PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Zeev Buium, selected by the Minnesota Wild with the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is one of 10 returning players eyeing an opportunity to do something no United States National Junior Team has ever done at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
"Winning back-to-back gold medals probably means everything to us," the University of Denver sophomore defenseman said. "We've talked about it and aren't hiding from it. We're still super hungry and trying to attack it in a way where we want to take our experiences from last year's World Juniors, create a new team that will have several new players, and act as if this is our first run."
The process of doing that begins this week when USA Hockey holds selection camp to help determine its 25-player roster for the 2025 World Junior Championship.
The camp, which includes 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies, runs Monday and Tuesday here at USA Hockey Arena. The team then will resume camp at INVISTA Centre in Kingston, Ontario, beginning Wednesday.
The U.S. won the 2024 WJC after going 7-0-0 and outscoring its opponents 45-15. It became only the third U.S. team to finish the tournament without a loss (2004, 2017). It defeated Sweden 6-2 in the gold medal game to earn its sixth tournament title, and second in the past four years.
But the U.S. never has repeated as champion; its best finish the year after winning was third place in 2011 and 2018.
"I think it's right at the top or near the top to try to do that," said U.S. coach David Carle, who is returning from the 2024 WJC. "USA Hockey has been on an amazing trajectory over the last 20 years in this event. We talked a lot about last year being the 20th anniversary of the first gold medal and now to have five since then and six overall in the medal run ... I think it's always an opportunity just to plant our flag and show that we believe we're the best hockey country in the world.
"There's no better statement than winning again. It's hard to win the first time and it's even harder to win the second."
Carle, who is in his seventh season as coach at Denver, likely will keep 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies for the duration of the tournament, which will be held Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2025 in Ottawa.
The U.S. will play pre-tournament games against Slovakia at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston on Dec. 21, and against Finland at Cornwall Civic Complex in Cornwall, Ontario, on Dec. 23.
Buium will be joined at selection camp by six others who played at least one game in the 2024 WJC in Sweden: forwards Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals), Gabe Perreault (New York Rangers), Oliver Moore (Chicago Blackhawks), and Danny Nelson (New York Islanders); defenseman Drew Fortescue (New York Rangers) and goaltender Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings). Also at the camp are defenseman Aram Minnetian (Dallas Stars) and forward Carey Terrance (Anaheim Ducks), who were part of the group in Sweden as extra players but did not get into a game, and Samuel Hillebrandt (2025 draft eligible), who was the third goalie.
Augustine was 4-0-0 with a 1.75 GAA and .936 save percentage in four games at the 2024 WJC.
"We're here to go win and it obviously starts now," Augustine said.
James Hagens (5-foot-10, 177 pounds), a freshman center with Boston College and expected top-four pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, is expected to make the team and possibly play between BC linemates Leonard and Perreault. The 18-year-old was one of the final cuts from the 2024 WJC roster.
"It's always such an honor to put your country's logo on your chest and you can't take it for granted," Hagens said. "You have to go out there, give it your all and especially seeing that the team went over and won gold last year, you just want to help as much as possible to bring home gold again."
Hagens will be joined by three other 2025 NHL draft-eligible players: Hillebrandt, who plays with Barrie in the Ontario Hockey League, and defensemen Blake Fiddler with Edmonton of the Western Hockey League and Logan Hensler of the University of Wisconsin.
The United States will play in Group A at the 2025 WJC, along with Canada, Finland, Latvia and Germany, with preliminary-round games played at Canadian Tire Centre. Group B consists of Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan, with preliminary-round games at TD Place.
The U.S. and Canada will play Dec. 31 (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN), the final night of the preliminary round, marking the first time the rivals will meet on New Year's Eve since the 2017 WJC in Toronto.
USA HOCKEY WJC CAMP ROSTER
GOALIES: * Trey Augustine, Michigan State, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); * Samuel Hillebrandt, Barrie, OHL (2025 draft eligible); Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, NCAA (Los Angeles Kings)
DEFENSEMEN: * Zeev Buium, Denver, NCAA (Minnesota Wild); EJ Emery, North Dakota, NCAA (New York Rangers); Blake Fiddler, Edmonton, WHL (2025 draft eligible); Paul Fischer, Notre Dame, NCAA (Edmonton Oilers); * Drew Fortescue, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); Logan Hensler, Wisconsin, NCAA (2025 draft eligible); Cole Hutson, Boston University, NCAA (Washington Capitals); Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres); * Aram Minnetian, Boston College, NCAA (Dallas Stars); Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State, NCAA (St. Louis Blues)
FORWARDS: Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State, NCAA (Anaheim Ducks); Trevor Connelly, Providence, NCAA (Vegas Golden Knights); Cole Eiserman, Boston University, NCAA (New York Islanders); James Hagens, Boston College, NCAA (2025 draft eligible); * Ryan Leonard, Boston College, NCAA (Washington Capitals); * Oliver Moore, Minnesota, NCAA (Chicago Blackhawks); * Danny Nelson, Notre Dame, NCAA (New York Islanders); Christopher Pelosi, Quinnipiac, NCAA (Boston Bruins); Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth, NCAA (Detroit Red Wings); * Gabe Perreault, Boston College, NCAA (New York Rangers); AJ Spellacy, Windsor, OHL (Chicago Blackhawks); Teddy Stiga, Boston College, NCAA (Nashville Predators); Brandon Svoboda, Boston University, NCAA (San Jose Sharks); * Carey Terrance, Erie, OHL (Anaheim Ducks); Joey Willis, Saginaw, OHL (Nashville Predators); Brodie Ziemer, Minnesota, NCAA (Buffalo Sabres)
* -- Denotes returning player
