Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
Just when it seemed as if Mount St. Charles was destined to move on to the semifinals at 15O USA Hockey Nationals, the Los Angeles Jr. Kings mounted an improbable comeback. Down 3-2 late in the third period, Benjamin Kevan sent a perfect pass out to the front of the net where it found the tape of Dylan Nolan. Nolan ripped it past Sammy Doyon-Cataquiz with 1:55 left on the clock to knot the game at 3, breathing new life into his club’s chance of a victory. Kevan would play the hero just under four minutes into overtime when he buried the game-winner to advance his club into the next round of elimination games.
It was an exciting road to get to that point in the matchup. The Jr. Kings opened the scoring on a power-play goal from Stephen Grumley toward the end of the first period. With just one second on the clock, Matthew Grimes managed to sneak a puck in by Seid-Ali Nabiev to tie it at 1. Mount continued to pepper Nabiev in the second period, managing to break the tie with 38 seconds remaining. Conrad Fondrk tallied his eighth goal and ninth point of the tournament to put his team ahead 2-1 heading into the final frame.
Across the first and second periods, Nabiev was tremendous between the pipes in making 28 saves.
The Jr. Kings dominated play for most of the third period searching for the equalizer. However, Nicholas Whitehead seemingly put the final nail in the coffin when he put Mount St. Charles up 3-1 with 5:56 left to play. Undaunted, Los Angeles continued to press with extended amounts of time in the offensive zone. They finally broke through when Jake Stuart finished a passing play between Hayden Russell and Luke Norcross to make it a 3-2 game. Not satisfied there, Kevan and Nolan would go on to connect for their late game-tying goal.
The Jr. Kings were eager to break the 3-3 tie before the end of regulation, with Doyon-Cataquiz having to make some crucial late stops to force the game into overtime. After both sides had traded chances, Kevan made his move to complete the comeback. Showing off tremendous compete level, Kevan chased down a Mount St. Charles skater before knocking the puck away. Without hesitating, he fired a low-shot on net that proved to be the game-winning goal and sent the Jr. Kings bench into a frenzy.
This contest was a tale of two games. Throughout the first two periods, the Jr. Kings had only mustered 14 shots on goal, compared to Mount’s 30. But in the third, they flipped a switch and completely dominated the remainder of regulation and overtime. Not lost in the winning effort was the importance of Nabiev, who ended with 35 saves in total, compared to 31 of Doyon-Cataquiz. Los Angeles moves on to play Pittsburgh Penguins Elite tomorrow at 1:30 PM with a trip to the championship game on the line.
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite’s power play is a large reason they were able to defeat Chicago Mission in a tight 2-1 contest. Right from puck drop, it was apparent that Mission might have issues handling Pittsburgh’s incredible speed. The Pens were often the first to most pucks, winning most battles in the corners and along the boards. Ryan White put Pittsburgh up 1-0 with a power play goal in the first period. He sent a seeing-eye shot that found its way past Bjorn Bronas.
In the second, Pens Elite would strike on the man advantage yet again when Brian Woods wired a shot from the right circle into the net to up his club’s advantage to 2-0. Mission struggled to cycle the puck in the Pens’ defensive zone, a usual strength for them. Most offensive opportunities were one-and-done, with most shots either firing wide or easily stopped by Jake Shingles. The trio of Kieren Dervin, Quinn McKenzie and Jacob Cloutier was once again a standout for the Pens. Dervin, who has quietly put up modest numbers this tournament with three goals and six points, assisted on both power-play goals.
Bronas made a stunning glove save on a 2-on-1 rush with 9:10 left in the third period, but Chicago was unable to use it as a turning point. With the goaltender pulled, Mission would finally solve Shingles when Ethan Baker shoved a loose puck over the line. It proved to be too little too late, as the Pens would hang on to take the 2-1 final.
Despite a strong start from the Long Island Gulls, they were unable to solve Joseph Slavick in the early going. With both teams unable to find the back of the net in the first, William Horcoff got the scoring started in the second when he beat Ryan Cameron with a slick backhander on the breakaway. Horcoff collected a perfect pass from Alex Baughman from deep in Caesars’ defensive zone, skated in all alone and beat Cameron. 59 seconds after, Nicholas Kosiba joined in the fun. Heading towards the net on a partial 2-on-1 with Luke Menard, he showed great patience in forcing Cameron to blink first and slipped the puck around his pad for the 2-0 lead.
With 18 seconds left in the second frame, Kosiba would be on the end of a fortuitous bounce on the power play. Charlton Thretheway sent a shot on net that was initially saved by Cameron, before it bounced into the crease. Kosiba was right on the doorstep when he tapped it into the wide-open net to put Caesars up 3-0.
44 seconds into the third period, the Gulls showed some spark when Jesse Orlowsky chipped in a pass from Joseph Argentina from behind the net to cut Caesars’ lead to 3-1. They made things interesting when Brenden DeFeo threw the puck on net that deflected in off a Caesars player. But unable to find the tying goal late, Caesars secured the win. They will play Shattuck- St. Mary’s tomorrow at 11:00 AM to see who will reach Monday’s championship game.
Henri Ament and Gavin Kor helped Shattuck-St. Mary’s rebound after ending pool play with a 4-1 loss to Mount St. Charles when they defeated the Bishop Kearney Selects this afternoon.
Ament opened the scoring in the first period before Danny Wehle tied things up shortly after. Chase Nehring gave the lead back to SSM in the second period before Joseph Gugino doubled it nearly two-and-a-half minutes later. Wehle notched his second goal to keep Bishop Kearney in the hunt as the period wound down. One-and-a-half minutes after, Shattuck restored its two-goal lead when Gavin Kor netted his first point of the game. The Selects opted to pull their goaltender to try and mount a comeback, but Christian Plaga took a pass from Kor and sent it into the empty cage for the 5-2 final.
WHH will have continued coverage of USA Hockey Nationals this week. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
The tournament system worked, at least at the 14U USA Hockey Nationals in Plymouth, Michigan. Quarterfinals are set, with what I would deem to be the best eight teams of the 16 in attendance this week. Plus, the way the matchups shook out, I think we’ll get the four best teams in the semifinals. And, you guessed it, I expect to get the two best teams in the championship game as well.
Of course, stranger things have happened in hockey. A team catches a little ‘puck luck’ or someone’s goalie gets hot at the right time. We’ve all seen it. However, after watching these teams all week, it really feels like a chalky playoff bracket.
