Cole Hutson and Nick Kempf will travel to Duluth, Minnesota, to participate in Team USA’s training camp ahead of the 2026 World Junior Championship.
The two Washington Capitals prospects are part of a group of 28 players who were named to the USA’s preliminary roster on Monday. All nations involved in the tournament, which begins later this month, are permitted to bring a final roster of 25 players (22 skaters, 3 goaltenders) to Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Team USA has won gold at back-to-back tournaments, with Hutson leading all players in scoring last year. He was the first defenseman in World Juniors history to do so.
Hutson, the 43rd overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, had 11 points (3g, 8a) in seven games as an 18-year-old on last year’s team. He is the highest-scoring defenseman in the NCAA this season, recording 18 points (7g, 11a) in 15 games for Boston University.
The Missouri-born blueliner took home the Tim Taylor Award last spring, presented to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey freshman. Hutson also dressed in a preliminary game for Team USA at the senior World Championship in May.
Kempf, a fourth-round pick by the Capitals in 2024, is Notre Dame’s starting goaltender in the NCAA this season. The 19-year-old backstop is 4-9-1 for the Fighting Irish, with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.
The Chicago native starred for the US at the 2024 Under-18 World Junior Championship, going 5-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and two shutouts. The Americans won silver at the tournament, falling 6-4 to Canada in the gold medal game.
The final Team USA roster is expected to be announced by December 24. The team’s first game comes against Germany on December 26.