Devils Star Timo Meier Out of World Cup: Will Kevin Fiala Join?

2024-04-23 17:44:10

Questionable Nati tip

Will Fiala also miss the World Cup after Meier?

Devils star Timo Meier is out of the World Cup because he injured his shoulder. Whether LA striker Kevin Fiala can be there depends on good timing.

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Devils star striker Timo Meier had shoulder surgery on Tuesday and will therefore miss the WC with the Swiss national team.

Nicole VandenbrouckIce hockey reporter

The good news that four NHL players, goaltender Akira Schmid, defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler and forward Nico Hischier (all New Jersey Devils) as well as forward Philipp Kurashev (Chicago Blackhawks) will join the Swiss national team next week is followed by the bad. news: Timo Meier has to skip the World Cup in Prague (from 10 May). The reason: The Devils star underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Tuesday.

It was already communicated last weekend that Meier’s chances of participating in the World Cup were poor. But the results of the medical check-up were still pending. As “The Hockey News” writes, the Devils previously announced that the 27-year-old revealed to them in the so-called exit interview, which was mandatory after the end of the season, that he had suffered a ligament and muscle injury in his shoulder during the season. In the latest message, the club writes that Meier is expected to be rehabilitated by the start of the preparatory camps in late summer.

Meier had already missed last year’s World Championships (in Riga, Latvia). At the time, however, it was the still open contract situation that was the problem. He was part of a trade between New Jersey and San Jose in February 2023 and his contract expired after last season. The insurance costs for Swiss ice hockey for a possible World Cup appearance by Herisauer would have been enormous. They renounced. And in June 2023, the forward signed an eight-year contract with the Devils worth a total of $70.4 million.

How is it going at Fiala?

It is now certain that Meier will miss this WC. The participation of LA striker Kevin Fiala is doubtful. Nati coach Patrick Fischer told Hockeyfans.ch after the first friendly against France last weekend that “he still needs to work on the timing”.

What Fischer means by that: Los Angeles is currently dueling with Edmonton in the playoffs. The earliest Californians could leave would be the end of April. If the series went the full distance, it would have finished on May 5. But Fiala’s wife Jessica is expecting her first child on 21 May.

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