The Flames will be well-represented overseas when the puck drops on the 2025 IIHF World Championship next week.
A total of seven Calgary skaters will represent their countries at the two-week tournament in Sweden and Denmark beginning May 9.
A pair of defencemen - MacKenzie Weegar and Zayne Parekh - will pull on the Canadian maple leaf. Weegar was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning squad in 2023, while Parekh is set for his first senior international callup.
Sweden’s entry at the World Championship will also feature two Flames players. Blueliner Rasmus Andersson returns to the Tre Kronor following his appearance February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, while Calgary captain Mikael Backlund is set to earn his first international callup since captaining Sweden to the World Championship gold medal seven years ago.
Netminder Dan Vladar will be one of the three netminders on the Czechia roster in their bid to defend their championship from 2024. The 27-year-old last competed for his country at the 2017 World Juniors in Toronto and Montreal.
Vladar will be joined on the Czech roster by forward Adam Klapka, who earns his first major IIHF event experience on the heels of a 2024-25 campaign that saw him skate in 31 NHL contests.
Slovakia’s roster is slated to feature youngster Sam Honzek. The 2023 first-rounder made his NHL debut for the Flames in October and finished his first pro season with 21 points for the AHL’s Wranglers. He had three goals in five games for the Slovaks at the 2024 World Juniors.
Forward Matt Coronato was set to compete for the United States at this year’s Worlds, but following the results of an MRI conducted last week, he will longer participate in the event.
