WJC: 2026 Team USA Roster Talk

[William H Bonney]

Holy shit! We're all over this.

Can we savor the historic 2nd Gold in row for a moment?!?!

Never. What's more American than greed?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

• Who will take the reins as the 2nd offensive defenseman on the team behind Hutson? Can Schock or Tretheway make a jump in the 2nd half of this season to get in contention? What about a more unheralded guy like Lukas Peterson?​

I don't know if I'd call him unheralded, but it's going to be Chase Reid. He's 1PPG in the O right now.

He'll be the first American drafted in 2026 (and maybe the first OHL player picked), and will make this team as a draft-eligible towards the end of the roster in exactly that role. And he's not super young for a draft-eligible (December 30), so he theoretically shouldn't be too young for this tournament.

If Hensler made it this year, I think Reid is making it next year.

Edit: I see you responded to my post. Yeah, I agree. Think he has a real shot.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Yes, Canada will have an even harder time messing up.

2006s:
Celebrini (NHL)
Martone
Sennecke
Lindstrom
Iginla
McQueen
Catton
Luchanko
Spence
Parascak
Lakovic
Boisvert
Hage
Beaudoin
Carbonneau
Bear
Letourneau
Greentree
Vanacker
O'Reilly
Ritchie
Howe
Battaglia
Villaneueve

Parekh
Dickinson
Aitcheson
Danford
Elick
Brunicke
Gill

George
Gardner
Ravensbergen

2007s:
Misa
McKenna
Desnoyers
Schmidt
Reschny
O'Brien
Martin
Cootes
Kindel
Guite
Reschny
Behm

Schaefer
Smith
Reid
Kettles
Hamilton
Huang

Ivankovic

Regardless of anyone else that may be in NHL, the options are too deep and many are too obvious that they will be a heavy heavy favorite for next year.

 

[William H Bonney]

Yes, Canada will have an even harder time messing up.

2006s:
Celebrini (NHL)
Martone
Sennecke
Lindstrom
Iginla
McQueen
Catton
Luchanko
Spence
Parascak
Lakovic
Boisvert
Hage
Beaudoin
Carbonneau
Bear
Letourneau
Greentree
Vanacker
O'Reilly
Ritchie
Howe
Battaglia
Villaneueve

Parekh
Dickinson
Aitcheson
Danford
Elick
Brunicke
Gill

George
Gardner
Ravensbergen

2007s:
Misa
McKenna
Desnoyers
Schmidt
Reschny
O'Brien
Martin
Cootes
Kindel
Guite
Reschny
Behm

Schaefer
Smith
Reid
Kettles
Hamilton
Huang

Ivankovic

Regardless of anyone else that may be in NHL, the options are too deep and many are too obvious that they will be a heavy heavy favorite for next year.

Yep, they'll have a wagon next tournament

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Yes, Canada will have an even harder time messing up.

2006s:
Celebrini (NHL)
Martone
Sennecke
Lindstrom
Iginla
McQueen
Catton
Luchanko
Spence
Parascak
Lakovic
Boisvert
Hage
Beaudoin
Carbonneau
Bear
Letourneau
Greentree
Vanacker
O'Reilly
Ritchie
Howe
Battaglia
Villaneueve

Parekh
Dickinson
Aitcheson
Danford
Elick
Brunicke
Gill

George
Gardner
Ravensbergen

2007s:
Misa
McKenna
Desnoyers
Schmidt
Reschny
O'Brien
Martin
Cootes
Kindel
Guite
Reschny
Behm

Schaefer
Smith
Reid
Kettles
Hamilton
Huang

Ivankovic

Regardless of anyone else that may be in NHL, the options are too deep and many are too obvious that they will be a heavy heavy favorite for next year.

And the year after, at least.

Whatever.

This is one of the first times I can remember an "overwhelming favorite, loaded with talent, look at all those returnees and 1st Round picks" USA teams living up to its potential and taking Gold.

Maybe we'll have a couple of American "sisu" type teams that surprise. We're getting to the point where our depth can overcome a lack of game breakers, and a solid team of worker bees can at least contend.

 

[William H Bonney]

And the year after, at least.

Whatever.

This is one of the first times I can remember an "overwhelming favorite, loaded with talent, look at all those returnees and 1st Round picks" USA teams living up to its potential and taking Gold.

Maybe we'll have a couple of American "sisu" type teams that surprise. We're getting to the point where our depth can overcome a lack of game breakers, and a solid team of worker bees can at least contend.

Our 2010 team was in that mold. There were some guys that have had really good professional careers on that team, but that team wasn't loaded with stars at the time, either, where everyone was pumping that team pre-tournament.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Our 2010 team was in that mold. There were some guys that have had really good professional careers on that team, but that team wasn't loaded with stars at the time, either, where everyone was pumping that team pre-tournament.

