COLOGNE – Vancouver Canucks defenceman Christian Ehrhoff arrived in Germany on Thursday to join the German national team for the 2010 IIHF World Championship.

The 27-year-old joins the host team after Vancouver was ousted in the NHL conference semi-finals by the Chicago Blackhawks.

A three-time Olympian, Ehrhoff will be one of the two additional players that each team can register after the Preliminary Round. Ehrhoff will play his fifth World Championship.

In 92 games (including playoffs) Ehrhoff had 17 goals and 34 assists. The swift-skating former San Jose Shark, in his first season with the Canucks, emerged as a go-to blueliner this year in the wake of injuries to other mainstays like Willie Mitchell.