The U.S. junior national team, which opens play Tuesday at the World Junior Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y., cut three players Saturday to get to the 23-man limit.

Forwards Hugh McGing of Western Michigan and Jack Badini of Harvard, along with Yale defenseman Phil Kemp, were trimmed from the roster.

That leaves 10 Minnesotans on the team, which is the defending gold medalists and is coached again by St. Cloud State's Bob Motzko.

Minnesota Duluth winger Joey Anderson is the team captain. Motzko named Adam Fox, Kieffer Bellows and Ryan Lindgren alternate captains Saturday. Bellows, from Edina, plays in the Western Hockey League and Lindgren is a sophomore defenseman for the Gophers.

Other Minnesotans are UMD players Riley Tufte (Blaine), Sam Perunovich (Hibbing), Dylan Samberg (Hermantown) and Mikey Anderson (Roseville); St. Cloud State's Ryan Poehling (Lakeville); Gophers freshman forward Casey Mittelstadt (Eden Prairie); and Boston University goalie Jake Oettinger (Lakeville).