Eichel, Demko Named to USA Wold Juniors Roster

Dec 2, 2014

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USA Hockey has named 30 players to its preliminary roster for the 2015 World Junior Championships.

Jack Eichel of Chelmsford, Mass., a potential number one draft pick for the 2015 NHL entry draft, tops the list of notables nabbed for the roster. Eichel currently plays for Boston University, where he has 8 goals and 13 assists in 13 games. This will be Eichel’s second World Juniors; in last year’s tournament he scored one goal and had four assists in the teams’ five games. Eichel spent time with the USA National Development program in the USHL, and played for the Boston Junior Bruins prior to that.

Other names on the World Junior roster include a number of Boston College hockey players. Goaltender Thatcher Demko was named to the roster – he’s currently 7-6 at BC, with a 2.24 GAA and a .919 SV%. Vancouver holds his draft rights. Other Boston College players nabbed include Alex Tuch, Noah Hanifin, Ian McCoshen, and Steve Santini.

Additional NCAA Div. I hockey players joining the roster include Will Butcher (Denver); JT Compher (Michigan); Nick Schmaltz (North Dakota); Anthony Louis (Miami); Tyler Motte (Michigan); John Hayden (Yale); Dylan Larkin (Michigan); Hudson Fasching (Minnesota); Will Butcher (Denver); Michael Downing (Michigan); Ryan Collins (Minnesota); Zach Merenski (Michigan); and Jack Doherty (Wisconsin).

Players from the USA National Development program (USHL) joining the roster include forwards Auston Matthews and Jeremy Bracco.

Seven members of the team played are returning from 2014, including Eichel, Fasching, Adam Erne (QMJHL), McCoshen, Butcher, Santini and Demko.

Last year the team suffered a disappointing fate in the tournament after losing to Russia in the quarterfinals 5-3, and were unable to advance to the semifinals.

World Juniors kicks off Dec. 26 in Montreal and Toronto. The United States will first face Finland at 3 p.m. that day.