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DECEMBER 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 25 "The entire pulse of the tour- n a m e n t i s g o i n g t o b e r i g h t there," Johannson said. In 2011, several games were played at Dwyer Arena on the campus of Niagara University, about a 30-minute drive from KeyBank Center. "If the sites are like 20 miles a p a r t , w h i c h t h e y w e r e i n Buffalo [last time], you just don't get a feel for that other group," Johannson said. "You're just not around it, you don't see it." However, with HarborCenter so close, most of the action will be concentrated along Buffalo's Canalside district. "It creates more of an Olympic atmosphere, where athletes are more present with each other and more aware of what's going on between competition, where fans are just seeing a fully ingrained one-block radius hosting all these teams and the great athletes," Couture said of having the games concentrated in one spot. " T h e ove r a l l e xc i t e m e n t i s going to magnify because of that." Naturally, the action on the ice promises to be world class. " T h e h o c k e y s e l l s i t s e l f ," Johannson said. "I'm confident s a y i n g t o y o u r i g h t n o w t h e hockey 's going to be unbeliev- able again this year, and who knows who the hero's going to be or where the story's going to come from? But it's going to be a great story." When the Sabres hosted the World Juniors in 2011, Russia rallied to win the gold medal, defeating Canada, 5-3. Two days earlier, Canada beat the U.S. in the semifinals. The U.S. eventu- ally won the bronze medal. Can last year 's U.S.-Canada thriller be topped? Johannson thinks so. "It just seems like every time you don't think you're going to beat it you do," he said of past U.S.-Canada tilts. "To me, it's unbelievable, both how competitive and exciting the games have been, but also the level of play. It's fantastic exposure for our game, and I think more and more kids relate to the World Juniors than they d o t o t h e O l y m p i c s, b e c a u s e I think they can almost envi- sion, 'Maybe I can do that.'" P Bill Hoppe is a freelance writer based in Buffalo, N.Y. No. Name Hometown Current Team 1 Jack Campbell Port Huron, Mich. Ontario Reign (AHL) 3 Charlie Coyle East Weymouth, Mass. Minnesota Wild 4 Brian Dumoulin Biddeford, Maine Pitsburgh Penguins 5 John Ramage Chesterfield, Mo. Cleveland Monsters (AHL) 6 Nick Leddy Eden Prairie, Minn. New York Islanders 7 Derek Forbort Duluth, Minn. Los Angeles Kings 8 Brock Nelson Warroad, Minn. New York Islanders 9 Jerry D'Amigo Binghamton, N.Y. KalPa Kuopio (SM-Iiiga) 10 Chris Brown Flower Mound, Texas Iserlohn Roosters (DEL) 11 Jeremy Morin Auburn, N.Y. South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) 12 Jon Merrill Brighton, Mich. Vegas Golden Knights 15 Drew Shore Denver Zurich SC (Swiss-A) 16 Jason Zucker Las Vegas Minnesota Wild 17 Ryan Bourque Boxford, Mass. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) 18 Patrick Wey Pittsburgh Hershey Bears (AHL) 19 Chris Kreider Boxford, Mass. New York Rangers 23 Kyle Palmieri Montvale, N.J. New Jersey Devils 24 Mitch Callahan Whittier, Calif. Bakersfield Condors (AHL) 25 Justin Faulk South St. Paul, Minn. Carolina Hurricanes 26 Emerson Etem Long Beach, Calif. Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) 27 Nick Bjugstad Blaine, Minn. Florida Panthers 29 Andy Iles Ithaca, N.Y. Fife Flyers (EIHL) WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 2011 U.S. National Junior Team "Going to Bills games and seeing the atmosphere there and how crazy the fans get, it's a great venue for an event like this." –JACK EICHEL