Utah trio, Swayman among 18 named to USA worlds roster
Published
Three Utah Hockey Club players highlight the United States roster for next month's IIHF World Championships on Thursday.
Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller and defenceman Michael Kesselring highlight the initial 18 players set for the American entry in Sweden and Denmark.
"We really like our team," Team USA general manager Jeff Kealty said in a statement. "We have a group with significant international experience and I know our players are excited about representing our country on the world stage and competing for a gold medal."
Up front Cooley and Keller will be joined by Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres, Cutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks, the Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland and Drew O'Connor, Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken, the Nashville Predators' Michael McCarron and Frank Nazar of the Chicago Blackhawks.
On the blueline, Kesselring is accompanied by the Preds' Brady Skjei, who is the oldest player on the team at 31, Jackson LaCombe of the Ducks, the Boston Bruins' Mason Lohrei and Andrew Peeke and the Blackhawks' Alex Vlasic.
Among the goaltending options is the youngest player on the team in 19-year-old Los Angeles Kings prospect Hampton Slukynsky, fresh off of a national championship at Western Michigan. He's joined by the Kraken's Joey Daccord and Jeremy Swayman of the Bruins.
Cooley, 20, set career highs in his second NHL season with 25 goals and 40 assists in 75 games played. The Pittsburgh native has previously represented the US on a number of occasions, including at back-to-back world juniors in 2022 and 2023, but this will mark his first appearance with the senior team.
Keller, 26, is a worlds veteran, having previously played in the 2017 and 2019 tournaments. A native of Chesterfield, MO, Keller was a member of the team that won gold at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Montreal and Toronto. He appeared in 81 games this past season, his ninth in the NHL, scoring 30 goals and adding 60 assists for a career-high point total.
Kesselring, 25, will participate in his second straight worlds, having played last year in Czechia where Team USA finished fifth. He appeared in all seven games, scoring two goals and an assists. The Florence, SC native appeared in all 82 games for Utah this past season, notching a career-high 29 points.
The team will be coached by San Jose Sharks bench boss Ryan Warsofsky.
Team USA will compete in Group B alongside Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, hosts Denmark, Norway, Kazakhstan and Hungary. They open their tournament against the Danes on May 9.