NY Rangers’ Gabe Perreault Shares IIHF World Championships Decision

With the IIHF World Championships this summer, will fans see New York Rangers winger Gabe Perreault partaking?

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) skates against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

By missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year, the New York Rangers have been focusing on the offseason for a few weeks at this point.

It will be an important summer for the front office. A strong, young core started to emerge down the stretch of the season to provide the team with a base to build around. In just a few months, another high-upside youngster will be added to the mix with a top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

While the NHL regular season won’t start until October, there is still plenty of hockey set for this summer that fans can see some of their favorite players partaking in. The IIHF World Championships will be held this summer, and the Rangers look like they could be well represented.

A few of their young players, such as Adam Sykora and Jaroslav Chmelar, are hoping to have the opportunity to represent their countries, Slovakia and Czechia. However, New York fans aren’t going to see Gabe Perreault taking part.

Gabe Perreault won't play in IIHF World Championships

Apr 13, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) looks on after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As shared by Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required), Perreault did have discussions with Team USA decision makers about playing in the IIHF World Championships.

However, he said he “thought about it, but I’m not going to be going.”

The reasoning that he provided for not wanting to partake is a valid one. He is going to focus this offseason on improving his body for what is anticipated to be his first full year as an NHL player in the 2026-27 campaign.

“I think it’s a big summer for me,” Perreault said. “I want to spend more time in the gym and be able to put some more strength on. I think that was a bigger thing that I needed.”

Gabe Perreault continuing a STRONG end to the season 👀 pic.twitter.com/WaRIyqlblA

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 16, 2026

That certainly sounds like the correct decision to make. While it is always a privilege to represent your country in competition, Perreault has the opportunity to solidify himself as one of the core pieces with the Rangers next season.

In 49 total appearances this past season, he had 27 points, scoring 12 goals with 15 assists. After a tough start to the 2025-26 campaign, which resulted in the 20-year-old being sent back down to the minor leagues, Perreault finished strongly.

Down the stretch, over the final 20 games he played in, he scored seven goals, including a hat trick agianst the Deroit Red Wings, with 31 shots on net. That went along with nine assists, totaling 16 points, and finished with a plus/minus of +4. He added seven blocks and seven hits, providing some two-way impact as well.

He is a big part of the future in New York, and focusing on improving and preparing his body for what everyone hopes is a breakout campaign makes the most sense.