Calgary Flames Players Make World Cup Rosters

A trio of Calgary Flames players have made it onto the initial 2016 World Cup of Hockey rosters, announced on Wednesday.

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For Team Czech Republic was Michael Frolik; the winger’s gameplay since his arrival from the Winnipeg Jets strong enough to give him the nod for international representation.

Then for Team North America, a mix of under-23 players from across the United States and Canada were Calgary Flames line-mates Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.

Monahan is a Canadian kid, whilst Gaudreau is a New Jersey born American kid, so it should certainly prove interesting for them if they come up against the USA or Canada.

This isn’t lost on Gaudreau.

“When you’re playing against your own country, all your buddies, who are they cheering for — your team or USA?” he pondered in a Calgary Herald interview.

For those managing Team North America though, they were the ideal pairing to pick; the chemistry between them is at times unfathomable and it’ll be great to see them compete on an international stage. Hopefully what they offer the Calgary Flames translates to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.

Frolik sees the opportunity as a huge privilege; “as a kid, it was always a dream to represent the country,” he said in an interview with the Calgary Herald.

“It was always a dream to represent the country.” – Michael Frolik (Calgary Herald)

A return of 25 points through 52 games is reasonably solid for Frolik; not crazy numbers but not exactly poor form either. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that former Calgary Flames forward, Jiri Hudler was missing from the initial sixteen man roster named by the Czech Republic.

Both Monahan and Gaudreau, meanwhile, rank as the top scorers for the Calgary Flames and will look to carry that form into the Team North America line-up.

The team is already looking mighty strong with the Calgary Flames stars joined by the likes of Dylan Larkin, Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Nathan McKinnon in the line-up.

The big question now is whether the pairing is split up or whether the team seek to build on the obvious chemistry they show every time they take to the ice for the Calgary Flames.

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What do you think of the Team North America line-up?

Are there any Calgary Flames stars that you feel should’ve been called up for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.