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Flyers' Giroux, 'Ghost,' Bellemare added to World Cup teams

The Flyers will be well-represented at the World Cup of Hockey.

Three Flyers — Claude Giroux, Shayne Gostisbehere and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — were added to their respective teams Friday. That gives the Flyers eight players who will compete in the eight-team, two-week tournament in Toronto from Sept. 17 to Oct 1.

Each team will carry 20 skaters and three goalies. The teams named their first 16 selections in March.

Gostisbehere will play for North America and Bellemare (France) will compete for Team Europe, which includes Flyers defenseman Mark Streit (Switzerland).

Giroux was named to Team Canada, which also added Joe Thornton, Brad Marchand, Matt Duchene, Brent Burns, Jake Muzzin, and Alex Pietrangelo.

Corey Perry was among Team Canada's surprising snubs.

Giroux called it an honor to be chosen. Because he was bypassed on Canada's 2014 Olympic team and because he recently underwent hip and abdominal surgeries, he wasn't sure he would be selected.

"I was a little disappointed about that," he said of the Olympic snub, "but to be able to be on this team, I'm really excited and ready for the challenge."

As for the surgeries, Giroux said, "I'm feeling really well and there's no issue for me being ready for the tournament."

Giroux and Gostisbehere went through the same surgeries May 17 and have been rehabbing together at the Skate Zone in Voorhees.

Giroux, the Flyers' captain, is eager to play against Gostisbehere.

"I told him to keep his head up, that I'm pretty excited to go on the forecheck against him," Giroux cracked.

Bellemare, the Flyers' fourth-line center, said he was "really surprised and excited" to be selected. "I think this is going to be a celebration of hockey, and it's surreal that I get to be in the middle of it."

Gostisbehere, 23, set a franchise record for goals (17) by a rookie defenseman this season. He also established an NHL record for rookie defensemen with a 15-game point streak.

A rookie-of-the-year finalist, Gostisbehere is part of a North America team that includes Flyers center Sean Couturier and Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau (Gloucester Catholic).

Couturier probably will be the fourth-line center, behind Edmonton's Connor McDavid, Buffalo's Jack Eichel, and Calgary's Sean Monahan.

Gostisbehere could be part of a Florida connection if he is paired with Aaron Ekblad. Gostisbehere grew up in Florida, and Ekblad plays for the Panthers.

The North America team is composed of players 23 years old and under as of Oct. 1.

"It's definitely going to be a lot of fun," Gostisbehere said. He said the young team would bring a "different dynamic" to the tournament, "but I think we're pretty darn good."

Auston Matthews, expected to be selected No. 1 in next month's draft, was among the players added to Team North America.

Five Flyers had already been named to play in the World Cup, including three for the Czech Republic — right winger Jake Voracek, goalie Michal Neuvirth, and defenseman Radko Gudas — along with Couturier and Streit.

Team Europe cannot include players from Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic.

Former Flyer James van Riemsdyk was one of the additions to Team USA.

The World Cup of Hockey will be televised on ESPN.

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