8 CHL Players Named to the U.S National Junior Team

Colorado Springs, CO – USA Hockey announced the 22-player roster for its 2009 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete at the World Junior Championships in Ottawa, ON, beginning December 26, 2008.  

Up front for Team USA includes three players from the reigning Memorial Cup Champions, the Spokane Chiefs, including Drayson Bowman, Tyler Johnson, and Mitch Wahl.  Jim O’Brien from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds and Eric Tangradi of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls are also listed on the final roster.

Jonathon Blum of the Vancouver Giants highlights the defence corps and is a returning member of the 2008 U.S National Junior Team that finished fourth in the Czech Republic last year.  The native of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA leads all WHL defencemen in points with 34 including 13 goals and 21 assists in 22 games. 

Minding the nets for Team USA will be Thomas McCollum of the Guelph Storm and Josh Unice of the Kitchener Rangers.  McCollum ranks second in the Ontario Hockey League with a .924 save percentage and 2.29 goals-against average through 24 games.  Unice, who helped Team USA to the silver medal at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, has appeared in 12 games for the Kitchener Rangers and posted an .891 save percentage.

For more information visit http://www.usahockey.com/

The players will begin action with two pre-competition games in Kingston, ON at the K-Roc Centre versus Latvia on Sunday December 21 and against Russia on Tuesday December 23.