The 2026 IIHF World Championship begins next month in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland.<\/p>\n
With the Washington Capitals<\/a> not qualifying for the NHL\u2019s postseason, many of the team\u2019s players\u2019 focus could turn to representing their nations at the tournament. While some have indicated they would jump at the opportunity to don their national team colors, others relayed at Breakdown Day on Thursday that they are prioritizing rest and recuperation this summer.<\/p>\n Ryan Leonard<\/a> was the first of the Capitals to announce that he has already committed to playing, joining Team USA\u2019s eventual roster. Leonard, who posted 45 points (20g, 25a) in 75 games during his rookie season with the Caps, played in six games for the Americans at the 2024 World Championship before he turned pro.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to men\u2019s worlds,\u201d Leonard said Thursday. \u201cIt was kind of like in the talks the past couple weeks. Obviously, I didn\u2019t want to really worry about that too much and kind of just wanted to do everything we could to get into the playoffs. I figured most of the stuff out yesterday.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have a plan yet, so it\u2019s kind of weird with the tournament not being for another month. So, yeah, I\u2019ll be here for a little bit, then go over there, hopefully win a gold medal, probably take some time off, probably go home again, live with my brother, and see my parents a whole lot.\u201d<\/p>\n The lone other Capitals player to express interest in playing overseas next month was 19-year-old defenseman Cole Hutson. The rookie rearguard, set to become roommates with Leonard in DC next year<\/a>, was on Team USA\u2019s roster at last year\u2019s tournament but only saw action in tune-up exhibition games.<\/p>\n Hutson and Leonard have been teammates on a major international stage before at the World Junior Championship, winning gold together in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I haven\u2019t gotten asked yet, so we\u2019ll see,\u201d Hutson said. \u201cBut if Ryan\u2019s going, I\u2019d definitely be open to it.\u201d<\/p>\n While the two young Americans seem raring to go, a few of the Capitals\u2019 Canadian veterans are either leaning toward declining an invitation or have already decided not to go.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure yet,\u201d Dylan Strome said. \u201cI haven\u2019t got asked yet. My agent talked to me a little bit last night about potentially getting a call today, so we\u2019ll see. I\u2019ve been one time, so I\u2019m not sure. I think you start on May 15th, and you don\u2019t end until May 31st. And then you probably have a couple days off, so you\u2019re really not starting your summer until early June.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s kind of what happened last summer, where we played until May or mid-May or late May, I guess. I feel like I\u2019m probably leaning towards not going. I think it\u2019s just something that I\u2019ve done already. I think it\u2019s a good chance to rest your body and get kind of healthy and 100% healthy for next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Strome played at the 2019 tournament, recording five points (1g, 4a) in 10 games for the silver medalist Canadians. He was teammates with Pierre-Luc Dubois<\/a> at that tournament, who won\u2019t be able to play again this year, even if he wanted to, after fracturing his hand at the end of the regular season<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Capitals\u2019 two Canadian Olympians from this past February, Tom Wilson<\/a> and Logan Thompson<\/a>, are also thinking of prioritizing rest over donning the Maple Leaf crest again.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to go this year, I think,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cHaving a conversation with them, I\u2019ve played a lot of hockey. I wouldn\u2019t mind just a little time off. I like to really disconnect in the offseason and take some time off. I think that\u2019s healthy. And for me, I think I\u2019m going to take a couple months off here and just reset the mind and come back again next year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I haven\u2019t made a decision yet,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cI\u2019m pretty exhausted. My family has been there throughout the whole long season, a lot of nights alone when we\u2019re on the road. Like I said, traveling 10, 12 hours over to Italy for two, three weeks. I know my toddler\u2019s not exhausted. He\u2019s full of energy. He would probably love going to Switzerland. I don\u2019t know if we have it in us, so I\u2019ll make that decision.\u201d<\/p>\n Other Capitals who didn\u2019t comment on their potential availability but could garner invites from their nations likely include Jakob Chychrun<\/a> (Canada), Connor McMichael<\/a> (Canada), Matt Roy<\/a> (USA), Timothy Liljegren<\/a> (Sweden), Martin Fehervary<\/a> (Slovakia), and Charlie Lindgren<\/a> (USA).<\/p>\n The 16-team tournament begins with preliminary-round play on May 15, with the final on May 31. Team USA is the defending champion after beating Switzerland in last year\u2019s gold medal game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 IIHF World Championship begins next month in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. 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