Panthers Will Have 5 Players, 5 Staff Members Participating At 2026 IIHF World Championship
· Yahoo Sports
There will be a plethora of Florida Panthers participating in the IIHF World Championships this month.
As players are making their way to Switzerland for the annual hockey tournament, several members of the Panthers, to include five players and five staff members, will be representing their respective countries.
Visit moryak.biz for more information.
Florida captain Sasha Barkov and fellow centerman Anton Lundell will be suiting up for Team Finland.
For Barkov, the tournament will be some of the first true game action he’s seen since last year’s Stanley Cup Final.
Barkov suffered a serious knee injury during training camp in September and missed the entire 2025-26 NHL season while recovering from surgery.
Representing the United States will be Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
Tkachuk will be seeking to become the first American hockey player to join the Triple Gold Club.
The three ‘golds’ are an Olympic gold medal, a Stanley Cup win and an IIHF World Championship gold medal.
Earlier this year, Tkachuk helped the United States win their first Olympic gold since 1980. In the two Junes before that, he won a pair of Stanley Cup titles with the Panthers.
Now we’ll see if he can help Team USA win their second straight World Championship gold.
If they do, Tkachuk will also become the first player in NHL history to win all three legs of the Triple Gold Club in a 12-month span.
Joining Tkachuk with Team USA are Panthers Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson, who is the GM for the US at the tournament, along with Florida Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards and Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli.
Panthers GM Bill Zito is serving on the team’s advisory group.
Representing Latvia at Worlds will be 22-year-old Panthers forward Sandis Vilmanis.
Coming off an impressive 19-game NHL debut this season, Vilmanis will suit up for his country for the second time this year, also playing for Team Latvia during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
He earned three goals and five points during those 19 games in the NHL while racking up 17 goals and 38 points in 48 games for AHL Charlotte.
Another Panthers prospect who made his NHL debut this season and is also heading to the World Championship is Marek Alscher.
The 22-year-old will be representing Czechia after playing his first four games in the NHL earlier this season, dishing out three assists for the Panthers during his time with the club.
Team Canada tapped Panthers AGM Gregory Campbell to assist team executives with evaluating players and constructing their roster.
The tournament begins on Friday and runs through May 31.
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
Re-Sign Or Let Him Walk? How Should The Panthers Approach A.J. Greer Contract Negotiations?
Four Restricted Free Agents The Panthers Should Re-Sign This Off-Season
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Honors Staff Members At Boca Raton Regional During National Hospital Week
Panthers Defensive Prospect Selected To Czechia's 2026 World Championship Roster
Former Panthers Director Of Hockey Operations Braden Birch Signs With Devils As Assistant GM
Report: Panthers Risk Losing Director Of Player Personnel, Director Of Hockey Operations
Photo caption: Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Matthew Tkachuk of United States in action with Renars Krastenbergs of Latvia in men's ice hockey group C play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)