The roster for this year’s United States National Junior Team Evaluation Camp features 19 players who played college hockey in the 1999-2000 season, USA Hockey announced on Wednesday.
Of the 44 players invited to compete for the team that will represent the United States in the 2000 USA Hockey Summer Challenge, nine are from the WCHA, five are from Hockey East and five are from the CCHA.
The U.S. roster features 24 NHL draft picks and nine members of the 2000 U.S. National Junior Team that took fourth place at last year’s World Junior Championship. Most notable on that list is Rick DiPietro, the former Boston University goaltender who was the top pick in the June NHL draft after opting-in.
Other players from Hockey East: forward Jon DiSalvatore, Providence; forward Pat Foley, New Hampshire; defenseman Ron Hainsey, Mass.-Lowell; and forward John Sabo, Boston University.
Players from the WCHA: forward Joe Cullen, Colorado College; forward Jon Francisco, Minn.-Duluth; forward Dan Welch, Minnesota; defenseman Matt DeMarchi, Minnesota; defenseman Brian Fahey, Wisconsin; defenseman Paul Martin, Minnesota; defenseman Ben Tharpe, Minnesota; forward Jeff Taffe, Minnesota; and forward Brad Winchester, Wisconsin.
Players from the CCHA: forward John Wroblewski, Notre Dame; defenseman Evan Nielsen, Notre Dame; forward Connor Dunlop, Notre Dame; forward Andy Hilbert, Michigan; and forward Brett Nowak, Notre Dame.
The camp takes place Aug. 2-5 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The Summer Challenge, which features under-20 select teams from Finland, Switzerland and the United States, is Aug. 7-12 in Lake Placid.
The camp attendees are also prospective players for the team that will compete in the World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2000-Jan. 5, 2001, in Russia.
