While the Kamloops Blazers are off for the WHL’s Holiday break, the team’s Head Coach and General Manager is in Sweden as Team Canada prepares to defend its gold medal at the World Juniors.

Speaking to Radio NL, Shaun Clouston, who is an assistant coach on this year’s iteration of Team Canada, says it has taken a while for people to get used to the nine hour time difference between B.C. and Sweden.

“You seem to get tired at weird times of the day and then once its time to go to bed, its like ‘oh, wow, I’m not tired any more,'” Clouston said.

“Some players and some members of the staff woke up in the middle of the night and had challenges getting back to sleep earlier on during our time here in Malmo. That seems to have worn off, it seems like we are on the proper schedule.”

Clouston also says the Canadians have been familiarizing themselves with the larger European rinks that are 15 feet wider than rinks in North America. He says its why Canada held their selection camp in Oakville, Ontario on a a larger sheet of ice.

“I think right now, after games there and practices, and some specialty team scrimmaging and our first exhibition game against the Denmark U-25 team, I think the players feel real comfortable,” Clouston added.

“I imagine heading back the ice will feel quite small.”

Canada – which features two players with ties to Kamloops, Fraser Minten and Tanner Molendyk – will play two more pre-tournament games against Switzerland and the United States on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 21 and 22.

“Right now, Fraser is playing on a line with [Macklin] Celebrini and [Jordan] Dumais. That line was outstanding last night [in an 8-0 win over Denmark],” Clouston said. “That was probably our best line offensively.”

“Molendyk being a year younger may not factor quite as high up in the lineup but only time will tell. He can fly. He’s probably our top skating, our most mobile defenceman, so as the tournament goes on, he has the ability to really factor in to the way we want to play as well, a real fast transition game.”

Canada will begin its title defence against Finland on Boxing Day, with games against Latvia, Sweden, and Germany in the opening round of the tournament.

And a reminder that Radio NL will carry all of Team Canada’s World Junior games this year.