Compher flying at Lake Placid

Michigan's J.T. Compher does a Q and A from the U.S. World Junior camp in Lake Placid.

Two Wolverines to play for Team USA?

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The 29-man preliminary roster for the United States’ entry for the World Junior Hockey Championship was unveiled this week and two of the players named currently play for the University of Michigan.

Freshman defenseman Jon Merrill and sophomore forward Chris Brown made the cut and will look to play for the defending champion Americans are the defending champions.

This year’s tournament will be held from Dec. 26, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011 in Buffalo, N.Y.

In goal, returnee Jack Campbell, a one-time Michigan recruit, should see the bulk of the action.

The roster will be cut to 22 players on Dec. 23.

Team USA’s training camp will take place in Albany, Troy, Rochester and Jamestown, N.Y., Dec. 16–23, and will include pre-tournament games against RPI (Dec. 19), the Czech Republic (Dec. 21) and Norway (Dec. 23).

Wohlberg, Brown World Junior-bound?

Michigan Press Release

Sophomore forward David Wohlberg and freshman forward Chris Brown of the University of Michigan hockey team have been chosen for the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster, USA Hockey announced Wednesday morning.

Additionally, recruit Jon Merrill, a defenseman for U-M starting in 2010-11, was picked for the team.

Wohlberg (pictured), Brown and Merrill are three of 29 players (16 forwards, 11 defensemen, two goalies) that will take part in a three-day pre-tournament training camp from Dec. 17-19 in Grand Forks, N.D. Following exhibition games against North Dakota on Dec. 19 and the Czech Republic on Dec. 22, the final U.S. roster will be set for the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, which is being played Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010, in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan. The world's top players born in 1990 or later will represent their respective national teams.

Wohlberg has yet to compete in an IIHF World Junior Championship. He skated in the 2008 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp and was invited to the 2009 U.S. NJEC but was unable to participate. Wohlberg spent two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program (2006-08), where he won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Brown has not skated for Team USA's World Junior Team. He did compete for Team USA at last spring's 2009 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, winning a gold medal alongside Merrill. Brown spent two seasons with the U.S. NTDP from 2007-09.

A total of 28 current or former Wolverines have skated for Team USA in the WJC, including at least one representative from U-M in each of the past 11 years. Matt Rust and Aaron Palushaj were members of the U.S. roster at the 2009 WJC. Chris Summers and Rust were on the 2008 U.S. squad.

Wohlberg and Brown will remain with the Wolverines through the next two weekend series against Ohio State (Dec. 4-5) and Notre Dame (Dec. 11-13). They could potentially miss U-M's two contests during the Great Lakes Invitational (Dec. 29-30).

USA Hockey Release

Photo courtesy UM Photo Services

Two Wolverines named to Team USA

Two forwards and two defensemen from the CCHA are on the roster USA Hockey has unveiled for the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.

The tournament will be played in Ottawa, Ontario starting Dec. 26 and ending on Jan. 5, 2009.

Four players from the CCHA will highlight the United States roster, representing Michigan and Notre Dame.

Ian Cole, a sophomore defenseman from Notre Dame, will compete in the event for the second straight year. The Ann Arbor native and St. Louis Blues draft pick has 3-5-8 in 15 games this season for the No. 1-ranked Irish with 20 penalty minutes, 37 shots on goal and one power-play tally. Cole’s teammate, and occasional defense partner Teddy Ruth, will help patrol the blueline for Team USA. The Naperville, Ill., native, a second-draft pick in 2007 whose NHL rights belong to Columbus, has one goal and a +4 rating in 13 games this season.

Forwards Aaron Palushaj and Matt Rust (pictured) of Michigan will also skate in the tournament featuring the best players in the world under the age of 20. Rust, of Bloomfield, is representing his country at the WJC for the second time. The Florida draft choice has notched two goals and five assists in 15 games thus far and is tied for second on the team with a +6 rating. Palushaj, a native of Northville, has tallied seven goals and 14 assists through 16 games. The St. Louis draftee leads the Wolverines with a +9 rating and is second on the team with two game-winning goals.

Rust photo courtesy UM Photo Services

U-M sends seven to World Junior camps

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Seven players from Michigan's 2008-09 roster recently completed tryouts for the U.S. and Canadian national junior teams.

From July 25-30, sophomore forward Louie Caporusso (pictured above) attended Hockey Canada’s national junior team evaluation camp in Ottawa, Ontario. He was one of 24 forwards and 44 players overall who attended the tryout for Canada’s 22-man roster for this winter’s 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. In three intrasquad scrimmages, Caporusso had one goal while skating for Team White. Prior to selecting its final 22-man roster, Hockey Canada will have a final tryout with a smaller group of players in early December.

“Being at the World Junior Canada camp was a real honor and opportunity for me as a hockey player,” Caporusso said. “Being able to play with the best teenagers in Canada was a great experience. The days at camp were very intense and full of development. Having three games in a row really tested everyone’s physical conditioning and Michigan hockey helped prepare me for that. The first game I was on a line with (John) Tavares and (Kyle) Turris, which was pretty fun, but the players I played with switched up every game. I had a great time and hope I will again be able to represent Canada.”

On the heels of the Canadian camp, USA Hockey held its own evaluation exercises and scrimmages Aug. 1-9 in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Maize and Blue was represented well among the 53 American players under the age of 20 as six Wolverines were in attendance: freshman forward Robbie Czarnik, sophomore forward Aaron Palushaj, freshman defenseman Greg Pateryn, sophomore forward Matt Rust, freshman forward David Wohlberg and sophomore defenseman Scooter Vaughan.

