The Philadelphia Flyers’ 2018-19 season is finished, but some Flyers will be competing on the ice again rather soon. American James van Riemsdyk and Czech Jakub Voracek have announced that they will be competing in the 2019 IIHF World Championship for their respective countries. The two Flyers’ forwards announced they’d be representing their countries in yesterday’s exit press conferences.
JVR confirmed that he will be going to the 2019 @IIHFHockey World Championships to represent @USAHockey this summer.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 7, 2019
Voracek confirms that he will participate in the 2019 @IIHFHockey World Championships for Team Czech.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 7, 2019
Although he’s represented the U.S.A. in a few international tournaments, this will be only the second time in his career that JVR will play for his country at the IIHF World Championship. The New Jersey native had one goal in a pair of games in 2011 after he took part in the tournament following the Boston Bruins sweep of the Flyers in the NHL postseason. JVR also had seven points in six games at the 2014 Winter Olympics and an assist in three games at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
As for Voracek, this will be the sixth time he’ll take part in the World Championship as he went twice as a Columbus Blue Jacket in 2010 and 2011 and three times as a Flyer in 2013, 2015, and 2017. In a total of 44 World Championship games with the Czech Republic, Voracek has produced six goals and 22 helpers for 28 points serving as the nation’s captain the last two times he has gone. Like JVR, Voracek has also represented his home country at the Olympics and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He accrued a goal and an assist in five games during his only Olympic stint back in 2014 while he produced the same stat line in three games during the World Cup of Hockey.
The Czech Republic has taken home gold 12 times at the IIHF World Championship with their most recent success coming in 2010. The U.S.A. has won two gold medals at the tournament winning in 1933 and 1960. The United States took home bronze last year, while the Czech Republic finished seventh in the 16-team field.
*Stats via Elite Prospects
