World Junior Championship Podium Prediction

Time for you to step up and put your prognostication skills on the line when it comes to the World Junior Championship.  Will this be the year Canada ends it's 3 year drought?  Will Russia win on home ice?  Can Sweden defend?  Will Finland get a medal?  

If you think you can pick the gold, silver and bronze then email us here.  On the line is a $100 prize package from our good friends at Evolution Golf.  They are the perfect holiday party spot for your group, and they have gift certificates which will take care of some of your Christmas Shopping.  Ask them about their upcoming Spring league.

So there you go, send us your predictions of Gold, Silver, Bronze and you could be hitting the indoor links in Edmonton.  Remember in case of a tie, the earliest entry wins.  Only one entry per email. 

Good luck.  

Nervous nights for Hockey Canada

The architect of Canada's World Junior team should get double pay, after all he's put together 2 different teams.  Not entirely different but 6 or 7 players are missing from one of them.  Kevin Prendergast will tell you it's worth it if he gets to take the best in Canada to Russia in two weeks, but until then he'll have a few sleepless nights. 

Canada U20 Roster (Guy)

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Yesterday Dean threw caution to the wind and offered up his final roster for Hockey Canada heading into the 2013 WJC. Today it's my turn. Three goaltenders, seven defencemen and thirteen forwards who will head to Russia on a quest to capture Canada's first gold medal since 2009.

And as Dean pointed out yesterday, a lot can change between now and the end of camp including injuries - just ask Ty Rattie and Dana Tyrell. 

4 Countries Unveil WJC Camp Rosters

December is World Junior Championship month on The Pipeline Show. As one of our four "Majors" on our seasonal calendar, you can expect a lot of talk focusing on the 2013 WJC. 

Today the preliminary and camp rosters of four different countries were named. A quick rundown follows after the jump.

Hockey Canada Compiling the Invite List

The 2013 World Junior Championship is two months away making it a hectic 60 days for Hockey Canada between now and then. The upcoming Canada-Russia Subway Series will be a major factor in deciding which 40-some players receive invitations to the December camp before 22 are chosen to go to Russia. 

Head scout Kevin Prendergast was a guest on The Pipeline Show this past Saturday and updated our audience on the search for players to end Canada's two-year gold medal drought.

One To Watch: Calgary Flames

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Most analysts have hammered the Flames for their drafting over the last decade or more and while it has been unconventional at times, That doesn't mean that Calgary has nothing on the way. I wrote early on last season that the Flames had more talent in the system than most gave credit for and the last couple of drafts have only added to that pool. 

Obviously big things are expected from Swiss junior star Sven Bärtschi after his successful 5-game emergency recall late last season. Not only did Bärtschi not look outclassed but he contributed three goals to the cause and has Flames fan excited for his debut this year. 

Therer was a lot of criticism lofted Calgary's way after the selection of Mark Jankowski this past June. The 43 ranked player was taken 21st overall which everyone considers a reach but look at it this way; The team has stated repeatedly that this was their player and had the Flames taken him 14th overall the outcry would have been way worse. Instead, the got their guy and added another pick which turned into Pat Sieloff, a quality defenceman. 

Forwards like Ryan Howse, Michael Ferland, Akim Alui, Max Reinhart, Coda Gordon and Bill Arnold all bring good things to the organization although none are, in my opinion, slam dunks to be NHL regulars. The real gem in the lot is pint sized collegian Johnny Gaudreau who fans will get to see much more of in the 2012 WJC playing for USA.

Patience may yet pay off with goaltender Leland Irving. While the position has been plugged at the NHL level for years by Miikka Kiprusoff, Irivng has been steadily getting better and better on the farm. Sooner or later he'll get his chance and the 24-year-old might finally be getting close.

The guy I took for this series is another masked man who, if not for being a Flames prospect, might be hated by Calgary fan because of where he's from and where he currently plays. 

