World Cup: 2016 World Cup — Team North America

[Stats01]

Bettman has made this event into a complete joke. I have a feeling that the 2016 tournament will look like a bunch of NHL all star games.

I havent really been following the story much, but what does this do for the NHL involvement in the Olympics?

It probably kills it. This tournament is going to get bigger. The 2020 tournament will have qualifiers for a lot more countries. This will turn into a legit WC eventually, people just have to accept 2016 as it is and try and look past the issues. 2020 will be a good tournament IMO, countries like Germany, Latvia, Slovenia, Austria etc etc will be able to qualify.

 

[JackSlater]

Friedman says that Canada and USA have been doing their own rosters for the U23 team, and they seemed to be pretty close in terms of players selected. I would assume they pick the obvious players (MacKinnon, Jones etc.), and then for the final spots close competitions go to the American players. Nothing like two rival countries working together to create a roster that will potentially compete against their own nations.

 

[86Habs]

Friedman says that Canada and USA have been doing their own rosters for the U23 team, and they seemed to be pretty close in terms of players selected. I would assume they pick the obvious players (MacKinnon, Jones etc.), and then for the final spots close competitions go to the American players. Nothing like two rival countries working together to create a roster that will potentially compete against their own nations.

Why would they default to the American players? To even things out a bit (assuming that most of the obvious locks are probably Canadian)? Is the point to field a competitive team...and I use the term very loosely, as I think they'll get pounded by the senior squads of the top 6...or to not offend nationalistic sensibilities?

Anyway, going the politically correct route makes an already atrocious idea even worse. I'm not sure why I care about this nonsense at this point.

 

[sickest flow bro]

If my math is right off the top of my head any player from canada or USA born on or after Sept 2 1992 is eligible.


Monahan nuge gaudreau
Drouin mackinnon huberdeau
Mcdavid schiefele strome
Saad couturier Jenner
Horvat/eichel/wilson/Reinhart/domi etc who knows?!

Ekblad jones
Reilly Hamilton
Trouba seversson
Murray/oleksiak/nurse

Gibson
Fucale/subban

 

[JackSlater]

Why would they default to the American players? To even things out a bit (assuming that most of the obvious locks are probably Canadian)? Is the point to field a competitive team...and I use the term very loosely, as I think they'll get pounded by the senior squads of the top 6...or to not offend nationalistic sensibilities?

Anyway, going the politically correct route makes an already atrocious idea even worse. I'm not sure why I care about this nonsense at this point.

Friedman has talked about the use of quotas a few times, but now says that the rosters featured numbers of Canadian and American players that were close enough to satisfy both groups, which may negate the use of quotas. It's obvious that there is some politicking involved. I assume a defaulting to Americans since there are likely more Canadian players that would be considered locks. I would imagine that Jones, Trouba, Gaudreau, Saad, Galchenyuk and Gibson all make it. Probably Eichel as well. So it's not like any significant amount of manipulation would be needed to shoehorn Americans on there. The group of young Canadians in the NHL is just bigger right now. If the roster ended up being only 30% American, I could see USA Hockey being displeased. If it were reversed, I would imagine that Hockey Canada would be displeased as well. That's bound to happen when a ridiculous idea like this is put forward.

The goal, as far as I can tell, is just to feature as many NHLers as possible. This team would be all NHLers (and most of them would be unlikely to make the big boy teams) while Slovakia and Germany (or whoever) would feature plenty of non-NHL players. This team would have no chance to win. Forwards should actually be comparable to some of the weaker teams in the tournament, but the defence will be too young and the goaltending won't be elite like most other teams.

 

[jka*]

It is Eichel newest star in nhl. Then McDavid. Two players from U.S. next season and commando 15 to 20 year.

 

[xxxx]

I know I will get heat for that, but I really think that Finland playing this team will be much better hockey than if the Finns played Switzerland. You will see a very talented offence, some stars in the making and all of that in a very good speed. For those who doubt the players' motivation, I would wait for the first game, and then we can talk.

I just don't understand why some people don't like it (from the fans point of view). You see or hear about those ideas what would the NA team looked like, what would the European team looked like, and then when it is for real, for one freaking WC (even you must admit it will not be forever), some fans get angry. I will enjoy something that many of us have been just thinking about in our minds, what it would be like (to see players from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belarus, France, in one team, how strong they would be).

