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Report: Canucks star Elias Pettersson agrees to represent Sweden at World Championship

Originally posted on Canucksarmy | By Mike Gould | Last updated 4/16/23

Vancouver Canucks centre Elias Pettersson has agreed to play for Team Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, Elite Prospects‘ Cam Robinson reported Sunday.

Pettersson, 24, set new career-best marks in goals (39), assists (63), and points (102) with the Canucks during the 2022–23 regular season. He’s previously represented Sweden at the Worlds on two occasions (2018, 2019).

The 2023 Worlds are set to take place in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia between May 12 and 28. Finland is the most recent champion, having captured its fourth title at last year’s tournament in the Finnish cities of Tampere and Helsinki.

Sounds like Elias Pettersson is heading to the Worlds for Sweden.

He's going to feast over there.

— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) April 16, 2023

Vancouver hockey insider Rick Dhaliwal subsequently corroborated Robinson’s report on Twitter but cautioned that Pettersson won’t be able to play for Team Sweden until certain “insurance issues” are rectified.

Dhaliwal added that Pettersson played for Team Sweden general manager Sam Hallam during his time with the Swedish Hockey League’s Växjo Lakers.

Pettersson scored 24 goals and 56 points in 44 games with Växjo during the 2017–18 SHL regular season. He added 18 points in 17 playoff contests while helping Växjo capture its second Le Mat Trophy as SHL champions.

Elias Pettersson has said yes to play for Sweden at the worlds but there are insurance issues that have to be worked out first before he can play.

Swedish GM Sam Hallam coached Pettersson at Vaxjo in Sweden.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 16, 2023

The Canucks originally selected Pettersson in the first round (No. 5 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. The six-foot-two centre exploded onto the scene in Vancouver back in the 2018–19 season, scoring 66 points in 71 games and winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

Pettersson, who also represented Sweden at two World Junior Championships before joining the Canucks, has collected 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 13 career World Championship games.

The Canucks named Pettersson a full-time alternate captain prior to the start of the 2022–23 regular season, and there’s a chance he could wear a letter at this year’s Worlds. The Swedish national ice hockey federation will release its full World Championship roster at some point over the next few weeks.

We’ll bring you all the most notable Canucks-related developments from the 2023 Worlds right here at CanucksArmy next month.

This article first appeared on Canucksarmy and was syndicated with permission.

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