Mathieu Olivier: Barkov, Tkachuk head to Switzerland for Worlds

mathieu olivier: Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are set for the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland later this month. The Florida Panthers captain will play for Finland, and Tkachuk is slated to play for the United States.

The tournament runs from May 15-31 and includes 16 teams split between the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich and BCF Arena in Fribourg. Barkov said last month, "I am very excited about that,’’" after receiving Finland’s invitation.

Finland picks Barkov and Lundell

Barkov said, "I know, here, everyone wanted to make the playoffs … but thankfully I got an invitation from the Finnish team to join them at Worlds." He also said, "Last time I played there was 10 years ago," and called it "a big honor to represent Finland" after missing time because of right knee surgery.

Anton Lundell will join Barkov on Team Finland, giving Florida two players in the same national setup. Barkov had reconstructive surgery on his right knee after getting hurt on the first day of training camp in September, then practiced with the Panthers late in the season and kept working out at the team’s IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale for the tournament.

Tkachuk and the U.S. roster

Tkachuk said at the end of the season that he wanted to play for Team USA and try to win Triple Gold. Brett Peterson will serve as Team USA general manager for a second time after working as an assistant GM on last year’s gold-medal winning squad, and Bill Zito said, "In my mind, if a hockey player wants to play hockey, that’s a good thing," adding, "Provided they have medical clearance, I would encourage anyone who wants to go, to go."

Uvis Balinskis is also headed to the tournament with Latvia in Group A, extending Florida’s footprint across several national teams. Paul Maurice said of Barkov, "There’s nothing else to do with [his knee]. His numbers are fantastic," while Zito said Barkov is "100 percent healthy and ready to play."

The practical question for Panthers fans is simple: which jerseys these players wear in Switzerland will now shape the tournament picture as well as Florida’s offseason watch list. Barkov framed his return bluntly: "Any chance I get to represent Finland is a big honor," and that gives the Panthers one more international stage to track before play begins on May 15.