Heavyweights make Final Four,
I know, I know… There’s no fun in that! But just because I expect the top seeds to win out, doesn’t mean we won’t see some fantastic hockey. Shattuck-St. Mary’s — my pick of 14U national champion — opens up with Bishop Kearney. BK is a gritty bunch that plays a really good brand of hockey. Gavin Weeks will keep this game close enough to give BK a puncher’s chance, but ultimately, Shattuck’s superiority shines down the stretch.
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Mount St. Charles is another incredible first-round matchup. PPE has looked near perfect at times. I like Pens Elite to make a run, but Mount won’t make it easy on them. Kase Kamzik, Brody George and Michael Ferentino are going to be forced to work for offense. It won’t come easy in this matchup, so I expect a grind. However, PPE still manages to prevail and put themselves in a great spot to advance.
If we draw chalky matchups in the semifinals, it’ll be an embarrassment of riches as far as talent goes. Shattuck, PPE, Chicago Mission and LA Jr. Kings are the four most skilled teams in the tournament. While it’s no guarantee we see all four in the semis, in the event that we do, it’ll be two heavyweight bouts. Tynan Lawrence, Logan Stuart, Kent Greer, George, Kamzik, Kalder Varga, Parker Trottier, Jake Brown, Noah Davidson, Shaffer Gordon-Carroll… U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) scouts would get a real good look at some of the best players the 2008-birth year has to offer in these potential matchups.
Shattuck has been the odds-on favorite to win the tournament from the very beginning. However, if there’s one team that could legitimately challenge SSM for the title, it’s PPE. That would be a dream championship matchup between the two best teams in the tournament for the biggest prize in American youth hockey. Buckle up, because the next three days should bring some close games, plenty of drama, and a 14U national champion.
2007-born Little Caesars is positioned to do something the program has not done since 2019. That is the last time a 15O Caesars team was crowned as winners at the USA Hockey National Championships. Armed with a ton of depth, they were one of four teams to go 3-0-0 during pool play at this year’s tournament.
Caesars will open their playoff schedule with a matchup against the Long Island Gulls. It will be the fourth meeting of the season between the two; Caesars won two decisions by a combined 10-3. The Gulls were victorious in their most recent meeting back on February 5th, a 2-1 final in overtime. I expect Caesars to handle business here to move on to Bishop Kearney Selects.
Then, BK to be victorious in their first game over Shattuck-St. Mary’s. I haven’t been that impressed with SSM to this point in the tournament, and they dropped a tough decision on Friday to an opportunistic Mount St. Charles squad. Shattuck has been unable to beat Bishop Kearney in four tries this season, and I don’t see that changing this weekend.
Caesars and Bishop Kearney’s meeting should be one of the most exciting matchups we will get to enjoy this week. The boys from the Motor City won a lone regular-season game all the way back in September, but BK has really hit its stride in recent days. As good as they have been, depth will win out here, and Caesars certainly has that in spades. Four of the top 10 point getters at 15O Nationals hail from their squad. Caesars advances to the championship game.
A quarterfinal matchup between Chicago Mission and Pittsburgh Pens Elite is probably the most intriguing. Mission has shown how dominant they can be, but Pens Elite hung around during pool play in a tough USA Division. I was impressed with how hard they played Caesars, so Mission better be ready out of the gate in this one. I expect Mission to move on to play Mount St. Charles, but don’t be surprised if this game is so close that we get overtime in this matchup.
Mount St. Charles put together a solid run in its divisional contests. They ended pool play with an impressive victory against Shattuck, where goaltender Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz was spectacular. If he continues to stop the puck as well as he did in that game, Mount can find themselves heading into the final against Caesars. That being said, Mission goaltender Bjorn Bronas has been equally excellent. We might be in for a goalie duel in this one, and I trust Chicago’s defensive corps led by Asher Barnett, Holden Carter and Cameron Aucoin a bit more here.
This all sets up a showdown between Caesars and Mission for the championship. Caesars has defeated Chicago in four of seven games during the regular season. Two of the games have required overtime, where each team collected a win. Honestly, I don’t think you could pick a better final. With Mission’s defense having the ability to act as a fourth forward on the back end, to Caesars’ roster consisting of some of the best players of this birth year. It will be a thrilling finale to the USA Hockey season. In the end, give me players like Will Horcoff, Aiden Janz, Zachary Morin and Evan Jardine to continue to pile up the points in a win.
The 16U USA Hockey National tournament has shaken out in quite the unusual way. Top-seed Shattuck-St. Mary’s drew the No. 2-seed Long Island Gulls in the quarterfinals. Plus, a 3-v-4 matchup in familiar foes New Jersey Rockets and North Jersey Avalanche. Add on top of all that, a 7-v-8 matchup between Compuware and Chicago Mission, and we have some very intriguing first-round games. There’s no way to know this was going to be the draw pre-tournament, it’s just how pool play shook out with some unexpected outcomes. Nonetheless, it makes for a tournament that could potentially be decided on the first day of the tournament. I’ll explain…
Shattuck and Long Island came into the tournament as the top two teams in the field. Now, with them going head-to-head on Saturday, the winner opens up a nice path to a championship. Same could be said about the Compuware-Mission matchup, as the winner of that matchup should get to the finale as well. You get to the gold medal game and anything can happen. Ultimately, I think Shattuck prevails.
Craig Peterson, on-site at 14U Nationals
There’s just eight teams remaining in the hunt for the 2023 USA Hockey national championship at the 14U age group. The field is set and matchups finalized for quarterfinals. I’ve ranked all remaining teams in order of most to least likely to be crowned champion by Monday.
They’ve actually had an impressive run at the tournament. Dallas Stars Elite finished 2-1-0 in pool play. They won on Friday against Little Caesars, 5-4 in a de facto elimination game. So in a way, DSE is already in playoff mode. J.P. Hurlbert III and Landon Amrhein are among the leading scorers in the tournament. However, it’s a really tough draw as DSE would have to beat the No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 teams in the power rankings in order to be champ. Tough road.
They took care of business against the Minnesota Lakers and Valley Forge Minutemen to put themselves in playoff position. However, the Boston Jr. Eagles may struggle mightily as competition ramps up in the playoffs. Pens Elite outshot them 24-9 in a dominant 5-0 performance. My fear is that their first-round matchup with the LA Jr. Kings — and any potential future matchup — resembles opponents closer to PPE than they do Valley Forge.
