les_glorieux Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 There is a small chance that there will be an NHL player on this year's Canadian junior team. Columbus Blue Jackets forward Gilbert Brule will not be that player, however. Brule declined an invitation to the Canadian team's summer camp. Blue Jackets general manager Doug MacLean said at the time Brule was instead focusing on his upcoming NHL season. Hockey Canada's policy is that if you don't attend summer camp, you're not eligible to play in the world junior hockey championship. "I think that's fair to the kids who do really want to be there, who do prepare themselves to be there and make the commitment to show up," Hockey Canada's head scout Jim Hammett said. "I'm in 100 per cent agreement on it." While Hockey Canada has inquired about the availability of Montreal Canadiens forward Guillaume Latendresse, Pittsburgh Penguins centre Jordan Staal and San Jose Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the Blue Jackets were not asked for 19-year-old Brule. The policy has been in place since 2001, when Stephen Weiss did not attend the summer camp citing injury and burnout as his reasons, yet pled his case to be considered for the Canadian team. Weiss did play for Canada in the 2002 world junior championship, but Hockey Canada at that point made attendance at summer camp mandatory, even if the invited player was injured. The Canadian team's selection camp roster will be announced Monday and will include four goaltenders, 12 defencemen and a yet-to-be determined number of forwards. The camp starts Dec. 10 in Calgary and the 22-player roster for the 2007 world junior hockey championship will be named five days later. Two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards will be chosen to represent Canada, which opens defence of the gold medal Dec. 26 in Leksand, Sweden, against the host country. Hammett hasn't received definitive answers about 19-year-olds Latendresse and Vlasic or 18-year-old Staal from their respective NHL clubs. "They haven't ruled anything out, but they haven't committed to anything," Hammett said. "It's still a little bit early as far as that goes. "We'd love to have them, but we're preparing as though we're not going to get them." Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau isn't willing to part with Latendresse, particularly because forward Chris Higgins is injured and not expected back until late December. "We'll talk about it next week, but I have a feeling that he's not going anywhere," Carbonneau said. "He's helping our team. He's playing 15 minutes a game and with the injury to Chris Higgins, I don't see why he would go to the world juniors." NHL teams have loaned their teenagers to Canada if they weren't getting enough ice time and often the Canadian squad is a prelude to a return to the player's major junior club. Vlasic, who was cut from last year's Canadian team, is averaging almost 21 minutes a game for San Jose, Staal about 14 minutes for the Penguins and Latendresse almost 12, although his ice time has increased recently with an injury to teammate Chris Higgins. "Not only have they made the teams, but they play pretty important roles on the teams," Hammett said. "Whether those teams are willing to give that kind of player up, who knows?" Hammett says an NHL player can be added to the selection camp roster after it is announced, but it has to be before camp opens Dec. 10. The Canadian team will be a contender for gold again even without any NHL players. Canada will have 11 veterans - five defencemen and six forwards - from the team that won gold in Vancouver, unless a returning player loses his spot to a newcomer at selection camp. Notes: USA Hockey will name its junior team Tuesday ... The ADT Canada-Russia Challenge series concludes Thursday in Kamloops, B.C. The Canadian Hockey League had already won the six-game series with a 4-0 record against the Russian selects heading into Wednesday's game in Chilliwack, B.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 yeah.... ain't happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 yeah.... ain't happening. Only way there is a possibility is if all of these criteria are met by December 10th. a. Higgins is back and is playing 100% b. The second line is on fire (scoring at least one 5 on 5 goal each game for 4-5 consecutive games) c. Latendresse starts to make a lot of mistakes (which he has made none of latley) d. Latendresse really DESIRES to leave the Habs for the World Juniors which I would bet he does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 (edited) e. kostitsyn or other (non-zhog) player shows that they can play on the top-6 in the event of an injury. Edited November 30, 2006 by simonus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyhasbeen Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I think Lats is here to stay, probably stay on 1st when Higgins gets back. CH will probably center 2nd line for a bit, see if that works. If not I expect a center to be aquired for the 2nd half of the season. On a possitive side, look how well we are doing without the Russians producing! Can complain, and even without putting up the numbers, it takes alot out of the opposition keeping them off the board. That helps out our 3rd and 1st line in itself. I would love to see lats play in the Jrs, but he made the big show and coach Guy will not let him play. He is needed here now. We are on a cup run you know. This is year 1 of 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Lats has got nothing to learn from playing at the WJC. He's a Habs regular; and he's getting prepped to be counted on for the playoffs. BTW, just as a side note: please post links to the original story instead of copy-paste. Not only does copy-past infringes on copyrights, the format also gets all messed up (linebreaks and all) and it makes a very long first post for nothing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mont Royale Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 The Habs have turned down Hockey Canada's request to release Latendresse for the World Juniors. Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 The Habs have turned down Hockey Canada's request to release Latendresse for the World Juniors. Link Poetic justice, in a way, since Team Canada benched Lats last year at the WJC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobRock Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I think he could have played without it affecting the club that much, and Latendresse could have been the better for it. It would have given Carbonneau an ideal opportunity to mix his lines up some more, call up Andrei Kostitsyn or Maxim Lapierre for three weeks or more and really get them some quality ice time. He could have re-adjusted the second line for a reasonable period of time to get it going. And Latendresse could have benefitted from playing in higher tempo, higher pressure games, and come back with a little more experience and momentum. I'm not really disappointed that he won't go, but I think it would have been a good idea for him to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nilan Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 I think he could have played without it affecting the club that much, and Latendresse could have been the better for it. It would have given Carbonneau an ideal opportunity to mix his lines up some more, call up Andrei Kostitsyn or Maxim Lapierre for three weeks or more and really get them some quality ice time. He could have re-adjusted the second line for a reasonable period of time to get it going. And Latendresse could have benefitted from playing in higher tempo, higher pressure games, and come back with a little more experience and momentum. I'm not really disappointed that he won't go, but I think it would have been a good idea for him to play. I'm not so sure. Lats is a project, and is being molded by the Habs into something they want him to be. Some say hockey is hockey, but style/philosophy/positioning can change drastically between systems. Why throw him into a temporary club where he'll be asked to play a role that might not mesh with the one he's playing (or being trained for) now. Are the juniors playing on Euro size ice? that could also f him up for a bit. Some will say going there and lighting it up will be good for his psyche. I don't agree. He's playing with the big boys now and should be expected to meet and be judged by, NHL standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted December 1, 2006 Share Posted December 1, 2006 Some will say going there and lighting it up will be good for his psyche. I don't agree. He's playing with the big boys now and should be expected to meet and be judged by, NHL standards. Pretty good point. I'm sure Carbo and the staff are always keeping an eye on "the real season" that starts in April. They kept Lats for that, with the intentions of molding him during the regular season so when comes the playoff he'll be ready, Sending him to the WJC would slow his development; not mentionning the risk of injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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