Five Roadrunners To Compete In The IIHF 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship

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Tucson, AZ- Five Tucson Roadrunners skaters are set to participate in the IIHF 2024 Ice Hockey World Championship that begins on Friday, May 10; including Milos Kelemen, Patrick Koch, Max Szuber, Michael Kesselring and Dylan Guenther.

Milos Kelemen and Patrik Koch are both playing for Team Slovakia; while Max Szuber joins Team Germany, Michael Kesselring reports for Team USA and Dylan Guenther attends to Team Canada.

Kelemen tallied 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points in 54 games this season, his second year with the Roadrunners: while playing 10 games for the Arizona Coyotes and adding an assist. This tournament is his second-straight and third total IIHF World Championship appearance. Kelemen had an assist in seven games in last year’s tournament and two assists in five games in the 2021 IIHF World Championship. He also participated in two IIHF World Junior Championships for Team Slovakia in 2018 and 2019. Kelemen helped Slovakia win its first ice hockey Olympic medal ever in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China: achieving Bronze in the tournament.

Koch made both his AHL and NHL debuts for the Tucson Roadrunners and Arizona Coyotes this season; combining for one goal and 14 assists for 15 points across 63 games for the Roadrunners and one for the Coyotes. He made his NHL debut with the Coyotes on March 7. Like Kelemen, Koch is playing for team Slovakia for the second-straight and third total IIHF World Championship. In last season’s tournament, Koch had a goal and three assists for four points in seven games: while notching two assists in seven games in the IIHF 2019 World Championship. Koch also played in the U18 World Championship in 2014 and the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2016.

Szuber played in his first season in the AHL and NHL in 2023-24; making his NHL debut on April 9 for the Coyotes. In 70 games with the Roadrunners, Szuber had seven goals and 21 assists for 28 points. His plus/minus of +14 led the 2023-24 Roadrunners and is a franchise best from a Roadrunners rookie defenseman. Szuber is playing in his second-straight IIHF World Hockey Championship and his fifth IIHF tournament in total. Szuber helped team Germany make it all the way to the Gold Medal Game in last year’s tournament, but settled for Silver: losing to team Canada 5-2. He also participated in the U18 2019 IIHF World Championship, the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Kesselring has not participated in any international tournaments and is set to make his debut for team USA in IIHF play. His breakout season in the NHL came this year; playing 65 games with the Arizona Coyotes and notching five goals and 16 assists for 21 points. He played in eight total games for the Roadrunners this season with six in the regular season and two in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Guenther won Gold with Team Canada in last year’s IIHF World Championships; where he had seven goals and three assists for 10 points in seven games. He also won Gold in the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship; putting up four goals and three assists for seven points in seven games played.

Kelemen and Koch begin tournament play against their teammate Szuber for Slovakia versus Germany to begin tournament play, on Friday, May 10, at 7:20 A.M. MST. Kesselring and Team USA square off against Team Sweden; also on Friday, May 10, at 11:20 A.M. MST; while Guenther and Team Canada face Team UK on Saturday, April 11, at 11:20 A.M. MST.