Six current and former Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) student-athletes will compete in the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship, which begins today in Finland and Latvia. The group includes current Northern Michigan forward Kristof Papp as well as alums from four other schools. 

Lake Superior State's Louis Boudon is set to skate for France, while Minnesota State grads Parker Tuomie and Connor Mackey will play for Germany and the United States, respectively. Bowling Green defenseman Ralfs Freibergs is one of three former NCAA players suiting up for host Latvia, while Bemidji State's Brad Hunt is on Canada's national side.

Nationally, 47 current and former NCAA hockey players are taking part in the tournament, representing 12 of the 16 competing countries. Leading the way is the United States with 23 players, followed by Germany (four), Latvia (four) and Canada (1). Twenty-seven different NCAA teams will be represented during the tournament.

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship takes place May 12-28 in Tampere, Finland, Riga, Latvia.
 
The tournament can be seen on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada. For more information, visit IIHF.com.