Avalanche at the 2019 IIHF World Championship

Colorado Avalanche forwards Sven Andrighetto (Switzerland), Tyson Jost (Canada), and Gabriel Landeskog (Sweden), defenseman Nikita Zadorov (Russia) and goaltenders Pavel Francouz (Czech Republic) and Philipp Grubauer (Germany) will represent their respective countries at this year's IIHF World Championship. The tournament opened on May 10 in Slovakia and will run through May 26.

This will be Landeskog's fourth appearance at the IIHF World Championship. The Stockholm native also represented Sweden in 2017, 2013 and 2012. In 2017, Landeskog was named an alternate captain and helped his country earn the gold medal by netting five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 contests. He also won gold in 2013, scoring four points (three goals, one assist) in 10 outings to help Sweden achieve the prize. In 2012, his first time at the tournament, Landeskog put up five points (one goal, four assists) through eight games. Landeskog has also represented Sweden at the Olympic Games (2014; silver), World Cup of Hockey (2016; bronze) and at the U20 and U18 World Junior Championships.
The 2018-19 campaign was a record year for the Avalanche captain. He set new career highs in goals (34), assists (41) and overall points (75). Landeskog also set a new playoff career high by notching eight points (three goals, five assists) in 12 postseason contests, including netting the game winner in overtime of Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks.
Philipp Grubauer will be dressing in his third IIHF World Championship. The native of Rosenheim wore the German sweater at the 2017 World Championship as well as in 2014. In 2017, the netminder appeared twice between the pipes, generating a 2.42 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. In 2014, he produced a 2.03 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in two contests.
Grubauer split time in net this season and produced a 2.64 goals-against average along with a .917 save percentage through 37 appearances. The netminder finished the regular season by earning eight consecutive wins and helping the Avalanche to an 8-1-2 record going into the postseason. Grubauer started in each matchup of the playoffs, generating a 7-5 record, 2.30 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 12 clashes.
Jost will be playing in the IIHF tournament for the second time of his career and for the second year in a row. Jost, a native of St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, registered six points (four goals, two assists) in nine outings in 2018 as Canada advanced to the Bronze Medal game. Jost has also represented Canada at the 2017 World Junior Championship, 2016 Under-18 World Championship and 2016 U18 tournament.
Jost posted new career highs as a sophomore on the Avs, racking up 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 70 contests. He scored his first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal this year and registered three total markers and one assist in 12 postseason clashes.
This is the third time that Andrighetto has been with Team Switzerland at the IIHF Tournament. In 2018, the forward notched nine points (two goals, seven assists) through nine contests to help Switzerland to a Silver medal. Andrighetto put up seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games during the 2016 tournament. Andrighetto also played for Switzerland in two World Junior Championships.
Through 64 appearances during the regular season for Colorado, Andrighetto racked up 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists). He finished the year having generated a career-high plus-10 rating and also dressed for five postseason contests.
Zadorov will be making his IIHF World Championship tournament debut this year, but it is not the first time the defenseman has sported his home country's colors. Zadorov, a native of Moscow, Russia, helped Russia to a bronze medal at the 2014 World Junior Championship, leading all Russian defensemen with four goals and five points.
Zadorov matched his career high in goals this season (seven) and racked up a total 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 70 games.
This marks the sixth World Championship appearance for Francouz. Hailing from Plzen, Czech Republic, the goaltender has represented his country at the 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 tournaments. In 2018, he produced a 4-1 mark to go along with a 2.38 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. Francouz also represented the Czech Republic at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Francouz spent the 2018-19 season with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. He posted a 2.68 goals-against average and .918 save percentage through 49 regular-season tilts and generated a 3.31 goals-against average and .895 save percentage through 4 playoffs outings. The netminder also played in two games with the Avalanche, putting up a 1.97 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in that time.
The tournament opened on Friday, although no Avalanche players were present to begin play.