I actually like Mount St. Charles a lot. They’re well coached, play a responsible game and create offense as a team. Not to mention, they’ve got work-hards up front like Jameson Glance, Cole Sabourin and Dylan Dean that stand out to me. It’s just the first-round draw with Pens Elite is brutal. Plus, they’ve scored just 3.00 goals per game, which is the lowest among playoff teams. I worry there’s not enough offense to hang with some of the other contenders.
Here is where it gets really tough. Bishop Kearney is going to be a tough out in the playoffs. Latvia import Rudolfs Berzkalns is a talented goal scorer, and I really like the way Camden Nimmer and Dub Eunice III play as well. Not to mention, Gavin Weeks should give them a chance to win against anyone they face. However, there’s some high-powered offenses at No. 4, No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 that I think might separate themselves a bit from BK at this stage of the tournament.
As talented as any team in the tournament. Logan Stuart led the LA Jr. Kings in scoring with three goals and seven points. Noah Davidson, Jake Brown and Tyus Sparks are noticeable standouts as well. They can get in a track meet with just about anyone. However, the Jr. Kings trailed in two of their three games in pool play and certainly flirted with fire a bit. If they have to chase offense against a team like Shattuck or PPE, it could be a real tough deficit to come back from.
Similar to the Jr. Kings, Chicago Mission’s lineup oozes talent. Kalder Varga may be one of the best forwards in the tournament; he is a do-it-all for Chicago who’s game carries a ton of value. Aurelio Garcia and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll really stood out on Day 3 as major contributors as well. And that’s just scratching the surface when it comes to skaters with skill on this team. Jake Windbiel looked much better in their 2-1 win over BK as well. He’s one of the bigger goaltenders in the tournament, and when he’s on, he makes Mission tough to beat.
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite play extremely well together as a unit. The offensive chances they create either on the rush or in-zone look effortless. Low-to-high plays, backdoor passes… all of their goals are generated from really pretty sequences. Kase Kamzik and Brody George are easy to like, as they make a lot of good things happen in all three zones. Kent Greer leads all defensemen in scoring with six points, and fellow blue-liner Brandon Vislay is a challenge for attackers to get by as well. Pens Elite are solid in all three zones, and one of the most well-rounded teams in the tournament.
They came into the tournament as the No. 1 seed, and have done nothing but take care of business in pool play. Shattuck-St. Mary’s has the most productive offense with 21 goals, and the second-best defense, allowing just five against. Tynan Lawrence, Parker Trottier, Emilio Bedoya, Zane Torre, Michael Berchild… I could go on and on. Thirteen of the 18 skaters have scored goals. They’re extremely talented, very deep, and very well coached. Not only is the skill on display, but so is the structure of their game. They came in as the favorite, and there’s no reason to think that’s changed after the first three days of the tournament.
Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
In what was a meeting to determine seeding in the Olympic Division at 15O USA Hockey Nationals, Chicago Mission defeated the Long Island Gulls 4-2 off the back of a Cameron McKinney hat trick.
The Gulls opened the scoring in the first period when Dominick Oppedisano slipped home a rebound that bounced off the end boards. Just over two minutes later, McKinney tied the game with his first goal when he banged in a loose puck at the side of the net. Egan Beveridge started a rush up the ice and fed the puck to Nicholas Knutson. Knutson was then bodied off the puck, but McKinney collected it and shoved it past the outstretched pad of Ryan Cameron.
McKinney struck again close to four minutes after tying the game to put Chicago up 2-1. He skated into the Gulls defensive zone, made a great move around a defender and popped a shot into the net. Late in the first period, Luke Brierley fired a perfect wrist shot from distance that went off the post and in to increase the Mission lead to 3-1.
Teams would play an even second period, and the third would continue for much of that way. On the power play, Long Island defenseman Jared Petruso blasted a heavy one-timer from the blue line into the net to cut his team’s deficit to 3-2. With the Gulls’ goalie pulled, McKinney threw the puck down the ice into the empty net for his hat trick and to ice the game for a 4-2 final. As a result, Mission clinched the first seed in the Olympic Division, and will open elimination round play tomorrow against the second seed in the NHL Division.
In another contest that had seeding implications, Mount St. Charles and Shattuck-St. Mary’s battled for positioning in the NHL Division. Conrad Fondrk, who has been raising eyebrows all week at Nationals boosted his team to a lead they would never relinquish en route to a 4-1 win.
The opening frame would have no scoring, due to both teams feeling the other out. Despite two power play opportunities for SSM, Mount goaltender Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz was solid, making 11 saves. With 7:03 left in the second period, Fondrk would score his first goal of the afternoon when he settled a pass from Dylan Krayer and ripped it off the far post for a 1-0 lead. About a minute-and-a-half later and his team on the man advantage, Fondrk took a very similar shot from the right circle that once again beat Shattuck goalie Garrett Glaser to put Mount up 2-0.
With Glaser pulled with over two minutes left in regulation, Mate Tardi sent a shot into the empty net for a 3-0 lead. However, on a late power play, Aaron Obobaifo, who was the hero for Shattuck yesterday, managed to score to bring Mount’s lead to 3-1. Opting to pull the goalie once more, Shattuck was unable to net another goal and Dallas Potter collected an empty-net goal of his own for the 4-1 final. The star of the game was Doyon-Cataquiz, who ended with 31 saves.
Mount St. Charles earned first seed in the NHL Division and will face off against the Los Angeles Jr. Kings. As winners of the Liberty Division, the Bishop Kearney Selects have drawn a matchup against Shattuck. Little Caesars went undefeated in pool play to top the USA Division, and will open its quarterfinal round against the Gulls. With Pittsburgh Pens Elite locking up second seed in the Olympic Division, they have earned a tilt with Mission to open its playoff round.
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Craig Peterson, remote coverage of 16U Nationals
There were still 14 games of pool-play action left to be played at the 16U USA Hockey Nationals. However, Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Chicago Mission had already secured spots in the next round.
Mission’s 9-2 win over Team North Dakota and Shattuck’s 7-1 win over the Boston Little Bruins guaranteed they would finish as the top two seeded teams in the USA Division. Now, the top two teams are slated to play against each other on Friday. The outcome of that game will determine who is the 1-seed and who is the 2-seed, but both clubs can rest easy Thursday night knowing they’ll make it to the weekend regardless of the outcome of Game 3.
