Read below for a list of players from clubs that have qualified for the Champions Hockey League that are currently competing that the IIHF World Championship.
Several of the players who will compete in the 2017-18 edition of the Champions Hockey League are currently in Cologne or Paris to wear their respective national team colours at the IIHF World Championship.
Some players are coming off successful seasons and success at the World Championship will be the icing on the cake. Frounda Gothenburg captain Joel Lundqvist led his team to the CHL title and picked up the NordicBet MVP Trophy. As a member of Team Sweden, he'd like to pick up more hardware in Cologne. Likewise, several members of HV71 Jonkoping (Mikko Lehtonen of Finland), Tappara Tampere (players on Finland and Norway), Kometa Brno (Czech Jakub Krejcik and two Slovaks), SC Bern (three Swiss and a German) and Red Bull Munich (five Germans and a Dane) have already won a league championship this season and are now out to conquer the world.
Remember Yunost Minsk's Alexander Kogalev and the CHL Goal of the Year he scored against the Vaxjo Lakers? He's in Paris representing Belarus along with two players from the team that beat his in the Belarusian finals, Neman Grodno. Players are also present from other CHL Challenger League champions, such as Esbjerg Energy, the Gap Rapaces and Stavanger Oilers.
Stay tuned all week as we bring you features on several of those players on the website and our social media channels.
BELARUS - Goal: Vitali Trus (Neman Grodno). Forward: Mikhail Stefanovich (Grodno).
CZECH REPUBLIC - Defence: Jakub Krejcik (Kometa Brno), Radim Simek (Bili Tygri Liberec).
DENMARK - Defence: Filip Bruggisser (Esbjerg Energy). Forward: Frederik Storm, Nichlas Hardt (both Malmo Redhawks), Mads Christensen (Red Bull Munich).
FINLAND - Defence: Mikko Lehtonen (HV71 Jonkoping). Forward: Veli-Matti Savinainen, Jani Lajunen (both Tappara Tampere). Juhamatti Aaltonen (IFK Helsinki).
FRANCE - Forward: Anthony Rech (Gap Rapaces).
GERMANY - Goal: Danny Aus den Birken (Munich). Defence: Justin Krueger (SC Bern), Konrad Abeltschauser (Munich). Forward: Brooks Macek, Yannic Seidenberg, Dominik Kahun (all Munich), Marcus Kink (Adler Mannheim), Gerrit Fauser (Grizzlys Wolfsburg).
ITALY - Defence: Thomas Larkin (Mannheim).
LATVIA - Forward: Andris Dzerins (Mountfield Hradec Kralove), Ronalds Kenins (ZSC Lions Zurich).
NORWAY - Defence: Johannes Johannesen, Mattias Norstebo (both Frolunda Gothenburg), Dennis Sveum (Stavanger Oilers). Forward: Martin Roymark (Tappara), Kristian Forsberg (Stavanger), Patrick Thoresen (Zurich), Mats Rosseli-Olsen (Frolunda).
SLOVAKIA - Defence: Adam Janosik (Liberec), Peter Triska (Kometa). Forward: Michel Miklik (JYP Jyvaskyla), Vladimir Dravecky (Ocelari Trinec), Mario Bliznak (Liberec), Marcel Hascak (Kometa).
SLOVENIA - Goal: Luca Gracnar (Red Bull Salzburg). Defence: Blaz Gregorc (Hradec Kralove), Mitja Robar (KAC Klagenfurt). Forward: Ziga Pance (Klagenfurt).
SWEDEN - Forward: Joel Lundqvist (Frolunda), Carl Klingberg (Zug).
SWITZERLAND - Goal: Leonardo Genoni (Bern). Defence: Raphael Diaz (EV Zug), Ramon Untersander (Bern). Forward: Andres Ambuhl (HC Davos), Simon Bodenmann (Bern), Rito Schappi, Pius Suter (both Zurich).