Starting on Election Day and lasting for five days, some of the top hockey players eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft will compete at Plymouth’s USA Hockey Arena.
Tuesday’s opening match of the Under-18 Five Nations Tournament pits Team USA against Czechia, which generated the top two picks in the 2022 NHL Draft (Juraj Slafkovsky of the Montreal Canadiens and Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils).
Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perreault, three predicted U18 NTDP first-round picks, make up the high-scoring line for USA Hockey. Leonard has 21 points (13 goals, 8 assists) in 13 games, Perreault has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 15 games, and Smith has 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 15 games to lead the squad.
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On the preliminary players to watch list published by Central Scouting on October 25 were A-rated players Oliver Moore, Smith, Leonard, Perreault, and Moore’s teammate. Otto Stenberg and Axel Sandin Pellikka of Sweden are also on the A-rated list and are anticipated to compete in the Five Nations Tournament.
On Wednesday, Switzerland, and Sweden will all be opponents of the United States. At 7, all U.S. games will start. Early games get underway around 3:30 p.m.
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Day passes allow access to both games on a particular day. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday tickets cost $15, while Friday and Saturday tickets cost $20. An annual pass costs $100.
Since the U17 Four Nations in December 2018, when Team USA finished second, the Five Nations will be the first major international competition held at USA Hockey Arena.
