Canada's annual holiday tradition has been less magical as of late as the Canadian World Junior team hasn't won a Gold Medal in Canada's (Or maybe just TSN's) favorite sporting event.
The Canadians have not won the World Junior Gold since 2009 in Ottawa and have now missed the Gold Medal Game entirely for two straight tournaments missing the final in the last WJC on North American soil in Calgary/Edmonton and then losing rather convincingly in 2013 in Ufa, Russia in what was a wake up call for the Junior program heading into a span this winter where the Canadian hockey program will once again be put through the ultimate paces in an Olympic year.
One that will be taking place in Europe, in enemy territory and on European ice surfaces.
The Canadian Juniors have obviously had success on foreign ice during their 15 World Junior gold medal tournaments, winning in 2007 and 2008 during their run of five straight World Junior titles, but in recent years it has appeared the likes of the United States, Russia and Sweden have caught up to the Canadians at the Junior level thanks to more of a focus on youth player development and the popularity of the World Juniors growing in Europe and to a lesser extent in the United States where the National Team has a developmental program to keep players on the same team in addition to having NCAA and Canadian Hockey League talent on their rosters.
This change was evident in 2013 when the Canadians were absolutely dominated by an United States team that had not only equal, if not better, talent but the desire to win in a convincing knockout stage win over the Canadians.
In a lockout year it was a wake up call at the worst possible time that if the Canadians are going to end their World Junior drought they are going to not only have to adjust their game to the European ice surface, but also compete with countries that are enjoying a boost in their programs as of late.
No longer is the tournament one with Russia and Canada being the automatic #1 and #2 favorites based on who has the best future NHL talent at the moment.
Now Sweden and the United States have been around long enough to be considered world powers in international tournaments, with Sweden naturally boasting the best team with the most returning players of the tournament contenders this winter.
Russia will also be motivated with the country hosting the Olympics making this year's World Junior pool one of the deepest ever.
With elite talent in Jonathon Drouin and the potential for 16 year old sensation Connor McDavid to be on this team and 11 potential returnees for next year's tournament in Toronto/Montreal Canada will be gold medallists soon enough, but this year will be the year where Canadian hockey is put to the test as they have to play the game on the bigger ice surface that plays into the hands of the rest of the world and eliminates the effectiveness of the dump and chase hockey that is the norm in our country.
This is no secret and there is a reason why Canada has yet to win a Gold in the Olympics on non-American soil since NHL players have competed. On the bigger ice, the playing field appears to be not just levelled, but in the favour of the often equally or more skilled European countries.
Which is what makes this winter so interesting. Can Canada prove what they have again and again, that Canada is still the best at the sport their country put on the map?
Canada will still be considered the pre-tournament favorite as always in a tournament that is essentially ran by TSN and Canada's love for the event, but anyone who has been paying attention for nearly half a decade now can tell you that this is now a tournament that anybody can win any given year.
On international ice it is anybody's tournament, but Canada will be hoping to show their brand of hockey reigns supreme.
