Philadelphia Flyers Players Dominate At IIHF World Championship

Canadian Flyers at the IIHF World Championships

Konecny and Sanheim both returned to the international stage after their gold medal victory with Canada at the Four Nations Faceoff back in February. However, this was Foerster’s first appearance with his national team since the IIHF World Junior U-20 Championships. In that tournament, he also won gold. Unfortunately, Canada failed to pass the quarter-finals, losing 2-1 to Denmark. Their only goal in their last game was scored by Sanheim and assisted by Sidney Crosby and Konecny.

While Canada’s final placement was well below expectations, Flyers fans were able to see a glimpse of their best players surrounded by other elite teammates. The most notable of which was Konecny, registering 13 points in 8 games, tied for first in points on team Canada with Nathan MacKinnon. Such a performance could possibly further encourage Flyers general manager, Daniel Briere to seek a talented centreman to play alongside Konecny next season.

Ersson Wins Bronze With Team Sweden

Acting as Sweden’s backup goalie, Ersson was unbelievable. He registered a 1.16 GAA, .934 save percentage as well as two shutouts in five games. This is his second bronze medal with Sweden as he won his first at last year’s iteration of the tournament. Flyers fans saw another potential glimpse of the future, as Ersson split ice time with a Markstrom. If Briere can pair him with an experienced goalie who’s willing to split ice time, he may be able to find more consistency in his game.

The Swedes were hoping for gold, but were beaten by the eventual champion Americanes in the semifinals. Sweden and Ersson did salvage a bronze medal after defeating co-host Denmark in the third-place game. It wasn’t the colour hardware that the co-hosts wanted. However, they did get some form of medal after all was said and done.

Flyers Prepare for the Coming Off-season

With the IIHF World Championship complete, Flyers fans now patiently await to see changes throughout the organization. Their coaching staff already looks completely different, especially with the hiring of Rick Tocchet. Hopefully the Flyers’ strong performance on the international stage is an indicator of what’s to come in the near future.

World Championship tournaments can often be used as a way for players to get right after some tough seasons. Flyers fans are hoping that is the case with their team as the team transitions into a new era with a new head coach.