Jason La Rose
The 102nd season of NHL hockey faced off last Wednesday, and the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge was well-represented among the league’s 31 teams – in total, 258 U17 alumni were included on season-opening rosters.
That number represented more than one-third (37.4%) of all players in the league to start the campaign.
The Colorado Avalanche led the way with 15, one ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs and two up on the New York Rangers. Every team has at least five alumni on its roster.
The list includes 58 players with a U17 gold medal on their résumé; the January 2014 U.S. entry that won gold in Cape Breton, N.S., has 10 members in the NHL (Greenway, Hanifin, Keller, Kunin, Matthews, McAvoy, Roslovic, Tkachuk, White), more than any other championship team.
Three players from the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C. – Tobias Björnfot (LAK), Ville Heinola (WPG) and Jack Hughes (NJD) – are the youngest alumni starting the year in the big leagues, while Joe Thornton (SJS), who won gold with Ontario at the 1995 tournament in Moncton, N.B., is the lone player still active who competed in the 1990s.
The full list of U17 alumni on season-opening NHL rosters includes:
ANAHEIM (11) Max Comtois (CAN-R 2015), Cam Fowler (USA 2008), Ryan Getzlaf (WST 2002), John Gibson (USA 2010), Brendan Guhle (PAC J2014), Korbinian Holzer (GER 2005), Max Jones (USA N2014), Jacob Larsson (SWE J2014), Isac Lundeström (SWE 2015), Rickard Rakell (SWE 2010), Nick Ritchie (ONT 2012)
ARIZONA (7) Jakob Chychrun (ONT J2014), Eric Comrie (PAC 2012), Lawson Crouse (ONT 2014), Barrett Hayton (CAN-W 2016), Clayton Keller (USA J2014), Phil Kessel (USA 2004), Brad Richardson (ONT 2002),
BOSTON (6) Matt Grzekcyk (USA 2011), Brad Marchand (ATL 2005), Charlie McAvoy (USA J2014), David Pastrnak (CZE 2012), Brett Ritchie (ONT 2010), Urho Vaakanainen (FIN N2014)
BUFFALO (8) Jack Eichel (USA 2013), Curtis Lazar (PAC 2012), Jake McCabe (USA 2010), Kyle Okposo (USA 2005), Lawrence Pilut (SWE 2012), Sam Reinhart (PAC 2012), Rasmus Ristolainen (FIN 2010-2011), Jeff Skinner (ONT 2009)
CALGARY (5) Sam Bennett (ONT 2013), Noah Hanifin (USA J2014), Sean Monahan (ONT 2011), Tobias Rieder (GER 2009), Matthew Tkachuk (USA J2014)
CAROLINA (7) Haydn Fleury (WST 2013), Dougie Hamilton (ONT 2010), Erik Haula (FIN 2008), Martin Necas (CZE 2015), Jordan Staal (ONT 2005), Andrei Svechnikov (RUS 2015-2016), Teuvo Teravainen (FIN 2011)
CHICAGO (9) David Kampf (CZE 2012), Patrick Kane (USA 2005), Duncan Keith (PAC 2000), Slater Koekkoek (ONT 2011), Alexander Nylander (SWE N2014), Brandon Saad (USA 2009), Brent Seabrook (PAC 2002), Dylan Strome (ONT J2014), Jonathan Toews (WST 2005)
