Jacob Bernard-Docker to join Troy Stecher and Christian Wolanin at Men's World Championship
May 18—Jacob Bernard-Docker has had a memorable 2020-21 hockey season, and it's not over yet.
Bernard-Docker was added to Canada's roster for the Men's World Championship, where he will team up with fellow former UND defenseman Troy Stecher.
Former UND defenseman Christian Wolanin, a member of UND's 2016 national title team with Stecher, is on USA's roster.
The World Championship begins Friday in Riga, Latvia. It will run through June 6.
Bernard-Docker started the season as an alternate captain for UND's team in December. He led the Fighting Hawks to a second-straight Penrose Cfup as National Collegiate Hockey Conference regular-season champions and an NCHC Frozen Faceoff title.
After his college season ended in the NCAA quarterfinals, Bernard-Docker signed an NHL contract with the Ottawa Senators and immediately began playing for the Sens.
Bernard-Docker played five NHL games this spring, registering six shots on goal and a plus-2 rating.
Ottawa's season ended last week. Then, he was called by Hockey Canada.
This is not Bernard-Docker's first time representing his country in international hockey. Bernard-Docker won a gold medal with the Canadian World Junior team during the 2019-20 season.
Prior to that, the Canmore, Alta., product played for Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge.
Stecher will represent Canada in the World Championship for the second time. He also played for Canada in 2019, earning a silver medal. Stecher played for the Detroit Red Wings this season, scoring three goals and 11 points in 44 games. Stecher has one year left on his two-year, $3.4 million deal with the Red Wings.
Wolanin also will make his second appearance for USA in the World Championship. He played for the Americans in 2019. Wolanin was traded from Ottawa to the Los Angeles Kings this season. He is a restricted free agent.
USA wanted Sanderson
There almost was a fourth UND defenseman headed to Riga.
USA Hockey wanted current UND blue liner Jake Sanderson to join the American squad at the World Championship. Sanderson was planning to go until a paperwork issue prevented him from traveling to Latvia.
It has been rare for active UND players to play in Worlds.
In 2007, Jonathan Toews played for Canada after his sophomore season was completed. He was unsigned when he was at Worlds, but Toews signed with the Chicago Blackhawks shortly after returning.
In 2000, Karl Goehring went to the World Championship with Team USA after his junior season. Goehring didn't play any games, though. He returned the following year for his senior season.
Sanderson, who had two goals and 15 points in 22 games as a UND rookie, has committed to come back for his sophomore season.
