Canada Features Just Two NCAA Skaters on World Junior Roster

In contrast to the U.S National Junior Team, which just made its preliminary cuts and is top-heavy with American college-trained players, its Canadian counterpart features just two NCAA skaters in defenseman Michael Matheson and forward Mark Jankowski. Both hail from Hockey East and were 2012 NHL first-round draft choices, and both will be sophomores in 2013-14.

Matheson, a 6'2", 189-pound blueliner from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, was chosen 23rd overall by the Florida Panthers last year. As a freshman last season at Boston College, he put up eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points in 36 games, and helped the Eagles to their ninth NCAA Tournament berth in the last 10 years. He spent the 2011-12 campaign with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League.

Jankowski, a 6’3”, 175-pound forward from Dundas, Ontario, was taken two spots ahead of Matheson by the Calgary Flames last year. As a rookie at Providence College in 2012-13, he collected 7-11—18 points in 34 outings, while helping the Friars to the Hockey East semifinals. Prior to enrolling at Providence, he skated two years at Stanstead College Prep in Quebec.

The 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship will be contested in Malmo, Sweden from Dec. 26, 2013 to Jan. 5, 2014. The U.S. is the defending WJC champ, having taken gold last winter in Ufa, Russia.

 

U.S. Wins Gold at WJC

Rocco Grimaldi (North Dakota) scored his first two goals of the tournament, including the game-winner, while John Gibson (Kitchener/OHL) made 26 saves and Vince Trocheck (Saginaw/OHL) added an empty-net goal with 16.7 seconds remaining in regulation today to lift the United States to a 3-1 victory over defending champion Sweden in the gold medal game at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Ufa, Russia.

Following a scoreless opening period, Florida draft choice Grimaldi tallied twice in the second stanza, first on a wraparound and then on a deflection, after Sweden had taken a 1-0 lead. The goals stood up until Trocheck skated in alone late in the game to seal the win.

It marks the third WJC gold medal for the U.S., with the other two titles coming in 2004 and 2010.

Jacob Trouba (Michigan), who scored a goal in three straight games at one point, was named USA's Top Defenseman, while Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College), who had seven goals in three games leading up to the final, was its Top Forward.

Gibson, an Anaheim draftee, earned recognition as Top Goaltender for both the U.S. and the tournament, and allowed just nine goals in seven games while also pitching two shutouts. His save percentage of .955 is the highest ever for an American in the WJC.

The Americans finished the tournament with a 5-2 record, dropping only a pair of one-goal decisions to Russia and Canada, and will look to defend their WJC title next year in Sweden. Russia defeated Canada in the bronze medal game, 6-5, in overtime, denying Canada a WJC medal of any kind for the first time since 1998.

U.S. to Play for Gold on Saturday

The U.S. National Junior Team will play defending champion Sweden in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET (NHL Network) in Ufa, Russia.

The U.S. got two goals apiece from Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) and captain Jake McCabe (Wisconsin) in defeating Canada, 5-1, in a semifinal game on Thursday. Jim Vesey (Harvard) had the other American goal, while John Gibson (Kitchener/OHL) made 33 saves. Gaudreau now has seven goals and two assists in his last three games.

Team USA, which won gold in 2010 in OT against Canada in Saskatchewan, avenged a 2-1 preliminary-round loss to the Canadians from earlier in this tournament. Sweden edged host Russia, 3-2,  in a shootout in the other semifinal today.

The U.S. record now stands at four wins and two losses, with the other loss coming to Russia in the preliminary round by a 2-1 score. The U.S. has also beaten Germany, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but has not played Sweden since a 3-2 exhibition win just before the tournament began.

Saturday will be a little bit bigger than that.

Gaudreau Does It Again, U.S. Blanks Czechs

Boston College forward Johnny Gaudreau (pictured) followed up his two-goal performance against Slovakia on Monday with a hat trick this morning as the United States blanked the Czech Republic, 7-0, in its quarterfinal round opener at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia.

Gaudreau opened the scoring in the first period on a power play, and then made it 2-0 in the second stanza, also with a man advantage, according to usahockey.com. His five goals now leads the U.S. in the tournament. Jacob Trouba (Michigan) saw his three-game goal-scoring streak come to an end, but still registered four assists against the Czechs.

The U.S., which tallied five power-play goals in all in the victory, advances to an elimination game tomorrow against northern rival Canada at 4 a.m. ET (NHL Network). Canada edged Team USA, 2-1, in the preliminary round last week.

Tomorrow's winner will face the winner of Russia and defending WJC champion Sweden for the title.

USA Routs Slovakia to Stay Alive in WJC

Boston College forward Johnny Gaudreau (pictured) scored two goals to help the United States to a 9-3 victory over Slovakia at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia in its final game of the preliminary round, according to USAHockey.com. The victory prevents the U.S. from heading to the WJC relegation round for the second consecutive year.

Current NCAA players who also scored against Slovakia included Cole Bardreau (Cornell), Jake McCabe (Wisconsin), Mike Reilly (Minnesota)and Jacob Trouba (Michigan). Jimmy Vesey (Harvard) had three assists. Trouba has now tallied a goal in three consecutive contests, including Team USA's only goals in back-to-back 2-1 losses to Russia and Canada.

The Americans defeated Germany, 8-0, to begin the tournament on Dec. 27, and finished with two wins and two losses in the preliminary round. The U.S. will enter the quarterfinal round as the No. 3 seed in Group B, and will face the Czech Republic on Jan. 2 in its next outing. The game will be televised live on the NHL  Network at 4 a.m., and then replayed at 5:30 p.m.

Happy New Year!

U.S. Begins 2013 World Juniors Thursday

 

The 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship gets underway Thursday morning for the U.S. National Junior Team in Ufa, Russia against Germany. The Americans went 1-1 in preliminary play, edging Sweden, 3-2, in overtime on Dec. 20 before getting pasted two days later by Finland, 5-1.

According to USCHO.com, Wisconsin sophomore defenseman Jake McCabe has been named captain of the 2013 U.S. National Junior Team, while alternates will include Cornell sophomore forward Cole Bardreau and Michigan freshman defenseman Jacob Trouba.

The U.S. is looking to improve upon last year's showing in Alberta, when it finished out of the medal running at 1-3-0 overall, and was dropped to the relegation pool, where it finished with a 3-0 mark. 

This year's final U.S World Junior roster features 13 current collegians out of a total of 24 players.