Despite the fact it’s summer, there’s still plenty of NHL news these days that will alter odds on Ontario betting sites. With a flat salary cap at $83.5 million for the upcoming season, teams are needing to be more creative shaping their rosters for this fall, meaning news headlines will keep popping up all summer, unlike in years past.
So the NHL has become a 12-month-of-the-year information churn.
The World Cup of Hockey has been a topic that’s been chattered about a lot recently as well. The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association announced last November that the World Cup would not be returning in 2024. It was last played in 2016, with all games played in Toronto (won by Canada), with tournaments also played in 1996 and 2004.
The tournament in 1996 was particularly memorable, a Fall-time event that caught the attention of hockey fans around the world, with the Team USA-Team Canada rivalry and intensity at the top of the watchability list. Team USA would go to win the World Cup that year after several fight-filled contests.
The NHL and NHLPA said they hope to revive the tournament in 2025, which isn’t that far down the road.
One complication? The NHL has suspended all business relationships with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. In fact, Russia has been suspended from all international competitions until further notice.
Still, even with Russia kicked out, it’s fun to look at how rosters would look, especially the powerhouses. While you won't find this action on Ontario sports betting apps, read on for who fans want on Team Canada.
Fans Want The Usual Suspects
The discussion and debate booted around Twitter on how Team Canada should look has been robust. With that in mind, renowned Twitter user @JFreshHockey utilized his 96,000 followers to conduct a survey on who should make the roster.
The survey was conducted on July 5 and had a sample size of 5,090 results. If the tournament does happen in 2025, the Americans will be loaded - Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Kyle Connor, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Adam Fox, the list goes on.
According to the survey, not surprisingly, topping the list for potential Team Canada forwards was superstar Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, with 100% of the participants saying he should be there, followed by the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (99%), Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins (99%), Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins (92%) and Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs (97%).
Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point is right up there too, at 94%. Surprisingly, so is Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks (58%) – who was just drafted first overall last month.
Ninety-nine percent of participants want Cale Makar (Avalanche) on defence, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights' Alex Pietrangelo (79%).
Forwards Who Fans Want On The Team
*Forward Runner-Ups: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oilers (28%), Nick Suzuki, Canadiens (24%), Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers (23%), Jordan Kyrou, Blues (21%), Ryan O’Reilly, Predators (20%)
Defensemen Who Fans Want On The Team
Defense Runner-Ups: MacKenzie Weegar, Flames (31%), Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs (31%), Drew Doughty, Kings (28%)
Carter Hart Leader For Now In Goal
In goal? There’s more parity there – Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers (59%), Darcy Kuemper of the Washington Capitals (48%) and Tristan Jarry of the Penguins (44%).
Look for more news on the World Cup front this upcoming season, as the league and the players start to sort out 2025. OntarioBets is also your home for the best online casino Ontario options.
Goalies Who Fans Want On The Squad
Goalie Runner-Ups: Adin Hill, Golden Knights (33%), Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild (32%)
