“They’re obviously dangerous,” Karl said after his Pioneers’ 4-3 win over County Forum on Oct. 21. “They have a really good sense of where the three are on the ice.”
The three skated the same line at camp last week, and it looks like Karl will keep them together at the tournament, which will be held from December 26-January. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
BC freshman Jacob Fowler forms perhaps the best goalie duo in the tournament with Michigan State freshman Trey Augustine. Last week, Karl said no decision had been made on who would start, and he was not about to point him in the direction he was leaning in.
“Both players have been excellent in the first half of the season. It’s a credit to them and the work they’ve done,” said Karl. “We definitely feel comfortable with the goalkeeping options we have.”
Freshman defensemen Drew Fortescue and Aram Minityan rounded out the seven Eagles on the 25-man U.S. squad. However, more decisions will have to be made, as only 23 players can participate during the tournament, with the remaining two players acting as insurance against injuries.
The United States will play tune-up games on Thursday against Sweden and Saturday against Canada, then will open the tournament on December 26 against Norway.
In addition to Hutson, Boston University freshmen MacLean Celebrini (Canada) and Tom Wilander (Sweden) will also participate in the tournament. UConn sophomore Matthew Wood joins Celebrini on Canada’s roster.
UMass freshman forward Dans Locmelis, who competed for Latvia at last year’s World Junior Championships as well as the Senior World Championships last spring, is expected to be on his country’s roster. UMass goaltender Michael Hrabal is in camp with Czech Republic, which also had not announced its roster as of Monday morning.
| date | Discount | Time (Eastern time) |
|---|---|---|
| December 26 | Norway | 11 am |
| December 28 | Switzerland | 11 am |
| December 29 | Czech Republic | 11 am |
| December 31 | Slovakia | 6 am |
| January 2 | Quarter final | TBD |
The return of the Catamounts
When Vermont beat Maine in the first round of the Hockey East tournament in March, it seemed like the Catamounts were on the rise.
But a difficult offseason followed, as the school fired head coach Todd Woodcroft in July following a university investigation into inappropriate text messages he sent to a student. Two weeks later, incoming freshman Alex Bump, a top recruit selected by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, entered the transfer portal and left for Western Michigan.
Vermont was picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll. But the Catamounts, who went 5-16-3 in league play last year, enter the offseason at 3-4-1, including two wins over UMass (11-4-1), which is ninth in the PairWise.
With the weekend sweep on Long Island, Vermont improved to 7-7-1 overall under interim coach Steve Fiedler, marking the first time the program has reached seven wins before the break since the 2016-17 season. Jeremy Buechler, a graduate of Northeastern University, has five goals and five assists to lead the Catamounts in scoring.
“We’re happy with where we’re at in terms of the things we’ve scored as goals,” Fiedler said. “Defining our culture, the standard of what it means to pull this logo, the process of winning, finding our identity as a team — I think those things are really starting to take hold.”
Heroism ideas
Tickets for the 2024 Hockey East Men’s Tournament March 22-23 at TD Garden will go on sale Friday, with fans on pre-sale starting Tuesday using code HE2024.
Follow Andrew Mahoney @Globe Mahoney.
The excitement for the World Junior Championships is building as seven talented players have been selected to represent their respective countries on the international stage. These young athletes have worked tirelessly to earn their spots on the roster and are eager to showcase their skills and compete against the best junior players from around the world. Their dedication and commitment to the sport have not gone unnoticed, and fans are eagerly anticipating the start of the tournament to see how these players will perform on the world stage.