Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was added to the United States National Team roster for the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship currently underway in Slovakia Monday.
A product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Werenski has previous experience playing for the national team in the 2015 (fifth place) and 2016 (bronze medal) World Junior Championship.
Werenski served as the captain on that 2016 World Junior team and led all tournament defensemen in points, going 2–7–9, and all players in plus-minus with a +10, earning the award for the tournament's “Best Defenseman.”
Team USA is currently 2–1 in preliminary action, dropping their opening game to hosts Slovakia, 1-4, before rebounding to beat France, 7-1, and Finland, 3-2, in overtime Monday.
The national team skates next against Great Britain Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. ET. They'll face Denmark Saturday, and Germany Sunday before squaring off against Team Canada – and Werenski's Blue Jackets teammate, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Tuesday, May 21 at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Other Blue Jackets skating at the 2019 World Championship include center Alexander Wennberg (Sweden), defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (Russia), winger Alexandre Texier (France) and goalie Elvis Merzlinkins (Latvia).
Wennberg, who slumped mightily for the Blue Jackets this past season, leading to healthy scratches, scored two goals and had an assist in Sweden's 9-1 win over Norway today.
Alexander Wennberg heads to the front of the net straight off the face-off, gets the puck, fakes it once and then beats the Norwegian goalie five hole to give Sweden a 1:0 lead in the 1st minute of the game. #CBJ #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/OnRteOd9wr
— Aivis Kalni (@A_Kalnins) May 13, 2019
