The 2024 IIHF World Championships are set to kick off on Friday, with six Blackhawks players gearing up to represent their respective countries at the annual international tournament. Connor Bedard (Canada), Seth Jones (USA), Philipp Kurashev (Switzerland), Petr Mrazek (Czechia), Lukas Reichel (Germany), and Alex Vlasic (USA) will all be participating in the 16-day event, which is being hosted in Mrazek’s native Czech Republic, spanning across Prague and Ostrava.
During the tournament, all 16 teams will compete in seven preliminary round games from May 10-21, with the top eight teams advancing to the knockout round. The competition will culminate in the gold medal game on Sunday, May 26. Fans can catch select action from the tournament on NHL Network.
Seth Jones and Alex Vlasic will be part of the U.S. team during the tournament, representing the Blackhawks on the American blueline in Czechia. Jones, who is attending his second consecutive Worlds, previously served as the U.S. captain and has four goals and 16 assists in 28 total games across four appearances at the competition. Vlasic, on the other hand, will be making his debut at Worlds, having previously represented the U.S. at the U18 and U17 levels.