John Carlson tourney winner. Looked off the d-man and ripped a wrister short-side. Saskatoon crowd was stunned.

Very fond memory.

 

[sigx15]

I haven't seen Epperson play this year but he's having a big year in the OHL, any chance he could be in the running for a spot next year? Also if they need another puck moving defenseman, I could see Brzustewicz getting a look in camp

 

[Celebrini71]

Here's What I Got...

Stiga - Hagens - Eiserman
Connelly - Bednarik - Ziemer
Potter - Berchild (?) - Plante
Zellers - Murtagh (Mckinney) - Spellacy
Vansaghi - Kevan

Other: Mooney, McKinney, Swanson, Hextall, Baker, Van Vilet, McMorrow, Epperson, Humphreys, SImpson, Schultz, Moore, Fondrk, Moe, C. Mutryn, Horcoff, Belle

Hutson - Emery
Groenewold - Hensler
Skahan - Fiddler
L. Fischer - Kleber

Other: Reid, Pitner, DRM, Whipple, Laurila, Trethewey, Rombach, Amico

Kempf
Hendrickson
Boettiger

Other: Heil, Parsons, Quinlan

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I really don't think next year and the year after (and I guess people will already start saying the year after with the 2008's) are going to be as bad as people say.

The 2005's were absolutely not looked at as anything special initially their first year at the NTDP, and they kept getting better, so I think it's way too early to be talking about the 2008's as a bad team and probably still early with the 2007's. And the 2006's got to the Gold Medal game of the U18 Worlds (and probably should've won and probably were the best team at that tournament) and really weren't that bad their U18 year. Yeah, no Hagens would be a real hit, but I don't think the team sucked outside of Hagens.

We should return the leading scorer at the tournament next year and at least two first round pick forwards. And then probably like another 4-5, at least, also should be back. And then there will likely be a string of mid/late firsts or seconds that are also in contention for the team next year.

Is it going to be as talented as Canada? No. Are we going to have the same level of top level talent as this year? No Is the team going to be the wagon that last year's team was? No, but that doesn't mean they can't win. I don't see how you can seriously say there will be less future NHL pedigree on next year's team than the typical year of Sweden, Finland, Czechia. No reason they can't have a very successful tournament. And if somehow Hagens is back, that would be a big add for the team.

 

[SK94]

John Carlson tourney winner. Looked off the d-man and ripped a wrister short-side. Saskatoon crowd was stunned.

Very fond memory.

Best WJC memory ever and probably will stay that way. The game itself was nuts and then that winner on top of that was something special. Junior hockey was less organized back then and more physical. Fun times.

 

[SK94]

HC: Carle or Pandolfo

Kempf
Heil
Hendrickson

Kempf has been pretty good at Notre Dame, but we just have to hope he gets more minutes. The goalie situation can still turn for the better. Now if ever someone can step up and raise their stock drastically.

Hutson-Hensler
L.Fischer-Fiddler
Skahan-Emery
Rheaume-Mullen-Kleber

Others: Elliott Groenewold, Finn McLaughlin, Henry Brzustewicz, Sam Laurila, Charlie Tretheway, Carter Amico, Luke Osburn

Defense is the least of my worries.

Connelly-Plante-Eiserman
Stiga-Bednarik-Ziemer
Potter-Moore-Mooney
Garland-Spellacy-Vansaghi
Swanson, Kevan

Others: Van Vilet, Park, Lee, Zellers, McKinney, Cornforth, McMorrow, Fondrk, Murtagh, Rucinski

I'm curious to see what Van Vilet (Michigan State), Zellers (UND), Park (Michigan) and Lee (Michigan State) can do in the NCAA next year. In my own papers they are the dark horses who can rise surprisingly next season when we think about the roster.

Can Fondrk and Murtagh be this year's Stiga and Ziemer?

 

[mphmiles]

I think there's at least a possibility Hagens is back next year. Obviously if you go first there's a strong pressure to play in the NHL immediately, but Owen Power came back in recent memory- and we know Hagens is very close with his brother and I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to play one more year with him at BC. There's also not as much fear that you're outgrowing your competition for NCAA guys as there is with CHL guys.

 

[SK94]

How cool would it be if Hagens ends up with the Islanders. Regardless of the team, I think he will play in the NHL next season. That's why I completely left him out of my lineup.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Outside of just personal preference I think Hagens will be in NHL. He will be good enough. He did the year in ncaa and world junior thing like Cooley and Smith. I don’t think he has much to gain with another year of college.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

How cool would it be if Hagens ends up with the Islanders.

It would be great for that franchise. Exactly what they need. That’s my objective framing.

My subjective framing is no thanks.

