Minnesota Wild Need Jason Pominville to Step Up or Step Aside

Minnesota Wild Need Jason Pominville to Step Up or Step Aside by Derek Felska

The Minnesota Wild’s 2014 first round pick Alex Tuch was a part of today’s announcement of the U.S. National Junior Team’s preliminary roster. USA Hockey announced the complete roster today.

Through 14 games with Boston College this season Tuch has five goals, five assists, an average of 2.8 shots per game for 39 total, eight penalty minutes, and a plus-2 rating. Tuch also scored a pair of goals in the team’s lone exhibition game at the beginning of the season.

Also among the 30 players making the prelim team was top 2015 NHL Entry Draft prospect Jack Eichel as well as a number of Minnesotans.

Here’s the full lineup via the USA Hockey website:

Seven camp invitees were members of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team, including forwards Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass./Boston University), Adam Erne (New Haven, Conn./Quebec Remparts) and Hudson Fasching (Apple Valley, Minn./University of Minnesota); defensemen Will Butcher (Sun Prairie, Wis./University of Denver), Ian McCoshen (Hudson, Wis./Boston College) and Steve Santini (Mahopac, N.Y./Boston College); and goaltender Thatcher Demko (San Diego, Calif./Boston College). Additionally, nine invitees were members of the U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team that won gold at the 2014 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. The group includes forwards Eichel, Dylan Larkin (Waterford, Mich./University of Michigan), Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz./U.S. National Under-18 Team), Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y./Plymouth Whalers) and Alex Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Boston College); defensemen Ryan Collins (Bloomfield, Minn./University of Minnesota), Jack Dougherty (Cottage Grove, Minn./University of Wisconsin) and Noah Hanifin (Norwood, Mass./Boston College); and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (Parma, Ohio/Plymouth Whalers).

That makes three players from Minnesota, two of which play college hockey in-state, one Wild draft pick, and two players from Wisconsin. (#OneOfUS, right?)

Some thought that after a strong start to the season and having gone through the development program that the Wild’s second round draft pick Louie Belpedio might make the roster as well, but he was not on today’s announcement. He’s having a solid start to his college career though. Lots of promise there.

There was certainly going to be a fair amount of Juniors coverage here at GPW, but with Tuch on the team, we’ll be update regularly once the tournament starts in Toronto on December 26.