GRAND FORKS – UND freshman defenseman EJ Emery is one step closer to making the U.S. World Junior Championship team.

Western Michigan goaltender Hampton Slukynsky of Warroad, Minn., is there.

USA Hockey announced a 28-player preliminary roster for the World Junior Championships on Monday morning.

Those players, including Emery and Slukynsky, will travel to final camp in Plymouth, Michigan, Dec. 16-17. USA Hockey will bring 25 players to the IIHF U20 event, scheduled to take place Dec. 26 through Jan. 26. 5 in Ottawa.

The Americans are expected to cut a forward and two defensemen from camp.

Emery took on a big role as a shutdown defenseman as a rookie for the Fighting Hawks.

His average of 21:09 minutes per game ranks fourth on the UND team, behind only sophomores Jake Livanavage (24:01), Abram Wiebe (23:15) and Caleb MacDonald (21:27). Emery has one assist in 15 games.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander was selected in the first round of the NHL Draft by the New York Rangers last summer.

Slukynsky is one of three goalkeepers on the squad.

The others are Trey Augustine of Michigan State and Sam Hillebrandt of the Ontario Hockey League.

The Americans are expected to keep all three.

Slukynsky is having a sensational season as a freshman at Western Michigan. He is 3-2-1 with a save percentage of .947 and a goals-against average of 1.66.

Slukynsky was the United States Hockey League Goaltender of the Year last season with the Fargo Force.

UND freshmen Andrew Strathmann and Mac Swanson participated in the US World Junior Summer Showcase but were not named to the preliminary list.

UND freshman forward Sacha Boisvert was a candidate for Canada’s World Junior Championship team, but was also not named to Canada’s roster.

If Emery makes the final roster, he won’t miss a regular-season UND game.

He will report to camp after the home series against St. Cloud State on Dec. 13 and 14. He will return before UND’s road trip to Arizona State on Jan. 10 and 11. The only contest he would miss is the exhibition with the University of Manitoba on Jan. 4 at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

goalkeeper
Trey Augustine, Michigan State
Sam Hillebrandt, Barrie (OHL)
Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan

defender
Zeev Buium, Denver
EJ Emery, North Dakota
Blake Fiddler, Edmonton (WHL)
Paul Fischer, Notre Dame
Drew Fortescue, Boston College
Logan Hensler, Wisconsin
Cole Hutson, Boston University
Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth
Aram Minnetian, Boston College
Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State

Forward
Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State
Trevor Connelly, Providence
Cole Eiserman, Boston University
James Hagens, Boston College
Ryan Leonard, Boston College
Oliver Moore, Minnesota
Danny Nelson, Notre Dame
Chris Pelosi, Quinnipiac
Gabe Perreault, Boston College
AJ Spellacy, Windsor (OHL)
Teddy Stiga, Boston College
Brandon Svoboda, Boston University
Carey Terrance, Erie (OHL)
Joey Willis, Saginaw (OHL)
Brodie Ziemer, Minnesota

Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the best beat writer for the Herald’s circulation department and once as the North Dakota Sportswriter of the Year. He lives in Grand Forks. Reach him at [email protected].