If you're not yet excited about the World Cup of Hockey, this will do it.
Upper Deck's clearly amped, and the cards manufacturer is releasing special five-card World Cup of Hockey packs to be given to customers who buy $25 worth of Upper Deck products as a gift.
The cards will be available Sept. 15.
Below are some images of the cards, courtesy of Upper Deck, with all eight teams - including Team Europe and Team North America - represented.
"I've always portrayed (the Ducks) as Cup contenders," Vermette told AnaheimDucks.com, after signing a two-year, $1.75-million-per-year deal with the Orange County club Monday. "That's a big thing for me. I had the chance to win it not too long ago, and now later in my career, I believe in this team and organization."
According to agent Allan Walsh, Vermette had offers from five different clubs, but the Ducks stood out as a team that continued to express interest.
"As talks evolved, some (teams) were more interested than others," he said. "Anaheim was there all throughout the process."
Vermette became a free agent after his contract was bought out by the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month.
The 34-year-old will provide Anaheim with valuable center depth, likely lining up as the third pivot behind captain Ryan Getzlaf and veteran center Ryan Kesler.
A noted faceoff specialist, Vermette ranks second among all active NHLers, winning 55.8 per cent of his career draws. In each of the past four seasons, he's ranked in the top 10 in faceoff wins.
He'll also provide Ducks coach Randy Carlyle with an extra option on the power play. Only two Anaheim skaters, Corey Perry (12) and former Ducks winger Jamie McGinn (9), tallied more power-play goals than Vermette (6) last season.
As Ducks GM Bob Murray told the Orange County Register, "Antoine is very versatile and gives us a bunch more options with our forward group."
In 76 games with Arizona last season, Vermette scored 17 goals and added 21 assists. Following his 2015 trade to Chicago, he provided the Hawks with much-needed playoff scoring, including three game-winning goals.
"I'm glad to be on (Anaheim's) side. They have a lot of tools in the lineup that can hurt you, and there are a lot of good players," he said. "I'm very excited to jump on board and find the right chemistry to give us another championship."
Although he's still two years removed from free agency, John Tavares has no intent to leave Long Island.
Speaking with Newsday.com, the New York Islanders captain expressed his desire to stay with the franchise long term, and his commitment to leading the team to its fifth Stanley Cup.
"I don't really have any reason to leave and I think we have a great makeup and a team that can do something special this year," Tavares said. "I've always expressed my love for playing for Long Island. It's where I started, it's all I know in the NHL."
The Islanders can sign Tavares to a long-term extension July 1, one year before he can become an unrestricted free agent.
"There's obviously still a lot of time, but Long Island is where I enjoy playing. I love being the captain there and they've treated me so well. The people, the fans have always been so good to me."
The Islanders have seen renewed success under Tavares. New York eliminated the Florida Panthers in the opening round of the 2016 playoffs, marking the Islanders' first playoff series victory since 1993.
"Winning that tough series against a good team gave us the belief that we've got what it takes to go right to the end."
With Harvard standout Jimmy Vesey set to hit the free-agent market at midnight Tuesday, the first overall pick in this summer's draft is going to be putting on his salesman suit before he plays a game in blue and white:
Whatever push the Leafs intend on putting on Vesey when the free agent window opens, will likely include Auston Matthews helping sell Tor.
A decision from Vesey's camp isn't expected until late this week or on the weekend, his agent said Monday.
Toronto is one of a handful of clubs linked to the 23-year-old, but are thought to have an inside track on the soon-to-be free agent. The Maple Leafs drafted Vesey's brother, Nolan, in 2014, and employ Vesey's father, Jim, as an amateur scout.
After undergoing offseason core muscle surgery, Schneider is looking forward to starring in goal for Team USA at the upcoming World Cup.
"Surgery pushed me back a little," Schneider told NHL.com. "But honestly I think having the World Cup sooner was a good thing because once I was cleared and felt good to go, I started pushing pretty hard.
