Connor McDavid and Allan Walsh CALL-OUT NHL after World Baseball Classic

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Ryan
March 22, 2023 (9:14 PM)

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Yesterday, the underdog Japan won the World Baseball Championship game against the USA with a score of 3-2. The match was a thrilling showdown between two of baseball's best players and teammates, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, highlighting the excitement and significance of international baseball.

Allan Walsh has now raised the question of where is the equivalent moment for hockey.

See the iconic showdown between Ohtani and Trout at WBC? Gary Bettman and the owners have robbed NHL players and the fans of Olympics and World Cups. A generation of NHL stars have never represented their countries best on best. It's such a lost opportunity for everyone.� Allan Walsh (@walsha) March 22, 2023

For NHL players, international competition has been impossible due to the actions of Gary Bettman. The players have been barred from the Olympics since 2010 and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, though it is exciting, cannot compare to true best-on-best of international hockey. Bettman's decision to block players' participation stems from concerns about injuries raised by team owners and General Managers.

Even at 26 years old, Connor McDavid, undoubtedly the best player in the world, has not played for his country since the World Juniors Tournament at the age of 17. As Walsh points out, the absence of best-on-best is a missed opportunity for everyone, depriving fans of the spectacle and denying players and countries the chance to compete at the highest level. It is a meaningful event that promotes the growth of hockey globally.

"It's what we've been asking for in hockey for a long time, right? Best-on-best... 'Did you see Ohtani vs Trout?' That's what hockey's been missing for almost a decade now."

Connor McDavid wants to see the NHL do best-on-best. 👏 pic.twitter.com/sSidLA1EbV� Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) March 22, 2023