Charlie Lindgren was officially registered with Team USA and got in his first IIHF World Championship practice on Monday morning.
The Outlaw donned a black jersey as he took the crease for the first time since the Washington Capitals were ousted from the playoffs in the first round by the New York Rangers. The Capitals announced Lindgren’s intentions to join up with Team USA this past weekend after he initially turned down an earlier invitation.
Team USA needed a replacement in net after starting goaltender Alex Lyon suffered an injury early on in the tournament, giving them only two goalies. Lindgren arrives in Czechia where he will likely take the starting reins over Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Alex Nedeljkovic.
Lindgren previously represented the US at the 2018 IIHF World Championship but did not appear in a game. He joins up with a US team this year that already features top Capitals prospect, Ryan Leonard.
The 30-year-old backstop is coming off a career year in the NHL where he posted a 25-16-7 record with a 2.67 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and six shutouts.
Team USA currently sits second in Group B after a 10-1 win over Kazakhstan on Sunday. They have amassed a 4-1-1 overall record with a regulation loss to Sweden and an overtime loss to Martin Fehervary’s Slovakian team.
Lindgren’s first chance to dress for his country will come on Tuesday against Latvia in the team’s final group-stage game. The tournament’s quarterfinals begin on May 23.
