Three Lightning players to make international debut at World Championships

Posted Apr 11, 2012 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Apr 11, 2012 at 09:19 PM

Three Tampa Bay Lightning players were officially named to their respective national teams for next month’s World Championships in Sweden and Finland.

Newly signed forward J.T. Brown joins Nate Thompson on the initial roster for USA while Teddy Purcell was named to Canada’s roster. All three will be making their international debuts.

Brown, 21, joined the Lightning for the final five games of the season after signing as a free agent out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and picked up his first career point with an assist in the season finale in Winnipeg. Brown led Minnesota-Duluth this season with 23 goals. Thompson, 27, just completed his second full season with Tampa Bay since being claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders.

Purcell is coming off a career year in which he set highs with 24 goals, 41 assists and 65 points in 81 games.

Victor Hedman is also expected to be named to represent Sweden, according to Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, but the official roster has not been released.

In addition, TSN television reported Lightning head coach Guy Boucher has accepted an invitation to serve as an assistant head coach, though Boucher said on Wednesday that nothing has been finalized. There is speculation that Boucher could be named the head coach after Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff declined the invitation on Wednesday.