The Columbus Blue Jackets 2016 2nd round pick has been selected to the preliminary World Junior Championship roster for Team USA.
U.S.A. Hockey has announced its preliminary roster for the 2018 World Junior Championships. The defending gold medal team has invited a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Andrew Peeke to compete for a spot on the roster.
Peeke is a 6’2″ defender from Florida that is playing college hockey at the University of Notre Dame. Peeke was a second round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2016 entry draft. He has plenty of international tournament experience playing for Team USA competing in the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial, 2015 World Junior A Challenge, and 2014 Five Nations Challenge.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Peeke also was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team in 2017 and played in the Frozen Four for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame now plays in the Big Ten and he as already visited Columbus once to play The Ohio State Buckeyes.
The U-20 team will compete in Buffalo, New York as the red, white, and blue look to become the first team to win back-to-back gold medals since the Canadian’s won five straight from 2005-2009.
The competition for spots on the roster will be fierce as there are very few “locks” to make the team on the blue line. Only Quinn Hughes and Ryan Lindgren are considered to being going to Buffalo for sure.
The competition will be fierce and Columbus Blue Jackets fans will get a chance to see the action in person. Training camp for the team will take place at Nationwide Arena on December 15th through the 19th. Selections will be made and the defensive corps will be whittled from 10 invited defensman to seven for the tournament.
Peeke, although not a lock, is a safe bet to make the team in my opinion. Congratulations to our own Andrew Peeke for the invite!