"It's been a good, focused summer in terms of not only rehabbing, but keeping in mind that you have to be in game shape a little sooner than normal because you don't have as long a training camp to ease into it."
Schneider admits that part of the challenge will be the quick adjustment to the World Cup's short schedule.
"When you play in the Olympics, guys are in midseason form and they have it already, but for this tournament we all have to find a way to come in with an intensity and focus you normally don't have at the beginning of September."
While Schneider is excited to play for his country, he noted that his priority is being healthy for Devils training camp.
"It's a fine line talking with my strength coach and trying to figure out the pace and I am still in a strength mode because of the surgery, but it's not just the tournament. It's 82 games and hopefully more after that I need to prepare for."
Team USA's first game is set for Sept. 17 vs. Team Europe.
Canadian Olympic swimming superstar Penny Oleksiak's ties to hockey go deeper than her brother, Jamie, who plays defense for the Dallas Stars.
Now up to almost 45,000 followers after a miraculous week in Rio, Penny took part in a Twitter Q&A with BuzzFeed Canada on Monday, and revealed that her "biggest fan" is named after an NHL legend:
While he's set to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, highly coveted Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey won't rush to a decision.
''It's certainly not going to be tomorrow,'' Vesey's agent, Peter Fish, told The Associated Press. ''I would say the earliest may be Friday or Saturday, but I wouldn't expect it to drag on much into the following week.''
Vesey, 23, was drafted 66th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2012, but decided to forego signing with the club in order to pursue free agency.
"We have a lot of guys that started young and we've grown them into the group," Hitchcock said. "We've got experienced players who are just hitting their prime now."
Hitchcock also raved about the additions made behind the bench.
In June, the Blues announced the appointment of Mike Yeo (formerly of the Minnesota Wild), who will serve as associate coach and assume the main job a year from now.
Rick Wilson, who won the Stanley Cup in 1999 with Hitchcock as part of the Dallas Stars, was also named assistant coach.
"We're able to cherry-pick what Minny did. Their team was built the same way that our team is going to be built this year, not really big on size, but a bunch of puck-hunters."
With just over a month until the World Cup of Hockey kicks off, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is thrilled that one of the game's biggest pests will be on his side of the ice.
Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has made his mark in the league as a bruiser and a thorn in the side of the opposition. For Crosby the tournament will provide the rare opportunity to play alongside Marchand.
"You’re so used to playing against him, you know the way he plays," Crosby chuckles," Crosby said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. Having him on your team is going to be so much more enjoyable than having to play against him.
"Having a local guy, someone who’s from the same area, I think that’s pretty special to be competing for Team Canada with someone like that."
Marchand was added as one of the final additions to Team Canada's roster and after hitting a career-high 37 goals and 60 points this past season; Crosby feels it's no wonder he was chosen.
"You look at the season he had—he’s proven he can be a lot more than just an agitator. He’s a really good player, but part of his game is playing a tough brand [of hockey]. Playing right on that edge," Crosby says. "He’s had a tremendous career so far. I think that’ll be someone fun to join up with."
Fun aside, Crosby, Marchand, and co. will look to duplicate the result of the last World Cup of Hockey back in 2004 that saw Canada walk away tournament champions.
The defenseman has been recovering from offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia and groin injury suffered last campaign.
Alzner has been working out and admits it's now just a matter of time before he's back to his best.
"I was working out after the first week [following the procedure], which was fast," Alzner said, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic. "The hernia is going to be fine. The only thing is the groin; I’m still waiting for that to be 100-percent."
Alzner had been dealing with the injury for a large part of the year, but was forced to leave Game 6 in the second round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins - which his team ultimately lost, knocking them out of contention.
"I can do everything now, but I’m just maybe a half step slow because I can’t get the full extension with the power, the little kick at the end," said Alzner. "Once I get that kick back, then I’m 90-100 [percent]. So, I’m close."
His 458-game iron man streak remains intact and should extend as long as he's back to kick off the regular season.
