Canada and the U17 World Cup: Nov 10 to Dec 2 in Indonesia

[InglewoodJack]

Transfermarkt has Sergei Kozlovskiy as 0.18M tall, or roughly half a foot tall. Modern defenders can still be successful at a smaller size, but he must be quite skillful getting called up to a national team given his height…

https://www.transfermarkt.co.in/sergei-kozlovskiy/profil/spieler/1164970

 

Both him and the other CF Montreal addition are 15, two of the 3 youngest CFM Acadeny players, that’s cool.

[Kadenge]

crazy that Richard Chukwu is only 15! Hope he continues to progress  in his soccer development. He's already 6ft tall.

[Shway]

15 minutes ago, El Diego said:

I thought he was quite good in the u17 tournament, one of the better players. Deep lying playmaker, really nice on the ball

It's easy to think nepotism, but if you watched the games it easy to see how good he actually is. 
Definitely one of the players that stood out.

[Buchta]

Some Polish fans were not too happy to see Klukowski called up by Canada (back in September).

http://www.90minut.pl/news/328/news3283522-U-17-Antoni-Klukowski-w-kadrze-Kanady.html

Edited October 17, 2023 by Buchta

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

Tried to track players added/dropped since the initial qualifying tournament, if any mistakes feel free to add/change

 

GK- Nathaniel Abraham | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

GK- Jean-Christophe Belzile | CAN / Académie de CF Montréal

GK- Dominic Kantorowicz | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

GK- Alexander O’Brien | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

CB- Victor Fung | CAN / Inter Miami FC Academy

CB- Étienne Godin | CAN / Académie CF Montréal

CB- Sergei Kozlovskiy | CAN / Académie de CF Montréal

CB- Chimere Omeze | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

CB- Lazar Stefanovic | CAN / Toronto FC 2

CB- Jeevan Badwal | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy

FB- Lino Aklil | FRA / HSC Montpellier

FB- Gaël de Montigny | CAN / Académie CF Montréal

FB- Aidan Fong | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy

FB- Theo Rigopoulos | CAN / Toronto FC 2

M- Alessandro Biello | CAN / Académie de CF Montréal

M- Richard Chukwu | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

M- Philip Igbinobaro | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

M- Tyler Londono | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

M- Liam MacKenzie | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy

M- Taryck Tahid | CAN / Vancouver FC

F- Antoni Klukowski | POL / Pogon Szczechin

F- Lucas Ozimec | CAN / Toronto FC Academy

F- Erik Pop | GER / Karlsruher SC U-19

F- Kevaughn Tavernier | CAN / Forge FC Hamilton

F- Kyler Vojvodic | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy

 

New this Roster:

• Jean-Christophe Belzile (CF Montreal Academy)
• Dominic Kantorowicz (Toronto FC Academy)
• Sergei Kozlovskiy (CF Montreal Academy)

Dropped from Brazil Roster:

• Allen Says Blegay (Simcoe Rovers FC)

Dropped from Qualifiers Roster:

• Matteo Landicho-Correia (TFC Academy)
• Antoine N’Diaye (CF Montreal Academy - injury?)
• Braden Stevanovic (Tecumseh SC)
• Ruben de Sa (Vitoria SC)
• Simon Guardiero (Sigma FC)
• Andrei Dumitru (TFC Academy)
• Ibrahim Higazy (Rayo Vallecano)

 

Since he supposedly signed for the U-19 B team of Celta Vigo at the end of August, I have not seen Higazy in any squad list or game report, he has not posted again on his Instagram, then he is not listed on the Celta website. Maybe he has a bad injury or they loaned him out.

I think his brother is playing for them, though. 

[Borjans Sweatpants]

8 hours ago, aredding77 said:

The roster has been revealed for the preparation camp leading up to the World Cup.  A couple of new names, also interesting how they list Jeevan Badwal as a Centre Back, but overall its a solid roster.

https://canadasoccer.com/news/canadas-fifa-u-17-world-cup-indonesia-2023-preparation-camp-roster-revealed/
 

Maybe a stupid question, but as this is the “Preparation Camp” roster, it’s not the official U17 World Cup roster right? Is it to be narrowed down or could it be expanded? 

