K'Andre Miller is headed to Ann Arbor next Fall
The Chosen 4
USA Hockey announced its list of 22 players that will skate next year for the U.S. National Development U17 Team. Of the 22, four were Minnesota natives that played high school hockey here in the state of hockey last season. Both goalie positions were nabbed by local products, Keegan Karki from St. Cloud Cathedral and Ryan Ullan from Hibbing. The other two players were K'Andre Miller (Hopkins, Minnetonka HS) and Trevor Janicke (Maple Grove HS).
Two weeks ago, eleven players set out to Detroit, Michigan for the National Development Evaluation camp. Of the eleven, seven were offered spots to the team. YHH has learned that three players declined their invite - Ben Brinkman (Edina HS), Gavin Hain (Grand Rapids HS) and Jaxon Nelson (Luverne HS).
Ryan Ullan from Hibbing is a great find for the USNDTP
Janicke lead his team in scoring as a Freshman and has committed to Notre Dame. The type of player that has both the physical tools but the intangibles to someday be a great player at the next level. Miller is also the complete package - he's a great skater and has great hockey sense.
The two goaltenders have been outstanding the last two years leading into the camp. This past year, both had huge impacts on their teams. Ullan lead Hibbing to the section final and Karki was a key to Cathedral's success getting to the state tourney.
Trevor Janicke holding his ground as a Freshman vs. Mr. Hockey Riley Tufte
The Other 7
The following are the seven players that were invited to the evaluation camp that were either invited and declined or were not invited directly after the camp. We also do our best to project what each athlete will do next year as part of their continued development.
Ben Brinkman (Edina HS) - was chosen by USA Hockey out of camp. Likely declined the offer due to a great situation at his local high school. Brinkman will skate on one of the top teams in the state and log a lot ice time, plus be given the chance to pursue football and baseball for the Hornets.
Next Season Track: HS Elite League or Football --> Edina Hockey --> Edina Baseball
Gavin Hain (Grand Rapids HS) - was offered a spot to the team. Grand Rapids head coach Trent Klatt has stated that Hain will return to the Halloween Machine next season despite reportedly being offered tenders from the USHL for next fall.
Next Season Track: HS Elite League --> Grand Rapids HS --> USHL After
Jack Jensen (Eden Prairie Bantam) - had a great camp in Detroit, showed why he was one of the best bantams in Minnesota the last few years. Very physical presence who is a great scorer and playmaker.
Next Season Track: HS Elite League --> Eden Prairie HS --> USHL After
Ben Brinkman and Gavin Hain lineup for the anthem while in Detroit at the USNDTP evaluation.
Blake McLaughlin (Grand Rapids HS) - fantastic talent that performed very well during the evaluation. Coach Klatt also announced last week that Blake would be in orange and black next season. No confirmed USHL tender offers for the sophomore, which means he will likely be a very high draft pick in next month's Phase I draft.
Next Season Track: HS Elite League --> Grand Rapids HS --> USHL After
Jaxon Nelson (Luverne HS) - picked up an offer from the program during the evaluation camp. It is believed he chose to stay closer to home in Luverne. Jaxon has accepted a tender with the nearby Sioux Falls Stampede where he will be guaranteed to play at least 55 percent of the games.
Next Season Track: USHL
Jackson Perbix (Elk River HS) - the Notre Dame commit was outstanding at the evaluation camp where he showcased his great athletic ability and silky smooth hands. Will likely be a very high end USHL draft choice in May.
Next Season Track: HS Elite League --> Elk River HS --> USHL After
Todd Scott (Omaha U16) - played well enough to earn a spot in Ann Arbor, Todd will have several good options next season. The most likely is to return to Omaha for U16 play. He will likely be chosen very high in the USHL draft in May. Unlike any other position, there are only so few spots for goalies. YHH projects a similar path for Scott as Dayton Rasmussen faced two years ago after being passed over by the Program. Note: Rasmussen played for the Colorado Thunderbirds 16U in 2014-15 before hooking on with Tri-City Storm of the USHL this year. Rasmussen is committed to the University of Denver for 2017.
Next Season Track: Omaha U16
2016-17 USNDTP U17 Roster
| POS | Player | DOB | Hometown | 2015-16 Team | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Keegan Karki | Feb. 25, 2000 | Sartell, Minn. | St. Cloud Cathedral H.S. | University of North Dakota |
| G | Ryan Ullan | 2000-07-29 | Hibbing, Minn. | Hibbing/Chisholm H.S. | |
| D | Ty Emberson | 2000-05-24 | Eau Claire, Wis. | Eau Claire Memorial H.S. | |
| D | DJ King | Aug. 7, 2000 | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Mississauga Rebels mm | |
| D | Will MacKinnon | 2000-04-13 | Plymouth, Mich. | Detroit Honeybaked 16U | University of Denver |
| D | K'Andre Miller | Jan. 21, 2000 | Hopkins, Minn. | Minnetonka H.S. | |
| D | Adam Samuelsson | 2000-06-21 | Rye, N.Y. | Connecticut Jr. Rangers 16U | Boston College |
| D | Mattias Samuelsson | 2000-03-14 | Voorhees, N.J. | Northwood Prep (N.Y.) | University of Michigan |
| D | Spencer Stastney | Jan. 4, 2000 | Mequon, Wis. | Chicago Mission 16U | University of Notre Dame |
| D | Bode Wilde | Jan. 24, 2000 | Birmingham, Mich. | Chicago Mission 16U | Harvard University |
| F | Jack DeBoer | Aug. 17, 2000 | Madison, N.J. | Salisbury Prep (Conn.) | Boston University |
| F | Joel Farabee | Feb. 25, 2000 | Cicero, N.Y. | Selects Academy 16U | Boston University |
| F | Patrick Giles | Jan. 3, 2000 | Chevy Chase, Md. | Baltimore Skipjacks 16U | Boston College |
| F | Jake Goldowski | 2000-05-07 | Thornhurst, Pa. | Wilkes-Barre Scranton 16U | Penn State University |
| F | Jonathan Gruden | 2000-05-04 | Rochester, Mich. | Detroit Honeybaked 16U | Miami University |
| F | Trevor Janicke | Dec. 25, 2000 | Maple Grove, Minn. | Maple Grove H.S. | University of Notre Dame |
| F | Blade Jenkins | Aug. 11, 2000 | Jackson, Mich. | Detroit Compuware 16U | University of Michigan |
| F | Erik Middendorf | 2000-07-11 | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Phoenix Coyotes 16U | |
| F | Jake Pivonka | Feb. 28, 2000 | Woodridge, Ill. | Chicago Mission 16U | University of Notre Dame |
| F | Oliver Wahlstrom | 2000-06-13 | Quincy, Mass. | Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep | Harvard University |
| F | Tyler Weiss | Jan. 3, 2000 | Raleigh, N.C. | Don Mills Flyers mm | Boston University |
| F | Jake Wise | Feb. 28, 2000 | North Andover, Mass. | Central Catholic H.S. | Boston University |
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