Two former Los Angeles Jr. Kings - forward Brendan Brisson and goaltender Dustin Wolf - were invited to the upcoming U.S. National Junior Team Evaluation Camp, which will be held from Oct. 8-13 in Plymouth, Mich.
The camp is part of the evaluation process in selecting the U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship, which will run from Dec. 25, 2020-Jan. 5, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta.
Listed No. 20 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting on its final rankings of 2020 draft-eligibles (a potential first-round selection), the 2001-born Brisson (pictured), a University of Michigan recruit, completed an outstanding 2019-20 season with the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Chicago Steel in which he was named the USHL Rookie of the Year and to the All-USHL First Team.
Wolf, who signed an entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames in May - the team that selected him in the seventh round of last year's draft (214th overall) - capped off an award-laden 2019-20 season himself with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Everett Silvertips, earning a spot on the WHL Western Conference First-Team while also being named the WHL Western Conference Goaltender of the Year and ultimately the league’s Goaltender of the Year and Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year.
A member of last year's U.S. World Junior Team, the 2001-born Wolf was also named the recipient of the USA Hockey Dave Peterson Goaltender of the Year award.
Another former Jr. King - forward Jackson LaCombe - was also invited to the camp. LaCombe, who was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in last year's draft (second round, 39th overall), is entering his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota.
“We’re excited to bring together our top players as we prepare for the upcoming World Junior Championship,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the U.S. National Junior Team and assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey. “We’ve worked with our medical professionals to put (COVID-19) protocols in place to help in successfully running our camp and I know our players are excited about the chance to overcome all of the obstacles and challenge for a gold medal.”
The United States enters the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship seeking its fifth medal in six years after earning a record four-consecutive medals: gold in 2017; silver in 2019; and bronze in both 2018 and 2016.
