Matt Hendricks, Nick Foligno among early commitments for USA at world championships

Last year’s popular national team captain Matt Hendricks (Edmonton Oilers) and one-time 31-goal scorer Nick Foligno (Columbus Blue Jackets) are the early commitments to play for USA at the World Ice Hockey Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Moscow next month.

“Matt has a way of engaging and involving everyone – it all stems from having very strong self-evaluation skills and he has a way of inclusively helping groups bring out the best in each other,” said Jim Johannson, USA Hockey's assistant executive director of hockey operations. “He approaches the game with an attitude of, ‘How can I help make my teammates better?’ It has a contagious effect.”

Hendricks, a rambunctious role player, led the Americans to a bronze medal at the 2015 world championships.  The Americans have won a medal in two of the past three tournaments.

Foligno could end up playing on a line with Auston Matthews, the projected No. 1 draft pick for the June draft. Matthews was the first player to commit to USA’s roster.

Other players on board: Goalies Mike Condon (Montreal Canadiens) and Keith Kinkaid (New Jersey Devils), plus defensemen Connor Murphy (Arizona Coyotes), Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes), Chris Wideman (Ottawa Senators) and Jake McCabe (Buffalo Sabres) and winger Patrick Maroon (Edmonton Oilers).

University of Michigan player Kyle Connor, who recently signed with the Winnipeg Jets, will also play along with his Wolverine linemates Tyler Motte and JT Compher. Those three players were called the “CCM Line” at Michigan. Motte recently signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.