DANNY NELSON, PAUL FISCHER TO COMPETE FOR SPOTS ON U.S. NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER FOR 2025 IIHF JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN OTTAWA
By JOHN FINERAN
Notre Dame sophomores Danny Nelson and Paul Fischer have been chosen by USA Hockey to compete for spots on the team which will represent the United States in the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Ottawa, Ontario.
USA Hockey announced Monday the 28 players – three goaltenders, 10 defensemen and 15 forwards – who will attend training camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., on Dec. 16 and 17. The final 25-player roster is expected to be announced before Team USA plays pre-tournament games against Slovakia (Dec. 21 in Kingston, Ont.) and Finland (Dec. 23 in Cornwall, Ont.).
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Nelson, whose freshman season ended last March with a broken ankle which required surgery, was a member of Team USA which won the gold medal under Denver University head coach David Carle in the 2024 event held in Gothenburg, Sweden. In Team USA’s seven victories, Nelson had a goal and an assist, a +4 plus/minus rating and finished 16th in faceoffs with his 44-42 record. Nelson is one of 10 members for that gold-medal team competing for a spot on the 2025 roster, and Carle returns as head coach.
Nelson, who hails from Maple Grove, Minn., is currently fourth in scoring for Notre Dame with six goals and five assists for 11 points in 16 games. He has a -3 plus/minus rating but is Notre Dame’s best top faceoffs performer with his 216-164 (56.8 percent) record. His 216 faceoff wins, the best in the Big Ten Conference, are second nationally to the 227 won by Air Force’s Clayton Cosentino.
The 6-foot, 203-pound Fischer, who hails from River Forest, Ill., is the point quarterback of Notre Dame’s power play which is currently ranked fifth nationally with its 0.286 conversion rate (14 goals in 49 attempts). Fischer has nine assists in 16 games and is tied with graduate defenseman Zach Plucinski for the team lead with 25 blocked shots.
Of the 28 players on the preliminary roster, 23 are currently playing NCAA Division I hockey with Boston College leading with six. The team will practice Dec. 16 and 17 in the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., and both practice sessions which begin at 11 a.m. are open to the public.
Carle, who later took the Pioneers to the NCAA Championship and had them 12-0-0 to start the season before a recent weekend sweep by NCHC rival Arizona State, will be assisted by University of Minnesota associate head coach Steve Miller, St. Cloud State head coach Brett Larson, Augustana head coach Garrett Raboin and goaltending coach David Lassonde.
Notre Dame is guaranteed one representative on the team. Jessica Thibault, who joined Irish head coach Jeff Jackson’s staff as director of operations in August, will serve as director of team services for Team USA.
The U.S. team is in Group A with Germany, Finland, Canada and Latvia, opens up play with Germany on Thursday, Dec. 26 followed by games against Latvia (Dec. 28), Finland (Dec. 29) and Canada (31). Group B consists of teams from Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan.
Quarterfinal games will be played Jan. 2 and 3 in Ottawa at TD Place and Canadian Tire Centre with the Jan. 4 semifinals and Jan. 5 championship games being played in the 18,655-seat Canadian Tire Centre, the home of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. Except for the exhibition games against Slovakia and Finland, the NHL Network will carry all Team USA games live.
2025 TEAM USA PRELIMARY ROSTER
No. Name, Current Team (Height, Weight, Shoot/Catch, Age, Hometown)
GOALTENDERS (3)
1 Trey Augustine, Michigan State (6-1, 185, L, 19, South Lyon, Mich.)
31 Sam Hillebrandt, Barrie Colts (OHL) (6-1, 170, L, 19, Riverview, Fla.)
30 Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan (6-2, 185, L, 19, Warroad, Minn.)
DEFENSE (10)
28 Zeev Buium, Denver (6-0, 186, L, 19, San Diego, Calif.)
7 EJ Emery, North Dakota (6-3, 180, R, 18, Campton, Calif.)
27 Blake Fiddler, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) (6-4, 210, R, 17, Frisco, Texas)
16 Paul Fischer, Notre Dame (6-0, 203, L, 19, River Forest, Ill.)
5 Drew Fortescue, Boston College (6-2, 180, L, 19, Pearl River, N.Y.)
3 Logan Hensler, Wisconsin (6-2, 197, R, 18, Woodbury, Minn.)
24 Cole Hutson, Boston University (5-11, 171, L, 18, North Barrington, Ill.)
6 Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth (6-5, 210, R, 18, Chaska, Minn.)
