Team USA vs Norway rosters and other tidbits before World Junior game on December 26th, 2023.
After taking days off for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, there will be more hockey on December 26th (Boxing Day). Team USA will be going up against Norway in the first game of group play in the 2024 World Junior Championship tournament.
Trey Augustine.USA is a powerhouse team in this tournament. They are considered a heavy favorite as well as medal mainstays in Canada and Sweden.
Team USA Roster
Here are the players that USA has on their roster to begin tournament play:
Forwards
- Cutter Gauthier
- Quinn Finley
- Gavin Brindley
- Gavin Hayes
- Isaac Howard
- Ryan Leonard
- Rutger McGroarty
- Oliver Moore
- Frank Nazar
- Danny Nelson
- Gabe Perreault
- Will Smith
- Jimmy Snuggerud
- Carey Terrance
Defense
- Zeev Buium
- Seamus Casey
- Ryan Chesley
- Drew Fortescue
- Lane Hutson
- Aram Minnetian
- Eric Pohlkamp
- Sam Rinzel
Goalies
- Trey Augustine
- Jacob Fowler
- Samuel Hillebrandt
The entire USA roster is made up of players who currently are in an NHL team prospect system with the exceptions of Buium and Hillebrandt - who are both eligible to be drafted in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
There is an incredible amount of talent and depth in this forward group. The majority of this team has played with each other over the past few years. Their inherent chemistry playing together is one of the many reasons why they are favorites to win this year.
Game time is 11 AM Eastern Standard Time.
Team Norway Roster
Forwards
- Alieu Bah
- Oskar Bakkevig
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
- Patrik Dalen
- Felix Granath
- Casper Evensen Haugen
- Martin Johnsen
- Johannes Lokkeberg
- Kasper Magnussen
- Mats Bakke Olsen
- Noah Steen
- Petter Vesterheim
- Sander Wold
Defense
- Gabriel Koch
- Ludvig Lafton
- Tobias Larsen
- Christopher Lie
- Mathias Papuga
- Stian Solberg
- Emil Kvernmo Wasenden
Goalies
- Sebastian Aarsund
- Marin Lundberg
- Markus Stensrud
Team Norway is one of two teams in the competition this year to have no NHL team prospects on their roster. Every single player on the team is eligible to be drafted in the upcoming 2024 Entry Draft.
Interesting Stats & Facts
- Norway Average Height: 5-foot-11
- Norway Average Weight: 178 pounds
- Norway Average Age: 18.57 years old
- USA Average Height: 6-foot-0
- USA Average Weight: 184 pounds
- USA Average Age: 18.56 years old
*Interesting to note that USA is a taller and heavier team while Norway is actually slightly older
-Team USA has a few natural goal scorers this season with Terrance, Hayes and Gauthier scoring 22, 19, & 13 goals respectively for their OHL & NCAA clubs before coming to the tournament.
-Hutson and Buium lead the way for blueline scoring with 20 and 25 points respectively.
-Fowler and Augustine have both played 17 games in the NCAA this season. Augustine is sporting a 2.97 goals against average (GAA) with a .916 save percentage (SV%). Fowler has a 2.16 GAA and a .925 SV%.
-Kind Bakkevig has been lighting the lamp in the Swedish J20 league with 20 goals in 29 games.
-Stensrud has been solid in Norway's Men's hockey league. In 22 games he has a 1.95 GAA and a .906 SV%.
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