Smith, Leonard, Augustine named to 2024 U.S. Men's World Championship Roster

The freshman trio are the only non-NHL players to join the team in Czechia

Boston College forwards Will Smith and Ryan Leonard and Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine have been named to the U.S. Men's World Championship Roster, it was announced Sunday. 

Having both wrapped up their freshman seasons at Boston College, Smith and Leonard made up two-thirds of one of the most dominant lines in college hockey in the last while. Smith, a San Jose Sharks prospect, led the country in total points with 71 - six better than teammate Cutter Gauthier who finished second in the NCAA. 

Leonard, a Washington Capitals prospect, finished fourth in the NCAA in total points, notching 60 in 41 games played. Augustine, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, had an impressive freshman season for the Spartans, posting a 23-9-2 record along with a 2.96 GAA and a .915 SV%.

With a roster that includes Brady Tkachuk, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy and Trevor Zegras, it is likely that Smith and Leonard see bottom-six minutes or one of them is the 13th forward to start the tournament. While that is not to say that can't change, for now, that is a likely scenario. 

Augustine, who is one of two goalies on the roster alongside Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon, will likely see a few games throughout the tournament. Similar to Smith and Leonard, he will likely start the tournament not seeing much of the ice, but if Lyon falters, John Hynes will turn to him. 

The World Championships get underway from Ostrava and Prague, Czechia on May 10. 

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