U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp invitees announced

Jake Sanderson, expected to be selected in the top 10 of the 2020 NHL Draft, was one of 39 players invited to attend the United States National Junior Team Evaluation Camp.

The camp, which will be held Oct. 8-13 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, is part of the evaluation process for picking the team that will play for the United States at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. The tournament will be played in December at Rogers Place in Edmonton, with the schedule to be announced.
Fans, media and scouts will not be permitted to attend the camp.
Sanderson is No. 4 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. The left-shot defenseman (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) scored 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 47 games with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team this season. He has committed to the University of North Dakota for next season.
"He plays the game so efficiently," said Seth Appert, Sanderson's coach with the NTDP this season. "He defends so hard, so physically. He's the prototypical modern-age defenseman. He's mobile, he's physical, he can play against other teams' best players and he can jump in the play and add offense."
Sanderson is one four players in Central Scouting's top 31 who were invited to the camp. They include an NTDP teammate, forward Thomas Bordeleau (No. 29), and forwards Brendan Brisson (No. 20) and Sam Colangelo (No. 31), teammates with Chicago of the United States Hockey League.
The draft will be held virtually Oct. 6-7. The first round will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1).
Also invited were six players picked in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft, including four who played for the United States at the 2020 WJC: goalie Spencer Knight (No. 13, Florida Panthers), defenseman Cameron York (No. 14, Philadelphia Flyers), and forwards Cole Caufield (No. 15, Montreal Canadiens) and John Beecher (No. 30, Boston Bruins). Other first-round picks from the 2019 draft who were invited to the camp are forward Matthew Boldy (No. 12, Minnesota Wild) and defenseman Ryan Johnson (No. 31, Buffalo Sabres).
The United States finished sixth at the 2019 WJC, ending a run of four straight tournaments with a top-three finish that included the 2017 tournament championship.
The World Junior Summer Showcase, an annual summer junior evaluation camp that includes the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland, had been scheduled for July 24-31 at USA Hockey Arena but was canceled July 15 because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
"We're excited to bring together our top players as we prepare for the upcoming World Junior Championship," said John Vanbiesbrouck, U.S. national junior team general manager and USA Hockey assistant executive director of hockey operations. "We've worked with our medical professionals to put protocols in place to help in successfully running our camp and I know our players are excited about the chance to overcome all of the obstacles and challenge for a gold medal."
The United States will play in Group B at the WJC, along with Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic and Austria. Group A will consist of 2020 WJC winner Canada, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Germany.
Providence College coach Nate Leaman will coach the United States.
UNITED STATES NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM EVALUATION CAMP ROSTER
GOALIES: Drew Commesso, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); \Spencer Knight, Boston College, HE (Florida Panthers); Logan Stein, Waterloo, USHL (2020 draft eligible); \Dustin Wolf, Everett, WHL (Calgary Flames)
DEFENSEMEN: Brock Faber, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); Domenick Fensore, Boston University, HE (Carolina Hurricanes); Drew Helleson, Boston College, HE (Colorado Avalanche); Ryan Johnson, Minnesota, Big Ten (Buffalo Sabres); Jackson LaCombe, Minnesota, Big Ten (Anaheim Ducks); Case McCarthy, Boston University, HE (New Jersey Devils); Mitchell Miller, Tri-City, USHL (2020 draft eligible); Jake Sanderson, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); Hunter Skinner, London, OHL (New York Rangers); Jayden Struble, Northeastern, HE (Montreal Canadiens); Henry Thrun, Harvard, ECAC (Anaheim Ducks); Alex Vlasic, Boston University, HE (Chicago Blackhawks); Marshall Warren, Boston College, HE (Minnesota Wild); \Cameron York, Michigan, Big Ten (Philadelphia Flyers)
FORWARDS: \John Beecher, Michigan, Big Ten (Boston Bruins); Matthew Beniers, USA U-18, NTDP (2021 draft eligible); Brett Berard, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); Matthew Boldy, Boston College, HE (Minnesota Wild); Thomas Bordeleau, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); \Bobby Brink, Denver, NCHC (Philadelphia Flyers); Brendan Brisson, Chicago, USHL (2020 draft eligible); \Cole Caufield, Wisconsin, Big Ten (Montreal Canadiens); Sam Colangelo, Chicago, USHL (2020 draft eligible); John Farinacci, Harvard, ECAC (Arizona Coyotes); Sean Farrell, Chicago, USHL (2020 draft eligible); Michael Gildon, Ohio State, Big Ten (2020 draft eligible); Owen Lindmark, Wisconsin, Big Ten (Florida Panthers); Robert Mastrosimone, Boston University, HE (Detroit Red Wings); Patrick Moynihan, Providence, HE (New Jersey Devils); Josh Nodler, Michigan State, Big Ten (Calgary Flames); Dylan Peterson, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); Landon Slaggert, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible); Sam Stange, Sioux Falls, USHL (2020 draft eligible); Lukas Svejkovsky, Medicine Hat, WHL (2020 draft eligible); Luke Tuch, USA U-18, NTDP (2020 draft eligible)
\Denotes returning member of team*
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