Two current Canucks, and four former Canucks, represented Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
Two members of the Vancouver Canucks are projected to represent Sweden at this year’s IIHF World Championship. Previously, Vancouver has seen lots of representation on Team Sweden at various tournaments, with Jonathan Lekkerimäki, defenceman Elias Pettersson, Liam Öhgren, and Tom Willander all playing together at the U20 World Championships. One particular Men’s World Championship, in 2019, saw two of Vancouver’s three Petterssons — as well as four former Canucks — all represent Sweden.
Marcus Pettersson, not a Canuck at the time, and forward Elias Pettersson, who was a Canuck at the time, both played for Sweden in their disappointing quarter-final overtime loss to eventual gold medal-winner Finland. This was the elder Pettersson’s first time representing Sweden at the World Championship, though he’d previously played in the 2016 U20 World Junior Championship.
Pettersson, the forward, entered the 2019 World Championship coming off a gold-medal win at the 2018 World Championship. He scored two goals and five assists in six games in what would be his final time representing his country internationally until the 4 Nations Faceoff in 2025. He also went on to play at the 2026 Winter Olympics, scoring two goals in five games.
The two Petterssons were joined by four former Canucks on Sweden’s 2019 roster: then-Canucks Loui Eriksson and Jacob Markström, and future Canucks Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Elias Lindholm. Despite the team also featuring a 15-point campaign from William Nylander and other impressive offensive performances from Patric Hornqvist and Anton Lander, Sweden’s 5–2 loss to Czechia and 7–4 loss to Russia in the preliminary round ultimately set them up for an early exit.
While forward Pettersson has yet to return to the World Championships since, defenceman Pettersson has represented Sweden in three different occasions since, including last year in his first season as a Canuck.
Sweden will open their 2026 World Championship campaign with a game against Canada on May 15 at 7:20 am PT.
Feb 14, 2026; Milan, Italy; Elias Pettersson of Sweden celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammates during a Group B men's ice hockey game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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