Matt Bettenhausen SeptemTeam Europe Proved That They Belong I think the NHL is going to be exciting for quite some time w/ the level of talent these young guys have #WCH2016 #HotTake #TheyreTeenagers
WHAT AN END TO THAT GAME!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD! #TeamNorthAmerica is literally living every hockey dream I had growing up #TeamNorthAmerica is a great idea by #WCH2016 to showcase the young talent in the league that otherwise would miss this, great for fans These kids are really fun to watch tho #speed ? Social media was exploding with the same speed, enthusiasm and passion towards the “kids” that they displayed night after night. Every time they stepped on the ice, the ACC was electric. Team North America lived up to the hype, showcasing their high level of skill and speed from their under-24 group, and won over throws of fans.ĭespite their elimination ahead of the semi-final round, Team North America left a lasting impression in this tournament. The two new specialty teams wasted no time creating headlines day after day. “That’s the biggest thing that we were trying to achieve is to grow our game and we’ve done that.” Fans Fell in Love With Team North America “It’s been entertaining for the fans,” said Team Canada forward Logan Couture. Although the results were unexpected, it further illustrates how competitive the hockey was in Toronto. Both Team USA and Team Finland, who many would argue were top contenders heading into the tournament, were surprisingly not able to get a win out of their three group games. Two teams with extremely high expectations heading into the tournament would end up starting 0-2, which cut their World Cup aspirations short. Brooks Laich SeptemHigh Expectations, Unexpected Results Yeeeehaw - congrats fellas!! #WCH2016 ??? MVP Sidney Crosby carrying in the #WCH2016 trophy /SiDUtMTpVCĬanada’s wins the World Cup of Hockey! Well done boys. “We just kept pounding and grinding and found a way to do it”. “There’s a lot of players that have championships and know what it takes to win,” Team Canada Goaltender Carey Price said. This was a team that had all of the puzzle pieces in place and always found a way to get the job done. While Team Europe led 1-0 late into the game behind another outstanding performance from Jaroslav Halak, late heroics for Team Canada from forwards Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron gave the Canadian entry two late goals that allowed them to seal their 2-1 victory and go undefeated in the tournament. After winning Game 1 of the Final 3-1 on Tuesday, Team Canada knew they would get Team Europe’s best performance on Thursday evening to avoid elimination. Team Canada Delivered in True Team Canada FashionĪ sure favourite to win entering the tournament, Team Canada wound up hoisting the trophy on Thursday night in Toronto. When it was all said and done, however, Team Canada would not be denied a championship. As the tournament progressed, Team Europe progressively garnered more attention with its effective and successful approach that took them to within minutes of forcing a third and deciding game in the Final. Team Sweden and Team Russia played themselves into the semi-finals before running of steam against their formidable opponents. During the pre-tournament and into the first round of the tournament itself, Team North America’s exciting style of play was unquestionably the focus among those around the game. The World Cup of Hockey was certainly not short on storylines. “We tried our best to get the best players in the world on the ice in one tournament and I think we did that,” said Team Canada forward Steven Stamkos. 8 in Finland to the final buzzer sounding to end last night’s game in Toronto, fans far and wide have witnessed the game’s best players display a consistently high level of hockey. The World Cup of Hockey 2016 was truly a best-on-best tournament, which provided a stage for hockey’s elite to showcase their skill, speed and talent as they competed for global hockey supremacy.įrom puck-drop in the first pre-tournament game back on Sept. Two weeks, eight teams and a total of 184 players from 14 nations.