Doug Armstrong was selected as general manager of Team Canada on Monday and he said that there are advantages and challenges to the eight-team event that will be held in Toronto Sept. 17 to Oct. 1, 2016.

”It’s going to be exciting knowing that you’re going to get healthy players with energy,” said Armstrong, referring to the early fall start time.

”At the Olympics you’re crossing your fingers and hoping that last game you’re not losing players. That’s not going to be the case now. We’re going to get well-rested players.”

The event, hosted by the NHL and NHLPA, has some tweaks to its formatting. Traditional hockey powers Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States will have teams, but two all-star teams will also compete.

An all-European lineup of players from unrepresented countries will play, as well as a team of North American players 23 years old and younger.

”When you go to some international events, some of the games aren’t maybe as competitive as other games,” said Armstrong after a news conference in downtown Toronto.

”At this one, certainly, all games are going to be competitive and you jump right in to having to play your way into the playoffs. It’s going to be a great challenge and we’re going to have to be ready to play right off the bat.”

Armstrong will balance his day job as GM of the St. Louis Blues with his Team Canada responsibilities. He’ll get help from Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray, Los Angeles Kings assistant Rob Blake and Hockey Canada vice president Scott Salmond.

Armstrong and Holland return from the management group that put together the undefeated, gold medal-winning 2014 Sochi Olympic team. Blake served as Canada’s GM for the 2014 world championships. Bergevin has played for Canada in international competition, but this is his first management post.

The rules and playing surface of the World Cup will be different from most international hockey competitions.

An NHL-sized rink of 200 feet by 85 feet will be used, unlike most Olympics and world hockey championships which use the larger international standard of 200 feet by 100 feet.

”I think that’s going to benefit us because all of our players will be NHL players and they’re going to understand that format,” Armstrong said.

”But when you look at the international players that are going to be playing here, the majority of them will have NHL experience. We’re going to pick the best players that can play, but I know our guys are extremely comfortable on the playing surface.”

The event will use a hybrid of NHL and international rules, but Armstrong says the logistics of that haven’t been worked out yet.

Part of Salmond’s responsibilities will be to work with organizers on how the two styles blend together.

Armstrong says there’s nearly unanimous agreement about who Canada’s top 16 players will be. He plans to announce them as early as March 1, but wants to have a coaching staff in place before then so he can have their input on the roster as well.

”As far as names for the (coaching) staff, there’s a lot of great candidates,” Armstrong said.

”You have Mike Babcock, who’s represented Canada at the last two Olympics and won. You’ve got Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, Darryl Sutter who’s won two Stanley Cups, Alain Vigneault who’s won two Presidents’ Trophies with different teams, and the list goes on and on.”

Two big name players that will not be on that roster are top prospect Connor McDavid and young Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, both of whom will presumably play for the under-23 team.

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The 35-year-old Redden was placed on waivers this week by the New York Rangers, who bought out the final two years of his contract on Thursday.

Also on Friday, the Blues released 35-year-old defenseman Colin White, who was brought in for a tryout earlier this week. White is three games shy of 800 over 12 NHL seasons. He played in 54 games for the San Jose Sharks last season after 11 seasons with the New Jersey Devils.

Redden, who spent the past two seasons with Connecticut of the AHL, had five goals and 35 assists in 156 regular-season games with the Rangers over two seasons after he signed a six-year, $39 million deal to leave Ottawa.

Under the new labor deal, Redden will earn a pro-rated $3.341 million this season plus two-thirds of the $5 million he was set to earn next season. In 994 career NHL games over 13 years, Redden has 106 goals and 344 assists.

“Wade is a solid two-way defenseman,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Friday. “We believe his experience will complement and add stability to our defensive core.”

Redden is scheduled for a physical on Sunday, a day after the Blues open the season at home against the Detroit Red Wings. He was the second overall pick by the New York Islanders in 1995.

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