The roster for the U.S. team going to the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Men's World Championships in Sochi, Russia, was released on Monday.
Not that it was much of a secret. It's made up of the players on the U.S. national development program team based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
It has five Minnesotans on it, including one that will be on the Gophers roster next season for sure and one that is a maybe.
The Gophers recruits on the team are forward Hudson Fasching of Burnsville and defenseman Tommy Vannelli of Minnetonka.
Don Lucia's staff is bringing in four or five forwards, including Fasching, and at least one defenseman, and there are at least three candidates there, including Vannelli.
The others are Jack Bischoff of Grand Rapids and Mike Brodzinski of Blaine. Both are playing on USHL teams.
Bischoff for Omaha, Brodzinski for Muskegon. Bischoff has played only 10 games for the Lancers -- he played for his high school. Brodzinski is 10th among D-men in scoring in the USHL with 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points.
The other Minnesotans going to Sochi are goalie Hunter Miska of North Branch and defensemen Gage Ausmus of East Grand Forks and Clint Lewis of Burnsville.
