Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Collegians Highlight U.S. Junior Roster

Collegians Highlight U.S. Junior Roster

A total of 19 current, former or future college hockey players have been named to the preliminary roster for the 2012 United States National Junior Team and will compete for the final 22-player roster that is expected to be named Dec. 22, USA Hockey announced Monday on NHL Network’s NHL Live.

Returning players Justin Faulk (Minnesota Duluth/Carolina Hurricanes), Derek Forbort (North Dakota), Jon Merrill (Michigan), Nick Bjugstad (Minnesota), Charlie Coyle (Boston University) and Jason Zucker (Denver) highlight the selections. Faulk, who won a national championship with the Bulldogs last spring, is the lone NHL player on the roster, with his participation pending his release from the Hurricanes.

Fourteen colleges are represented among the selections, with five – Boston College, Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota and Notre Dame – boasting two selections each. The current college players selected include 12 sophomores and five freshmen.

“We’re very excited to see what this group of players brings to camp,” said Jim Johannson, general manager of the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team and also the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “The talent and skill that all of these players bring will make trimming the roster tough, but we look forward to the process.”

The camp will include exhibition games against Russia (Dec. 20), Switzerland (Dec. 21) and Slovakia (Dec. 23).

The 2012 U.S. National Junior Team will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011, in Calgary and Edmonton, Alta. Team USA will look to earn its third straight medal after capturing the bronze medal at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., and the gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saskatoon, Sask.

Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais is the head coach of the U.S. team and will be assisted by Scott Sandelin (Minnesota Duluth), Tom Ward (Shattuck St. Mary’s) and Joe Exter (Ohio State). Legendary Yale coach Tim Taylor is the team’s director of player personnel.

Cornell goaltender Andy Iles was also added to the roster as the U.S. team’s emergency goaltender. Iles, who was a member of the 2011 U.S. National Junior Team, will not join the team unless one of the two goaltenders selected is injured.