Interesting that Badwal is listed as a CB, must be some sort of intent behind that as he hasn’t been listed there for other U17 competitions / friendlies that I can remember. We’re going to have too many CBs now 🤣

[gigi riva]

7 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Transfermarkt has Sergei Kozlovskiy as 0.18M tall, or roughly half a foot tall. Modern defenders can still be successful at a smaller size, but he must be quite skillful getting called up to a national team given his height…

https://www.transfermarkt.co.in/sergei-kozlovskiy/profil/spieler/1164970

 

Both him and the other CF Montreal addition are 15, two of the 3 youngest CFM Acadeny players, that’s cool.

He must have great leaping ability 

[JamesF]

22 minutes ago, Borjans Sweatpants said:

Maybe a stupid question, but as this is the “Preparation Camp” roster, it’s not the official U17 World Cup roster right? Is it to be narrowed down or could it be expanded? 

Interesting that Badwal is listed as a CB, must be some sort of intent behind that as he hasn’t been listed there for other U17 competitions / friendlies that I can remember. We’re going to have too many CBs now 🤣

looks like a typo

[Kent]

OK, so the CB thing is a typo, but the 0.18 meters thing is accurate right? We have a guy that is shorter than a soccer ball? I guess to be fair, he's shorter than an inflated soccer ball. He'd be taller than one that had the air removed from it.

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

OK, so the CB thing is a typo, but the 0.18 meters thing is accurate right? We have a guy that is shorter than a soccer ball? I guess to be fair, he's shorter than an inflated soccer ball. He'd be taller than one that had the air removed from it.

The important thing is to have your feet on the ground, like everyone else. And use your head to think. 

[gigi riva]

10 hours ago, Buchta said:

Some Polish fans were not too happy to see Klukowski called up by Canada (back in September).

http://www.90minut.pl/news/328/news3283522-U-17-Antoni-Klukowski-w-kadrze-Kanady.html

to hell with them

[El Diego]

1 hour ago, gigi riva said:

to hell with them

Some of the comments are bad, xenophobic type stuff. Unfortunately this is still common in Poland (though the recent election results are extremely heartening). Some comments there are very reasonable though, saying if he feels Canadian then it's no problem.

I think the thinking of those with negative comments also stems from Klose and Podolski playing for Germany (many Poles sill harbour resentment from this) and with Poland's recent disastrous Euro qualifying campaign. The funny thing is that the Polish youth teams are actually doing quite well and playing attractive soccer, and there are a number of half-Poles who weren't born in Poland, don't have traditional Polish names, and don't have traditional Polish looks playing for those squads. You'd also think Polish soccer fans would have a different mindset after Olisadebe led them to their first World Cup in decades, but alas...

[Footyeh]

I see a lot of optimism from Canadian Soccer fan accounts on twitter and Instagram.  As someone who follows the youth game in the MLS closely and is familiar with this age group in particular, I'd say it's a very average team compared to years past.  We have some names from Europe, but none that are really impact players in their clubs or players that are at a higher level than local players.  Best players are the domestic ones.  IMO, this cycle is more about lack of top talent rather than wrong selections.  Although the one selection that still baffles me is the lack of a true #9, which should be Joses Chukwu from TFC.  Doesn't make sense to me that the Striker who had the most goals in MLS Next (among Canadian players) can't get a look with the team.

The 3 CB's are probably going to be the most relied upon players, I take it Olivieri will take the same approach as years past and try and be super defensive and hit on the break.  In the Brazil camp, he started the same 3 in both matches and if he made subs, it was with little minutes remaining.  Chimere brings a big physical presence, has great athleticism and can recover well.  Stefanovic is an all-rounder, very good read of the game, brings organization.  Chukwu is the clear outlet, he can build from the back as he's a natural midfielder.  Can play long balls over top or diagonal to begin the attack, on the weak side he will drift inside as another midfielder.

The fullbacks will have a lot of responsibility in this system to get involved heavily in the offence, they will be relied upon to create scoring chances via crossing.  Question will be, can they get forward if the team is being pinned back and out possessed.  Both Rigopoulos and DeMotigney are similar players, short and stocky workhorses, both get forward well in their clubs but maybe don't have the best end product.  Rigopoulos the much more tenacious defender.  Fong is the most athletic of the fullbacks and has the capability to transition very quickly on both ends, he's also very attack minded and can play on the left side which he does at club level despite being right footed.

