General | 12/28/2025 5:55:33 PM

With just a pair of preliminary games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, a pair of United States Hockey League (USHL) alumni stood out in their respective countries' wins.

Sweden 4, Switzerland 2

Boston University defenseman, former Youngstown Phantom, and Winnipeg Jets prospect Sascha Boumedienne had four shots and played the third-most minutes among the Swedes, logging 19:10 of time on ice.

Finland 8, Latvia 0

Dubuque Fighting Saints alum, Harvard forward, and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Heikki Ruohonen scored to help Finland improve its record to 2-0-0 with a combined score of 14-2 in wins against Denmark and Latvia. Finland will next face Czechia.

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).