Seven New England players have made the USA Hockey roster for the 2021 World Junior Summer Showcase.
The weeklong event at the end of July will help USA Hockey choose its roster for the 2022 World Junior Championship that takes place in December and January in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. The upcoming WJC will be made up mostly of players born in 2002 and 2003, although a few countries could choose to include 2004s and '05s.
The World Junior Summer Showcase, held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., also will feature teams from Finland and Sweden. In the past, the Canadians have sent a team, but that country appears to be forgoing the event in 2021 due to complications with the coronavirus.
Of the seven New England players to make the World Junior Summer Showcase roster, three would appear to be locks to make the team: Michigan center Matt Beniers (Hingham, Mass.), Providence left wing Brett Berard (East Greenwich, R.I.), and Boston University goaltender Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.).
Chicago Steel right wing Mackie Samoskevich (Newtown, Conn.) and defenseman Ian Moore (Concord, Mass.), Muskegon Lumberjacks defenseman Alex Gagne (Bedford, N.H.), and Shattuck St. Mary’s defenseman Scott Morrow (Darien, Conn.) appear to be on the outside looking in, at least heading into the showcase.
Nine non-locals with ties to New England will be skating at the WJSS. Boston University forwards Dylan Peterson and Luke Tuch, Quinnipiac forward Ty Smilanic, Providence forward Chase Yoder, and Boston College defenseman Eamon Powell will be heading to Plymouth with a year of college hockey under their belt.
Four players committed to local colleges for the 2021-22 season also willbe at the event: forwards Tyler Boucher (Boston University), Matt Coronato (Harvard) and defensemen Aidan Hreschuk (Boston College) and Ryan Ufko (UMass).
Between current players and commits, Boston University is the most well-represented local college with four Terriers heading to Plymouth. Boston College, Harvard, Providence and UMass each have two selected for the WJSS. Quinnipiac and New Hampshire both have one. The University of Michigan has two players in the fold.
Here is my look at what the American roster could look like come December in the Canadian province of Alberta. These are my feelings and not projecting what USA Hockey will do. Players are listed in order of preference.
FORWARDS
Matt Beniers (Michigan)
Brett Berard (Providence)
Chaz Lucius (NTDP U-18)
Tyler Boucher (NTDP U-18)
Thomas Bordeleau (Michigan)
Matt Coronato (Chicago Steel)
Ty Smilanic (Quinnipiac)
Luke Tuch (Boston University)
Landon Slaggert (Notre Dame)
Dylan Duke (NTDP U-18)
Josh Doan (Chicago Steel)
Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm)
Sasha Pastujov (NTDP U-18)
DEFENSEMEN
Jake Sanderson (North Dakota)
Brock Faber (Minnesota)
Tyler Kleven (North Dakota)
Luke Hughes (NTDP U-18)
Sean Behrens (NTDP U-18)
Ryan Ufko (Chicago Steel)
Wyatt Kaiser (Minnesota Duluth)
GOALTENDERS
Drew Commesso (Boston University)
Aidan Campbell (Erie Otters)
Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)
