It’s official: Brad Marchand will be representing his native Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey this fall in Toronto.
Marchand joins Boston Bruins linemate Patrice Bergeron on a loaded Canadian squad as the World Cup returns after a 12-year absence. The full rosters for the eight-team tournament were announced Friday.
“I’m very excited,” Marchand said in an interview with Sportsnet shortly after the announcemet. “Any time you throw on the maple leaf, it’s a huge opportunity and a big honor, and we all take a lot of pride in it. So, I’m extremely excited.”
Marchand and Bergeron were two of eight Bruins players selected. Rounding out Boston’s World Cup contingent are goalie Tuukka Rask (Finland), winger Loui Eriksson (Sweden), defensemen Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg (Team Europe), and center David Krejci and winger David Pastrnak (Czech Republic).
Marchand, who scored a career-high 37 goals for the Bruins this season, helped Team Canada win gold at the 2016 IIHF World Championship last weekend.
“I’m very happy that I went over there,” Marchand said on a conference call. “It was a huge honor, and I had a great time.”
The winger finished that tournament with four goals and three assists in 10Â games, including one helper in the gold-medal game against Finland.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
