Ahead of next month’s 2022 World Junior Championship, which was rescheduled from January, Team USA will reportedly be without two of its players. According to Chris Peters, forward Chaz Lucius and defenseman Scott Morrow will not be available for Team USA’s camp or the tournament.
In response, USA Hockey has added six players to its camp, which begins on Sunday.
F Ryan Leonard (⭑⭑⭑⭑½), U.S. NTDP – 2023 Draft Eligible
Leonard is an ’05 who is a 2023 NHL Draft prospect; he has committed to Boston College. This past season he played in 36 games for the U.S. National U18 Team and scored 16 goals to go with seven assists.
Leonard played six games for Team USA at the Under-18 World Championships and finished with five goals and one assist for six points.
This past season was Leonard’s first with the U.S. NTDP.
NZ Scouts (NTDP Evaluation Camp): ” He’s a very smooth player; he has a fluid stride, the puck stick to his blade and he makes difficult passes look easy. He is calm and poised with the puck, he will wait out both goalies and defenders and has the puck skill to make defenders miss and create scoring chances off broken plays. He has the speed and lateral quickness to separate from defenders and create extra time and space for himself on the rush and he has a lethal release that can bat goalies in stride and from outside.”
D Jacob Truscott (⭑⭑⭑⭑½), Michigan (NCAA) – 2020 5th (VAN)
Truscott has two years of NCAA experience with Michigan. This past season he appeared in 40 games for the Wolverines and finished with two goals and 15 assists.
He is a graduate of the U.S. NTDP as both a U18 and U17 player.
NZ Scouts: “He runs the power play effectively and he is excellent at the top of the umbrella. He has a hard accurate one timer and has the ability to score from the blue line. He will play a physical game and has a very strong base that makes him difficult to knock off the puck. He makes great outlet passes and then will join the rush to make it an odd-man advantage. Very good 1st step and quick laterally.”
F Aidan Thompson (⭑⭑⭑⭑¼), Lincoln (USHL) – 2022 3rd (CHI)
Thompson had a breakout season for the Lincoln Stars in the USHL this past season. In 57 games he finished with 82 points (24g, 58a). The Denver commit – he’ll enroll this fall – is from Fort Collins, Colo. and is a natural center. He was selected last week in the NHL Draft by Chicago.
NZ Scouts: “High IQ player who has the mental awareness to play in every game situation. Down a goal late in the game? Aidan can play the point and not be a liability. Up a goal with a minute to play? Although he is a winger, he is a conscientious low forward who will not cheat looking for an empty netter. He has the mental ability to read an opposing defenders gap on a line rush and manipulate the angle into his favor. He changes speeds and creates space while his head is up. Defensively, Aidan back checks with a sense of purpose and his ability to get sticks on pucks shows a high level of anticipation.”
F Luke Tuch (⭑⭑⭑⭑½), Boston University (NCAA) – 2020 2nd (MTL)
A big, tough forward from New York, Tuch just finished his sophomore year at BU. In 26 games this past season he had six goals and four assists for 10 points. Through two NCAA seasons he has appeared in 42 games and has 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points. Tuch is another graduate of the U.S. NTDP. He was a U17 player in 2018-19 and a U18 player in 2019-20.
NZ Scouts: “He plays a pro style game right now. He is not looking to make friends, he is looking to punish opponents and win battles. Will be a better pro than college player and we anticipate him having a long NHL career.”
G Jacob Fowler (⭑⭑⭑¾), Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) – 2023 Draft Eligible
Fowler, a Clarkson commit, had a terrific USHL rookie season with Youngstown. The ’04 from Florida posted a 2.18 GAA and .927 save percentage in 18 games. Prior to the USHL he played in 21 games for the Selects Academy 18U team where he had a 1.68 GAA and .928 save percentage.
Prior to the Selects Academy, Fowler played for the Florida Alliance and its standout 2004 group, a program NZ featured in 2019.
NZ Scouts (USHL Goalie Report): “The big goalie is off to a strong start in the USHL, and showed some great ability in this game. He played with great composure throughout the game, especially during in-tight battles. He adjusted his positioning well, and cut down angles on shooters in the slot. He controlled his rebounds well, and showed a great ability to track pucks through screens. It was very impressive.”
G Remington Keopple (⭑⭑⭑¾), Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) – Undrafted
Keopple is a Wisconsin native who is committed to Cornell for next season. He appeared in 38 games for Des Moines this past season and posted a 3.06 GAA and .893 save percentage. He’s an ’02, and the oldest player on the invite list announced today so he’ll bring experience to the table. Keopple has two full seasons of USHL experience under his belt and also played at Hill-Murray in Minnesota.
NZ Scouts (USHL Goalie Report): “He has average size, but showed good athleticism at times throughout the game. At times he struggled with rebound control, but his compete level on secondary chances against was elite. It was impressive to see his ability to keep his stance compact and not widen out, or make himself smaller when facing rush attempts.”