Peterborough Petes Forward Named to Team Austria for the 2026 IIHF World Championship

Peterborough Petes import forward Leon Kolarik has officially been named to Team Austria for the upcoming IIHF World Championships starting on May 15 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

“Congratulations to Leon on being named to Austria’s final roster for the World Championships,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and vice president of operations. “Representing your country at a tournament of this caliber is an incredible accomplishment, especially as one of the youngest players in the competition. We’re excited to watch Leon compete against some of the world’s best players and see how this experience contributes to his development.”

The 2007-born forward from Vienna, Austria, was originally selected by the Petes in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft. In his first season with the Petes, Kolarik played in 63 games, scoring 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points. In 2024-25, Kolarik appeared in seven games for EC Salzburg in the ICEHL (Austria's top league), scoring one goal and two assists.

While this marks Kolarik’s first appearance at a major senior international tournament, he has represented Austria at several youth levels. He helped Austria capture a bronze medal at the World Junior Championship Division 1A tournament in December, contributing four assists in five games.

Kolarik is also eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft in Buffalo. He was recently ranked 182nd among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Fellow Petes players Adam Novotny (14th), Adam Levac (97th), and Aiden Young (223rd) were also included in the rankings.

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