Penguins forward Jake Guentzel to miss IIHF World Championship as precaution
An undisclosed injury will prevent Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel from playing for the United States in the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship tournament next month.
A Penguins spokesperson confirmed Guentzel’s status to the Tribune-Review on Wednesday but did not reveal the nature of the ailment.
Guentzel’s injury is not believed to be serious or pose a threat to his availability to open the 2023-24 season. His decision to bow out of the tournament has been labeled as precautionary.
Per his agent, Ben Hankinson, had the Penguins qualified for the postseason, Guentzel would be playing.
During the Penguins’ exit interviews April 15, Guentzel said he expected to participate in the tournament. And as recently as Tuesday, United States coach David Quinn indicated Guentzel would be part of the team while speaking on a podcast with the Athletic.
A native of Omaha, Neb., who grew up in Woodbury, Minn., Guentzel appeared in 78 games this season and scored 73 points, including a team-best 36 goals, while averaging 20 minutes, 7 seconds of ice time.
Penguins forward Nick Bonino and goaltender Casey DeSmith are scheduled to be part of the team, according to Quinn.
Bonino, 35, has played in two previous World Championship tournaments in 2015 and 2018. The native of Hartford, Conn., finished the season on long-term injured reserve because of a lacerated kidney he suffered March 9 but indicated during exit interviews he would have been available to play had the Penguins qualified for the playoffs.
In 62 games split between the Penguins and San Jose Sharks last season, Bonino had 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) while averaging 15:55 of ice time.
DeSmith, 31, appeared in a career-best 38 games this past season and had a 15-16-4 record, a 3.17 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. A native of Rochester, N.H., DeSmith never has played in an international tournament.
The official roster has yet to be announced. The tournament is scheduled to be held between May 12 and 28 and will be staged in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia.
Penguins forward Drew O’Connor has been labeled as a potential candidate for the roster as well, per a source with USA Hockey.
A native of Wayne, N.J., the 24-year-old O’Connor broke through as a full-time NHLer this past season, playing in 46 games and scoring 11 points (five goals, six assists) while averaging 9:49 of ice time. O’Connor never has played for the United States in any international tournament.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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