The anticipation for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship is already reaching a fever pitch in Minnesota, and Team USA wasted no time setting the tone in their pre-tournament opener. On December 21, 2025, at Duluth’s AMSOIL Arena, the U.S. National Junior Team delivered an emphatic 8-0 victory over Germany, showcasing depth, speed, and a hunger for a third consecutive world title.
Fans in attendance witnessed a clinical performance from a U.S. squad that appears determined to defend its back-to-back golds and perhaps make history with a three-peat, just weeks ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Head coach Bob Motzko, who also leads the University of Minnesota men’s hockey program, was quick to praise his team’s focus and execution. “It was good to get a game under our belts and I thought we did some good things,” Motzko said following the win. “We really like our group and we’ll look forward to getting on the ice tomorrow before we play Finland on Tuesday.”
The first period started as a tense, scoreless affair, with both teams feeling each other out. But with just 52 seconds left in the opening frame, Will Horcoff (Birmingham, Mich./University of Michigan) broke the deadlock. Horcoff capitalized on a pinpoint one-timer from the bottom of the right circle, off a slick feed from James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y./Boston College), with Brodie Ziemer (Chaska, Minn./University of Minnesota) also earning a helper on the play. That goal seemed to open the floodgates.
Only 34 seconds later, and nine seconds into a power play, Team USA doubled its lead. Luke Osburn (Plymouth, Mich./University of Wisconsin) threaded a beautiful pass across the slot to Ryker Lee (Wilmette, Ill./Michigan State University), who was waiting on the back door to tuck the puck past German goalie Lennart Neisse. The U.S. had seized momentum, and Germany never recovered.
In the second period, the Americans kept their foot on the gas. At 3:51, while enjoying another man advantage, Ryker Lee stickhandled through a pair of defenders and slid a backhand pass to Will Zellers (Maple Grove, Minn./University of North Dakota), who hammered home a short-side one-timer from the bottom of the right circle. The lead grew to 3-0, and the U.S. power play was humming.
With just 1:37 left in the middle frame, Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass./Boston College) added to the tally, wristing a shot top-shelf from the slot after a crisp feed from Lee. The Americans weren’t done. A mere eight seconds after Stiga’s goal, Horcoff struck again, this time finishing a breakaway chance with assists from Ziemer and EJ Emery (Compton, Calif./University of North Dakota). Suddenly, it was 5-0, and the crowd sensed something special was brewing.
The third period brought more of the same relentless pressure. At 1:30, while shorthanded, Shane Vansaghi (St. Louis, Mo./Michigan State University) intercepted a pass in the defensive zone and sent a perfect outlet to Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill./University of Michigan), who broke free through the neutral zone and converted a breakaway with a slick backhand move. The U.S. lead stretched to 6-0.
Zellers wasn’t finished, either. With 4:12 remaining, he tallied his second goal of the night, this time firing a wrist shot from the top of the circles during another power play opportunity. The Americans’ special teams were firing on all cylinders, finishing the night 3-for-6 on the power play, while Germany went 0-for-4.
The final blow came with just 2:26 left on the clock. Brodie Ziemer netted the eighth and final goal, taking a feed from Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen (Northville, Mich./University of Michigan) and sending the puck home to cap off a dominant performance.
The goaltending tandem of Brady Knowling (Chicago, Ill./USA Hockey National Team Development Program) and Nick Kempf (Morton Grove, Ill./University of Notre Dame) split duties, each making 12 saves and combining for the shutout. The U.S. outshot Germany by a commanding 49-24 margin, a testament to their two-way play and relentless attack.
“We saw a lot of good things out there,” Motzko reiterated after the game. “Our guys were moving the puck well, and the energy on the bench was fantastic. It’s just the start, but we like where we’re at.”
This pre-tournament rout sets the stage for Team USA’s next test: a final exhibition against Finland, scheduled for Tuesday, December 23, at AMSOIL Arena. Opening faceoff is set for 6 p.m. local time (7 p.m. ET), with the game streaming live on USAHockeyTV.com. The players are eager to keep building chemistry before the real action begins.
The main event, the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, officially kicks off on December 26, 2025. Minnesota will serve as the hockey epicenter, with games split between the Grand Casino Arena (home to the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Frost) and the University of Minnesota’s 3M Arena at Mariucci. Ten teams have qualified and are divided into two groups of five, with the U.S. drawn into Group A alongside Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Slovakia.
Team USA’s group stage schedule is as follows: December 26 versus Germany at 6:00 p.m. ET, December 27 against Switzerland at 6:00 p.m. ET, December 29 versus Slovakia at 6:00 p.m. ET, and December 31 against Sweden at 6:00 p.m. ET. The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, while the fifth-place teams face off in a relegation game. The tournament will conclude with the gold medal game on January 5, 2026.
With the Americans riding high after their exhibition triumph, expectations are sky-high. Last season, Team USA captured their second straight World Junior Championship, and the roster is loaded with returning talent and fresh faces eager to make their mark. The buzz is palpable, not just among fans in Minnesota but across the hockey world.
FloHockey will provide comprehensive coverage throughout the tournament, including live broadcasts, expert analysis, and behind-the-scenes access to Team USA and Team Canada. With the world’s best junior players converging on Minnesota and the Olympics looming, the stage is set for a memorable championship run.
As the countdown to puck drop continues, Team USA’s emphatic start is a statement to the rest of the field: the hunt for a third consecutive title is on, and this group has both the talent and the swagger to make it happen. All eyes now turn to their final tune-up against Finland before the real quest for gold begins.
