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Matt Grzelcyk was in the Team USA lineup Thursday for its 3-2 overtime win in a pre-World Junior Championships exhibition game. The Boston Hockey Blog reports he recorded three shots and 16:30 in ice time.

United States of Hockey comments:

Matt Grzelcyk — D — Not noticeable at times, and really noticeable at others, Grzelcyk had a sound game. He showed off his high end skating and vision and was able to open up the ice a bit. He’s really good in transition and got some good time on special teams.

Grzelcyk also played in Saturday's 5-1 exhibition loss to Finland. The final roster for the World Junior Championships will be announced early on Sunday.

● IIHF event site

● Schedule and NHL.com broadcasts

● USA Hockey-WJC site

► BU's next game, the Dec. 29 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game against Denver in the Mile High City, has been added to NESN’s broadcast schedule. Puck drop at Magness Arena is at 9 p.m. ET.

Looking ahead

While BU is in Denver, two future Terriers will be in Drummondville, Quebec, for the 2013 World U-17 Challenge. 2014 recruits Jonathan MacLeod and Jack Eichel (recent video) have been named captains of the NTDP U17 team for the next part of the season. (Captaincy rotates during the season). Eichel leads the U17s in scoring with a 9-11-20 scoring line. Former Terriers who were NTDP captains and later were captains or assistant captains at BU included Brian Strait and Kevin Shattenkirk.

Another 2014 recruit, forward JJ Piccinich, scored a goal and two assists in Youngstown’s 5-0 blanking of Des Moines.  It was his first multi-point game of the season.

Looking back

It was a three dog night in Providence with three ex-Terriers hitting the scoresheet as Worcester edged the P-Bruins, 5-4. Chris Bourque scored a pair of power play goals for Providence, with Dave Warsofsky assisting on the second, then assisting on a go-ahead goal. But 2008-09 BU co-captain John McCarthy knotted the score at four and the Sharks went on to win. 

Kieran Millan’s second shutout of the season led the Denver Cutthroats past the Rapid City Rush, 3-0, in CHL action. The former BU MVP and 2009 collegiate national Rookie of the Year stopped 22 shots to snare his eighth win of the season. 

After setting up Lake Erie’s first three goals, David van der Gulik scored the overtime game-winner as the Monsters defeated Toronto, 5-0.