The first Pens Roundtable of the season featuring Penguins Beat Writers Jonathan Bombulie and Bill West plus Columnist Rob Rossi. The goalie debate of Murray vs. Fleury has already started. World Cup of Hockey. Game Show-Wrestler or World Cup Hockey player?
Rosters filled with the greatest stars in hockey — including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Jonathan Toews – will be competing at CONSOL Energy Center on Wednesday, September 14 when Team Canada takes on Team Russia in a World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game at 7:30 p.m.
Joining Crosby and Toews (Chicago Blackhawks) on the start-studded Canada roster will be Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning), John Tavares (NY Islanders), Drew Doughty (LA Kings), Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers), Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks) and many others.
Skating with Malkin and Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) for Team Russia will be Pavel Datsyuk (KHL, former Detroit Red Wing), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals), Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues), Artemi Panarin (Chicago Blackhawks) and many more.
The first game of the doubleheader will feature Team North America against the Czech Republic at 3:30 p.m. Team North America features the top under-24 players in the U.S. and Canada, led by Matt Murray, Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres) and four products of the Pittsburgh youth hockey system – Brandon Saad (Columbus Blue Jackets), John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks), J.T. Miller (NY Rangers) and Vince Trocheck (Florida Panthers).