Those early 2000s Canadian teams were fun to watch, back when guys like Heatley, Smyth and Nash would come.
Sweden was always a tough opponent.
It’s a lot different now when our best player is a two-way defenceman and our flashiest player hasn’t been drafted yet.
I get a Spengler Cup vibe from this team but you can’t argue with the results.
A lot of Canadians get hung up on the lack of players, and that’s fine, I get that, but the novelty of a different lineup every year is what brings me back annually as I get to see guys I may not be familiar with and interesting line combinations.
My favourite might be when Marchand and Gallagher were on the same line and ended up as good buddies, lol.