to running the ship, and now all of a sudden I think Im the captain. Ive been realizing its sometim

TORONTO -- Captain Tyler Ardron will lead a strong Canadian squad for Junes rugby internationals against Japan, Scotland and the U.S. In addition to the back-row forward from Lakefield, Ont., coach Kieran Crowleys 26-man squad includes overseas pros Hubert Buydens, Aaron Carpenter, Jamie Cudmore, Jeff Hassler, Tyler Hotson, Jason Marshall, Taylor Paris, James Pritchard, Jebb Sinclair and DTH Van der Merwe. "Its probably the first time for a while weve had most of the players available for selection." Crowley said in an interview Sunday. Canada, ranked 15th in the world, is training in Burnaby, B.C., in advance of Saturdays Pacific Nations Cup match against Japan, which is expected to move to No. 12 in the next rankings, at Swangard Stadium. The Canadian men take on No. 10 Scotland at Torontos BMO Field on June 14 before facing the 18th-ranked U.S. Eagles on May 21 in Pacific Nations play in Sacramento. Canada is missing props Doug Wooldridge and Tom Dolezel and backs Nathan Hirayama and Matt Evans, who are coming back from injury. Japan is on a high, having just qualified for the 2015 World Cup and fresh from a 33-14 win over No. 8 Samoa. The Brave Blossoms have won seven straight, including a 42-17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield last November. "Theyre knocking on the door of the top 10 in the world," said Crowley. "Theyve poured a lot of money into their game. Theyre obviously wanting to get it to the highest possible position before they host the World Cup in 2019." The roster announcement followed Saturdays trials match that saw a B.C. invitational team edge the Canada Select 27-26 in West Vancouver. "Certainly a very competitive game which showed that we are actually a little bit of depth there," said Crowley. That depth is shown by the fact that winger Phil MacKenzie of Englands Sale Sharks was not selected for the test roster. Crowley and the Canada selectors opted for Taylor Paris, Jeff Hassler and Van der Merwe. "Theres three specialist wingers there, so its a case of the quality of players in that area are very very strong. For this particular selection, we left Phil out. But there was a fair bit of debate around that area, as there was around a couple of other areas as well, particularly the midfield." Hassler, who scored seven tries in his first season with Wales Ospreys, was named to the RaboDirect Pro 12 team of the season. The Pro 12 league features teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Gordon McRorie, a Scottish scrum half who has qualified to play for Canada, makes the 26-man squad and will join veteran Phil Mack at No. 9. His play in the trials match helped him leapfrog Sean White. Crowley has questions in the back row due to an abundance of talent, even with Carpenter shifting from No. 8 to hooker. "Our challenge will be to get the balance right," said Crowley. Ardron, named captain Sunday for the June internationals, will lead the back row. John Moonlight, Nanyak Dala and Adam Kleeberger are coming off Canadas fine sevens season. And veteran Jebb Sinclair can play either in the back row or second row, if needed. Ardron captained the side several times in 2013. Canada Tyler Ardron (capt.), Ospreys (Wales), Lakefield, Ont.; Ray Barkwill, Niagara Wasps, Niagara Falls, Ont.; Nick Blevins, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Connor Braid, James Bay AA, Victoria; Hubert Buydens, Manawatu Turbos (New Zealand), Saskatoon; Aaron Carpenter, Cornish Pirates (England), Brantford, Ont.; Jamie Cudmore, ASM Clermont Auvergne (France), Squamish, B.C.; Nanyak Dala, Castaway Wanderers, Saskatoon; Jeff Hassler, Ospreys (Wales), Okotoks, Alta.; Caran Hearn, Castaway Wanderers, Conception Bay South, N.L.; Tyler Hotson, London Scottish (England), Vancouver; Jake Ilnicki, Castaway Wanderers, Williams Lake, B.C.; Harry Jones, UBCOB Ravens, Vancouver; Adam Kleeberger, Castaway Wanderers, White Rock, B.C.; Phil Mack, James Bay AA, Victoria; Jason Marshall, Atlantique Stade Rochelais (France), Vancouver; Gordon McRorie, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; John Moonlight, James Bay AA, Pickering, Ont.; Patrick Parfrey, Swilers RFC, St. Johns, N.L.; Taylor Paris, SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne (France), Barrie, Ont.; Jon Phelan, Castaway Wanderers, Montreal; James Pritchard, Bedford Blues (England) Parkes, Australia; Jebb Sinclair, London Irish (England), Fredericton; Andrew Tiedemann, Castaway Wanderers, St. Albert, Alta.; Liam Underwood, Ontario Blues, Toronto; DTH Van der Merwe, Glasgow Warriors (Scotland), Regina. 