Eurolanche

World Cup rosters announced

The first players to be selected to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey rosters were announced on Wednesday, when the respective teams released their preliminary rosters.

The tournament will feature two groups competing in a round robin before squaring off for the elimination rounds. Group A will feature teams from Canada, the Czech Republic, the U.S. and the rest of Europe. Group B will include teams from Russia, Finland, Sweden and North America. Team Europe will be comprised of the top players from nations outside of the four European countries competing in the tournament. Team North America will consist of North American-born players who will be 23 years old or younger as of Oct. 1, 2016.

The international tournament will take place from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1. The top finishers from each group will advance to a semifinal on Sept. 24-25. The top two teams will then face off in a best-of-three final with games played on Sept. 27, Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, if necessary.

All games will be played at Air Canada Centre in Toronto and will be televised by ESPN in the United States and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.

Below is a list of Avs that have been named to their respective teams:

Team Russia

Semyon Varlamov – Varlamov has represented Russia in nine major international events, including two Olympics (2010 and 2014), three IIHF World Championships (2010, 2012 and 2013), a pair of IIHF World Junior Championships (2006 and 2007) and two World Under-18 Championships (2005 and 2006). He backstopped Russia to a gold medal at the 2012 IIHF World Championship, where he went 8-0 with a 1.77 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in eight appearances. Varlamov also helped Russia to the silver medal at the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.

The 27-year-old netminder is 22-17-3 this season with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

Team Sweden

Gabriel Landeskog – Colorado’s captain represented Team Sweden at the 2014 Olympics, the 2012 and 2013 IIHF World Championship and the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship. At 21-years-old, he was the youngest member of the Swedish Olympic Team, and he helped the squad earn the silver medal as an assistant captain. Sweden won the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm and Helsinki. Landeskog tallied three goals and one assist, playing in all 10 games at the tournament.

Landeskog sits tied for third on the Avs in assists (28) and points (43) and fourth in goals (15).

Team Europe

Mikkel Boedker – The Brondby, Denmark, native represented his country at the 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014 IIHF World Championships. The forward recorded four points (two goals, two assists) in seven contests in 2014 and three assists in seven games in 2013. At the 2011 World Championship, Boedker netted three goals and added an assist while averaging 20:06 of ice time.

Boedker joined the Avs on Feb. 29 in a trade the sent veteran forward Alex Tanguay and prospects Conner Bleackley and Kyle Wood to the Arizona Coyotes. He has 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 63 games this year.

Team North America

Nathan MacKinnon – The 20-year-old center recovered from a fractured foot at the end of the 2014-15 NHL campaign to help Canada capture a gold medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic last year. He had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 10 games at the tournament, including a tally in the gold-medal game against Russia. MacKinnon also represented his country in the tournament in 2014, where he had four points (one goal, three assists) in eight games.

MacKinnon sits second on the Avalanche in goals (20) and tied for third in assists (28) and points (43) after 65 games.

-- by Callie Parmele for Avalanche.nhl.com --