For Team Canada, playing in Malmo’s older arena not a ‘bad message’

One need not pick up the Rosetta Stone course to know Isstadion means "ice stadium." To the Canadian mind, it might as well be Swedish for "Crushed Can."

The way it works at an IIHF world U20 championship is that the group containing the tournament host plays in the main rink and the other plays at a secondary venue. Group B, featuring Sweden, Finland and Russia, will be at the sparkling five-year-old Malmö Arena. Canada, Team USA and Group A action is at the older Malmö Isstadion, a 5,800-seat arena whose unique concave roof evokes memories of the Western Hockey League's Moose Jaw Warriors' old Civic Center home, universally known as the Crushed Can.

For a Team Canada humbled by being pushed off the podium during the 2013 world junior, it's not the worst thing.

"I think I actually tweeted that it was like Moose Jaw — it was surprising to me," Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's director of men's national teams, said before the Maple Leaf contingent jetted off for northern Europe. "They have done a lot of work on it but the roof sunk down so at the top of the one section you wouldn’t see the top of the other section. When you go to the other rink (Malmö Arena), I think it’s the best rink in Sweden, beautiful NHL style.

"When you look at this tournament in Canada it’s taken on such a bigger meaning, you play in big NHL rinks. Part of the beauty of it when it goes to Europe is that it’s different. It’s 5,000 seats and I think there will be 2,000 Canadians in there. I think it’s neat. It will be a great atmosphere.

"I don’t think it’s a bad message for our guys — you got to win if you want to get to the best rink and get the best dressing rooms and the best hotels."

Moose Jaw's old arena was closed in 2011 and demolished, but lives on in lore for players for the WHL. Team Canada's Josh Morrissey missed out on playing there with the Prince Albert Raiders, since his rookie season coincided with Moose Jaw's move to Mosaic Place. His older teammates had vivid memories of the Crushed Can.

"They said it was tough to play in," the 18-year-old Morrissey recalled. "Moose Jaw has really good fans, more passionate fans than a lot of teams have. Guys would sit in the stands and couldn't see the other side. Our older guys would talk about what a great atmosphere it was. Fans would sit right on top of you."

'Little challenges inside that tournament'

Nearly every player who goes with Team Canada has experience, typically through having played at the under-18 level, with adjusting to travelling in Europe. The cultural adjustment is just another piece of the puzzle. But goalie Zach Fucale, who will start Friday's pre-competition game vs. Finland (10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT, TSN/RDS), seconded the notion it could give Team Canada incentive.

"The fact that you’re playing in a smaller rink, you got to win your way to playing in a bigger rink," the Halifax Mooseheads star said. "There’s always little challenges inside that tournament. Really, all we want is boards, a couple nets and we’re going to be playing hockey."

Ultimately, though, it shouldn't take the creature comforts of an arena to get inspired to play. Centre Nic Petan's Portland Winterhawks team, for instance, is accustomed to moving between their city's Memorial Coliseum and the Moda Center, home of the NBA's Trail Blazers.

"I think it’s better that we start off in the older rink," the Winnipeg Jets second-rounder said. "It gives us a little more motivation. But for us, it doesn't matter, though.

It's all part of adjusting to life across the pond, where everything is much more compact than in spacious North America. That can go for hotel rooms and hockey rinks.

"In our exhibition game last year, we had four teams in one hallway," Salmond recalled warmly. "We have minor hockey rinks [in Canada] where you wouldn't have that."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.