2010 World Juniors: Big Jerseys to Fill
26 August 2009
It’s warm, it’s August and few Canadians are thinking about Christmas. But for a group of select hockey players, Christmas is a target. It marks the eve of the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship and for those players to get there, the hard work has already begun.
The quest for a sixth-straight gold began at the Credit Union Arena in Saskatoon earlier this month (Aug. 5-10) where 45 players were invited to audition for the squad. From there about 34 players will earn a spot at the final selection camp in December.
For most of these young players, earning the right to wear the Team Canada jersey is the biggest challenge of their young careers. Up and coming players are no strangers to try-outs. It’s a seasonal affair in minor hockey. If you get cut from a desired team, the disappointment is often quickly dispelled as you move towards making another team.
Playing for Team Canada, however, is about representing your country. It’s an honour that only a few will ever experience, and for many it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
To find those select few, the coaching staff split the players into two teams: Red vs. White. And if you think it’s just a simple scrimmage session you’re wrong. On the penultimate game, one player left the game with a shoulder injury after getting laid out with a brutal open ice check. Jordan Eberle also made his mark with a goal and an assist leading Team White to a 5-2 win.
To stay cool on the ice, the players wore the Nike Pro Hyper Cool gear underneath their equipment. Its Dri-FIT fabric wicks away sweat and the rear mesh insets provides optimal ventilation when the action heats up. Off ice, the players laced up with the new Nike Zoom Swift TR MMX. The mesh and cast urethane upper provides strong support for drills like lateral cuts, which helps the players better apply their off-ice training to game time.
For those who make it to the December camp in Regina, they’ll need to train extra hard because while talent might get you the call, to make Team Canada you have to be hungry.
So when Canada opens its title defense on December 26, 2009 against Latvia, you can be sure you will be watching the most talented and, above all, the hardest working young players this country has to offer.
The quest for a sixth-straight gold began at the Credit Union Arena in Saskatoon earlier this month (Aug. 5-10) where 45 players were invited to audition for the squad. From there about 34 players will earn a spot at the final selection camp in December.
For most of these young players, earning the right to wear the Team Canada jersey is the biggest challenge of their young careers. Up and coming players are no strangers to try-outs. It’s a seasonal affair in minor hockey. If you get cut from a desired team, the disappointment is often quickly dispelled as you move towards making another team.
Playing for Team Canada, however, is about representing your country. It’s an honour that only a few will ever experience, and for many it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
To find those select few, the coaching staff split the players into two teams: Red vs. White. And if you think it’s just a simple scrimmage session you’re wrong. On the penultimate game, one player left the game with a shoulder injury after getting laid out with a brutal open ice check. Jordan Eberle also made his mark with a goal and an assist leading Team White to a 5-2 win.
To stay cool on the ice, the players wore the Nike Pro Hyper Cool gear underneath their equipment. Its Dri-FIT fabric wicks away sweat and the rear mesh insets provides optimal ventilation when the action heats up. Off ice, the players laced up with the new Nike Zoom Swift TR MMX. The mesh and cast urethane upper provides strong support for drills like lateral cuts, which helps the players better apply their off-ice training to game time.
For those who make it to the December camp in Regina, they’ll need to train extra hard because while talent might get you the call, to make Team Canada you have to be hungry.
So when Canada opens its title defense on December 26, 2009 against Latvia, you can be sure you will be watching the most talented and, above all, the hardest working young players this country has to offer.
