Santini, LaBanc, Malone Named to U18 National Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today announced the 23-player roster for the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team that will compete at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Under-18 Championship from April 18-28, in Sochi, Russia.

All U.S. games in the tournament will be streamed live onUSAHockey.FASTHockey.com.

Team USA will look to win its fifth consecutive gold medal in the event. The U.S. captured the world title a year ago in Brno, Znojmo and Breclav, Czech Republic, as well as in 2011 in Crimmitschau and Dresden, Germany; in 2010 in Minsk and Bobruisk, Belarus; and in 2009 in Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn.

Highlighting the roster are three returnees from last year’s team, including forwards J.T. Compher (Northbrook, Ill.) and Anthony Louis (Winfield, Ill.) and defenseman Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis.).

The U.S. roster has seven defensemen, including Gage Ausmus (East Grand Forks, Minn.), Butcher, Connor Clifton (Matawan, N.J.), Clint Lewis (Burnsville, Minn.), Steven Santini (Mahopac, N.Y.), Keaton Thompson (Devils Lake, N.D.) and Tommy Vannelli(Minnetonka, Minn.).

Compher and Louis are among the group of 13 forwards, which also includes Evan Allen(Sterling Heights, Mich.), Dawson Cook (Cadillac, Mich.), Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.), Shane Eiserman (West Newbury, Mass.), Hudson Fasching(Burnsville, Minn.), John Hayden (Greenwich, Conn.), Tyler Kelleher (Longmeadow, Mass.), Kevin Labanc (Staten Island, N.Y.), Sean Malone (West Seneca, N.Y.), Michael McCarron (Macomb, Mich.) and Tyler Motte (St. Clair, Mich.).

Backstopping Team USA will be goaltenders Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif.),Hunter Miska (North Branch, Minn.) and Blake Weyrick (Ojai, Calif.).

The U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team will play one pre-tournament game against Canada on April 14 in Sochi, Russia, before opening tournament play on April 18 against Russia at the Bolshoy Ice Dome at 8 p.m. local time (12 p.m. EDT). Team USA’s complete schedule can be found below.

NOTES: The U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team will be led by Don Granato, who is serving as head coach at his first IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship. Granato is currently in his second season as one of two head coaches at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. … Twenty-two players on the U.S. roster come from USA Hockey’s NTDP … The roster includes 21 players born in 1995 and two from the 1996 birth year. Forward Jack Eichel, born Oct. 28, 1996, is Team USA’s youngest player, while forward Tyler Kelleher, born Jan. 2, 1995, is the oldest … Ten different states are represented on the roster. Minnesota leads the way with five skaters, while Michigan has four … The U.S. enters the tournament having captured a record nine consecutive medals, including back-to-back gold medals in 2005-06, four straight gold medals from 2009-12, two silver medals (2004, 2007) and one bronze medal (2008). Team USA’s seven gold medals are the most of any country in IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship history (event began in 1999). Team USA earned its first gold medal in 2002 … The U.S. is in Group A with the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia and Russia. Group B consists of Canada, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland … Follow@USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #U18MWC …

Team USA 2013 IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship Schedule
April 18-28 • Sochi, Russia

*pre-tournament game