April 9, 2008

Colorado Springs, Colo. - USA Hockey today named the first 17 players to its U.S. Men's National Team that will compete at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, May 2-18. Among those first 17 selections is former Spartan David Booth , who just completed his second professional season with the Florida Panthers.

"This is an exciting group of players that has great potential," said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. "Our National Team Advisory Group has worked hard to put together a team that will put us in position to be successful in the World Championship."

Among the 17 players named are three of the top-10 rookie point getters in the National Hockey League, including forwards Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y./Chicago Blackhawks/1st, 21-51-82) and Peter Mueller (Bloomington, Minn./Phoenix Coyotes/4th, 22-32--54) and defenseman Tom Gilbert (Minneapolis, Minn./Edmonton Oilers/10th, 13-20--33).

Team USA's roster features nine players who have previously played in the IIHF World Championship. The group includes defensemen Keith Ballard (Baudette, Minn./Phoenix Coyotes/2004, 2007) and Matt Greene (Grand Ledge, Mich./Edmonton Oilers/2007); forwards David Backes (Minneapolis, Minn./St. Louis Blues/2007), Dustin Brown (Ithaca, N.Y./Los Angeles Kings/2006, 2004), Jeff Halpern (Potomac, Md./Tampa Bay Lightning/2005, 2004, 2000-01), Patrick O'Sullivan (Winston Salem, N.C./Los Angeles Kings/2006), Drew Stafford (Milwaukee, Wis./Buffalo Sabres/2006), Lee Stempniak (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Louis Blues/2007); and goaltender Craig Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill./Florida Panthers/2006)

In addition, 14 of the 17 players are 25 years old or younger, including Booth, defensemen Ballard, Greene, Gilbert and James Wisniewski (Canton, Mich./Chicago Blackhawks); forwards Backes, Brown, Dustin Byfuglien (Minneapolis, Minn./Chicago Blackhawks), Kane, Mueller, O'Sullivan, Jason Pominville (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Sabres), Stafford and Stempniak. Rounding out the first group of players named to the U.S. roster is Paul Gaustad (Fargo, N.D./Buffalo Sabres).

Team USA will play a pre-tournament game against Sweden at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine, on April 27 at 7 p.m. EDT before beginning competition in the IIHF World Championship on May 2 at 6:15 p.m. EDT against Latvia. The United States will play two additional preliminary-round games against Slovenia (May 4) and Canada (May 6) before the qualification round begins.