2018 WJC

Lots to look forward to in this year's edition.
played in Buffalo - probably going to be dominated by Canadian fans.
US/Canada playing an outdoor game should be interesting. Seems kind of too high of stakes for an outdoor spectacle but it'll be cool regardless.

and why is called the 2018 WJC even though most of the games are played in 2017?

 

Team USA announced its preliminary roster yesterday-

F
Joey Anderson- Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth- Devils (2016 3rd round)
Jack Badini- Harvard Univ.- Ducks (2017 3rd round )
Kieffer Bellows- Portland Winterhawks (WHL) -Islanders (2016 1st round)
Logan Brown- Windsor Spitfires (OHL)- Senators (2016 1st round)
Trent Frederic- Univ. of Wisconsin- Bruins (2016 1st round)
Patrick Harper- Boston Univ.- Predators (2016 5th round)
Max Jones- London Knights (OHL)- Ducks (2016 1st round)
Will Lockwood- Univ. of Michigan - Canucks (2016 3rd round)
Hugh McGing- Western Michigan Univ.- Undrafted
Casey Mittelstadt- Univ. of Minnesota- Sabres (2017 1st round)
Josh Norris- Univ. of Michigan- Sharks (2017 1st round)
Ryan Poehling- St. Cloud State Univ.- Canadiens (2017 1st round)
Brady Tkachuk- Boston Univ.- 2018 draft eligible
Riley Tufte- Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth- Stars (2016 1st round)
Kailer Yamamoto- Spokane Chiefs (WHL)- Oilers (2017 1st round)

D
Mikey Anderson- Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth- Kings (207 4th round)
Adam Fox- Harvard Univ.- Flames (2016 3rd round)
Quinn Hughes- Univ. of Michigan- 2018 draft eligible
Cole Hults- Penn State Univ.- Kings (2017 5th round)
Phil Kemp- Yale Univ.- Oilers (2017 7th round)
Ryan Lindgren- Univ. of Minnesota- Bruins (2016 2nd round)
Andrew Peeke -Univ. of Notre Dame- Blue Jackets (2016 2nd round)
Scott Perunovich -Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth-Undrafted
Dylan Samberg- Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth- Jets (2017 2nd round)
Reilly Walsh-Harvard Univ.- Devils (2017 3rd round)

G
Jake Oettinger- Boston Univ.- Stars (2017 1st round)
Jeremy Swayman- Univ. of Maine- Bruins (2017 4th round)
Joseph Woll- Boston College- Maple Leafs (2016 3rd round)

 

real excited to get a look at Quinn Hughes, assuming he makes the team.
too much Harvard on here, pretty sure Dan will agree with that.

 

Canadianers will dominate fan attendance. Hell, after next-door Sweden, they dominated the games in Helsinki.

The Championship game is in January. Hence, the 2018 games.

USA, USA, U S A!

 

Fuhking A right, Matty. Fuhk Hahvahd!

 

That young Michigan D would look good in Sabres blue in another couple of years.

The players are going to really enjoy the hockey indulgence that Buffalo will slather on them. I especially look forward to seeing how the fans respond to Sabres prospects from Euro countries. (The G from Finland is one to watch, and as a bonus, he has one of the coolest names in all sports: Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen.)

 

F
Jonathan Ang, Peterborough, OHL (FLa- '16)
Drake Batherson, Cape Breton, QMJHL (Ott- '17)
Maxime Comtois, Victoriaville, QMJHL (Ana- '17)
Dillon Dube, Kelowna, WHL (Cgy- '16)
Alex Formenton, London, OHL (Ott- '17)
Jonah Gadjovich, Owen Sound, OHL (Van- 17)
Cody Glass, Portland, WHL (LV- '17)
Brett Howden, Moose Jaw, WHL (TB- '16)
Tanner Kaspick, Brandon, WHL (StL-'16)
Boris Katchouk, Sault Ste. Marie, OHL (TB- '16)
Jordan Kyrou, Sarnia, OHL (Stl- '16)
Kole Lind, Kelowna, WHL (Van- '17)
Michael McLeod, Mississauga, OHL (NJ- '16)
Taylor Raddysh, Erie, OHL (TB- '16)
Sam Steel, Regina, WHL (Ana-'16)
Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, WHL (Arz-'17)
Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound, OHL (LV-'17)
Robert Thomas, London, OHL (StL-'17)

D
Jake Bean, Calgary, WHL (Car- '16)
Dennis Cholowski, Prince George, WHL (Det- '16)
Kale Clague, Brandon, WHL (LA- '16)
Dante Fabbro, Boston University, NCAA (Nash- '16)
Mario Ferraro, UMass, NCAA (SJ- '17)
Cal Foote, Kelowna, WHL (TB- '17)
Josh Mahura, Regina, WHL (ANa- '16)
Cale Makar, UMass, NCAA (Col- '17)
Logan Stanley, Kitchener, OHL (Wpg- '16)
Connor Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, OHL (Col- '17)

G
Michael DiPietro, Windsor, OHL (Van- '17)
Carter Hart, Everett, WHL (Phi- '16)
Samuel Harvey, Ryoun-Noranda, QMJHL
Colton Point, Colgate, NCAA (Dal- '17)

 

I totally missed this thread yesterday, buffalo here we come!

