By Warren Kozireski —
Six players who call New York home and two others drafted by New York State teams are among 39 players invited to recent tryouts for Team USA for the 2021 IIHF World Junior tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Five other players drafted by New York State teams and Janesville, NY native and duel citizen Thomas Harley are among 46 others trying out for Team Canada.
Defensemen Domenick Fensore (Thornwood) and Marshall Warren (Laurel Hollow) along with forward Robert Mastrosimone (East Islip) all hail from the New York metropolitan area.
Fensore was selected in the third round (90th overall) by Carolina in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and is with Boston University. Warren was a sixth round pick (166th overall) by Minnesota and is playing with Boston College while Mastrosimone was taken in the second round (54th overall) by Detroit and is with Fensore at BU.
Clarence Center native and defenseman Case McCarthy was taken in the fourth round (118th overall) by New Jersey and is also awaiting the start of his Boston University college hockey career.
Forward John Beecher (Elmira) played last season with the University of Michigan after being selected late in the first round by the Boston Bruins (30th overall).
2020 Montreal second round draft pick and Boston University freshman Luke Tuch of Baldwinsville completes the list of New York-born players.
Buffalo Sabres first round draft pick and University of Minnesota product Ryan Johnson is among those vying for a spot on defense as is New York Rangers fourth rounder Hunter Skinner, who is on the London Knights (OHL) roster.
For Team Canada, the New York Rangers have three players on the preliminary roster including 2020 fourth round pick goaltender Dylan Garand, who is with Kamloops (WHL). Defenseman Mathew Robertson (Edmonton-WHL)—a second round pick in 2019—and Braden Schneider (Brandon-WHL), a first round selection in 2020 are among 15 blueliners in camp.
Syracuse native Thomas Harley is also on that list. He was taken 18th overall by Dallas in 2019 and skates with Mississauga (OHL).
Buffalo’s last two first round selections complete the list with forwards Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge-WHL) and Jack Quinn (Ottawa-OHL), who taken 8th overall.
New York Rangers prospects Karl Henriksson, a second round pick in 2019 (58th overall) is a virtual lock for Team Sweden and left wing Leevi Aaltonen, a late (fifth round) pick by the Rangers in 2019, is vying for a forward slot.
The New York Islanders are a bit lean with potential prospects in the tournament this year with only 2019 first round pick Simon Holmstrom trying out for Team Sweden and 2020 sixth round pick Matias Rajaniemi hoping to play for Team Finland.
The tournament runs from December 25, 2020-January 5, 2021.
