USA ahead of WC: Americans arrive after two potatoes hungry for success, many NHL stars coming

The two previous World Championships ended in disappointment for Team USA, as they made it to the finals each time, where they subsequently lost and failed to win bronze. First they fell 4-8 to the Czech Republic and last year 3-4 to Latvia. This year they plan to attack the gold with a number of star hockey players from the NHL.

Published

6 months ago

10. 5. 2024

Lukáš Matoušek

usa, hokej, Kris Krug, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 — Zdroj: Kris Krug, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

The two previous World Championships ended in disappointment for Team USA, as they made it to the finals each time, where they subsequently lost and failed to win bronze. First they fell 4:8 to the Czech Republic and last year 3:4 to Latvia. This year they plan to attack the gold with a number of star hockey players from the NHL.

Two years in a row, the Americans have experienced disappointment at the World Championships and they don’t want a repeat this year. In Group B, played in Ostrava, they are one of the contenders for the top spot, along with Sweden, but they have nothing clear ahead of them.

Given the line-up they have for this year’s championship, they have made it clear that they intend to challenge for the medal places again. The biggest offensive stars are Brady Tkachuk, Trevor Zegras and Johnny Gaudreau.

The USA’s roster is largely made up of players who have played in the NHL, or at least have had intermittent starts in hockey’s most famous league and the AHL. Only three players on this roster have not made the NHL, Ryan Leonard, Will Smith and Trey Augustine. This trio of 19 year old players may have been drafted, but they haven’t signed their first professional contract yet, so they haven’t even gotten a chance to play in the NHL.

However, the World Championships played in Prague and Ostrava may help them take the last step they need to take to play in hockey’s most famous league. Plus, they can gain a lot of experience from the older players on the roster.

USA’s nomination for the 2024 World Cup

Goalies:
Alex Lyon
Trey Augustine
Alex Nedeljkovic

Defenders:
Zach Werenski
Alex Vlasic
Jake Sanderson
Seth Jones
Luke Hughes
Matthew Kessel
Michael Kesselring
Jeff Petry

Forwards:
Trevor Zegras
Brady Tkachuk
Shane Pinto
Luke Kunin
Johnny Gaudreau
Joel Farabee
Cole Caufield
Matt Boldy
Mikey Eyysimont
Kevin Hayes
Ryan Leonard
Brock Nelson
Will Smith
Gavin Brindley

The Americans will play their opening game on the first day of play against Sweden. The game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m., the same time the Czech national team starts the championship. Sweden is followed by Germany and Slovakia, which should be the toughest games in the group for America.

After that, they have a must-win game for the Americans. The USA’s last game will be against Latvia on May 21, reversing their latest defeat in the bronze medal battle.