COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins players Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin will join up with the Russia team at the ice hockey world championship in the next few days.
Russia coach Vyacheslav Bykov will benefit from the extra firepower after the Penguins were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens.
Teams at the worlds are allowed to have 20 skaters and three goalies in the first round and can add two more players for the second round.
The two-time Olympian Malkin will play in his fourth worlds and was a leading figure in Pittsburgh’s 2009 Stanley Cup title run, earning the playoffs’ most valuable player award.
Gonchar, a four-time Olympian, had 13 goals and 49 assists in 75 games this season.
