Dec. 5, 2017
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Sophomore defenseman Andrew Peeke has been named to the U.S. National Junior Team’s preliminary roster, USA Hockey announced on the NHL Network’s “NHL Now” Tuesday evening (Dec. 5). Twenty-eight players were named to the roster, including 10 defensemen.
The U.S. National Junior Team’s pre-tournament camp will be held in Columbus, Ohio, from Dec. 15-19, as part of the selection process ahead of the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.
The 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship will take place from Dec. 26, 2017 – Jan. 5, 2018, at the KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York.
Peeke, who also took part in Team USA’s 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase this past summer, has skated in all 18 games for the Irish this season and posted eight points on a goal and seven assists. He has blocked 35 shots this season, which is tied for 10th in the country, and he also is tied for fourth on the team with a +9 rating.
Selected in the second round (34th overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Peeke was the lone defenseman selected to the Hockey East All-Rookie team last season.
Current Boston Bruins forward Anders Bjork is the most recent Irish player to make Team USA’s World Junior Championship team (2015-16). Dating back to 1997, 19 Notre Dame players have taken part in the IIHF World Junior Championships. Bjork and Team USA went on to win the bronze in Helsinki, to become the fifth Notre Dame player to medal at the prestigious event. Notre Dame’s other medalists include 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).
This year’s tournament will include the first ever outdoor game when the United States takes on Canada at New Era Field on Dec. 29, 2017. Team USA will play its preliminary-round games against Denmark, Slovakia, Canada and Finland.
Peeke and the No. 4 Fighting Irish continue Big Ten play this weekend with a two-game series at 12th-ranked Wisconsin (Dec. 8-9).
— ND —
Dan Colleran, Director of Athletics Communications at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).