 

[sigx15]

HC: Carle or Pandolfo

If it’s not Carle, my guess is it’s Pandolfo or Brown or Nightingale. I don’t see them going back to Motzko or Pecknold. Nightingale is probably the least likely of the 3 but he also has the connection with USA hockey management from coaching at the NTDP. Brown has been an assistant with the WJC team 3 times. My guess is if it’s not Carle, it’ll be either Pandolfo or Brown, depending on who finishes higher in the NCAAs

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Nightingale is starting to creep up there for me as a guy who needs his shot to coach the World Junior team.

He's done a fantastic job at MSU. I don't think he's in the Carle tier, but when it comes to "next level" coaches from the NCAA ranks after Carle, I think he's next at the top of my list after Carle.

It seems to me though that the list is basically this:

Clear #1 choice: Carle

If not Carle, who: Nightingale, Pandolfo, Brown, Barr

And I'm not sure that there's a clear favorite for that second tier. Personally, I'd go Nightingale if not Carle, but I am not necessarily against the other choices.

 

[William H Bonney]

If Carle doesn't want to run it back, I'd be pretty surprised if Nightingale isn't their top target for the gig. He's a young coach, he knows all the head honchos at USAH, he coached with the NTDP and has been involved with a bunch of other international teams as a video coach, and he's completely turned around a dormant Spartans program.

Nightingale and Barr are my top choices assuming Carle doesn't return. I fully expect Nightingale to be the guy if it's not Carle.

 

[Zero Pucks Given]

A 3-peat would be asking for too much, right?

The bigger ask is winning a title on home ice

Maybe one of these times we'll break through the semifinal...

 

[Zero Pucks Given]

Best WJC memory ever and probably will stay that way. The game itself was nuts and then that winner on top of that was something special. Junior hockey was less organized back then and more physical. Fun times.

I'm still partial to 2004, largely because it was the first victory ever... and also because it turned out to be the first of many big moment blunders by Fleury

 

[NewHampshire]

Carle certainly has an ‘it’ factor about him. I think Nightengale has a similar quality.

I know several of Nightengale’s former college teammates and have crossed paths with a few of his former players, to say that to a man they absolutely rave about the guy would probably be an understatement…

I think he’d be a great choice.

Maine was dead in the water when Ben Barr showed up and changed everything. I’m a big believer in his coaching and motivational abilities.

Less so with Pandolfo or Brown. It can be hard to tell what is coaching and what is simply a team full of ridiculous talent.

I’ve been very impressed with what Mayotte has done at CC - though they’ve had a downturn the past 2-3 weeks. To be determined.

I think the young Michigan coach could also get a look if he continues to show well.

I think Greg Carvel would do a great job, and the WMU coach just keeps that bus rolling. I’m not sure they have any business being the program they’ve become. Kudos to WMU.

They could also do a lot worse than some of the ‘older’ coaches who have had the gig before, despite what some might say about their runs.

Anyway, put me down for Nightengale or Barr as my top choices should Carle pass.

 

[MTU34]

Carle certainly has an ‘it’ factor about him. I think Nightengale has a similar quality.

I know several of Nightengale’s former college teammates and have crossed paths with a few of his former players, to say that to a man they absolutely rave about the guy would probably be an understatement…

I think he’d be a great choice.

Maine was dead in the water when Ben Barr showed up and changed everything. I’m a big believer in his coaching and motivational abilities.

Less so with Pandolfo or Brown. It can be hard to tell what is coaching and what is simply a team full of ridiculous talent.

I’ve been very impressed with what Mayotte has done at CC - though they’ve had a downturn the past 2-3 weeks. To be determined.

I think the young Michigan coach could also get a look if he continues to show well.

I think Greg Carvel would do a great job, and the WMU coach just keeps that bus rolling. I’m not sure they have any business being the program they’ve become. Kudos to WMU.

They could also do a lot worse than some of the ‘older’ coaches who have had the gig before, despite what some might say about their runs.

Anyway, put me down for Nightengale or Barr as my top choices should Carle pass.

IMO Pandolfo and Brown would be in over their heads at this tournament. Same with Narauto. His Michigan teams do not have much structure at all.

I think Nightingale is the guy (was honestly surprised he didn’t get the 2024 team given the familiarity with the 04s). Barr would be excellent too

 

[chaser17]

John Carlson tourney winner. Looked off the d-man and ripped a wrister short-side. Saskatoon crowd was stunned.

Very fond memory.

I was there, loudest building I've ever been in when Eberle scored twice in the final minutes to tie it. Pin drop after the OT winner. Jake Allen was horrific I remember, Martin Jones had to go in. I think the USA started got yanked for Jack Campbell as well?

 

[SI90]

There’s no way we 3-peat because I will be unbearable around here if we do and the hockey gods won’t allow that.