December 14, 2012

A reporter takes a photo of Dougie Hamilton (L-R) Ryan Strome and Brett Ritchie after the Canadian National Junior team was named at the Team Canada selection camp in Calgary, Alberta, December 14, 2012. Canada's National Junior team will head to Russia for the World Junior Hockey Championships starting December 26, 2012. (REUTERS/Todd Korol)

It’s the kind of prank only a true friend could pull off.

And even then, he would be risking a nasty punch in the junk.

Still, Ryan Strome admitted in the time players spent waiting for Canada’s junior team cuts, he was close to calling the room of good friend Brett Ritchie and pretending to be head coach Steve Spott.

“I wasn’t nervous one bit for him, but I told him I was going to call his room, give him a fake phone call,” Strome said. “I never did it.