The Team USA roster for the 2021 World Junior Championships has been announced, and it includes some local flavor. 

Eight players are returning from last year’s squad, including Minnetonka product and current Denver Pioneer Bobby Brink. Brink had three assists in three games for the Pioneers before departing for Team USA’s WJC camp in Plymouth, Mich. Joining Brink for 2021 from the 2020 team include forwards Cole Caufield, Arthur Kaliyev, Alex Turcotte, and Trevor Zegras, defenseman Cam York, and goaltenders Spencer Knight and Dustin Wolf. 

Knight, the No. 13 overall selection of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers, and Wolf, a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames, is considered the top goaltending duo of the tournament.

Defensemen Drew Helleson, Brock Faber, and Jackson LaCombe round out the Minnesota contingent of players participating. Helleson, who hails from Farmington, is currently a sophomore at Boston College, while Faber of Maple Grove is spending the season with the University of Minnesota. LaCombe, who is from Eden Prairie, also plays for the Golden Gophers.  

Among players from area colleges, North Dakota defensemen Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven are on the roster, as is Golden Gopher defenseman and California native Ryan Johnson. Caufield is in his sophomore season with the University of Wisconsin.

Austria is new to the field this season, replacing Kazakhstan, which was relegated to Division IA after finishing in last place in 2020. 

The 2021 World Junior Championships will be played from Dec. 25-Jan. 5, featuring a primary site in Edmonton and a secondary site in Red Deer, Alta. The WJC will feature a bubble-style environment, similar to what the  NHL used during its 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For more information on this year's tournament, click here.