Avs put three more players on rosters

Three more Avalanche players will be suiting up for the World Cup of Hockey.

On Friday, Colorado forward Carl Soderberg was added to Team Sweden, forward Matt Duchene to Team Canada and defenseman Erik Johnson will represent Team USA, giving the Avalanche seven players on World Cup rosters.

Duchene just finished playing for Canada’s gold medal team at the world championship in Russia, so this will be a quick return to international competition for him. He also was on Canada’s gold medal team at the 2014 Olympics.

“It’s an absolute thrill,” Duchene said of being selected for the World Cup. “It was a big goal of mine. After playing in Russia at the Olympics, it’s one of those teams you always want to be on. You always want to stick around, want to be in the conversation for the teams. It’s such a tough team to make because of how many great players there are from Canada, so it’s very humbling and a huge honor and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Duchene, 25, led the Avs in goals (30) and points (59) last season. Johnson, 28, had 11 goals and 16 assists in 73 games. Soderberg, 30, finished with career highs in assists (39) and points (51). He will join Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog on the Swedish team.

Johnson, a U.S. Olympian in 2010 but not in 2014, brought up the first World Cup, played in 1996.

“I’m really excited,” Johnson said. “It’ll be fun to go 20 years later after those guys got it done and won the World Cup, and to try and do it again. Anytime you get to represent your country, it’s a great experience. There are a handful of guys who definitely could have been named to the team, so I realize what a special privilege it is.”

Other Colorado players in the World Cup are goaltender Semyon Varlamov (Russia) and forwards Mikkel Boedker (Europe) and Nathan MacKinnon (North America).

The tournament will be played Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. All games will be televised by ESPN.