The cards might be stacked against Team Europe heading into Game 1 of the World Cup of Hockey final on Tuesday, but a blessing from hockey royalty could give the underdogs a much-needed spark.
That right there is Wayne Gretzky, three-time Canada Cup champion, leaving Europe and Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar a message that reads: “Good luck have fun”.
Gretzky of course spent almost eight seasons with the Kings, and has gotten to know Kopitar quite well over the years, calling the Slovenian centre “one of the best two-way players in hockey” earlier on Tuesday.
Game 1 gets underway at 8 p.m. ET, with an undefeated Canadian team coming in as the heavy favourite.
While Jaroslav Halak will no doubt need to be Europe’s best player for an upset to happen, we’ll see if Kopitar can get a boost from The Great One’s note.
