NY Rangers Have 5 Representatives in IIHF World Championships

The IIHF World Championships are going to feature several New York Rangers players this summer.

Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers right wing Jaroslav Chmelar (49) celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers have some intriguing young talent on their roster that began to emerge down the stretch of the 2025-26 season.

This summer will be an important one for those players. They have gotten a taste of the NHL and want to do everything in their power to ensure that they remain at that level, which includes putting the work in on the ice and in the gym this summer.

That is why Gabe Perreault won’t be participating in the IIHF World Championships this summer. He wants to focus on improving and preparing his body for the grind of the NHL season.

However, Rangers fans will get to watch some of their other favorite players on the ice during the tournament. Five New York players will be representing their countries in the international competition that will take place from May 15 through May 31.

Rangers have five players participating in IIHF World Championships

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Adam Sykora (38) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Playing for Team USA will be defenseman Will Borgen. He was acquired from the Seattle Kraken ahead of the 2025 trade deadline in the deal centered around Kaapo Kakko.

In his first full season with the Rangers, Borgen appeared in 75 games and recorded 15 points, tallying 10 assists and five goals. He had a plus/minus of +3 and recorded 99 blocks to go along with 111 hits.

Fellow defenseman Urho Vaakanainen will be playing with Team Sweden. He was acquired in the Jacob Trouba deal from the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6, 2024, and like Borgen, just completed his first full season in New York.

He played in 34 games this year, recording six assists, and looks to have been surpassed by some of the younger players, such as Matthew Robertson and Drew Fortescue, on the depth chart.

Wishing our guys best of luck at #MensWorlds! 👊 pic.twitter.com/19UTSDNxy2

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 14, 2026

Playing on Team Slovakia will be Adam Sykora. A second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, he got his first experience with the Rangers down the stretch of this past season, appearing in 11 games.

He recorded four points, scoring three goals with one assist. A bottom-six forward spot will be what he battles for when training camp comes around this fall.

Jaroslav Chmelar will be playing for Czechia, looking to build off his incredible campaign. There wasn’t a prospect in the organization that had as big a turnaround as Chmelar, who has pushed himself into the conversation for a regular lineup spot next year.

Last but not least is Mikkel Eriksen. A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft of the Colorado Avalanche, he will be playing for Norway.