Chicago Blackhawks forward Tomas Jurco will play for Slovakia at next month’s World Championship. The tournament is from May 4-20 in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark.
Jurco, 25, scored six goals and assisted on four others in 29 games this season for Chicago in a bottom-six role. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound winger joined the Hawks last season near the trade deadline from Detroit. Jurco recorded only one goal in 13 games in the 2016-17 season for Chicago. Prior to the trade, he was scoreless in 16 games with the Red Wings.
Jurco is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
He will make his third Worlds tournament appearance. He previously played in the 2015 and 2016 tournaments, recording six points (two goals, four assists) in 12 games. His best performance at Worlds came in 2016, when he scored two goals and assisted on three others in seven games.
Slovakia is in Group A at this year’s tournament with Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, France, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. Slovakia last medaled at Worlds in 2012 with silver and won gold in 2002.