USA Hockey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today announced the 22-player roster for the U.S. Men's National Under-17 Team that will compete in the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Dec. 28, 2012-Jan. 4, 2013, in Drummondville and Victoriaville, Quebec.

Team USA has claimed second place the past two tournaments (2011-12) and earned the title in 2010. The U.S. has placed in the top three for six consecutive years (2006, 2008-12). No tournament was held in 2007.

The U.S. lineup features eight defensemen, including Louis Belpedio (Skokie, Ill.), Nathan Billitier (Spencerport, N.Y.), Ryan Bliss (Bedford, N.H.), Ryan Collins (Bloomington, Minn.), Brandon Fortunato (North Hills, N.Y.), Jack Glover (Golden Valley, Minn.), Johnathan MacLeod (Dracut, Mass.) and Joshua Wesley (Raleigh, N.C).

Twelve forwards will skate for Team USA in the tournament, including Anders Bjork (Mequon, Wis.), Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.), Jared Fiegl (Parker, Colo.), Ryan Hitchcock (Manhasset, N.Y.), Keegan Iverson (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich.), Ryan MacInnis (St. Louis, Mo.), Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y.), Austin Poganski (St. Cloud, Minn.), Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), Dominic Turgeon (Cherry Hills, Colo.) and Chris Wilkie (Omaha, Neb.).

Backstopping the U.S. will be goaltenders Chris Birdsall (Glen Rock, N.J.) and Edwin Minney (Wind Gap, Pa.).

All games of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will be be streamed live and available on-demand at FASTHockey.com.

The U.S. Men's National Under-17 Team will play one pre-tournament game against Canada's Team Pacific Dec. 28, in Drummondville, Quebec, before opening tournament play on Dec. 29 against Canada's Team Ontario at the Colisee Desjardins.

• Forwards Keegan Iverson and Dominic Turgeon play for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, while Austin Poganski skates for Cathedral High School in St. Paul, Minn. Netminder Chris Birdsall suits up for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League, while the other 18 players on the roster come from the U.S. National Under-17 Team that is part of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• The 2013 World Under-17 Challenge includes two pools of five teams. Pool A consists of teams from Finland, Canada's Team Pacific, Russia, Sweden and Canada's Team West. Pool B consists of teams from Canada's Team Atlantic, Canada's Team Ontario, Canada's Team Quebec, Slovakia and the United States.
• The U.S. enters the tournament having captured first place three times (2001-02, 2010) and second place in 1999, 2008, 2011, 2012.
• Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with #WU17.
• For additional coverage, visit USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Facebook page.
• The U.S. National Under-17 Team trains with The Hockey IntelliGym, a revolutionary new software program released on October 1, 2010, that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.