LAST TIME OUT: The U17s split a series against top USHL opponent Chicago at USA Hockey Arena. Devin Kaplan (Bridgewater, N.J.) led the U.S. to a 7-5 victory over the Steel with four points the first night, but Team USA fell, 11-2, in the series finale to split the weekend. 

The U18s downed Adrian College, 9-1, in the next installment of the 2020-21 Kroger College Series before skating past No. 7 Bowling Green with an impressive 5-1 victory. 

FEELING AT HOMER: Under-18 netminder Gibson Homer (Grand Rapids, Mich.) stood on his head in Monday's win over Bowling Green, turning aside 27 of the 28 shots he faced en route to picking up his second win over an NCAA team this season. Since the new year, Homer has produced a 2-0-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in two games played.

THE KILL TEAM: The U18 penalty kill has picked up the pace since the start of 2021. Over the team's four games played in the new calendar year, they have killed off 16 of 19 penalties, increasing the season-long PK% from 74.6 to 82.1%

HUGHES NEWS: U18 defenseman Luke Hughes (Canton, Mich.) has asserted himself on the offensive end after a four-point weekend against Adrian and Bowling Green. The 6-foot-2 blueliner enters the weekend on a seven-game point streak that has seen him produce 12 points (4g-8a), including a pair of power-play tallies. Hughes leads all U18 defensemen with 19 points (5g-14a) over 20 games played this season. The University of Michigan commit was an A-ranked skater on NHL Central Scouting's initial 2021 NHL Draft list. 

ICE COLD COOLEY: Logan Cooley (West Mifflin, Pa.) has points in each of the last seven games, dating back to Dec. 5. In that stretch, the forward has tallied five goals and six assists, good for an average of a point-and-a-half a game. 

KAPTAIN AMERICA: Devin Kaplan (Bridgewater, N.J.) notched five points in three games last weekend. The 6-2 forward tallied two goals and two assists to lead the U17s to a 7-5 victory over the Steel last Friday, and added an assist in the U18s' 5-1 win over Bowling Green on Monday. Kaplan has eight goals, 15 assists and 23 points in 20 games this season. 

HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE: As fans begin to return to USA Hockey Arena, Team USA has found its stride at home. The U18s are 6-1-0-0 at home while the U17s are 6-2-0-0 in eight games. Team USA will host a total of  12 games in Plymouth during the month of January where they will look to continue the team success.

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.

AS GOOD AS GOLD: Fifteen NTDP  alumni became the latest skaters from the program to win an IIHF World Junior Championship after Team USA shut out Canada, 2-0, in the gold-medal game of the 2021 tournament in Edmonton, Alberta on Jan. 5. Forwards Alex Turcotte  and Trevor Zegras scored goals en route to the U.S. victory, and Spencer Knight stopped all 34 shots he faced to blank our neighbors to the  north.  

In addition, Zegras was named the MVP after leading the tournament in scoring with 18 points in seven games, good for second-most points by an American player in tournament history. 

MOVING ON UP: NTDP alum and volunteer assistant coach Kevin Porter (Northville, Mich. / NTDP 2002-04) accepted an assistant coach position with the AHL's Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins this week. The job officially marks the end of Porter's playing career, which includes a Hobey Baker Award and Stanley Cup Championship. Porter joins fellow NTDP alum JD Forrest on the coaching staff of the WBS Penguins.

THE MICHIGAN MAN: NTDP alum Dylan Larkin (NTDP 2012-14/Detroit Red Wings) was named the Red Wings' 37th captain in franchise history before the open of the 2020-21 NHL season on Wednesday. Larkin has played exclusively out of the state of Michigan during his career, playing his youth hockey at Belle Tire, at the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, collegiately at the University of Michigan and professionally with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins and NHL's Red Wings. The Wings open the season hosting the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday evening at Little Caesars Arena.