CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada and its World Cup of Hockey management group have named forward Ryan O’Reilly (Varna, Ont./Buffalo, NHL) to Team Canada, as a replacement for Tyler Seguin (Brampton, Ont./Dallas, NHL), who is unable to participate due to a lower-body injury.
O’Reilly, 25, was one of only three players to win back-to-back IIHF World Championship gold with Canada in 2015 and 2016. In addition to wearing the Maple Leaf at two other IIHF World Championships (2012, 2013) and the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship, O’Reilly has won gold with Canada at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament, and captained Ontario to a gold medal at the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. O’Reilly will join Team Canada for Wednesday’s pre-tournament game against Russia in Pittsburgh.
“It’s never easy to lose a player to injury, let alone one of Tyler’s caliber, but once again, it speaks to the depth of talent in the country to be able to add a Ryan O’Reilly to our team,” said Doug Armstrong, general manager for Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey. “Ryan just won gold at worlds alongside a number of our players in that dressing room, so we’re expecting him to be able to gel quickly as we wrap up our pre-tournament against Russia. On behalf of our coaching and management staff, and all of the players, we want to welcome Ryan and wish Tyler a speedy recovery.”
Seguin played in back-to-back pre-tournament games against Team USA, garnering one assist in Saturday’s 5-2 victory for Canada. In addition to winning the Stanley Cup in his rookie year with the Boston Bruins in 2011, Seguin, 24, was on the 2015 IIHF World Championship-winning team, and helped Canada’s National Men’s Team win the 2012 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. He also won a gold medal at the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament, and was part of Ontario’s gold medal-winning team at the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Team Canada meets Team Russia in its final pre-tournament game at 7:30 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh before heading to Toronto. Canada will face Team Czech Republic in its first World Cup of Hockey 2016 game on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET at the Air Canada Centre.
World Cup of Hockey 2016 is a joint effort of the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association, in cooperation with the International Ice Hockey Federation. Eight teams — Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Europe, Team Finland, Team North America, Team Russia, Team Sweden and Team USA — will compete in the two-week tournament, featuring more than 170 of the best players in the NHL. All tournament games will be played at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For more information on World Cup of Hockey 2016, visit WCH2016.com.
For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter, and at Twitter.com/HC_Men.