All games this season will be played among divisional opponents, so the rivals are projected to meet nine or 10 teams over the course of the 56-game schedule. There are also increased odds the Flames and Oilers will meet in the playoffs.
"Those games get a lot of traction. Even people who don't know much about hockey have come up to me a lot and asked about our games against Edmonton. I can't believe how many people in St. Louis I ran into wanted to talk about it. That's the first thing they always ask me about - what those games are like to play in," he added. "The Battle of Alberta has officially gone outside this province - not only in Canada but the rest of the U.S. The common thing they say is it's must-watch TV."
Tkachuk starred in multiple intense clashes between the two clubs last season, and his feud with Oilers enforcer Zack Kassian was one of the most memorable subplots of the 2019-20 campaign.
The 23-year-old led the Flames with 61 points in 69 contests a season ago.
In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.
The 2008 world juniors were held in the Czech Republic, with Canada looking to claim its fourth consecutive gold medal and 14th overall at the event.
A group of players who have now developed into household NHL names led a 2008 roster that was absolutely stacked and destined to finish atop a competitive field.
The roster
Player
Position
Age
Kyle Turris
F
18
Brad Marchand*
F
19
Claude Giroux
F
19
Steven Stamkos
F
17
John Tavares
F
17
Matt Halischuk
F
19
Shawn Matthias
F
19
Stefan Legein
F
19
Colton Gillies
F
18
Brandon Sutter
F
18
Wayne Simmonds
F
19
Zach Boychuk
F
18
Riley Holzapfel
F
19
Drew Doughty
D
18
Karl Alzner*
D
19
Logan Pyett
D
19
Thomas Hickey
D
18
Luke Schenn
D
18
P.K. Subban
D
18
Josh Godfrey
D
19
Steve Mason
G
19
Jonathan Bernier
G
19
*Denotes returning player All ages are as of the start of the tournament
The tournament
SAMUEL KUBANI / AFP / Getty
Canada came out flying, opening the tournament with back-to-back shutout victories over the host Czech Republic team and Slovakia. A 4-3 loss to Sweden, however, cost the Canadians the top spot in Group A and an automatic trip to the semifinals. Mason would take the reigns in goal for the remainder of the tournament, with Canada needing to advance past three tough nations en route to a gold medal.
The Red and White clashed with Finland in the quarterfinals. With the contest squared midway through the third period, Marchand delivered the game-winning goal. Mason then shined in the semis, making 33 stops as Canada knocked off the United States 4-1 to set up a rematch with Sweden in the gold-medal game.
After Marchand and Giroux put Canada ahead 2-0, the Swedes struck twice in the third, tying the game with just 38 seconds remaining to set up Halischuk's overtime heroics.
The stars
SAMUEL KUBANI / AFP / Getty
A dominant top line of Marchand - the sole returnee among the forwards - Giroux, and Turris led Canada. The trio combined for 10 goals and 20 points over seven matchups while finding the twine in every game except the tournament opener.
The team also featured a pair of 17-year-old phenoms in Tavares and Stamkos. Tavares, who was still 18 months away from being drafted first overall, co-led the squad with four goals, while a baby-faced Stamkos contributed six points.
Defensively, Canada may have been even more impressive. Future Norris Trophy winners Doughty and Subban anchored a blue line that also included soon-to-be lottery pick Schenn. Godfrey, who was never able to crack an NHL lineup, led Canadian rearguards in scoring with five assists, but Doughty was named the best defenseman of the tournament after his dominant play all over the ice.
In goal, Mason produced one of the most inspiring performances in Canadian world junior history, authoring a 5-0 record with a 1.19 goals-against average and .951 save percentage. The Ontario native joined Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price as the only Canadian netminders to earn both tournament MVP and best goalie honors.
The key moment
SAMUEL KUBANI / AFP / Getty
Aside from the loss to Sweden, Canada faced little adversity throughout the tournament until the gold-medal finale. In that contest, the team blew a late lead and needed to regroup before overtime.
The Canadians didn't lose focus, and what started as a harmless play turned into one of the most memorable highlights in world junior history. Outnumbered in the offensive zone, Matthias bullied his way from the corner to the front of the net before Halischuk deposited the loose puck to clinch gold for Canada just 3:36 into the extra frame.
Halischuk became only the second player to clinch gold for his country in overtime since the tournament adopted the playoff format in 1996. Four players have done it since, with Kasperi Kapanen's golden goal for Finland in 2016 the latest.
The fallout
Andre Ringuette / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Stamkos and Doughty were selected No. 1 and 2, respectively, at the NHL draft just five months later. The pair have now combined to win three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, two World Cups, a Norris Trophy (Doughty), and two Rocket Richard trophies (Stamkos).
Schenn was selected with the fifth pick in the 2008 draft, and Boychuk went 14th. Giroux and Marchand, who were each selected in 2006, went on to become two of the league's most elite talents while dominating the following decade. Giroux ranked fourth in points (788) through the 2010s, while Marchand finished 19th in points (646) and 10th in goals. He also captured the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins during his rookie campaign in 2011.
