wanted their tournament to continue or not.
Too bad because Canada played an excellent five-on-five match. But when the channel arrived, no one stood up to turn things around. Everyone followed and got sucked into this whirlwind of penalties and poor emotion management.
Ultimately, there seems to be a lack of accountability internally. Easton Cowan, a player who was seen as a great leader with ECJ and who is, so far, a monumental disappointment, did not skip a single round despite a completely stupid penalty which allowed the Americans to make it 3-1 .
Moreover, after this goal, forward Cole Eiserman walked in front of the Canadian bench and launched an insult at Cowan. Defender Cole Hutson also taunted the crowd after opening the scoring in the first period.
And it didn’t seem to bother anyone on the Canadian side when asked about it after the game.
No emotion
We would have appreciated at least feeling the slightest bit of sparkle in the eyes of the ECJ players, a frustration and a desire to make the Americans swallow these exuberant celebrations later in the tournament.
We repeat, all this could age badly if Canada manages to turn things around. But, at this moment, it is difficult not to draw a parallel with last year’s discomfiture in Sweden.
Hockey Canada has repeatedly said it learned from last year’s mistakes in its selections. For now, it feels like we’re living a copy and paste of 2024.
All this, while elite offensive players like Beckett Sennecke, Michael Misa and Zayne Parekh watch, from the comfort of their living room, this team which has only scored ten goals in four games so far, the same total as. .. Switzerland.
