World Junior Hockey Championships

The Christmas season is full of good things for me. Turkey dinners, After Eights, Clark Griswold, Ralphie Parker and his quest for a Red Rider beebee gun, the smell of the Balsum Fur in the living room, nicely wrapped gifts under the nicely smelling tree . . . so many things that warm the heart and stretch the waistband.

Over the past few years though one of the things I look forward to most of all about the Christmas season is the IIHF World Junior Hockey Tournament.

With the absence of NHL hockey this year's tournament is feeding a craving for high-level hockey that many Canadian hockey fans have been dying for.

What a year for Team Canada to send what will probably be looked upon as the best Canadian Junior squad ever assembled.

As a big-time Western Hockey League fan I have had the opportunity to watch many of this year's squad play with their regular major junior team. What you are seeing from these kids today is what they put forth with their junior clubs night in and night out. These are kids with a gifting to play the great game of hockey.

During last year's Western Hockey League playoffs I watched in angst as Brent Sutter's Red Deer Rebels sent my hometown Moose Jaw Warriors packing in the second round of the playoffs. The difference in that series? Dion Phaneuf.

If you've watched any of TSN's broadcast's during this year's tournaments you'll have heard lots about the 19-year-old Calgary Flames prospect. I believe that Pierre Maguire is madly in love with the future star.

Canada's 2004-05 squad is a model of what a winning hockey team should look like. For those who questioned Brent Sutter's selections before the tournament began, I'm sure Mr. Sutter would enjoy watching you try to remove your foot from your mouth.

I'll admit, I thought he was nuts when he cut Brandon Wheat Kings forwards Eric Fehr and Ryan Stone in favor of Colin Fraser and Clarke MacArthur. I've gladly eaten my crow and realize once again that there is a reason why Sutter is head coach of the Junior team and I am sitting at my desk writing about them.

In life you strive for one thing- balance. Balance is what keeps you moving forward. Balance is what provides you with the healthiest lifestyle.

Team Canada is all about balance. Say what you want about the lack of a big name goaltender. We had one of those last year and look what that got us. The US was said to have had the best tender in this year's tournament and that ended up being their biggest weakness. Jeff Glass may not have faced much pressure so far in this tourney but he's been good when he's been needed. When you have a defence like Canada has you could throw Red-light Racicot between the pipes and still come out with a shut-out.

You rarely get to see a team play flawless hockey. Very rarely do you get to see a team that has all parts working in perfect unison at all times. From what I have seen in this year's tourney, Canada has played flawless hockey. They have had all parts working in perfect unison at all times. If you're a hockey fan, it really has been something special to watch.

Of course all that will be for naught if they fall short of their ultimate goal of winning the gold medal.

Only the Russians stand in their way now. And what about those Russians.

Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin look to be the real deal. The only problem is it looks like perhaps all the hype around them has gone to their head. To quote Mike Myers from "So I Married an Axe Murderer", "Look at the size of that head. It's like an orange on a toothpick. It's got it's own weather system."

The Russians appear to be very confident and extremely arrogant. It will be fun to see Team Canada clean the ice with them. I really think that, in spite of the Russians two top-guns, Canada will walk all over them.