Dylan Larkin and Alex Lyon were both named to Team USA's initial roster for the fast-approaching men's World Championships in Czechia
This afternoon, Team USA announced its initial roster of 15 players for the men's World Championships that will play out between May 10th and 26th in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia. That roster features two Detroit Red Wings in Dylan Larkin and Alex Lyon.
This will be Larkin's sixth trip to Worlds to represent his country, having participated in each tournament between 2015 and 2019. In those five previous tournaments, Larkin has played in 45 games, putting up 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points. At his first crack at the tournament in '15, Larkin—having only just finished his freshman year at the University of Michigan and then debuted for the Grand Rapids Griffins—managed just one assist in 10 games. He will be joined on this year's team by his U of M teammate and current Columbus Blue Jacket Zach Werenski.
Of those five appearances, the Americans' best finishes came in 2015 and 2018, when they collected bronze medals. Team USA has not won gold at men's Worlds since 1960.
For Lyon, this will be his second career trip to Worlds, having also been a part of that 2015 bronze-winning team, though he did not appear in any games at that event.
"I think things are still pretty fresh here just logistically, in terms of what the next couple days looks like for me, and that's kind of where I'm living at right now, but to get an opportunity to wear the USA jersey is...I've played in the World Champ as third goalie, so I would love to have a bigger hand in that," he said at his end-of-season press conference last week. "It's always an honor and even to get asked is an honor, and I take that pretty serious."
"We’ve got an outstanding start to our roster," said Brett Peterson, assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers doubling as Team USA's GM for the event, via a press release. "There’s a lot of excitement among our players, and everyone is looking forward to representing our country in the world championship.”
Peterson and his staff will have to fill out the remaining spots on his roster before May 10th.