Another opportunity for gold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A summer tradition for hockey fans\u00a0around the\u00a0globe, 16 countries will compete\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a02026 IIHF World Championship\u00a0in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland\u00a0from May 15-31.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Starting on Friday,\u00a0the puck will\u00a0drop\u00a0and teams\u00a0will\u00a0square off in\u00a0group play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0top\u00a0four teams from Group A and Group\u00a0B will advance to the\u00a0quarterfinals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
From there,\u00a0the final\u00a0eight teams will battle until a\u00a0champion is crowned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Group\u00a0A features the\u00a0United States, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Austria, Hungary, Great Britain, while\u00a0Group B\u00a0consists of Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Denmark, Slovakia, Norway, Slovenia, Italy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All games\u00a0will be broadcast on\u00a0NHL Network in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Well represented\u00a0at the\u00a0Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026\u00a0in\u00a0February\u00a0with a league-leading 10 players, the Florida Panthers will\u00a0once\u00a0again\u00a0send a large group\u00a0overseas\u00a0to compete\u00a0in this\u00a0tournament, with five players and\u00a0five staff\u00a0members\u00a0traveling\u00a0abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Entering the tournament, the United States is the defending champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To see\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0in store for\u00a0the Panthers,\u00a0continue\u00a0reading\u00a0below.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Czechia\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marek Alscher\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most recently\u00a0playing for his country in the 2024 World Junior Championship, the 22-year blueliner will once again be representing Czechia internationally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A year to remember,\u00a0Alscher\u00a0set AHL career highs in goals (3), points (11)\u00a0and plus\/minus rating (+17)\u00a0in 2025-26.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His\u00a0+17 rating\u00a0ranked second amongst defensemen on the Charlotte Checkers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Getting a taste of the NHL at the end of the season,\u00a0Alscher recorded three assists and a +4 plus\/minus rating\u00a0in four games with the Panthers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finland\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aleksander Barkov\u00a0<\/p>\n
The captain returns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After missing the entire 2025-26 season with a\u00a0torn ACL and MCL, Barkov will return to the ice for the first time since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a big honor to represent Finland for me and one of those childhood dreams to win World Championships is a big goal for me too,\u201d Barkov said during his end-of-season exit day availability.\u00a0\u201cReally excited about that and been working really hard to get in shape.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last playing for Finland during the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Finnish captain recorded two points (1G, 1A) in three games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anton Lundell\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joining Barkov in Switzerland, Lundell will look to earn\u00a0some more hardware after coming home with a bronze medal\u00a0at the\u00a0Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On his way to medaling, Lundell recorded two points (1G, 1A) in five games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a big honor to be able to go represent my country, play for the country, play for Finland in World Championships and I’m excited for that opportunity,\u201d\u00a0Lundell said at the end of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stepping up during an\u00a0injury-filled season for the Panthers, the 24-year-old\u00a0center\u00a0registered 44 points (18G, 26A) in 64 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Latvia\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sandis Vilmanis\u00a0<\/p>\n
A whirlwind season for\u00a0Vilmanis, the 2022 fifth-round (157th overall) pick\u00a0saw action\u00a0in the AHL, NHL and internationally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the Checkers,\u00a0Vilmanis\u00a0set AHL highs in goals (17), assists (21)\u00a0points (38)\u00a0and plus\/minus rating (+17).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Making his NHL debut and getting 19 games with the big club,\u00a0Vilmanis\u00a0notched five points (3G, 2A) in 19 games with the Panthers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the\u00a0Olympic Winter Games Milano\u00a0Cortina\u00a02026, the 22-year-old appeared in four games for Lativa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
United States\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u00a0Tkachuk\u00a0<\/p>\n
A chance to make history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With already a Stanley Cup and\u00a0an Olympic gold medal\u00a0already\u00a0on his resume, Tkachuk has a chance to become the first American to join the \u201cTriple Gold Club\u201d (Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal,\u00a0World Championship gold medal)\u00a0if he\u00a0can pull out another victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Helping the United States to their first gold since 1980, Tkachuk dished out six assists in six games\u00a0at the Olympics\u00a0in February.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
After missing the first 47 games of the season to recover from\u00a0surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia,\u00a0No. 19\u00a0came back with a presence,\u00a0notching 34 points (13G, 21A) in 31 games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Staff\u00a0<\/p>\n
Canada\u00a0<\/p>\n
Assistant General Manager\u00a0Gregory Campbell\u00a0(Hockey Operations)<\/p>\n
USA\u00a0<\/p>\n
Panthers General Manager & President of Hockey Operations Bill Zito (Advisory Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson (General Manager)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards (Equipment Manager)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli (Athletic Trainer)<\/p>\n
SCHEDULE\u00a0<\/p>\n
May\u00a015-26: Group stage games\u00a0<\/p>\n
May\u00a028:\u00a0Quarter-finals\u00a0<\/p>\n
May\u00a030: Semi-finals\u00a0<\/p>\n
May\u00a031: Bronze\u00a0medal game; Gold\u00a0medal game\u00a0<\/p>\n