Hockey Canada exec Scott Salmond blames himself for world juniors disappointment

The senior vice-president of hockey operations for Hockey Canada is taking duty for the nation’s second straight quarterfinal loss to Czechia on the world junior championship.

Scott Salmond pointed the finger at himself throughout a press convention on Friday, lower than 24 hours after Canada misplaced 4-3 to Czechia in Ottawa.

“Who do you blame? You’ll be able to blame me,” Salmond mentioned, per Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press.

“In our nation, you gotta win far more usually than you lose, and that is what we join.”

Salmond has been in his present position since 2018. He has been with Hockey Canada since 2001.

Coach Dave Cameron and the administration employees have come below heavy criticism for the workforce’s undisciplined play and roster choice at this 12 months’s occasion.

Canada scored simply 13 targets in 5 video games. A number of first-round NHL picks and prime NHL prospects did not make the ultimate reduce or weren’t invited to the workforce’s choice camp.

The workforce additionally opted to not practise on a number of events through the event. When requested why, Cameron mentioned Thursday the workforce was “exhausted.”

Peter Anholt, who heads up the junior workforce’s administration group, defended the transfer Friday.

“That is a scenario the place you are at all times occupied with the fatigue of the gamers and the power degree, and the emotional degree of the workforce,” he mentioned, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. “These are selections that we make as a gaggle, whether or not the workforce skates.”

Pressed if practising extra might have helped workforce chemistry, Anholt mentioned: “That is probably not the way it works.”