BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) will be well-represented on the 2024 U.S. Men’s National Team, as USA Hockey finalized its roster for the upcoming 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship on Sunday. Three former NCHC standouts were named to Team USA, while four alumni from NCHC teams are on the squad, with three from North Dakota and one from St. Cloud State.
 
Former North Dakota forward Shane Pinto, defenseman Jake Sanderson and forward Brock Nelson, who played for UND in the WCHA prior to the NCHC, along with former SCSU forward Mikey Eyssimont will suit up for the U.S. Men’s National Team this month. The quartet are among 23 Americans selected to go for the gold at the IIHF Men’s World Championship, which runs May 10-26 in Czechia.
 
Team USA, which is currently training in Bratislava, faces Slovakia in an exhibition game on Tuesday, May 7 at noon ET. The Stars and Stripes then begin the 2024 Men’s World Championship against Sweden on Friday, May 10. The U.S. also faces Germany (May 11), Slovakia again (May 13), France (May 16), Poland (May 17), Kazakhstan (May 19) and Latvia (May 21) in preliminary round play in Group B, with all those games in Ostrava, Czechia. The quarterfinals are set for May 23, with the semifinals and medal games on May 25 and 26, respectively. All of Team USA’s games at the Men’s World Championship, including all medal-round games, can be seen live on NHL Network.
 
Pinto (Franklin Square, N.Y.) played two seasons at North Dakota from 2019-2021, earning NCHC Player of the Year honors as a sophomore in his final season at UND. He also garnered NCHC Forward and Defensive Forward of the Year in 2021, after landing NCHC Rookie of the Year in 2019-20. In two seasons with the Fighting Hawks, the 2021 First-Team All-American and Hobey Hat Trick Finalist totaled 60 points (31g/29a) in 61 games while leading UND to a pair of Penrose Cups. In three-plus seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Pinto has amassed 70 career points (30g/40a) in 140 NHL games. He previously represented Team USA at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2018 World Junior A Challenge.
 
Sanderson (Whitefish, Mont.) also played two years at North Dakota from 2020-2022, playing one year with Pinto. As a freshman in 2020-21, he helped the Fighting Hawks win both the NCHC regular-season title and Frozen Faceoff championship, while landing on the NCHC All-Rookie Team. As a sophomore in 2021-22, Sanderson was tabbed Second-Team All-NCHC and an All-American. He finished his college career with 41 points (10g/31a) in 45 games, before becoming Pinto’s teammate again in Ottawa. The Senators blueliner has already amassed 156 NHL games in two seasons, scoring 14 goals with 56 assists for 70 career points. Sanderson was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2022-23 after 32 points (4g/28a) in 77 games. The U.S. National Team Development Program product previously represented Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship, where he won a gold medal, and at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in China.
 
Eyssimont (Littleton, Colo.) starred at St. Cloud State for three years from 2015-2018. In his time with the Huskies, the 2016 Frozen Faceoff Most Outstanding Player totaled 102 points (45g/57a) in 115 career games. He earned Second-Team All-NCHC honors as a junior with 17 goals and 39 points in his final season at SCSU, while helping the Huskies win the 2017-18 Penrose Cup. Eyssimont has spent two seasons in the NHL with three teams, first with Winnipeg, then San Jose, and currently Tampa Bay. He has 40 points (16g/24a) in 136 career NHL games, including playing in 81 of 82 games for the Lightning this season, recording 11 goals and 14 assists. This May will mark the second straight year Eyssimont has suited up for the U.S. Men’s National Team, playing in nine games (1g/2a) in the 2023 Men’s World Championship in Finland while helping Team USA to a fourth-place finish.
 
Nelson (Warroad, Minn.) played at North Dakota for two seasons from 2010-2012, totaling 68 points (36g/32a) in 84 games, while garnering Third-Team All-WCHA as a sophomore. He has been a member of the New York Islanders ever since, playing 11 seasons for the Isles, while serving as assistant captain the last four. Nelson has compiled 531 career points (275g/256a) in 840 career NHL games with New York. The 2024 Men’s World Championship will be Nelson’s fifth time representing the U.S. Men’s National Team, also doing so from 2014-2017, including winning a bronze medal in 2015. He also played on the 2011 U.S. National Junior Team, which won bronze in Buffalo, N.Y.

In 2023 at last year’s Men’s World Championship, the U.S. finished the preliminary round first in Group B, but fell to Germany and Latvia in the medal rounds to finish fourth of 16 teams. Last year’s U.S. squad featured eight former NCHC players: Ronnie Attard (WMU), Eyssimont, Rocco Grimaldi (UND), Tyler Kleven (UND), Carter Mazur (Denver), Nick Perbix (SCSU), Scott Perunovich (UMD) and Dylan Samberg (UMD).

In total, the U.S. has earned 13 podium finishes at the IIHF Men’s World Championship, including one gold medal (1933), four silver medals (1950, 1939, 1934, 1931) and eight bronze medals (2021, 2018, 2015, 2013, 2004, 1996, 1952, 1949).