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MONTREAL -- Benoit Groulx says it will take more than flashy statistics to ensure a spot on Canadas junior hockey team. The Gatineau Olympiques head coach will lead Canada in its quest to end its gold medal drought at the 2015 world junior hockey championship held in Montreal and Toronto at the end of this year. As Groulx begins naming players to his roster over the next two weeks, he wants to look beyond goals and assists when sending out invitations to training camp. He and the rest of the coaching staff are looking to reinvent the selection process that has proved unsuccessful in the last tournaments. "Recent history has shown us that being a hundred-point guy on a first line is no longer enough at the Juniors," Groulx said from Montreal on Thursday, after Hockey Canada introduced him as the teams head coach. "Our players have to raise their game. These are players who will one day be in the National Hockey League. They have the talent, but can they elevate their play? "Thats the message were sending. The level weve competed at these last few years simply wasnt enough." Canada is suffering through a five-year gold medal drought at the tournament after winning five consecutive years between 2005 and 2009. The teams last medal, a bronze, came in 2012. Groulx was an assistant coach at the 2014 junior championship in Malmo, Sweden, where Canada finished fourth after losing to Russia in the bronze-medal game. The 46-year-old says only elite players can challenge for the top of the podium. "We need guys who are self-driven, who are relentless, guys who want to make the difference," said the Hull, Que., native. "We need hundred-point players who are ready to make changes, ready to play out of their comfort zones. To win that championship, you need world-class players." Canada has 11 players eligible to return from last years squad, including goalie Zachary Fucale and forwards Jonathan Drouin, Curtis Lazar and NHL prospect Sam Reinhart. The teams one-week development camp begins Aug. 9 in Montreal. The Canadians will also host an exhibition tournament involving the Russian and Czech national junior teams which will be held in Montreal and Sherbrooke, Que. The goal is to keep competitiveness high as the world junior championship approaches. "Those are two great countries, two teams that we lost to last year," said Hockey Canadas Scott Salmond. "Any time you can bring those teams back in a competitive environment, and send a message to them, its great. Its not a summer camp, its a competition, and we want to play there to win." After the exhibition games, Canada opens the 11-day tournament on Dec. 26 with a group game against Slovakia in Montreal. Canada will play its four round-robin matches at Montreals Bell Centre. The Canadians are in Group A with the United States, Finland, Slovakia and Germany. Toronto will welcome teams from Group B, which includes Russia, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Switzerland. The gold-medal game will take place at the Air Canada Centre on Jan. 5. Groulx wouldnt guarantee Canada would make it to the ACC for that final, but he is relishing the opportunity to play in front of the home crowd. Incidentally, Groulx would have coached a national junior team on home soil in 2009 had he not resigned. After initially accepting Hockey Canadas invitation, he later took a head coach position with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. Groulx says theres no changing course this time around. "Montreal and Toronto are two of the most passionate sports cities in Canada, and even in North America," he said. "Its a huge challenge that I look forward to. Pressure will be good for us. Whens theres pressure like that, people are very aware of it. Playing in Montreal and Toronto forces us to prepare adequately. "People in Canada expect us to win. For us, thats the ultimate. But our focus is on the process more than anything else." Notes: With 15 gold medals, Canada is the most successful country in the competitions 38-year history. a Dave Lowry (Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League) and Scott Walker (Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League) will be Groulxs assistant coaches. a Finland won last years tournament, beating Sweden in the final game. a Groulx took the Gatineau Olympiques to three Memorial Cup appearances, in 2003, 2004 and 2008. ... Hockey Canada also named the coaching staff for Canadas under-18 team. Head coach Derek Laxdal will be joined by assistants Jody Hull and Eric Veilleux. NHL Jerseys China . The outdoor event will be played on Dec. 31 between alumni of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. NHL Jerseys . -- Arizona coach Sean Miller rose from his seat every time Roberto Nelson touched the ball and yelled "Shooter!" He could have been talking about his own team, too. https://www.cheapnhljerseysjustwholesale.com/.C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Authentic NHL Jerseys . -- The Atlanta Braves are facing the possibility of losing another pitcher for the season after general manager Frank Wren said Saturday that Cory Gearrin has a serious injury to his right elbow. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . -- The defending Canadian womens curling champions squandered an opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the standings Tuesday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.New Orleans, LA - The second game of the inaugural College Football Playoff pits the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes against the top- ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2015 Sugar Bowl on New Years night. The winner will advance to the National Championship Game in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12 to face either Florida State or Oregon. You can watch the game live on TSN starting at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and TSN5. Both teams come in sporting identical 12-1 records, with Ohio State the Big Ten Conference champion, and Alabama winning the SEC. Ohio State easily disposed of Wisconsin in the Big Ten title tilt, 59-0, running its current winning streak to 11 in a row. The only blemish on an otherwise spotless record for coach Urban Meyers club was a perplexing 35-21 home loss to Virginia Tech back on Sept. 6. The Buckeyes are appearing in their 45th bowl game, and they have a record of 20-24 in previous postseason ventures. OSU is hoping to stop a two-game slide in bowl games, with its most recent being a 