The United States earned a bronze medal at the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championship, their first medal since winning gold in 2013. The three-time winners come in with a strong entry again for the 2017 event.
Here are three players to watch.
Clayton Keller: The Boston University centre is maybe 5-foot-10 and maybe 170 pounds but at the speed he moves that only makes him harder to hit. The 2016 Arizona first-rounder has been lining up on left wing beside Colin White in the exhibition games but once the puck drops he’s all over the ice. He was the most exciting and probably best player at the under-18s last spring.
Tage Thompson: There was a lot of second-guessing the U.S. team sending Alex DeBrincat back to Erie. If you’re going to see the picture in full, it came down to a choice between three players for two spots: Thompson, a St. Louis first-rounder; Jeremy Bracco, a Leafs’ second-rounder; and DeBrincat. If Thompson disappoints on the first line, USA Hockey will get roasted.
Colin White: The Senators’ first-rounder in 2015, White tore it up in his freshman year at Boston College, scoring 19 goals and 43 points in 37 games. He has picked up right where he left off this season. Easy to see him being the second-line NHL centre on a playoff team.
