Four Chicago Blackhawks players are among 23 players named to the United States’ initial roster for the 2018 World Championship, USA Hockey announced Saturday.
Forwards Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Connor Murphy and Jordan Oesterle will suit up for Team USA from May 4-20 in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark.
Kane, who will make his first Worlds appearance in 10 years, will captain the squad. The 29-year-old previously played for Team USA at the 2010 and ‘14 Winter Olympics and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He has six goals and 15 assists in 22 games for Team USA.
Former Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling, a Lemont, Illinois, native was also named to the roster.
Initial 2018 U.S. Men’s National Team roster unveiled → https://t.co/xd2IORIXrX#2018MWC 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/D07K45q7Ig
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) April 28, 2018
The Blackhawks will also be represented at Worlds by forward Tomas Jurco (Slovakia), defensemen Henri Jokiharju (Finland) and Erik Gustafsson (Sweden). Forward Artem Anisimov (Russia) and defenseman Jan Rutta (Czech Republic) are undecided.
The U.S. has only won the Worlds tournament twice in 1933 and 1960.
Team USA will play an exhibition game Tuesday, may 1 against Denmark at 1:30 p.m. Central time before the preliminary round of the tournament.