New York Islanders Reping Team Canada Summer World Championships

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MONTREAL, QC – JANUARY 05: New York Islanders rookie Mathew Barzal #14 of Team Canada skates during the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game against Team United States at the Bell Centre on January 5, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Team United States defeated Team Canada 5-4 in a shootout and win the gold medal round. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

The World Championships is a second-rate hockey tournament but as New York Islanders fans it’s the only shot we have at seeing our players play hockey past the beginning of April. And this summer won’t be any different.

The New York Islanders won’t be playing in the postseason yet again. After yet another disappointing season, one that was more disappointing then the last, the Islanders season will end in April.

That means the exhilarating train ride that has been Mathew Barzal’s rookie season is over. Ryan Pulock’s emergence as the next line on the Islanders blue line is over. We also have to put our condescending Edmonton Oilers jokes as Barzal and Jordan Eberle link up for point after point.

Or is it over? Cause all of those players (and maybe more) will be playing this summer. They’ll all be representing Team Canada at the World Championships.

Ryan Pulock will play for Canada at the World Championships along with Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle. #Isles
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) April 4, 2018

As an Isles fan as a Canadian, this is amazing. Since the Olympics didn’t matter I can now finally watch a best-of-the-rest against the best-of-the-rest international tournament. It won’t be best on best cause of the NHL playoffs, but it’s close enough!

Here’s what we should expect from the Islanders contingent that will represent Team Canada this may in Denmark.