Something is missing

This time of the year can only mean two things college bowl games and the World Junior Championships. Last year the World Junior Champions were fantastic with Team USA winning the gold medal on Canadian soil. While the event continues to be great, its lacking something.

When the NHL decided to go with a salary cap a bunch of years ago it had a huge impact on the World Junior Championships. Now when an under 20-year player can play at a NHL level, they are put on a NHL roster because they have a low entry level salary that works with the cap. In the past no matter the skill level, playing the WJC was part of a players development. Its like two different views of player development.

Just look at the rosters of the United States and Canada. In the past players like Tyler Seguin of Canada and Cam Fowler of the United States would be playing in tournament but now they are playing minor minutes in the NHL. While the quality of the players has dropped a bit, the passion and love of the tournament has not.