USA Hockey has submitted its near-completed roster for the U.S. National Junior Team to the IIHF. The roster includes 22 names, one short of the 23 allowed, in order to give USA Hockey added flexibility with its final decision.

You can see the submitted roster here.

The two players left off the submitted roster that remain in camp are Matt Grzelcyk and Patrick Sieloff. One of those two will be sent home likely on Dec. 26 before the tournament officially starts.

It is believed that Sieloff will be the final cut among the defense. He was scratched for the Finland game and looked to be on the outs before the injury concerns cropped up for an undisclosed player.

The good news is that Connor Murphy is on the roster. He was the player believed to be injured (but never confirmed by USAH) that delayed the final roster announcement. His being on the list locks him in for the tournament and means he’s ready to go.

I’d expect an official announcement on the finalized roster within the next 24 hours.

The World Junior Championship opens tomorrow with Latvia meeting Finland in Ufa. Team USA’s tournament begins Dec. 27 against Germany. Expect full Team USA and tournament previews tomorrow on United States of Hockey.