By Warren Kozireski —
There are 15 players either born in New York or drafted by a New York-based team scattered among six different rosters for this week’s IIHF U-20 World Junior tournament being held in Ottawa beginning Dec. 26.
Team USA leads the way with eight players—two each drafted by the NY Islanders, NY Rangers or Buffalo—and two who call the state home.
Team Finland and Sweden have two each while Switzerland, Germany and Slovakia have one player apiece.
James Hagens of Hauppauge is projected as one of the top 2025 NHL Draft prospects and is off to a solid start to his collegiate career as the top rookie in scoring in Hockey East. The Boston College freshman has five goals and 15 points in 16 games.
Carey Terrance (Akwesasne) is in his fourth season with Erie in the Ontario Hockey League. The 2023 Anaheim second round selection has 14 goals and 26 points this season as captain of the Otters.
Also on Team USA, the Islanders are represented by 2024 first round draft pick Cole Eiserman, who is a freshman at Boston University and 2023 second rounder Danny Nelson, who is in his sophomore campaign at Notre Dame.
The Rangers have Boston College sophomore Gabe Perreault, their 2023 first round selection and teammate Drew Fortescue (Pearl River), a third round pick the same year, who is a sophomore defenseman.
And Buffalo has two draft picks dressed in red, white and blue for the tournament in University of Minnesota-Duluth freshman defenseman Adam Kleber, a second rounder this past summer and University of Minnesota freshman forward Brody Ziemer, their third rounder.
Team Finland sports Buffalo’s 2024 first round pick in Konsta Helenius, who is the youngest player in the American Hockey League this season with Rochester, and Islanders 2023 fourth rounder Jesse Nurmi, who is playing his first North American season with London in the OHL.
Team Sweden also has two players to watch again from the same two teams in Sabres 2023 second round selection Anton Wahlberg is a rookie with Rochester in the AHL and Islanders prospect 6’6” goaltender Marcus Gidlof.
The Rangers are also represented on Team Switzerland by their 2024 sixth round forward Rico Gredig.
And Buffalo has two other draft picks on Team Slovakia and Germany in Michigan State sophomore defenseman Maxim Strbak, taken in the second round in 2023 and Norwin Panocha, a 2023 seventh rounder, will help anchor the German blueline after pausing his USHL season with Green Bay.
The ten-team tournament round-robin will end with the quarterfinals Jan. 2, the semi-finals Jan.4, and the championship Jan. 5.
