The U.S. men’s hockey roster for the world championship that starts next week includes three 2022 Olympians and, as of now, zero players who have made an NHL All-Star Game.
The last time a U.S. men’s team for worlds had zero NHL All-Stars was 2010. In most years since, there have been one or two players with All-Star experience with many others choosing rest after a seven-month NHL campaign.
The first 22 players were named Thursday, including 2022 Olympians goalie Drew Commesso, forward Sean Farrell and defenseman Nick Perbix.
Canada named its first 20 players on Friday, also without any players who have been named to an NHL All-Star Game. Since the NHL began participating in the Olympics in 1998, there has never been a world championship that didn’t include at least one American or Canadian with NHL All-Star experience.
The player on the U.S. team with the most NHL points this season was Alex Tuch (79 for the Buffalo Sabres, 10th-most among Americans). Casey DeSmith is the most experienced goalie after playing 38 games for the Penguins this season.
Three more skaters can still be named to the team. The first U.S. game at worlds, co-hosted by Finland and Latvia, is May 12.
While the NHL didn’t participate in the last two Olympics, rosters at the annual world championship include NHL players.
As usual, worlds take place during the Stanley Cup playoffs. NHL players whose teams get eliminated in the playoffs are sometimes added to national teams during the world championship.
Notable Americans whose NHL teams are still in the playoffs include Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel, Jason Robertson and goalie Jake Oettinger.
Notable Americans whose NHL seasons are over but were not named to the team Thursday included two-time Olympian Patrick Kane, Brady Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau and goalies Connor Hellebuyck and Jeremy Swayman.
The head coach is San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn, who also coached the U.S. at the 2022 Olympics (quarterfinals) and 2022 Worlds (fourth place).
Last year, the U.S. men lost a world championship semifinal for an 11th consecutive time, again missing out on a first gold or silver finish since 1950.
The U.S. has lost all 11 of its semifinals at worlds since the IIHF reinstituted a bracketed playoff round in 1992. Its last silver medal at a standalone worlds was in 1950. Its last gold was in 1933.
Last year’s world team had three 2022 Olympians: goalie Strauss Mann and forwards Ben Meyers and Farrell. The most notable NHL veterans on last year’s team were five-time All-Star defenseman Seth Jones and forward Alex Galchenyuk.
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