A FAMILY AFFAIR: Although this will be the first international event for the U17s, a handful of players have a family history of competing in international hockey.

Three current skaters had brothers who've participated in the U17 Challenge before: Abe Barnett's (Wilmette, Ill.) older brother, Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.), a current U18 defenseman, was part of Team USA during the 2023 event. Also on last year's team was Teddy Mutryn, older brother of current forward Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.). 

Rounding out the trio is Victor Plante (Hermantown, Minn.), whose brother and NTDP alum Max skated in the event in 2022, recording 10 points (0G-10A) in seven games. Max also represented the U.S. at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship. The eldest of the Plante brothers, Zam, was a member of the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2023 World Junior A Challenge U.S. teams. The boys' dad, Derek, currest assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, was an eight-year NHL veteran who also skated in a World Junior Championship and six Men's World Championships for the United States. 

In other family history, Sammy Nelson's (Maple Grove, Minn.) older brother, Danny, was a former NTDPer who won gold at both the 2023 U18 Men's World Championship and 2024 World Junior Championship.

Another quartet of players had family members reach the National Hockey League: Logan Stuart's (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) father, Brad, played over 1,000 NHL games throughout his 16-year professional career. 

Wyatt Cullen's (Moorhead, Minn.) dad, Matt, played more than 1,500 games in the National over 21 seasons and was recently named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. 

Bryan Trottier, owner of 1425 points in the NHL, six Stanley Cups and 1997 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, is the grandfather of forward Parker Trottier (Edina, Minn.). 

Rounding out the group is Sam Wathier (Des Moines, Iowa), whose father, Francis, played a decade of pro hockey in the United States, including games with the Dallas Stars, after he was originally selected by the team in 2003. 

LAST TIME OUT: In the 2007 DOB groups last international tournament of the 2023-24 campaign, the then-U17s took home the Five Nations Championship in Ostrava and Kravare, Czechia back in February. LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.) netted the game-winning score in overtime to beat the host Czechs, 5-4, and secure a first-place finish.

Although this will be the 2008 groups first event as a member of the NTDP, 11 players won a gold medal at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea: forwards Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.), AJ Garcia (Romeoville, Ill.), JP Hurlbert (Allen, Texas), Logan Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Parker Trottier (Edina, Minn.), along with defensemen Abe Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.), AJ Francisco (Hermantown, Minn.), Logan Lutner (Maple Grove, Minn.), JJ Marthaler (Superior, Wis.), Tyler Martyniuk (Washington Twp., Mich.) and Luke Schairer (Charlotte, N.C.). The team won three of four games, including a 4-0 shutout over Czechia in the gold-medal game.

NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING: Twenty-Eight current and former NTDPers were named to NHL Central Scouting's Preliminary Players to Watch list.

The NTDP has five players listed as "A" ranked skaters: current U18s Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Charlie Trethewey (Woodbine, Md.), along with alums James Hagens (Boston College), Logan Hensler (University of Wisconsin) and Cullen Potter (Arizona State University). 

Six current U18 skaters were listed as "B" ranked skaters, indicating a possible 2nd- or 3rd-round selection in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft: LJ Mooney (West Mifflin, Pa.), Conrad Fondrk (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.), Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.), Will Horcoff (Bloomfield HIlls, Mich.) and Carter Amico (Westbrook, Maine).

Another five U18s were named "C" ranked skaters, a possible 4th- or 5th-round: Jacob Kvasnicka (Wayzata, Minn.), Will Belle (Minnetonka, Minn.), Andrew O'Neill (Fargo, N.D.), Maceo Phillips (Wayzata, Minn.) and Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.).

Six more were given "W" ratings, showing a selection in the final two rounds of the draft: Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.), Jake Stuart (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Donny Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.), Drew Schock (Green Bay, Wis.) and Garrett Lindberg (Moorhead, Minn.).

CHL-NTDP PROSPECTS CHALLENGE: The NTDP's Under-18 Team will compete in the inaugural CHL-NTDP Prospects Challenge on November 26-27 in Ontario, Canada. 

The CHL-USA Prospects Challenge is a two-game series that will have players from the NTDP competing against the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s three-member leagues – Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

The first game will take place at Budweiser Gardens on Nov. 26 in London, Ontario while the following day's contest will be held at Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ontario.

Both games will broadcast live on NHL Network.