General | 12/24/2025 11:33:45 AM


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Forty-five players with United States Hockey League (USHL) ties are set to compete in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship from Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026, in Minnesota.

 

Of those players participating, 14 are on USHL rosters, 26 are alumni playing in the NCAA, and 28 were selected in the NHL Draft, including Colorado Avalanche prospect Will Zellers (Green Bay Gamblers/University of North Dakota), Nashville Predators prospect Ryker Lee (Madison Capitols/Michigan State University), and Buffalo Sabres prospect Luke Osburn (Youngstown Phantoms/University of Wisconsin. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and North Dakota commit Caleb Heil (Madison Capitols) is among eight goalies with League ties set to participate in the international tournament. All three American and Slovakian goalies played or are playing in the USHL.
 

Twenty-four players with USHL ties are on the U.S. roster, including eight returners. The Americans 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.

 

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.








Nationality
Name
Current Team (Conference/League)
Former USHL Team(s)


U.S
Caleb Heil *
Madison Capitols (USHL)



U.S
Brady Knowling *
NTDP (USHL)



U.S
Asher Barnett
University of Michigan (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Kamil Bednarik
Boston University (Hockey East)
NTDP


U.S
Cole Eiserman #
Boston University (Hockey East)
NTDP


U.S
EJ Emery
University of North Dakota (NCHC)
NTDP


U.S
James Hagens #
Boston College (Hockey East)
NTDP


U.S
Logan Hensler #
University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Will Horcoff
University of Michigan (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Cole Hutson #
Boston University (Hockey East)
NTDP


U.S
Nick Kempf
University of Notre Dame (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Adam Kleber #
University of Minnesota Duluth (NCHC)
Lincoln Stars


U.S
Ryker Lee
Michigan State University (Big Ten)
Madison Capitols


U.S
Cole McKinney
University of Michigan (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Brendan McMorrow
University of Denver (NCHC)
NTDP/Waterloo Black Hawks


U.S
LJ Mooney
University of Minnesota (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Luke Osburn
University of Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Youngstown Phantoms


U.S
Max Plante #
University of Minnesota Duluth (NCHC)
NTDP


U.S
Chase Reid
Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks


U.S
Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen
University of Michigan (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Teddy Stiga #
Boston College (Hockey East)
NTDP


U.S
Shane Vansaghi
Michigan State University (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Brodie Ziemer #
University of Minnesota (Big Ten)
NTDP


U.S
Will Zellers
University of North Dakota (NCHC)
Green Bay Gamblers


Canada
Michael Hage
University of Michigan (Big Ten)
Chicago Steel


Czechia
Vaclav Nestrasil
University of Massachusetts (Hockey East)
Muskegon Lumberjacks


Czechia
Adam Benák
Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Youngstown Phantoms


Czechia
Richard Zemlicka *
Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)



Denmark
Markus Jacobsen *
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)



Finland
Heikki Ruohonen
Harvard University (ECAC)
Dubuque Fighting Saints


Germany
Gustavs Griva *
Madison Capitols (USHL)



Germany
Simon Seidl
Straubing Tigers (DEL)
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders


Latvia
Nils Roberts Maurins *
Omaha Lancers (USHL)



Latvia
Olivers Murnieks
St. John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Sioux City Musketeers


Latvia
Rudolfs Berzkalns *
Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)



Slovakia
Leo Henriquez *
Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)



Slovakia
Alan Lendak *
Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)



Slovakia
Michal Pradel *
Tri-City Storm (USHL)



Slovakia
Adam Belusko *
Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)



Slovakia
Samuel Murin *
Tri-City Storm (USHL)



Slovakia
Luka Radivojevic
Boston College (Hockey East)
Muskegon Lumberjacks


Slovakia
Alex Misiak
Erie Otters (OHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks


Sweden
Sascha Boumedienne
Boston University (Hockey East)
Youngstown Phantoms


Switzerland
Lenny Giger *
Sioux CIty Musketeers (USHL)



Switzerland
Phileas Lachat *
Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)


* – Active in the USHL
# – U.S. Returner
 

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).