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 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men’s World Championship from April 16-26, in Zug and Lucerne, Switzerland.

Congratulations

Michael Floodstrand – Hinsdale

Christian Fischer – Wayne

Clayton Keller – Swansea

 

The U.S. squad seeks its second-straight gold medal in the event after capturing the tournament title last year in Lappeenranta, Finland. Team USA has earned 11 straight medals at the Under-18 Men’s World Championship, including gold in five of the past six tournaments. Overall, the United States boasts 12 medals in the event, most of any country.

All Team USA games, including the medal round, will be streamed live and free-of-charge on USAHockey.FASTHockey.com. The United States is in Group A with Germany, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden, and will play its preliminary-round schedule in Lucerne. Click here for a complete schedule.

The U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team will be led by Don Granato, serving as head coach at his second IIHF Men’s Under-18 World Championship. Granato is currently in his fourth season as one of two head coaches at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan … Twenty-two players on the U.S. roster come from USA Hockey’s NTDP. Goaltender Evan Sarthou skated for the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans this winter … Team USA’s roster includes 20 players born in 1997 and three from the 1998 birth year. Defenseman Steven Ruggiero (Jan. 1, 1997) is the oldest player on Team USA, while goaltender Jake Oettinger, born Dec. 18, 1998, is the youngest … Thirteen different states are represented on the roster. New York leads the way with five skaters, while Illinois and Missouri boast three each … The U.S. enters the tournament having captured a record 11-consecutive medals, including gold medals in five of the last six years (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) … Team USA has won eight gold medals all-time, the most of any country in IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship history. The event began in 1999. Team USA earned its first gold medal in 2002 … The U.S. will play in Group A alongside Germany, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden … Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates during the tournament. Scores will be designated with the #U18Worlds tag … For additional coverage, visit the NTDP Facebook page and follow @USANTDP on Twitter … The U.S. National Under-18 and Under-17 Teams train with The Hockey IntelliGym, a software program that trains hockey sense. To learn more, visit USAHockeyIntelliGym.com.