Eero Butella’s four-point performance helped fuel Mission to its dominant win over North Dakota. He leads all skaters in the tournament with four goals and eight points. Teammate Frank DeRosa tops all defensemen in scoring as well, with four points.
The top two seeds in the NHL Division are set to play Friday at noon. It may be a bit anticlimactic though, as both Little Caesars and North Jersey Avalanche have secured spots in the playoffs as well. Similar to Shattuck and Mission, the order may not be finalized but the participants are locked in. Caesars is 2-0-0, as are the Avs, and the two teams will break that deadlock at noon.
With both teams comfortably moving on to the quarterfinals, that means four of the eight playoff spots are already spoken for, with eight games left to play.
While Compuware hasn’t yet clinched a spot like the four previously mentioned teams, it has put itself in the driver’s seat heading into Friday. Michael Barron scored the game-winning goal against Mount St. Charles with 70 seconds left in regulation on Wednesday. That win, plus a dominant showing against the Nashville Jr. Predators on Thursday means Compuware controls its own destiny. A third win obviously pushes them on to the playoffs, but even in defeat on Friday, the Detroit-based squad could advance to the elimination rounds.
Craig Peterson, on-site at 14U Nationals
It was less than five minutes into the game between Chicago Mission and Pittsburgh Vengeance. There were just four or five shots on goal recorded on the jumbotron overhead, yet three of them had resulted in goals for Pittsburgh. Two of those goals came off the stick of forward Sean Miller.
Mission came into the matchup — and the 14U USA Hockey Nationals — as heavy favorites. They entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the country, as well as the 2-seed in the field of 16 teams. Mission rolled the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes 5-1 on the first day of Nationals. Meanwhile, its Day 2 opponent in Pittsburgh was out-shot, out-chanced and out-played by Bishop Kearney. All signs pointed in favor of Kalder Varga, Abraham Barnett and the Chicago Mission on Thursday.
Mission even controlled much of the play out of the gate. However, two odd-man rushes and a power-play goal allowed Pittsburgh to get on the board first. Miller’s first goal came off a line rush when he wired a wrist shot over Donovan Dunlay’s shoulder. Three minutes later, Jacob Keisel made it 2-0 for Pittsburgh with a shot from the blue line. Then, with 7:34 left in the opening period, Miller scored his second of the game on a power play to put the Vengeance on top 3-0.
Pittsburgh was able to force Mission to play its style of hockey. Much of the game felt like it took place in a phone booth. Tough board battles, scrums for loose pucks and very little time or space for a much more skilled Chicago team. Eventually, Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll — who had a goal and an assist — Varga, Barnett and co., were able to generate some offense and cut into the deficit. However, Mission was unable to overcome, and a third goal from Miller as well as Jacob Gilbert’s first goal of the tournament put the game out of reach at 7-3.
For a USA Hockey Nationals tournament that has basically been all chalk through the first 12 games, the 7-3 win for Pittsburgh is a shock to the system. Miller and teammate Caden Harvery are tied for second in the tournament in scoring with six points apiece. Goalie Giovanni Scally impressed as well with 33 saves in the win. It was his first action of the tournament.
Pittsburgh still needs some things to break its way in order to advance to the elimination rounds. However, Miller’s performance at least keeps them in the hunt heading into Friday.
A regulation win over the Jr. Canes would likely be enough to secure the second spot. Mission and BK go head-to-head on the final day. I believe that BK at 2-0-0 has unofficially secured one of the two spots out of the Olympic Pool. However, if Mission beats Bishop Kearney, it opens the door to the possibility of a three-way tie, and tiebreakers being the deciding factor.
If Shattuck-St. Mary’s doesn’t win the 14U USA Hockey Nationals, the eventual winner will certainly have to go through them to get it.
The forward line of Carson Andrew, Parker Trottier and tournament leader Tynan Lawrence are as good as any here at USA Hockey Arena. Plus, what a luxury it is to follow up that line with the trio of Michael Berchild, Zane Torre and Cooper Soller. Shattuck’s lineup is loaded with talent across the board, evident by their 13 different goal scorers in two games.
They’ve put on an offensive clinic, albeit against the 16-seed and 9-seed in the tournament. But it’s more than just the plus-13 goal differential. They’re sound defensively, constantly in good position, hard on pucks and just playing the game the right way. I think it was John Riffey I saw lay out to block a shot from the point in the game with Dallas Stars Elite. You need those types of little plays that ultimately make the difference in championship runs. In addition to being the most talented team in the building, the group is playing hard, smart and desperate.
There’s two teams I think can really challenge Shattuck in the playoffs. Pittsburgh Penguins Elite looked really sharp in their win against the Boston Jr. Eagles. They’re a talented bunch with really good chemistry off the rush. Give-and-go plays, clean zone entries, etc., make me think PPE can get up and down the ice with Shattuck.
The other team — despite the loss to Pittsburgh Vengeance — is the Chicago Mission. Similar to PPE, Mission has loads of talent on their roster. Kalder Varga is an exceptional forward, as is Abraham Barnett on the back end. Victor Plante, Lukas Zajic and Robin Kuzma can definitely take this team to a level that can compete with a Shattuck or Pens Elite.
Through two games, Bishop Kearney has scored 10 goals with a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh Vengeance and a 5-0 win over the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. Of those goals, five have been scored on the man advantage, including four in Thursday’s game against the Jr. Canes. BK’s power-play unit is converting on 55.6 percent of its opportunities, and forward Rudolfs Berzkalns has fueled much of its efforts. They take on a Chicago Mission team on Friday that is the second-most penalized team in the tournament with 11 minor penalties.
As mentioned before, win or lose on Day 3, Bishop Kearney should already have a spot in the elimination rounds. They’re undefeated with a significant goal differential to boot. Win, and they’re obviously in. Lose, and BK would likely hold any tiebreakers over its fellow Olympic Pool members.
Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
A morning clash between Little Caesars and Pittsburgh Penguins Elite lived up to the hype at 15O USA Hockey Nationals. With both clubs coming in after tournament-opening victories on Day 1, a win for either would all but cement placement in the elimination round games this weekend.
