Arizona Coyotes: Martin Hanzal Named To Czech Republic World Cup Roster
Arizona Coyotes center and alternate captain Martin Hanzal has been named to the Czech Republic’s World Cup roster.
The Arizona Coyotes have at least one alternate captain who will be attending the World Cup.
Martin Hanzal was named to the Czech Republic team’s initial 16-man roster today according to NHL.com.
The Czech center played for his country in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics. He has also represented the Czech Republic twice before at the World Championships.
Hanzal is the only Arizona Coyotes player on the roster with defenseman Zbynek Michalek being an interesting omission.
Martin Hanzal has 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points this season with Coyotes.
The 6’6, 226 pound forward has skated in just 50 of the Coyotes’ 63 games in 2015-16. He missed a block of time in December that saw the team go into a swoon without him contributing to the offense.
His return in January sparked the Arizona Coyotes’ offense to three straight wins where he was a direct factor in multiple goals by being the player that is always willing to go to the dirty areas.
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Without Hanzal in the lineup, the Yotes’ offense tends to stagnate due to a lack of net-front presence. His huge frame and contributions in the crease are a very underrated piece of the Coyotes’ early surge in the 2015-16.
With the possibility of the Czech moving at the trade deadline, Hanzal’s play earned a little more of the attention it deserves – at least when he’s in the lineup.
Now he’s been rewarded with one of the initial 16 slots on the Czech Republic’s hockey World Cup roster while his teammate Zbynek Michalek is curiously absent.
For a team with Radkos Gudas and Roman Polak on the initial roster on defense, you’d think Michalek will eventually make it onto the list if he wants to compete in the event. Michalek is in the twilight of his career, but the Czech Republic’s defensive pickings are slim.
Another notable absence from the Czech roster is the legendary Jaromir Jagr. The 44-year-old forward is in the midst of another 20 goal season, yet he was not included in the initial release.
According to Sean Leahy of Puck Daddy, the team intends to give Jagr more time to decide if he wants to compete in the tournament before including him in their plans.
Next: Selecting The Next Coyotes Captain
Hanzal will likely be joined at the World Cup by a couple of other Arizona Coyotes.
It’s a virtual lock that Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be included on the Swedish team. Perhaps we’ll see Max Domi and/or Anthony Duclair playing for the under-23 team.
In the meantime, Martin Hanzal can claim the honor of the lone Coyotes’ cup invitee. For a few hours at least.