Forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley and Defenseman Michael Kesselring to Represent the United States at 2025 IIHF World Championship
Utah Hockey Club today announced that forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley and defenseman Michael Kesselring were selected by USA Hockey to represent Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, from May 9-25.
Keller, 26, registered 30-60-90 and 28 penalty minutes (PIM) in 81 games to set a new career scoring high with Utah in 2024-25, ranking tied for 11th in the NHL in points and tied for ninth in assists. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward also tallied a team and career-high 10-27-37 on the power play, finishing tied for third in the NHL in power-play points. Keller set new career highs in assists, power-play goals, and power-play assists, and he was one of just seven NHL players to lead his team outright in goals, assists, and points. Utah’s first-ever captain has eclipsed 30 goals and 70 points in each of the last three seasons (2022-25) and earned his 500th career NHL point in 2024-25, becoming the fourth-youngest active U.S.-born player to reach the milestone.
The Chesterfield, Missouri native has previously skated for Team USA at two IIHF World Championships (2017, 2019), as well as the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, two IIHF Under-18 World Championships (2015-16), and the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Keller won gold medals at the 2015 Under-18 World Championship and 2017 World Juniors, and he was named MVP of the 2016 Under-18 World Championship after ranking second among tournament skaters with 4-10-14 in seven games.
Selected seventh overall in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes, Keller has recorded 196-312-508 and 231 PIM in 601 career NHL games with Utah and Arizona.
Cooley, 20, registered 25-40-65 and 46 PIM with Utah this season, setting new career highs in goals, assists, and points. The 6-foot, 191-pound forward ranked fifth in the NHL in points and sixth in assists among all NHL players aged 22 or younger, and he finished third in ice time per game (17:52) and fifth in hits (63) among all Utah forwards. Cooley also became the fifth active U.S.-born skater to reach the 20-goal mark in multiple seasons at age 20 or younger, as well as the ninth American player since 1988-89 to record his 100th career NHL point at age 20 or younger. The second-year forward found the scoresheet in 12 consecutive road games from November 23, 2024 to January 2, 2025 which finished tied for the fifth-longest road point streak by any player in NHL history under the age of 21.
The Pittsburgh native is set to represent the United States at his first IIHF World Championship, after skating for Team USA at two IIHF Under-18 World Championships (2021-22) and two IIHF World Junior Championships (2022-23). Cooley won a silver medal and was named Best Forward at the 2022 Under-18 World Championship, recording 3-7-10 in six contests. He also played two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2021-22, tallying 28-36-64 in 51 career USHL games.
Selected third overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by Arizona, Cooley has registered 45-64-109 and 64 PIM in 157 games over his first two NHL seasons with Utah and Arizona.
Kesselring, 25, set new career highs in nearly every category over 82 games with Utah in 2024-25, including goals (7), assists (22), points (29), even-strength points (6-20-26), ice time per game (17:41), blocked shots (84), and takeaways (22). The 6-foot-5, 215-pound defenseman ranked sixth on the team in shots (150) and hits (87), and tied for third in plus/minus (+4). Utah posted a 17-6-1 record when Kesselring found the scoresheet this season, with a 4-0-1 record in his career-high five multi-point outings. He was also assessed the third-most fighting majors of any Utah skater (5), and his second came as part of the first Gordie Howe hat trick in franchise history, in his 100th career NHL game at Buffalo on December 7th.
The New Hampton, New Hampshire, native will be representing the United States at the IIHF World Championship for the second consecutive year, after earning 2-1-3 in seven games in 2024.
Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round (164th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Kesselring has posted 12-41-53 and 161 PIM in 156 career NHL games with Utah and Arizona.
