STOCKHOLM/HELSINKI – Finnish wunderkind Mikael Granlund and American forwards Alex Galchenyuk and T.J. Oshie will represent their countries at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
Mikael Granlund, member of the 2011 World Champion team, will join the Finnish national team on Monday. With the addition of Granlund, Finland will have its roster filled.
The 21-year-old forward will play in his third consecutive World Championship. In 19 games he has amassed three goals and 11 assists. He’s most remembered for his lacrosse-style goal he scored in 2011 in the semi-final game against Russia.
Granlund spent this past season in the Minnesota Wild organization splitting time between the Wild and their AHL affiliate Houston Aeros.
In his rookie season he played 27 NHL games (2 goals, 6 assists) and 34 AHL games (11 goals, 20 assists).
Galchenyuk will join Team USA after spending the season with the Montreal Canadiens.
The 19-year-old won a gold medal with the U.S. at the U20 World Championship four-and-a-half months ago when he played for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting before joining the Canadiens for the delayed start of the NHL season.
In 48 NHL games in his rookie season he scored nine goals and had 18 assists. He also played in five playoff games having one goal and two assists.
Galchenyuk, whose father Alexander Galchenyuk represented Belarus in the 1998 Olympics and in four World Championships, is expected to arrive in Helsinki on Sunday.
T.J. Oshie will play his third IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship with Team USA after 2009 and 2010.
The 26-year-old finished his fifth season with the St. Louis Blues. In 30 games he scored seven goals and had 13 assists. In six playoff games he scored two goals.
At his last World Championship in Germany 2010 Oshie scored four goals for the Americans.
After adding Galchenyuk and Oshie, Team USA will have a full roster.
The Czech Ice Hockey Association confirmed that Tomas Plekanec will join the Czech national team on Monday. He will play for the first time on Tuesday against Norway in a game that might decide about who will make it to the quarter-finals.
Plekanec will play his seventh World Championship and his third consecutive one. He won the silver medal (2006) and bronze (2011, 2012) with the Czechs.
The 30-year-old forward has been playing for the Montreal Canadiens since 2005. This season he had 14 goals and 19 assists in 47 games. In the playoffs he collected four assists in five games.
After adding Plekanec the Czechs will still have one roster spot open for an additional skater.
MARTIN MERK |