USA Hockey announced its final roster Thursday for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Calgary and the roster is again NCAA-heavy.
Forwards Nick Bjugstad (Minnesota), Charlie Coyle (Boston University) and Jason Zucker (Denver) and defensemen Derek Forbort (North Dakota) and Jon Merrill (Michigan) return from last year’s bronze medal-winning team.
Also up front from NCAA schools are Josh Archibald (Nebraska-Omaha), Bill Arnold (Boston College), Connor Brickley (Vermont), Austin Czarnik (Miami), Kyle Rau (Minnesota) and T.J. Tynan (Notre Dame).
The rest of the forwards are Emerson Etem (Medicine Hat/WHL), one-time North Dakota recruit J.T. Miller (Plymouth/OHL), Brandon Saad (Saginaw/OHL) and one-time Maine commit Austin Watson (Peterborough/OHL).
On defense, the returnees are joined by Adam Clendening (Boston University), Kevin Gravel (St. Cloud State), Stephen Johns (Notre Dame) and Michigan recruit Jacob Trouba, the youngest player on the team and a member of the U.S. NTDP’s Under-18 Team.
Jarred Tinordi (London/OHL) rounds out the blue line.
Jack Campbell (Sault Ste. Marie/OHL) and John Gibson (Kitchener/OHL) are the goaltenders for this year’s squad and both coincidentally were one-time Michigan commitments. Cornell goalie Andy Iles is Team USA’s emergency goaltender.
The U.S. opens the tournament on Monday, Dec. 26 against Denmark at Rexall Place in Edmonton.
