Ryan Ufko Named to US National Junior Team Preliminary Roster

The 19-year-old blueliner, selected by Nashville in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, will compete for a spot on the United States’ National Junior Team at its selection camp in Plymouth, Michigan next week after being named to the preliminary 32-man roster on Monday.

If Ufko is selected for the final 23-man roster, it will be his first time skating for his home country at a major IIHF tournament.

Ufko currently has 13 points (3g-10a) in 15 games with the University of Massachusetts Minutemen following a 31-point (5g-26a) freshman season that concluded with a Hockey East Championship title.

Tweet from @UMassHockey: Good luck to @kennyconnors25 and @RyanUfko as they head to Plymouth, Michigan next week to battle for spots on the @usahockey 23-man roster for the upcoming @IIHFHockey World Junior Championship! 🇺🇸🔗: https://t.co/KUjgdKFJvH#NewMass X #Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/V8KRYgDTqX

The Smithtown, NY, native – the only New Yorker named to the preliminary roster – will work to earn his spot during the team’s weeklong training camp at USA Hockey Arena starting Monday, Dec. 12 to Friday, Dec. 17.

The team’s final roster will be announced at a later date.

Follow NashvillePredators.com and the @PredsNHL social media channels for updates.