Screen cap: Youtube: Capitals
Team Sweden announced the addition of five NHL/AHL players to their 2023 IIHF World Championship preliminary roster on Wednesday. The announced additions included Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin.
“Federation captain Sam Hallam can today announce that Jakob Silfverberg (Anaheim), Lucas Raymond (Detroit), Jonatan Berggren (Detroit), Rasmus Sandin (Washington) and Alexander Nylander (Pittsburgh) are ready for the hockey WC in Finland.”
VM-klara NHL-spelare 💥
Förbundskapten Sam Hallam kan idag presentera att Jakob Silfverberg (Anaheim), Lucas Raymond (Detroit), Jonatan Berggren (Detroit), Rasmus Sandin (Washington) och Alexander Nylander (Pittsburgh) är klara för hockey-VM i Finland. 🏒🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/h7ADn0ymDc— Tre Kronor (@Trekronorse) April 26, 2023
All five will join the squad next week and will be on the ice for Tre Kronor in the 2023 Carlson Hockey Games, a pre-World Championship tuneup tournament, which will be played between May 4-7. Five games will be played in Czechia and one match in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Team Sweden’s tournament begins with a match against Switzerland in Gothenburg on May 4 and then continues with matches against the Czech Republic and Finland in Czechia the weekend of May 6-7.
Team Sweden will open the The 2023 IIHF World Championship on May 12 against Germany in Tampere, Finland. [Schedule here]
Sandin has played internationally for Team Sweden on five previous occasions, all while under the age of 20. This will be his first appearance in the IIHF World Championship.
Sandin will be the only representative from the Capitals, as Nicklas Backstrom announced earlier in the month he would not participate in the annual tournament.
MORE FROM THE CAPITALS
ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin will represent Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Finland and Latvia, senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today.
Sandin, 23, recorded a career-high 35 points (7g, 28a) in 71 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Capitals this season. The 5’11”, 182-pound defenseman recorded 15 points (3g, 12a) in 19 games with Washington after being acquired from Toronto on Feb. 28, including three assists in his Capitals debut on March 4 at San Jose. Sandin became the first defenseman and seventh skater in franchise history to record three points in his first game with Washington and required the fewest games (7 GP) for a defenseman to reach 10 points in franchise history. Sandin set career highs in games played (71), goals (7), assists (28) and points (35) in 2022-23, more than doubling his previous career-high point total (2021-22: 16p). In addition, Sandin ranked second on the Capitals in time on ice per game (22:59) and third in points (15) over Washington’s final 19 regular-season games.
In 159 career NHL games with Toronto and Washington, Sandin has recorded 63 points (13g, 50a).
Sandin previously represented Sweden at the 2019 and 2020 World Junior Championships, earning a bronze medal in 2020. The Uppsala, Sweden native recorded 10 points (3g, 7a) in seven games during the 2020 tournament, which led all defensemen and was named the tournament’s top defenseman. Sandin also participated in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, helping Sweden to the bronze medal, and captained Sweden to the gold medal at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
By Jon Sorensen
Don’t get hurt! (Re: Orlov)
Hi Jon! Do you know if any of the WC games will be watchable in the U.S.? Since the WC occurs during the playoffs, I seem to remember that NHL Network doesn’t usually show them.
Good question, and point about NHL Network coverage. I’ll do some digging and reply to you what I find out.
The Blades won about 5 and a half minutes into OT 4-3.
Much tougher start as the Blades outshot the Rays 15 to 11 in the first and scored first. Rays tied it by the end of the first, but Clay really had to work hard and earn his money tonight. So for the first time in 3 playoff games both teams had scored. Despite it being tied, I’d have to give the first period to the Blades.
Again, the Blades were dominant in the second winning SOG 24-19 and scoring 2-1 to take a 3-2 lead. They were faster and controlled the puck better.
An uneventful holding pattern of a third until Rays tied it up with 40 seconds left. Jarid Lukosevicius, 28, opened the season with the Stingrays, where he appeared in two games and scored four points on two goals and two assists. Following the Stingrays’ opening weekend, Lukosevicius signed a professional tryout contract with the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League, suiting up for 52 games and recording 13 points on seven goals and six assists. He returned to the Rays at the end of the season.
During the regular season the Rays were dynamite on the powerplay tying for the top spot, scoring once out of every 4. But they were 0 of 4 tonight. Has assisted on the first goal, Kim assisted on the second, and Bear assisted on the third. Clay saved 32 of 36. Rays had 35 shots.
Rays didn’t bomb as they did in the first game, but they really were out hustled the entire game. Next game Friday night.
Thanks Fyre. That series is so tough to get a read on.
Maybe Rich will give us his take on it. Sounds like he was going to the game. For a change I actually watched it live instead of on demand later that night or next day. NHL teams I follow take precedence.