Midfield is where I believe we will struggle.  Biello and Badwal are both good simple possession players, but when the team is not afforded the lions share of possession, are they able to influence the match at all?  Both want to operate in space and both are best when they are playing in the deep-lying roles.  Neither are extremely forward thinking in terms of being able to drive the attack and alleviate pressure.  There will be a lot of reliance on the #10 to pick up the ball and facilitate attacking drives.  This is where the team is missing Antoine N'Diaye who is still not fully fit after injury.  

As for the forwards, Ozimec predominantly plays from the left wing at club level but will be tasked with playing more central in this team.  I'd say he's quite good in getting on the end of crosses so I can see him being a key target man for the fullbacks.  Kluwkowski a little bit the same although I've not seen anything more from him in the matches he's played to say he's ahead of Ozimec.  He's had a little bit of hype for his polish team and it seems Olivieri has favored that (based on the Brazil matches) so I believe he will start.  Tavernier is a wide player, how does he look if he's asked to play centrally?  I can see Tavenier and Tahid being alternated between the 10 & 9.  Vojvodic is a slashing attacker, quite lively and will give you energy and some runs in behind.

I imagine we see a XI like this on opening day:

                                  Abraham
Rigopoulos Omeze Stefanovic Chukwu De Motigney
                              Biello Badwal
                                   Tahid
                          Klukowski Tavernier

 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Footyeh

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Footyeh said:

I see a lot of optimism from Canadian Soccer fan accounts on twitter and Instagram.  As someone who follows the youth game in the MLS closely and is familiar with this age group in particular, I'd say it's a very average team compared to years past.  We have some names from Europe, but none that are really impact players in their clubs or players that are at a higher level than local players.  Best players are the domestic ones.  IMO, this cycle is more about lack of top talent rather than wrong selections.  Although the one selection that still baffles me is the lack of a true #9, which should be Joses Chukwu from TFC.  Doesn't make sense to me that the Striker who had the most goals in MLS Next (among Canadian players) can't get a look with the team.

The 3 CB's are probably going to be the most relied upon players, I take it Olivieri will take the same approach as years past and try and be super defensive and hit on the break.  In the Brazil camp, he started the same 3 in both matches and if he made subs, it was with little minutes remaining.  Chimere brings a big physical presence, has great athleticism and can recover well.  Stefanovic is an all-rounder, very good read of the game, brings organization.  Chukwu is the clear outlet, he can build from the back as he's a natural midfielder.  Can play long balls over top or diagonal to begin the attack, on the weak side he will drift inside as another midfielder.

The fullbacks will have a lot of responsibility in this system to get involved heavily in the offence, they will be relied upon to create scoring chances via crossing.  Question will be, can they get forward if the team is being pinned back and out possessed.  Both Rigopoulos and DeMotigney are similar players, short and stocky workhorses, both get forward well in their clubs but maybe don't have the best end product.  Rigopoulos the much more tenacious defender.  Fong is the most athletic of the fullbacks and has the capability to transition very quickly on both ends, he's also very attack minded and can play on the left side which he does at club level despite being right footed.

Midfield is where I believe we will struggle.  Biello and Badwal are both good simple possession players, but when the team is not afforded the lions share of possession, are they able to influence the match at all?  Both want to operate in space and both are best when they are playing in the deep-lying roles.  Neither are extremely forward thinking in terms of being able to drive the attack and alleviate pressure.  There will be a lot of reliance on the #10 to pick up the ball and facilitate attacking drives.  This is where the team is missing Antoine N'Diaye who is still not fully fit after injury.  

As for the forwards, Ozimec predominantly plays from the left wing at club level but will be tasked with playing more central in this team.  I'd say he's quite good in getting on the end of crosses so I can see him being a key target man for the fullbacks.  Kluwkowski a little bit the same although I've not seen anything more from him in the matches he's played to say he's ahead of Ozimec.  He's had a little bit of hype for his polish team and it seems Olivieri has favored that (based on the Brazil matches) so I believe he will start.  Tavernier is a wide player, how does he look if he's asked to play centrally?  I can see Tavenier and Tahid being alternated between the 10 & 9.  Vojvodic is a slashing attacker, quite lively and will give you energy and some runs in behind.

