Matvei Michkov turning heads at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship

FRISCO, Texas — For nearly two decades, the hockey world has debated the merits of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

Crosby has won four Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ovechkin one with the Washington Capitals, and they may both win a few more before their careers end. But the debate over the merits and the legacies of the two generational players may never end

Another Sid vs. Ovi debate is already starting to emerge: Connor Bedard or Matvei Michkov?

Bedard, a 15-year-old Canadian centre who became the first-ever WHL player of exceptional status and Michkov, a 16-year-old Russian winger, are poised to become the new faces of the next generation of NHL players.

Bedard and Michkov aren't eligible to be drafted until 2023 but the world is finally getting a preview of