Dave Cameron ready to lead Canada into Ottawa world junior

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It’s understandable why Dave Cameron was chosen to be Team Canada’s head coach at the IIHF world junior championship in December — and it has nothing to do with the convenience of the tournament being held in his backyard.

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The 65-year-old bench boss of the 67’s brings an impressive resume as well as invaluable experience to the annual showcase of the planet’s best under-20 year old hockey players that, starting on Dec. 26, will be held at Ottawa’s TD Place and Canadian Tire Centre.

In a coaching career that has has spanned three decades — from just about every level of junior hockey to the AHL and NHL to a couple of years in Austria — Cameron has also walked behind the plank for Canada’s men’s team at the world championship in Moscow five years ago, as well as working with Canada’s Under-18 team.

This will be his fifth tour with the Under-20s and third as the squad’s head coach. Under his guidance, Canada won gold at the 2022 world junior and silver in 2011.

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Cameron also has a gold from his role as an assistant at the 2009 tournament, the previous time it was held in Ottawa.

That background will come in handy as Canada tries to bounce back from last year’s quarterfinals loss in Gothenburg, Sweden.

“It’s a high-end tournament and you’re always expected to win the tournament, so I guess there’s some pressure that comes with that,” Cameron said over the phone from his home in PEI when asked about the heat he’ll be under. “But my experience has taught that every year, there’s at least four to five teams that could win it and we’re going to be one of those four or five, we’re going to a competitive team. We have to use the fact that it’s in Canada and make sure we play your best, but like those other four or five teams, we’ve got to find a way to win.

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“It’s unique from the point of view is that it’s elimination games once you get into the quarterfinals and semifinals, and although there might only be four or five that could win the whole thing, there’s no easy games anymore. Certainly not when you are Team Canada and everybody’s gearing up in your own country and looking to knock you off.

“One of the advantages of the experience of going through it is that you’re much better prepared for the ups and downs of what’s going to happen in this tournament, the momentum switches and that, and dealing with the expectations of the tournament,” added Cameron, who has coached the 67’s for the past three seasons and in 2022-23 won the OHL’s Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award with a franchise-record 51 victories. “So there is expectations and pressure, but I feel quite comfortable with my experience with the team that we’ll find ways to navigate that, for sure.”

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Cameron didn’t hesitate with his response when Hockey Canada asked if he was interested in the job again.

“It’s an automatic yes,” he said. “The thing from a coaching point of view, in these events you get to work with elite athletes, especially in the U-20s, a best-on-best tournament. But you also get to work with some really good coaches too.

“As much as you’re there as the head coach, you’re working with hockey knowledgeable people, and so you yourself grow as a coach. Once you get into coaching for a period of time, it’s like any other job where you’re looking for ways to refresh stuff, you’re looking to keep on top of stuff, you’re looking for new drills, you’re looking for new systems, a tweak here, a tweak there. So as exciting as it is to be working with elite players, I find it really exciting to work with elite coaches and to be able to grow my own game, too.”

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On Cameron’s staff will be Orleans native Sylvain Favreau from the QMJHL championship-winning Drummondville Voltigeurs, Portland Winterhawks coach Mike Johnston and Saginaw Spirit head coach Chris Lazary.

Serving as goaltending consultant will be Justin Pogge, a former Toronto Maple Leafs third-round pick and a member of the 2006 Team Canada squad, while former WHL Peter Anholt returns to lead the team’s management group and three-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medallist Brent Seabrook also returns in a management role.

Cameron isn’t sure if a player like Mack Celebrini, the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft, will be available to return to Team Canada or if he’ll be spending the season with the San Jose Sharks.

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He does expect to have at least six or seven returnees from last year’s team and he will lean on them.

“They are going to be a big part of the leadership group, and a big part of the leadership will be helping you prepare the guys that make the team, and how there’s such a fine line between success and getting knocked of the tournament,” Cameron said. “We’ve got that right in the dressing room and those guys should be able to speak to it, and that should help us too.”

Attending the team’s summer camp will be 67’s captain Luca Pinelli, while his teammate, Henry Mews, will have a chance to be included at the camp in December.

“We’re going to do a summer camp at the end of July to the first of August, and we’re actually going to play Sweden and Finland and the US,” Cameron said. “So that will give me a real look into to my guys there, who I think the core guys will be, who the leaders will be. But it will be a continuing evaluation process because there will always be guys that aren’t at the summer camp that make your camp at Christmas.

“I mean, that’s just how quick they develop over five, six months. There’s a huge  difference for the kids that are in that 18-19 year age bracket.

“Now it’s just a matter of guys playing real good hockey from September up until December, and they’lll get invited to the December camp. Once we get to the December camp, you’re really in the mix because we’re probably only going to bring in 28-29 guys to that to that camp. So if you get to that camp, you’re going to be knocking on the door of making the team.”

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