14 Aram Minnetian, Boston College (5-11, 204, R, 19, Woodcliff Lake, N.J.)
4 Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State (6-4, 210, L, 19, Maple Grove, Minn.)
FORWARDS (15)
23 Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State (6-4, 200, L, 19, Blaine, Minn.)
19 Trevor Connelly, Providence (6-1, 165, L, 18, Tustin, Calif.)
36 Cole Eiserman, Boston University (6-0, 200, L, 19, Newburyport, Mass.)
12 James Hagens, Boston College (5-11, 178, L, 18, Hauppauge, N.Y.)
9 Ryan Leonard, Boston College (6-0, 200, R, 19, Amherst, Mass.)
11 Oliver Moore, Minnesota (6-0, 185, L, 19, Mounds View, Minn.)
17 Danny Nelson, Notre Dame (6-2, 215, L, 19, Maple Grove, Minn.)
26 Chris Pelosi, Quinnipiac (6-2, 183, L, 19, Sewell, N.J.)
34 Gabe Perreault, Boston College (5-11, 178, L, 19, Hinsdale, Ill.)
18 AJ Spellacy, Windsor Spitfires (OHL) (6-3, 204, R, 18, Westlake, Ohio)
2 Teddy Stiga, Boston College (5-10, 179, L, 18, Sudbury, Mass.)
8 Brandon Svoboda, Boston University (6-3, 210, R, 19, Level Green, Pa.)
10 Carey Terrance, Erie Otters (OHL) (6-1, 186, L, 19, Akwesasne, N.Y.)
20 Joey Willis, Saginaw Spirit (OHL) (5-11, 185, L, 19, Elmhurst, Ill.)
74 Brodie Ziemer, Minnesota (5-11, 190, R, 18, Hutchinson, Minn.)
NOTRE DAME NCAA STATISTICS: (Through Monday, Dec. 2. Number in parentheses is Notre Dame’s ranking among the 64 Division I teams)
Scoring offense, 2.88 goals per game (30th). National leader, Denver, 4.36.
Scoring defense, 3.13 goals per game (46th). National leaders, Michigan State and Minnesota State, 1.50.
Scoring margin, -0.25 goals per game (38th). National leader, Denver, 2.57.
Power-play percentage, 0.286 (14 of 49) (5th). National leader, Denver 0.357 (20 of 56).
Penalty-kill percentage, 0.788 (41 of 52) (40th). National leader, Boston College, 1.000 (30 of 30).
Faceoff win percentage, 0.532 (549-483) (13th). National leader, Northeastern, 0.565 (419-322).
Penalty minutes per game, 10.94 (16th). National leader, Holy Cross, 15.88.
BIG TEN STANDINGS AND SCHEDULES: (Numbers in parenthesis are school’s rankings in this week’s USCHO.com media/USA Hockey-The Rink Live coaches polls):
1. (4/4) MINNESOTA 6-0-0, 17 points (13-2-1 overall)
2. (1/1) MICHIGAN STATE 4-0-0, 12 points (11-1-0 overall)
T3. (6/6) MICHIGAN 4-0-0, 11 points (10-3-1 overall)
T3. (nr/nr) WISCONSIN 3-5-0, 11 points (5-8-1 overall)
5. (17/16) OHIO STATE 2-2-0, 5 points (9-4-1 overall)
6. (rv/nr) NOTRE DAME 1-7-0, 3 points (6-10-0 overall)
7. (rv/nr) PENN STATE 0-6-0, 1 point (6-7-0 overall)
Thursday, Dec. 5: Penn State at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 6: Penn State at Ohio State, 7 p.m.; Michigan State at Wisconsin, 8 p.m.; Michigan at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7: Michigan at Minnesota, 6 p.m.; Michigan State at Wisconsin, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 12: Penn State vs. Army at Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena), 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 13: Notre Dame at Ohio State, 7 p.m.; Wisconsin at Michigan, 6 p.m.; Michigan State at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14: Notre Dame at Ohio State, 7 p.m.; Wisconsin at Michigan, 7 p.m.; Michigan State at Minnesota, 6 p.m.