Pens Elite came out strong, realizing its opportunity and task ahead of taking on a powerhouse like Caesars. Jacob Cloutier was on the forecheck early and often. As a collective unit, Caesars struggled with Pittsburgh’s speed, finding themselves on the losing end of board battles, puck scrums and offensive zone time. The trio of Quinn McKenzie, Cloutier and Kieren Dervin was a standout, creating the most scoring opportunities of the period.
As the period wore on, Caesars began to find its legs, but had difficulty getting shots on net as the Pens constantly got in front of any shot they could. Each team was as physical as they could be, with big checks in open ice and along the boards.
Just over one minute into the second frame, Pittsburgh jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Ryan White depositing a rebound chance in front. Shortly after, following a great drive to the net by Luke Menard, Charlton Tretheway banged in a loose puck in the crease to knot things at 1. Menard dipped his shoulder and bullied his way to the net, where Tretheway crashed and slipped the loose puck past Jake Shingles. The goal was originally credited to Nicholas Kosiba, but was changed postgame.
Thretheway was easily one of the standout skaters for Caesars. Constantly jumping in the rush when possible, his ability to get back into position with great speed often surprised Pens Elite players.
Caesars warmed to the task in the second, with a lot of time spent in the Pens Elite defensive zone. Late in the period, Kosiba would put Caesars up 2-1 on the power play thanks to a pretty passing play between Zachary Morin and William Horcoff.
Pens Elite understood they needed a win, so they pushed much of the pace in the third period. Tretheway was outstanding, constantly shutting down odd-man rushes with perfect stick position. Pittsburgh managed to find the equalizer at 12:46 when Mark Evans blasted a one-timer off the post and in. With 1:13 left and on a sixth power play of the game, Horcoff sent a low shot that beat the glove of Shingles to put Caesars up 3-2. With Pittsburgh once again searching for a goal, Aiden Janz iced the game with an empty-net goal.
Chicago Mission got their second victory of the round robin in a tight contest against Compuware. Jacob Eilers got Chicago on the board first when he fired a top-shelf wrister while on the penalty kill. Overall, seven penalties were called in the opening frame, with four for Compuware and three for Mission.
Early in the second, Compuware would strike. Isaac Nelson deposited a pass from Travis Hayes from in tight, evening things at 1. It was apparent that Chicago knew they had Compuware beat in terms of overall size, and they rarely shied away from any opportunity to throw the body. After some extended zone time, Nathen Jastrzebski tipped an Andrew Horn shot for a 2-1 Mission lead. Chicago’s ability to cycle in the zone was a strength, aided greatly by the versatility of Asher Barnett on the blue line.
Each team would hit numerous crossbars and posts as regulation continued. Despite numerous attempts at trying to find a tying goal, Mission’s defense quickly smothered any Compuware attack. Egan Beveridge eventually put the game away with an empty-net goal.
WHH will have continued coverage of USA Hockey Nationals this week. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
Peter Rossi, remote coverage of 16U Nationals
The 16U USA Nationals got underway in San Jose, California today and Chicago Mission’s Eero Butella wasted no time in getting his name on the scoresheet. Scoring two goals in the first period and adding one in the second, Butella’s natural hat trick helped propel Mission to a tournament-opening victory against the Boston Little Bruins, 7-3. His last two goals also came on the man-advantage, which finished 2-for-2 in the matchup. The stellar game continues a fantastic last couple of weeks for Butella, who was called up to USA Hockey’s National Under-17 Team for a weekend series back on March 17th.
Mount St. Charles and Compuware found themselves in a very even contest this afternoon at 16U Nationals in San Jose, California. With Compuware holding a 2-1 lead late in the second period, Vincent Ipri knotted things up with just a second remaining on the clock. At 14:50 of the third, David Ehrhard put Mount up 3-2. Not phased by the deficit, Michael Barron decided to take matters into his own hands. Finishing off a perfect pass from Dennis Lominac, Barron tied the game at 3 with just over two minutes left in regulation. Just 1:33 later, he struck again for his second of the game, connecting once more with Lominac.
The Phoenix Jr. Coyotes came out of the gate strong, opening the scoring in their clash with Bishop Kearney Selects. However, two late penalties would both result in power-play goals for the Selects, sending them into a 2-1 deficit. After more penalty trouble late in the second period led to another power-play goal, the Jr. Coyotes were down 3-1. Sent to a power play of their own, Tristen Wilson-Azleton made it a 3-2 game at 13:39 of the third. Shortly thereafter, Carson McGinley would snap home his first goal of the game, tying things at 3. Jacob Solano got in on the scoring with a goal of his own at 8:50, and with just 57 seconds left McGinley found the empty net for his second goal. Four unanswered goals in the third period stunned the Selects and gave the Jr. Coyotes a huge confidence boost heading into the remainder of pool play.
Peter Rossi, on-site at 15O Nationals
15O USA Hockey Nationals kicked off today in Wayne, New Jersey. 2007-born Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers played their opening game of the tournament against one another, with Pittsburgh snagging a win in dramatic fashion. It was the fifth contest of the season between the two, with Pens Elite leading the series 3-1.
Justin Vlassis opened the scoring by putting home a rebound from in front of the net. The two clubs would continue to trade chances , with the Pens Elite getting the better looks as the period went on. Ethan Chen would tie the game at 1 in the second period when he finished a perfect backdoor feed from Michael Mardula on the power play.
Entering the third period tied 1-1, the teams continued to play a fairly even frame, with chances exchanged on both ends. With 1:47 left in regulation, Murdula gave the Jr. Rangers a 2-1 lead when he banged home a feed from Chen. Just 35 seconds after that, Quinn McKenzie tied the game by finishing a pass from Vlassis off a quick rush up the ice. 23 seconds later, Vlassis notched his second goal to put Pens Elite up 3-2 when he deflected a puck past Steven Luciano from the top of the crease. Kieren Dervin put the game away with an empty-net goal for the 4-2 final.
A large majority of the game featured a goaltending duel between Luciano for Mid-Fairfield and Giulio Torriero for Pittsburgh. Luciano was the busier of the two in the first period, making 13 saves. The script flipped for the second period, where Torriero faced a lot of pucks. Overall, Luciano ended up with 27 saves, while Torriero collected 16.
Little Caesars once again proved they are one of the premier teams of their birth year with a 8-0 win against Team North Dakota. Evan Jardine (3G, 4A), Zachary Morin (2G, 5A) and William Horcoff (3G, 3A) carried out the heavy lifting on offense. While not the busiest goalie of the day, Sammy DiBlasi gobbled up all 15 shots he saw for the shutout.
