Mason delivers for Team Canada...

2006 3rd round pick Steve Mason came up big today against the Americans in the semifinal World Junior Championships as the Canadians won 4-1 to advance to the final against Sweden.

Mason was also named player of the game!

Why is the important to Jacket fans? Well to begin with there is not better experience for a player this age to go through.....and for a Canadian player, the pressure does not getting any harder as all of Canada follows this tourney similar to the way Americans follow the NCAA basketball tourney.

On top of that though....there has been a tremendous controversy (or Mason-gate as I call it) amongst our friends up north concerning Mason getting the starting nod over former 1st round pick and LA Kings prospect Jonathan Bernier. Many think Bernier, who has played in a few NHL games and played in last year's WJCs should have been the shoe in starter this enire tournament and has been wronged by coach Craig Hartsburg.

That criticism was fueled even further by Mason's performance against Findland while even though Mason got the 4-2 he did let in a very weak goal on the games first goal. Still Hartsburg stuck with Mason today versus the Americans.

Furthermore....Mason learned today that his Junior team, as I reported earlier in his space, was traded from London to Kitchener of the OHL.

Talk about an interesting set of circumstances.

So how did Mason handle it...? He just went out and allowed only 1 goal off of 34 shots and was the game's MVP.

In other words Jacket fans....with all the pressure of this goalie situation on this kid's shoulders, playing on the biggest stage a kid of this age can play on, with the all the eyes of hockey's most passionate country focused on him and with just learning of his trade from his Junior team -- this kid delivered....and deliverd in a big way! We've got our selves a helluva a tender here and we should all be excited about that.

I was rooting for the Americans but a big part of me wanted this kid to show the hockey world what he was capable of...and that he did.

Congrats Steve Mason!

Up next. Canada vs. Sweden for the gold medal game on Saturday.

Also another quick note - the Jackets 2007 2nd round pick Stefan Legein picked up another assist on the Canadians 3rd goal.

-LTL