As the No. 1 Michigan hockey team has swept through its recent opponents, its lineup may soon change for a few weeks. USA Hockey announced Monday that four Wolverines will have the chance to make Team USA for the upcoming World Junior Championship in Minneapolis. 

While the Wolverines were in Boston preparing to play their first game against Harvard, freshman forward Cole McKinney, sophomore forward Will Horcoff, freshman defenseman Asher Barnett and sophomore defenseman Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen received phone calls informing them of their selection. Four players is the most Michigan has sent to World Juniors for the U.S. since the 2023-24 season.

“It’s super special,” McKinney said Tuesday. “Obviously, being able to go to the trial camp with them will definitely make it a lot easier, and having three other guys with you there traveling, too, will make that a lot easier.” 

None of them are novices to the U.S. national team. Rhéaume-Mullen played on the U18 team in 2024 when the U.S. took home silver against Canada. McKinney, Horcoff and Barnett all played together at this year’s U18 tournament in Frisco, Texas, in May, where the trio won bronze against Slovakia in overtime. McKinney had a power-play goal in that game.

While both McKinney and Horcoff were invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase, it was a different case for the two defensemen. Rhéaume-Mullen was invited, but only due to an injury opening up a spot. His inclusion on the roster is an indication of him significantly elevating his game this year after he was not on any U.S. national team last year. He struggled in his first year in college as one of the youngest players in the nation and especially as a defenseman. This year, though, he averages the third-most minutes among Michigan’s players and has 13 points in 18 games — more than he scored all of last year. 

“He’s had an unbelievable start to the year,” McKinney said. “His skill, his brain, is tremendous, and his skating as well. I think that’s something that obviously every team and every lineup could use, and I think he will definitely benefit them.” 

Barnett was in a similar situation. Despite having an assist on one of the goals in the bronze medal game and captaining the team, he was notably left off the list for the showcase. But he’s proven himself a steady shutdown defenseman for the Wolverines, and USA Hockey took note. 

Each would likely serve a similar role to theirs at Michigan. McKinney would serve as a defensively responsible forward who takes faceoffs on the penalty kill and can be relied upon to be a shutdown player in crunch time. Horcoff would take on a role in the top six as one of the team’s most prolific scorers. Barnett and Rhéaume-Mullen would assume their roles as defensive and offensive defensemen, respectively. 

First, they must make the team. There were 28 players named to the preliminary roster and only 25 players will make the final roster. The four will have to battle for their spots for a week in Duluth, Minn., at training beginning Dec. 13 and play two friendlies against Germany on Dec. 21 and Finland on Dec. 23. The final roster will be announced on Dec. 24. The tournament will begin Dec. 26 and run through Jan. 5 in Minneapolis.

The Wolverines will be down four players for nearly a month of practice if they make the roster, and, if the U.S. makes the quarterfinals, Michigan will not have its players for its game against the U.S. National Team Development Program on Jan. 3. Michigan played this game without players in a similar situation in 2024. The USNTDP game has negligible impact on the Wolverines’ national standing, so missing those players means little. Michigan will lose practice time and chemistry work as the line combinations will be messed up, but its players gaining experience playing against the best players their age is arguably more valuable. 

For these four, if they make the team, they’ll be part of a group going for the first American three-peat, and trying to do so on home ice. It would be a historic victory, and all four hope to be a part of it. 

“If we’re all fortunate enough to make that team, it would be pretty incredible,” McKinney said. 

They’ll know on Dec. 24 if they’ll be among those who will make the attempt, and Michigan will know how different its lineup will look for a few weeks.

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