Speaking Of… Team North America

Connor McDavid will get to practice being captain for an NHL caliber team, when he leads Team North America to a World Cup Championship with the “C” on his chest. There, I said it. 

Saying the young guns will win the tournament may be a little bit of a stretch to some, but I think they can definitely be contenders. Team North America will be the fastest, flashiest, and most entertaining team to watch this September, and you can quote me on it. Experience is obviously something that the team will be lacking, but in a two-week-long tournament anything can happen. All it takes is two weeks of a slumping Sidney Crosby, and that’s when North America slips in and steals the gold. 

Connor McDavid is far from the oldest/experienced guy on the team, but I don’t think this should stop them from naming him captain. He’s the best player on the team, and one of the best in the NHL. To boot, majority of the NHL believes he’s already to Captain the Oilers. Connor will be the guy everyone will be looking to, whether the team is successful or not. So in my opinion, they should give him the “C.” PLUS, have you seen his ball hockey skills?

Below you will find the roster for team North America. The forwards consist of ten centremen and three natural wingers. With that said, I found it next to impossible to string together a depth chart, so only judge my list a little. There is so much skill set in every one of these players, you could put any three of them together and you’re almost guaranteed a scoring chance. If good chemistry is what Todd McLellan is looking for, two weeks is not a lot of time to put that together. Tournaments like this can be a challenging time for a coach.

I think watching the young guns play will remind me a lot of the world juniors in December. I would like to see them play with some pizazz and take some risks out there. I want to believe that there is nothing to lose at the end of the day for team North America, but if i’m in there shoes, I would want to beat all the old guys so badly. With that said, I think we’re in for a very competitive tournament. Connor McDavid has quoted that there’s a “quiet confidence” within the group. We will find out how this little science experiment goes on September 18th, when North America takes on Finland in their first game. 

This week the boys are joined by the one and only Gene Principe for a 90 minute discussion on hockey, life, and everything in between! Gene explains to the boys how he crafts a world class pun, shares a few memories of Rexall Place, and gives us his pick for the best place to get Italian food in this packed episode of the North by NorthGretz podcast.

PREVIOUS EPISODES

• Episode 32 – R.I.P Nexopia 
• Episode 33 – The Mark Spector Show
• Episode 34 – Stanley Cup Winner Justin Schultz
• Episode 35 – Pre Draft Spectacular! 
• Episode 36 – Goodbye, Taylor Hall
• Episode 37 – Rough Ryder
• Episode 38 – Wilkins Def Poetry Jam
• Episode 39 – Cyclists Beware
• Episode 40 – RIP Harambe
• Episode 41 – Dangly Earrings
• Episode 42 – Sweet Chin Podcast