I imagine we see a XI like this on opening day:

                                  Abraham
Rigopoulos Omeze Stefanovic Chukwu De Motigney
                              Biello Badwal
                                   Tahid
                          Klukowski Tavernier

 

Probably the most complete bit of scouting and rundown we have ever seen in this board for a youth team, very well done.

[Dominic94]

20 hours ago, VinceA said:

Is Biello actually good or is his dad getting him into this team?

He’s highly rated and likely to be the next or one of the next CF homegrowns. He isn’t their only one coming.

[Dominic94]

5 hours ago, Footyeh said:

I see a lot of optimism from Canadian Soccer fan accounts on twitter and Instagram.  As someone who follows the youth game in the MLS closely and is familiar with this age group in particular, I'd say it's a very average team compared to years past.  We have some names from Europe, but none that are really impact players in their clubs or players that are at a higher level than local players.  Best players are the domestic ones.  IMO, this cycle is more about lack of top talent rather than wrong selections.  Although the one selection that still baffles me is the lack of a true #9, which should be Joses Chukwu from TFC.  Doesn't make sense to me that the Striker who had the most goals in MLS Next (among Canadian players) can't get a look with the team.

The 3 CB's are probably going to be the most relied upon players, I take it Olivieri will take the same approach as years past and try and be super defensive and hit on the break.  In the Brazil camp, he started the same 3 in both matches and if he made subs, it was with little minutes remaining.  Chimere brings a big physical presence, has great athleticism and can recover well.  Stefanovic is an all-rounder, very good read of the game, brings organization.  Chukwu is the clear outlet, he can build from the back as he's a natural midfielder.  Can play long balls over top or diagonal to begin the attack, on the weak side he will drift inside as another midfielder.

The fullbacks will have a lot of responsibility in this system to get involved heavily in the offence, they will be relied upon to create scoring chances via crossing.  Question will be, can they get forward if the team is being pinned back and out possessed.  Both Rigopoulos and DeMotigney are similar players, short and stocky workhorses, both get forward well in their clubs but maybe don't have the best end product.  Rigopoulos the much more tenacious defender.  Fong is the most athletic of the fullbacks and has the capability to transition very quickly on both ends, he's also very attack minded and can play on the left side which he does at club level despite being right footed.

Midfield is where I believe we will struggle.  Biello and Badwal are both good simple possession players, but when the team is not afforded the lions share of possession, are they able to influence the match at all?  Both want to operate in space and both are best when they are playing in the deep-lying roles.  Neither are extremely forward thinking in terms of being able to drive the attack and alleviate pressure.  There will be a lot of reliance on the #10 to pick up the ball and facilitate attacking drives.  This is where the team is missing Antoine N'Diaye who is still not fully fit after injury.  

As for the forwards, Ozimec predominantly plays from the left wing at club level but will be tasked with playing more central in this team.  I'd say he's quite good in getting on the end of crosses so I can see him being a key target man for the fullbacks.  Kluwkowski a little bit the same although I've not seen anything more from him in the matches he's played to say he's ahead of Ozimec.  He's had a little bit of hype for his polish team and it seems Olivieri has favored that (based on the Brazil matches) so I believe he will start.  Tavernier is a wide player, how does he look if he's asked to play centrally?  I can see Tavenier and Tahid being alternated between the 10 & 9.  Vojvodic is a slashing attacker, quite lively and will give you energy and some runs in behind.

I imagine we see a XI like this on opening day:

                                  Abraham
Rigopoulos Omeze Stefanovic Chukwu De Motigney
                              Biello Badwal
                                   Tahid
                          Klukowski Tavernier

 

This team doesn’t sound so bad😂

[Kadenge]

5 hours ago, Footyeh said:

I see a lot of optimism from Canadian Soccer fan accounts on twitter and Instagram.  As someone who follows the youth game in the MLS closely and is familiar with this age group in particular, I'd say it's a very average team compared to years past.  We have some names from Europe, but none that are really impact players in their clubs or players that are at a higher level than local players.  Best players are the domestic ones.  IMO, this cycle is more about lack of top talent rather than wrong selections.  Although the one selection that still baffles me is the lack of a true #9, which should be Joses Chukwu from TFC.  Doesn't make sense to me that the Striker who had the most goals in MLS Next (among Canadian players) can't get a look with the team.

