Six Minnesota hockey players to represent U.S. at Five Nations Tournament

Minnesota hockey will be well represented at the upcoming Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, which is taking place Aug, 14-18 in Piestany, Slovakia.

Forwards Cole Bumgarner (Rogers), Nathaniel Pederson (Shakopee) and Casey Vandertop (Edina) as well as defenseman Nathaniel Celski (White Bear Lake) were selected to be part of the U.S. team after a a recent USA Hockey Boys National 16 Player Development Camp in Amherst, New York.

Shattuck-St. Mary's forward Luke Puchner (New Germany) and goaltender Xavier Wendt (Plymouth) will also be joining the U.S. squad at the tournament.

Three other out of state players who attend Shattuck-St. Mary's, a boarding school in Faribault that specializes in hockey, will be a part of the U.S. team: forward Noah Davidson (Irvine, CA), defensemen Levi Harper (Tampa, FL) and Odin Bauhkonen (Costa Mesa, CA).

The U.S. have taken home the title at the tournament eight times, most recently in 2021, while finishing runners-up in each of the past two editions of the tournament.