DAVOS, Switzerland — The U.S. Collegiate Selects stood on the blue line at the end of the game with long looks on their faces.
They weren’t satisfied with their run to the Spengler Cup final that stunned European hockey fans. They wanted to win it.
HC Davos forward Filip Zadina, a former top-10 NHL Draft pick who played for the Detroit Red Wings, broke a 3-3 tie with 4:39 to go in the third period. The tournament hosts tacked on two more and beat the U.S. Collegiate Selects 6-3 to win their 17th Spengler Cup.
The local fans gave the NCAA all-star team a standing ovation after the game, but it didn’t appear to be much of a consolation for the U.S. Collegiate Selects.
They started the tournament with the worst odds, by far, at local gambling sites, but surprised fans with their level of play against professional teams that have been together all season.
Among their wins was a pool play game against HC Davos, which sits in first place in Switzerland’s top league by 10 points and whose lineup features 1,863 NHL regular-season games.
The Selects, who have players from all six college hockey conferences, won their group and beat Czechia-based HC Sparta Praha in Tuesday’s semifinal.
U.S. Collegiate Selects forward Ryan Walsh and the team celebrate after scoring during the final game between against HC Davos of Switzerland at the 97th Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament in Davos, Switzerland, on Dec. 31, 2025.
Melanie Duchene / Keystone
But the Selects appeared to run out of gas against a Davos team playing its fifth game in five days. Davos dominated the third period and finally broke through when Zadina’s shot from the top of the zone beat Minnesota Duluth goaltender Adam Gajan.
The Selects never led the game.
They trailed Davos 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 — former UND forward Adam Tambellini scored twice. But the Selects had answers for the first three goals.
Cornell forward Ryan Walsh tipped home a pass from Notre Dame’s Cole Knuble in the first period.
Penn State forward Aiden Fink scored from behind the goal line early in the second, while UMass forward Jack Musa finished off a Fink pass later in the period.
The game turned in the third, which HC Davos started on a four-minute power play. They didn’t break through with the advantage, but they did with Zadina’s shot from high in the zone. HC Davos followed up with a goal off the rush shortly thereafter and iced it with a power-play, empty-net goal.
After the game, Selects players received medals for their finish.
The U.S. Collegiate Selects and HC Davos of Switzerland prepare for the 97th Spengler Cup final in Davos, Switzerland, on Dec. 31, 2025.
Melanie Duchene / Keystone
This report was done remotely.
HC Davos 6, U.S. Collegiate Selects 3
First period — 1. HCD, Rasmus Asplund (Enzo Corvi) 11:15 (pp); 2. USCS, Ryan Walsh (Cole Knuble) 13:25; 3. HCD, Adam Tambellini (Lukas Frick) 14:49
Second period — 4. USCS, Aiden Fink (Eric Pohlkamp, Ryan Walsh) 3:56; 5. HCD, Tambellini (Corvi) 11:03; 6. USCS, Jack Musa (Fink, T.J. Hughes) 13:42
Third period — 7. HCD, Filip Zadina (Calle Andersson) 15:21; 8. HCD, Corvi (Sven Jung) 16:48; 9. HCD, Matej Stransky (Klas Dahlbeck, Zadina) 17:49 (en)
Goalie saves — USCS: Adam Gajan 26; HCD: Sandro Aeschlimann 20
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.