What does Gladwell say about meritocracy in Canada?

In the book, Gladwell goes into detail about the "meritocracy" of Canadian junior hockey. Children play on teams grouped by age. Those that stand out are then selected to play on traveling teams that meet the best players from other teams. Eventually, the outstanding players are selected to play in the Canadian Hockey League, from which several go on to play professionally. On the surface Gladwell says, it would seem that the system is based entirely on the talent and skills of the individual hockey players, with the very best rising to the highest level of play.