Clendening on point for Team USA
Overall).He shined in the Team USA Under-20 camp this summer and, a year after being one of the final cuts from the World Junior Championship roster, Clendening will be one of Team USA’s biggest assets on the point in Alberta over the next two weeks.
“It felt different this time,” Clendening said. “I think it’s just the right time. I’m just kind of maturing as a player and as my career goes on. I think everything is just starting to fall into place now.”
Clendening has certainly kicked his game up a notch after watching on the World Juniors unfold without him in Buffalo last year. Another year of slick assists and good skating meant not worrying “what you could have done better” this time.
A little luck always helps, of course.
Some top talent on the back will be missing for the Americans, which means more responsibility for Clendening. The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping blueliner Justin Faulk, making him inelligable for the tournament, which runs today until Jan. 5 in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.
Team USA defenseman Seth Jones suffered an upper-body injury in an exhibition game against Russia on Wednesday, just hours before the final 22-man roster was to be announced.
“You never want to see anyone hurt, but those are guys that play a similar style to me,” Clendening said.
Clendening got a few bumps and bruises of his own in the 6-3 exhibition loss to Russia. Twice he was hit with enough force to knock his helmet off. Once he was sandwiched by two Russians, Sergei Barbashev and Yaroslav Kosov.
A Canadian photographer caught a snapshot of the three players colliding, the American’s helmet empty between two Russian elbows as Clendening goes to the ice. It wasn’t enough to knock him out of the game, but it was cause for concern for his mother, Ann.
“She saw the picture,” Clendening said. “I have a black eye. I know my mom’s pretty nervous but I can handle myself out here.
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He shined in the Team USA Under-20 camp this summer and, a year after being one of the final cuts from the World Junior Championship roster, Clendening will be one of Team USA's biggest assets on the point in Alberta over the next two weeks.
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