Trouba, goaltending prospect Hellebuyck headed to Minsk for IIHF championships

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This article was published 15/04/2014 (4197 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jacob Trouba’s 2013-14 hockey season has some left to it yet. Ditto for goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

Trouba, the gifted 20-year-old Winnipeg Jets defenceman, and Hellebuyck – one of the organization’s top prospects — will join the American team for next month’s IIHF World Hockey Championships in Minsk, Belarus from May 9-25.

Trouba exited his final game with the Jets last Friday in Calgary after taking a puck to the throat, but declared himself healthy on Sunday when players last met with the media. He also confirmed he had an interest in playing for the United States at the Worlds if asked.

Trouba — who wore the red, white and blue at last year’s Worlds and was named the top defenceman at the World Junior Hockey Championships – is coming off a spectacular rookie season with the Jets.

He led all NHL rookies in ice time while scoring 10 goals and adding 19 assists in 65 games.

Hellebuyck, also 20, joins the American squad after playing the past two seasons with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He was 18-9-2 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .941 save percentage this year, en route to winning the inaugural Mike Richter Award as the top goaltender in NCAA hockey.

He signed a pro contract with the Jets earlier this month.

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Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait