In the end, it was just too hard to say no for Zach Werenski.
One day after the conclusion of a whirlwind NHL season, the Blue Jackets defenseman, Norris Trophy candidate and USA Hockey veteran said he had decided against playing in this spring’s IIHF World Championships.
But as he sat back and thought about it, the draw of representing his country – what Werenski views as one of the top honors in hockey – was too much to resist.
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Werenski gave his word last week to USA Hockey that he was in, traveled to Denmark and then ... had to wait a little longer to play. Speaking Monday evening from Denmark, Werenski said he would have been in the lineup for today’s game vs. Switzerland but his gear hasn’t yet arrived.
Once it does so, he’ll be back on the ice in Red, White and Blue, hopefully for Wednesday’s game vs. Norway.
“I feel like right now with playing in the World Championships last year, playing in the 4 Nations (Face-Off in February), I had a ton of fun in those two events and putting the jersey on and being around guys that really embrace being American,” Werenski said. “It was hard to say no for me right at the beginning. If my summer was just coming here and playing hockey for three-and-a-half weeks and coming home, I would have been all-in from the beginning, but I had some other things to attend to.
“But I love playing for USA Hockey. I think it’s some of the most fun hockey you can play. You don’t do it for anything else besides the jersey that you’re wearing. I’ve had really great experiences doing that the last couple of times I’ve done it. I thought it was important this year for me to come here and be here for as much of the tournament as I could be. I’m just thankful to USA Hockey for allowing me to come in a little bit late.”
Adding Werenski will be a boon to Team USA, as he’s coming off one of the best seasons for a defenseman in recent NHL history. The 27-year-old became just the ninth blueliner to top 80 points in a season since 1996-97, posting a 23-59-82 line in 81 games to place second in the league among defensemen in goals and points. All of Werenski's numbers set CBJ records for blueliners, and his 82 points tied for the second most in team history.
The Michigan native is also a big part of Team USA, having represented his country twice at the IIHF World Junior Championships, twice previously at the World Championships and then this winter at the hotly contested 4 Nations Face-Off. Werenski led that tournament in scoring with six points as Team USA fell to Canada in the championship game of a tournament that caught the attention of the entire sports world.
All that has made Werenski a mainstay of international competition for the United States, but when he first looked at his calendar after the season, a busy summer that includes his wedding seemed like it was too full to join up for this year’s Worlds. He acknowledged today “there’s a few things I’m missing back home that suck,” but Werenski kept skating once the season ended and felt it was important to be part of Team USA for the event that runs through May 25.
So far, the Americans have won two of their first three games at a tournament where success has generally proved elusive. The event is hugely popular in Europe, but United States won its first and only gold at the World Championships in 1933, partly because the tournament is contested each year during the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the last five Worlds, Team USA has won just one medal, a bronze in 2021. But with the international calendar taking on a renewed importance after the 4 Nations and heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics, Werenski wants to see his country’s colors back on the medal stand.
“I want to see us have success in tournaments like these,” Werenski said. “The U.S. hasn’t won this tournament in almost 100 years. We don’t medal very often at this World Championships. I feel like it’s something we have to get back to doing consistently is every year at the end of the (NHL) season, if you’re not in the playoffs or you’re not injured, guys should want to come here consistently every single season and build USA Hockey to be a consistent winner at the men’s level. That translates to 4 Nations and World Cups and Olympics.
“I think just having those experiences, just enjoying it, embracing what it means to be American, putting that jersey on, I feel like that’s the standard that we need to set, especially as older guys. I’m not that old, but being a guy that’s been in this league for a number of years now, I feel like it’s on us to show up to these tournaments and start building this thing and starting getting medals consistently at the men’s level.”
The American squad plays four more round-robin games starting with a contest Wednesday vs. Norway. Quarterfinals are set for May 22, the semifinals will take place May 24, and medals will be decided May 25. Games will be shown on NHL Network and on ESPN+ throughout the tournament.
