Martin Pospisil will be the only Calgary Flames player participating in the 2024 World Championships.
Usually, when an NHL team fails to make the playoffs, several players go to represent their individual countries at the Worlds. That won’t be the case this season, however, as several Flames have chosen not to go for a variety of reasons.
“The body’s a bit banged up,” MacKenzie Weegar gave for his reasoning. “But, it was worth it, for sure. I think we all kind of had that same mindset on the back end this year. It was led by [Chris Tanev], he showed us how important it is to block shots.”
Another player many thought would participate was Rasmus Andersson. He also chose to opt out, albeit due to different circumstances.
Andersson on Worlds: “I’m having a baby on Tuesday so I can’t.”
— Salim Nadim Valji (@salimvalji) April 19, 2024
As a result, Flames fans wanting to watch the World Championships will want to tune into Team Slovakia. Heading in as an underdog, Pospisil should get plenty of opportunity to step up on the big stage.
The 2023-24 season was a breakout year for Pospisil, who was recalled from the AHL early on and stuck with the Flames from there on. The 24-year-old proved to be a physical force while also providing some secondary scoring, finishing the season with eight goals and 24 points through 63 games. Management clearly liked what they saw from him, signing him to a two-year, $2 million extension in early February.
The World Championships, which will take place in Prague, will begin on May 10 and continue through May 26.
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