COLORADO (15) Andre Burakovsky (SWE 2012), J.T. Compher (USA 2012), Joonas Donskoi (FIN 2008), Samuel Girard (CAN-B N2014), Ryan Graves (ATL 2012), Philipp Grubauer (GER 2008), Erik Johnson (USA 2005), Tyson Jost (CAN-W N2014), Vladislav Kamenev (RUS 2013), Nathan MacKinnon (ATL 2011-2012), Valeri Nichushkin (RUS 2012), Matt Nieto (USA 2009), Mikko Rantanen (FIN 2013), Colin Wilson (USA 2006), Nikita Zadorov (RUS 2012)
COLUMBUS (10) Pierre-Luc Dubois (CAN-B N2014), Nick Foligno (USA 2004), Vladislav Gavrikov (RUS 2012), Scott Harrington (ONT 2010), Boone Jenner (ONT 2010), Seth Jones (USA 2011), Sonny Milano (USA 2013), Ryan Murray (WST 2010), Riley Nash (PAC 2006), Zach Werenski (USA J2014)
DALLAS (5) Andrew Cogliano (ONT 2004), Denis Gurianov (RUS J2014), Miro Heiskanen (FIN 2015), Corey Perry (ONT 2002), Tyler Seguin (ONT 2009)
DETROIT (6) Andreas Athanasiou (ONT 2011), Jonathan Bernier (QUE 2005), Madison Bowey (WST 2012), Trevor Daley (ONT 2000), Jacob de la Rose (SWE 2012), Dylan Larkin (USA 2013)
EDMONTON (9) Ethan Bear (WST J2014), Leon Draisaitl (GER 2012), Markus Granlund (FIN 2010), Zack Kassian (ONT 2008), Oscar Klefbom (SWE 2010), Connor McDavid (ONT 2013), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (PAC 2010), Darnell Nurse (ONT 2012), Kris Russell (PAC 2004)
FLORIDA (7) Brett Connolly (PAC 2009), Aaron Ekblad (ONT 2012-2013), Jayce Hawryluk (WST 2013), Jonathan Huberdeau (QUE 2010), Michael Matheson (QUE 2011), Mark Pysyk (PAC 2009), Frank Vatrano (USA 2011)
LOS ANGELES (9) Tobias Björnfot (SWE 2017), Jack Campbell (USA 2009), Jeff Carter (ONT 2002), Drew Doughty (ONT 2006), Carl Grundström (SWE J2014), Adrian Kempe (SWE 2013), Ilya Kovalchuk (RUS 2000), Joakim Ryan (SWE 2010), Tyler Toffoli (ONT 2009)
MINNESOTA (10) Jonas Brodin (SWE 2010), Matt Dumba (PAC 2011), Joel Eriksson Ek (SWE 2014), Jordan Greenway (USA J2014), Ryan Hartman (USA 2011), Luke Kunin (USA J2014), Victor Rask (SWE 2010), Eric Staal (ONT 2001), Ryan Suter (USA 2002), Jason Zucker (USA 2009)
MONTREAL (10) Joel Armia (FIN 2010), Phillip Danault (QUE 2010), Max Domi (ONT 2012), Jonathan Drouin (QUE 2012), Brendan Gallagher (PAC 2009), Artturi Lehkonen (FIN 2011), Victor Mete (CAN-R N2014), Carey Price (PAC 2004), Nick Suzuki (CAN-W 2015), Jordan Weal (PAC 2009)
NASHVILLE (7) Viktor Arvidsson (SWE 2010), Matt Duchene (ONT 2008), Ryan Ellis (ONT 2008), Dante Fabbro (CAN-R N2014), Mikael Granlund (FIN 2008), Rocco Grimaldi (USA 2010), Kyle Turris (PAC 2006)
NEW JERSEY (10) Jesper Bratt (SWE N2014), Will Butcher (USA 2012), Connor Carrick (USA 2011), Taylor Hall (ONT 2008), John Hayden (USA 2012), Jack Hughes (USA 2017), Kyle Palmieri (USA 2008), Damon Severson (WST 2011), P.K. Subban (ONT 2006), Sami Vatanen (FIN 2008)
NEW YORK ISLANDERS (11) Josh Bailey (ONT 2006), Anthony Beauvillier (QUE J2014), Johnny Boychuk (PAC 2001), Derick Brassard (QUE 2004), Casey Cizikas (ONT 2008), Cal Clutterbuck (ONT 2004), Michael Dal Colle (ONT 2013), Noah Dobson (CAN-R 2016), Tom Kuhnhackl (GER 2008-2009), Adam Pelech (ONT 2011), Ryan Pulock (WST 2011)
