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Two Royals on USA World Junior Roster

Two former Long Island Royals named to World Junior Roster for Team USA, Sonny Milano and Brandon Fortunato.

The boys will report to Boston University for training camp December 14-18, followed by an additional training camp in Vierumaki, Finland from December 19-24. According to USA Hockey’s press release, the final 23-man roster is expected to be named on December 24 and the team will compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, December 26-January 5 in Helsinki, Finland.

Milano, spent five seasons with the Long Island Royals, amassing 91 points (48G 33A) in 47 regular games. Milano would shine at 14U, scoring 64 points (39G 25A) in 28 regular season games, which led the Massapequa, New York native to relocate to the Cleveland Barons organization, which plays in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League.

Milano continued to have offensive success in the T1EHL, registering 87 points (44G 43A) in 40 games, which led Milano to a spot with the US NTDP alongside Hitchcock.

Milano continued to display his offensive prowess with the US NTDP, becoming one of the more prolific scorers in program history, scoring 134 points (49G 85A) in 114 games, finishing fifth in career assists. The Columbus Blue Jackets took a liking to the high-scoring forward and made him the 16th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, which at the time, was the highest selection of an AYHL alumnus in the modern era.

Milano, who played on the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team, reported to the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers, where he amassed 68 points (22G 46A) in 50 games before reporting to the Springfield Falcons (AHL) to close out his 2014-15 campaign.

This season, Milano has dressed in 22 games for the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL), with four goals and seven assists.

Fortunato began his AYHL career with the Gulls, spending six seasons with the program before closing out his AYHL career with a Midget 16U National season with the Royals organization. All told, Fortunato played in 142 AYHL regular season games, collecting 37 goals and 96 assists.

A late addition to the US NTDP, Fortunato spent two seasons in Ann Arbor, also winning gold in 2014 before joining Boston University.

With Boston, Fortunato skated in 41 games as a freshman, tallying 18 points (1G 17A) for the national runner-up. This season, the Albertson, New York native has increased his offensive production, scoring four goals with 10 assists in just 15 games.

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