In a star-studded tournament like the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, it takes an incredible performance for any individual to rise above the pack and get noticed.
That is especially true when it is one of the team's more unheralded two-way talents, as opposed to the pure goal scorers.
Based on underlying numbers for both the exhibition and round-robin games, one standout player has been identified per team who is playing the tough minutes against top opponents in both zones and all manpower situations, and tilting the ice in their team's favor in terms of both goals and shot-based metrics.