Hughes, Norris Named to Team USA's Preliminary World Juniors Roster
12/5/2018 5:39:00 PM | Ice Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Two University of Michigan ice hockey players, Quinn Hughes and Josh Norris, were selected to the 2019 U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster it was announced by USA Hockey on Wednesday (Dec. 5). The team will participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship from Dec. 26, 2018-Jan. 5, 2019, in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Hughes, a sophomore defenseman, has 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) through 15 games and is the top scoring defenseman in the Big Ten Conference. His 16 assists tie him for first in the conference and tie him for second in the country; his 19 points lead the Wolverines and rank sixth in the nation. Hughes was selected seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Â
Norris, a sophomore forward, has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) through 15 games and he leads the Wolverines in goals. His nine goals are tied for third in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation. Norris has recorded points in 12 of 15 games for Michigan this season. Norris was selected 19th overall by the San Joe Sharks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft; his rights were traded to the Ottawa Senators on Sept.13.
Both players are products of the United States National Team Development Program, and won bronze for Team USA in the 2018 IIHF World Juniors Championship in Buffalo, New York. Hughes also was the lone collegian to participate in the 2018 IIHF World Championship this past spring, alongside current NHL players that included Wolverine alumnus Dylan Larkin.
The duo will participate in a pre-tournament camp in Everett, Washington, from Dec. 14-18. The team will then travel to Kamloops, British Columbia, where it will hold skates from Dec.18-20. Team USA will begin preliminary-round play against Slovakia on Dec. 26. The team will have an off day before back-to-back games against Kazakhstan on Dec. 28 and Sweden on Dec. 29. The U.S. will then close its preliminary-round action against Finland on Dec. 31. All four of Team USA's preliminary-round games will be played at Save On Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia.
Team USA enters the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship having earned a medal in three straight World Junior Championships for the first time after earning gold in 2017 and bronze in 2018 and 2016. In total, Team USA has won a medal in six of the last nine IIHF World Junior Championship tournaments, earning gold in 2010, 2013, and 2017, and bronze in 2011, 2016 and 2018.
If selected for Team USA's final roster, Hughes and Norris could miss the Great Lakes Invitational (Dec. 30-31) and the outdoor game at Notre Dame (Jan. 5, 2019). The Michigan pair would return for Michigan's home contest against Merrimack on Jan. 8.
