Saturday, December 23, 2017

International Players Compete at WJC

Six countries will feature NCAA players or recruits at the World Junior Championship.


International Players Compete at WJC
Massachusetts freshman Cale Makar is one of three NCAA players on Canada.

While the United States boasts a roster dominated by NCAA players, college hockey fans will find familiar names throughout the IIHF World Junior Championship when it gets underway Tuesday in Buffalo, N.Y.

19 NCAA Players Named to Team USA

Five other nations feature current or future NCAA players, led by Canada with three: Boston University’s Dante Fabbro, Massachusetts’ Cale Makar and Colgate’s Colton Point. That marks the most NCAA players on the Canadian team since 2007.

Elsewhere, Finland and Slovakia each feature current NCAA players, while Denmark and Sweden’s roster feature NCAA recruits.

Slovakian goaltender David Hrenak, a freshman at St. Cloud State, could face off against his college coach, as Bob Motzko is leading the American team. Those teams meet Thursday, Dec. 28. Hrenak is 5-1-0 for the Huskies with two shutouts this season, ranking second nationally with a .947 save percentage.

Boston University has players on three rosters – Canada, Finland and the U.S. – setting up several meetings of teammates in the preliminary round, including the Dec. 29 U.S. vs. Canada game that will be played outdoors at New Era Field, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

NCAA Players in the World Junior Championship
Canada
Dante Fabbro Boston University
Cale Makar Massachusetts
Colton Point Colgate

Denmark
Jacob Schmidt-Svestrup Maine (2018)

Finland
Kasper Kotkansalo Boston University
Aapeli Rasanen Boston College

Slovakia
David Hrenak St. Cloud State

Sweden
Filip Larsson Denver

United States
Joey Anderson Minnesota Duluth
Mikey Anderson Minnesota Duluth
Kieffer Bellows Boston University (former)
Adam Fox Harvard
Trent Frederic Wisconsin
Patrick Harper Boston University
Quinn Hughes Michigan
Ryan Lindgren Minnesota
Will Lockwood Michigan
Casey Mittelstadt Minnesota
Josh Norris Michigan
Jake Oettinger Boston University
Andrew Peeke Notre Dame
Scott Perunovich Minnesota Duluth
Ryan Poehling St. Cloud State
Dylan Samberg Minnesota Duluth
Jeremy Swayman Maine
Brady Tkachuk Boston University
Riley Tufte Minnesota Duluth
Joseph Woll Boston College