The round robin portion of the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championships (WJC) is over. Team Canada and its four Tampa Bay Lightning prospects finished first in group A. Today Canada plays Switzerland in the quarter-finals, a team that they have never lost to at the WJC. If (when) they beat the Swiss, Canada will play either the Czech Republic or Finland in the semi-finals.
So, how have the Lightning prospects been?
Taylor Raddysh is in a five-way tie for first in scoring for Canada, with two goals and two assists. He’s getting a lot of highlight time with his goals and set ups:
Taylor Raddysh (@ErieOtters) goes bardown on his own rebound. 4-0 Canada. #LetTheBigDogEat #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/qmkxLQi1Aj
— Shayne Pasquino (@shaynepasquino) December 28, 2017
Nice little pass in the snowstorm by PEP athlete Taylor Raddysh #WorldJuniors #WJC2018 #rethinkyourtraining pic.twitter.com/limpHvKCgY
— Power Edge Pro (@PEPHockey) December 29, 2017
Robert Thomas makes it 1-0 for Canada off a pass from Taylor Raddysh #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/b5Zxw8MPVY
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 31, 2017
It’s knuckle puck time! Taylor Raddysh claps one home to help put the Canadians ahead of the Finns 4-2. #WorldJuniors #MightyDucks pic.twitter.com/E5Fjg3Ap2W
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 26, 2017
Boris Katchouk is one of those players that Raddysh is tied with, and also has two goals and two points, but no one wanted to gif him.
Brett Howden has two goals for Canada in the tournament so far, both against Denmark and was named player of the game for Canada after that performance.
GOAL: Brett Howden tips in Canada’s 5th goal of the game, making it 5-0 in the 2nd period. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/2s6MMNM1yY
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 31, 2017
Cal Foote is playing a defensive game for Canada, he’s had one assist and zero shots on net. The defense is working for Canada as they’ve let in just six goals in the tournament so far.
How can I watch the game today?
You can watch today’s game at 4:00PM on TSN and stream it on TSN GO in Canada and the NHL Network in the US.
Why is the arena so empty?
*breathes in* Well, the average ticket package is $1,116 US, and $1,400 CDN [ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! — Acha]. USA Hockey put the tournament in Buffalo because it was a solid money maker in 2011 with all the Canadians coming across the border, since it’s just a two hour drive from Toronto.
However weather has gotten in the way with blizzards and car accidents clogging up the highways in and out of Buffalo and creating delays at the Canada/US border. Combine that with event fatigue – the World Juniors were in the Buffalo/Toronto stretch in 2011, 2015, and 2017 before this tournament, as well as the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Also, as much as I love junior hockey, it’s rarely worth more than the average $25 ticket you’ll pay to watch a CHL game, and Hockey Canada and USA Hockey see this tournament as a money maker more than a development program /end rant
Sorry for asking
It will be just as bad next year in Vancouver.
So, will Canada play the US again?
The only way these two meet again is in the finals. Canada will have to beat the Swiss today and then either Finland or the Czech Republic.
Tonight at 8PM the United States plays Russia in their quarter-final game, and then they’ll have to beat either Sweden or Slovakia to make the finals.
