New York Rangers: Six Blueshirts in IIHF World Championships
By Ed Stein
The IIHF World Championships begin Friday morning in Slovakia. Six members of the New York Rangers will be participating.
Around the world, hockey doesn’t stop for the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The IIHF World Championships begin on Friday in Slovakia. Six members of the New York Rangers will be participating in the 16-day tournament.
This tournament is a stark contrast to Stanley Cup Playoffs. The closer we get to the cup finals, the tighter and more conservative the games get. There is plenty of hard-hitting and checking. On the other end of the spectrum, the World Championships are played on a bigger ice surface which opens up the game.
EWB takes a look at those Blueshirts who will participate over the next two weeks.
Czech Republic
Filip Chytil will represent his home country once again. Last year the Czechs lost in the quarter-finals. The former New York Rangers 2017 first-round pick played in all seven games and recorded both a goal and an assist. Chytil did better in the WJC earlier that year contributing two goals and two assists for the fourth-place finishers.
Playing in this tournament will be a good experience for the 21-year-old center. It’s a chance for him to show the Rangers that he learned something this season with the team. He will have a bigger role for the Czechs this time around as he is one of only seven NHL players on the roster.