MONEY MURTS: U17 forward Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) netted the overtime game-winner Sunday morning against the Minnesota Elite League All-Stars, good for his second score of the season.

In the three-on-three session, Will Belle (Minnetonka, Minn.) made a nice play along the boards to force a turnover. Murtagh collected, drove the left wing and snapped a quick wrister in the far-side top corner to give Team USA a weekend sweep over the Elite League All-Stars.

On the season, Murtagh is up to three points (2g-1a) in six games to put himself in a tie for fourth on the team in scoring. Both of his tallies have been game-winning scores, after he opened the season with the winner over the El Paso Rhino.

TERRIFIC TANDEM: The Under-17 Team goalie tandem turned in a great performance last weekend at the Minnesota Elite League.

Patrick Quinlan (Kennett Square, Pa.) and Harrison Boettiger (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) each appeared in both games, allowing just five goals total across the weekend.

Quinlan started game one and through 40 minutes of action, he stopped 19 of 21 shots and picked up the win, his first as a member of the NTDP. He made it back-to-back wins on Sunday morning when he came in relief of Boettiger and made 12 stops to help lead Team USA to the overtime victory. Quinlan now sports a 3.11 GAA and .902 SV% in five games this year.

Boettiger was just as good without picking up a decision in net. He finished out Game 1 while turning aside all eight shots he saw and then followed it up with a 24-for-26 performance in Sunday's start. The native Coloradan bettered his season-long numbers to a 4.10 goals-against and .902 save percentage in four appearances.

BOUNCE BACK: The Under-18 Team dropped Saturday night's game to Western Michigan by a 9-4 final, the NTDP's biggest margin of defeat in an NCAA game since December 12, 2021 when the U18s fell to Merrimack College, 8-2.

The U18s have responded well to both previous losses this year. After falling to Youngstown in preseason action, they came back with a 6-5 win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the USHL Fall Classic. Then after a Kids Day Game loss in Muskegon, the Under-18 Team came home to USA Hockey Arena to score a season-high 10 goals in a 10-3 win over Green Bay.

NTDP IN THE NHL: USA Hockey's National Team Development Program saw 83 alums listed on NHL Opening Night rosters to begin the 2023-24 season.

Three players are on rosters for the first time, forwards John Beecher (Elmira, N.Y. / NTDP 2017-19) and Logan Cooley (Pittsburgh, Pa. / NTDDP 2020-22), while defenseman Ty Emberson (Eau Claire, Wis. / NTDP 2016-18) will debut for the Sharks.

Thirty different clubs roster at least one NTDP alum; the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets are the two without, but both squads feature NTDP alumni on their AHL affiliates.

The Boston Bruins lead the way with seven grads of the program, while the Buffalo Sabres follow closely with six.

In addition to players, head coaches Greg Cronin (ANA), Don Granato (BUF) and David Quinn (SJ) all coached previously at the NTDP.