Mathew Barzal is ready and willing to play in a World Cup of Hockey.
The NHL has yet to announce the next edition of the event, which first took place in 2016, but reports indicate it is aiming for a four-team tournament in February 2025 between the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.
Barzal, who was vocal about wanting to represent Canada in the 2022 Olympics before NHL participation in Beijing was nixed due to pandemic concerns, has never played in a best-on-best tournament but twice wore the maple leaf at World Championships.
“I feel like I’ve always loved representing my country,” Barzal told The Post before Wednesday’s 3-2 Islanders win over the Flyers. “Feel like I’ve played some good hockey wearing the Canadian jersey. I’d love to be a part of that.”
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters in Sweden that the league is working with the NHLPA to set up the February 2025 edition, with the goal of regularly rotating between the World Cup and Olympic participation.
An agreement to send NHL players to Milan-Cortina in 2026 is still being hashed out between the league and the IOC.
The 2016 World Cup in Toronto was won by Canada, which defeated Team Europe in a best-of-three final.
Because Russia would be excluded from any international tournament because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, a 2025 tournament would be without Ilya Sorokin and Alexander Romanov from the Islanders.
But Barzal, Adam Pelech and Noah Dobson would be candidates for Team Canada; Brock Nelson would have a chance at making Team USA; and Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom might have an outside shot at making Team Sweden.
“It’s something you want to do,” Barzal said. “You want to represent your country. If I got the nod for that, it would be pretty special. Hopefully I can play there on that team.”
With Cal Clutterbuck’s 1,000th career game Wednesday, the Islanders have had a player reach that milestone in each of the past three seasons, with Andy Greene doing so in 2021-22 and Josh Bailey last season.
The Islanders honored Clutterbuck during the game with a scoreboard graphic and the fans gave him a standing ovation.
“I don’t really deal with that form of attention all that well. I don’t know if anybody does,” Clutterbuck said. “It was nice. I just want to make sure I had the presence of mind and I was taking it in.”
Fittingly, No. 15 is 15th all-time on the franchise list for games played with 653 games as an Islander.
Matt Martin (upper body) missed his third straight game against the Flyers with Hudson Fasching continuing to slot in.
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