PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Cutter Gauthier, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers with the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, will be one of seven returning players for the United States at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The versatile forward, a sophomore at Boston College, was named to the final 25-player roster at USA Hockey's selection camp at USA Hockey Arena on Saturday. The team consists of three goalies, eight defensemen and 14 forwards.
Gauthier had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games for the United States when they finished in third place at the 2023 WJC in January.
The 2024 WJC is scheduled for Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
"It's a huge honor anytime you get the opportunity to wear your country's colors," Gauthier said. "I've done this before, but when you finally get that call to say you've made it, it's a pretty cool feeling. I'm just really excited with the group we have and the talent, skill, we got in the locker room and I'm ready to get going."
Forwards Gavin Brindley (Columbus Blue Jackets, No. 34, 2023 NHL Draft), Rutger McGroarty (Winnipeg Jets, No. 14, 2022 NHL Draft) and Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues, No. 23, 2022), defensemen Ryan Chesley (Washington Capitals, No. 37, 2022) and Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens, No. 62, 2022), and goalie Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings, No. 41, 2023) are the other returning players from 2023.
"We got a bunch of characters on the team and while we want guys to be themselves, I think at the end of the day, we have a job that needs to be done," McGroarty said. "I think with this 2004 birth year group, we know it's our last chance to win that gold medal. So there's a seriousness to it and we know the task at hand, so we'll pull the group together and get our culture set and I think we'll be good to go."
Gauthier will be joined on the team by six of his Boston College teammates: forwards Will Smith (San Jose Sharks, No. 4, 2023), Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals, No. 8, 2023), and Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers, No. 23, 2023), defensemen Drew Fortescue (Rangers, No. 90, 2023) and Aram Minnetian (Dallas Stars, No. 125, 2023), and goalie Jacob Fowler (Montreal Canadiens, No. 69, 2023).
Ten NHL first-round picks will represent the United States: defenseman Sam Rinzel (Chicago Blackhawks, No. 25, 2022); and forwards Gauthier, Smith, Leonard, Perreault, McGroarty, Snuggerud, Isaac Howard (Tampa Bay Lightning, No. 31, 2022), Oliver Moore (Blackhawks, No. 19, 2023) and Frank Nazar (Blackhawks, No. 13, 2022).
"I think we're balanced, we have depth as far as from the goal right on out," U.S. National Junior Team general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said. "And we have interchangeable parts. We have a lot of players that can really shoot the puck, but I also think that they want to defend hard. A lot of times when you look at great players, and we have a deep team that way, you look at the offense and not how they want to defend. But I think we have a passionate team that way."
The U.S. has until Dec. 25 to name two of the skaters on the roster as emergency replacements.
Defenseman Zeev Buium and goalie Samuel Hillebrandt are the only players to make the team who are eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. Buium is the only A rated player on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the 2024 draft. The projected first-round selection, who turned 18 on Dec. 7, leads NCAA Division I defensemen with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 18 games with the University of Denver.
The team will travel to Sweden on Sunday and is scheduled to play two pre-tournament games, against the host country at Catena Arena in Angelholm, Sweden, on Dec. 21, and against Canada at Kungsbacka Ishall in Kungsbacka, Sweden, on Dec. 23.
The United States is scheduled to play preliminary-round games in Group B at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, with Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Norway. It's first tournament game will be against Norway on Dec. 26. Group A consists of Canada, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Latvia.
The top four teams in each group will play in the quarterfinals Jan. 2. The semifinals are Jan. 4, and the championship and third-place games are Jan. 5.
USA HOCKEY WJC ROSTER
GOALIES: Trey Augustine, Michigan State, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); Jacob Fowler, Boston College, NCAA (Montreal Canadiens); Samuel Hillebrandt, Barrie, OHL (2024 draft eligible)
DEFENSEMEN: Zeev Buium, Denver, NCAA (2024 draft eligible); Seamus Casey, Michigan, NCAA (New Jersey Devils); Ryan Chesley, Minnesota, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Drew Fortescue, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Lane Hutson, Boston University, NCAA (Montreal Canadiens); Aram Minnetian, Boston College, NCAA (Dallas Stars); Eric Pohlkamp, Bemidji State, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); Sam Rinzel, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks)
FORWARDS: Gavin Brindley, Michigan, NCAA (Columbus Blue Jackets); Quinn Finley, Wisconsin, NCAA (New York Islanders); Cutter Gauthier, Boston College, NCAA (Philadelphia Flyers); Gavin Hayes, Flint, OHL (Chicago Blackhawks); Isaac Howard, Michigan State, NCAA (Tampa Bay Lightning); Ryan Leonard, Boston College, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Rutger McGroarty, Michigan, NCAA (Winnipeg Jets); Oliver Moore, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); Frank Nazar, Michigan, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); Danny Nelson, Notre Dame, NCAA (New York Islanders); Gabe Perreault, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Will Smith, Boston College, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota, NCAA (St. Louis Blues); Carey Terrance, Erie, OHL (Anaheim Ducks)
(Returning players are in bold)
