Chicago Blackhawks prospects Radovan Bondra and Mathias From will play for their respective home countries at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
Bondra, who turns 20 on Jan. 27, was named to Slovakia’s roster. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound winger has 18 goals and 11 assists with Vancouver in the Western Hockey League this season. He scored a goal in five games at last year’s tournament.
From, who just turned 19 on Dec. 16, will play for Denmark. The 6-1, 187-pound winger has two goals and one assist in 26 games with Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League. In last year’s tournament, he tallied a goal and an assist in four games.
Both players were drafted by Chicago in the fifth round, with Bondra selected in 2015 and From in 2016.
Three other Hawks prospects could join Bondra and From at the World Juniors. Sweden hasn’t made its final roster cuts, but defenseman Lucas Carlsson and forward John Dahlström made the team’s preliminary roster.
Defenseman Chad Krys is still on the United States roster after USA Hockey shocked the hockey world by cutting forward Alex DeBrincat ,who is the Ontario Hockey League’s leading goal scorer, earlier this week.
The tournament runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2017 in Montreal and Toronto.