Meier Making the Most of Playing For Switzerland at Worlds

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Timo Meier is pretty used to the California sun at this point.
He apparently didn't feel the need to chase more rays.
No sand required to kickoff his summer. No shorts, no sandals.
Just Switzerland.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Meier, whose post post-season vacation idea was to star with his home country of Switzerland at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.
"It's an honor. For me, playing in the World Championship and having the opportunity to show myself, representing Switzerland wearing my Swiss flag, I'm going to try to really enjoy it all.
"So far it's been a really fun ride."

Meier, from Herisau -- a population of fewer than 16,000, hopped a flight to Europe shortly after the San Jose Sharks were eliminated in the Western Conference second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The No. 9 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft has played an integral role for the Swiss upon his arrival.
Meier has one goal and four assists to total five points in four games in the tournament, putting him just two off the team lead of seven shared by Enzo Corvi of the HC Davos and Nino Niederreiter of the Minnesota Wild. Corvi and Niederreiter have each played the full seven-game schedule.
His efforts have helped placed Switzerland into a quarterfinal date in Herning with Finland on Thursday.
"It's a big game coming up, quarterfinals," said Meier, who notched 21 goals and 15 assists in 81 regular-season games and added five points in 10 playoff games as a rookie with the Sharks this season.
"That's when it really matters. Everything's open now.
"I'm real excited to get that opportunity to play in the quarterfinals."
It's not the first time Meier has lent his scoring prowess to Switzerland.
At the 2016 World Junior Championship, Meier finished third in team scoring with two goals and five points in six games (two goals, three assists) as the group's captain. A year prior, he again finished third with six points (two goals, four assists) and was named one of Switzerland's top three players.
In 2013, he also skated at the World Under-18 Championship and was a member of Switzerland's Ivan Hlinka Memorial squad.
This is his first time on the big stage, however.
"I've never played, so the motivation is even bigger because it's my first World Championship," said Meier, who was tagged as Switzerland's best player in a 5-2 win against Belarus a week ago -- his opening game of the tournament.
"It definitely gave me an energy boost. It's a long season and it was a tough playoffs, but you want to prepare to play long.
"The Stanley Cup Finals are coming soon. That's how long you want to play.
"You want to make the summer short as possible."
So, suggested Meier, an extended season this summer with Switzerland has back-home benefits in San Jose next year.
He's pushed his workload to late May. The goal, with the Sharks, is to push that farther into mid-June.
Meier feels he can further help with that, too.
The World Championship isn't just a summer skate. Meier is averaging 18:02 of ice time through his four games, up over his NHL average of 14:52 in San Jose. Only Niederreiter, at 19:23, and Corvi, at 18:49, are seeing more ice time among forwards than Meier.
Meaning Meier is playing against the opposition's best in prime time.
And certainly no vacation.
But an experience to build upon.
"It's a learning process, too," he said.
"It's part of my development to come here and help the Swiss team. It's a different kind of game, a little bit, but you play against elite players. It's a good challenge for me to learn. I'm going to try to take as much advantage as I can to learn here, too, and help my team."