The United States of Hockey

Two players were released from Team USA’s training camp roster ahead of the 2014 World Junior Championship Sunday. The roster is not yet finalized for the tournament, however, as one more forward will have to be sent home, but the defense and goaltending positions are set.

Defenseman Brett Pesce and forward Henrik Samuelsson were the two players sent home as the roster now sits at 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies.

More on the cuts that were made as well as what Team USA may do next as it attempts to finalize the roster.

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The U.S. National Junior Team closed out its final exhibition game in preparation for the World Junior Championship with a 3-2 win over Finland. Jon Gillies made 38 saves in the contest and was named Team USA’s player of the game.

Unfortunately, I was unable to watch much of this game due to prior obligations, but a look at the lineup and how the third period (which I did see) played out, there’s plenty to be learned. Team USA had planned to announce its final roster tomorrow, but there have been some complications in camp that could delay that decision.

Forwards Adam Erne and Tyler Motte did not play in either exhibition game in Sweden due to “not feeling well.” Erne is likely to be part of Team USA’s top six, while Motte very well could have played his way into a more defensive role on the team (and perhaps still could make the team). That said, until they’re healthy, it’s tough to make that final decision.

Team USA’s defense also had a brief scare in the exhibition today when Ian McCoshen went down along the boards favoring his shoulder. The good news is, he returned to the game.

After the jump, a quick look at the lineup, stats from the game and some extra thoughts as decision time looms.

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The U.S. National Junior Team dropped a 4-2 decision to Sweden yesterday in pre-tournament action. The Swedes looked to be the more polished team and certainly had the edge on skill, but the result wasn’t exactly an alarming one for the U.S. squad.

In these pre-tournament tilts, particularly the first two including the one at Minnesota State earlier in the week, the results aren’t exactly of much meaning. The team is still getting a comfort level. There are some players that are trying to make the team still and that adds another element as well.

What you can start looking for is how players are adjusting and what kind of role they’re developing into. That starts to materialize a bit more at this stage. The systems start to come together a bit more as well.

That said, the big test will come Sunday when the U.S. meets Finland in a pre-tournament contest. Finland has some good skill players that will challenge the U.S., but there’s a size and speed advantage for Team USA. In this game, even though there are still cuts to make, you should want to see crisper play from the U.S. and more consistency in every facet of the game. After that, the tournament goes live after a few more practices and the final cuts.

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The U.S. National Junior Team, still with its preliminary roster yet to be finalized, will play Sweden in a pre-tournament game today. It was scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. ET, but will likely end up closer to 2 p.m. ET due to some issues with the ice in Angelholm. Canada is taking on Finland today as well.

These last two pre-tournament games are important for a number of reasons. For Team USA, it’s a chance to get a few last evals in before making three more cuts. It’s also about getting a rhythm, establishing chemistry and trying to get more familiar with systems and the team’s style.

It should be a very telling couple of days for the U.S. as they adjust to each other and begin to establish more defined roles.

Team USA will meet Sweden, the tournament’s host and silver medalist from last year. The Swedish team is very good and should give the U.S. a tough test as the pressure is on the Tre Kronor to get back to the gold-medal game with a different result. They still have yet to finalize their roster as well.

After the jump, some brief thoughts on the game including Team USA’s lineup.

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MINNEAPOLIS — A roster of 22 players hoping to make the U.S. National Junior Team will play Minnesota State University’s hockey team in Mankato tonight. According to head coach Don Lucia, tonight’s match-up represents a critical evaluation point in paring down the roster of 29 players brought to Minnesota to compete for spots.

“It’s extremely important,” Lucia said of the game, as it concerns players on the bubble to make the team. “They have to show that they’re deserving of a spot. We have some thoughts on guys, but until you actually drop the puck and see that type of environment, it’s that last evaluation. The evaluation isn’t just tonight, it’s part of it, but this is that final evaluation. There’s good players that aren’t going to be with us as we leave tomorrow.”

Lucia said the hope is to get down to 26 players before leaving for the remainder of the training camp, which will be held in Sweden. He also said that could change. It is likely two forwards and a defenseman will be sent home tomorrow morning. That will leave three cuts to make once the camp heads overseas.

Coming up after the jump, more from Lucia as well as the lineup and some thoughts on what to watch for. Continue reading →

MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. National Junior Team’s training camp is now two days in. With the 29 players getting their legs under them, things picked up. The second practice in particular brought the implementation of potential power play and penalty kill units.

Though none of those are likely to be set in stone, the players’ were able to show off their skills and what kind of roles they might be able to play at the World Juniors.

Day 2’s night practice had a really solid pace where the speed of the group was abundantly clear. There’s plenty of skill out there with the candidates, but the speed is abundantly clear. Everyone in camp can move.

The competitiveness is notable, too. It’s not the adversarial kind of competitiveness, but each player is doing a solid job of showcasing himself for the staff and giving clues as to where he might fit.

Tuesday represents the biggest day in camp. Some cuts are expected to be made after the exhibition game against Minnesota State. That increases tensions, and potentially nerves for players, which creates some of that tournament atmosphere. That may help aid the evaluation process as it reaches make or break time for many of Team USA’s players.

After the jump, some notes on Day 2, including some of the combinations used and other observations.

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With the U.S. National Junior Team’s training camp opening today in Minneapolis, Minn., I decided to put together a quick reference guide on all 29 invitees.

You can read more detailed analysis on each player at these links: Forwards / Defense and Goalies. A full preview of Team USA’s camp is here.

In this post, you’ll find the vitals on each player including position, height, weight, NHL Draft rights, current team and season statistics to date. Also included is a brief scouting report on each player.

Team USA’s domestic camp will run from today to Wednesday before it heads to Sweden for a few more practices and exhibition games. A full schedule of the practice, which is open to the public at Mariucci Arena, is available at the end of this post.

With 29 players in camp, Team USA will have six cuts to make before the 2014 World Junior Championship, most likely two defensemen and four forwards.

Here’s Team USA’s 29 invitees at a glance.

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