IIHF World ChampionshipDiscuss International Tournaments like the WJC, Olympics, and World Cup, as they take place, or discuss past tournaments. performances.
How would Canada U20 do against a bottom NHL team?
You could probably cobble together a sort of All-Time Canadian WJHC team that would give an NHL team a run for its money. They'd need to lean heavily on players like Lindros, and Bergeron and others from the strike/lockout years that were more mature (i.e., 19 year olds) or already had NHL experience (which is why Daigle is there). Quickly, just off the top of my head:
You could probably cobble together a sort of All-Time Canadian WJHC team that would give an NHL team a run for its money. They'd need to lean heavily on players like Lindros, and Bergeron and others from the strike/lockout years that were more mature (i.e., 19 year olds) or already had NHL experience (which is why Daigle is there). Quickly, just off the top of my head:
The thread that won't die. You do realize that most of these guys put on anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds of muscle over the next 5 years. It just comes down to kids vs men.
I played in a roller hockey league that let an underage team come join our Platinum division one year. They were very talented, but also very easy to out muscle. They managed to squeeze out a few wins when an adult team would show up with 5 guys, but generally got trounced. They just couldn't compete physically yet. Last summer three of those players, including the top two scorers, won Canada's first gold medal in 14 years at the IIHF Inline World Championship in Germany. There is a difference between the strength of an adult and a teenager that talent just usually cannot transcend.
Here's my twist to see if the Junior team could win:
2005 Team Canada WJ U20 vs. 1972-73 New York Islanders
This is in the years of expansion in the NHL, not just for the Islanders and the Atlanta Flames, but the NHL had already ust recently added 14 other NHL teams to the original 6.
Further, the WHA was vying against the NHL and poaching some of the star talent from the NHL ranks, making the NHL a slightly watered down version of itself.
This would effectively mean the Islanders in 1972 were probably one of the worst NHL teams in League history. Furthermore, athletic conditioning and training was much less developped in that era, meaning that the 2005 roster would be much better equipped, not just mentally but physically, to compete against the Islanders.
I would think that this game would be close, but I would give the edge to Team Canada. It would be a high-scoring affair though, as the weakest areas on both teams are goaltending and defense.
Man London Knights of the OHL is like 19 or 20 game winning streak! they sure look like a perfect team with not many mistakes! they sure look like they could beat a sloppy last place NHL team but I might be wrong but it sure looks like they could, especially with Dale Hunter behind the bench!
18 and 19 year old players are as big - or bigger - than theie counterparts in the 60's. Kids today are HUGE for whatever reasons. Hockey players back then were terribly out of shape - compared to today, of course.
So no to your non-checking question. If the NHL team goons it up like the broad street bullies then yeah - could be bad.
Man London Knights of the OHL is like 19 or 20 game winning streak! they sure look like a perfect team with not many mistakes! they sure look like they could beat a sloppy last place NHL team but I might be wrong but it sure looks like they could, especially with Dale Hunter behind the bench!
They are still playing against OHL teams. Even the best OHL team makes more stupid mistakes per game than the worst NHL team.
so that means if junior Hockey is that bad then no player in junior Hockey is ready for NHL!
What exactly are you having difficulty understanding? Men are stronger than teenagers. That's it. It could be non contact and men would still outmuscle them for puck control.
You are either young and naive or just trolling this subject matter. You've asked the same stupid questions how many times in this thread?
I think this thread should be closed! your the little kids believe me!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm closing out now, the purpose of this thread is finished !I enjoy talking hockey
I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the London Knights, Team Canada or whatever other asinine collection of U20 kids you choose to contemplate playing against men's teams was actually made up completely of players that are as good as RNH.
Not sure how arguing that a team of players U20 can't beat men means RNH can't play in the NHL. You do understand that he is an exceptional case. Few 18-19 year olds get top two line minutes in the NHL. The ones who do are generally on very weak teams that have nothing to lose by giving them experience.
Last edited by stv11: 12-21-2012 at 03:13 AM.
Reason: was quoting a deleted post
I'm sorry if I came across wrong okay, I enjoyed this thread till I started getting called names so I just won,t post any more under this thread or topic but I did enjoy listening to different views and opinions! time for this thread to CLOSE!
I don,t mean to open up a can of worms people but I guess I was wrong and stand corrected, we just had 2 of our best players from the Oshawa Generals at the NHL training camp Boone Jenners to Columbus Blue Jackets and yesterday our Scott Laughton was cut from the Philadelphia Flyers but then again they are only 18 years old!
why does the NHL have to bring 18 year old kids up for try outs at camp when they are all always sent back to juniors? except for the odd few that make it at 18 years old!
In Finland U20 team used to play against Mestis teams (2nd tier league with semi-pro players) and usually they lost, even when they had basically their best players along. Yes, Canadian team is better but still it's hard to believe that Canadians could beat an NHL team if Finns struggle with Mestis teams.
I feel that many North Americans think too highly about U20 tournaments and the level of play there. Yes, the young guys have some skill and they're able to show it when the opposition is weaker, but skill is not something that is at maximum level when you're 19 years old. Grown ups are better and they also need to be better in order to be able to play in NHL.
In Finland we see these young guys playing in pro league with men and we've also seen U20 team playing with those Mestis teams, so we don't have an illusion that level of play of those kids (or U20 teams) is something spectacular or comparable to teams in professional top leagues.