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After deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league would consider pulling out of Sochi if something "significant" happens before players arrive, those set to participate are trying not to worry about that scenario.DW: What is your favourite hockey jersey today, as far as design goes?KB: I like the Blackhawks. I just like the logo, and the colours, red, black and white. Its old school, with a little bit of edge. DW: Did you have a hockey hero growing up?KB: I always based it on road hockey, and everybody always plays as their favourite player in road hockey. I was always the goalie, but it was always the player that was winning that night or the night before so it would always change. It was always a goaltender, so I never really had an idol or somebody I loved growing up.DW: If you could place yourself on one NHL team right now, which team would you choose and why?KB: I would pick the Detroit Red Wings because I think over the last three or four years they have lead the league in players lost due to injury. Teams always take advantage of them physically going in there because they know [Henrik] Zetterberg and [Pavel] Datsyuk arent really going to do much back. And guys like Drew Miller arent really going to answer the bell down there. I think I would be most needed and wanted, and also adored there because in southern Ontario, I remember back in the day, they would start talking Monday about a Toronto-Detroit matchup on Saturday. There would be a whole week of hype and build up. Joe Kocur, Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Todd Gill, Steve Yzerman… whos fighting who? I think that fan base is starving for a player of that calibre. #187291676 / gettyimages.com DW: Hockey players can be known for locker room fun and games, what is the best prank youve ever witnessed?KB: A lot of them are R-rated, so they cant be told. Things have changed a lot over the years. A lot of these young kids will phone their agent, and the agent will phone the GM and then we get a bullying lawsuit. Its pretty funny you can get a bullying lawsuit and everybodys making a league minimum of $575K. But theres always the typical cut the tie on the plane when the rookies are sleeping, sew the pockets of their pants shut, cut the legs off dress pants… yknow, the old typical where they have to walk out with a short suit.DW: What is the most memorable game youve ever played in?KB: Probably my first. At the time I was in Iowa and got called up… I think it was against Calgary at home. I didnt know it but my parents were flown in for the game – Dallas did that. I remember walking to the rink, walking under the tunnel and before I got to the dressing room I saw them and had a couple tears. For my parents thats a big thing, for any Canadian kid playing hockey. In minor hockey we had a million miles on the old green hornet minivan, with multiple accidents and rearview mirrors hanging there and still getting to a hockey game in time and worrying about insurance later. All the sacrifices they made, so I think the first game in the National Hockey League was probably my most memorable.DW: If you could steal the talent from one current NHL players, who would you choose?KB: I think Steven Stamkos. I think the age hes at and the skating and shooting ability. Through his actions he always follows up on what he says hes going to do. Both on and off the ice Id say Steven Stamkos. I wouldnt take his toughness attributes; Id combine his talents with mine.DW: I hear your workout program involves fight training – what does a typical week of training look like for you?KB: Its evolved. For a number of years I trained at Adrenaline Training and Fitness in London, Onatrio run by Mark Hominick. Also started back in the day at a gym called Hard Knocks run by Shawn Tompkins. Tompkins unfortunately passed away a number of years ago, but he was kind of one of the big startups in Ontario for mixed martial arts. He brought up Hominick, Sam Stout, Chris Horodecki - that group of guys came from London, Ontario and were all very successful and opened a gym called Adrenaline. Theyve had the likes of Chad Laprise graduate from there and he won Canada versus Australia in this years UFC show. So I trained there three times a week, but now that Ive got three boys Ill go ten rounds hitting the bag with rollerblades in the garage. The garage thing is a little bit easier as you get older because when I went to Adrenaline I would come home with more punishment during the summer than I would get during the winter. Even though youd