5 things learned from U.S. junior selection camp

BUFFALO -- Defenseman Casey Fitzgerald of Boston College and forward Kieffer Bellows of Boston University are not only rivals in Hockey East, they could soon find themselves on opposite sides when they reach the NHL.
Each was chosen in the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo last June: Fitzgerald by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round (No. 86) and Bellows by the New York Islanders in the first round (No. 19). They are teammates this weekend while participating at the United States national junior team selection camp at HarborCenter, but Fitzgerald got the last laugh on Friday when they sat together to witness the Sabres' 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders at KeyBank Center.

"That was the first Sabres game I attended so it was cool to see the atmosphere," Fitzgerald said. "The fans were obviously great and everyone was very supportive. The Sabres had a huge overtime win, so it doesn't get any more exciting than that."
Unless you're a fan of the Islanders.
"We were just saying to each, 'Good luck, but I know my team will win,' and going back and forth with that," Bellows said. "I sat next to him and we were pretty excited watching our teams.
"It was pretty special knowing it was the first time I was in this building since I was drafted by the Islanders and first time I'm back is when I'm watching the Islanders play the Sabres."
Each player was also asked to appear on his team's local television broadcast. Fitzgerald spoke after practice Friday morning; Bellows was a guest during the first period of the game.
"It was definitely cool to have them interview me after practice," Fitzgerald said. "It's nice to get the support from the network and that everyone wants to see me is something special."
Said Bellows: "I was asked if I was open to do an interview and I said, 'Absolutely.' There aren't many times you get to do that and it was cool."
Here are four other things learned after Day 2 at USA Hockey selection camp:

The magnificent seven

Bellows is one of seven Boston University players at camp, including defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Chad Krys, who played for the U.S. at the 2016 WJC. Also from BU are goaltender Jake Oettinger (2017 draft eligible) and forwards Patrick Harper (Nashville Predators), Jordan Greenway (Minnesota Wild) and Clayton Keller (Arizona Coyotes).
The last time as many as six players from the same team played for the United States at the World Junior Championship was 1979, when the University of Minnesota sent six players to Sweden: Aaron Broten, Neal Broten, Bryan Erickson, Jim Jetland, Mike Ramsey and Steve Ulseth.
The U.S. team that year was coached by 2014 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Lou Vairo and finished sixth. Aaron Broten led them in scoring with seven points (four goals, three assists).

Team-first mentality

Coach Bob Motzko has stressed the importance of coming together quickly during the 11-day tournament that begins Dec. 26. The United States, Canada, Latvia, Russia and Slovakia will play their Group B preliminary-round games at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
"He's kind of preached a lot on building the chemistry and I think that the energy he brings every day is something that's caught my eye and I really like it," McAvoy said. "We go into every single practice with an intention of getting better and everything we do is with high energy. He brings a good vibe around the rink and I think the guys like him a lot. I know I'm really excited for opportunity to play for him."

Erie's finest

Erie forward Alex DeBrincat said he would welcome the opportunity to play against his Ontario Hockey League teammates Dylan Strome and Taylor Raddysh when the United States plays Canada at Air Canada Centre on Dec. 31.
DeBrincat (Chicago Blackhawks) leads Erie with 30 goals and is second with 60 points. Raddysh leads the team with 38 assists and 61 points. Strome has five goals and 16 points in seven games after playing seven games with the Arizona Coyotes to start the season.
Raddysh and Strome were named to Canada's national junior team Sunday.
"I'd rather be on their team, but it'll be cool to play against them," said DeBrincat, who played for the U.S. at the 2016 WJC. "Hopefully we can get the bragging rights between the two teams. When we're in Erie we're best friends. But here I think we're keeping a distance because we're on different teams. It's all business."

#

First cuts coming after exhibition game

It doesn't appear as if Motzko will make any cuts during selection camp. That process might begin after the first pretournament game, against Switzerland on Dec. 21 in Oshawa, Ontario.
He admits it won't be easy.
"I can't imagine that any coach doesn't question something," he said. "I'm sure other countries feel the same way when it comes to cuts. We have to have trust and faith in this coaching staff. We're not trying to put a team together to lose a hockey game; we're trying to put a team together that can find itself and find success. What makes [cutting players] difficult is that there are good hockey players here, real quality young men.
"But we'll whittle this down from 26 players to 23 players, then figure out the line combinations that work best. It's a difficult decision, but each day we practice and play, it becomes a little clearer."