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Johnny Gaudreau leading Columbus Blue Jackets contingent at world championship
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- Johnny Gaudreau leading Columbus Blue Jackets contingent at world championship
Johnny Gaudreau 's plan to rebound strong for the Blue Jackets next season is off to a roaring start.
More: Johnny Gaudreau focused on rebound for Columbus Blue Jackets: 'It's been tough'
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Rather than going straight into offseason recovery mode, Gaudreau is one of the top individual scorers for the U.S. at the 2024 men's world championships in Czechia. With one game left in Group B pool play hosted in Ostrava, Czechia, Gaudreau is tied with teammate Brady Tkachuk ( Ottawa Senators ) for second in scoring for the tournament with 11 points on three goals and eight assists.
Gaudreau also moved into the all-time career lead in points and assists for the U.S. in worlds action, moving past Patrick Kane with a five-point game (one goal, four assists) in a 10-1 rout of Kazahkstan on Sunday.
Gaudreau, who's playing in his fifth men's world championship, has a career scoring line of 13-30-43 in 38 games for the U.S., which has one game left in Group B on Tuesday against Latvia (10:20 a.m., NHL Network) and will advance to the quarterfinals Thursday in Ostrava. Medal rounds will be held Saturday and Sunday in Prague. The U.S. is second in the Group B standings with 13 points and a 4-1-1 record, losing only to Sweden in regulation and Slovakia in overtime.
Gaudreau's participation is the first step in his goal to bounce back from two tough seasons with the Blue Jackets that followed his signing in Columbus in July 2021 as an unrestricted free agent.
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"Last summer, I skated a little bit less with a new baby," Gaudreau said. "I was just hanging around her as much as I could, so I'm definitely going to try and skate a lot more this summer, be in the gym a little bit more and come ready to go next year."
Gaudreau and his wife, Meredith, also have an infant son, but striking the perfect balance between his personal life and hockey tops his summer agenda. At age 30 with five more years left on his contract , the goal going forward is getting back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and not further padding his scoring lead for the U.S. in world championship play.
"We want to be playing games that matter in March and April," Gaudreau said last month. "Whether you're two points out of a playoff spot or whatever we were (the past two years), we're not in the playoffs. So, everyone needs to be better, starting with myself and, also, as the older guys we need to make sure we're holding everyone accountable as a team and making sure we're having a good offseason."
That's already underway for Gaudreau in Czechia, and he plans to continue the momentum throughout the summer.
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"We still need to do a lot more to get where we want to be," Gaudreau said. "Have we taken some steps in the right direction? I think so, but no one in (our) locker wants to be where we're at, (which is) not in the playoffs. So, we still have a lot of things to work on, but if we keep doing all the little things right and prepare this summer ... those little steps we did take this year will only help next season."
Here is how other Blue Jackets are doing at the world championships:
Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski , Chicago Blackhawks ' Seth Jones enjoying reunion with U.S. at world championship
It didn't take long for the U.S. to reunite Blue Jackets star defenseman Zach Werenski with Seth Jones, his former defense partner in Columbus. It's been three years since Jones was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks , but the two instantly clicked as the top defensive duo for the U.S. in Ostrava.
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Werenski has a goal and four assists for five points in six games, while Jones has 0-4-4 with one game left in pool play. Shortly after being put together in the opening game, a loss to Sweden, Jones and Werenski combined for the first U.S. goal of the tournament.
Jones left a no-look drop pass for Werenski, who fired it into the net through traffic. The two forged a friendship as Blue Jackets teammates and still maintain that connection through texts and video gaming. Their on-ice chemistry has also remained intact.
Columbus Blue Jackets' Rick Nash , Damon Severson undefeated with Canada at world championship
The roster assembled by Blue Jackets director of player development Rick Nash and his staff with Hockey Canada has cruised through Group A play. The Canadians are 5-0-0 with one game remaining against host Czechia on Tuesday (10:20 a.m.) in Prague, and they'll be favored to win the gold heading into Thursday's quarterfinals.
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Nash is handling the general manager's duties for Canada, and one of his players is Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson . After completing his first season in Columbus as part of an eight-year contract he signed last summer , Severson is eager to finish the year with a better taste than the bitter one that followed the Jackets' disappointing season.
Severson hasn't recorded a point in the first six games for Canada, but he's played a strong overall game. Nash, meanwhile, can add another international medal for his home country and first in a managerial role. Nash is making waves in his executive career with the Blue Jackets, who've yet to name a general manager after firing Jarmo Kekalainen in mid-February .
Hiring Nash would be a surprise, but holding the GM role for Canada at men's worlds carries weight. Acting as a country's GM can help those who take on the responsibility land NHL GM roles, including Bill Zito's rise from Blue Jackets associate GM to the Florida Panthers ' president of hockey operations.
Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins struggling for Latvia at world championship
A year after declining an invitation to play for Latvia at the men's world championships, Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins is struggling with his home country at this year's world competition.
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More: Columbus Blue Jackets goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins reflects on 2023-24 season
Through four starts, Merzlikins has a 4.80 goals-against average and .826 save percentage after allowing 16 goals on 92 shots. Merzlikins rebounded this season for the Jackets after posting his worst NHL campaign last yea r, and he was hoping to shine at worlds.
That's usually what Merzlikins does for Latvia during international competition, but it hasn't happened yet and there's only one game left in Group B pool play. That's against a powerhouse U.S. team Tuesday, and it will be interesting to see which Latvian net-minder gets the nod.
Apr 16, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Gavin Brindley (45) battles with Carolina Hurricanes left wing Maxime Comtois (44) during the third period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Gavin Brindley has one goal for U.S. at world championship
The Blue Jackets have their fingerprints all over the U.S. roster, from Gaudreau and Werenski as top scorers to rookie forward Gavin Brindley on the fourth line.
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The Jackets are also represented by head athletic trainer Mike Vogt, head equipment manager Jamie Healy and assistant equipment manager Dustin Halstead. Gaudreau and Werenski are two of the top offensive options for the U.S., but Brindley has contributed.
USA's forward Gavin Brindley and Sweden's goalkeeper Hugo Havelid vie for the puck during the final ice hockey match between USA and Sweden of the IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden on January 5, 2024. (Photo by Bjorn LARSSON ROSVALL / various sources / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo by BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL/TT News Agency/TT NYHETSBYRÃ…N/AFP via Getty Images)
After making his NHL debut in the Blue Jackets' season finale , the former Michigan star has suited up three times and scored his first goal in a men's world championship during Sunday's over Kazahkstan. Brindley, who led the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2024 world junior championship, has played right wing on the fourth line in a checking role for the men's team.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau starring for U.S. at worlds
