The NHL and NHLPA had an interesting twist with the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.

While it wasn’t necessarily the historic event the NHL probably thought it would be, fans around hockey remember it fondly for one major reason - Team North America.

Team “Some of Europe” may have finished second in the tournament, but it was the young guns on that 23-and-under Canada and USA combination team that stood out. It was our introduction to Auston Matthews against the best players in the world.

Connor McDavid put the hockey world on notice. Nathan MacKinnon, Johnny Gaudreau and Jack Eichel all showed themselves to be the future superstars that they eventually became.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off coming in February as the next big international event in hockey, we will see Canada, USA, Finland and Sweden go head to head in as close to a best-on-best that we’ve seen in a decade.

What could a Team North America have looked like at this upcoming event? Who would make up the 23-and-under roster of young talent, setting aside the fact that some of these players will likely make Canada or the USA anyway? How would they stack up against four of the biggest powers in international hockey? Let’s dive into the roster.

Forwards

Last cuts: Macklin Celebrini, Dylan Holloway, Matthew Knies, Mason McTavish

The forward group may not boast the likes of McDavid and Matthews this time around, but the talent on this roster is pretty unreal.

The top line barely comes in under the age cutoff  – they don’t turn 24 until after the tournament. Jack Hughes is an uber-skilled playmaking center, slotting in as the No. 1 center alongside his former teammates at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Cole Caufield and Matt Boldy. Caufield brings elite goal-scoring, sitting tied for third in the NHL's goals race at 10 in 14 games. Boldy, meanwhile, blends size and skill. Their familiarity with each other could be a big advantage.

The second line features two first-overall picks, Connor Bedard and Alexis Lafreniere. Alongside Cole Perfetti, the all-Canadian trio has the potential to be a firecracker of an offensive line. Bedard is an exceptional goal-scorer, and Lafreniere has slowly become one of the game’s premier 5-on-5 scorers. Perfetti is an emerging playmaker who thinks the game at an elite level.

Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven are linemates on the Dallas Stars, so taking advantage of their obvious chemistry makes a ton of sense for the third line. They played on the same Under-18 Canadian team with Dylan Guenther during the COVID-19 bubble tournament of 2021 in Dallas. This line would give Team North America a level of depth scoring that would be tough to match.

The fourth line, centered by Quinton Byfield, is an interesting mix of size and tenacity. With Connor McMichael and Seth Jarvis on his wings, this line would be tough to play against, and they could score with just about any fourth line in the tournament. McMichael has been one of the hottest players in the NHL to start the season, with eight goals and 13 points in 12 games.

The 13th forward spot was difficult to choose and came down to Macklin Celebrini and Dawson Mercer. As much as Celebrini would be a cool addition to the team, he hasn’t been healthy to start the season, and he still has plenty to prove in the NHL.

Ultimately, Mercer grabbed the spot because of his impressive start to the season, with eight points in 16 games. He’s returned to the versatile, do-it-all player he was a couple of seasons ago. He could slot in on the wing or down the middle, giving the team plenty of options if injury or poor performance arises.

Defensemen

Last cuts: Bowen Byram, Braden Schneider, Mason Lohrei, Alex Vlasic

The back end was tougher to figure out, specifically regarding the makeup of the pairs and how to fill the right side without more than two clear choices for right-shot defenders. That meant that five of the seven defensemen that made this hypothetical squad are left-shot defensemen.

Thomas Harley is arguably one of the most underrated players in the NHL. He’s become an integral piece on the back end for the Dallas Stars, and his presence has allowed Finnish defender Miro Heiskanen to flourish with Dallas. Pairing Harley with last year’s Calder Trophy runner-up, Brock Faber, gives them a top pair that can help shut down the opposing team and get the play moving up ice.

On the second pair, the left-handed Owen Power goes to the right side because of his mobility and puck skill. He’ll pair up with Jake Sanderson. The duo brings size and mobility with Sanderson taking charge in the defensive zone and Power being the bigger offensive threat. Both can be effective players at both ends of the ice, though, and that’s why the pair could be Team North America’s most important.

Kaiden Guhle is one of the NHL’s most promising emerging defensive players in the game, and he’s doing it on one of the NHL’s least defensively inclined teams, the Montreal Canadiens. Pairing him with budding Los Angeles Kings’ defender Brandt Clarke could be the perfect balance between offense and defense.

Related: New AHL Graduates Impact NHL Rosters, Including Red Wings' Edvinsson And Kings' Clarke

There were a couple of options for the team's seventh defenseman. Braden Schnieder and Mason Lohrei could be very solid defensive presences for the team, and Schnieder is a right shot. That said, they would feel like redundances in this group.

Bowen Byram is an interesting option because of his two-way game with an offensive lean, but he’s not quite a difference-maker.

Enter Lane Hutson, the Canadiens rookie who has brought some of the most creative and impressive offensive play that we’ve seen since Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes were first-year NHLers. Hutson could be the team’s secret weapon on the back end.

Goalies

Last cuts: Drew Commesso, Sebastian Cossa

There aren’t many young goalies in the NHL and there are even fewer making an impact the way this team will need. Spencer Knight, Dustin Wolf and Devon Levi are all in time-share tandems on their respective NHL teams. Knight and Wolf would likely duke it out for the starters job, but we will give it to Knight because of his experience in the NHL to this point. There’s no clear-cut answer, and there’s a reality where all three would see game action.

Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.