Some players from the team - including Legein, Holzapfel, Pyett, and Godfrey - never made it to the NHL.
Hickey, Subban, Boychuk, and Tavares returned to Team Canada in 2009 to help the nation capture its fifth consecutive gold medal. Canada then hit a five-year title drought, failing to win any medal in two of the tournaments during that stretch.
An announcement is reportedly expected to be made this coming week.
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who signed with the Vegas Golden Knights this offseason, last wore the "C" for the Blues.
"He is a good choice," Pietrangelo told Rutherford via text message. "One of the hardest working guys I know. Leads by example every day. Has succeeded in this league for a long time, and for good reason. I was happy to have him by my side for a few years. Great person, teammate, and player!
"He will make a great captain. Good luck to him, no doubt he is the right choice."
The 11-year veteran is as decorated as they come. O'Reilly has already won a Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy, and Lady Byng Trophy. The 29-year-old tallied 61 points in 71 games last season and is considered one of the league's premier two-way centers.
O'Reilly was acquired in a franchise-altering trade with the Buffalo Sabres in July 2018 in exchange for Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, a 2019 first-round pick (Ryan Johnson), and a 2021 second-rounder.
On Sunday, the NHL unveiled preliminary information about its upcoming campaign. The league will begin a 56-game regular season on Jan. 13, start its playoffs May 11, and award the Stanley Cup - if all goes according to plan - in July. Of course, in the COVID-19 era, everything is subject to change.
What's new and exciting? The 2020-21 campaign calls for temporary realignment due to border closures. The seven Canadian NHL teams are set to form a one-time North Division, while the 24 American clubs are to be split into three other divisions - the East, Central, and West.
Here are some initial thoughts on the four new groups.
North Division
Teams: Canadiens, Canucks, Flames, Jets, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Senators
You can argue the Canadian teams have lucked out, seeing as the top four clubs from each division qualify for the playoffs and the North Division features only seven teams. In the same breath, you can argue they didn't luck out, seeing as right now, the North is the most difficult division to handicap.
Forget the All-Canadian tag; it should be known as the All-Chaos Division.
It's true, none of Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Montreal are top-of-mind Cup contenders. Yet, in a normal season with 82 games and traditional divisions, all six franchises would absolutely challenge for a playoff spot. And the difference in high-end talent and depth between the six squads is essentially negligible. Something will have to give, every night.
Derek Leung / Getty Images
The Flames, Canadiens, and Jets all boast first-rate starting goaltenders. The Maple Leafs, Canucks, and Oilers all have offensive dynamos in Auston Matthews, Elias Pettersson, and Connor McDavid. And each team is flawed in some way or another. Take Toronto, for instance. Based on how all the Canadian clubs currently look on paper, the Leafs probably deserve the slight edge. But their recent playoff history inspires the opposite of confidence, so, again, there's little to no difference to be found ... right?
Ottawa is a different story. The Senators are still rebuilding, but they shouldn't be taken too lightly. They proved to be a hard out in 2019-20 under new head coach D.J. Smith, and moving forward, the Sens will be bursting at the seams with hungry youngsters. After a productive offseason, it's not outrageous to think Ottawa could claw its way to a sixth-place finish in the North. A run of bad luck and/or a slew of injuries could tank one of the playoff-worthy teams' momentum during the truncated season.
The division's top rivalry is clearly the Battle of Alberta, or super pest Matthew Tkachuk versus Calgary's cross-province pals in Edmonton. The Flames and Oilers typically meet four times a year; in 2020-21, it'll be more than double that. The schedule has yet to be released, but Canadian teams will face each other nine or 10 times over a four-month period. For this reason, also keep your eyes glued on the Toronto-Vancouver season series. There's zero chance fans and media in both cities will able to behave themselves.
The main takeaway: Realignment guarantees a Canadian team will make the final four for only the fourth time in 10 years. It's fair to say Canada - which last watched one of its teams win the Cup way back in 1993 - will take those odds.
If the North consists of six good-but-not-great teams plus Ottawa, the East projects similarly but with New Jersey subbing in for the Senators as the division's lone non-threat and Buffalo playing the part of the disruptive wild card.
The normal Metropolitan Division projected to be a dog fight in 2020-21, and now Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, and the two New York teams must deal with Boston, the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner. On the flip side, perhaps we should temper our expectations for the Bruins, given the departure of Torey Krug (and possibly Zdeno Chara), the long-term layoffs for offensive spark plugs Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, and the overall wear and tear on a consistently elite team that's played a ton of hockey over the past decade. It's hard to get a feel for how good (or bad) Boston will be when the club is due to engage in 56 hard-fought regular-season games.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
The Sabres, meanwhile, will be coming off a 10-month break and headlined by the bombshell acquisition of former MVP Taylor Hall. And while the overall strength of the roster is questionable, at best, Buffalo's top-six forward group of Hall, Jack Eichel, Eric Staal, Sam Reinhart, Jeff Skinner, and Victor Olofsson/Dylan Cozens could do some serious damage. Ultimately, it may not be enough to rock the boat in this revamped Metro, even in a small sample, but the Sabres' appeal is real. Oh, and don't forget about Rasmus Dahlin.
