LAST TIME OUT: The U17s split a pair of games on the road last weekend, falling 5-4 in a shootout to the Chicago  Steel on Friday  before  notching another win  in USHL play on Saturday, skating to a   4-2 victory  over the Dubuque Fighting Saints. 

Rutger  McGroarty (Lincoln, Neb.) recorded his sixth multi-point performance with a pair of goals in the loss to Chicago, and Isaac Howard (Hudson, Wis.) tallied three goals  over  the weekend to  extend his scoring streak to  five games. Tyler Muszelik (Long Valley,  N.J.) made 31 saves in goal  for Team USA in Saturday's win. 

The U18s fell, 6-3, to the Steel on Saturday in their first game back on the ice. Luke  Hughes (Canton,  Mich.) tallied his first goal of the season in the loss, and Red Savage (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Ryan St. Louis (Riverside, Conn.) also notched goals. 

GONE STREAKING: Isaac Howard has a netted a goal in each of the last five games, dating back to the U17s Oct. 31 win against the Shreveport Mudbugs  (NAHL). In the stretch, Howard has amassed eight goals, including a hat trick in the U17s' 10-6 win over the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Nov. 22. Howard is tied for the team lead  in points with Rutger McGroarty (8g,11a-19) with 13 goals, nine assists and 19 points. 

POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: Eleven U17 skaters are recording at least a point per game so far this season. Isaac Howard and Rutger McGroarty pace the  team  with a 1.90 points-per-game average, while Cutter Gauthier (Scottsdale,   Ariz.) is  averaging a point-and-a-half a game. In addition, all 21 skaters have recorded points this season, and 10 players, including Seamus Casey (Estero, Fla.), Ryan Chesley, Logan Cooley, Maddox Fleming (Rochester, Minn.), Gauthier, Isaac Howard, Cruz Lucius (Grant, Minn.), McGroarty, Frank Nazar III, and Jimmy Snuggerud (Chaska, Minn.) have double-digit points on the season.

STELLAR ON THE  KILL: The U17s have been formidable on the penalty kill through the first nine games of the season, allowing just four goals in 34 power-play attempts by opponents for an 88.2 percent clip. 

SUCCESS IN THE SECOND: The U17s continue to produce stellar scoring stats in the second periods of their games, outscoring opponents 33-7 in the frame throughout their first 10 contests of the season. The U17s also outscore opponents, 19-15 and 16-7 in the second and third periods, respectively. The U17s  are a perfect 8-0-0-0 when  outscoring their opponents in the middle frame. 

ON THE BOARD: U18 defenseman Luke Hughes (Canton, Mich.) deposited his first goal of the season last weekend in Chicago as he netted a power-play goal early in the third period. It was only a matter of time for the 6-foot-2 blueliner as his 14 shots ranks third on the team this season. Hughes is now tied with Sean Behrens (Barrington, Ill.) and Aidan Hreschuk (Long Beach, Calif.) for most points by a defensemen with six through the first ten games.

WE'VE GOT THE POWER: Hughes' goal was a power-play score which increased the U18s' conversion percentage to 28.3% this season. The Under-18 Team has netted a PPG in each of its past three games and five of its last six. Dylan Duke (Strongsville, Ohio) and Sasha Pastujov (Bradenton, Fla.) lead the team with two scores on the man advantage apiece. 

SHOOT YOUR SHOT: The U18s have seen a correlation between their shot totals and overall success. The team is 5-1-0 when outshooting their opponent and 6-1-0 when registering at least 30 shots in a game. The lone blemish on that record came when the squad recorded a season-high 55 shots in a 4-2 loss at Des Moines on October 30. 

TERRIFIC 23: Twenty members of the 2020-21 U.S. National Under-18 Team and three former NTDP players were named to the National Hockey League Central Scouting's first rankings ahead of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. All 20 age-eligible U18 skaters for the draft were rated on the opening list.

THE NEXT GENERATION: The 2020 NHL Entry Draft took place in early October and 13 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.

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.

2021 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Eighteen NTDP  alumni were named to the 29-player preliminary roster for the  2021 U.S. National Junior Team. Players are auditioning for a spot on the final 25-player roster that will represent the United States in the 2021 World Junior Championship set for Edmonton, Alberta, from Dec. 25, 2020 – Jan. 5, 2021. A closed training camp will take place at USA  Hockey Arena in Plymouth, and the final roster will be announced on Dec. 13, prior to the team’s departure to Edmonton.