A glimpse of North America’s World Cup of Hockey Roster

The Team of America had stolen the hearts of fans all around the continent during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. It is difficult for anyone to forget about the phenomenon that almost swept a continent: Team North America. Initially the team of North America was not subjected to much importance. Indeed, no one cheers for a team made up of two of the sport’s biggest rivals i.e. the U.S. and Canada. The scenario changed in little time after that when the team got an opening-game victory over Finland, with nearly 19,000 cheering for a team which was not being even recognized till now. The feel of seeing Canadian Connor McDavid line up with American Auston Matthews – the No. 1 picks in 2015 and 2016, respectively – was something that indeed would not happen again. North America unfortunately missed out on making the medal round on a tiebreaker to Russia, but the great excitement was sufficient to leave a long lasting memory for those who watched the otherwise subpar tournament. The most amazing question in front of each of us is that what would Team North America be like if the tournament was to be played on the present day? Just as the 2016 team, the edition will follow the same guidelines: the players should be from Canada and the United States. The player must be aged about 23 years or under. The 23-man roster would be something like this if it was to return this summer:
(a) Forwards: Among the forwards, each and every member of the forward group was a key offensive contributor for their respective clubs, starting from McDavid in Edmonton. McDavid and DeBrincat have history playing together in the OHL and were two of three players on this roster to score 40 goals in the past season.
(b) Defensemen: There’s absolutely no shortage of left-handed defenseman in this age group. It would not be long until Weresnski is battling for the Norris Trophy every year, especially on a Blue Jackets roster that needs help immediately in this coming season. Thomas Chabot and Noah Hanifin are still out to show their long-term capability but are good enough in all three zones to be minute-munchers for at least the next ten years.
(c) Goaltenders: Goaltending is a very difficult position to fill. Only five goalies who met the criteria used to play in at least 10 games in 2018-19.
(d) Notable Ommissions: On paper, this team is stacked, but the stunning talent that was left over is also worth noticing.

By: Preeti Narula
Content : https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/what-would-team-north-americas-world-cup-of-hockey-roster-look-like-today