Matt Boldy of the Wild was one of 15 players selected for the initial U.S. roster for the World Ice Hockey Championships taking place in the Czech Republic from May 10-16. 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 it to the playoffs. The roster includes 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 from Ottawa and Joel Farabee from Philadelphia.
While Brock Faber, a defenseman for the Wild could have been a strong candidate for the team had he not suffered fractured ribs at the end of the season. However, with Faber out of action, there may be some spots on the team that will be filled by players who are eliminated in the first round of playoffs.
Overall, this is a great opportunity for these young players to showcase their talents on an international stage and gain valuable experience in preparation for future World Championships or Olympic Games.