The 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship takes place between May 4 and 20. Here’s everything you need to know about NHL players participating in the tournament.
On Friday, May 4, the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship was officially launched into motion. Set in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark, the tournament places 16 international teams into two groups that were determined through the framework of the 2017 IIHF World Ranking. Concluding on May 20, the competition promises to be one for the ages, as the international stage becomes a focal point for all things hockey-related.
The next few weeks are the equivalent of a gold mine for puck lovers. The Stanley Cup playoffs are in full swing and continue to play host to some of the National Hockey League’s best contests in recent years. That the World Championship is also taking place in the midst of the most intense period of the 2017-18 hockey year is a testament to the sport’s overarching expansiveness, as the tournament ultimately provides fans with an opportunity to watch some of their favorite players square off — all of whom are currently absent from postseason action.
The NHL is, without question, the association that lies at the central root of the hockey world. As such, it’s natural for fans of the sport to watch out for the league’s stars in a uniquely international context — one that underscores the depth of the game’s influence on a global scale.
Let’s consider which NHL players are participating in the tournament.
Teams and Seeding: Which rosters are not comprised of NHL players?
It’s only reasonable to begin by taking a quick look at the tournament’s rosters — especially those that do not entail any NHL players.
Group A
From the teams listed in Group A, only Austria, Belarus and France are not comprised of any NHL players.
Group B
From the teams listed in Group B, only South Korea, Latvia and Norway are not comprised of any NHL players.
So the question remains: which NHL players will participate in Groups A and B respectively?