USA Hockey announced that 48 players, representing 24 National Hockey League teams, have been invited to the U.S. Men’s National Team Orientation Camp from Aug. 26-27, at Kettler Capitals IcePlex in Arlington, Va. The camp is designed to assist in preparation for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, set for Feb. 7-23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia.
Of the 48 players invited to the camp, 16 are alumni of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). That group includes four goalies, six defensemen and six forwards. It includes players who played in the NAHL as recently as 2009 including former NAHL Rookie of the Year Brandon Saad and also former NAHL MVP Ryan Miller.
Here is a list of NAHL alumni invited to camp:
Goalies
Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators (Chicago Freeze 1998-99)
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings (USNTDP 2001-02)
Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres (Soo Indians 1997-99)
Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils (USNTDP 2003-04)
Defensemen
Justin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes (USNTDP 2008-09)
Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks (USNTDP 2007-09)
Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche (USNTDP 2004-06)
Jack Johnson, Columbus Blue Jackets (USNTDP 2003-05)
Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues (USNTDP 2005-07)
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild (USNTDP 2001-03)
Forwards
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (USNTDP 2004-06)
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks (USNTDP 2000-02)
Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs (USNTDP 2003-05)
Kyle Palmieri, Anaheim Ducks (USNTDP 2007-09)
Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks (Mahoning Valley Phantoms 2008-09)
James Van Riemsdyk, Toronto Maple Leafs (USNTDP 2005-07)
16 players have previous Olympic experience, including Dustin Brown (Ithaca, N.Y./Los Angeles Kings), Zach Parise (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Wild) and Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis./Minnesota Wild), three of the alternate captains on the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team that captured the silver medal.
Also highlighting the roster are forward Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./Chicago Blackhawks) and goaltender Jonathan Quick (Milford, Conn./Los Angeles Kings), the two most recent Conn Smythe Award winners as most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs; Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./Toronto Maple Leafs), who finished second behind Kane among U.S.-born skaters with 20 goals and 52 points during the 2012-13 season; and goaltender Jimmy Howard (Syracuse, N.Y./Detroit Red Wings), who tied for the NHL regular-season lead in shutouts with five.
Nine players on the orientation camp roster played for the bronze-medal winning U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsinki, Finland, including goaltender John Gibson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Norfolk Admirals); forwards Nick Bjugstad (Minneapolis, Minn./Florida Panthers), Alex Galchenyuk (Milwaukee, Wis./Montreal Canadiens), T.J. Oshie (Warroad, Minn./St. Louis Blues), Craig Smith (Madison, Wis./Nashville Predators) and Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./Colorado Avalanche); and defensemen Justin Faulk (South St. Paul, Minn./Carolina Hurricanes), Erik Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Colorado Avalanche) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester, Mich./Winnipeg Jets).
For a complete roster, click here
