The Plymouth, Michigan-based USA Hockey National Team Development Program has released its Under-17 roster for the 2025-2026 season, and this year's crop of 23 2009-born players includes six Minnesota natives. 

Among the six players are four defensemen and two forwards. Last year, Minnesota provided the U17 team with five forwards (Mikey Berchild, Parker Trottier, Victor Plante, Sammy Nelson, and Wyatt Cullen), two defenders (Logan Lutner and AJ Francisco), and a goaltender (Luke Carrithers). The players representing Minnesota on next year's roster will be defensemen Ben Geiger, Easton Johnson, Carson Scott, and Beck Thoreson. The forwards are Nolan Fitzhenry and Freddie Schneider. 

Out of the 12 states that had players selected after the tryout in March, Minnesota's six are the most from a single state. Massachusetts and Texas were tied for second, with each state having three natives picked for the team. 

Regarding individual teams, the Mount St. Charles 15-Only group paced the country, with four players jumping from the Rhode Island prep school to the NTDP. Rocco Pelosi, Brayden Willis, Christian Semetsis, and Nate Chizik will wear the same colors - red, white, and blue - as their careers continue in Plymouth. 

Perennial national power Shattuck-St. Mary's had three players selected. Two from the 16U team in Andover native Nolan Fitzhenry and Diego Gutierrez, plus Braedan Horton from the 15-O squad. The Boston Junior Eagles also had three players selected by the Team USA brass - Carter Meyer, Sam Pandolfo, and Finn Sears. 

Nolan Fitzhenry, Shattuck-St. Mary's 16U

The Andover native moved on to SSM from the Huskies for his 14U season, and immediately became an essential piece of the puzzle at the Faribault prep power. He totaled 53 goals and 100 points for the 14U Sabres during the 2023-2024 season, and racked up 49 goals and 87 points this past year for the SSM 16U team. Recently, Fitzhenry helped the Sabres capture the 16U national championship with four goals and seven points in six games.

Freddie Schneider, Edina High School 

As cerebral as a sophomore in high school can be, Schneider is the type of player who raises the game of everyone he shares the ice with. He does some of his best work below the dots in the offensive zone, routinely finding seams that appear invisible to the untrained eye. 

Schneider had an impressive debut as a freshman for Edina last season, scoring 13 goals and totaling 27 points. He took his game to new heights this season with a team-high 30 assists and 44 points. Schneider also tied for the team lead with six power-play goals, helping the Hornets to a third-place finish at the Class AA State Tournament. 

Schneider tied for sixth among all Upper Midwest High School Elite League skaters with 18 assists. 

Ben Geiger, Northfield High School 

A big, rangy, right-shot defenseman who piles up the points? Yeah, that checks a lot of boxes for the NTDP. 

Geiger has played two seasons of varsity hockey for the Raiders, totaling 59 games. His point totals exploded from 23 to 61 this year, including 22 goals during the 2024-2025 campaign. For those counting at home, that means, as a defender, Geiger's got 84 points with two seasons of high school remaining should he return to Northfield. 

Additionally, Geiger isn't exactly a secret tucked away in southern Minnesota. He's played with the Minnesota Blades on the spring/summer circuit for multiple years and participated in last year's USAH National Select 15 camp. 

Easton Johnson, Sioux Falls Power 16U 

The Luverne native jumped to the Sioux Falls Power Tier I program for his 13O season, and has quickly become one of the Power's best advertisements for development. Former Osseo-Maple Grove goaltender Luke Carrithers went to the NTDP after a year with the Power, giving the program two prime examples of what it can do for players. 

Johnson totaled 28 points on four goals and 24 assists this season for the 16U Power, and added a goal and two helpers during the team's three games at the national tournament. 

Listed by Elite Prospects as six-foot even, Johnson is the shortest of the four Minnesota defensemen to join the NTDP next season. 

Carson Scott, Hill-Murray 

Skating for perennial power Hill-Murray didn't lend itself to unlimited ice time for the sophomore defenseman, but Scott fits the mold of a physical, puck-moving blueliner. He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds with room to add more muscle, and he's proven he can distribute the puck well from the point. He had 10 assists and 12 points for the Pioneers this season. 

Scott plays his game with an edge and is no stranger to the penalty box. But if the NTDP wants to add some sandpaper and a player willing to take a hit and dish out a few of his own, Scott could be an intriguing prospect on the backend.

Beck Thoreson, Moorhead Bantam AA 

With his selection, Thoreson becomes the fourth consecutive Moorhead Bantam AA skater to move directly to the National Team Development Program. He joins Sam Laurila, Garrett Lindberg, and Wyatt Cullen as Spuds who have taken their talents to Plymouth. 

Thoreson is listed at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, according to Elite Prospects. Like Carson Scott, Thoreson could add more to his frame under the right strength and conditioning program. He totaled 13 goals and 78 points last season for the state champion Spuds, and finished the season with a plus/minus of plus-107 as a mainstay on the power play and penalty kill units.