General | 12/28/2025 1:06:21 AM

The second day of preliminary games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship featured two more teams and more standout performances from United States Hockey League (USHL) alumni.

U.S. 2, Switzerland 1

U.S. captain and Minnesota Golden Gopher Brodie Ziemer helped the U.S. establish a 1-0 lead, then Green Bay Gamblers alum, North Dakota commit, and Boston Bruins prospect Will Zellers broke a 1-1 deadlock following an injury to Cole Hutson, who head coach Bob Motzko confirmed had returned to the locker room after the game. Zellers has three goals, one assist, and a +4 rating through four games.

Slovakia 4, Germany 1
Muskegon Lumberjacks alum and Boston College defenseman Luka Radivojevic tallied an assist and led all Slovakian skaters in time on ice, playing 22 minutes to help the Slovakians rebound from a tournament-opening loss to the Swedes. Tri-City goalie and Detroit Red Wings prospect Michal Pradel made his first appearance in the tournament, turning aside 34 of 35 shots, including 15 stops in the final period. Lumberjacks’ defenseman Adam Belusko sealed the game with a 200-foot empty-net goal.

Canada 2, Latvia 1
Rudy Berzkalns, one of Muskegon’s top draft-eligible forwards and a Boston College commit, forced Canada into uncomfortable territory with his game-tying goal in the final two minutes of regulation, but it was Canada’s Michael Hage who had the last laugh, scoring on the power play only 44 seconds into overtime. Hage, a Chicago Steel alum, Michigan forward, and Montreal Canadiens prospect, has two goals and two assists, tied with Zellers and Gavin McKenna for the lead in tournament scoring. Latvian goalie and Omaha Lancers netminder Nils Roberts Maurins was excellent for his country, making 36 saves.

Czechia 7, Denmark 2
Muskegon Lumberjacks alum, Boston College forward, and  Chicago Blackhawks prospect Vaclav Nestrasil had a goal and an assist, while Youngstown Phantoms alum and Minnesota Wild pick Adam Benák had a helper for the Czechs.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and eight of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

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 Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).