YOUNG GUYS REPRESENTING 

FOUR RANGERS PROSPECTS TO PARTICIPATE

IN THE 2011 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Chris Kreider, Ryan Bourque, Roman Horak, and Jesper Fasth

to represent their native country in the elite tournament

New York, December 22, 2010 – New York Rangers’ prospects Chris Kreider and Ryan Bourque have been selected to represent Team USA at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York.  The tournament will take place from December 26 – January 5.  This will be the second appearance for both players in the tournament, having captured the Gold Medal with Team USA last year.

Kreider, 19, has registered five goals and six assists for 11 points, along with 10 penalty minutes in 16 games with the Boston College Eagles of Hockey East (HE) this season.  He is tied for second among Boston College skaters in game winning goals (one) and shorthanded goals (one), and fifth in goals, points, and points per game average (0.69).  Kreider led Team USA and ranked third in last year’s tournament with six goals, including a hat trick (three goals) against Latvia in the first round on December 29, 2009, en route to capturing the Gold Medal at the 2010 World Junior Championship.  He became the first player to win a World Junior Championship Gold Medal, Conference Playoff Championship (Hockey East) and NCAA Championship in a single season.  A native of Boxford, Massachusetts, Kreider was the Rangers’ first round selection, 19th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Bourque, 19, has registered 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points, along with seven penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating in 27 games with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this season.  He is tied for first on Quebec and ninth in the league in goals and power play goals (six), second in points per game average (1.44), third in points, and tied for sixth in assists.  In last year’s tournament, Bourque recorded three assists and a plus-three rating in seven games to help lead Team USA to the Gold Medal.  The Boxford, Massachusetts native was originally selected as the Rangers’ third round choice, 80th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Forwards Roman Horak (Czech Republic) and Jesper Fasth (Sweden) are also expected to represent their respective country at the 2011 World Junior Championship.

Horak, 19, has registered 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points, along with 30 penalty minutes in 30 games with the Chilliwack Bruins of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. He ranks second on the team and is tied for fifth in the WHL with 10 power play goals, and ranks first on Chilliwack in points per game average (1.27) and second in goals, assists, and points.  This will be the second appearance for Horak, having represented the Czech Republic in the 2010 World Junior Championship, recording two points (one goal, one assist) in six games.  The Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic native was originally selected as the Rangers’ fifth round choice, 127th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Fasth, 19, has registered 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 26 games with HV71 of the Swedish Elite League (SEL) this season.  He has also recorded 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in six SuperElit games with HV71 J20 prior to joining HV71.  This will be Fasth’s first appearance in the elite tournament.  A native of Nassjo, Sweden, Fasth was the Rangers’ sixth round selection, 157th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.