U.S. Junior Team Spurns Chiefs’ Jones

The good news is the Spokane Chiefs won’t lose Ty Jones for a month of the Western Hockey League season.

The surprise is that Jones was not among 26 players named Tuesday to the U.S. national junior team, prior to the World Junior Championships.

Jones, from Eagle River, Alaska, played on the U.S. team a year ago.

The U.S. roster will be trimmed to 22 after a Dec. 14-17 training camp in Ann Arbor, Mich. The tournament is Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Tri-City center Scott Gomez of Anchorage, Alaska, was on the team announced by coach Jeff Jackson. Also named was goaltender Chris Madden, MVP in the Memorial Cup tournament last May in Spokane. Madden plays with the Guelph (Ontario) Storm.

Kamloops Blazers right wing Chris St. Croix of Vorhees, N.J., is also on the U.S. team.

Team Canada will announce its selections today.