Conboy coming up big for United States at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

EDMONTON -- Gunnar Conboy reminds Reid Cashman of another dominant power forward he has coached in the past.

The United States coach at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup sees a lot of Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson in Conboy, a 6-foot-3, 197-pound left wing. The 17-year-old is considered a top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft.

“He’s big and strong and can skate, but he is also an amazing person, and his leadership has been incredible,” Cashman said. “This isn’t fair to him, but I got to be around Tom Wilson for a couple of years when I coached with the Capitals (2018-20) and there’s some similarities there.

“Tom will be the next captain when ‘Ovi’ (Alex Ovechkin) retires, and I see a lot of that in Gunnar. To me that’s the comparable at the next level.”

Conboy is an associate captain with Team USA, which booked its place in the first semifinal of the eight-team under-18 international tournament with an 8-1 win against Team Germany on Wednesday. The U.S., which finished first in Group B, will face Slovakia in the first semifinal at Rogers Place on Friday (2 p.m. ET; TSN, TSN 4, NHLN).

Canada finished first in Group A and will go against Finland in the second semifinal Friday (7 p.m. ET; TSN 4, NHLN).

For Conboy, it’s the second time he has represented the U.S. at an international tournament, and hopes to be in the conversation to represent Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, there is nothing like it, putting on the U.S. sweater and playing with your friends and all going to war together,” Conboy said. “I would hope (to play in World Juniors), but I’m trying not to look too far ahead into that. It would be an awesome opportunity, but we’ll see when the time comes what happens.”

Conboy would be an asset to the U.S. World Junior team if not this season, then in the near future; he plays a hard, heavy game, likes to get in on the forecheck and also has soft hands for a big player.

“That’s why scouts value him," Cashman said. "You see that size and you see that mobility and you see a willingness to play a certain way. He’s got pro prospect and pro potential written all over him.”

Conboy was a bit of a nomad growing up, traveling around the world following the career of his father, Tim Conboy, a defenseman who played three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2007-10, nine American Hockey League seasons from 2003-12, and six seasons in Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the top professional league in Germany, from 2012-18.

Now he is chasing the NHL dream himself.

“I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, but I kind of lived all over,” Conboy said. “I lived in Germany for a long time, my dad played professionally there. I was born in Raleigh when he was playing for the Carolina Hurricanes at the time. I kind of lived all over, growing up I honestly didn’t know where I really was. We kind of just found our way back to Minnesota, and that’s home now.”

The younger Conboy is going into his second season with Green Bay of the United States Hockey League and is committed to the University of Minnesota beyond that. He had 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 37 games last season.

“There were a lot of ups and downs last season,” Conboy said. “I started the year off with a little ankle injury, but once I got over that, it was unreal. Green Bay is an amazing spot, I’m super grateful for the coaches and the boys and everything, so I’m looking forward to going back.”

Conboy expects to take on a bigger leadership role in Green Bay when he returns, after developing leadership abilities through the travels with his father and playing with older teammates last season.

“You kind of see older guys ahead of me do certain things and I would see the ways they would get the guys going and get the team to come together,” Conboy said. “That’s kind of how I developed it.”

Prior to returning to Green Bay, however, Conboy has some unfinished business at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup; the U.S. and Canada are on a collision course to meet in the Final on Saturday.

“Playing three games in three days is a little tough, but we just have to continue doing what we’ve been doing,” Conboy said. “We have to keep playing fast and physical, recover our bodies, and go from there.”