USA Hockey announced its 30-man preliminary roster for the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team, which included Chicago Blackhawks‘ 2014 first-round pick Nick Schmaltz and three other prospects: John Hayden, 2013 third-round, Tyler Motte, 2013 fourth-round, and Anthony Louis, 2013 sixth-round.
The camp will take place Dec. 16-19 at Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena. The final roster will be announced by Christmas Eve.
Schmaltz, a 18-year-old freshman at North Dakota, has two goals and eight assists in 11 games for North Dakota this season. Despite missing four games due to injury, Schmaltz ranks third among National Collegiate Hockey Conference rookies in points (10) and points per game (0.91).
Hayden, a 19-year-old sophomore at Yale, has three goals and six assists in eight games for the Bulldogs this season. The 6-foot-3, 209 pound forward won silver medals at the 2012 U17 WHC and U18 WJC in 2013.
Motte, a 19-year-old sophomore at Michigan, has five goals and five assists in 13 games for the Wolverines this season. He also won silver medals with Hayden. Louis, a 19-year-old sophomore at Miami (OH), has three goals and eight assists in 14 games for the Redhawks this season. He won two silver medals and a U18 WJC Gold Medal in 2012.
Team USA will play three games prior to the World Junior Championships: Dec. 19 vs BU in Boston; Dec. 21 vs. Germany and Dec. 23 vs. Sweden, both played in Kingston, Ontario. The 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Junior Championships take place from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Montreal, Quebec and Toronto.
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