Eurolanche

WC teams presentation: Team Europe

Team Europe could face the biggest of disadvantages among the eight teams at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.  With the team being selected from several European countries, there is a good chance it will not have the chemistry that is often a big piece of the puzzle in short best-on-best tournaments like the World Cup. 

This team will be comprised of players from any European country except for Finland, Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic, each of which has its own national team entered into the tournament. The positive, though, is that the depth of the player pool from which Team Europe management can choose is among the deepest in the tournament. 

President Franz Reindl, general manager Miroslav Satan, coach Ralph Krueger and the Team Europe scouts (including former NHL players Peter Bondra and Sean Burke) have their work cut out for them. The majority of the players on the 23-man roster, which must be finalized by June 1, are expected to be from Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany. 

Burke believes the resulting unfamiliarity among the players can be turned into an advantage of sorts. In this team, unfortunately, it is not one of the players Avalanche, fought his way here only former forward of Colorado, Mikkel Bøedker, who moved San Jose Sharks.

World Cup of Hockey 2016 Team Europe Jersey

Roster- Forwards

• Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Philadelphia Flyers (France)
• Mikkel Bødker, San Jose Sharks (Denmark)
• Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (Germany)
• Marián Gáborík, Los Angeles Kings (Slovakia)
• Jannik Hansen, Vancouver Canucks (Denmark)
• Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks (Slovakia)
• Anže Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings (Slovenia) "C"
• Nino Niederreiter, Minnesota Wild (Switzerland)
• Frans Nielsen, New York Islanders (Denmark)
• Tobias Rieder, Arizona Coyotes (Germany) 
• Tomáš Tatar, Detroit Red Wings (Slovakia)
• Thomas Vanek, Detroit Red Wings (Austria)
• Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers (Norway)

Defense:

• Zdeno Chára, Boston Bruins (Slovakia)
• Christian Ehrhoff, Chicago Blackhawks (Germany)
• Roman Josi, Nashville Predators (Switzerland)
• Luca Sbisa, Vancouver Canucks (Italy)
• Dennis Seidenberg, Boston Bruins (Germany)
• Andrej Sekera, Edmonton Oilers (Slovakia)
• Mark Streit, Philadelphia Flyers (Switzerland)

Goalies:

• Philipp Grubauer, Washinton Capitals (Germany)- replacement for injured Frederik Andersen
• Jaroslav Halák, New York Islanders (Slovakia)
• Thomas Greiss, New York Islanders (Germany)