ICYMI – USA wins Gold in World Juniors, captained by M’s McGroarty

Submitted by MGoGrendel on January 6th, 2024 at 12:40 PM

Old news, but not posted here yet with all the other sportsball excitement going on!

Michigan sent three players on the US team to the World Junior Championship held in Sweden.

  • Rutger McGroarty – Captain: 9 points and +8 in the tournament.  Scored the last goal in the championship against Sweden.
  • Gavin Brindley – 10 points and +7
  • Seamus Casey – stats not listed on the tourney leaderboard.

Sparty sent their goalie, Trey Augustine, and he had an awesome tournament with the best save percentage of all goalies.  I think he had 47 (IIRC) saves against Sweden in the gold medal game.  Good choice of their big brothers sticking him in goal when playing on the back yard rink!

David Carle was the head coach, which you may remember as the Head Coach of the 2022 Denver hockey team that won the Frozen Four (and beat Michigan in overtime in the first round).  What you may not know is that 20 years ago he played on the US Junior Team that won US's first World Juniors gold medal in 2004.

Of note, Canada finished 5th in the tourney, losing in the first round of the playoffs to Chechia (bronze), after finishing second in Group A (behind Sweden).  They had no Michigan players on their team, which may have been... The Difference

 

…now back to the regular football discussions!

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2024 World Juniors

MGoGrendel

January 6th, 2024 at 12:58 PM ^

I was confident that it was mentioned - this is the best sports blog! - but thought best to bring this to a wider set of eyes considering the Michigan players on the team.  

Also, I left Frank Nazar off the list of Michigan players that made the team.  Gavin Hayes from the Flint Firebirds also made the team.

Boston College sent 6 players and Minnesota sent 5 to the World Juniors. 

Joined: 01/21/2013

MGoPoints: 70271

stephenrjking

January 6th, 2024 at 2:09 PM ^

The Nazar-Brindley-Isaac Howard (MSU) line was the key line for the team, including in the final. Casey was massive and had a spectacular zone entry to set up what I believe was the first goal. 

Excellent tournament for Michigan guys and for team USA in general. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143872

Robbie Moore

January 6th, 2024 at 2:45 PM ^

Feeling good about Wings second round pick Trey Augustine. Had a great tournament and is also having quite the rookie season for Sparty. Don’t look back Sebastian Cossa, something is gaining on you.

Joined: 12/01/2008

MGoPoints: 46092

westquad1999

January 6th, 2024 at 3:11 PM ^

Hey! Flying back from WJC right now. I’ve been the NHL Network sideline reporter for the past 3 WJCs and was a WOLV TV broadcaster from 1999-03. Such scenes last night! Special to be there with our USA boys and especially the great UM kids I’ve gotten to know over the past few tournaments. Gavin Brindley has really picked up a ton of hype - his motor is outstanding and allows him to play inches taller than he actually is. His parents are great people and met at Miami University. Like Rutger, and a bunch of the players on the team, his dad is Canadian but a full-throated USA partisan.

It won’t last into the B1G season, but Rutger and MSU’s Isaac Howard were good buds on the team. They had a special high-five when lining up in the tunnel before every period where they both yell TWOOOOO! (Ike wears 22 for Sparty and USA.) Incredible to see how much USA’s development program has flourished. 
 

Craig Button of TSN - an excellent human, and fanatical M fan whose daughter was born at the UM hospital - and I stayed up to watch the Rose Bowl from our hotel’s hospitality suite. Milton was stopped at ~2:35 am in Gothenburg.

I’ve got a bunch of pics on my instagram and instastories. Great shot of Seamus wrapped in an American flag and Frank high-fiving some Swedish kids. Go Blue! #BlueAbroad

 

Joined: 01/22/2010

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