Men's Ice Hockey | 12/29/2025 10:41:07 PM

The fourth day of preliminary action at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship featured United States Hockey League (USHL) alumni plastered across the scoresheet.

U.S. 6, Slovakia 5

Slovakia held a 2-0 lead before University of Denver forward, former Waterloo Black Hawk, and Los Angeles Kings prospect Brendan McMorrow blocked a shot, raced up the ice, and feathered a saucer pass that connected to cut the Slovak’s lead.  Adam Belusko of the Muskegon Lumberjacks made it 3-1 for Slovakia almost five minutes later, but McMorrow and the U.S. responded quickly to cut the lead to 3-2. Minutes later, McMorrow buried a loose puck at the net front before Madison Capitols alum, Michigan State freshman forward, and Nashville Predators prospect Ryker Lee gave the U.S. its first lead of the game with a laser from the left circle. After Slovakia responded again, NTDP alum, Boston College forward, and Boston Bruins’ first-round pick James Hagens scored with a shot from the slot to make it a 4-4 game.

Only 18 seconds into the third period, Hagens struck again, converting on a pass at the bottom of the left circle to put the Amerians ahead for the second time. Later, on the power play, it was another former NTDPer on the scoresheet as Sabres prospect and Minnesota sophomore Brodie Ziemer found Green Bay Gamblers alum, North Dakota freshman forward, and Bruins prospect Will Zellers crashing the net on the power play to make it a 6-4 game.

Madison goalie, North Dakota commit, and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Caleb Heil made 25 saves for the Americans. Tri-City Storm goalie Michal Pradel, drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, also turned aside 25 shots.

Sweden 8, Germany 1

Youngstown Phantoms alum, Boston University defenseman, and Winnipeg Jets prospect Sascha Boumedienne assisted on Sweden’s game-winning goal, then added another helper in a commanding win against the Germans.

Czechia 2, Finland 1

Dubuque Fighting Saints alum, Harvard freshman, and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Heikki Ruohonen had the primary assist on Finland’s goal, which tied the game with 20 seconds left in regulation.

Canada 9, Denmark 1
Only 3:17 into the opening period, Chicago Steel alum, Michigan sophomore, and Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage assisted on Canada’s first goal, which served to be the beginning of a lopsided win.

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).