The first 16 players have been named to Canada's 2016 World Cup roster and, not surprisingly, the team will be built around Sidney Crosby.
Here's a look at the initial list:
Forwards
Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning John Tavares, New York Islanders Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Defensemen
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Goaltenders
Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
"This has been a very extensive process which involved multiple face-to-face meetings and conference calls," Team Canadian general manager Doug Armstrong said . "Some very difficult decisions had to be made to narrow down our selection to only 16 players, which is a testament to the depth of player talent in Canada.
"Our management group wanted to balance respecting the contributors to past Team Canada successes, as well as respecting the players that have emerged as top players in the NHL. We will use the NHL playoffs and the upcoming World Championship to make the final roster decisions in early June."
Of these first 16 players selected, 12 have won gold at the Olympic Winter Games and 11 have won gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship. On top of that, the team boasts seven NHL team captains and eight Stanley Cup champions, five of whom are multi-time champions.
The team will be coached by Mike Babcock, and the rest of the 23-man roster will be named June 1.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will team up to lead Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The first two picks in the 2015 draft were among the 16 players named to the initial roster for the under-23 team from the western hemisphere.
Forwards
McDavid, Edmonton Oilers Eichel, Buffalo Sabres Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames J.T. Miller, New York Rangers Brandon Saad, Columbus Blue Jackets Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
Defensemen
Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets Ryan Murray, Columbus Blue Jackets
Goaltenders
John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks Connor Hellebuyck, Manitoba Moose (AHL) Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, Montreal Canadiens center Alex Galchenyuk, and Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins certainly could have been named to the initial roster, and may still be named to the final edition before the June 1 deadline.
Team North America will be led by Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli, Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman - in the associate GM role - and Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan.
Team Europe announced its initial 16-player roster Wednesday. With players coming from European countries outsides of the power-houses of Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Czech Republic, general manager Miroslav Satan had his hands full, but his initial 16 looks to be steady.
Forwards
F Mikkel Boedker, Colorado Avalanche (Denmark) F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (Germany) F Jannik Hansen, Vancouver Canucks (Denmark) F Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks (Slovakia) F Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings (Slovenia) F Frans Nielsen, New York Islanders (Denmark) F Tomas Tatar, Detroit Red Wings (Slovakia) F Thomas Vanek, Minnesota Wild (Austria) F Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers (Norway)
Defensemen
D Chara, Boston Bruins (Slovakia) D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators (Switzerland) D Dennis Seidenberg, Boston Bruins (Germany) D Andrej Sekera, Edmonton Oilers (Slovakia) D Mark Streit, Philadelphia Flyers (Switzerland)
Goaltenders
G Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks (Denmark) G Jaroslav Halak, New York Islanders (Slovakia)
The only glaring omission appears to be Kopitar's teammate in Los Angeles, forward Marian Gaborik. The 34-year-old has suited up for his native Slovakia on more than a dozen occasions most recently at the 2011 World Championships.
Gaborik is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season as he nurses a knee injury.
WASHINGTON - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman hopes hockey fans are just as excited to see the 16-man World Cup of Hockey rosters as he was.
Bettman said after an event at the U.S. Capitol that his reaction to the rosters released Wednesday was ...
The NHL expects the World Cup of Hockey to be a regular occurrence.
The tournament will take place every four years, with the next one in 2020, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr announced Wednesday.
The Toronto edition of the tournament will take place this September, and Daly expects future host cities will be selected through a bidding process.
Daly said they've considered holding the event midseason, similar to the Olympics, but it's unlikely they head down that road since September gives the competing countries time to hold training camps.
The inaugural edition of the tournament will take place from Sept. 17 to Oct.1.
WASHINGTON - Brooks Laich pleaded his case with Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan. Despite an extended goal drought, Laich didn't want to get waived or traded by Washington with the team poised to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
...
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will truly be unlike anything we've ever seen.
While clubs began to announce their initial 16-man rosters Wednesday, leaked logos for the teams also began surfacing online Wednesday through Icethetics, with each established team appearing to offer slight variations on looks we've come to expect - and others having to start from scratch.
Team USA appears to have found a new take on its simple logos of the past.
Things get interesting with Team Europe, which reportedly has a slick blue-and-teal crest with the letter E and what looks to be a hockey stick, resembling the Vancouver Canucks' current third jersey.
Things get intriguing with the under-23 North American team, whose logo apparently includes an interlocking "NA" hanging over the Roman numerals for 23.
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Forward Nicklas Backstrom, two-time Norris Trophy defenceman Erik Karlsson and 2012 Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Henrik Lundqvist are among the first 16 players selected to Sweden's World Cup of Hockey roster.
Also selected w...
For the first time in nine weeks, the Washington Capitals have been dethroned from the top spot in the NHL power rankings. It's certainly not anything they did, but with just one regulation loss since Jan. 17, the Anaheim Ducks are on absolute fire.
Although the aforementioned duo are certainly legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season, they'll need to watch their back. The surging Tampa Bay Lightning are hot on their tail, closing in on the Florida Panthers and the top spot in the Atlantic Division in the process.
Here are this week's power rankings:
1. Anaheim Ducks ▲ (Last Week: 2)
Will the Ducks ever lose again? The hottest team in the league is an absolutely ridiculous 15-1-1 in its last 17 games.
First half of the season, Ducks averaged 1.85 goals/game, last in NHL. Since All-Star break, averaging 3.69, first in NHL.
