Czech them out: Four Leafs to play in World Championships
If any Toronto fans are missing Maple Leafs hockey, there's an easy answer to the summer boredom: tune in to the IIHF World Championships, where four Leafs will play for four separate teams in the tournament.
First up, there is Jake Gardiner with Team USA. The United States blue line is full of young players, including Torey Krug from the Bruins, Seth Jones from the Predators and Connor Murphy from Arizona. Gardiner should fit right in among the fresh-faced defensemen, and this could be a good opportunity to see where his game ranks among his peers.
Leo Komarov returns to Team Finland, and he will be playing in his sixth World Championship in the last seven years.
Upcoming unrestricted free agent Joakim Lindstrom will play for Team Sweden in his second World Championships, and Richard Panik will join Team Slovakia for his first return to World Championships since the 2010 tournament.
According to a schedule from SB Nation, the United States, Finland and Sweden all start their tournaments on May 1, while Slovakia will play its opening game on May 2.
(h/t The Hockey Writers)
Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