40-35 defeat suffered at the hands of the Clemson Tigers in the 2014 Orange Bowl. Ohio State has played in the Sugar Bowl four times previously, the last time being in 2011 when it beat Arkansas in a 31-26 final. Its great to be here and its great to be representing the Big Ten Conference, the Ohio State University and a football team that is excited to be here. Meyer said. Its been made very clear that this is history ... the College Football Playoff. And what a great place to have the game - New Orleans, and the Sugar Bowl - and we are honored to be here. Alabama is arguably the most successful team in the FBS over the last several years, the program winning three BCS national titles (2009, 2011, 2012). The Crimson Tide suffered a 23-17 at Ole Miss back on Oct. 4, but have reeled off eight straight wins since, with a 42-13 dismantling of Missouri in the SEC Championship Game being the latest. Alabama is 35-23-3 all-time in bowl games, and this is the second straight Sugar Bowl appearance for the Tide. Nick Sabans squad lost to Oklahoma last year, 45-31, dropping its record in the Sugar Bowl over the years to 8-6. These two storied programs have met just three times previously, with Alabama winning each bout. The last meeting took place in the 1995 Florida Citrus Bowl, with the Tide slipping by in a 24-17 final. Meyer is 36-3 in his three seasons at Ohio State and he is 140-26 in his 13th season as a head coach. Saban is 86-16 in eight seasons at Alabama, and he is 177-58-1 overall in 19 seasons as a head coach. This is the fourth meeting between their respective teams, with Sabans Crimson Tide topping Meyers Florida Gators twice. The coaches split a pair of meetings against each other in the SEC Championship Game (2008-09). Down to their third-string quarterback, the Buckeyes put a serious hurting on what was thought to be a very good Wisconsin team in the Big Ten title tilt, proving just what kind of master recruiter and coach Meyer truly is. The season began under a dark cloud as Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller was lost for the year in training camp. Freshman J.T. Barrett was entrusted with running the offense, and he didnt disappoint in completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards, 34 TDs and 10 INTs, while adding 938 yards and 11 scores on the ground. Unfortunately, he too got hurt, suffering a fractured ankle in OSUs late win over bitter rival Michigan. That left sophomore Cardale Jones to assume the mantle, and he was superb in his first career start against the Badgers, going 12-of-17 for 257 yards, three TDs and no picks in being named the games MVP. For the Buckeyes to knock off Alabama, Jones will need to be an efficient game manager once again, and rely on his teammates to assume some of thhe pressure.dddddddddddd In that regard, expect to see a heavy dose of RB Ezekiel Elliott, who rumbled his way to 1,402 yards and 12 TDs this season. The teams receiving corps features the talents of guys like Michael Thomas (43 rec., 680 yards, eight TDs), Devin Smith (30 rec., 799 yards, 11 TDs) and Jalin Marshall (28 rec., 392 yards, six TDs), with Smith being one of the top big-play performers in the country as evidenced by his 26.6 yards per reception average. Ohio State moved the chains on 52 percent of its third-down conversion attempts and averaged 45.2 ppg to rank first in the conference and fifth in the nation, while the teams defensive effort yielded only 21.2 ppg to rank fourth in the Big Ten and 21st nationally. The defense limited Wisconsins Melvin Gordon, the nations leading rusher, to just 76 yards -- his second-worst game of the season. Ohio State handed the Badgers their first shutout loss since August of 1997, and their worst setback since a 59-0 rout, also to the Buckeyes, back in 1979. Joshua Perry proved to be one of the more active defensive players in the Big Ten this season, finishing seventh in the league with 113 tackles. Joey Bosa was named the conferences Defensive Player of the Year after logging 13.5 sacks and 20 TFL. Vonn Bell, who finished second on the team with 78 tackles, and Doran Grant were credited with five INTs each, the Buckeyes coming up with 21 picks and a Big Ten-best 40 sacks. Alabama enjoyed plenty of success on both sides of the ball as well this season, the team putting up 37.1 ppg while permitting only 16.6 ppg. The latter figure ranking the team second in the SEC and fourth in the nation. The UA offense is led by senior QB Blake Sims, and he put forth a stellar campaign in hitting the mark on 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,250 yards 26 TDs and only seven INTs. Sims has the good fortune of throwing to star WR Amari Cooper, who hauled in 115 balls for 1,656 yards and 14 TDs in winning the 2014 Biletnikoff Award. Both his reception and yardage totals ranked second in the FBS this season. The Crimson Tide also have a potent rushing attack, as the highly-productive duo of T.J. Yeldon (184 carries, 932 yards, 10 TDs) and Derrick Henry (159 carries, 895 yards, 10 TDs) keep opposing defenses honest. The offensive line allowed only 13 sacks all season, and helped the team convert 54 percent of its third-down attempts. We could not be more excited to be going to New Orleans to play in the first College Football Playoff, said Sims. We have made a couple of trips to the Sugar Bowl and it has always been a great experience. That being said, we are going there to win a football game and that has to be our mindset. I know we are looking forward to the challenge. The Bama defense takes great pride in stopping opposing ball carriers at the point of attack, the unit ranking first in the FBS with only 88.7 ypg and a paltry three TDs allowed on the ground. The Tide give up 223.8 ypg and have allowed 17 TDs through the air, but thats mainly due to foes needing to throw the ball in an attempt to get back into contention. Landon Collins has recorded a club-best 91 tackles, and he has three of the teams 10 INTs. Reggie Ragland is next with 88 stops, and he has been credited with three fumble recoveries and the second-most TFL of any player on the roster with 8.5. Xavier Dickson leads in that department with 10.5, which includes his team-high eight sacks. In terms of a coaching matchup, it doesnt get any better than Meyer vs. Saban. It will be interesting to see if Jones is able to keep his composure in the face of the unprecedented pressure the Crimson Tide are going to bring. Conversely, expect the Buckeyes to stand their ground as best they can when their backs are to goal line. ' ' '