At least one Vancouver Canucks player will be heading to the World Championships this year, representing Canada.
Bo Horvat confirmed on Monday that he got the call from Team Canada management, and will represent his country at the Worlds in Denmark that begins on May 4.
“Just to wear the Canadian sweater and represent your country that way, it’s going to be an awesome experience and I’m looking forward to it,” said Horvat at the Canucks end of season media availability.
This won’t be the first time Horvat has worn the maple leaf, as he represented Canada at the 2014 World Juniors and the 2012 Ivan Hlinka U18 tournament. Playing for Team Canada now should be a great experience for Horvat, getting to play with some elite players that are sure to wear the red and white.
Horvat took another step forward this season, increasing his points per game average for a third year in a row. The team’s free-fall from playoff contention occurred at the same moment as as his injury in December, which isn’t completely coincidental.
The 23-year-old solidified himself as the team’s No. 1 centre, and was the net-front presence on the team’s power play, which finished ninth-best in the league this season. He finished the year with 44 points (22-22-44) in 64 games, averaging 19:21 of ice time per night.
With Henrik and Daniel Sedin retiring, expect more responsibility to be shouldered by Horvat next season, perhaps including the captain’s C.
Horvat might not be the only Canuck to play for Canada, as Troy Stecher is reportedly on a long list of defencemen on the national team’s radar.
Been told Troy Stecher is on a long list to play for Canada at the world hockey championships. No call yet for Stecher. #Canucks
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 8, 2018
Jacob Markstrom is still pondering a chance to play for Team Sweden, while Alex Edler confirmed he will not play. Jussi Jokinen probably has a spot if he wants to play for Team Finland, while most of the other strong candidates are banged up, and unlikely to play.