The 3 CB's are probably going to be the most relied upon players, I take it Olivieri will take the same approach as years past and try and be super defensive and hit on the break.  In the Brazil camp, he started the same 3 in both matches and if he made subs, it was with little minutes remaining.  Chimere brings a big physical presence, has great athleticism and can recover well.  Stefanovic is an all-rounder, very good read of the game, brings organization.  Chukwu is the clear outlet, he can build from the back as he's a natural midfielder.  Can play long balls over top or diagonal to begin the attack, on the weak side he will drift inside as another midfielder.

The fullbacks will have a lot of responsibility in this system to get involved heavily in the offence, they will be relied upon to create scoring chances via crossing.  Question will be, can they get forward if the team is being pinned back and out possessed.  Both Rigopoulos and DeMotigney are similar players, short and stocky workhorses, both get forward well in their clubs but maybe don't have the best end product.  Rigopoulos the much more tenacious defender.  Fong is the most athletic of the fullbacks and has the capability to transition very quickly on both ends, he's also very attack minded and can play on the left side which he does at club level despite being right footed.

Midfield is where I believe we will struggle.  Biello and Badwal are both good simple possession players, but when the team is not afforded the lions share of possession, are they able to influence the match at all?  Both want to operate in space and both are best when they are playing in the deep-lying roles.  Neither are extremely forward thinking in terms of being able to drive the attack and alleviate pressure.  There will be a lot of reliance on the #10 to pick up the ball and facilitate attacking drives.  This is where the team is missing Antoine N'Diaye who is still not fully fit after injury.  

As for the forwards, Ozimec predominantly plays from the left wing at club level but will be tasked with playing more central in this team.  I'd say he's quite good in getting on the end of crosses so I can see him being a key target man for the fullbacks.  Kluwkowski a little bit the same although I've not seen anything more from him in the matches he's played to say he's ahead of Ozimec.  He's had a little bit of hype for his polish team and it seems Olivieri has favored that (based on the Brazil matches) so I believe he will start.  Tavernier is a wide player, how does he look if he's asked to play centrally?  I can see Tavenier and Tahid being alternated between the 10 & 9.  Vojvodic is a slashing attacker, quite lively and will give you energy and some runs in behind.

I imagine we see a XI like this on opening day:

                                  Abraham
Rigopoulos Omeze Stefanovic Chukwu De Motigney
                              Biello Badwal
                                   Tahid
                          Klukowski Tavernier

 

 Joses Chukwu was also not part of   the concacaf qualifying games and the team looked like it was missing pace up front. Kinda weird that he was not part of any of the  friendlies either. There's a heavy TFC presence and his younger brother is part of the team as well. Any speculation as to why he has been excluded given his strike rate in MLS Next?

[InglewoodJack]

12 hours ago, Kent said:

OK, so the CB thing is a typo, but the 0.18 meters thing is accurate right? We have a guy that is shorter than a soccer ball? I guess to be fair, he's shorter than an inflated soccer ball. He'd be taller than one that had the air removed from it.

Low centre of gravity, no one can push him off the ball

[maccaliam]

10 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Low centre of gravity, no one can push him off the ball

You can’t get pushed off the ball If you can’t get on it the first place

[narduch]

Apparently we have lined up a friendly with Argentina 

 

 

[VinceA]

Are we gonna get a roster drop soon?

[Unnamed Trialist]

Spain's roster (we face them first) features Marc Guiu, who scored the winner 30 seconds into his first team debut for Barça last weekend. We're lucky they're calling Yamine Lamal, who's 16, into senior Spain camps, so he misses the u17 WC. I just know the Barça players, 8/21, Prim is a holding CM, Fort a tall fullback, Cubarsí a skilled CB.

It's obvious that if we can get anything from that match it's a miracle and the other teams in the group, Mali and the Uzbeks, are rivalling us for the second spot.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Unnamed Trialist

[InglewoodJack]

10 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Spain's roster (we face them first) features Marc Guiu, who scored the winner 30 seconds into his first team debut for Barça last weekend. We're lucky they're calling Yamine Lamal, who's 16, into senior Spain camps, so he misses the u17 WC. I just know the Barça players, 8/21, Prim is a holding CM, Fort a tall fullback, Cubarsí a skilled CB.

It's obvious that if we can get anything from that match it's a miracle and the other teams in the group, Mali and the Uzbeks, are rivalling us for the second spot.

