Will Canada Win Gold?

The world juniors are fast approaching they start on boxing day this December and January. and team Canada has not won gold in 5 years. They have to compete with the young talent from other countries like the power house team from Finland and other top countries from last year like U.S.A and Russia and the Czech. but with additions like Connor McDavid and with the games being in Canada that could help this years team finally bring gold to Canada. Canada`s first game is Friday December 26th they face of against Slovakia and with the past that should be a easy victory for team Canada. Canada doesn't have a real challenge until the third game and that is against team Finland on the 29th that game should prove to the people that don't think Canada has any talent anymore and playing the opponent that beat them to move on last year to get redemption against the Fins would be great to the first time players this year. Certain NHL teams are not allowing players to go play like the Tampa Bay Lightning with Jonathan Drouin and how they will not loan him to the World Juniors. But with returning goalie Zachary Fucale that should help their chances Fucale shined last year he was the backup goalie to Jacob Patterson but he later took over the starting job and was on fire and helped Canada but in the end they lost, it is almost certain that Fucale will start for team Canada this year.


Canada has always been in the top of the hockey ranking for a long, long time, but is that only the men`s Olympic hockey team or is the juniors in the same ranking or are they down in the rankings compared to the men`s team. In the juniors it seems that Finland, Sweden, Russia are the top 3 teams for the juniors. But in my opinion I think that this is Canada`s year because they are playing in front of their home country.

Toronto Maple Leafs for real?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a roll coming off beating 3 top teams Vancouver, Calgary, Detroit. With major help from both of their goalies Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer, the leafs are climbing the standings. The Leafs are 5 points away from being in first place and with the way that they have been playing the leafs will be in a good position going into the all-start break come January. Who is to blame for the Leafs winning streak the coach?, the players?, or the combo of the goaltenders?. It is easy to think that the coaches are the reason for their winning because of the lines that they put together but they cant make the players play the way they are. Toronto has done this before they have been on a really hot streak and doing incredible things in the standing`s but than they start to lose game after game after game. Then next thing that you know the Leafs are back in the bottom missing the playoffs by 6-9 points and than the fans start to rip on the players and the players wives and coaches. and when the team does good the fans are loyal. the leafs play the Detroit Red Wings again on Saturday and than they play back to back on Sunday they play the LA-Kings and than the Ducks on Tuesday They don't have a easy schedule coming up. Who will start for the Leafs will it be the surprising  Jonathan Bernier or will it be Optimus-Reim I don't think that it matters who starts because they are both worth to be a starting goalie Reimer proved this in 2013 when he led them to the playoffs to only lose to the Boston Bruins. and Jonathan Bernier won the cup with LA but he was a back up to the elite goalie Jonathan Quick, but that doesn't matter he would have seen and learned from Quick. Bernier has to prove him self still after having a disappointing season last year with the Leafs, with the ways he has been playing even if they don't make the playoffs he sure did prove that he can be a starting goalie. But as long as Reimer is there I don't think that there will be a number one goalie. Reimer was drafted by the Leafs and played all of his career with the Toronto system he played with the Marlies and I would be really surprised and disappointed if they got rid of Reimer.


Yes I think that the Maple Leafs are for real this season but there is still a lot of games left to be played and with the All-Star break players will have time of from playing games and that could affect a lot of teams but the Leafs shouldn't be fazed by the break and they should just keep playing the game that they are playing right now and then they should be fine before and after the All-Star break.

Bluejays Building Power

The Toronto Blue Jays have traded Brett Lawrie to the Oakland Athletics for Josh Donaldson. and earlier this offseason they got all-start catcher Russell Martin. Even though its just two players that the Jays got these two can still make a difference and with what happened last year when the Jays were in first until the halfway mark and then they dropped because of injuries if these two new players stay healthy the jays could have a great chance to make it to the postseason. the trade for Donaldson was a shock to Jays fans everywhere who would have thought that Brett Lawrie would be traded a Canadian boy playing for the only Canadian team in baseball and one of the fans favorite gone just like that. Was the trade bad for Toronto?. No it was not the jays got an all-star player but was the trade bad for Oakland? yes in my opinion Oakland just lost a important player. But Lawrie said "It`s a fresh start and I am excited to play for this team". And with Aaron Sanchez possibly being a starter that can enhance the chances of the jays having a playoff season under their belt.


