Tyler Myers is second Canucks defenceman joining Canada's World Championship roster

May 3 2023, 8:10 pm

The right side of Team Canada’s defence will have a Canucks flavour to it at this year’s IIHF World Championship, which begins next week.

Two Vancouver Canucks defencemen have accepted invites from Hockey Canada, according to reports. After Ethan Bear was added to Canada’s roster, per Rick Dhaliwal’s report on April 20, a second Canuck has recently said yes to the annual overseas tournament.

In a surprise addition, Tyler Myers will be donning the maple leaf for Canada at the World Championship, according to a report from Patrick Johnston of Postmedia. Not many veteran players typically suit up for Canada at this tournament, so the 33-year-old blueliner is an exception.

Myers has played for Canada at the World Championship twice before, in 2010 and 2014, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Born in Houston, Texas, Myers grew up in Calgary and played junior hockey in Kelowna.

The 6-foot-8 defender tallied 17 points (1-16-17) in 78 games for the Canucks this season, his fourth season in Vancouver.

Bear, 25, has not played internationally since the U18 World Championship in 2015. The Regina product scored 16 points (3-13-16) in 61 games after being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes back in October.

A third Canucks player is headed to the World Championship, according to Dhaliwal, as Conor Garland will reportedly play for Team USA. The Massachusetts-born winger was one of the stars of the 2021 World Championship, finishing second in tournament scoring with 13 points in 10 games. Garland won a bronze medal for his country that year, and was named to the tournament’s All-Star team.

Elias Pettersson wanted to play for Sweden but was reportedly unable to get properly insured, so he will sit out. Pettersson is due for a big contract extension, as his current deal expires after next season.

The 2023 IIHF World Championship begins May 12, with games taking place in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia.

Rob WilliamsRob Williams

+ Offside
+ Hockey
+ Canucks
ADVERTISEMENT