The Capitals failed at their biggest test of the season Sunday against the Blackhawks, but they're still 13-4-0 in their last 17 games. Washington will have an opportunity to regain top spot in the power rankings against Anaheim on Monday.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning ▲ (Last Week: 8)
The Lightning have put the trade deadline behind them and can finally move on from the distraction that is Jonathan Drouin. He's sitting at home, while they're threatening for the Atlantic Division title with seven consecutive wins.
4. St. Louis Blues ▼ (Last Week: 3)
Jake Allen is rounding back into form after missing 17 games due to injury. The 25-year-old has already made fans forget about Brian Elliott with back-to-back wins, stopping 72 of 77 shots in the process.
5. Chicago Blackhawks ▼ (Last Week: 4)
The Blackhawks have been treading water for over a month now, with just 17 points in their last 15 games. However, with a big win over the Capitals to end the month, equipped with the additions of Andrew Ladd and Dale Weise, it's only a matter of time before they pull away in the West.
No "C" on the front of a red jersey? Weird, but certainly a wise trade deadline acquisition for the all-in Rangers.
7. San Jose Sharks ▲ (Last Week: 11)
San Jose's next five games: Canucks, Canucks, Flames, Oilers, Devils. They will certainly have every opportunity to challenge for the Pacific Division crown.
8. New York Islanders ▲ (Last Week: 9)
8-2-1 in their last 11 games, the Islanders appear primed for a first-round series against the Rangers.
Sorry, John Tavares. But you might find yourself taking the subway to road games as well come April.
9. Florida Panthers ▼ (Last Week: 7)
The Panthers made good short-term additions without taking away from their long-term plan by landing Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler. However, with an injury to Jonathan Huberdeau, they're extremely weak on the left side. Quinton Howden, Jussi Jokinen, and Purcell will not get them anywhere in the playoffs.
10. Nashville Predators ▲ (Last Week: 15)
Ryan Johansen has just two assists in his last 10 games, but that isn't stopping the red-hot Predators from pulling away in the wild-card race.
Predators win 5-3, have won a season-high five consecutive games and earned points in franchise record-tying 10 in a row (7-0-3).
Jamie Benn has seven points in his last seven games, yet he's still minus-11 during that stretch. The Stars will only get so far with a potent offense, and will regret the high price they paid for Kris Russell if he can't be a difference maker.
12. Detroit Red Wings (Last Week: 12)
The Red Wings are quickly becoming the fastest team in the entire league. Although Dylan Larkin - the NHL's fastest skater - is struggling with just one goal in nine games, fellow rookie Andreas Athanasiou has certainly stolen the spotlight, and his teammates are noticing.
Pavel Datsyuk on Athanasiou: "He's not fast, he's lightning. I remember when I was that fast."
Lee Stempniak and John-Michael Liles for four draft picks, including a second-rounder? That's far too much from a team that won't contend for a Stanley Cup this season. Valiant effort, though.
Erik Haula has come out of nowhere, recording four goals and six assists in nine games since John Torchetti took over behind the bench. The Wild are 6-3-0 in that span, and are back in a wild-card spot after pivotal wins over the Panthers and Avalanche.
16. Pittsburgh Penguins ▼ (Last Week: 15)
Evgeni Malkin is finally back in the lineup after a 10-game absence, and his return couldn't have come at a better time. The Penguins are mired in a suddenly tight wild-card race, sitting just three points up on the surging Flyers.
17. Philadelphia Flyers ▲ (Last Week: 21)
Philadelphia certainly has Pittsburgh sweating thanks to three wins in a row with the Oilers and Blue Jackets next on their schedule.
18. Ottawa Senators (Last Week: 18)
With a 5-1-1 record in their last seven games, the Senators are off to a good start in their quest to repeat last year's improbable 18-3-3 run to the postseason. Oh, and they're bolstering their lineup in the process:
19. Colorado Avalanche (Last Week: 19)
Colorado is 5-7-1 in its last 13 games, dropping out of a playoff position after a tough loss Tuesday to Minnesota. However, with the addition of Mikkel Boedker, they're certainly in good shape to push for a postseason appearance for the second time in three years.
Even with a struggling team, the future is bright in Buffalo, and the fans are evidently very stoked about it.
25. Arizona Coyotes ▼ (Last Week: 24)
With six losses in a row, the Coyotes are finally back to embracing the rebuild. After adding Anthony Duclair at last year's deadline, Arizona won again this time around, landing prospects Conner Bleackley, Kyle Wood, and a solid veteran presence in Alex Tanguay for unrestricted free agent Mikkel Boedker.
26. Winnipeg Jets ▲ (Last Week: 28)
Although it's tough right now, the future is bright in Winnipeg.
After back-to-back road losses against the Flyers and Bruins to start the week, the Flames have recorded just 21 of a possible 62 points away from home this season, which is tied for last place in the entire league.
28. Vancouver Canucks ▼ (Last Week: 27)
Absolutely nobody has any idea what the Canucks are doing right now.
A lot of people took the day off to watch the trade deadline. But enough about Jim Benning.
Sweden is in a position to avenge its disappointing loss to Canada in the gold medal game at the Sochi Olympics, naming an impressive preliminary roster Wednesday for the World Cup of Hockey.
The Swedish Ice Hockey Association named its first 16 players, consisting of eight forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies.
F Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals F Loui Eriksson, Boston Bruins F Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators F Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche F Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks F Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks F Alexander Steen, St. Louis Blues F Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
Defensemen
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning D Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago Blackhawks D Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators D Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings D Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Goaltenders
G Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers G Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
