USA Hockey announced on Tuesday its coaching staff for the 2023 World Junior Championship. Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold (Bedford, N.H.) will be the bench boss for the Americans as the team competes for the Gold on an international stage.
Assisting Pecknold with the 2023 U.S. National Junior Team will be Dartmouth head coach Reid Cashman and Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiller. Tampa Bay Lightning scout Jared Waimon (New Milford, Conn.) will serve as the goaltending coach.
The location of the 2023 tournament is still to be determined following the IIHF’s decision to ban Russia from hosting, due to that country’s invasion of Ukraine. The event is slated to take place December 26, 2022 through January 5, 2023.
With the unfortunate cancellation and then postponement of the 2022 tournament in December, this is a weird time for USA Hockey staff as it is still having to figure out who will play in the rescheduled World Juniors for 2022 in August.
The U.S. National Junior Team will have a vastly different look in 2023 as only eight of the 25 players on the 2022 roster are eligible to return. Obviously, there will be some significant holes to fill, including top five picks in Michigan center Matt Beniers (Hingham, Mass.) and North Dakota defenseman Jake Sanderson. Starting goaltender Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) of Boston University will also be too old to play again in 2023. There is also the significant possibility that Michigan defenseman Luke Hughes, an `03, will sign a NHL deal with the New Jersey Devils once the Wolverines’ season comes to an end.
Here's a look at what the roster might look like for the 2023 tournament:
Forwards
There seemingly is a good balance between dynamic skill players and a few grinders and workhorses in this year’s forward group. Potential top five overall pick Logan Cooley leads the way in the skill category while Sasha Pastujov, Red Savage and Tyler Boucher can all bring a heavy or defensive element and also chip in offensively at times. This team will be young up front, especially with its key scoring threats. I’d even love to see USA Hockey give a shot to an underage player such as Boston College Will Smith, but that isn’t the organization’s usual strategy.
Logan Cooley
USA NTDP U18, 5/4/04, C, left shot, 5-10/174
NCAA commit: Minnesota
Sasha Pastujov
Guelph Storm, 7/15/03, LW, left shot, 6-1/187
Chaz Lucius
Minnesota, 5/2/03, C, right shot, 6-0/172
Red Savage
Miami, 5/15/03, C/LW, left shot, 5-11/181
Frank Nazar
USA NTDP U18, 1/14/04, C/RW, right shot, 5-10/174
NCAA commit: Michigan
Jack Hughes
Northeastern, 11/2/03, C, left shot, 6-0/165
Isaac Howard
USA NTDP U18, 3/30/04, LW, left shot, 5-10/182
NCAA commit: Minnesota Duluth
Rutger McGroarty
USA NTDP U18, 3/30/04, LW, left shot, 6-1/204
NCAA commit: Michigan
Jimmy Snuggerud
USA NTDP U18, 6/1/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/185
NCAA commit: Minnesota
Cutter Gauthier
USA NTDP U18, 1/19/04, LW, left shot, 6-3/189
NCAA commit: Boston College
Jack Devine
Denver, 10/2/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/172
Tyler Boucher
Ottawa 67’s, 1/16/03, RW, right shot, 6-1/205
Dylan Duke
Michigan, 3/4/03, LW, left shot, 5-10/181
Others in contention: Jackson Blake (`03, Chicago Steel), Jeremy Wilmer (`03, Tri-City Storm), Owen McLaughlin (`03, Sioux City Musketeers), Gavin Hayes (`04, Flint Firebirds), Sam Lipkin (`03, Chicago Steel), Charlie Stramel (`04, USA NTDP U18), Cole Spicer (`04, USA NTDP U18), Ryan Humphrey (`03, Hamilton Bulldogs), Will Smith (`05, USA NTDP U17)
Defensemen
Obviously, if Luke Hughes returns on the blue line it will be a big boost for the U.S. squad. There is still some talent here, but a lack of size will be a concern. When choosing the squad, I picked an even amount of righties and lefties. That’s not always how it’s done, but I’d expect USA Hockey to go close to that. My projected defenseman below is without Hughes, but obviously he’s in if he returns to Michigan for his sophomore season.
Jack Peart
St. Cloud State, 5/15/03, left shot, 5-11/185
Ryan Chesley
USA NTDP U18, 2/27/04, right shot, 6-0/194
NCAA commit: Minnesota
Lane Hutson
USA NTDP U18, 2/14/04, left shot, 5-8/148
NCAA commit: Boston University
Shai Buium
Denver, 3/26/03, left shot, 6-3/191
Sean Behrens
Denver, 3/31/03, left shot, 5-10/176
Ryan Ufko
UMass, 5/7/03, right shot, 5-10/181
Seamus Casey
USA NTDP U18, 1/8/04, right shot, 5-10/162
NCAA commit: Michigan
Brent Johnson
North Dakota, 3/20/03, right shot, 5-11/170
Others in consideration: Jake Livanavage (`04, Chicago Steel), Sam Rinzel (`04, Waterloo Black Hawks), Cal Thomas (`03, Chicago Steel), Vinny Borgesi (`04, Tri-City Storm), Ty Gallagher (`03, Boston University), Aidan Hreschuk (`03, Boston College)
Goaltenders
Goaltending has been a position of strength over the last few seasons with future pro stalwarts in Spencer Knight, Joe Woll and Jake Oettinger tending the crease for USA Hockey. Kaidan Mbereko was slated to be Commesso’s backup in 2022. His .899 save percentage ranks fifth among USHL goaltenders this season while playing for the Lincoln Stars. It’s likely the Colorado College commit gets first crack at the starting gig. His likely backups will be the two NTDP U-18 goaltenders from this season, New Hampshire commit Tyler Muszelik and Boston College recruit Dylan Silverstein, formerly of Dexter Southfield and the Neponset Valley River Rats. Silverstein has been oft-injured, which could lead USA Hockey brass to giving a chance to underager Trey Augustine, a Michigan commit playing for the NTDP U17 team.
Kaidan Mbereko
Lincoln Stars, 7/28/03, catches left, 5-11/190
NCAA commit: Colorado College
Tyler Muszelik
USA NTDP U18, 7/1/04, catches left, 6-3/194
NCAA commit: New Hampshire
Dylan Silverstein
USA NTDP U18, 2/7/04, catches left, 6-0/179
NCAA commit: Boston College
Others in contention: Trey Augustine (`05, USA NTDP U17), Luca DiPasquo (`03, Maryland Black Bears)
