Kleber named to USA preliminary roster for World Juniors
UMD freshmen defenseman Adam Kleber was the lone Bulldog named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. National Junior Team for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship that will be held Dec. 26, 2024 through Jan. 5, 2025 in Ottawa.
The preliminary roster for Team USA includes 28 players and will need to be cut down to 25 for the World Juniors. Kleber is one of 10 defensemen on the preliminary roster.
Kleber, 18, is a 2024 second round NHL draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenseman from Chaska has one assist through 13 games for the Bulldogs and has a minus-1 rating.
Freshman wing Max Plante, a 2024 second-round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, was likely a candidate for Team USA, however, the Hermantown native missed 10 of UMD’s 13 games in the first part of the season due to an arm injury. Plante played the previous two seasons for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
USA Hockey will get the team together for a training camp Dec. 16-17 in Plymouth, Michigan. If Kleber makes the final roster, he would miss three games against Bemidji State and Alaska while playing in the World Juniors.
UMD freshmen defenseman Adam Kleber was the lone Bulldog named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. National Junior Team for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship that will be held Dec. 26, 2024 through Jan. 5, 2025 in Ottawa.
The preliminary roster for Team USA includes 28 players and will need to be cut down to 25 for the World Juniors. Kleber is one of 10 defensemen on the preliminary roster.
Introducing the preliminary roster for the 2025 U.S. National Junior Team! 🇺🇸 #WorldJuniors
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 2, 2024
Kleber, 18, is a 2024 second round NHL draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenseman from Chaska has one assist through 13 games for the Bulldogs and has a minus-1 rating.
Freshman wing Max Plante, a 2024 second-round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, was likely a candidate for Team USA, however, the Hermantown native missed 10 of UMD’s 13 games in the first part of the season due to an arm injury. Plante played the previous two seasons for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
USA Hockey will get the team together for a training camp Dec. 16-17 in Plymouth, Michigan. If Kleber makes the final roster, he would miss three games against Bemidji State and Alaska while playing in the World Juniors.
Minnesota Duluth defenseman Adam Kleber (6) is introduced prior to a game against North Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group