By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The start of hockey season is rapidly approaching and players will hit the ice even earlier than usual for game action in the first World Cup of Hockey since 2004.
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will officially open on Saturday, Sept. 17, but preliminary games are already underway. Canada is the favorite in the tournament with 12/11 odds entering the tournament according to My Top Sportsbook.
Much like the Olympics, this is a chance for players to represent their countries on the ice. For this tournament, special teams were created to incorporate the young players in the league. Team North America will have a roster of the best 24-and-under players from Canada and USA.
These rosters are comprised mainly of NHL players suiting up for their home countries.
In total, seven Flyers players will be participating in the tournament. Claude Giroux is part of the favorite Canada. Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere will suit up for Team North America. Mark Streit and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are on Team Europe. And Jake Voracek and Michal Neuvirth are on Team Czech Republic.
The format for the World Cup is as follows.
The eight teams have been split into two groups – Canada, Czech Republic, Europe and USA in Group A, Finland, North America, Russia and Sweden in Group B. After three games of round-robin style play, the top two teams from each group will advance to a one-game semi-final. The two winners advance to the best-of-three final.
While the games may not feature the full intensity that the NHL brings – after all, the final games of the World Cup will overlap with the start of the NHL preseason – but it is still a way for these players to begin their seasons and training for the upcoming NHL season in a competitive environment.
It also gives hockey fans an entertaining platform to watch their favorite NHL stars. It’s not often you see players like Giroux and Sidney Crosby playing together as teammates and working together.
Locally, this gives Flyers fans, who are insatiable when it comes to watching their players, a chance to get a head start on seeing pieces of the 2016-17 team. No matter the outcome, this will be an entertaining way to open the hockey season for the year.
