Cooley, Gauthier, Hughes lead USA's final roster for world juniors
Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier, and Luke Hughes are among the 25 players the United States will have at its disposal for the upcoming World Junior Championship.
USA Hockey revealed its final roster for the 2023 tournament Friday. Only 23 players can be registered to play at a time, and if someone is injured or ill, they can be replaced by one of the credentialed extras but can't return to the tourney after that, a USAH official told FloHockey's Chris Peters.
This differs from the last two years, in which all 25 players on a team's roster were eligible, with 22 dressing for each game.
Here's the roster, listed alphabetically by position:
Forwards
| Player | Club | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson Blake | North Dakota (NCAA) | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Gavin Brindley | Michigan (NCAA) | Draft-eligible |
| Tyler Boucher | Ottawa (OHL) | Ottawa Senators |
| Kenny Connors | Massachusetts (NCAA) | Los Angeles Kings |
| Logan Cooley | Minnesota (NCAA) | Arizona Coyotes |
| Dylan Duke | Michigan (NCAA) | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| Cutter Gauthier | Boston College (NCAA) | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Noah Laba | Colorado College (NCAA) | New York Rangers |
| Sam Lipkin | Quinnipiac (NCAA) | Coyotes |
| Chaz Lucius | Manitoba (AHL) | Winnipeg Jets |
| Rutger McGroarty | Michigan (NCAA) | Jets |
| Red Savage | Miami of Ohio (NCAA) | Detroit Red Wings |
| Jimmy Snuggerud | Minnesota (NCAA) | St. Louis Blues |
| Charlie Stramel | Wisconsin (NCAA) | Draft-eligible |
The Coyotes drafted Cooley third overall in July. He ranks fifth in NCAA point production this season with 25 in 19 games. The Flyers chose Gauthier two picks later. He has as many goals (10) as Cooley along with six assists across 13 contests in 2022-23.
Cooley, Savage, and Stramel played in the rescheduled world junior tourney in August.
Defensemen
| Player | Club | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Behrens | Denver (NCAA) | Colorado Avalanche |
| Seamus Casey | Michigan (NCAA) | New Jersey Devils |
| Ryan Chesley | Minnesota (NCAA) | Washington Capitals |
| Luke Hughes | Michigan (NCAA) | Devils |
| Lane Hutson | Boston (NCAA) | Montreal Canadiens |
| Luke Mittelstadt | Minnesota (NCAA) | Draft-eligible |
| Jack Peart | St. Cloud State (NCAA) | Minnesota Wild |
| Ryan Ufko | Massachusetts (NCAA) | Nashville Predators |
The Devils drafted Hughes - whose brother, Jack, is currently starring for New Jersey - with the fourth overall pick in 2021. Hughes, Behrens, and Peart are returning after suiting up for the American junior squad in August.
Goaltenders
| Player | Club | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|
| Trey Augustine | USNTDP/Michigan State in 2023-24 (NCAA) | Draft-eligible |
| Kaidan Mbereko | Colorado College (NCAA) | Draft-eligible |
| Andrew Oke | Saginaw (OHL) | Draft-eligible |
Mbereko and Oke are back after representing the U.S. at the summer tournament.
The 2023 World Junior Championship begins Dec. 26, 2022, in Halifax and Moncton. The United States will face Finland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Switzerland in Group B during preliminary-round play in New Brunswick.
The Americans will play two pre-tournament tilts in Canada - against Sweden on Monday and versus Finland on Wednesday. The U.S. opens its tournament against Latvia on Dec. 26.