I think that the new additions made are great deals and there are even more players out in the free agency market just waiting to be snatched up and the jays can add even more power to any part of their lineup or bullpen. The Jays are looking toward having a great year coming up. cant wait for the season to start.

Jonathan Bernier Clueless

The Toronto Raptors honored Nelson Mandela on Friday at a event called "The Giant of Africa" it was the first anniversary of his death and the south African president was celebrated throughout their game against the Cavaliers. With the teams wearing special warm up gear to videos playing throughout the game, perhaps Jonathan Bernier saw some of the videos on the jumbotron and than thought that Nelson Mandela was not a star athlete. Bernier was at the event supporting Nelson Mandela who he thought was a all-star athlete. Reporter:1 asked Bernier a question "alright Jonathan, how important is, uh, the legacy of Nelson Mandela to you?".
 and Jonathan replied with


"Well obviously he`s been, uh, a tremendous, uh, athlete and you know obviously what, uh, he means to all the sports you know the worl- the world can uh be changed by the sports its pretty amazing. and I think he`s definitely uh got a lot of respect in every sports and uh he`s definitely one of the athletes I watched growing up as well.


 Reporter:2  asked him " why is it important for you to come show support tonight"




Jonathan replied with "well I think any good cause is uh, it`s always, uh, you know I love supporting, uh, any kind of cause obviously its`s for the Afri-, in Africa it`s obviously it`s, uh, a great cause, and enjoying, I guess, the basketball game".


 Jonathan could have had a brain fart and thought that the question was about some of the All-Star athletes that were at the event like Magic Johnson. But in Bernier`s defense Nelson was an athlete a amateur boxer who ran two hours a day. And he did believe that the world could change by sports. But Jonathan probably  didn't grow up watching Nelson play because Nelson was 70 years old when Jonathan was born. but Jagr is still playing so anything can happen.  But can we blame athletes for making a mistake because we are not perfect and we make mistakes so is it ok to judge when no one is perfect.

Edmonton Slipping on Oil

The Edmonton Oilers have been on a really! cold streak. They have not won a game against a western opponent and there has been talk for a while about getting a new coach and you know your team is bad when they get booed of the ice by their own fans in their own arena!. But what is the real reason  why they are bad? they have 3 first overall picks in the last 4 years so whey are they a bad team. Edmonton has not won at home since October and winless against western conference teams dropping to 0-12-3 that's not the greatest record that a team can have. Some people are saying that they need to trade players. Edmonton has not made the playoffs since 2005-2006 season and they went all the way to the cup final but they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games. Is that what the Oilers need the players from the 05-06 season back?. Dallas Eakins the head coach is under a lot of pressure after having one of the worst records last year and this year again he is hanging by a thread for his job as head coach for the Oilers. But is it really his fault? he cant hop over the boards and lace up skates and play. Dallas will need to find a new strategy for his team if they ever want to get back in the Stanley Cup playoffs or even to win a single game against a western opponent. Oilers captain Andrew Ference said that their play on special teams is a "joke". After Arizona scored 2 times on the same penalty kill and than scoring 4 in the second period to help the Coyotes get a 6-2 victory over the Oilers. will the Oilers pain and suffering even end?.


I think that Edmonton isn't bad but they have a bad game plan they have the players to be a Cup contending team but their plan isn't good. They need to do something with their upper management or just fire Dallas Eakins he hasn't done a good job plain and simple he clearly isn't a good coach and he needs to be gone. But will Edmonton fire him? they must think that he is a good coach because he is still there and I am sure that he will be there after this season too.

The Dominator!

