With the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships set to begin Dec. 26 in Buffalo, N.Y., USA Hockey has some difficult decisions to make before they can open defense of their gold medal.Off last year's stunning and stirring upset of Canada in Saskatoon, the United States has announced a 29-player roster that will be invited to their final pre-tournament camp, set to begin Dec. 17.
Before USA Hockey cuts seven players to create a final 22-player roster, the team will play exhibition games against NCAA Division I Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and the Czech Republic. The final roster will be announced before a Dec. 23 game against Norway.
The preliminary roster features eight players who were on last year's gold-medal winner, including goalie Jack Campbell, defenseman John Ramage and forwards Ryan Bourque, Jerry D'Amigo, Chris Kreider, Jeremy Morin, Kyle Palmieri and Jason Zucker.
Nineteen of the 29 are currently playing for U.S. college teams, while five play in Canadian major junior hockey. Four are in the American Hockey League, and one (forward Rocco Grimaldi) is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. 18 players are either first- or second-round NHL draft picks, and six others are draft-eligible in 2011.
Here is the full roster, with current teams all U.S. colleges unless noted, and NHL rights in parentheses.
GOALTENDERS -- Jack Campbell, Windsor Spitfires, OHL (Dallas); Andy Iles, Cornell (2011 Draft eligible).
DEFENSEMEN -- Adam Clendening, Boston University (2011 Draft eligible); Brian Dumoulin, Boston College (Carolina); Justin Faulk, Minnesota-Duluth (Carolina); Derek Forbort, North Dakota (Los Angeles); Nick Leddy, Rockford, AHL (Chicago); Jonathon Merrill, Michigan (New Jersey); Jamieson Oleksiak, Northeastern (2011 Draft eligible); John Ramage, Wisconsin (Calgary); Philip Samuelsson, Boston College (Pittsburgh); Patrick Wey, Boston College (Washington).
FORWARDS -- Nick Bjugstad, Minnesota (Florida); Ryan Bourque, Quebec, QMJHL (N.Y. Rangers); Connor Brickley, Vermont (Florida); Chris Brown, Michigan (Phoenix); Mitchell Callahan, Kelowna, WHL (Detroit); Charlie Coyle, Boston University (San Jose); Jerry D'Amigo, Toronto (Toronto); Emerson Etem, Medicine Hat, WHL (Anaheim); Rocco Grimaldi, U.S. National Team Development Program (2011 Draft eligible); Chris Kreider, Boston College (N.Y. Rangers); Jeremy Morin, Rockford, AHL (Chicago); Brock Nelson, North Dakota (N.Y. Islanders); Matthew Nieto, Boston University (2011 Draft eligible); Kyle Palmieri, Syracuse, AHL (Anaheim); Brandon Saad, Saginaw, OHL (2011 Draft eligible); Drew Shore, Denver (Florida); Jason Zucker, Denver (Minnesota).
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