COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Current Notre Dame players Trevor Janicke, Jake Pivonka and Spencer Stastney have been named to the preliminary roster for the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team, USA Hockey announced via the NHL Network on Monday evening (Dec. 9).
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship will be played from Dec. 26, 2019 – Jan. 5, 2020, in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic (schedule).
The 28-player preliminary roster will take part in a training camp in Plymouth, Michigan, at USA Hockey Arena on Dec. 16-17 before heading overseas. USA Hockey then expects to name the final 23-player roster on Dec. 24.
Janicke, a freshman forward, has skated in all 16 games this season with the Irish. He is tied for the team lead with seven goals and his 10 points (7-3-10) rank fifth. A Maple Grove, Minnesota, native, he has three multi-point contests this season and Notre Dame is 3-0-0 in those contests. Prior to joining the Irish, Janicke skated the 2017-18 season with Central Illinois (USHL). He played for the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2016-18 and he was a fifth round draft choice (132nd overall) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2019 NHL draft.
Pivonka, a sophomore forward, has played in 15 games this season, totaling four goals and four assists for eight points. Last season as a freshman, he played 39 games and finished the year with two goals and eight assists for 10 points, with both of his goals proving to be game winners. A native of Naperville, Illinois, Pivonka skated for the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2016-18 before joining the Irish. He was a fourth round draft choice (103rd overall) by the New York Islanders in the 2018 NHL draft.
Stastney, a sophomore defenseman, has played in all 16 games this season while scoring two goals and adding six assists for eight points as Notre Dame’s second leading scorer on the blue line. As a freshman, Stastney played in 39 games, scoring a goal and adding three assists for four points. His goal gave the Irish a 1-0 lead in the 2019 Big Ten Championship game, which helped Notre Dame secure an eventual 3-2 win over Penn State (March 24). Prior to joining the Irish the Mequon, Wisconsin, native played for the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2016-18. He was a fifth round draft choice (131st overall) by the Nashville Predators in the 2018 NHL draft.
Team USA will compete against Sweden in a pre-tournament matchup Dec. 22 in Cesky Tesin, Czech Republic, with puck drop set for 12 p.m. ET. Team USA’s final pre-tournament game will take place at Havirov Arena in Havirov, Czech Republic, versus Germany on Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. ET.
In addition, Notre Dame’s Director of Hockey Operations, Nick Siergiej, will serve in a similar role for Team USA at this season’s tournament. Siergiej also served in that capacity in 2016 when Team USA earned the bronze medal.
Notre Dame At The World Junior Hockey Championship
- Current Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Andrew Peeke is the most recent Irish player to make Team USA’s World Junior Championship roster (2018).
- Peeke was also the last Irish player to earn a medal at the event by helping the U.S. secure bronze in Buffalo in 2018.
- Dating back to 1997, twenty Notre Dame players have now taken part in the IIHF World Junior Championships.
- Notre Dame’s other medalists include Anders Bjork (bronze in 2016), Mario Lucia (gold in 2013), Kyle Palmieri (gold in 2010 and bronze in 2011), Kyle Lawson (bronze in 2007) and Ben Simon (silver in 1997).
2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Coverage
- In its 12th year televising the tournament, NHL Network will provide extensive coverage, including live game telecasts plus comprehensive previews, highlights, analysis and interviews within its studio programming and via @NHLNetwork on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Up Next
- Janicke, Pivonka, Stastney and the Fighting Irish will close out the first semester this weekend with a Big Ten home series against Penn State (Dec. 13-14).
- Game one will feature a 7 p.m. puck drop on NHL Network and NBC Sports Philadelphia, while Saturday’s series finale will begin at 6 p.m. (Tickets).
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