Lee Stempniak '05 Named to U.S. Men's National Hockey Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Former Dartmouth men's hockey player, Lee Stempniak '05 was named to the U.S. Men's National Team as announced by USA Hockey. The team will compete at the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Moscow, Russia, April 27-May 13. Stempniak is a current member of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.

Team USA's roster includes seven players who have previously played in the IIHF World Championship. In addition, 11 of the 18 players are 25 years old or younger, including Stempniak (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Louis Blues).

Stempniak set career highs in all offensive categories for the Blues this season in goals (27), assists (25) and points (52). He ranked first on the team with 27 goals and was second on the team with 52 points (27g, 25a).

Stempniak was one of four Blues players to skate in all 82 games and played in his 100th career NHL game on Jan. 10 at New Jersey. He also played in the NHL's YoungStars game this past season in Dallas. He was originally drafted by the Blues in the fifth round, 148th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

The two-time All-America finished his Dartmouth career as one of the most decorated players for the Big Green. As a senior Stempniak was the ECACHL's co-scoring leader while being named first team All-Ivy and All-ECACHL. He was given team MVP honors while earning All-New England, All-ECACHL by Inside College Hockey, named Academic All-America and was awarded the Alfred E. Watson Trophy as the most outstanding male athlete at Dartmouth College.

Team USA will play an exhibition game against Sweden at Globe Arena in Stockholm on April 25 at 1 p.m. (EDT) before beginning competition in the IIHF World Championship on April 27 at 8:15 a.m. (EDT) against Austria. The United States will play two additional preliminary-round games against Belarus (April 29) and the Czech Republic (May 1) before the qualification round begins.

The full roster includes: defensemen Andrew Alberts (Minneapolis, Minn./Boston Bruins/2006), Keith Ballard (Baudette, Minn./Phoenix Coyotes/2004), Matt Greene (Grand Ledge, Mich./Edmonton Oilers), Brian Pothier (New Bedford, Mass./Washington Capitals) and Jack Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Los Angeles Kings); forwards Stempniak, Chris Clark (South Windsor, Conn./Washington Capitals/2002), Erik Cole (Oswego, N.Y./Carolina Hurricanes/2005), Phil Kessel (Madison, Wis./Boston Bruins/2006), Brandon Bochenski (Blaine, Minn./Boston Bruins), Nathan Davis (Rocky River, Ohio/Miami (Ohio) University), Chad LaRose (Fraser, Mich./Carolina Hurricanes), Paul Stastny (Quebec City, Quebec/Colorado Avalanche), Tyler Arnason (Oklahoma City, Okla./Colorado Avalanche), Toby Petersen (Minneapolis, Minn./Edmonton Oilers) and goaltenders Robert Esche (Whitesboro, N.Y./Philadelphia Flyers/2000, 2001), John Grahame (Denver, Colo./Carolina Hurricanes/1996) and Cory Schneider (Marblehead, Mass./Boston College).

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