Tonight is the start of the Canada-Russia Subway Super Series as the QMJHL All-Stars will face Team Russia. It’s not highly publicized because the Russians send their B squad at best. The six years of this event, Russia is 6-30. I understand why Russia doesn’t send their best because if they are not playing in the CHL, they are playing in the KHL. The KHL won’t release the players for a meaningless exhibition tournament.
I wouldn’t can the event but I would a new country. The guys at Coming Down the Pipeline say create a team of American and European players from the respective leagues. The caliber of play will be better then what the Russians are bringing.
I believe Hockey Canada wants their players to play another nation and be able to scout that nation while scouting their own players. Who would play Canada a month before the World Junior Championships? USA? NCAA teams won’t release their players. Finland and the Czech Republic? It could work.
The two teams I could see working are Sweden and Slovakia. Sweden showed earlier this month that they will bring their A squad to Canada. The Sweden junior team played a couple of Canada colleges and had no trouble with them. This Super Series was based on the rivalry with Russia at the World Juniors earlier this decade. Lately Sweden has been Canada’s rival at the World Juniors so it make sense.
Slovakia would probably be the same competition as the Russians bring but it would be their A squad. The CHL has plenty of Slovakians to add to Slovakia’s roster. The Slovakia’s Under 20 team plays in the Slovakia Extraliga, the top league in Slovakia. Adding players like Richard Panik and Tomas Tatar would strengthen the Slovakia’s roster for the Super Series if they played in it this year.
