General | 12/1/2025 10:51:45 AM
Twenty-five players who developed through the United States Hockey League (USHL) were named to the U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster in advance of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship from Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026, in Minnesota.
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, North Dakota commit, and Madison Capitols goalie, Caleb Heil headlines a list of players with USHL ties including 2025 USHL Rookie of the Year Ryker Lee (Madison Capitols/Michigan State University), returning gold medalist Trevor Connelly (Tri-City Storm/Providence College/Henderson Silver Knights), and 2025 USHL Defenseman of the Year, Luke Osburn (Youngstown Phantoms/University of Wisconsin).
The U.S. General Manager, John Vanbiesbrouck, served as the Muskegon Lumberjacks' GM and Director of Hockey Operations from 2013-2018. Head coach Bob Motzko (North Iowa Huskies, Sioux Falls Stampede, Waterloo Black Hawks, Dubuque Fighting Saints) and his assistant coaches, Steve Miller (Madison Capitols), Greg Brown (Dubuque Fighting Saints), and Garrett Raboin (Lincoln Stars), and goaltending coach David Lassonde (NTDP) each have USHL experience as players and/or coaches.
The U.S. won back-to-back gold medals for the first time in history at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The U.S. has medaled in the last three World Junior Championships and won the gold in three of the last five tournaments.
USHL Ties on U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster
| Name |
Current Team |
USHL |
| Asher Barnett |
Michigan (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Kamil Bednarik |
Boston University (Hockey East) |
NTDP |
| Trevor Connelly |
Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) |
Tri-City Storm |
| Cole Eiserman |
Boston University (Hockey East) |
NTDP |
| EJ Emery |
North Dakota (NCHC) |
NTDP |
| James Hagens |
Boston College (Hockey East) |
NTDP |
| Caleb Heil |
Madison Capitols (USHL) |
Madison Capitols |
| Logan Hensler |
Wisconsin (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Will Horcoff |
Michigan (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Cole Hutson |
Boston University (Hockey East) |
NTDP |
| Nick Kempf |
Notre Dame (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Adam Kleber |
Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) |
Lincoln |
| Jacob Kvasnicka |
Penticton Vees (WHL) |
NTDP |
| Ryker Lee |
Michigan State (Big 10) |
Madison |
| Cole McKinney |
Michigan (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Brendan McMorrow |
Denver (NCHC) |
NTDP/Waterloo |
| LJ Mooney |
Minnesota (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Luke Osburn |
Wisconsin (Big 10) |
Youngstown |
| Max Plante |
Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) |
NTDP |
| Chase Reid |
Soo Greyhounds (OHL) |
Waterloo |
| AJ Reyelts |
Penticton Vees (WHL) |
Cedar Rapids |
| Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen |
Michigan (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Teddy Stiga |
Boston College (Hockey East) |
NTDP |
| Shane Vansaghi |
Michigan State (Big 10) |
NTDP |
| Brodie Ziemer |
Minnesota (Big 10) |
NTDP |
|
About the USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading 16–to 20-year-old junior hockey league. During the 2024-25 season, USHL alumni held over 50% of NCAA Division I roster spots, and over 25% of NHL players had USHL experience. With 10 first-round selections and 49 total picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the USHL has developed the most draft choices of any junior hockey league since 2012.
Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 92% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel), Matthew Knies (Tri-City Storm), Adam Fantilli (Chicago Steel) and Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede).