Jan 5, 2015
Canadian juniors should be open to criticism just as they are praise
Here’s the deal with the World Junior Hockey Championship - you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say that this tournament is a marquee event on the Canadian sporting calendar, one worthy of our undivided attention, sky-high ticket prices and television rights, but we’re only supposed to take it seriously if we win. We can’t say that we’re allowed to make these kids heroes, but not goats. This event is elite sport.
By Dave Naylor
If Canada defeats Russia in tonight’s gold medal final of the World Junior Hockey Championship, there will horns honking all across this land and celebrations from downtown Toronto all the way to the oceans in both directions.
A win tonight will be celebrated alongside all the other great moments of the Canada-Russia hockey rivalry and the heroes from this year’s tournament will be cast into part of Canadian hockey history.
And if Canada disappoints and loses?
Well, there be some very tough questions that should be asked about how a team that was so dominant throughout the tournament could stumble in the biggest game on home ice.
But there will also be those who will suggest we have no right to criticize, that these are simply teenagers trying their best, that they’re just kids and we all ought to button our opinions and get our priorities in order.
What a bunch of bunk.
Here’s the deal with this tournament - you can’t have it both ways.
You can’t say that this tournament is a marquee event on the Canadian sporting calendar, one worthy of our undivided attention, sky-high ticket prices and television rights, but we’re only supposed to take it seriously if we win.
We can’t say that we’re allowed to make these kids heroes, but not goats.
Face it - this event is elite sport and nothing less. A good number of these kids have already been drafted by NHL teams, some have cashed sizeable signing-bonus cheques and the rest have advisors and agents and programs in place to maximize their earning potential at the professional level.
This is not just an extra-curricular activity and there’s no point trying to pretend these are just teenagers playing for fun and, therefore, there should be no room to criticize them.
A lot of these players are the same age as many of those who will participate in next week’s College Football Playoff National Championship between Oregon and Ohio State. Is anyone saying the players on those teams should be insulated from being critiqued because they’re teenagers? Is anyone saying we’re not allowed to say Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was brutal against Oregon on New Year's Day because he happens to be 20 years old?
The days of the World Junior tournament being a quaint little affair ended a long time ago.
This is a big-time, high-performance elite sporting event. Anyone who doesn’t realize that has no business being part of it.
So get ready to celebrate … a Canadian win will result in this year’s team being showered with praise, as they should be.
But a Canadian loss resulting from a mediocre performance tonight? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with making the coaches and players accountable for that kind of result, as well.