Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford have officially been named members of Team Canada for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The rosters were announced for the upcoming event on Friday, revealing yet another stacked roster for the team hailing from up north.
None of these picks are surprising as the three Hawks were already named to Canada’s preliminary World Cup roster in the spring. The real question was whether a fourth player, Brent Seabrook, would be able to earn a spot on the team, but he fell short.
Toews will be joining a stacked group of centers that also includes Sidney Crosby, Tyler Seguin, John Tavares, Ryan Getzlaf, Patrice Bergeron and Steven Stamkos. Presumably some of those players will slide over to the wing for the tournament, although Toews seems highly likely to maintain his spot in the middle.
It’s also worth noting that Crawford’s naming to Team Canada might be one of his biggest pieces of recognition this year. The star goaltender was snubbed out of the Vezina Trophy voting by the league’s general managers, but he’s joining two of the game’s top netminders, Carey Price and Braden Holtby, for the Canadian squad.
The World Cup is set for September in Toronto.
Team Canada announces final roster for World Cup of Hockey 2016. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/iVICx4hrle
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 27, 2016