A Final Goodbye to Team North America
When I first heard that the NHL had decided to incorporate a “Team Europe” and “Team North America” into the World Cup of Hockey, I immediately thought, this is a marketing ploy. For years now, the NHL has been trying to get more sponsors to notice it and, along with the news ads on the shoulders of World Cup jerseys, it seemed as if the NHL was going against all fans’ wishes to add in new teams.
When the roster came out, I was actually surprised to see that it looked pretty good. Backed up by Matt Murray, the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender who led his team to a Stanley Cup, and Connor Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets top goaltending prospect, the star-studded roster included the likes of John Gibson, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Nate Mackinnon. Basically, it was an under-23 team of Canadian and American rising players, and it looked outstanding. However, neither I nor most hockey fans were convinced. Why would we need a team like this when all these young players can turn their respective countries’ teams into dangerous teams?
When the play started, even before the preliminaries, it became pretty clear that Team North America was something else. They began by beating Team Europe twice, and fans were soon excited about them. Soon, the preliminaries began, and my mind began to change. This team wasn’t just good; it was great. And it was winning over the hearts of fans. The final straw came during a game against Sweden, when suddenly, North America became the sweetheart of the average NHL fan. It all began with an Eichel-McDavid-Matthews goal that sent the crowd into a frenzy, showing what it was like for the three “generational talents” to be playing together. This was a game that showed off the incredible speed of Team North America, the fastest team in the tournament. The game involved six breakaways, crazy saves by both goaltenders (John Gibson was a stand-in for Murray), and a flurry of action. It seemed as though Team North America would win the game in regulation and make it to the semifinals. That was all they needed.
Sweden ended up scoring in the final minutes of the game, setting up what was going to be an intense overtime. The shots were traded back and forth, and both teams were getting more and more nervous as the minutes ticked by. Twelve minutes, eleven minutes, ten minutes, and still there had been no goal. Then, Daniel Sedin of Team Sweden got a breakaway, breaking down the ice all alone. It looked as if Sweden would win, but Gibson slid out to save the goal, and the play went the other way. Johnny Gaudreau took the puck, pairing up with Mackinnon on the other side, and there was a shot, only to be blocked by Henrik Lundqvist, the Swedish goalie, and sent out once again. Somehow, by a stroke of magic, Mackinnon had the smarts to stay in the goal area, and soon, the puck came back to his stick. Using his smooth hands, he set up a series of impressive dangles to dangle Lundqvist, who had his stick out in the poke check, and the puck went in.
Mackinnon and his teammates were euphoric, a mix of tired relief and happiness. Morgan Rielly, who was on the bench, erupted into ecstatic shouts, which were heard across the world on the mic he had been wearing, and Mackinnon was crowned the North American hero. It seemed as if North America was on top of the world, and rightly so. They were going to the semifinals!
Or were they? Because, as it turned out, they had needed a regulation win to do so. There was going to be one last chance for Team North America, the next day during a Finland-Russia game. Russia was battling for the final spot in the semifinals as well, and Finland needed to beat them in order for North America to advance. That night, across the continent, many Finland fans waited anxiously for the result. Would the team that had worked its way up from nothing make it in a Cinderella story, or would they not? Finally, the long-awaited result came. Finland had lost, and so had North America. That is where the team’s story ended. They had so much potential, and yet, the big boys came out victorious over them. Team North America was no more. This is a team that used dedication and determination, combined with skill, to get where they were. But they didn't go all the way. At the next World Cup of Hockey,
whenever that is, the same group of amazing young players will never get together again. And that is what saddens me the most. It was truly a Cinderella story that ended with just a bit of bad luck, and fans of Team North America will forever remember the team that captured their hearts and minds.
