Gersich with Team USA at the 2014 U18 World Juniors (Photo: IIHF)

Washington Capitals fifth-round pick in 2014 Draft Shane Gersich has been named to the Team USA roster for the 2014 World Junior A Challenge, the tournament showcasing the best players from “A” level leagues, such as the Canadian CJHL and the American USHL.

The tournament is held every year in Canada. This year, the games will be played in Kindersley, Saskatchewan.

Gersich, 18, has had a terrific start to his USHL season with nine goals and three assists in twelve games with the Omaha Lancers. The University of North Dakota commit is one of four NHL-drafted players on the Team USA roster.

Another eligible Caps prospect, Steven Spinner, who also plays for Omaha, was left off the roster. Last year, none of the three Caps prospects in the USHL at the time (Blake Heinrich, Zach Sanford, and Brian Pinho) made Team USA, with Heinrich remaining the last Caps prospect to play for the Americans at that tournament in 2012. 2014 second-round pick Vitek Vanecek represented Czech Republic at the 2013 tournament.

Two Canadian teams, East and West, consist of players from the CJHL (the junior level below the CHL). American players are represented by USHL teams, and Russia sends its U18 squad to the tournament. Team USA has won six of the nine tournaments to this point, with Canada West taking the other three.