THIS WEEK’S USCHO.com MEDIA POLL TEAMS AND SCHEDULES
1. Michigan State (Big Ten) (11-1-0) at Wisconsin Friday and Saturday.
2. Denver (NCHC) (12-2-0) at No. 7 Western Michigan Friday and Saturday.
3. Boston College (Hockey East) (10-3-0) vs. Connecticut Wednesday, at No. 14 UMass Lowell Friday.
4. Minnesota (Big Ten) (13-2-1) vs. No. 6 Michigan Friday and Saturday.
5. Maine (Hockey East) (10-2-2) vs. Stonehill Friday and Saturday.
6. Michigan (Big Ten) (10-3-1) at No. 4 Minnesota Friday and Saturday.
7. Western Michigan (NCHC) (9-2-1) vs. No. 2 Denver Friday and Saturday.
8. Colorado College (NCHC) (9-2-1) at No. 10 Providence Friday and Saturday.
9. St. Cloud State (NCHC) (9-4-0) vs. Omaha Friday and Saturday.
10. Providence (Hockey East) (10-3-2) vs. No. 8 Colorado College Friday and Saturday.
11. Boston University (Hockey East) (8-5-1) vs. Massachusetts Saturday.
12. Cornell (ECAC) (4-2-3) vs. Colgate Friday, at Colgate Saturday.
13. Dartmouth (ECAC) (6-1-1) vs. St. Lawrence Friday, vs. Clarkson Saturday.
14. UMass Lowell (Hockey East) (10-3-1) vs. No. 3 Boston College Friday.
15. Minnesota State (CCHA) (10-4-2) at Bowling Green Friday and Saturday.
16. North Dakota (NCHC) (7-7-1) at Miami Friday and Saturday.
17. Ohio State (Big Ten) (9-4-1) vs. Penn State Thursday and Friday.
18. Quinnipiac (ECAC) (6-6-1) vs. Rensselaer Friday, vs. Union Saturday.
19. Arizona State (NCHC) (6-7-1) vs. Minnesota Duluth Friday and Saturday.
20. Clarkson (ECAC) (9-5-2) at Harvard Friday, at No. 13 Dartmouth Saturday.
Receiving votes
Union (ECAC) (9-3-1) at Princeton Friday, at No. 18 Quinnipiac Saturday.
Bemidji State (CCHA) (7-6-2) at Lake Superior Friday and Saturday.
Massachusetts (HEA) (7-6-2) at No. 11 Boston University Saturday.
New Hampshire (HEA) (6-4-2) at Northeastern Friday.
Bentley (Atlantic Hockey) (9-5-1) at Mercyhurst Friday and Saturday.
Harvard (ECAC) (3-4-1) vs. No. 20 Clarkson Friday, vs. St. Lawrence Saturday.
Penn State (Big Ten) (6-7-0) vs. No. 17 Ohio State Thursday and Friday.
Northeastern (Hockey East) (3-6-3) vs. New Hampshire Friday, vs. Brown Saturday.
Connecticut (Hockey East) (7-6-1) vs. Boston College Wednesday.
Michigan Tech (CCHA) (7-4-1) vs. St. Thomas Friday and Saturday.
Notre Dame (Big Ten) (6-10-0) is idle, at No. 17 Ohio State Dec. 13 and 14.
Long Island (Independent) (6-5-1) at Vermont Friday and Saturday.
Colgate (ECAC) (7-7-2) at No. 12 Cornell Friday, vs. No. 12 Cornell Saturday.
Princeton (ECAC) (3-4-1) vs. Union Friday, vs. Rensselaer Saturday.
Others to watch
Augustana (CCHA) (8-6-0) at Alaska (Fairbanks) Friday and Saturday.
Bowling Green (CCHA) (5-5-2) vs. No. 15 Minnesota State Friday and Saturday.
Lake Superior (CCHA) (7-6-1) vs. Bemidji State Friday and Saturday.
Wisconsin (Big Ten) (5-8-1) vs. No. 1 Michigan State Friday and Saturday.
Niagara (Atlantic Hockey) (7-7-3) at Air Force Friday and Saturday.
Sacred Heart (Atlantic Hockey) (7-7-2) vs. Army Tuesday, at Canisius Friday and Saturday.
Holy Cross (Atlantic Hockey) (7-8-1) at American International Friday and Saturday.
Air Force (Atlantic Hockey) (8-9-1) vs. Niagara Friday and Saturday.
OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Dec. 3
Canisius at RIT, 7:05 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Friday, Dec. 6
Alaska-Anchorage at Merrimack, 7 p.m. (non-conference)
Robert Morris at RIT, 7:05 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. (CCHA)
Saturday, Dec. 7
Robert Morris at RIT, 5:05 p.m. (Atlantic Hockey)
Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m. (CCHA)
Alaska-Anchorage at Merrimack, 7 p.m. (non-conference)