Timo Kunnari
The US team does not include any professional league players. The team is not the number one favorite to win the under-20 world championship, which would be the country’s third in a row in history, writes Timo Kunnari from Minneapolis.
James Hagens is again in the USA World Cup team. The World Cup tournament for under-20s starts on Boxing Day in Minnesota. The United States has never won an age-group World Cup gold in a domestic tournament. PDO
The United States has celebrated the Under-20 World Championship twice in a row.
Last January’s championship in particular is too well remembered by Finns. Nuoret Leijonat played itself contrary to prior expectations in the Ottawa tournament to the World Cup final.
The final was extremely even and went all the way to overtime. There, Boston College forward Teddy Stiga floated the puck behind Petteri Rimpinen’s back, and the Yankees’ championship celebration began.
Stiga is participating in this year’s games as well, and the man is expected to be effective in the result-making unit, when the host team of the tournament aims for a historic third consecutive championship in the under-20 age group.
In the Yankees’ offense, there are players capable of power, such as Cole Eisermann, Will Horcoff, James Hagens and Stiga.
Effects are especially expected from Horcoff, who has scored 28 points and 19 goals in 20 games for the University of Michigan.
Trevor Connelly’s injury in training camp eats up a bit of the Yankees’ offensive power. Connelly would have been the only professional player on the US roster. The man’s club is the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Of the 25 players on the US team, 22 are reserved for the NHL, 21 come from the university league, the rest from the junior leagues.
Teddy Stiga scored the goal that decided the World Cup gold in the final of last year’s World Cup tournament. TIMO KUNNARI
The US defense does not have the same quality as last year. Cole Hutson, who plays at Boston University, already played a big role in the Ottawa tournament a year ago, and the youngster must be able to do the same this time as well. Hutson has scored 20 points (7+13) in 17 games for the Boston University team.
Adam Kleber seems to be in the running for Hutson’s partner in the first pack pair.
17-year-old Chase Reid is even expected to be a top 2 pick in next spring’s draft, so you should keep an eye on the youngster in this tournament.
Nick Kempf could be the starting goalkeeper for defending champions USA at the World Cup. PDO
The Yankees’ weak link may be goaltending. The team no longer has reliable Trey Augustine.
The country’s goalkeeper trio is Caleb Heil, Nick Kempf and Brady Knowling – the first two dressed for the last training match against Finland. The 188-centimeter Kempf from the University of Notre Dame is being offered the responsibility of the first defender.
The team may be looking for a number one goalkeeper in the practice game and even in the first tournament games.
– It is not yet clear how the United States plays with its goalkeepers. We’ll find out when the tournament starts. And many things can happen to all countries during the tournament, but their goalkeeping has not convinced, says Finland’s goalkeeping coach Kari Lehtonen.
– In the training game against Germany, their goalkeeper didn’t make a single mistake. It’s weird. Usually, North American goalkeepers break and go together with the packs even to build a play. They are usually good with the stick, even clearing pucks. That says something, Lehtonen reflects.
Daily Faceoff wrote bluntly about the Yankees’ goaltending: the team’s weakest link, definitely.
The United States is not a big champion favorite this time – despite the fact that the team has six NHL first-round reservations and eight players who won World Cup gold last January.
A large part of the players have gone through the steps of the country’s junior national team program.
In addition, the country gets to play in front of a loud home crowd in St. Paul, Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Wild.
The team has talent, but lacks depth.
The age group world champion will change.
