LAST TIME OUT:  The U17s made their NTDP debuts with a series against the NAHL's Johnstown Tomahawks on October 3 and 4. The U.S. dropped the first contest against  the Tomahawks, 6-4, before bouncing back with a 9-4 victory.  Eighteen skaters recorded points over the weekend, including a two-goal performance from forward Isaac Howard (Hudson, Wis.) and  three-point games from both Ryan Chesley (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Maddox Fleming (Rochester, Minn.) in Saturday's game. 

GONE STREAKING: Seven skaters had points in each of the U17s' first two games. Ryan Chesley and Maddox Fleming lead the team with four points apiece, while Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Isaac Howard, Rutger McGroarty (Lincoln, Neb.) and Jimmy Snuggerud (Chaska, Minn.) 

BETWEEN THE PIPES: Both Tyler Muszelik (Long Valley, N.J.) and Dylan Silverstein (Calabasas, Calif.) saw time in the net for the U.S. against Johnstown. Muszelik recorded 17 saves in 40 minutes , while Silverstein logged 34 stops in just under 80 minutes in the net.  NEW

KIDS ON THE BLOCK: The NTDP welcomed 23 new skaters to the program this summer. The players, all from the 2004 birth year, will compete as the U.S. National Under-17 Team during the 2020-21 season. Seventeen states are represented on the roster, with Minnesota leading the way with eight natives. Michigan follows with seven, while New Jersey has two players. Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin are each home to one player. 

OLYMPIC KIDS: Fourteen members of the U.S. Under-17 National Team appeared in the 2020 Youth Olympics that took place in Lusanne, Switzerland from January 9-22. The U.S. Youth Olympic Team went 3-0-0-1, reaching the gold-medal game against Russia and earning silver. Team USA has medaled in each of the last two Youth Olympic Games, including winning a gold medal at the 2016 tournament in Lillehammer, Norway.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Two sets of siblings are currently skating for the NTDP. Newcomers Cruz Lucius (Grant, Minn.) and  Tyler Duke (Strongsville, Ohio) each join their brothers, Chaz Lucius and Dylan Duke.  The Lucius brothers will also suit up for the same college program when the pair joins the University of Minnesota after their NTDP years.                  

In total, 17 sets of siblings  have come through the NTDP since the program's inception.                

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN:  NTDP hockey returns to USA Hockey Arena for the first time since March 1, 2020 this Saturday as the  U.S. National Under-18 Team takes on the Muskegon Lumberjacks in its USHL opener. 

COACHING CHANGE: The beginning of 2020-21 season marks the debut of Dan Muse (Canton, Mass.) and Adam Nightingale (Cheyboygan, Mich.) as the 14th and 15th head coaches of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Muse brings 15 years of coaching experience to the NTDP and was an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators for the past three seasons. Nightingale has spent the last three years with the Detroit Red Wings, serving most recently as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 campaign. Muse will coach the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2020-21 while Nightingale will lead the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

The hirings fill the vacancies left by former NTDP head coaches Seth Appert and John Wroblewski, who both accepted head coaching positions in the AHL. 

USA IN THE NHL PLAYOFFS:  A total of 61 NTDP alumni appeared on NHL rosters during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vancouver forward J.T. Miller (2009-11) led all alums in scoring throughout the playoffs with six goals, 12 assists and 18 points while defenseman Quinn Hughes (2015-17) finished with 14 assists and 16 points. Goaltender  Thatcher Demko registered a 0.64 goals-against average and a .985 save percentage in four games for the Canucks. Three alums (Stephen Johns, Jake Oettinger and Kevin Shattenkirk) made it to the Stanley Cup Final,  and Shattenkirk (2005-07) won his first Stanley Cup as a member of the Lightning, tallying three goals, 10 assists and 13 points throughout the playoffs. 

THE NEXT GENERATION: The 2020 NHL Entry Draft took place last Tuesday and Wednesday, held virtually from the NHL Network Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. 

Thirteen players were selected directly from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, while two alumni were taken on Day 2 of the draft. Defenseman Jake Sanderson (Whitefish, Mont.) led the way for the NTDP, going fifth overall to the Ottawa Senators. Sanderson is the 81st NTDP alum to be selected in the first round of the draft. 

In addition, Brett Berard (East Greenwich, R.I.), Thomas Bordeleau (Houston, Texas), Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) Brock Faber (Maple Grove, Minn.) Tyler Kleven (Fargo, N.D.), Dylan Peterson (Roseville, Calif.), Eamon Powell (Marcellus, N.Y.), Landon Slaggert (South Bend, Ind.), Ty Smilanic (Denver, Colo.), Jacob Truscott (Port Huron, Mich.), Luke Tuch (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and Chase Yoder (Fairview, Texas) each heard their names called in Rounds 2-7. 

The NTDP now boasts 343 players from the program drafted in the NHL. Of the 343 players, 81 were selected in the first round, 74 were chosen in the second round and 42 were taken in the third round.

WORLD UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIP:  The 2021 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship will take place in Plymouth and Ann Arbor, Michigan from April 15-25, 2021. USA Hockey Arena will host the games in Plymouth while the Ann Arbor Ice Cube will play host in Ann Arbor. Team USA will be one of 10 countries represented in the tournament. The group starting play in Plymouth will feature the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia and the United States. 

The 2020 tournament was supposed to be held at USA Hockey Arena from April 16-26, 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.