Two Gophers are among nine players from Minnesota who are on the preliminary roster for the U.S. junior national team, which will defend its gold medal at the 2025 tournament.
Players will gather on Monday at a camp in Plymouth, Mich., where the 29 players will be winnowed to 25 for the World Junior Tournament, which is Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Ottawa.
Ten players return from last year's gold medal team, including Wild first-round draft pick Zeev Buium, a defenseman for Denver; Maple Grove's Danny Nelson, a forward for Notre Dame; and Gophers center Oliver Moore of Mounds View. Also back are Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault, Drew Fortescue, Aram Minnetian, Carey Terrance, Sam Hillebrandt and goalie Trey Augustine.
David Carle, who coached the team last year and then led Denver to an NCAA title, returns behind the bench.
Minnesotans on the roster are Moore, Nelson, Gophers forward Brodie Ziemer (Hutchinson), Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler (Woodbury), St. Cloud State defenseman Colin Ralph (Maple Grove), UMD defenseman Adam Kleber (Chaska), UMD forward Max Plante (Hermantown), St. Cloud State forward Austin Burnevik (Blaine) and Western Michigan goalie Hampton Slukynsky (Warroad).
Current Gophers Jimmy Snuggerud, Sam Rinzel and Ryan Chesley were on last year's title team but are now over age for the tournament, which is limited to players under 20 years old.
Gophers forward Matthew Wood, who is from Lethbridge, Alberta, is on Canada's roster.
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