From a league-wide perspective, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins meeting Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals eight times - or, on average, twice a month - to start 2021, will be awesome. Crosby's 33, Ovechkin's 35; the generational talents won't be sharing the ice forever. Cherish this rush of must-see action.
Central Division
Teams: Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Hurricanes, Lightning, Panthers, Predators, Red Wings, Stars
At the moment, "predictable" is the best descriptor for the Central.
The Lightning will likely finish first in the standings; Carolina and Dallas will probably end up occupying second and third, respectively, with the two clubs fitting the "scary at full potential" mold quite well; and Columbus and Nashville will surely jockey for the final playoff berth. The Blue Jackets, led by Pierre-Luc Dubois, Zach Werenski, Seth Jones, and two young goalies, are more reliable than the sputtering Predators at this point, so even the drama surrounding the No. 4 spot should be subdued.
Chase Agnello-Dean / Getty Images
That leaves Chicago, Detroit, and Florida out of the hunt. It's possible the Panthers get their act together and find themselves competing in meaningful games down the stretch for once, but that would have to coincide with both Nashville and Columbus underperforming. Put another way, there's a clear divide between the Central's top five and bottom three, and the end-of-season gap between the Lightning and lowly Red Wings should be gigantic.
Realignment has robbed us of the potential for a rematch of the 2020 Cup Final. Having the Lightning and Stars duke it out for eight regular-season contests is a nice consolation, however, and you wonder if any tension from the six-game bubble series will boil over into the new campaign.
West Division
Teams: Avalanche, Blues, Coyotes, Ducks, Golden Knights, Kings, Sharks, Wild
The first thing that comes to mind after scanning the West Division is the solid chance that the Cup is presented to one of these clubs if the NHL can make it to July. Vegas and Colorado are arguably two of the best three teams in the league, and St. Louis is in the top 10, too.
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
It will be very interesting to monitor the West standings and see who among those three teams claims the top seed ahead of what should be a wild first two rounds of the postseason. The Golden Knights are firmly in win-now mode; the Avalanche are on a seemingly unstoppable trajectory; and the Blues are just two years removed from a Cup win. At the individual player level, there's no reason why Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon won't continue to make his case for best-player-on-the-planet honors, while Alex Pietrangelo is about to make his debut for Vegas after a 12-year run with St. Louis. It's possible the Art Ross, Hart, Lindsay, and Norris trophies are handed out to West players.
Minnesota and Arizona are primed to battle for the fourth playoff spot, with the three California teams appearing bound for the sixth, seventh, and eighth positions in this top-heavy division. Two Cali-related side plots out of the gate: 1) Are the Sharks playing in San Jose or in a safer community? And 2) Is the Evander Kane-Ryan Reaves rivalry alive and well in 2021?
John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer. Contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com) or through Twitter (@MatiszJohn).
Although the NHL announced its plan for the upcoming season on Sunday, there are still potential roadblocks north of the border that could complicate the league's intended format.
However, talks are reportedly expected to continue early this coming week.
The Ontario government said Friday it hopes the Leafs and Sens can play the season in Canada.
The Vancouver Canucks have also reportedly not yet received approval from the British Columbia government.
The NHL's plan consists of a North Division, in which all Canadian teams would exclusively play each other. Moving all Canadian teams to the United States, or having all of them play in a single hub in Canada, are two ideas that have been floated around if issues arise. Given the league already announced its realignment, the former seems unlikely now.
The 2020-21 campaign is set to begin Jan. 13, with training camps opening Jan. 3 for teams that played in the 2020 postseason. As a non-playoff team, the Sens can open training camp Dec. 31.
Due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL and NHLPA are willing to be as flexible as possible in the coming weeks while working with local and national government and health authorities.
The NHL and NHLPA determined that the ongoing United States-Canada border closure requires the division realignment. The plan is for teams to play games in home arenas, but the NHL will be prepared to host contests in one or more "neutral site" venues tied to each division if that becomes necessary.
"While we are well aware of the challenges ahead, as was the case last spring and summer, we are continuing to prioritize the health and safety of our participants and the communities in which we live and play," commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "... I thank the NHLPA, particularly executive director Don Fehr, for working cooperatively with us to get our league back on the ice."
The regular season will conclude May 8. It will feature exclusively intradivisional play, meaning a team will square off with the clubs in its division eight times. In the North Division, squads will face each other nine or 10 times.
The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature 16 teams in a traditional best-of-seven, four-round format wrapping up in mid-July. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the postseason, with intradivisional play continuing for the first two rounds.
Formal training camps are set to begin on Jan. 3, and there will be no preseason games. The seven teams that didn't participate in last season's Return to Play can begin training camp on Dec. 31.
The league has also reportedly established dates for its key events, such as the 2021 draft, the opening of free agency, and the trade deadline.
