Matheson, Demers Help Lead Canada To Silver Medal At IIHF World Championship
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A pair of Florida Panthers defensemen are bringing home silver medals after a strong showing for Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
Michael Matheson and Jason Demers played integral roles during Canada's run to the final, where they lost to Sweden 2-1 in a shootout on Sunday at LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany.
They each played in all 10 games of the tournament.
The 23-year-old Matheson recorded seven points (1g 6a), ranking second for scoring defensemen among all players and first on Team Canada.
He stood out on both sides of the ice, making strong defensive plays while flashing his offensive skills by setting up teammates.
Demers, 28, led all Canadian defensemen in ice time, logging 193:51. He was a steady force for Canada on the back line, playing extremely reliable throughout the tournament.
OTHER PANTHERS
Nick Bjugstad also provided some strong minutes during the tournament for Team USA, picking up a goal and three assists in eight games.
Denis Maglin did for Team Switzerland what he did for the Panthers last season, acting as a spark plug in the offensive zone. Magin did not find the scoresheet but did register 12 shots on goal in his seven games played.