Drew MacIntyre and Trevor Carrick have both been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2015 Spengler Cup in Switzerland.
The Spengler Cup runs from Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, making MacIntyre and Carrick unavailable for at least the first two contests in the team's post-holidays California road trip.
The team has been preparing for MacIntyre's brief absence, getting Daniel Altshuller some game action last week to help acclimate the young netminder. He is expected to man the crease alongside Tirronen as the team returns from the holiday break.
On the back end, the Checkers have six defensemen on their roster, including PTO Mike Cornell, who has been a healthy extra for the last six games. Should they feel the need to bring an extra body with them for their six-game road trip, they could turn to Tyler Ganly or Justin Agosta, both of whom have appeared for Charlotte this season and are currently in Florida, or they could go the PTO route.
This will mark MacIntyre's second time participating in the tournament.
“It’s a huge honor,” said MacIntyre. “I was really hoping to get the chance again. I’m proud that they asked me.”
In last year's tournament, MacIntyre helped backstop Team Canada to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by the eventual champion Geneve-Servette HC.
It was frustrating to lose in the semis last year," said MacIntyre. "It was a huge learning experience last year, so I’ll feel a lot more comfortable knowing the rink and the style of play and the routine. I’m thankful that they asked me again."
For Carrick, this will be his first experience representing his home country internationally. A fourth-round draft pick in 2012, Trevor Carrick is following up a record-setting rookie campaign nicely this season with the Checkers, ranking second on the team in scoring and tied for third in the AHL in goals at the time of his departure.
Born in 1994, Carrick is an interesting choice for a Canadian team that primarily uses older players in the Spengler Cup. At last year's tournament, Team Canada only featured one player born in the 1990s, Ryan Martindale, who is still three years older than Carrick.
