10 Reasons to Watch the World Cup of Hockey

MONTREAL, QC – SEPTEMBER 11: Morgan Rielly

7. The Young, Scrappy, and Hungry Team North America

The players on Team North America are the ones to look out for, the ones who may not have the most experience, but who have a youth and energy that it is hard to match. This tournament is a chance for them to rise up and prove what they have to offer to a team. So far in the preliminary games they have been some of the most entertaining players to watch. Just check out this penalty shot from the team’s very first game against Team Europe scored by Nathan Mackinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.

The kid has some serious skills. Mackinnon scored two goals in that game and North America went on to beat the more seasoned Europeans with a score of 4-0.  These guys are the future of hockey. There is nothing more exciting than seeing them play in these early stages of their careers and watching the talent develop.

Besides Mackinnon, the team also features a goalie from the Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins, Murray, as well as Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames, and Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres.

However, they are not unbeatable. In their final exhibition game, Team North America fell to the Czech Republic 2-3. Their inexperience and overconfidence might come to work against them in games such as these with more seasoned players. Only time will tell, but either way it will be fun to watch these “young guns” as they’re being called, play.

Next: Oh Canada