Damn, here I am with high hopes that TJ Tahid becomes something great because he's playing in the CPL at 16, or thinking that if Stefanovic sticks with TFC next year he might be an answer to our CB issues long term, and then you see Spain who's brining in a player who plays, and now scores for Barcelona, and despite that, they're still missing their superstar, Lamal, because he's so good that he just bypassed the youth set up and is going into the senior team automatically.

 

I know we don't need reminders at where we sit in the world soccer hierarchy, but it's crazy when you think about the massive gap in talent between a modestly successful country like ours and a complete powerhouse like Spain. Guiu looked good last game and Lamal looks absolutely awesome. Those two are the real deal.

[Stoppage Time]

12 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

I know we don't need reminders at where we sit in the world soccer hierarchy, but it's crazy when you think about the massive gap in talent between a modestly successful country like ours and a complete powerhouse like Spain. Guiu looked good last game and Lamal looks absolutely awesome. Those two are the real deal.

Which again poses the question: what fundamental adjustments need to be made to Canada's youth development to find and/or develop such players? How much of the gap is attributed to natural talent, to coaching, to access to the game through clubs and academies, to appropriate competition, and to desire or a natural love for the game? I suppose that it is a combination of all of them, but are there any that stand out?

My kid has played for a local club team for several years yet that club has had very limited success in developing some talented youngsters for the "net level". AT the same time, they have access only to one quarter of a shared training field, and that prevents the players from properly using what they do in training on a full match day field. Very inefficient.

[InglewoodJack]

Just now, Stoppage Time said:

Which again poses the question: what fundamental adjustments need to be made to Canada's youth development to find and/or develop such players? How much of the gap is attributed to natural talent, to coaching, to access to the game through clubs and academies, to appropriate competition, and to desire or a natural love for the game? I suppose that it is a combination of all of them, but are there any that stand out?

My kid has played for a local club team for several years yet that club has had very limited success in developing some talented youngsters for the "net level". AT the same time, they have access only to one quarter of a shared training field, and that prevents the players from properly using what they do in training on a full match day field. Very inefficient.

One of these might help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Masia

Or perhaps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INF_Clairefontaine

I've long advocated for the need for an elite national team training centre, or centres that follow the french model, though the amount of resources and money poured into this stuff is just inconceivable for where we area s a soccer nation. I look at not only how France revolutionized their own development system in the 80s to become the best country at developing talent in the world, but also to how Quebec has revolutionized our own basketball development system. A few elite schools have opened up over the last year, and now we have multiple NBA players from Montreal in the league which was unfathomable even 5 years ago. One of the best defenders in the league is from Montreal, and a Montrealer finished fourth in rookie of the year voting last year. Given basketball's obvious hurdles into making it pro (you need to be really, really, really tall, and also every team has like 15 players), you build an elite soccer academy 30 KM outside of Montreal, what happens? We'll put guys in Europe by 2026.

I think to the bolded, it's a mix of everything, especially infrastructure and a realistic path to professional success. Our country is able to pluck future NHL stars out of tiny villages in the middle of nowhere because most towns have good AAA teams, access to CHL scouting, the resources that go along with it, so on, just like how Spain can identify a future superstar at 11 years old and monitor their development as they grow. In your kid's scenario, it's been a long time since my own soccer days, but my guess is that no matter how elite they are, if they're the best player on their team, or even in your city, chances are if you're near an MLS team, maybe you get a trial, maybe the CPL academies reach out, maybe a U Sports scholarship, but that's about it. If they were playing hockey at that same level, all of a sudden AAA teams would be interested, they'd have a shot at getting drafted into CHL, and from there, there are a ton of different professional opportunities, if not simply getting drafted into the NHL.

I think players like Davies and David will always rise to the top and get identified young, but for the players who aren't looking like future superstars at 15, you don't have access to the resources to get better, and whereas a 15 year old who is very good but not a prodigy at La Masia can still train, improve, climb the ranks and maybe play for FCB at 21, or transfer to a number of great Spanish teams, that same 15 year old playing in Canada is likely going to be playing at a University at the same age. I think Canada will always identify the 1 in 100,000 type talent, our issue is that we don't do anything with the other 99,999 players, some of who in other countries would develop into very good players.