BOSTON — The preliminary rosters for the eight World Cup of Hockey squads were announced Wednesday, and the pool of 128 players selected thus far includes seven Bruins: Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Loui Eriksson, David Krejci, David Pastrnak, Dennis Seidenberg and Tuukka Rask.
“You’re definitely proud of those players, because to be named is certainly an honor,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said Thursday morning. “It bodes well for them individually, and I’m pretty proud of those guys. They’ve earned it through their work and through their statistics and the way they’ve played overall. To be recognized by their country or by those teams is something very special. So, no doubt they’re happy, and we’re happy for them.”
The Boston contingent could grow even stronger before the tournament kicks off in September. Each World Cup team will add seven more players to its roster this summer, and among the remaining Bruins, Brad Marchand perhaps has the best chance of earning a trip to Toronto.
The 27-year-old winger is in the midst of his most productive season yet, racking up a career-high 32 goals while playing in 59 of Boston’s first 64 games. That’s tied with Dallas Stars forwards Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin for third-most in the NHL, and Seguin, Benn, Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (second with 37 goals) and Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin (first with 41) all were selected to their respective nations’ initial roster.
“It’d be great,” said Bergeron, Marchand’s longtime linemate. “I think he’s proven himself over the years, and especially this year, how good he is, how competitive he is. He always makes something happen every time he steps on the ice, and right now, he’s on pace for getting close to 40 (goals). He’s been very impressive this year and has been a huge part of helping me be a good player every night.”
But Marchand, like Bergeron, hails from Canada, the nation with by far the deepest reserve of hockey talent. It’s often said a Canadian “B” or even “C” team could contend at any international tournament, meaning cracking the top 23 can be an incredibly difficult task.
“(Marchand) is definitely a guy that’s on the radar, but the top 16 have been named, and there’s a lot of guys that could have been named, too, to those top 16,” said Julien, who also will serve as an assistant under Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock. “And we’ll see how the rest of this season goes, but a lot of players are still on the radar.”
Marchand, who hasn’t played for his home country since the 2008 World Junior Championships, said it obviously would be an honor to do so again as the World Cup of Hockey returns after a 12-year absence. He knows, however, the selection process is out of his hands and said his primary focus right now is on black and gold, not red and white.
“That’s not up to me,” Marchand said. “I’m more concerned about playing better for this (Bruins) team here and being good every night for our group. And ultimately, that’s what matters — that our team wins in this room — and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
