OTTAWA, Ontario - The Garden State is well represented on international ice with Aram Minnetian and Christopher Pelosi both preparing to line up for Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championship starting on Thursday, Dec. 26. Pre-tournament action kicks off a few days earlier when the team opens up against Slovakia.

Minnetian hails from northern New Jersey and has a storied record as part of the USNTDP in the USHL. He currently skates with Boston College and has been part of other international competitions. The defenseman has five points so far this season in 16 NCAA games.

Pelosi started his elite play as part of the Philadelphia Hockey Club in Sewell, New Jersey. He has also played in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede and was an assistant captain last season. In NCAA play with his inaugural season at Quinnipiac University, he has earned five points across 15 games. This will be his first international competition.

Team USA is the defending gold medalist of the tournament that runs through Jan. 5