One To Watch: Anaheim Ducks

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The Ducks are in a weird spot right now. They have superstars on their roster but fired their coach last year and still ended up missing the playoffs. They took a kick in the junk when prize prospect Justin Schultz left school, refused to sign and eventually went the UFA route. 

The team is in some sort of transition but I don't know which direction they'll be headed this year, up or down.

Prospect wise they still have some valuable commodities in place. Certainly Emerson Etem will be expected to challenge for a roster spot after a stellar 61-goal campaign in Medicine Hat last season. 

My "One to Watch" could have been Kevin Roy as he begins a new challenge at Northeastern but I've already done that story a few times lately on Twitter and on the radio. 

Personally I think that one of the best prospects in the Ducks' system is also one of the newest. The fact that he's got storylines around him heading into the new year is what has him on my watch list. 

One To Watch: Philadelphia Flyers

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The Flyers have one of the best amateur scouting staffs in the NHL but have an aggressive owner and management that means the organization doesn't rely on it as much as other clubs. The cost of making blockbuster trades is often youth and draft picks and Philly has paid that price a lot over the years. That's not a critique, the club has been a contender for the last half a decade because of it, but it is a reality.

Claude Grioux, Lucas Sbisa, Steve Downie and James vanRiemsdyk were all successful 1st round picks but trades have left only one with the organization. In the drafts from 2009-2011 the team used one 1st round pick and zero second rounders. That single pick was Sean Couturier.

What do you do if you don't have draft picks? You sign some CHL or NCAA free agents. Matt Read, Harry Zolnierczyk and Cal Heeter from the college ranks while Zac Rinaldo and Jason Akeson came in from the OHL.    

The status of Philly's prospect depth is currently fairly weak. Earlier in the series I pointed out that San Jose is ranked last by Hockey's Future but a commenter suggested that the Flyers are probably on the bottom right now. I don't know if that's the case but I think it's fair to say they'd be in that conversation but while the NHL team is a contender, thats the price they're happy to pay.

It's way to early to pass judgement on last June's draft but the very early indications are favorable. And yes, my pick as the key guy to watch this coming season does come from the Class of 2012. 

Roy Confirms on TPS: Brown University

Anaheim Ducks prospect Kevin Roy put an end to rumors and speculation when he confirmed on The Pipeline Show Saturday that he will play at Brown University in 2012-13. 

The 19-year-old native of Lac Beauport, Quebec shattered USHL scoring records this past season as a member of the Lincoln Stars. He was selected by the Ducks in the 4th round of the NHL Draft last month and recently participated in Anaheim's summer development camp. 

Roy was a guest on The Pipeline Show this past Saturday and discussed the year in Lincoln, the draft, heading to Russia in August with Canada's U20 team and his summer training schedule. He also set the record straight on where he will play next season.

Canadian U20 Camp in Russia This Summer

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Sometimes even the most bitter rivalries should be left on the ice and forgotten. Calgary and Edmonton worked together to put together the 2012 World Junior Championship this past winter. Finland and Sweden are teaming up for the Men's World Championship this spring. But perhaps the best example is what Hockey Canada is doing this summer for Russia.

Last night on The Pipeline Show head scout Kevin Prendergast confirmed that Hockey Canada was going to hold their summer U20 camp in Russia. We'll tell you why after the jump.

Canada's Goalies for 2013 WJC

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Goaltending was not the reason why Canada failed to end its World Junior gold-less streak in Alberta. Both Mark Visentin and Scott Wedgewood were adequate netminders that played very well at times during the 2012 event in Edmonton and Calgary. Still, the position is a concern for Hockey Canada moving forward and it won't get any easier in 2013 as it will be four new goalies vying for the coveted role as the starter.

Visentin, Wedgewood and even the other two camp invites (Tyler Bunz and Louis Domingue) are all too old to take another crack at the WJC. So who stands the best chance to be between the pipes for Canada in Ufa, Russia come Boxing Day 2012?