WILMINGTON, Mass. — The World Cup of Hockey is returning in September 2016 and will give NHL players another chance to represent their country on the international stage.
One interesting change in the World Cup format is the creation of a North American Young Stars team (an under-23 roster) that will include both Canadian and American players.
Bruins prospect Malcolm Subban, who has played well in Providence (AHL) this season with a 9-10-2 record with a .921 save percentage, is among the early candidates to represent the Young Stars at the goaltender position.
“I heard about that, it’s pretty cool,” Subban said after Friday’s Bruins practice. “… It would be pretty cool to play on a team like that and a huge honor to play all the other countries, like playing Canada and the U.S. That would be pretty crazy. That would be pretty fun to play in, for sure.”
Subban represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championship and went 4-2-0. If he was selected to the Young Stars squad, he could play against his own country at the World Cup, which would be a weird and exciting scenario for a lot of players.
“That’s the first thing that came up in my mind, beating your own country,” Subban said. “That would be pretty cool. Hopefully I get the opportunity to play in that. If I did, I would definitely be looking forward to it.”
Two of the other notable goalie candidates for the Young Stars squad are John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens draft pick Zachary Fucale. Gibson led the United States to the gold medal at the 2013 WJC, and Fucale did the same for Canada at the 2015 WJC in January.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
