LA Kings Influence Canada’s World Cup Victory

By Jeff Duarte
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Updated: October 1, 2016

If I have to think of another team that is more dramatic in its actions than Team Canada, then it is without a doubt the Los Angeles Kings. And in typical Kings’ fashion, two players from the Kings (but on opposite sides of the international battleground known as Game 2 of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey Final), ended up influencing the final score during the last minutes (and seconds) of the game, allowing Team Canada to defeat Team Europe 2-1 to win their second straight World Cup and third straight “Best on Best” tournament competition.

First it was the Kings’ and Team Europe’s Captain Anze Kopitar, taking a holding penalty against Canadian (and Anaheim Duck) nemesis Corey Perry with less than 4 minutes left in the game.

Frustrated at the call, Kopitar was uncharacteristically angry in the penalty box and sensing doom, and he was right. After 57 minutes of total control in the game and a 1-0 lead for Team Europe, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, tied the game up for Canada at 17:07 on the power-play, putting Team Europe’s hope and chances to push for a third and final game in the championship series in jeopardy.

Then another LA King, this time Canada’s Drew Doughty took a high-sticking penalty with less than 2 minutes to go before overtime, giving Team Europe an opportunity to take down the heavily favored Canadians in this game, but the Hockey Gods had other plans. Shorthanded with Doughty in the penalty box, Team Canada’s alternate Captain Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks bravely broke into Europe’s defensive zone and drew the attention of all of the European’s defenders, leaving the pesky Brad Marchand wide open and scoring the World Cup winning goal with :32 seconds left in the 3rd period.

Drew Doughty exploded with excitement in the penalty box (and leaving TV audiences with nothing but a crotch shot of him jumping up and down. Oh Dewy). Can’t blame him though. He loves his country and he loves to win. This World Cup victory adds to his already Hall of Fame worthy resume that includes 2 Stanley Cup victories, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, a World Junior Gold Medal, a Gold Medal from the 2007 World Junior Summit Series (between Canada and Russia) and a Norris Trophy. Well done “Dewy!” But seriously, Canada wins it all with a World Cup winning shorthanded goal??? Oh Hockey Gods, you never seize to amaze me.

This must have been heartbreaking for Kopitar. Team Europe were within minutes of winning the game after a dominate performance against the sluggish and sloppy Canadians, (who was dominant throughout the entire tournament but were being out played and hustled by the Europeans in both games of the Final), but his penalty allowed Canada to come back and then win the game and the World Cup.

As a Canadian, I am very proud and happy for Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin (who was a healthy scratch but did get to play the 3rd round robin game), LA Kings’ and Team Canada equipment manager Darren Granger and of course, Team Canada, but as a die-hard Los Angeles Kings’ fan, it was hard and tough to see “Kopi” go out like that. Especially when the penalty was due to an altercation with Anaheim’s Perry, who is very well-known for diving.

(If looks could kill)

Still, Anze Kopitar and his Team Europe squad (including fellow LA King Marian Gaborik, who was injured in the shocking semi-final win over Sweden), have nothing but to feel proud of what they accomplished in this tournament.

I don’t think I can explain with how much PRIDE I wore this jersey…. @TeamEUR_WCH #nopastandnofuture pic.twitter.com/CFH0O3IoLu

— Anze Kopitar (@AnzeKopitar) September 30, 2016

When the announcement of a unified Team Europe which merged the best players of the smaller European countries such as Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark etc, was announced by the NHL, (along with an under 23-year-old unified North American team with future stars Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon), the two newly formed teams were instantly laughed at and giving no chance at victory. People were accusing the NHL of purposely making the World Cup of Hockey nothing more than a marketing gimmick (and they weren’t entirely wrong), but after the thrilling and jump out of your seat excitement that Team North America provided and the pot stirring, upset making force that Team Europe became, no one is laughing anymore.

(Respect)

Thus ends, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, the first Word Cup “Best on Best” tournament since 2004 and 1996, (which took over from the original Canada Cup tournaments from 1976 to 1991). There were thrills, tears and some great top-level hockey that you don’t normally see in the month of September and with it looking more and more like the NHL is NOT going to participate in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics games in South Korea, look for the World Cup to become more of a staple for the best hockey players in the world to compete in every four years for their native countries. The tournament (and the actual World Cup trophy) did lack a certain prestige, shine and hypnotic atmosphere that the Olympics always provide (shiny Gold medals are never a bad thing), but if the NHL is able to keep this tournament going consistently, and give other hockey mad countries a chance to host the event, more people might be willing to give it more of a chance as they did back in the day before the NHL was allowed to participate in the Olympic games in 1998.

Congratulations goes to Drew Doughty (what hasn’t he won???), Jake Muzzin, Darren Granger, assistant general manager Rob Blake and Team Canada for their championship victory, (and yes, that includes … (gulp) … Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Thornton, Logan “Don’t Call Me Rat Face” Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brent Burns) and to Team Canada’s and the Montreal Canadiens’ goalie Carey Price, who kept Canada alive with a huge save from an attack by Kopitar and Marian Hossa near the end of the game. Price was lights out in this tournament and in my opinion, the real MVP of these games. Also huge respect and props to Anze Kopitar, (who can Captain my team any day … no wait … he already DOES!), Marian Gaborik (heal up soon) and the rest of Team Europe for playing some amazing hockey that shocked the world, but not to those who already knew the worth of those star players.

With this tournament now in the books, let’s get Doughty, Muzzin and Kopitar back on the same team together, because I know I’m over them playing and battling against each other. There really is nothing worse than a clash of Kings. So take off those international jerseys and put on your LA Kings’ armor. The new season has arrived and it’s time to kick some ass together.

GO KINGS GO!!!

(Kopi and Dewy, besties for life!)

*Special thanks to Johnny Bairos, Dee Bairos, Tony Bairos, Theresa Walsh Duarte, Faye Walsh, Mario Hicks, Kelly Hrudey, “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky and my new friends from row 14, Tim, Lindsay, the two crazy Swiss guys and the old guy with the 1972 Team Canada Summit Series jersey for their help with these articles and for the amazing experience of being at, covering and watching this World Cup of Hockey LIVE with all of them. I will cherish these memories forever.

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