Matt Boldy helped the United States win gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
photo: Andrea Cardin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Defenceman Jon Merrill and forwards Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman will join the U.S. men’s national team currently competing at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Finland.
The trio of the Minnesota Wild is expected to arrive in Tampere early next week before being formally registered to the roster. All of them will play their first Worlds with the men’s senior team but have previously won gold medals in U18 and U20 play.
“We are excited to add three exceptional players to our roster,” said GM Ryan Martin. “They all had terrific seasons in the NHL and bring international experience to our group. We look forward to them being important parts of our team.”
Merrill, Hartman and Boldy were key components of a record-setting regular season for the Wild, one that included a franchise record 113 points and 53 wins.
Selected in the first round of the NHL Draft in 2013 (30th overall), Hartman just finished his eighth NHL season and played in all 82 regular-season games for Minnesota in 2021-22, with a career-best 34 goals and 65 total points. He has helped the U.S. to gold medals in the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (2012) and IIHF World Junior Championship (2013).
Boldy, a first-round NHL Draft pick in 2019 (12th overall), played in his first NHL season in 2021/22 with 39 points (15G, 24A) to his credit in 47 games played. He has been part of two medal-winning U.S. teams in international play, including bronze at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship and gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Chosen in the second round of the NHL Draft (38th overall), Merrill finished his ninth NHL season in 2021-22 and played in 68 regular-season games for the Wild while registering a career-best 20 points on four goals and 16 assists. He has represented the U.S. internationally four previous times, including twice in the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (2009-gold, 2010-gold) and two times in the IIHF World Junior Championship (2011-bronze, 2012).
The trio of the Minnesota Wild is expected to arrive in Tampere early next week before being formally registered to the roster. All of them will play their first Worlds with the men’s senior team but have previously won gold medals in U18 and U20 play.
“We are excited to add three exceptional players to our roster,” said GM Ryan Martin. “They all had terrific seasons in the NHL and bring international experience to our group. We look forward to them being important parts of our team.”
Merrill, Hartman and Boldy were key components of a record-setting regular season for the Wild, one that included a franchise record 113 points and 53 wins.
Selected in the first round of the NHL Draft in 2013 (30th overall), Hartman just finished his eighth NHL season and played in all 82 regular-season games for Minnesota in 2021-22, with a career-best 34 goals and 65 total points. He has helped the U.S. to gold medals in the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (2012) and IIHF World Junior Championship (2013).
Boldy, a first-round NHL Draft pick in 2019 (12th overall), played in his first NHL season in 2021/22 with 39 points (15G, 24A) to his credit in 47 games played. He has been part of two medal-winning U.S. teams in international play, including bronze at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship and gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Chosen in the second round of the NHL Draft (38th overall), Merrill finished his ninth NHL season in 2021-22 and played in 68 regular-season games for the Wild while registering a career-best 20 points on four goals and 16 assists. He has represented the U.S. internationally four previous times, including twice in the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (2009-gold, 2010-gold) and two times in the IIHF World Junior Championship (2011-bronze, 2012).