Blues' Sobotka to play for Team Czech Republic at World Championships

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ST. LOUIS -- Like Colton Parayko, Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka is moving straight from the Stanley Cup playoffs to international competition.

The Blues announced Wednesday that Sobotka will join Team Czech Republic at the 2017 IIHF World Championships in Cologne, Germany, and Paris, France. Team Czech Republic is 2-1 in Group B and will play Team Norway on Thursday.

Sobotka, 29, is taking another step in a journey that has seen him play a lot of hockey over the last year. He represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in the fall, then played his third season with Omsk Avangard of the Kontinental Hockey League. After that season ended he signed a three-year contract extension with the Blues on April 6 and joined the Blues in time to play in their final regular-season game. That was followed by playing in all 11 Blues postseason games, totaling seven points (three goals, four assists).

The Blues announced Tuesday that defenseman Parayko would play for Team Canada in the IIHF World Championships.