The Sheet Blog: Hutson family did something special for kids in Montreal over holidays

Major stick taps to the Hutson family.

We all know about the kids’ exploits on the ice (congrats to Cole for winning gold at the WJC), but their generosity off it demands admiration as well.

Very quietly over the holidays, brothers Lane, Quinn and Lars (Cole was with the USA juniors) along with parents Julie and Rob, spent Christmas Eve at Ronald McDonald House in Montreal hosting a private meet & greet for everybody there, bringing ‘Hutson’s Heroes’ shirts for the kids along with Hush weighted blankets and Bauer mini sticks for the kids and families.

This is a family who clearly adores Montreal and wants to contribute to the community while keeping kids’ spirits high. And it sounds like the family wants to stay involved with Ronald McDonald House.

These are good people.

Time for Canada to adapt

“Skill can grit, but grit can’t skill.”

A great point made by former IIHF Head of Communications Szymon Szemberg on a Twitter/X thread Friday afternoon, a day after Team Canada was eliminated from the World Junior Championship by Czechia in the quarterfinal for the second time in as many years.

🧵Thread on Team Canada’s failure at the WJC:

— Szymon Szemberg (@Sz1909_Szemberg) January 3, 2025

After the Men’s Olympic flop in 2006, Hockey Canada completely revamped how they selected players for their national teams, and the motto was simple: Skill adapts. Just pick the best players and don’t fuss over their ability to play any role you ask of them because…skill adapts. Szemberg pointed to the 2010 Olympics where players like Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews and Rick Nash played complementary roles at the bottom of the lineup.

Szemberg followed his grit/skill line with another great point about how you put teams together for short tournaments – “You don’t even go with a top-9, bottom -3. You go with top-12, bottom – 0. In particular if you have Canada’s depth.”

Tough to argue these points.

So, Hockey Canada, what’s next?

There were two Hockey Canada press conferences over the weekend and the tone in each could not have been more different. Friday, head coach Dave Cameron said he had no regrets about how he handled his team. General manager Peter Anholt said he wouldn’t change the lineup. When head scout Al Murray was asked if he would make the same decisions now that he knows what happened, he defended the process of how the team was picked.

However, Hockey Canada’s VP of Hockey Operations Scott Salmond accepted blame Friday and continued all weekend to echo the point that blame should rest with him. He made decisions and had to accept responsibility for them, also adding that everything favored Team Canada at this tournament and the team had no excuse for the results. Salmond thanked the players and added there will be changes and that his group will be and should be criticized for how this team was constructed.

While Hockey Canada CEO Katherine Henderson expressed disappointment at Canada’s results, she was quick to point out the big picture of Canada’s successes at the U17, U18 and Hlinka/Gretzky along with the country’s top status with the women’s game and para hockey. Some may not have liked it, but I thought that was important to highlight. Even though this tournament went sideways for Canada, overall Canadian programs are still running at an elite level, and one tournament is not an audit of the success or failure of the entire program. Mind you, a good chunk of Hockey Canada’s finances are predicated on success at the World Juniors, so it’s not something HC can afford to overlook.

Henderson also gave Salmond a show of support, essentially saying he’ll be part of a solution here.

Safe to say there will be a new coach and manager for the tournament next year in Minnesota, and we all expect player selection will have an accent on skill and, wherever possible, established chemistry. I like Steven Ellis’ idea of Gardiner MacDougall, currently behind the bench with the Moncton Wildcats, but there are others across the country as well. As for who manages the team, it must skew younger, if not by age, then by perspective, attitude and approach. There’s no point bringing aboard someone who’s had the cement harden around their ideas years ago.

And maybe look at bringing aboard people who haven’t been with Hockey Canada previously but can bring fresh perspective along with new thinking.

Augusta got mastered with ultimate prank

Was great seeing former NHLer (four games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals) Patrik Augusta behind the bench for Czechia. His father Josef was also an accomplished player and coach, winning a silver medal in the 1976 Olympic Games and then coaching the Czech Republic to gold medals at the World Championship in 2000 & 2001.

Patrik was involved in one of my favourite on-ice pranks ever in the American Hockey league. Playing for the St. John’s Maple Leafs, Augusta always wore a huge visor that almost covered his entire face. During a came in Cape Breton, Augusta was lined up for the faceoff when tough guy Marc Laforge jumped over the boards to line up next to the Czech forward – but not before he grabbed a glove full of Vaseline from the trainer. As the puck dropped, Laforge wiped the Vaseline all over Augusta’s visor, and he immediately raced all the way back to the bench, screaming in broken English, “I can’t see, I can’t see!” It took trainer Nick Addey-Jibb 10 minutes to wipe it all off and get Augusta back in the game.

As we always say – if only there was social media back then…

Who else failed Hockey 101?

Hearing Calgary Flames forward Andrei Kuzmenko admit he didn’t know the rule about not being able to play with a broken stick, I ask legitimately – how many players know all the rules of the game? I mean more than just the basics that everybody understands.

CHL trade winds picking up speed

A couple of quick CHL player notes as trade deadlines approach.

Much talk about first round Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm. While many feel he ultimately ends up with the London Knights, I’m not so sure Guelph will move him feeling he might be back in the OHL next season.

Still no word on the future of Saskatoon defenseman Tanner Molendyk (Nashville Predators). The price is high, no doubt, and the feeling is someone will eventually meet it.

As I mentioned on Twitter/X, the Erik Mateiko (Washington Capitals) deal from Saint John to Rimouski in exchange for four draft picks will be finalized at the QMJHL Draft, where Rimouski will send two first-round picks to Saint John in exchange for the cluster of picks announced on Monday (3,4,4,5). That is a massive haul for the Sea Dogs, but Rimouski is getting an excellent player and they have a legitimate shot at the Memorial Cup.

Soo Greyhounds defender Andrew Gibson (Detroit Red Wings) will be on the move. Sounds like the Oshawa Generals are in the lead here for his services.

I could see Ottawa 67’s forward Luca Pinelli (Columbus Blue Jackets) ending up with Brantford. The Bulldogs have a number of second-round round picks and would like to do a few things for their playoff push.

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