The U.S. split its players into two teams (Blue and White) for the latter portion of the camp, pitting each squad against fellow under-20 teams from Finland and Sweden. Over four games, Palushaj’s five points (3-2-5) tied for third-best among all U.S. players. Rust and Wohlberg had one assist each, while Czarnik was held without a point. Pateryn and Vaughan did not compete in the games versus Finland and Sweden. Combined, Team Blue and Team White finished the camp with a 4-1-2-1 record.

The final 22-man roster for Team USA will be selected between the end of the tryout camp and early December. The 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship is scheduled to run Dec. 26, 2008, to Jan. 5, 2009, in Ottawa.

Photo courtesy UM Photo Services

Pateryn added to Team USA camp

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Incoming Michigan freshman defenseman Greg Pateryn has been added to the roster for USA Hockey's 2008 National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Pateryn (Sterling Heights) has joined 52 other American-born players under the age of 20 in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Aug. 1-9 in a tryout to make the 2009 U.S. World Junior Team. The 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship will be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26, 2008 through Jan. 5, 2009.

The sixth Wolverine in attendance at the camp, Pateryn joins sophomores Aaron Palushaj, Matt Rust and Scooter Vaughan and freshmen Robbie Czarnik and David Wohlberg who were on the initial camp invitation list announced June 17.

Pateryn spent the 2007-08 campaign with the United States Hockey League's Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. Pateryn had three goals and 24 assists in 60 regular-season contests, while leading the team in penalty minutes (145). In January, he participated in the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game.

At the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in June, Pateryn was chosen by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round (128th overall). He has since had his draft rights traded to the Montreal Canadiens.

World Junior camp has Michigan flavor

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

A total of 53 players from 17 states, including seven from the CCHA, along with three incoming freshmen, have been invited to the 2008 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 1-9.

Participating players are candidates for the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2008-Jan. 5, 2009, in Ottawa, Ontario.

The camp will feature practices and eight international games with a split squad of the best American players under the age of 20 facing off against Sweden and Finland.

Michigan forward Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills) and Notre Dame defenseman Ian Cole (Ann Arbor) are among the eight returnees from the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team invited to the camp.

Also highlighting the list of invitees are 13 players from the bronze medal-winning 2008 U.S. National Under-18 Team. That list includes incoming freshman forward Justin Florek (Marquette) from Northern Michigan University along with incoming Michigan forwards Robbie Czarnik (Washington) and David Wohlberg (South Lyon).

The list of 18 defensemen who will be converging on Lake Placid also includes Scooter Vaughan (pictured) of Michigan.

The 30-member group of prospective forwards lists Aaron Palushaj (Northville) from Michigan and Corey Tropp (Grosse Pointe Woods) of Michigan State.

Vaughan photo courtesy UM Photo Services

Rolston to head U.S. World Juniors

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Ron Rolston, currently one of two head coaches at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, will serve as head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team that will compete at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2008-Jan. 5, 2009, in Ottawa.

"We're extremely pleased to have Ron Rolston lead our team in the World Junior Championship," said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. "He's done an excellent job as a head coach at our National Team Development Program and is clearly the right person to coach our team in Ottawa."

Rolston, a Flint native, led the U.S. National Junior Team to the bronze medal at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship in Leksand and Mora, Sweden. He also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. National Junior Team that placed fourth at the 2003 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"Ron is an exceptional coach," said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. "He is very much in tune with both the talent pool in our country and what it takes to be successful in international competition."

Rolston recently completed his fourth season with USA Hockey's NTDP having served as the head coach for the U.S. National Under-17 Team. He led the squad to 30 wins and second-place finishes at the 2007 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, 2008 World Under-17 Challenge and the 2008 Vlad Dzurilla Under-18 Tournament. Rolston's successes in international competition also include, leading the U.S. National Under-18 Team to the gold medal at the 2005 IIHF World Under-18 Championship and the silver medal at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Prior to his tenure with USA Hockey's NTDP, Rolston served as an assistant coach at Boston College (2002-04), Harvard University (1999-2002) and Clarkson University (1996-99). He also spent five years at Lake Superior State, four as assistant coach (1990-94) and one as associate head coach (1995). While at Lake Superior State, Rolston helped the Lakers capture NCAA titles in 1992 and 1994.

He played college hockey at Michigan Tech University.

Joining Rolston behind the bench will be assistant coaches Nate Leaman (Union College, ECACHL) and P.K. O'Handley (Waterloo Black Hawks, USHL), and goalie coach Jeff Blashill (Indiana Ice, USHL).

Rolston will lead the 2008 National Junior Evaluation Camp August 1-9 in Lake Placid, N.Y., as a part of the selection process for the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team. The final roster will be announced in early December 2008.

NOTES: Rolston is a USA Hockey Level 5 certified coach, while Leaman, O'Handley and Blashill are all USA Hockey Level 4 certified coaches… Ken Martel, manager of youth ice hockey for USA Hockey, will serve as the video coordinator for the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team… Mark Osiecki from the University of Wisconsin, Jay Varady from the Everett Silvertips and Mike Cavanaugh from Boston College, along with the coaching staff of the 2009 U.S. National Junior Team, will form the coaching staff for the 2008 National Junior Evaluation Camp… The U.S. has played for a medal in the World Junior Championship in each of the last six events.

Photo by RJ Meyer/NAHL