Thursday, December 25, 2008

Will home ice advantage keep the streak alive?

Gold medal number five in a row is on the line, Canada's chance to pick up its fifth consecutive World Junior Championship on home ice, in the national capital and only nine teams to stand in the way.

The annual Holiday season tournament, gets underway on Friday with Canada set to defend its championship of last year with a Boxing Day match with the Czech Republic at Scotiabank Place.

Two Ottawa rinks will feature tournament action with Kanata's Scotiabank Place featuring all of the Canadian games as well as other highlighted games, while the Ottawa Civic Centre will be playing host to a score of other nations.

Pat Quinn's charges begin their journey on Friday, anticipated favourites for one of Canada's most enjoyable of hockey tournaments. It's a journey that many have been taking from before the pee wee days. It's one of Canada;s holiday season tradition that once again will be played out before the nation broadcast live by TSN and RDS.

We'll follow the daily progress of events here, with reviews of the tournament events from any number of sources as well as our own contributions to the tournament showcase.
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TSN World Junior site
Hockey Canada website
World Junior schedule
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Jan 6-- A gracious team, a grateful nation
Jan 5-- Canadian juniors capture fifth straight gold
Jan 5-- Canada peaked in tournament final
Jan 5-- Sweden spoke a little too soon
Jan 5-- Juniors get visit from hockey heavyweight
Jan 5-- Golden again
Jan 5-- Hodgson's star on the rise
Jan 5-- Harper's quirky performance
Jan 5-- How a sexagenarian stays hot
Jan 5-- World Juniors Gold Medal game
Jan 5-- Jacob makes his mark with Sweden
Jan 5-- ‘We're going to have to be better'
Jan 5-- Swedes are hungry, but Canada is prepared
Jan 4-- Canada's Tokarski to start in net against Sweden
Jan 4-- Classic hockey thriller to have place in history
Jan 4-- Two nuggets before the gold
Jan 4-- Canada's best form of defence
Jan 4-- Canada ekes out shootout win
Jan 4-- Canada's gold hopes alive
Jan 4-- Swedes turn corner
Jan 4-- Canada can rely on the hockey gods for only so long
Jan 4-- Canada dodges a bullet with late scoring heroics
Jan 3-- Canada finds a way
Jan 3-- Sweden to play for gold
Jan 3-- Canadians lucky to escape semis
Jan 3-- Old ‘friends’ meet again as Canada takes on Russians in semifinal
Jan 3-- 'Game of my life'
Jan 2-- Slovakia, Russia reach world junior semifinals
Jan 2-- Slovakia pulls huge upset of U.S.
Jan 2-- It's Russia up next
Jan 2-- Slovakia upsets U.S.
Jan 2-- Canada-U.S. thriller sets TV audience record
Jan 2-- Canada wary of speed
Jan 1-- Canadians survive tough, chaotic test
Jan 1-- Alumni get chance to connect
Jan 1-- Happy New Year!
Jan 1-- Russia rocked
Dec 31-- Canada fights back to pull out thriller
Dec 31-- Tavares leads Canadian juniors over U.S.
Dec 31-- Canada looks forward to tough test against U.S.
Dec 31-- Swedish juniors manhandle Russia
Dec 31-- Sweden secures semifinal spot
Dec 31-- Angry Nicholson rules out COC crest on Olympic sweater
Dec 31-- Tavares turns the trick
Dec 31-- Quinn hopes lessons 'will click in'
Dec 31-- Prime-time support
Dec 31-- Canadians gear up for clash with U.S.
Dec 30-- Look out for no. 1, not Kazakhstan
Dec 30-- Top honours for world juniors
Dec 30-- Juniors have the man advantage
Dec 30-- Ottawa's Leeder of the pack
Dec 30-- Canada prepares for first true test
Dec 30-- Subban ignites Team Canada with dynamic rush
Dec 30-- Canadians get 'good test' against Germany
Dec 30-- Swedes ready to let 'fun' begin after Latvia romp
Dec 29-- Sweden still undefeated after beating Lativa
Dec 30-- The U.S. routs Kazakhstan
Dec 29-- Canadians ready for stiffer competition
Dec 29-- Canada wins third straight, defeats Germany
Dec 29-- Canada finally breaks a sweat
Dec 28-- Canadian juniors manhandle Kazakhstan
Dec 28-- Filatov leads Russia past Finland
Dec 28-- Canada hammers Kazakhstan
Dec 28-- Russia cruises past Finland
Dec 28-- Subban stepping forward
Dec 28-- Canadian juniors romp to 15-0 win
Dec 27-- Canada tries to avoid complacency vs. Kazakhstan
Dec 27-- Slovakia, Germany win big at World Juniors
Dec 27-- Czech out Tavares — again
Dec 27-- Sweden opens with win over arch-rival Finland
Dec 27-- Americans take time to find focus
Dec 27-- Russians rocket 44 at net
Dec 27-- Juniors keep pedal to the metal
Dec 27-- Slovakia routs Latvia at world juniors
Dec 26-- Canada easily overcomes Czech Republic
Dec 26-- Buzz is back at the Bank
Dec 26-- Hockey spotlight focused on Canada's Tavares
Dec 26-- Canadian juniors rout Czechs
Dec 26-- Canada to honour former junior player Luc Bourdon
Dec 26-- Facing shots in the dark
Dec 26-- Let's 'get out there'
Dec 26-- TSN gives fans feast of junior coverage
Dec 26-- Sweden makes winning start
Dec 26-- U.S. opens juniors with rout of Germany
Dec 26-- A big win on the biggest stage
Dec 26-- Canada romps in opener
Dec 26-- Pushups for Christmas
Dec 26-- Five storylines
Dec 26-- Canucks face battle to claim fifth straight gold medal
Dec 25-- Canada set for another gold run
Dec 25-- Another twist in Quinn's career
Dec 25-- Canada feeling the pressure
Dec 25-- Team Canada
Dec 25-- More stars headed NHL's way
Dec 25-- Drive for five will be serious challenge
Dec 25-- Quinn undecided on starting goalie
Dec 25-- Breaking down the competition at the WJC
Dec 25-- Meet your 2008 Canadian junior team
Dec 25-- Five players to watch at world juniors
Dec 25-- Quinn calming influence on the juniors
Dec 25-- Ready or not, it's showtime
Dec 24-- World Juniors: Canada gets down to fine tuning

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