Matt Boldy of the Wild has been named one of the 15 players on the initial U.S. roster for the World Ice Hockey Championships, taking place from May 10-16 in the Czech Republic. The team will be led by John Hynes, who is also the coach of the Wild.
The selected players are all from NHL teams that did not make the playoffs. Among them are Boldy, Alex Vlasic and Seth Jones from Chicago, Shane Pinto and Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa, Zach Werenski from Columbus, Luke Kunin from San Jose, Dylan Larkin from Detroit, Johnny Gaudreau from Columbus, Cole Caufield from Montreal, Alex Lyon from Detroit, Luke Hughes from New Jersey, Jake Sanderson and Joel Farabee from Philadelphia.
Brock Faber, a defenseman for the Wild, could have been a strong candidate for the team but suffered fractured ribs at the end of the season. As a result of this injury, he was not included in the initial roster. However, there may still be spots available on the team that could be filled by players eliminated in the first round of playoffs.
Overall, this roster represents a mix of young and experienced players with varying levels of experience at international competition. With Hynes as their coach and their diverse set of skills and styles of play on display on ice