In the 2014 hockey hall of fame induction ceremony Dominik Hasek was inducted, he is probably the greatest goalie that has ever played the game with his unique goal tending style his passion for the game hockey and being a all around goalie that`s what makes him the Dominator. Hasek was born in Czechoslovakia in 1965 he joined the NHL 1990 with the Chicago Blackhawks for 2 years and than played for the Buffalo Sabres and that is where he started to show his true potential. in 1994 he won his first Vezina trophy and was runner up for the Hart trophy. Hasek played 58 games with a league best 1.95 goals against average seven shutouts and a .930 save percentage he followed this feat by winning the Vezina and again winning the hart trophy in 1995. Hasek was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. In his first year with the Redwings he got career high wins with 41 wins with just 15 loses helping the Redwings have the best record in the league in the playoffs he lead the Redwings passed the Vancouver Canucks, St Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and than the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup. In overtime against the Colorado Avalanche Hasek was the first goalie to be awarded a assist on a game winning goal. He than went to play for the Ottawa Senators from 2005-2006. during his time with the Sens he got 300 career wins and was playing increasingly well. at the Olympics he injured his right Adductor Muscle and that held him from playing in the regular season and playoffs with the Ottawa Senators. Than Hasek resigned with the Redwings For two years (2006-2008) he was 41 years old. during the 2007-2008 he was replaced by backup goalie Chris Osgood but when Hasek got his mojo back they decided to alternate Goaltenders. Detroit Coach Mike Babcock said that Hasek would be the goalie for the playoffs. In the first two games the Redwings won but after two bad performances in the next two Osgood became the starting goalie even though he lost the starting job Hasek was still doing his best in practices showing he is a team player and a true professional athlete. eventually Detroit beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games to win the cup and than Hasek retired ending a legends career..

In my opinion Hasek will be one of the best goaltenders ever to play in the NHL and im glad he was inducted into the hall of fame this year because he has been good enough to join that exclusive club in the hall of fame and to join all of the other great goalies of the past.

Connor McDavid out for 6 weeks!

Connor McDavid ( Erie Otters OHL hockey team) was injured in a fight Tuesday night against Bryson Cianfrone of the Mississauga Steelheads. McDavid suffered a fracture of the 5th metacarpal bone McDavid was going to throw a punch and missed and hit the top of the boards. his fractured bone extends from the base of his pinkie finger to the wrist luckily he does not require surgery for the injury. McDavid was going to play in the Subway Super Series on Thursday against team Russia but he was removed as expected but the real question is will he be recovered in time for the worlds juniors and play for team Canada?. McDavid will miss team Canada`s world junior camp in mid December. Hockey Canada must finish their roster by December 25th because they have their first game the next day. Canadian junior coach Benoit Groulx said " there is several weeks before world juniors, so its too early to know" " we hope that he`ll be able to be there, but I don't have that answer yet".


In my opinion Connor McDavid can miss the world juniors because he can get another chance next year and he should just focus on getting through his injury because as soon as he gets better and returns he has to think about playing for the Erie Otters and trying to win the Master Card Memorial cup and than he has to train again for the draft to see what team he gets drafted to. people have to remember that injuries do happen in sports and that it isn't what owners want for their players and that not what the fans want to see either but injuries will always happen it doesn't matter if it was in a fight or a hard hit their will be violence in hockey and it will always be in  hockey.  I don't think that McDavid should have fought because he is a all-star scorer and he shouldn't focus on fighting he should focus on scoring goals because you cant score goals from the penalty box and you cant score goals from the hospital. All-stars don't fight they have enforcers on their team that do that for them so I think that Connor should just stick to doing what he does best and that is playing the game of hockey cleanly and scoring highlight real goals. Nazem Kadri a center from the Toronto Maple Leafs called McDavids injury a " freak accident". Nazem should know because he was a top prospect in the OHL a couple years ago and knows what its like to get targeted. " Obviously it`s unfortunate that that happened," Kadri said " Good for him for standing up for himself.... You don't like to see it but that complete  level, especially in every young star, that's enough`s enough and you're sick and tired of getting abused".  I just think that the stars of hockey should focus on scoring not fighting