BLOG: Asher Barnett named to Team USA roster for 2026 World Juniors

EDMONTON, AB – Edmonton Oilers prospect and University of Michigan Wolverines defenceman Asher Barnett has been named to the U.S. National Junior Team for the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, set to be held from Dec. 26 - Jan. 5 in St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN.

Selected by the Oilers during the fifth round (131st overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft, the 18-year-old from Wilmette, IL, has recorded eight assists over 20 games in his freshman season for the Michigan Wolverines, who sit atop the NCAA rankings with a 16-4-0 record.

The Oilers traded their 2026 fifth-round pick to the Nashville Predators to acquire the 131st-overall selection at this past June's draft, using it to select the 6-foot-1, 197-pound left-shot defenceman who played at both the U18 NTDP and USHL levels in 2024-25, recording eight goals and 14 assists in 58 games for the U18s to finish third in points among defencemen while posting three goals and three assists across 21 games in the USHL.

Barnett was also the captain of Team USA at last season's U18 World Junior Championship, winning bronze and recording six points (2G, 4A) in seven games.

Barnett is one of six Wolverines named to World Juniors rosters, including 2025 first-round pick Will Horcoff of the Pittsburgh Penguins, son of Oilers' alumni Shawn Horcoff, who played 12 seasons for the Oilers between 2000-13 and recorded 162 goals and 285 assists over 796 games.

Barnett is a Wolverines teammate of Oilers' 2025 seven-round pick (225th overall) Aidan Park, who has 10 points (six goals) in 20 games this season.