With Day 1’s results, it seems to be a two-team race to escape a packed USA Group. Caesars and Pens Elite control their destinies with opening-game victories. The Jr. Rangers now face a must-win scenario in their next matchup against North Dakota tomorrow. I still think the championship is Caesars to lose, but it will be interesting to see if any of the other premier teams can build confidence as the games continue.
Craig Peterson, on-site at 14U Nationals
The 2008 Los Angeles Jr. Kings avoided a near upset on the first day of action at USA Hockey Nationals. Pre-tournament, I had them as one of the early favorites to finish as a top seed in group play. However, a bit of a sluggish start and an aggressive opponent in Team Wisconsin pushed the Jr. Kings up against the ropes in Game 1.
Four unanswered goals in a four-minute stretch of the second period put Team Wisconsin comfortably in the driver’s seat. Through 34 minutes of game action, TW controlled much of the game with an aggressive forecheck and relentless attack that kept the more skilled Jr. Kings on their heels. Wisconsin forwards like Cooper DePuydt and Owen Porter used their speed to chase down loose pucks and pressure LA defensemen throughout the attacking zone.
Additionally, a pair of LA penalties proved to be costly, as DePuydt and Logan Ostricki cashed in on back-to-back power-play opportunities. Team Wisconsin carried a 4-2 lead into the third period, with the more skilled Jr. Kings looking a bit lethargic and out of rhythm.
Stretch passes through the neutral zone missed their mark, drop passes on the rush were left for no one and multiple puck battles lost to the harder working Wisconsin club. It wasn’t until the 9:39 mark of the third when Jake Brown gave the Jr. Kings a jolt, cutting the deficit to 4-3. LA looked to be a different team after that, earning a power-play opportunity. While they didn’t cash in, it wasn’t long after the penalty expired that top forward Tyus Sparks scored his second goal of the game, off a rebound initially from Michael Block.
Tyus Sparks ties it up at 4-4 for @JrKingsHockey against Team Wisconsin at 14U @USAHockey Nationals pic.twitter.com/gHmhJS8ZpV
— World Hockey Hub (@WorldHkyHub) March 29, 2023
Alofa Tunoa Ta’Amu led a late rush up the ice and sent a centering pass to Logan Stuart driving the net. Stuart’s redirection of the pass fooled TW goaltender Julian Scalcucci just enough that it found its way into the back of the net, 5-4 Jr. Kings with under a minute to go in regulation. An empty-net goal late would put the finishing touches on the game as LA scored four unanswered goals of its own to come back and earn a win in Game 1 at USA Hockey Nationals.
Team Wisconsin put a scare into the Jr. Kings with a gritty style of play that made it tough to find time and space. Their next two opponents will do more of the same this week as well.
Mount St. Charles defeated the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 3-2 in overtime, thanks to a goal by Jameson Glance. However, both of these teams could piece together similar performances to that of TW and upset the favored Jr. Kings later this week. I didn’t consider either Mount or OJG much of a threat to LA pre-tournament. However, strong showings this morning showed that both clubs are extremely well coached, disciplined and hard-working. A formula that we just saw the Jr. Kings struggle with a bit against Wisconsin.
The Jr. Kings are still the favorite in my mind, but the road looks a little less convenient after today.
The second team to come out of this pool will be an interesting battle. Mount, obviously, is in the most fortuitous spot with a two-game lead on OJG and one game on TW. However, this trio is reminiscent of the Spider-Man meme, pointing at one another. Their playing styles are all eerily similar, and the 3-2 overtime decision between Mount and OJG certainly validates that. Mount meets Wisconsin Thursday afternoon, and that game will likely determine who the second team is to come out of the Liberty Division. I expect it to be a very close, well structured, back-and-forth game. The scales lean ever so slightly towards TW for me, but it’ll be an interesting matchup nonetheless.
WHH will have continued coverage of USA Hockey Nationals this week. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, top performers and more.
Pool play for the 2023 OHL Cup gets underway at 8 a.m. sharp, Wednesday morning. Twenty of the top teams in Ontario will compete over the next three days for a spot in the playoffs. Who will survive the grind of pool play, and who’s season will come to an abrupt end this week? World Hockey Hub takes a close look at all four groups, with predictions for how pool play will shake out at the OHL Cup.
They are the top two teams in the Shanahan Division, but only one of York Simcoe Express and Toronto Jr. Canadiens may end up advancing. YSE seems like the safer option, as they’ve proved to be one of the top teams in the OMHA all season long. Forward Owen Griffin led the team in scoring with 94 points in 35 games. It’s a high-powered offense that has out-scored opponents 444-142 this season, averaging 6.08 goals scored per game.
While the Jr. Canadiens should advance to the elimination rounds, I have just a bit more concern for them than I do YSE.
There’s a couple head-scratching results on JRC’s resume, where I just expected more dominant performances against a few opponents and didn’t get it. Plus, while they’re 3-0-0 against the Thunder Bay Kings this season, all three of those were tough, close games. That familiarity can play a factor, especially with the stakes as high as they come. Also worth noting, That matchup will be the second game of the day for the Jr. Canadiens on Wednesday, which can always present a challenge.
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The Toronto Marlboros have been one of, if not, the best 2007 team in Canada all season long. They come in as the early odds-on favorite to win the whole tournament, fueled by OHL Cup veteran William Moore. This team has it all, from highly-skilled offensive prospects to shut-down D in Luke Dragusica and top-notch goaltending with Jaeden Nelson and Crosby DaCosta. I expect them to dominate the Nash Division, especially given the Marlies have impressive wins over Halton and HP earlier this season. Don’t expect TPH or Wild Card Team to provide much resistance either.
Halton will play the Marlies tough in its Thursday night matchup. But even with a loss in that game, I could see the Hurricanes run the table through the other three games to solidify their spot in the OHL Cup playoff round. They’ve got top talent in guys like Tyler Hopkins and Matthew Schaefer who were part of Team Ontario’s gold medal winning squad at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. They may finish second in pool play, but a deep playoff run could set up a potential rematch with the Marlies later in the week.
One more note on this division: Of all the Wild Card teams to enter the tournament from Tuesday’s games, I think the Toronto Nationals have the best shot at qualifying for the playoffs. Marlies and Hurricanes are still heavy favorites, but the Nats play teams tough and are capable of playing spoiler. One Wild Card team snuck their way into the quarterfinals last year; the Nats have the best case to repeat that tournament trend in 2023.