I believe there will be olympics in 2018 with the NHL and then the "normal" World Cup with a qualification system.

 

[JackSlater]

I just don't understand why some people don't like it (from the fans point of view).

What is supposed to be an international tournament is instead going to feature some national teams, some 24 and over national teams, and some teams composed of players from multiple nations. It's very simple - national teams with national teams. If I want to see various players from different nations put together, I can watch the NHL. If I want to see a team of young players from various nations lose, I can watch the Oilers. There is no point to what this tournament is going for. The World Cup can be great, since it has been in the past. All they had to do was repeat a format they've already done and it could have been great. Instead they are creating some absurd gimmicks.

 

[SH15]

People don't realize that McDavid will be 1C on this team eh? Ok then!

Drouin-McDavid-MacKinnon
Gaudreau-RNH-Galchenyuk
Saad-Monahan-Scheifele
Domi-Jenner-Couturier
Eichel

Thoughts: Don't see a spot in Top 6 for Eichel so I think he'd make a perfect 13th forward/PP weapon. Not including Reinhart or Huberdeau up front...I dunno how that's possible but I just couldn't bump anyone else!

Rielly-Ekblad
Hamilton-Trouba
Murray-Jones
Ceci

Thoughts: That right side...holy smokes. This is a pretty sick D core!

Gibson
Subban
Fucale

Thoughts: Going to need Gibson to steal games!!

 

[Big Phil]

It probably kills it. This tournament is going to get bigger. The 2020 tournament will have qualifiers for a lot more countries. This will turn into a legit WC eventually, people just have to accept 2016 as it is and try and look past the issues. 2020 will be a good tournament IMO, countries like Germany, Latvia, Slovenia, Austria etc etc will be able to qualify.

Fine if the 2020 tournament is bigger, but why treat the 2016 version like an exhibition series? Just have 8 teams like normal. The NHL is just insane. The one thing you think they couldn't possibly screw up is international hockey, and they go right ahead and do it.

 

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

People don't realize that McDavid will be 1C on this team eh? Ok then!

Drouin-McDavid-MacKinnon
Gaudreau-RNH-Galchenyuk
Saad-Monahan-Scheifele
Jenner-Horvat-Couturier
Eichel

Thoughts: Don't see a spot in Top 6 for Eichel so I think he'd make a perfect 13th forward/PP weapon. Not including Reinhart or Huberdeau up front...I dunno how that's possible but I just couldn't bump anyone else!

Rielly-Ekblad
Hamilton-Trouba
Murray-Jones
Ceci

Thoughts: That right side...holy smokes. This is a pretty sick D core!

Gibson
Subban
Murray

Thoughts: Going to need Gibson to steal games!!

Fixed. But looks good.

 

[JayKing]

Most competitive:

Saad - Johansen - Mackinnon
Galchenyuk - Nugent-Hopkins - Scheifele
Huberdeau- Bjugstad - R. Strome
Schwartz- Couturier - Stone
Jenner

Most marketable:

Saad - Mackinnon - Drouin
Galchenyuk - McDavid - R. Strome
Huberdeau - Bjugstad - ?????
?????- Monahan - Gaudreau
Eichel

???? = 2 of Mantha, Duclair, Larkin, Domi, S. Reinhart, Horvat

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Most competitive:

Saad - Johansen - Mackinnon
Galchenyuk - Nugent-Hopkins - Scheifele
Huberdeau- Bjugstad - R. Strome
Schwartz- Couturier - Stone
Jenner

Most marketable:

Saad - Mackinnon - Drouin
Galchenyuk - McDavid - R. Strome
Huberdeau - Bjugstad - ?????
?????- Monahan - Gaudreau
Eichel

???? = 2 of Mantha, Duclair, Larkin, Domi, S. Reinhart, Horvat

How does McDavid not make the 2016 World Cup team? He'll have a year under his belt and still be improving. I'm sure he'll be better then Huberdeau, Scheifele, Stone, etc. The U-23 team will need McDavid.

 

[JayKing]

How does McDavid not make the 2016 World Cup team? He'll have a year under his belt and still be improving. I'm sure he'll be better then Huberdeau, Scheifele, Stone, etc. The U-23 team will need McDavid.

You're right.