 

U.S. Blanks Belarus, 14-0, in World Juniors Pre-Tournament Game

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn./Portland Winterhawks), Josh Norris (Oxford, Mich./Univ. of Michigan) and Riley Tufte (Ham Lake, Minn./Univ. of Minnesota Duluth) each scored twice as the U.S. National Junior Team blanked Belarus, 14-0, in its first pre-tournament game ahead of the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.

"This was a great team win that, at times, really showed the style of play we want to execute in Buffalo," said Bob Motzko, head coach of the 2018 U.S. National Junior Team. "We’re looking for good detail and habits in little parts of our game and I think we can pick a lot of good things out of this game. As a staff, we have some difficult decisions to make here as we look ahead to Sweden on Friday and get closer to finalizing our roster."

The U.S. National Junior Team will close pre-tournament action on Friday (Dec. 22) when it takes on Sweden at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pa. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET

The U.S. opened the game with a six-goal first period. Reilly Walsh (North Falmouth, Mass./Harvard Univ.) started the scoring just 2:46 into the game when his shot from the top of the right circle beat Belarus goaltender Rodik Dmitriy. The play started when Max Jones (Rochester, Mich./London Knights) took a pass from Quinn Hughes (Orlando, Fla./Univ. of Michigan), skated down the left wall and around the net before dishing the puck back to Walsh for the game’s opening goal.

Casey Mittelstadt (Eden Prairie, Minn./Univ. of Minnesota) doubled the scoring at the 7:30 mark when Scott Perunovich (Hibbing, Minn./Univ. of Minnesota Duluth) stopped a Belarus clearing attempt and found Mittelstadt between the face-off dots for a quick-wristed shot for a 2-0 lead.

The U.S. connected again with 10:57 remaining after Hugh McGing (Chicago, Ill./Western Michigan Univ.) skated the length of the ice and sent a pass to the trailing Phil Kemp (Greenwich, Conn./Yale Univ.) for a 3-0 advantage.

Just over a minute later, Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn./Portland Winterhawks) scored his first goal of the game by finishing a 2-on-1 attempt off a feed from Tufte.

Tufte made it 5-0 with 6:38 remaining when he took a drop pass from Mittelstadt and beat Dmitriy with a snap shot from just inside the blue line.

Mikey Anderson (Roseville, Minn./Univ. of Minnesota Duluth) accounted for the sixth U.S. goal when he was able to tuck a cross-crease pass from Logan Brown (St. Louis, Mo./Windsor Spiftires) just inside the left post.

The middle stanza saw the U.S. add four more goals, including a pair just over five minutes into the frame. Hughes connected first with a long-range shot off a pass from Brown at the 14:33 mark before Bellows tallied just :11 later on an unassisted effort.

With five minutes remaining in the frame, St. Louis natives Brady Tkachuk (Boston Univ.) and Trent Frederic (Univ. of Wisconsin) each added goals to give the U.S. a 10-0 lead entering the final stanza.

In the final period, Norris tallied a pair and Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane, Wash./Spokane Chiefs) and Tufte also scored to account for the 14-0 final.

NOTES: The final 23-player roster, which is expected to be named by Dec. 23, will represent the United States in the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York, from Dec. 26, 2017 - Jan. 5, 2018 ... The U.S. will play in the first ever outdoor game in tournament play when it takes on Canada at New Era Field on Dec. 29, 2017. Tickets for that game, as well as all other tournament games, are available here ... Jim Johannson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is serving as the general manager of Team USA for the eighth consecutive year ... Bob Motzko (St. Cloud, Minn.) is serving as head coach for the 2018 U.S. National Junior Team and joined behind the bench by assistant coaches Greg Brown (Scituate, Mass.), Grant Potulny (Grand Forks, N.D.), Kris Mayotte (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Steve Miller (Littleton, Colo.) ... USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Gavin Regan (Potsdam, N.Y.), vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. national teams ... All U.S. games will be broadcast live on NHL Network.

 

LONDON, Ont. – Taylor Raddysh (Caledon, Ont./Erie, OHL) led a balanced offence with two goals and two assists, helping Canada’s National Junior Team to a 9-0 win over the Czech Republic in its pre-tournament opener Wednesday ahead of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Canadians got goals from eight different players and at least one point from 15, scoring twice in the first period and twice in the second pulling away with a dominating final 20 minutes.

Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, Alta./Everett, WHL) earned the shutout, making 18 saves.

 

TEAM USA...

 

Dec.26/17

4pm Finland vs Canada

8pm Denmark vs US

 

USA defeats Sweden in preliminary's, 3-1...

Canada beat Switzerland, 8-1 in Preliminary game...

 

real interested in this guy. sounds like he's an NHL ready sniper.

 

I hope he pans out... promising young player. I think he's the guy who won a shootout for the Red Wings in his NHL debut.

 

You'd better have the 2nd overall pick if you want him. He could bump Dahlin down to #2.

He's good.

 

This is Andrei, little brother of Wings top prospect Evgeny. Both brothers should be in the league next season.

 

Another Swede Dman Adam Boqvist has really been helping his case too.
Youngest Tkachuk and the Czech F Zadina in the mix as well.
I really like what I’ve read about Svechnokov though, seems like a Laine type. He’s must watch this WJC in the mcgee55 house this week.