spar with these guys, as much as you say it doesnt get serious, testosterone takes over. You go in there, you get in the cage and youre two animals. Once you get caught with one, everything else goes out the window and you start inflicting punishment on each other.ddddddddddddDW: Who are some of the best fight opponents youve faced in your NHL career?KB: In terms of pure toughness, Id say Brian McGrattan could take the most punishment. Back in the day Josh Gratton, if you look at some of his tapes – pull up [Darcy] Hordichuk versus Gratton and that will explain who he was in terms of his fighting ability. Hardest puncher is Colton Orr; hes got a huge right. Everybody in the league knows it so you make sure you tie that up and make him use his left. Its the guys who have been in the league for a long time who are kind of 60" or 61" who will still fight the 65" guys. You know youre in for it because you know theyve taken punishment, whereas a lot of the bigger guys for the majority of their lives never get hit. You can hit a fighter whose 61" three or four times and you know its still coming back at you. DW: Is there a player you always wanted to fight but never got the opportunity to?KB: No, I think everybody I pretty much fought. Someone I loved to fight was [Paul] Bissonnette. I enjoyed fighting him for obvious reasons. Nobody I ever wanted to fight that I never got the chance to… actually no, maybe Matthew Barnaby I would have loved to fight. I kind of took his job because he had concussion problems in Dallas and he had a fantastic insurance policy there so he decided to take that. But I would have liked to fight him. #73363571 / gettyimages.com DW: Youve never been afraid to speak your mind – what is your current thinking on the place of fighting in the game? And do you see a time ahead when players say "no" to it all together?KB: I think fighting will be done by the next CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). I think there will be another lockout for sure; because I think its just business and thats the way it goes. I think during that time period theyll adjust things. Unfortunately the leagues run by lawyers, I think every sports league is run by lawyers, and theres a lot of pressure being put on the league by the lawsuits that occurred in the NFL. If they can show some examples of them moving away from that it will maybe lessen the damage done in the near future. I also think the league is trying to sell itself to an audience in the United States, not so much the 40 plus million people in Canada. Sometimes they dont value the views of the generational Canadian fan. Youre already starting to see it, just look at Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf the other night, who if you polled 100 people I think 99.9% of them would say they would like to see that fight. That 0.1 percent of a human being might say no.KB: It came out this morning that linesman have been told by league officials that if you can safely stop a fight before it happens make that judgment yourself. I think youre already starting to see it – for both the good and the bad. The game will evolve, and I guess it is what it is.DW: When you career is all said and done… what do you plan to do?KB: I just take it day by day, Ive been fortunate to play for nine years now so I can take a little bit of time to figure out what I want to do. I want to spend a little more time with the kids and a little more time with my wife… although Im not sure shes too happy about that. Shes used to running the ship, and now all of a sudden I think Im the captain. Ive been realizing its sometimes better for me to just keep my mouth shut. Ive never really done that in my job, so Ive had to bite my tongue quite a bit. First I need to learn where I stand on the totem pole at home, and then well go from there. Ive always had a work ethic, I have a brain and Im not ugly, ugly yet, so if I can convert that into something, whatever I find Ill work my ass off at and try to be the best I can be at what I do.DW: And finally, we like to ask everyone this – can you go BarDown?KB: Ya, I can go BarDown. Practice, I am the sickest practice player youve ever seen. You can poll guys out there that I played with. And I think thats whats gotten me an extra two or three years in the National Hockey League, because coaches have been like, "Oh jeez, this kid is unbelievable" and even guys are like "Youre sick, Barchy." You ask David Clarkson who the best skilled tough guy hes played with… I should have a resume of guys who said that because I mightve got a couple more years out of the game. But ya, I can go BarDown. ' ' '