Wiercioch to join Team Canada
Patrick Wiercioch’s offseason will begin in Prague with Canada’s world championship team later this week, yet another example of the remarkable lateseason turnaround in his career.
“Not a chance,” Wiercioch said, when asked if he thought that would have been a remote possibility two months ago.
“That’s, I guess, how seasons work,” he said. “As a team, we didn’t really expect ourselves to be in the playoffs at that point, either, but all the hard work is definitely paying off. It’s pretty special.”
After a tough first half, when he was in and out of the lineup, Wiercioch was available for any team that wanted him at the trade deadline.
However, once the nervousness and anxiety associated with that day passed — Wiercioch’s son was barely a month old at the time — he found a home playing alongside Cody Ceci as a reliable second defence pair during the club’s torrid streak to end the regular season.
In the Senators’ six-game playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens, he had two goals and two assists, tied with Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone as Ottawa’s top scorer.
“I’m thrilled. Anytime you get a chance to represent your country, it’s pretty special. I never had the privilege of donning that jersey yet, so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.”
Wiercioch says the call was a surprise.
“It just kind of came out of the blue and I didn’t even hesitate,” he said.
Kyle Turris couldn’t be more excited to see his good friend get his opportunity to play on the world stage, saying it’s a tribute to his determination to not give up, despite the rough start to his season.
“You saw over the past two months, especially in the playoff series, how good he can play and what he’s capable of,” said Turris, who played minor hockey with Wiercioch in B.C. “I’ve been lucky enough to know that for a long time, but for everybody else to see it on a consistent basis here lately was nice. And real exciting for next season.”
Team Canada had asked Marc Methot to go to Prague, but Methot says he spent the final stretch of the season dealing with hip, elbow and foot injuries.
Erik Karlsson (undisclosed) and Mika Zibanejad (bruised knee cap) turned down invitations to play for Sweden.