The kids are coming in with confidence.
Team North America hit the ice Monday in Montreal for the first time ahead of the World Cup, and if you ask Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, he's confident about his under-23 squad's chances.
"All of us play in the NHL, and it's a young league," MacKinnon told NHL.com's Tim Campbell. "I think we have some of the best players in the league on this team. We're the most skilled team here, in my opinion. I think we are, just with our speed."
MacKinnon isn't worried about a lack of experience on the team, even though, as Campell writes, no player on the club "has a single game of international best-on-best experience."
"I don't think anybody cares," MacKinnon said.
Straight and to the point.
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said playoff experience, which a number of players have, will do just fine.
In other words, the club isn't thinking about who's lining up on the other side of the ice. The players are only concerned about Team North America, and will go into the tournament ready to compete.
"We won't tiptoe our way into the tournament," said Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
