NTDP PLAYOFF HISTORY: Team USA has made three previous trips to the USHL playoffs since entering the league. Team USA was swept in its first two postseason experiences, first during the 2011-12 season by the Dubuque Fighting Saints (L, 6-3 and L, 7-3) in the first round and second during the 2010-11 season by the Muskegon Lumberjacks (L, 2-0 and L, 5-2).

In the 2017-18 postseason, Team USA earned its first postseason victory in NTDP history and won its Eastern Conference Semi Final against the Chicago Steel before losing in the Eastern Conference Final to the Youngstown Phantoms.

USHL LEADERBOARD: Drew Commesso is ranked No. 20 throughout all goalies in the USHL for his 3.48 goals-against-average, as well as ranking No. 19 in save-percentage with .889%.

Matthew Beniers ranks No. 19 amongst USHL rookies in assists, with 20 on the season. In addition, Beniers is No. 19 in points, with 31, No. 4 in points per game, with .94, and No. 3 in plus-minus, with +18.  

Thomas Bordeleau leads USHL rookies in shorthanded goals, with three on the season, while Brett Berard, Landon Slaggert, and Luke Tuch are tied for No. 3 with one shorthanded goal apiece.

COACHES AND ROSTER NAMED FOR IIHF UNDER-18 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: The rosters and coaching staff for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team that will travel to Ornskoldsvik and Umea, Sweden to compete in the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federations Under-18 Men’s World Championship was released this week.

The U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team will be led by John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis.), serving for the second time as head coach at the IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship.

Last year, Team USA earned a silver medal at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship, which was held in Chelyabinsk & Magnitogorsk, Russia.

For the full roster, click here.

For all tournament details, click here.

NEW GENERATION: Thirteen forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders have been selected to join USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and will compete as the U.S. National Under-17 Team in 2019-20 season. Of the 14 states represented on the roster, Michigan leads the way with four natives. To read the full release, click here.

DRAFT DIARY: Jack Hughes, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver on June 21-22, is writing a monthly diary this season for NHL.com leading up to the draft. The 17-year-old forward, who is the brother of Vancouver Canucks defenseman prospect Quinn Hughes, the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, is a center playing for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team. He led the NTDP with 86 points (23 goals, 63 assists) in 41 games.

In his latest entry, Hughes talks about being on hand for the NHL Draft Lottery, the upcoming IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Sweden (April 18-28) and the NHL debut of his brother.

To read the full entry, click here.