TORONTO — Team Europe is the Rodney Dangerfield of the World Cup of Hockey: They can’t get no respect.
It doesn’t seem to matter that their captain, Anze Kopitar, was instrumental in the Los Angeles Kings winning two Stanley Cups.
It doesn’t seem to matter that Marian Hossa has scored 499 regular-season NHL goals and won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks.
It doesn’t seem to matter that defencemen Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg have raised Lord Stanley’s mug with the Boston Bruins.
And it doesn’t seem to matter that they have budding stars in blueliner Roman Josi and forward Leon Draisaitl.