The United States roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship was finalized Thursday, and all nine Minnesotans in this week’s training camp made the cutdown to 25.
Nine Minnesotans survive U.S. junior national hockey team cut
Oliver Moore and Danny Nelson headline the state’s contingent for the world junior tournament in Ottawa.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 20, 2024 at 12:37AM
The tournament begins Dec. 26 in Ottawa, Ontario, and ends with the gold medal game Jan. 5.
The Gophers have two players on the team, center Oliver Moore (Mounds View) and forward Brodie Ziemer (Hutchinson). There are two Minnesota Duluth players, defenseman Adam Kleber (Chaska) and center Max Plante (Hermantown); and two St. Cloud State players, forward Austin Burnevik (Blaine) and defenseman Colin Ralph (Maple Grove).
Other Minnesotans are Notre Dame forward Danny Nelson (Maple Grove), Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler (Woodbury), and Western Michigan goalie Hampton Slukynsky (Warroad).
Ten players return from last year’s gold medal team, including Nelson, Moore and Wild first-round draft pick Zeev Buium, a defenseman for Denver.
Other returnees are Boston College’s Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault, Drew Fortescue and Aram Minnetian; Carey Terrance of the Erie Otters (CHL); goalie Sam Hillebrandt of the CHL’s Barrie Colts; and Michigan State goalie Trey Augustine, who is on his third U.S. junior national team.
Others on the team are BC’s James Hagens, the top prospect for the 2025 draft, and his teammate Teddy Stiga; Notre Dame’s Paul Fischer; Providence’s Trevor Connelly; Joey Willis of the Saginaw Spirit (CHL); and Boston University’s Cole Eiserman, Brandon Svoboda and Cole Hutson.
David Carle, who coached the team last year and then led Denver to an NCAA title, returns behind the bench.
Gophers forward Matthew Wood, who is from Lethbridge, Alberta, was one of Team Canada’s final cuts.
Oliver Moore and Danny Nelson headline the state’s contingent for the world junior tournament in Ottawa.
