Meet the kids who could shake up the World Cup

TORONTO — Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel said it was a strange, even comical, scene the first time the North American 23-and-under players gathered for the start of the World Cup of Hockey training camp.

These young American and Canadian NHLers had been intense rivals for years, and now they were being asked to work together in the name of winning a championship. It didn’t come naturally to them.

“The Canadians were in one group and the Americans were in another,” said Eichel, an American. “But it didn’t take us long to come together.”

Indeed the North Americans are viewed as the most intriguing team in the tournament. In addition to high skill level, the team is fast, maybe one of the fastest ever.

The question is whether that speed will be negated by a lack of experience.

“(It’s about) determining the pecking order within the locker room,” North American coach Todd McLellan said. “Who’s the alpha? Who are going to be the followers? I think the players are sorting that out as we go along. They’re doing a good job of it.”

This roster includes Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames) who finished among the NHL’s top 10 scorers last season, plus Brandon Saad (Columbus Blue Jackets) who has won two Stanley Cup Championships, and Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) who already may be among the best offensive players in the game.

The roster also includes Arizona native Auston Matthews, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in June. He hasn’t played a game in the NHL, but McLellan said Matthew “hasn’t taken a backseat to anybody.”

"He has just gotten better every day,” McLellan said. “He’s a big man who protects the puck well. He’s able to use speed when he needs it.”

The question mark was supposed to be goaltending, but their No. 1 is likely Matt Murray who was in net when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in June.

The North American team isn’t in the same preliminary pool with Canada or USA, but if the North Americans reach the semifinals, it might have the opportunity to play either USA or Canada. On paper, that may seem like the junior varsity playing the varsity. But the reality is that the North Americans boast enough talent to be competitive with either team.

“To me this is an unbelievable format,” said Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger. “And the (North American) kids are the wild card.”