A few days after it was announced that Jakub Vrana had been named to the Czech National Team for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, the winger joined the team in his home country for a Euro Hockey Tour practice.
The official Czech Hockey twitter account posted a photo Friday morning.
👀 @JVranaa 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/eZTIVG49dc
— Hokejový nároďák (@narodnitym) May 3, 2019
They also posted several photos on Instagram.
This is Vrana’s first call-up to the senior National team. He has previously represented the U20, U18, U17, and U16 teams.
It’s unknown where Vrana has been slotted on the lines, but Dmitrij Jaskin, who was on the Czech Republic’s World Championship team last year, is currently the team’s second line left wing.
👥 | V této sestavě nastupujeme do zápasu s Finskem! Utkání můžete sledovat na @sportCT, začínáme v 17:30 💪#CZEvFIN 🇨🇿🆚🇫🇮 #jakolev #narodnitym pic.twitter.com/44ZaOYdsey
— Hokejový nároďák (@narodnitym) May 2, 2019
While Vrana said he was playing through an injury during the playoffs, it wasn’t enough to hold him back from playing in Worlds. During breakdown day, he was coy on the details and severity of his injury, but it was reported that he was seen icing his shoulder multiple times during the series.
The Czech Republic is currently participating in the final tournament of the Euro Hockey Tour this year – the Carlson Hockey Games. The IIHF 2019 World Chamtournament begins on May 10 with the Czech Republic’s first game is against Norway on May 11.
Headline photo: @narodnitym
