The 2021 IIHF World Championships in Latvia start today! Interested to know which Champions Hockey League players will be on the ice playing for their National Teams? We take a look at them.
Sweden
Combining overseas talent with the best the SHL has to offer has worked well for Sweden over the years and this season's roster is no exception. Experienced NHL players combine with young emerging talent that we have seen in the CHL in the past seasons, such as 20-year-old Nils Lundkvist, who scored 11 points in 12 games in the last CHL season and his 22-year-old then-teammate Jesper Sellgren, who scored nine points in ten games the same year. Jesper has since transferred to the Frölunda Indians and we will likely see him again in the CHL later this year
Andreas Wingerli, who has played in four CHL seasons for Skellefteå AIK is also an experienced player on Sweden's roster for the tournament.
A special mention also for Max Friberg. The 28-year-old winger is one of Frölunda's star players and plays in their first line. He is a two-time CHL Champion and scored a crucial goal in the 2019/20 CHL Final.
Finland
The Finnish National Team boasts nearly ten CHL players among its ranks, the most experienced of which is 25-year-old Linköping HC winger Niko Ojamäki. Despite not playing in the CHL with Linköping, Niko played three seasons of CHL hockey for Tappara Tampere scoring 13 points in total.
Germany
The German National Team relied heavily on the DEL to fill its roster with 21 players coming from Germany’s top tier. Adler Mannheim and Eisbären Berlin both have five players on the roster each, while 2019 CHL Finalists Red Bull Munich have three players that have made the German National Team.
One of the most experienced CHL players on the roster is Munich’s Maximilian Kastner. The 28-year-old has 40 CHL appearances and has played five seasons in the competition. Another one to watch is rising star John Jason Peterka - the 19-year-old talent, who has already been drafted into the NHL, played his first season of CHL hockey in 2019/20 scoring three points in ten games.
Switzerland
The 28-man Swiss National Team roster is comprised almost entirely of National League players. 2020/21 domestic champions EV Zug have solid representation with five of their key players in the team, including playmaker Grégory Hoffmann who is in the Top 10 of the CHL's All-Time Statistics for Goals Scored, alongside Swiss National Team and Zug teammate Dario Simion (15 goals each in the CHL).
Zug also have two other players from their ranks at the World Championships – Jan Kovář and Justin Abdelkader. Kovář is not only a vital player for Zug but also for his National Team and will be captain of the Czech Republic National Team.
Abdelkader, who spent the past season playing with Zug, has been named in the Team USA roster as the only NL player.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic National Team is one of the most interesting ones for fans as it features players from across the top leagues in the world coming together for international duty. The NHL, KHL, Liiga, NL and the Czech Extraliga are all represented.
Most players have experience from the CHL, like brothers David Musil and Adam Musil, National Team Captain Jan Kovář, who has played in two CHL seasons, and many more.
Promising talent Michael Špaček has signed for four-time CHL Champions the Frölunda Indians for 2021/22 and we could see him make his return to the CHL later this year.
Tappara Tampere teammates Jiří Šmejkal and Michal Moravčík, who has two seasons of CHL experience with HC Pilsen, are also in the team.
That’s all you need to know about the CHL stars that will be playing in the World Championship in the following two weeks of action-packed hockey!