By Warren Kozireski
The final roster for Team USA’s entry into the IIHF World Junior Championship being played in Toronto and Montreal includes 13 forwards. Three of those are players born in New York State plus two others have their NHL rights held by a team based in the Empire State.
New York hockey fans should be playing close attention to the forward lines and especially the power play as they watch the 11-day tournament.
Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville), Sonny Milano (Massapequa) and Miles Wood (Buffalo) are the native sons with both J.T. Compher and Hudson Fasching listed among the prospects in the Buffalo Sabres system.
Tuch, a first round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild (18th overall) in 2014, is in his freshman season with Boston College after two seasons with the U.S. National Development program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In 17 collegiate games, the 6’3”, 213 lb. power forward has five goals and seven assists. He netted the only goal in regulation by Team USA in their tournament opener against Finland.
Milano was also selected in the first round of the 2014 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets (16th overall). Also a product of the U.S. Development team, he changed his college commitment from Notre Dame to Boston College, but then opted out to join the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League where he has eight goals and 23 assists in his first 20 games.
Wood, the son of former NY Islander and Buffalo Sabres Randy Wood, originally was set to play at Brown University this fall, but decided to return to prep school Nobles and Greenough for his senior year. He will begin his college career at Boston College in 2015-16.
Compher was a second round selection by Buffalo in the 2013 draft (35th overall) and is in his sophomore season with the University of Michigan. He had three goals and eight assists over his first 15 games this season after his 31 point freshman year fresh out of the U.S. Development Team.
And Fasching, fourth round pick by Los Angeles in 2013 and acquired by Buffalo from the Kings in the Brayden McNabb trade, netted 14 goals over 40 games in his first year with the University of Minnesota in their trip to the Frozen Four. This season he has five goals with a pair of assists in 14 games. The power forward also sent two years with the U.S. National Development program.
Mahopac native and Boston College defenseman Steve Santini was expected to be a major cog on the Team USA blueline, but was the final cut due to a lingering wrist injury.
The New York Rangers have four prospects on various rosters in goaltender Igor Shestyorkin–Russia (2014 fourth round), goaltender Brandon Halverson–USA (2014 second round), forward Anthony Duclair–Canada (2013 third round) and forward Pavel Buchnevich– Russia (2013 third round).
The New York Islanders will be keeping an eye on the crease with goaltending prospects Linus Soderstrom–Sweden (2014 fourth round pick) and Ilya Sorokin–Russia (2014 third round pick).
And, aside from Compher and Fasching, the Buffalo Sabres have forward draft picks Sam Reinhart– Canada (2014 first round pick) and Victor Olofsson–Sweden (2014 seventh round).
