2024 Under-17 Five Nations: 'This Is For Them To Go Out And Display Their Talents'
USA Hockey has announced the 20-man team that will participate in the 2024 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Piešťany, Slovakia next month. The roster includes 12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders. It comprises the top 2008-born American talent from the Boys' Select 16 Player Development Camp.
Joe Bonnett, who has been tracking these kids since they were 13, was named head coach of the 2024 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team. The Michigan native will look to guide Team USA to its ninth first-place finish — and first since 2021.
Bonnett has been USA Hockey's Manager of Player Development for the last 10 years and previously served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-17 Select Team that won the 2017 and 2003 Five Nations Tournaments.
"It's an absolute honor," Bonnett told The Hockey News about being named Team USA's head coach. "Anytime you can represent the United States at an international level, it's an honor. It's something that not only am I excited about, I'm really proud of, and really looking forward to representing the country in a world-class manner."
Bonnett will have several returning players from the Youth Olympic team that won a gold medal in South Korea in January. However, with several eligible players being selected by the U.S. National Team Development Program, the Boys' Select 16 Player Development Camp allowed another group of 2008-born players to wear the Stars and Stripes on the international stage.
Among those returning to Team USA for the Five Nations Tournament are forward Cole Bumgarner, who was signed to a tender agreement by the Fargo Force, and goaltender Xavier Wendt, who was selected by the Lincoln Stars in the ninth round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft.
Bumgarner recorded one goal in four games at the Youth Olympics, while Wendt pitched a 29-save shutout in the gold medal game against Czechia.
Joining Bumgarner for the Five Nations Tournament in the forwards group are William Bent, Noah Davidson, Brody Gillespie, Schaeffer Gordon-Carroll, Caden Harvey, Jack Hextall, Nate Pederson, Luke Puchner, Joseph Salandra, Casey Vandertop, and Kalder Varga.
Wendt is joined by fellow goaltender Ryder Fetterolf and defensemen Nick Bogas, Nathaniel Celski, Levi Harper, Kade Meyer, Ryan Poirier, and Odin Vauhkonen.
For many of these players, the Five Nations Tournament will not only mark the first time that they put on the Team USA jersey but also get exposure to players outside of the United States. While nervousness is certainly to be expected, Bonnett and his coaching staff will ensure a certain standard is met.
"We're going to coach them up," he said. "We're going to hold them accountable. We're going to have a style of play, structure, and systems, but we're not going to overdo it. We're going to have expectations, video, walk-throughs, and structure, and let them play in a form that those kids can digest as a 15-year-old kid. We're going to try to hit them in their sweet spot. We're not going to overload them.
"And then ultimately, we're going to let them play because they're good players. We want them to play. We'll coach in the black and white and let them play in the gray a little bit, knowing that they're going to make mistakes and knowing that they're going to make brilliant plays because they're very, very good hockey players.
"I'm a big, big believer that these are players' tournaments. It's not about the coaching staff. This is for them to experience. This is for them to gauge where they are at a world-level stage. This is for them to go out and display their talents."
It's hard not to notice not only the caliber but the depth of this Team USA roster that will skate at Five Nations next month. In fact, 16 of the players selected were drafted in the USHL Draft or tendered by USHL clubs, which speaks to the quality of the players chosen.
Still, it is a collection of players from all around the country, and in these short-sprint-type tournaments, just like the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, roster cohesion plays a big role in it. Players can have all the talent in the world, but if they do not play well together, it will show up on the scoreboard.
As such, Bonnett and his coaching staff have set up several team-building opportunities ahead of their first game on August 14. Team USA will hold a pre-camp in Budapest, Hungary, with five practices in advance of the tournament, similar to what was done before the Youth Olympics.
Team USA will hold both a full scrimmage and power-play/penalty kill scrimmage against the Hungary U-20 team, with the goal of these short-term events to bring the roster closer together and work as a team.
"As soon as we get (to Slovakia), get organized, and get up and running, it's basically four games in four days, and we've got to be ready to go," Bonnett said. "That's kind of our goal as a staff is to make sure our energy, our food consumption, our rest, and being organized as a team, and having a real good positive team dynamic is ready to go for that four-game sprint."
Several players selected or tendered by USHL teams will depart Five Nations and join their respective clubs for training camp to compete for a spot on the roster. Whether they make the team is yet to be determined.
However, going up against several of the top international teams in their own age group not only allows the players to see where they are on the global stage but also be a confidence booster.
"They're going to get to see where they fit in," Bonnett said. "I just think that it's going to be an elevated competition. It's going to be a great experience for them. They're going to be in a locker room, basically an all-star locker room, where they can see how other kids prepare and how other kids play. I think it's a great test for them on an individual basis to understand what they take away.
"'You know what, I'm really good at this. This is something I need to work on when I go back to my USHL team or really whatever team.' It's more competitive. It's more of a magnifying glass, and I'm just real excited for them to kind of test their skill set on that stage."