CanadaB次元官网网址檚 junior hockey team has a simple rule for the 2018 world championship: No more shootouts.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme and his defensive corps have made it their mantra at this yearB次元官网网址檚 selection camp after losing 5-4 in a shootout to the United States in the 2017 gold-medal game.

Returning defencemen Kale Clague, Jake Bean and Dante Fabbro, backed by incumbent goaltender Carter Hart, are determined to not let any games go that far.

B次元官网网址淕oing through what we did last year, losing in the final in the shootout, weB次元官网网址檙e not going to let those mistakes happen again,B次元官网网址� said Clague between practices at the Meridian Centre. B次元官网网址淥ur big thing this year is weB次元官网网址檙e not going to even let it get to the shootout.B次元官网网址�

Clague and Bean say that in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 locker room no one wants to take any chances with a shootout, where a hot goalie or a lucky bounce can determine a teamB次元官网网址檚 fate.

B次元官网网址�(The shootout loss) fuels you every day to be on the ice, to do everything with that much more intensity, that much more focus,B次元官网网址� said Bean. B次元官网网址淛ust try not to leave it down to questions, to that chance.B次元官网网址�

REDA: B.C.

The pair of young defencemen echoed Ducharme, who also took last yearB次元官网网址檚 loss as an opportunity to tighten up defensively.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not sitting here saying B次元官网网址楪od, we were one shot away in the shootout, canB次元官网网址檛 be any closer,B次元官网网址� which is true, but we donB次元官网网址檛 want to let it get back to that,B次元官网网址� said Ducharme. B次元官网网址淲e want to be better. WeB次元官网网址檙e challenging ourselves. As a coaching staff it starts with us but our players are doing the same.B次元官网网址�

There are 11 defencemen attending selection camp, vying for just seven spots on CanadaB次元官网网址檚 final 22-man roster. Clague, Bean and Fabbro are favourites to claim three of those spots having played in last yearB次元官网网址檚 tournament.

Victor Mete just missed the cut for last yearB次元官网网址檚 national team but earned his way into the NHL, playing 27 games for the Canadiens this season before Montreal loaned him to Hockey Canada on Monday for the world juniors. That professional experience is invaluable and also makes him a likely choice for the final roster.

Those four players will likely be the backbone of the teamB次元官网网址檚 defence, which Ducharme says will emphasize speed and taking away opponentsB次元官网网址� time and space to try to generate turnovers and feed CanadaB次元官网网址檚 offence.

B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檙e pretty deep everywhere but for sure weB次元官网网址檙e happy with the guys we have on the backend,B次元官网网址� said Ducharme. B次元官网网址淭he guys that are possibly coming back and Mete and all seven or eight other guys that are here are all deserving. TheyB次元官网网址檙e in the mix of making the team.B次元官网网址�

To Bean, the consistency that comes with seasoned players is the real value in having three returning defencemen.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 good to have that experience but this tournament really evolves,B次元官网网址� said Bean. B次元官网网址淕uys get hurt, some guys are not feeling it, some guys are, whatever happens. To have that understanding and have three guys back there that have been through it before I think it gives us a bit of an edge.B次元官网网址�

Fabbro sat out the first day of selection camp B次元官网网址� a morning practice and another in the early evening B次元官网网址� with an undisclosed injury that Ducharme said wouldnB次元官网网址檛 keep him out of the lineup long, joking that it was a B次元官网网址渂ody bruise.B次元官网网址�

Canada plays a collection of all-stars from Canadian universities on Wednesday and Thursday and then in an exhibition game against Denmark on Friday. All three games will be used by Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 staff to help evaluate its roster before final cuts are made after FridayB次元官网网址檚 game.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

B次元官网网址� #WorldJuniors (@HC_WJC)

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