Two locals will compete for spots on U.S. team for World Junior Championship

Will Smith and Ryan Leonard celebrate winning gold at the 2023 U-18 World Championship. (Jari Pestelacci/Getty Images)

USA Hockey announced the preliminary roster for the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team on Monday.

The group of players will head to Plymouth, Mich., from Dec. 14-16 for training camp. From there, players will fight for a spot on the 25-player roster that will head to Gothenburg, Sweden, for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

That tournament will take place Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

Two New Englanders and six players from local colleges made the roster.

It’s no surprise that the two players from New England are Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.).

Both have been dominant as freshmen at Boston College.

Smith ranks seconds on the Eagles, who are No. 2 in the USCHO poll, in points with 22, as he’s scored seven goals and added 15 assists. Leonard’s goal-scoring talents have translated perfectly to the NCAA, as he has 10 goals and 17 points in 16 games.

Both were standouts with the United States National Team Development Program. Both were also selected early in this year’s NHL Draft. Smith went No. 4 overall to the San Jose Sharks, while Leonard went off the board at No. 8 to the Washington Capitals.

In terms of locals, Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) was a surprising omission from the roster. Eiserman has 25 goals and 41 points in 21 games with the NTDP U18 team. His goal-scoring abilities have him projected to be picked somewhere in the top three come June’s NHL Draft.

BC is well-represented on the roster. Along with Smith and Leonard, forwards Cutter Gauthier and Gabe Perreault, defensemen Aram Minnetian and Drew Fortescue, and goalie Jacob Fowler will battle for spots to go to Sweden. James Hagens, a BC commit, will join the group, too.

The lone Boston University representative will be defenseman Lane Hutson.

On the team’s staff, three are from New England. David Lassonde (Durham, N.H.) is the goaltending coach, while Jessica Thibault (Guilford, Conn.) is in charge of team services and Dr. Doug Weiss (Bernardston, Mass.) is the team physician.