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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.

’97 standout center commits to BU

Cam Askew, a 6-3, 175 lb. forward regarded by many as the top ’97 birth year player in the U.S., has committed to BU for 2016.  The right-shot center had verballed to Northeastern in 2011, but decommitted last month to further consider his options.

Despite the earlier commitment, many felt the South Boston native would eventually be wearing Scarlet. Growing up, Askew regularly attended BU games with his father, and South Boston Online reported that “when Southie native Jack Baker was on the heralded [BU] team, he used to bring Cam into the locker room to meet the players and coaches.”

Currently, Askew is a freshman at Cushing Academy, where he scored 13 points in his first four games and helped the Penguins to the Lawrence Groton Tournament title this past weekend. Last season, he played varsity hockey for St. Sebastian’s as an eighth grader, recording a 12-13-25 scoring line in 28 games, helping the Arrows reach the NEPSIHA Large School championship game.

At St. Sebs, he was a teammate of current BU freshman center Danny O’Regan and 2013 recruits forward Tommy Kelley and d-man Dalton MacAfee. Askew also played for the Valley Junior Warriors’ Empire League team last fall, tallying 21 points in 12 games.

in a recent look at top first-year prep players, The Mack Report’s Mike McMahon wrote:

The best of the bunch, without question. Askew is not only a future Division 1 player, he’s a future NHL pick and could be a first-rounder in the upcoming QMJHL Draft. He was committed to Northeastern but decommitted last month and is back on the market. According to sources, he plans on playing college hockey. He has everything you want in a hockey player, he has good size, can obviously score (at the time I’m writing this, he leads all prep players in scoring with 13 points in just four games) and also has a bit of an edge to his game.

Summer 2012 Select 15:

AHR: He did not have stellar production at Select 15s but you can see the skill sets. He has NHL-size, but will certainly need to pack some pounds on and bulk up in strength. He skates fairly well and has a good set of hands on him, yet needs to play more physical and utilize his big frame a bit more. He can shoot the biscuit and drive to the net as a prototype power forward. AHR Rating: AAA

USHR: For a tall kid, the Valley Jr. Warriors product has a soft set of hands and makes a ton of plays. Is a natural center who makes the players around him better. Plays with an edge and is at his best when he is physically involved. Does not get up the ice well right now and lacks explosiveness in his skating. With increased leg strength that should change.

2011 Bauer World Invitational

AHR: Askew is another player near the top of his class as NHL teams are already drooling over the possibility of drafting him in a few years.  He has NHL size and looks like a pro on the ice as he could easily be competing at a much high level against older players.  He has soft outstanding hands for a big guy and can fly on the ice.  From the drop of the puck he is in your face and brash; a big horse of a player who can deliver devastating hits or lead the offensive attack. Easily a top first rounder in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. AHR Rating: AAA

USHR: Tall, lanky center who has phenomenal hands and the ability to make defenders look silly. Has a pass-first, shoot-second mentality, thus making players around him better. At times he looked a little Joe Thorntonesque over the weekend. Has good form while skating, but is not explosive right now; that will come along as he adds strength in years to come.

An “A” for a D-man

Terrier junior defenseman Garrett Noonan has been named an assistant captain for the remainder of the season, joining captain Wade Megan and assistant Ryan Ruikka as the team’s on-ice leaders. Noonan has a 3-7-10 line in the the team's 15 games.

● GoTerriers.com announcement

● Boston Hockey Blog report 

"He's been great as a member of our team's leadership council and his leadership role in the dressing room continues to grow,” said BU coach Jack Parker in a team release. “It's not only deserving, but appropriate, that we put an 'A' on his shirt."

Freshman defenseman Matt Grzelcyk  reported to the U.S. Junior National Team camp at the New York Rangers’ training facility in Tarrytown, N.Y.  He and 26 others will depart on Tuesday for Finland where the team will be pared to 23 prior to the start of the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia.  Grzelcyk, BU’s top-scoring defenseman with 12 points, is one of nine blueliners competing for seven roster spots.

NHL Network will air all five U.S. games preliminary round games, as well as 12 other games and the two U.S. exhibition games.

● United States of Hockey’s preview of Team USA

● Roster

Looking back

Former BU assistant captain and 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Mike Eruzione talked the NHL.com’s John Buccigross about his decision to auction some of his Olympic memorabilia including several game jerseys.

Looking ahead

2013 recruit Doyle Somerby (left) and his Kimball Union Academy teammates won this past weekend’s Flood-Marr prep tournament, beating Westminster 4-2 in the championship game.  Somerby, who is a co-captain of the Wildcats, and 2014 recruit Jonathan MacLeod, now with the NTDP U17s, anchored KUA’s blueline in its run to the NEPSIHA Small School Tournament title last season. (Photo courtesy of Dave Arnold)

2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon, who was acquired by Omaha from Indiana last week, scored a goal and an assist for the Lancers in his first game with his new team, a 5-1 win.

2013 recruit Brendan Collier set up a pair of goals in each of two Valley Junior Warriors wins, while Kevin Duane assisted on two goals in a Junior Bruins, 4-0 win.

Terriers old and new

BU held an alumni game this afternoon with a red team of mostly former Terriers taking a white squad of mostly current players.  Defense was nowhere to be seen as the white team eeked out a 9-8 come-from-behind win.  Senior Jake Moscatel knotted the score at eight and sophomore Cason Hohmann netted the game-winner. Junior Sahir Gill contributed a hattrick for white.

Alums included Jay Pandolfo, Mike Grier, Brandon Yip, Mike Sylvia, Brian Collins, Brad Zancanaro, Shawn McEachern, Kenny Roche, Ed Ronan, Dan Ronan, Ross Gaudet, Kevin Schaeffer, Ryan Whitney and Peter Marshall.   

 ● Group photo 

● Twitter highlights  

CHN’s final Hockey East power rankings of first semester have BU in third place.

Looking back

AHL: Adam Clendening, skating for AHL Rockford, is tied for fourth among the league’s d-men in scoring with 18 points in 23 games.

ECHL: 28 saves for Grant Rollheiser in the Utah Grizzlies 2-1 win against Alaska

Women’s team

Daily Free Press notebook: Marie-Philip Poulin reaches 100 points; Kerrin Sperry named co-defensive player of the week.

USCHO feature on Poulin and Kohanchuk