Sportsnet's projected roster:

Brandon Saad (23)- Nathan MacKinnon (20)- Jonathan Drouin (21)

Sean Monahan (21)- Connor McDavid (19)- Ryan Strome (23)

Alex Galchenyuk (22)- Jack Eichel (19)- Johnny Gaudreau (23)

Boone Jenner (23)- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (23)- Mark Scheifele (23)

Sean Couturier (23)
Max Domi (21)

On the bubble: Jonathan Huberdeau, Bo Horvat, Linden Vey, Curtis Lazar, Matthew Nieto, Sam Reinhart, Anthony Duclair


Morgan Rielly (22) - Aaron Ekblad (20)
Seth Jones (21) - Jacob Trouba (22)
Morgan Rielly (22) - Dougie Hamilton (23)

Ryan Murray(22) - Mathew Dumba (22)
Damon Severson (22) - Cody Ceci (22)

On the bubble: Noah Hanifin, Griffin Reinhart, Nathan Beaulieu, Darnell Nurse, Jamie Oleksiak



John Gibson (22)
Malcolm Subban (22)
Calvin Pickard (23)

On the bubble: Zachary Fucale, Eric Comrie, J.F. Berube, Thatcher Demko, Connor Hellebuyck

(Note: Player's age as of Sept. 17, 2016 is listed in brackets.)

 

[WhiteLight*]

Assuming 1993 is the cut off; no 1992s.



Drouin - Monahan - MacKinnon
Gaudreau - McDavid - Strome
Huberdeau - Galchenyuk - Eichel
Jenner - Nugent-Hopkins - Scheifele
Paquette

Hamilton - Ekblad
Rielly - Jones
Murray - Trouba
Ceci

Gibson
Subban

 

[Aceonfire*]

Assuming 1993 is the cut off; no 1992s.



Drouin - Monahan - MacKinnon
Gaudreau - McDavid - Strome
Huberdeau - Galchenyuk - Eichel
Jenner - Nugent-Hopkins - Scheifele
Paquette

Hamilton - Ekblad
Rielly - Jones
Murray - Trouba
Ceci

Gibson
Subban

RNH won't be the 4C, you can argue that as one of the most veteran players on the team he would be the captain. And Galchenyuk is always being shifted to the wing in the NHL, they would likely do the same here.

Huberdeau-RNH-Scheifele
Gaudreau-Monahan-Strome
Drouin-McDavid-MacKinnon
Jenner-Couts-Galchenyuk
Eichel

 

[Canuckistani]

Fine if the 2020 tournament is bigger, but why treat the 2016 version like an exhibition series? Just have 8 teams like normal. The NHL is just insane. The one thing you think they couldn't possibly screw up is international hockey, and they go right ahead and do it.

Indeed it's the one thing that you'd think would be impossible to screw up.

Nation vs nation. It's never been anything other than that. So easy to pull off. The top 8 are clear to see.

And then Bettman does this. I can't describe how much I hate that weasel. He's an absolute disgrace to the game.

But he seems convinced that the quality of play will be absolutely amazing, so I can only hope that the Slovaks, Swiss and U-23 kiddies treat this joke with the indifference that it deserves.

 

[Canuckistani]

Was this the inspiration for the U-23 joke team?

Scroll down to the 1978 Ivzestia tournament in Moscow and you find this:

Tournoi des Izvestia (du 16 au 22 décembre 1978 à Moscou, URSS)

16 décembre
Canada [NHL Future Stars] - Finlande 3-3 (0-1,2-2,1-0)
URSS - Suède 6-0 (2-0,3-0,1-0)
18 décembre
Tchécoslovaquie - Canada [NHL Future Stars] 4-1 (1-0,1-0,2-1)
URSS - Finlande 4-1 (2-1,1-0,1-0)
19 décembre
Suède - Tchécoslovaquie 3-6 (0-2,3-3,0-1)
URSS - Canada [NHL Future Stars] 9-3 (4-1,3-1,2-1)
20 décembre
Tchécoslovaquie - Finlande 5-4 (1-0,3-3,1-1)
21 décembre
Suède - Canada [NHL Future Stars] 2-5 (1-1,1-3,0-1)
22 décembre
URSS - Tchécoslovaquie 3-3 (0-1,0-1,3-1)
Suède - Finlande 4-1 (0-1,2-0,2-0)
Classement : 1 URSS 7 (+15), 2 Tchécoslovaquie 7 (+7), 3 Canada 3, 4 Suède 2, 5 Finlande 1.