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If the Marlies are the favorite to win the tournament, Peterborough isn’t too far behind. Petes come into the 2023 OHL Cup as the hottest team in Ontario, with a 22-0-1 record since Jan. 22nd. They feel invincible, especially after surviving a triple overtime, 1-0 barn burner in the OMHA championship. Momentum is a real thing, and when you’ve got a team that just knows how to win — and win in close games, and win in high-pressure situations — you’ve got a Peterborough team that will feel like an impossible ‘out’ in the tournament.
While the Petes are white hot, let’s not overlook that fact that both the Mississauga Rebels and Waterloo Wolves tied Peterborough at different points this season.
Sure, both games were early in the season, but both teams will be tough games for the Petes. Plus, both will go down on Friday within five hours of each other at Scotiabank Pond. There is a scenario for Waterloo to wear out Peterborough in the morning, and the Rebels to pull off a win early afternoon. Not only is it two games in one day, but their third and fourth games in 48 hours.
The second team to come out of the Lindros Division could potentially be determined on the first day of pool play. Waterloo and Mississauga clash at 1:15pm to start the tournament. The winner will likely have a two-game swing, and a head-to-head tiebreaker in its back pocket. That will make it incredibly difficult for the loser of that game to claw its way into a top two position.
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The London Jr. Knights were one of the most popular teams to talk about this season. They have one of the top prospects in the province in Ryan Roobroeck. The power forward scored 79 points in 30 ALLIANCE games and has drawn plenty of attention, as the team has gone 49-8-6 this season. However, some skeptics were quick to point out the Jr. Knights’ schedule is one of the weaker ones, when compared to other top teams like the Marlboros, YSE and Peterborough.
The 2023 OHL Cup will provide an opportunity for the Jr. Knights to silence the skeptics and show they belong among the top teams in Ontario. However, it won’t be an easy road, given the draw for the Subban Division.
It’s the only division in the tournament with three of the five teams ranked in the Top 10 in Canada. And that spells trouble for London, Mississauga Senators and Southern Tier Admirals. I expect it to be a logjam at the top, with an incredibly small margin for error. London beat Mississauga in a one-goal game earlier this season. Mississauga beat Southern Tier in a one-goal game earlier this season. I fully expect these rematches at the OHL Cup to be just as close, and only time will tell how it truly shakes out.
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Want more coverage of the 2023 OHL Cup? Be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!
The 2023 OHL Cup starts on Tuesday, as the 54th annual tournament looks to crown the top team in Ontario youth hockey. Fifteen teams have already secured spots in the round of pool play. Ten more teams look to play their way in via Wild Card matchups. Here’s how the tournament stacks up so far:
| GTHL #1 Toronto Marlboros #2 Toronto Jr. Canadiens #3 Mississauga Senators #4 Mississauga Rebels | OMHA #1 Peterborough Petes #2 Southern Tier Admirals #3 Halton Hurricanes #4 York-Simcoe Express |
| ALLIANCE #1 London Jr. Knights #2 Huron-Perth Lakers #3 Waterloo Wolves #4 Sun County Panthers | HNO Representative Thunder Bay Kings NOHA Representative Team NOHA U.S. Representative TPH Hockey |
With 15 of the 20 spots for pool play already awarded to the teams listed above. The final five spots will be determined on Tuesday through Wild Card matchups. The winning team from each of the games below will advance to the next round.
Tuesday March 28, 2023
WC 1, 5:45pm – Ajax-Pickering Raiders vs. Toronto Young Nationals
WC 2, 7:15pm – Barrie Jr. Colts vs. Lambton Jr. Sting
WC 3, 7:30pm – Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs vs. Vaughan Kings
WC 4, 9:00pm – Burlington Eagles vs. Don Mills Flyers
WC 5, 9:15pm – Whitby Wildcats vs. Central Ontario Wolves
Pool play is slated to begin on Wednesday. The 20 remaining teams will be split into four groups of five. They will compete in four round-robin games on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Then, the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance and be seeded for an eight-team, single-elimination playoff. These are the groupings pre-Wild Card games.
| SHANAHAN DIVISION #2 GTHL Toronto Jr. Canadiens #4 OMHA York-Simcoe Express #4 ALLIANCE Sun County Panthers HNO Thunder Bay Kings Wild Card TBD | NASH DIVISION #1 GTHL Toronto Marlboros #2 ALLIANCE Huron-Perth Lakers #3 OMHA Halton Hurricanes US TPH Hockey Wild Card TBD |
| LINDROS DIVISION #1 OMHA Peterborough Petes #3 ALLIANCE Waterloo Wolves #4 GTHL Mississauga Rebels NOHA Team NOHA Wild Card TBD | SUBBAN DIVISION #1 ALLIANCE London Jr. Knights #2 OMHA Southern Tier Admirals #3 GTHL Mississauga Senators Wild Card TBD Wild Card TBD |
Expect all three league champions London Jr. Knights, Toronto Marlboros and Peterborough Petes to advance out of pool play. The Toronto Jr. Canadiens can be seen as an early favorite to come out of the Shanahan Division as well. With only eight teams advancing to the playoffs, a lot is still left to be determined in the next four days at Scotiabank Pond.
The top nine teams ranked in the Top 10 in Canada will be in Toronto competing for the 2023 OHL Cup. William Moore and the No. 1 Toronto Marlboros are at the forefront, coming in as champions of the GTHL. Highly-touted prospect Ryan Roobroeck brings the No. 4 London Jr. Knights into action as well. Plus, Kaiden Harmon’s triple overtime goal pushed the No. 2 Peterborough Petes into top position of the OMHA as well.
A couple early matchups to pay attention to is when No. 6 Halton Hurricanes take on the top-ranked Marlies on Thursday night. Another Top-10 tilt takes place prior to that, with No. 3 York-Simcoe Express taking on the No. 5 Toronto Jr. Canadiens at 4 p.m. EST. The No. 8 Mississauga Rebels will get a shot at the higher ranked Petes on Friday afternoon.
The Subban Division, despite still having two spots yet to be decided, is the only division with three ranked teams in the grouping. The aforementioned Jr. Knights are joined by the No. 7 Mississauga Senators and No. 9 Southern Tier Admirals. All three will take the ice against each other in Thursday-Friday matchups, that could potentially determine which two will advance out of the group.
