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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Team USA, Ripe with Olympic Potential, in Town for "Food Bank Night"

January 22, 2014 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - On Friday, the Youngstown Phantoms will host "Second Harvest Food Bank Night" at the Covelli Centre. All fans that bring three non-perishable food items can receive a $12 face value Purple Level ticket for just $3. The food items will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank, which distributed 9.2 million pounds of food in the Mahoning Valley over the past year.

While both the incredible deal and the value of community assistance provide plenty of reasons to come support the Phantoms on Friday, the game's opponent adds extra juice to a great cause.

The Team USA U18 squad will be in the building just two weeks before the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. This will be Team USA's last visit to Youngstown before the beginning of the Games.

The U.S. National Team Development Program, which fields a U18 and a U17 team in USHL play, is historically an incredibly important provider of talent for USA Hockey at the senior level. In fact, the 2014 United States Olympic roster is made up of ten former players of the U.S. National Team Development program, including one, defenseman Justin Faulk, who played for Team USA while they played a USHL schedule:

USNTDP Alumni on 2014 USA Olympic Roster

Player Position NHL team

Jimmy Howard G Detroit Red Wings

Justin Faulk D Carolina Hurricanes

Cam Fowler D Anaheim Ducks

Kevin Shattenkirk D St. Louis Blues

Ryan Suter D Minnesota Wild

Patrick Kane F Chicago Blackhawks

Ryan Kesler F Vancouver Canucks

Phil Kessel F Toronto Maple Leafs

Zach Parise F Minnesota Wild

James Van Riemsdyk F Toronto Maple Leafs

The staggering list of USNTDP alumni on this year's Olympic team gives a strong indication of the type of talent that will be on the Covelli Centre ice on Friday. Most notably, forward Jack Eichel just represented the USA at the World Junior Championship in Malmö, Sweden as a 17-year-old-an impressive feat in a major U20 tournament. Eichel, a future Boston University Terrier, has 23 points in 12 USHL contests this season.

Eichel is eligible for the NHL Entry Draft in 2015, where he figures to be a top selection. Many of his teammates, however, are eligible to be drafted this summer-and NHL scouts have noticed. In the recent NHL Central Scouting midterm rankings, released ahead of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, no fewer than six current Team USA skaters ranked in the top 32 among North American-based skaters: Sonny Milano (16), Dylan Larkin (17), Alex Tuch (21), Jack Glover (27), Jack Dougherty (29), and Ryan Collins (32) were among those receiving such high regards.

While Friday's contest figures to be immense from the standpoint of helping feed the less fortunate around the Mahoning Valley, it also figures to provide a preview of the future of American hockey. The Phantoms, too, have several highly regarded American players-Kyle Connor and JJ Piccinich among them. With so much talent at the Covelli Centre, the game promises to be memorable-both on and off the ice.

Single game tickets are on sale now for all Phantoms' home games at the Covelli Centre. Phantoms 10-Game Flex Plans are also available starting at the low price of just $89. Call 330.747.PUCK (7825) for more information or to reserve seats today. For all the latest news, visit www.YoungstownPhantoms.com, follow the Phantoms on Twitter (@YtownPhantoms) and 'like' them on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/YoungstownPhantoms).

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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