The month of September is playing host to The World Cup of Hockey. This tournament has brought together over 150 of the NHL’s best. Team USA, Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Finland, Team Russia, Team Sweden, Team Europe and Team North America are the eight teams playing in this tournament that showcases the best players from all around the world. In addition, this tournament will take place in none other then Toronto, Canada.
The excitement begins when all of the players arrive a few days before the tournament begins so that their practices can begin. These are players who in the regular NHL season are fierce competitors against each other and they now find themselves looking to each other to play as teammates. When you hear the players interviewed, they all speak very highly of their teammates and they say that is what makes this tournament so special. It really bridges the friendships from all corners of the world as these players come together for this competition.
Each country is proud to wear their team colors and they're all given special hockey jerseys, custom designed for this event. Each country will hear their national anthem played as they take the ice and teams like Team North America will hear both The Star Spangled Banner as well as O Canada.
Each of the teams benefit from some of the very best coaches from all around the NHL, and the world. These coaches bring their best techniques together to build the strongest and best team to compete. Our own Chicago Blackhawks are represented very well with our head coach, Joel Quinnville along with our very own Patrick Kane (for Team USA) and Jonathan Toews (for Team Canada),
It is Team Canada that dominates this tournament as they have posted championship wins in most of the international tournaments and in the past years of the World Cup. Canada is the host country and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto is the state-of-the-art facility that captures all of the excitement of this event. Not only does the tournament bring players from all over the world but it also sees hockey fans representing over 50 countries who come to see some of the best hockey played. As the tournament’s popularity has grown over the years, 2016 will be the start for the tournament to begin being held biannually sharing venues between North America and Europe.
With all this excitement and anticipation, it should definitely prove to be a tournament to remember.
