Chabot may play for Team Canada at worlds

OTTAWA— Thomas Chabot has some business to take care of with the Ottawa Senators this season.

Then the club’s alternate captain will most certainly give some consideration to suiting up for Team Canada at next month’s world championships.

The 24-year-old Chabot was mentioned as a top candidate by TSN’s Darren Dreger on Tuesday night to be asked to suit up for Canada at the tournament from May 21 until June 6 in Riga, Latvia.

Though Chabot noted he hasn’t given it much thought, he didn’t rule out the possibility, either.

“Any time you get the chance to play for your country, it’s something that you always want to do,” Chabot said Wednesday on a Zoom call as the Senators prepared to face the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Thursday night.

He suited up for Team Canada at the world junior tournament in 2017 after being passed over for the roster in 2016. In 2018 and 2019, he accepted an invitation to play for Canada at the world championships held in Denmark and Slovakia respectively.

Chabot has never said no to his country, but this time around it’s different. The threat of COVID-19 remains real, and even though vaccinations are helping to lower the numbers in some countries, those concerns won’t disappear overnight.

“This year, with everything that’s been going on with the COVID-19 and the travelling, we really don’t know what’s going on,” Chabot said. “I haven’t really given it any thoughts right now. But, like I said, if I get the chance, you always want to play for your country.

“You want to play some more games and it’s a fun time when you get the chance to meet the other guys from other teams and play with them. You learn more on and off the ice, so it’s always good.”

Former NHL goalie Roberto Luongo was named as the GM of Canada’s entry Tuesday.