It's time for one of the most anticipated hockey events of the year: the United States vs. Canada at the World Juniors on New Years Eve.
It's time for a New Year's Eve tradition. No, not lots of champagne or a kiss at midnight. Not watching the ball drop in Times Square. It's the United States vs. Canada, on the ice, head-to-head at the World Junior Hockey Championship.
As is so often the case, the two teams -- comprised of each nation's best under-20 hockey talent -- enter the battle undefeated so far in group play at this year's WJC. Canada has a slight one-point edge in the standings over the Americans, having won all three of their games in regulation, while the USA needed a shootout to beat Finland on the first day of the tournament. But since the winner of Wednesday's matchup will earn three points, the first-place spot in Group A and thus a better position once the knockout round begins is on the line when these two rivals face off.
The hype around this game is a little higher than usual, though. It's more than just two great hockey nations facing off on a big stage this time. It has NHL implications, and it will be the first time that Canada's Connor McDavid and USA's Jack Eichel, expected to go one-two in the 2015 NHL Draft, face off against one another. Each roster is loaded with draft-eligible talent, and that talent has made noise all tournament long on both teams, but let's not kid ourselves: Eichel and McDavid are the reasons to watch.
Canada's the all-time leader in World Junior gold medals, winning 15 since the tournament began in 1977. Neither the United States or Canada medaled a year ago in Sweden, but the Americans have had the better of Canada in recent years, winning gold twice (2013 and 2010) since Canada's last title (2009).
Attendance has been weak at Bell Centre in Montreal for many of the games so far this tournament, but that's not expected to be the case on New Years Eve for the most-anticipated battle of the event.
Eric Comrie will start in goal for Canada. Thatcher Demko will start for the United States.
United States vs. Canada
Group A | 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship
4 p.m. ET | Bell Centre, Montreal
Watch in the USA on NHL Network, NHL.com
Watch in Canada on TSN, TSN.ca
Canada lineup
16 Max Domi - 23 Sam Reinhart - 10 Anthony Duclair
21 Nick Ritchie - 17 Connor McDavid - 26 Curtis Lazar
20 Nick Paul - 19 Nic Petan - 29 Robby Fabbri
28 Lawson Crouse - 22 Frederik Gauthier - 18 Jake Virtanen
9 Brayden Point
25 Darnell Nurse - 6 Shea Theodore
7 Josh Morrissey - 4 Madison Bowey
5 Samuel Morin - 2 Joe Hicketts
3 Dylan Heatherington
1 Eric Comrie - 31 Zachary Fucale
USA lineup
14 Tyler Motte - 9 Jack Eichel - 17 Alex Tuch
11 Miles Wood - 34 Auston Matthews - 8 Nick Schmaltz
13 Sonny Milano - 21 Dylan Larkin - 22 Hudson Fasching
10 Anthony Louis - 7 J.T. Compher - 15 John Hayden
18 Chase De Leo
4 Will Butcher - 26 Brandon Carlo
2 Noah Hanifin - 3 Ian McCoshen
23 Zach Werenski - 24 Anthony DeAngelo
6 Ryan Collins
30 Thatcher Demko - 29 Brandon Halverson
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1vtifdx
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