U.S., Canada start World Juniors with wins
Plus: The U.S. Collegiate Selects fall just short against Canada, Quinnipiac loses Wilmer, BC officially adds Hemming
The United States and Canada both opened the World Juniors with victories on Friday. Meanwhile, over in Switzerland, the U.S. Collegiate Selects mounted a spirited push after falling behind by three goals but ultimately came up short against Canada.
Also in today’s newsletter (Issue #622):
— Quinnipiac is expected to be without one of its top forwards for the remainder of the season.
— BC made the addition of Oscar Hemming official.
— A UMass Lowell assistant is headed to the World Championships.
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Now, onto today’s newsletter …
U.S., Canada start World Juniors with wins
The U.S. World Junior team sprinted to a 3-0 first-period lead against Germany and never let up, cruising to a 6-3 victory to open the tournament in Minnesota.
Max Plante (Minnesota Duluth), Chase Reid (Michigan State commit), and Will Horcoff (Michigan) found the back of the net in the opening frame to set the tone for the U.S.
Germany pushed back to make it a 3-2 game in the second period, but tw0 goals from Will Zellers (North Dakota) and another from Cole Eiserman (Boston University) steadied the U.S. and created separation.
The U.S. controlled the run of play throughout, outshooting Germany 47-21. Caleb Heil (North Dakota commit) got the start in goal for the Americans.
Up next, the U.S. faces Switzerland on Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern.
The U.S. boasts the most NCAA players on its roster with 24. Canada carries seven NCAA players, while NCAA representation is also found on the rosters of Czechia (1), Finland (1), Germany (2), Latvia (3), Slovakia (3), and Sweden (3).
Canada opened with a 7-5 win over Czechia. Michael Hage (Michigan) delivered a three-point night with a goal and two assists, while Gavin McKenna (Penn State) chipped in with two helpers. Porter Martone (Michigan State) also scored for Canada.
Canada returns to action against Latvia on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
U.S. Collegiate Selects fall to Canada at the Spengler Cup
The U.S. Collegiate Selects dropped their first game at the Spengler Cup on Friday afternoon, falling 3-2 to Team Canada.
Canada raced out to a 3-0 lead on goals from Nate Schnarr, former Merrimack forward Brett Seney, and Mason Shaw. But the Selects pushed back and made a game of it. BU defenseman Gavin McCarthy scored less than a minute after Shaw made it 3-0, and UMass forward Jack Musa pulled the Selects within one midway through the third period, slipping a breakaway bid through the five-hole of former NHL goalie James Reimer.
The Selects had several looks with the extra attacker on the ice in the final two minutes, including a golden opportunity as Reimer was falling backward in the crease.
Reimer, 37, is 12 years older than the oldest player on the Selects roster.
Augustana goaltender Josh Kotai made 32 saves for the U.S. Collegiate Selects, who will face HC Davos, the host team, on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Eastern.
Overall, it was a strong showing for a group of college players up against a Canadian roster that featured several skaters currently on AHL rosters. The AHL doesn’t always get the credit it deserves for how difficult that league is to play in. It’s widely regarded as the second-best league in the world, and most NCAA players who sign professional contracts begin their careers in the ECHL, not the AHL.
On the back end, Eric Pohlkamp (Denver) and Jake Livanavage (North Dakota) were excellent and among the Selects’ best players. Vinny Borgesi (Northeastern) was steady as well, while Musa was outstanding up front, consistently creating chances with his speed. He nearly tied the game on a feed to Joey Muldowney (UConn), but the puck went off the heel of Muldowney’s stick.
Notebook: Quinnipiac’s Wilmer to miss the rest of the season
— According to Mark Divver, Quinnipiac forward Jeremy Wilmer will miss the remainder of the season due to a leg injury. Wilmer had been productive prior to the injury, recording 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 15 games for the Bobcats.
— Boston College made the addition of Oscar Hemming official Friday with the release of a press statement.
— UMass Lowell associate head coach Andy Boschetto has been named an assistant coach for Team Slovakia at the IIHF World Championships this spring.