SHOP 1:3 DZ 
TWMI 1:2 SHOP 
FAZE 1:2 DZ 
Troy "Canadian" Jaroslawski will play in Salt Lake City his eleventh international grand final. At his 29 years of age and after ten years in Rainbow Six Siege's esports ecosystem, it's hard to say name something the Canadian player hasn't gone through. He has lifted the hammer twice, won a Major, Pro League Finals, and even has already retired once. He's far from being done, though.
Later today, Canadian could add another championship to his large trophy cabinet; which has been accumulating dust since his Six Charlotte Major win against DarkZero Esports. Four years after his most recent international championship, the iconic IGL is one victory away from lifting another trophy in front of a home crowd.
In fact, Canadian's three most notable international championships have come on North American soil. His two hammers were lifted under the Montreal lights (Feb. 2017 and 2020) and the Six Charlotte Major was logically played in Charlotte, North Carolina. He could add another if he beats his former organisation, DarkZero Esports.
"The stakes can be higher, but when you get there, you don't get the opportunity often," Canadian said in a post-match interview for SiegeGG shortly after Shopify Rebellion's win against Twisted Minds.
It's surprising to see Shopify Rebellion reaching Salt Lake City's grand final, especially after their tumultuous Kickoff run. The team ended up qualifying for the tournament after finishing in fourth place following a couple of outstanding performances by Jaylen "Ambi" Turk, who has been on fire for Shopify Rebellion in the last few weeks.
The American player has been even more sharp during the BLAST R6 Major Salt Lake City. Although he currently averages a SiegeGG rating of 1.21, Ambi secured SiegeGG ratings of 1.74 and 1.28 against G2 Esports and Twisted Minds, dropping two absurd performances on Bank and Lair across the two series.
"We all have different rules to play. I think Ambi is in a position to get the most opportunities. Obviously, he's insanely skilled. He's the one to capitalise on that, but I think the big thing about Ambi is that he has always been playing with that kind of confidence. That's why we may have struggled as a team but Ambi has kind of thrived still," Canadian explained. "I think he's the best player in the world," he added.
When it comes to individual plays, Ambi isn't the only one that shines in Shopify Rebellion. All players have had their moments, including William "Spoit" Löfstedt, Richard "Rexen" Coronado, and Damian "Surf" Medina. These four players are among the best ten in Salt Lake City so far after having played ten maps each.
Meanwhile, Canadian sits at the bottom of the standings with a SiegeGG rating of 0.80 and the worst K-D of the tournament. However, he knows that his role is not looking great for the stats screenshot; in fact, if that were to be the case, Shopify Rebellion would probably be not working at all.
"I think I've been doing a good job. I think that series (vs. Twisted Minds) was my biggest struggle... but yes, my job is to try to set the other guys up, to call the right thing, to give them the best opportunities, to have plays that work. To give them openings, to pull people's attention, to buy time for them to have their plays."
"I'm responsible for all those different things. I am also responsible for, you know, being the experienced one, I've been to a lot of finals, a lot of tournaments... keeping our mental, making sure we're staying as a team," Canadian explained.
Additionally, Canadian spoke about his calling duties against Twisted Minds. The MENA roster put them in serious trouble, as they had to put blood, sweat, and tears in order to reach Salt Lake City's grand finals. However, Canadian explained the team could adapt in time to their playstyle.
"I am really happy, we're playing the best Siege we've ever played as a team. I think I've been calling really good, I think that series (vs. Twisted Minds) was probably where I struggled the most calling. I think just our attack style wasn't quite clicking. I think we've been very comfortable on attack across the whole tournament, but that series was one where it was wavering a bit... and I think actually Supr had a great time out to change the philosophy and game plan of our attack. Then we won three rounds after that on Fortress."
"I think they play a very different style than most teams you play against. I think that's their advantage, as you struggle with that initially because it's so different than everyone else you play against, people you practice against, everything. So I think that is where they get you initially, but I think adapting when things aren't working is where they struggle a bit more. They repeat the same strats, they don't change operators too often," he said.
Today, Shopify Rebellion will face against DarkZero Esports for a chance to lift the trophy in Salt Lake City. Historically, Shopify Rebellion are in a tough position: the team has lost its last seven matches against the former Spacestation core. However, Canadian sees this as a challenge.
"I'd love to have a shot at the world champions, anyone would. I think also for us we've lost so many games in a row to that SSG core, now in DZ, that we also want to get over that hump," Canadian said when asked about what team he would have preferred between FaZe Clan and DarkZero Esports.
"I think it's just reinforcing what we've been talking about the whole tournament and just belief in each other and ourselves. Believe in the team, what we're doing, committing things together, playing confidently, and just not change that just because it's the grand finals. Every match is just important to get there, you don't get to the grand finals if you don't win the semifinals match."
"Believe in each other, play confidently, and whatever happens, happens. We believe more in that now because we're seeing how good we're playing compared to before, resting on those core beliefs," he said.
"We know it won't be easy, but we know that we're not going to make it easy for them either. We're just going to show and fight, do what we can," Canadian concluded.
For more information about Rainbow Six Siege and its esports scene, make sure to check out Siege.GG.