Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Alums Lead U.S. to First in Group
Americans face Finland in Thursday’s quarterfinals at Worlds.
The U.S. Men’s National Team – featuring 23 current or former NCAA players – won its sixth straight game Tuesday and captured first place in Group A of the 2017 IIHF World Championship, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with Finland on Thursday.
NCAA alums accounted for all five goals as the United States beat Russia Tuesday, 5-3, with Kevin Hayes (Boston College) scoring twice and Anders Lee (Notre Dame) recording the game-winning goal on a third-period power play.
The NCAA players on the roster include players who have appeared in each of the last seven Frozen Fours, 15 All-Americans, three NCAA champions and two Hobey Baker Award winners. The entire coaching staff – led by Ferris State alum and former Western Michigan head coach Jeff Blashill – also played college hockey.
The top 10 scorers on the U.S. team all played college hockey, led by Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College, 11 points) and Dylan Larkin (Michigan, 10). Jimmy Howard (Maine), Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) and Cal Petersen (Notre Dame) are the goaltenders on the U.S. roster, with Howard playing five of the seven games to this point.
Six players on the U.S. roster played college hockey in 2016-17: Petersen, Anders Bjork (Notre Dame), Daniel Brickley (Minnesota State), Jordan Greenway (Boston University), Clayton Keller (Boston University) and Charlie McAvoy (Boston University).
Eleven schools are represented on the roster, with Boston University and Michigan each boasting four players. Boston College and Notre Dame have three apiece.
The current six-game winning streak is the longest by a U.S. team at the World Championship since 1990. The U.S. is seeking its second gold medal in World Championship history and its first since 1933; the Americans have won bronze two of the past four years.
| 2017 U.S. Men’s National Team | ||||
| No. | Name | Pos. | 2016-17 Team | NCAA Team |
| 5 | Connor Murphy | D | Arizona (NHL) | |
| 6 | Daniel Brickley | D | Minnesota State | Minnesota State |
| 7 | JT Compher | F | Colorado (NHL) | Michigan |
| 8 | Jacob Trouba | D | Winnipeg (NHL) | Michigan |
| 9 | Andrew Copp | F | Winnipeg (NHL) | Michigan |
| 10 | Anders Bjork | F | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| 12 | Jordan Greenway | F | Boston University | Boston University |
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | F | Calgary (NHL) | Boston College |
| 14 | Nick Bjugstad | F | Florida (NHL) | Minnesota |
| 15 | Jack Eichel | F | Buffalo (NHL) | Boston University |
| 17 | Nick Schmaltz | F | Chicago (NHL) | North Dakota |
| 18 | Christian Dvorak | F | Arizona (NHL) | |
| 19 | Clayton Keller | F | Boston University/Arizona (NHL) | Boston University |
| 21 | Dylan Larkin | F | Detroit (NHL) | Michigan |
| 25 | Charlie McAvoy | D | Boston University/Boston (NHL) | Boston University |
| 26 | Kevin Hayes | F | NY Rangers (NHL) | Boston College |
| 27 | Anders Lee | F | NY Islanders (NHL) | Notre Dame |
| 29 | Brock Nelson | F | NY Islanders (NHL) | North Dakota |
| 35 | Jimmy Howard | G | Detroit (NHL) | Maine |
| 37 | Connor Hellebuyck | G | Winnipeg (NHL) | UMass Lowell |
| 40 | Cal Petersen | G | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| 55 | Noah Hanifin | D | Carolina (NHL) | Boston College |
| 57 | Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | Chicago (NHL) | New Hampshire |
| 65 | Danny DeKeyser | D | Detroit (NHL) | Western Michigan |
| 76 | Brady Skjei | D | NY Rangers (NHL) | Minnesota |
Asst. Executive Director, Hockey Operations: Jim Johannson (Wisconsin)
U.S. Men’s National Team Management: Chris Drury (Boston University)
U.S. Men’s National Team Management: Bill Guerin (Boston College)
Head Coach: Jeff Blashill (Ferris State)
Assistant Coach: Jack Capuano (Maine)
Assistant Coach: Rand Pecknold (Connecticut College/Quinnipiac head coach)
Assistant Coach: Seth Appert (Ferris State)
Video Coordinator: Adam Nightingale (Michigan State)