USA U18 Team for Jr. World Cup

[HabLover]

HockeyScouting.ca

Here is the team:

GOALTENDERS (2)

1 Shane Connelly Chicago Steel (USHL)
30 Drew O’Connell Alaska All Stars (Midget)

DEFENSEMEN (6)

2 Taylor Chorney Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minn.) (Midget)
3 Jeremy Dehner Culver (Ind.) Academy (Prep School)
4 Timothy Kunes New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
5 Kyle Lawson Honeybaked (Mich.) (Midget)
6 Brian Lee Moorhead High School
7 Alec Martinez Honeybaked (Mich.) (Midget)

FORWARDS (12)

8 Hunter Bishop Fairbanks Icedogs (NAHL)
9 Kevin Deeth Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minn.) (Midget)
10 Benn Ferriero Governor Dummer Acad. (Mass.) (Prep School)
11 Shawn Gawrys St. Louis, Mo. St. Louis Jr. Blues (CSHL)
12 Ben Holmstrom Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
14 Nathan Lawrence National Team Development Program
15 Justin Mercier St. Louis Heartland Eagles (USHL)
16 Sean O’Connor Erie Otters (OHL)
17 Gary Steffes Stratford (Ont.) Cullitons (OHA)
18 Mike Testwuide Pikes Peak Miners (Colo.) (Midget)
19 Evan Trupp Anchorage North Stars (Midget)20
20 A. Vlassopoulos Los Angeles, Calif. LA Stars (Midget)

Click to read more...

 

[Fredrik]

Who's missing? I don't know the American players so tell me if it's the best team possible, except Kessel.

 

[Preds666]

yup, I am also wondering how many American U18-players that will play in the u20-tourney in Grand Forks USA instead.

Btw, this is the wrong board.. so I am moving this thread to the world cup / international board.

 

[ktownhockey]

Where's Phil Kessel and Jack Johnson???

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Where's Phil Kessel and Jack Johnson???

Here's the answer:

http://www.usahockey.com/usa_hockey/news/main/home/04u18_sel_announ/


"The U.S. team is composed of players chosen from the 2004 USA Hockey Select 17 Festival, which was held July 10-16 at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., and featured many of America’s best ice hockey players born in 1987."

 

[HabLover]

Here's the answer:

http://www.usahockey.com/usa_hockey/news/main/home/04u18_sel_announ/


"The U.S. team is composed of players chosen from the 2004 USA Hockey Select 17 Festival, which was held July 10-16 at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., and featured many of America’s best ice hockey players born in 1987."

Well, Kessel was there and he didn't even the tourney in scoring. Why isn't he on the team?? I said it before, that because he played last April at the U18 he wouldn't be on this team. They are missing a bunch of guys like Ryan, Kessel, Johnson, Foligno, etc.

 

[Buffaloed]

[inwindow=300]usahockey.com/usa_hockey/news/main/home/04u18_sel_announ/[/inwindow]

 

[W Jets fan]

I haven't heard of any of these guys. I ask the same question, where is Kessel,
Foligno, Johnson, Gerbe, Gentile, Ryan and Spade etc.???? Why are the U>S not
going with their best guys??

 

[William H Bonney]

I haven't heard of any of these guys. I ask the same question, where is Kessel,
Foligno, Johnson, Gerbe, Gentile, Ryan and Spade etc.???? Why are the U>S not
going with their best guys??

Because they never do. They won it last year with a bunch of "nobodies." They try not to take NTDP guys. I think Nathan Lawrence is the first to ever do so.

 

[cagney]

Well, Kessel was there and he didn't even the tourney in scoring. Why isn't he on the team?? I said it before, that because he played last April at the U18 he wouldn't be on this team. They are missing a bunch of guys like Ryan, Kessel, Johnson, Foligno, etc.

NTDP players were brought to the festival to increase the level of competiton. They knew from the beginning that they weren't playing for a spot on this team.

Nathan Lawrence is no longer with the NTDP so he was eligible to make the team. The three other NTDP U17 team members who left the program (Scott Birnstill, Erik Felde, and Nick Foligno) would have been eligible to make the team as well but did not attend the festival.

On the other hand, Andreas Vlassopoulos and Justin Mercier, who will both be joining the NTDP this year as members of the U18 team are still eligible for this team.

USA Hockey also went against thier own rules to include Brian Lee, who missed the tournament with a concussion, on the team because they are thinking of inviting him to the NTDP.

Players like Bobby Ryan, Andrew Andricopolos, Steve Spade, Joey Ryan, Tom Mannino, Tim Filangieri etc. could have made the team but none of them attended the festival.

I have mixed feelings about the selection process for this tournament. I do appreciate USA Hockey's effort to give as many kids a chance as possible to represent thier country. However, this is one of the few oppurtunities to field the most talented team possible as all of the players are available. Last year's victory was incredibly sweet but it's not going to be like that every year.