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Super Series Needs Tweaking

Written by: Scott Vankoughnett on 25th November 2009

PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT

Maxim Karpov scores his second goal of the series in a 5-2 losing effort against Team OHL. | read this item

If you regularly check this site you’ll know that the CHL is currently in the midst of their seventh Subway Super Series, formerly known as the ADT Canada Russia Challenge Series.

The premise of the series is a great one. The CHL takes the top Canadian kids, eligible for the World Junior Championship, from each league and pits them against a team of Russian ‘All-Stars’. The Russian squad then plays two games against the Q the O and the dub.

Hockey Canada uses this exhibition series to scout potential invitees to the final WJC selection camp in December. It’s a great opportunity for fringe players to make an impression. That’s exactly what Barrie Colts’ captain Stefan Della Rovere did last year in Niagara. Della Rovere was team Canada’s sparkplug and went on to win gold in Ottawa last Christmas.

“These games are great games especially against the Russians,” Della Rovere said after team OHL won 5-2. “It’s a great opportunity for all the CHL players across Canada. I can talk for myself; last year I came into one of these games and proved myself and had a chance to represent team Canada. These games obviously mean something and you can’t take it for granted.”

The Canadians obviously get a kick out of playing against and beating the Russians. They get to play with the best in their league and represent their country/league.

Now if you have followed this series for some time you might be trying to remember the last time team OHL lost to the Russians. Well they haven’t. Team OHL is a perfect 14-0 since this series started in 2003. Team WHL, who plays their first game of the series tonight in Victoria and then again on Thursday in Kelowna, is 11-1. Team QMHJL has the worst record of all three leagues and they’re still 9-5.

You might be thinking that that just proves how dominant Canada is and the Russians are no match for our best players. A closer look at the Russian rosters illustrates the problem with that.

There are roughly half a dozen players on this year’s Russian team that will even be considered for their WJC team. Of those players at least four of them play for various CHL teams. The best Russian kids are playing on various men’s teams back in Russia. They aren’t released for this series.

Last year the Russians had a record 12 players who played at least one game during the series play in the WJC. Four of those players were playing in the CHL at the time. It didn’t help, they still lost the six-game series 5-1.

This year’s top draft eligible Russian prospect, Kirill Kabanov is playing for Moncton in the QMJHL, which normally would mean he’d play in the two Quebec games. Unfortunately, Kabanov has been black balled from playing for his country after choosing to play in Canada rather than the motherland.

So, what does this all mean? Well I feel that the CHL and Hockey Canada need to find a way to make these games more competitive. A look south might do this series some good. Who wouldn’t want to watch a US-national team take on the best the CHL can throw at them. Again there would be issues, with college players. But it’s worth a shot. If nothing else it might force the Russians to come with a stronger team in the future.

For more on the Subway Super Series check out subwaysuperseries.com There’s highlight video for every game in the series. Plus it’s hosted by me.

Topics: canada, CHL, Della Rovere, Hockey Canada, Kirill Kabanov, QMHJL, Russia, Subway Super Series, WHL, World Juniors

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November 25, 2009 at 5:48 pm

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