BY JOHN BAIN – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
With the NHL Labour negotiations going seemingly nowhere, fans of the World Junior Hockey Championships are excited at the level of talent we could potentially see come Boxing Day 2012. This blessing in disguise however, could potentially be a demon. Should the NHL and PA reach an agreement just prior to the start of the WJHC, things could spiral out of control. This is not to say that each respective nation would be unable to ice their best possible team, but it is very possible that it would be a let down among fans when their massive expectations are not met.
Potential players that could end up in the World Juniors for Canada if the lockout continues include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jonathon Huberdeau, Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Strome, and Ryan Murphy. Other world powers including Sweden, Russia (KHL), and the United States have several stars that could play. For Sweden Mika Zibanejad, Adam Larsson, and possibly Gabriel Landeskog could suit up. The United States could call on the likes of Tyler Biggs, JT Miller, and Brandon Saad.
Have your say: Have an opinion on the news of the day? Better yet, want to become a Fan Fuel blogger? Email us here. | New-look Raptors won’t make playoffs
This would all be a great “silver lining” of sorts to the NHL lockout, but in reality, a deal could get done between the NHL and the PA, and it could be difficult to build a team in such little time.
Team Canada’s head coach told the Toronto Sun that these are “ghost rosters” because of all the uncertainty ahead. A team could end up as a “Dream Team” or just a traditional World Junior squad, not that it is a bad thing.
The lockout could potentially make or break the 2013 WJHC in Russia. Would it be nice to see NHL caliber talent in the tournament? Of course, but wouldn’t it also be nice to have an NHL season?
Should the NHL and PA come to an agreement so close to the start of the tournament, it is hard to tell how coaches would react to recreating a traditional roster for the World Juniors. So although it appears to be a World Juniors much like the one in 2005 where Canada trounced opponents with the likes of Jeff Carter, Corey Perry and Sidney Crosby, there is more uncertainty this time around and it could spell for a bad tournament for all sides involved.
Related read
More MLB: The bright side of the 2012 Jays