Report: Connor McDavid to play at the World Championships
His Edmonton Oilers won’t reach the Stanley Cup playoffs, but that doesn’t mean Connor McDavid‘s season is over once the NHL regular season is done.
According to Swedish website hockeysverige.se, McDavid will suit up for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships in Denmark. At least that’s what teammate and defenseman Oscar Klefbom has heard.
“I know Connor is going and I probably think Ryan (Nugent-Hopkins) will go there too”, Klefbom told reporter Anton Edman after last night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Klefbom himself won’t be able to participate for Team Sweden. A shoulder injury will require surgery and force him out of the line-up for the rest of the season.
“Unfortunately, yes”, he said. “It would have been so much fun to go. Especially for us Swedes when it’s played in Copenhagen. It’s close to Sweden. There would have been a lot of Swedes and a lot of my friends will go down there for the tournament. It’s a bummer for me.”
It doesn’t sound as if Klefbom’s colleague on defense, Adam Larsson will play in the World Championships either. After losing his father Robert to sudden illness earlier in the season, Larsson is unsure if he has the strength to keep playing after the regular season is done.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but I don’t think it’ll happen”, he told hockeysverige.se. “It feels like it’s been too much for me. I’m not sure I’m mentally ready to prolong the season with two months after everything that has happened.”
McDavid, who sits tied for second in NHL scoring with 89 points, dressed for Team Canada at the Worlds in Moscow two years ago. He became a World Champion there after after scoring the game-winning goal in the gold medal game against Finland.
Klefbom dressed for Team Sweden at the Worlds in Prague 2015 while Larsson played in Moscow the next year.
This year’s World Championship will be held in Copenhagen and Herning.