Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada senior vice-president, high performance and hockey operations speaks to the media in Gothenburg, Sweden, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

MONTREAL - Scott Salmond took some time to reflect.

The Hockey Canada executive watched the men's under-20 team disappoint with consecutive fifth-place finishes at the world junior hockey championship.

Failing to play for a medal at this year's tournament in Ottawa was especially embarrassing for a country that has topped the age group a record 20 times.

Fans were fuming. Headlines screamed for heads to roll. The knives were out on social media. The national sport organization knew it had to pivot and begin to look at different ways of doing things.

"You always take things to heart," Salmond said. "When you're not successful, it's difficult. When you read some things, it's difficult. You do have some introspection. I've worn my heart on my sleeve for 23 years with Hockey Canada and I care about it a lot.

"We've got to make sure we have the right people."

Hockey Canada is set to fill a pair of new roles in the coming months — a vice-president of hockey operations and a general manager.

Both will report to Salmond, the program's senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.

"Hockey acumen, business acumen and some analytics perspective," Salmond said of the resume for the VP of hockey ops. "Someone who understands process."

Hockey Canada has used GMs from the Canadian Hockey League for U17, U18 and U20 setups in the past, but will now have one full-time person responsible for evaluating talent.

"This program, you see how much it means to Canadians, it's too important to do it off the side of your desk," Salmond said of the GM. "Someone who's focused on it. It's their day-to-day. They're committed to it. Not only players, but finding the right staff, the right coaches, the right mix.

"It's going to be a game-changer."

Salmond and Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Katharine Henderson sat down with The Canadian Press for an interview at a downtown Montreal hotel Thursday after taking in the opener of the Four Nations Face-Off tournament.

"I've really appreciated a lot of the honesty and openness that Scott's had about things that we could be doing better," said Henderson, on the job since September 2023. "I see a person sitting next to me that's very, very invested in making sure that Canadians are proud of the teams that we put forward and that we've done everything."

Hockey Canada is also promoting two people from within the organization. James Emery is now director of performance analysis, while Chelsea Geldenhuys is the new senior manager of hockey operations.

Salmond said Hockey Canada is also looking at how it picks its world junior team after a number of highly skilled players weren't even invited to selection camp ahead of the tournament.

"I don't think we've ever got complacent," he said. "Some of our priorities might have shifted over the last couple of years, and I think for the right reasons in some senses, but that maybe caught up to us a little bit. When you don't win, you certainly are very inspired to make sure you get back there."

Salmond added that there could be camps or exhibition games earlier in the fall instead picking the final group a few weeks before the puck drops.

"We left some players at home this year that maybe could have got a look," he said. "Instead of having a selection mindset, you have a preparation mindset. It shifts everything. You're on the team, you show up, let's get to work. There's something to be said for that."

Hockey Canada is also examining the centralized U.S. National Development Team Program that brings the best American players together under one roof instead of having players spread out across the CHL.

"If I'm doing my job, I should be pushing the envelope and coming to (Henderson) with ideas and having good discussion," he said. "We've enjoyed a great partnership with the Canadian Hockey League for a long time. We'd want to have discussions with them, but our mandate is pretty clear.

"We want to make sure that we're providing those opportunities for Canadians."

Salmond said the world junior losses were "absolutely devastating" on a personal level. He's confident the steps being taken are the right ones.

"It affects you personally, it affects your family," Salmond said. "Did we miss something? It's personal. But that's also inspiring. It makes you dig in and say, 'OK, how do we make sure it doesn't happen again?' To happen twice in a row is unheard of.

"We're making some significant change with personnel, but also with the process. I think it's going to pay some dividends."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025