Apparently Canada's representation that year was a squad of "NHL Future Stars."

 

[Zippy316]

This is silly....

But here we go:

Drouin - MacKinnon - Galchenyuk
Huberdeau - Monahan - Gaudreau
Eichel - McDavid - Larkin
Duclair - RNH - Domi

Rielly - Ekblad
Trouba - Jones
Murray - Hamilton

Gibson
Fucale


Can this team win the whole thing?

Discuss and make your own rosters.

I was going to say Severson would still be eligible but I think he would have a tough time cracking that right side...

 

[Zippy316]

RNH won't be the 4C, you can argue that as one of the most veteran players on the team he would be the captain. And Galchenyuk is always being shifted to the wing in the NHL, they would likely do the same here.

Huberdeau-RNH-Scheifele
Gaudreau-Monahan-Strome
Drouin-McDavid-MacKinnon
Jenner-Couts-Galchenyuk
Eichel

I would assume they would try to bring a "team" as well instead of just all-stars.

So Bjugstad (don't know if he's eligible) or Couturier will probably likely make the team for a fourth line role. It'll be interesting to see which of the skill guys get cut in order to make this team.

 

[JackSlater]

Dreger said on the TSN panel that he's heard Sakic and Blake mentioned as possibilities to create this team. Makes sense, as both of them are Young Gunz legends who proudly represented the Young Gunz flag on numerous occasions.

 

[wej20]

I think all the management and coaching staff should be 23 and under also.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

You're right.


Sportsnet's projected roster:

Brandon Saad (23)- Nathan MacKinnon (20)- Jonathan Drouin (21)

Sean Monahan (21)- Connor McDavid (19)- Ryan Strome (23)

Alex Galchenyuk (22)- Jack Eichel (19)- Johnny Gaudreau (23)

Boone Jenner (23)- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (23)- Mark Scheifele (23)

Sean Couturier (23)
Max Domi (21)

On the bubble: Jonathan Huberdeau, Bo Horvat, Linden Vey, Curtis Lazar, Matthew Nieto, Sam Reinhart, Anthony Duclair


Morgan Rielly (22) - Aaron Ekblad (20)
Seth Jones (21) - Jacob Trouba (22)
Morgan Rielly (22) - Dougie Hamilton (23)

Ryan Murray(22) - Mathew Dumba (22)
Damon Severson (22) - Cody Ceci (22)

On the bubble: Noah Hanifin, Griffin Reinhart, Nathan Beaulieu, Darnell Nurse, Jamie Oleksiak



John Gibson (22)
Malcolm Subban (22)
Calvin Pickard (23)

On the bubble: Zachary Fucale, Eric Comrie, J.F. Berube, Thatcher Demko, Connor Hellebuyck

(Note: Player's age as of Sept. 17, 2016 is listed in brackets.)

Rielly would be overworked!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Friedman says that Canada and USA have been doing their own rosters for the U23 team, and they seemed to be pretty close in terms of players selected. I would assume they pick the obvious players (MacKinnon, Jones etc.), and then for the final spots close competitions go to the American players. Nothing like two rival countries working together to create a roster that will potentially compete against their own nations.

To maintain any sort of integrity (yeah...I know), they need to ice the best roster-period. If that's 75% Canadian so be it. That said, I think there is enough American talent to make it a 60/40 split (edge to Canada) and it wouldn't be too egregious.

 

[JackSlater]

To maintain any sort of integrity (yeah...I know), they need to ice the best roster-period. If that's 75% Canadian so be it. That said, I think there is enough American talent to make it a 60/40 split (edge to Canada) and it wouldn't be too egregious.

Possibly. We can assume that certain players are locks. Americans like Gibson, Trouba, Jones, Galchenyuk, Saad, Gaudreau, Eichel. Canadians like Nugent, MacKinnon, McDavid, Monahan, Hamilton, Rielly, Ekblad. Similar number of locks, but the first bubble players that come to mind (for me) are basically all Canadian. Not sure about goaltenders though. Would USA Hockey accept a situation with only 7/23 players selected (13F/7D/3G) being American? I don't know, and I wouldn't blame them either way. It's a position they shouldn't have to be in.