Boston Bruins seventh-overall pick James Hagens and Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson headline Team USA’s 28-player preliminary roster for the upcoming World Junior Championship.
The tournament runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
One step closer to Minnesota 👏
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 1, 2025
The preliminary roster for the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team is here! 🇺🇸
Details: https://t.co/S1VOlGVj2k pic.twitter.com/1X1Ufp3mQO
The Americans come in as the reigning World Junior gold medalists, winning in back-to-back years for the first time in program history.
Last year, Hutson became the first defenceman to lead the tournament outright in scoring with three goals and 11 points in seven games.
The preliminary roster includes eight players from last year’s team that won gold, including forwards Hagens, Cole Eiserman, Trevor Connelly, Max Plante, Teddy Stiga and Brodie Ziemer as well as defencemen Hutson, Logan Hensler and Adam Kleber.
The team boasts 25 NHL draft picks with eight going in the first round.
There are three players eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, including Soo Greyhounds defenceman Chase Reid, University of Michigan defenceman Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen and goaltender AJ Reyelts.