Want more coverage of the 2023 OHL Cup? Be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube for the latest news, updates and more!
The 2009-born Toronto Red Wings climbed to No. 7 in the most recent update of the World Rankings. The club rattled off three consecutive wins over No. 8 Toronto Marlboros to kick off their stretch. That run pushed the Red Wings north of 40 wins on the season, and 69 total wins for the ‘09 group dating back to last season.
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, their season came to an end in the GTHL semifinals when they were swept in three games by the No. 2 Don Mills Flyers.
Mikhailov Academy rolled through a three-game stretch against a trio of quality opponents. The team picked up consecutive wins over Khimik Voskresensk, Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl and No. 7 Dynamo Moscow. In those contests, Semyon Kochurin (3G, 2A) and Dmitry Kubanstev (1G, 4A) led the way with five points each. Overall this season, Boris Borin (16G, 32A) and Matvey Cheranev (23G, 24A) have been the mainstays at the top of the leaderboard for the club.
In the 2011-born Russian Rankings, No. 3 Lokomotiv 2004 Yaroslavl and No. 9 SKA Strelna came up big in prime matchups. Timofey Makoedov notched two goals to lead Lokomotiv to a vital 5-1 victory over No. 4 Vityaz Podolsk. Strelna edged a 4-3 victory over No. 10 SKA St. Petersburg, leapfrogging them in the Top 10.
No. 6 North Shore Winter Club’s wins in two important ’10 Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) matchups were a telling sign of the talent throughout its roster. They took care of business with a 7-2 victory over the Semiahmoo Ravens before potting another six goals in a 6-3 win over No. 7 Burnaby Winter Club. The wins also extended a five-game win streak for the team.
Be sure to check out the complete world rankings, including Top 10s by country and World Top 25s for each of the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 birth years.
After a scoreless three periods, the 2023 U16 Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s (OMHA) Championship game between No. 6 Peterborough Petes and No. 9 Southern Tier Admirals would require overtime to decide a winner. However, goals would be just as hard to come by until the third overtime period. Kaiden Harmon took an incredible no-look pass from Josh Avery from behind the net and blasted a one-timer to clinch the win for the Petes. The goal ended a 73-minute scoreless contest between the two Top-10 teams, winning the ‘Red Hats’ and league championship for Peterborough.
The golden goal in TRIPLE OT from Kaiden Harmon to earn #RedHats for Peterborough at the #OMHA U16 AAA Championships presented by @GetCracking!!! pic.twitter.com/FTlDoe1841
— Ontario Minor Hockey (@HometownHockey) March 20, 2023
The Petes entered the weekend as the top seed in the tournament, having gone 8-0-0 in their prior playoff games. They opened group play with a 4-1 win against the Central Ontario Wolves, with four different players finding the back of the net. Next, a hard-fought 1-1 tie with the Admirals, which would serve as a preview for the eventual rematch in the final. Peterborough’s Masen Johnston and Southern Tier’s Isaac Gravelle were both stellar in net, making 29 and 32 saves, respectively.
The Petes got back in the win column in their last game of group play with a 3-2 victory over the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs. Will McFadden scored twice for his only two goals of the tournament, sending his team into the semifinals. Awaiting them would be No. 3 York Simcoe Express, a program whose 2006 squad won the U16 championship last year. No strangers to one another, the two clubs battled six times during the regular season, with Peterborough going 4-1-1.
The depth that York Simcoe showed in its playoff stretch was unable to get going, mainly due to the strong defense and goaltending of the Petes. Johnston was lights out in goal yet again, and Harmon collected his first goals of the weekend, with the first coming shorthanded. The win would set up a second battle with Southern Tier with the OMHA title on the line.
Southern Tier’s road to the final game wasn’t so easy. Easton Lynds scored twice to kick off group play with a 4-1 win against the Jr. Bulldogs. However, the offense would dry up shortly after that. They skated to two ties against the Petes and Wolves to set up a semifinal clash with No. 6 Halton Hurricanes. The Hurricanes entered the matchup as the top scoring team, with four players making up the top four point-getters among all participants. However, they struggled mightily to beat Gravelle in net. He recorded 32 saves, and Noah Reed scored two goals on top of that to push the Admirals past Halton.
Given the way Johnston and Gravelle were playing ahead of the championship game, many were expecting a low-scoring final. In regulation, the Petes managed to put 24 shots on goal in regulation, while the Admirals put up 21 of their own. Both goalies remained perfect heading into overtime.
Peterborough made a strong push for the win in the first overtime, producing more chances and shots early on. The second overtime would be more of the same, with Southern Tier slightly outshooting the Petes, 6-5. Put on a power play just before the halfway point of the third overtime, the Petes sensed their moment. After some time in the offensive zone, Avery collected a pass from Ben Radley and sent a perfect pass on the tape of Harmon. Wasting no time, he threw it on net, beating the blocker of Gravelle, who was just late to react.
Johnston would finish with 31 saves and his third shutout of the tournament.
Despite the loss, the Admirals will still be joining the Petes, Hurricanes and Express as the four representatives of the OMHA in the upcoming U16 OHL Cup. World Hockey Hub will have extended coverage of the OHL Cup and its participating teams. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube to stay up-to-date!
On March 14th, forty-five of the top American hockey players from the 2007 birth year were announced as invitees to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (USNTDP) evaluation camp. The camp, which will help select the 2023-24 U.S. National Under-17 team, is currently underway and will run through March 22nd at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. All games are open to the public.
Participating players will be split into two teams and participate in on-ice practices, off-ice training and games. Click HERE for the full roster and game schedule.
Per USA Hockey, the invitees represent 17 different states, including Minnesota (12), New York (6), California (5), Michigan (4), Illinois (3), Massachusetts (2), North Dakota (2), Pennsylvania (2), Alaska (1), Arizona (1), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Maine (1), Maryland (1), Washington (1) and Wisconsin (1).
30 of the camp’s invitees have been playing their 2022-23 seasons on various U.S. and Canadian teams Ranked among the Top 10 in their respective countries.
A majority of these invitees will continue their ’22-23 seasons following the camp, with their clubs competing in 2023 USA Hockey Nationals.
The camp will run through March 22nd, with final selections to follow. To stay up to date on this camp, as well as more coverage of the top teams and top players in youth hockey be sure to follow WHH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Discord and YouTube!