NEW YORK RANGERS (13) Lias Andersson (SWE N2014), Pavel Buchnevich (RUS 2012), Adam Fox (USA N2014), Libor Hajek (CZE J2014), Brett Howden (CAN-W N2014), Greg McKegg (ONT 2009), Vladislav Namestnikov (RUS 2009), Brady Skjei (USA 2011), Brendan Smith (ONT 2006), Marc Staal (ONT 2004), Ryan Strome (ONT 2010), Jacob Trouba (USA 2011), Mika Zibanejad (SWE 2010)
OTTAWA (7) Erik Brännström (SWE 2015), Filip Chlapik (CZE J2014), Anthony Duclair (QUE 2011-2012), Tyler Ennis (PAC 2012), Cody Goloubef (ONT 2006), Brady Tkachuk (USA 2015), Colin White (USA J2014)
PHILADELPHIA (8) Sean Couturier (ATL 2008-2009), Robert Hagg (SWE 2012), Travis Konecny (ONT J2014), Scott Laughton (ONT 2011), Oskar Lindblom (SWE 2013), Samuel Morin (QUE 2012), Travis Sanheim (WST 2013), James van Riemsdyk (USA 2006)
PITTSBURGH (8) Erik Gudbranson (ONT 2009), Tristan Jarry (PAC 2012), Jack Johnson (USA 2004), Dominik Kahun (GER 2012), Kris Letang (QUE 2004), Jared McCann (ONT 2013), Marcus Pettersson (SWE 2013), Bryan Rust (USA 2009)
SAN JOSE (5) Logan Couture (ONT 2006), Barclay Goodrow (ONT 2010), Evander Kane (PAC 2008), Kevin Labanc (USA 2012), Joe Thornton (ONT 1995)
ST. LOUIS (7) Ivan Barbashev (RUS 2012), Robby Fabbri (ONT 2013), Justin Faulk (USA 2009), Ryan O’Reilly (ONT 2008), Brayden Schenn (WST 2008), Jaden Schwartz (WST 2009), Robert Thomas (CAN-W 2015)
TAMPA BAY (5) Erik Cernak (SVK 2013), Braydon Coburn (WST 2001-2002), Alex Killorn (QUE 2006), Mikhail Sergachev (RUS N2014), Kevin Shattenkirk (USA 2006)
TORONTO (14) Tyson Barrie (PAC 2008), Cody Ceci (ONT 2010), Frédérik Gauthier (QUE 2012), Kasperi Kapanen (FIN 2013), Timothy Liljegren (SWE 2015), Martin Marincin (SVK 2009), Mitch Marner (ONT J2014), Auston Matthews (USA J2014), William Nylander (SWE 2013), Morgan Rielly (PAC 2011), Rasmus Sandin (SWE 2016), Nick Shore (USA 2009), John Tavares (ONT 2006), Dmytro Timashov (SWE 2013)
VANCOUVER (7) Thatcher Demko (USA 2012), Bo Horvat (ONT 2012), Quinn Hughes (USA 2015), J.T. Miller (USA 2010), Tyler Motte (USA 2012), Brandon Sutter (PAC 2006), Jake Virtanen (PAC 2013)
VEGAS (7) William Carrier (QUE 2011), Cody Eakin (WST 2008), Marc-André Fleury (QUE 2002), Cody Glass (CAN-R 2015), Brayden McNabb (WST 2008), Mark Stone (WST 2009), Valentin Zykov (RUS 2012)
WASHINGTON (8) Travis Boyd (USA 2010), Brendan Leipsic (WST 2011), Dmitri Orlov (RUS 2008), Alex Ovechkin (RUS 2002), Ilya Samsonov (RUS J2014), Chandler Stephenson (WST 2011), Jakub Vrana (CZE 2012), Tom Wilson (ONT 2011)
WINNIPEG (7) Laurent Brossoit (PAC 2010), David Gustafsson (SWE 2016), Ville Heinola (FIN 2017), Bryan Little (ONT 2004), Adam Lowry (PAC 2010), Josh Morrissey (PAC 2012), Jack Roslovic (USA J2014)