General | 8/16/2025 5:17:37 PM
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Hlinka Gretzky Cup Homepage
Eleven United States Hockey League (USHL) players, prospects, and alumni helped the U.S. capture the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a 5-3 victory against Sweden at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium in TrencÃn, Slovakia. It marks the first time the U.S. has won the tournament since 2003.
Jack Hextall (Youngstown Phantoms) had one goal and two assists en route to being named U.S. Player of the Game. Nick Bogas (Waterloo Black Hawks) scored late to seal the championship game, making it 5-3 with a wrist shot from the left circle. Blake Zielinski (Des Moines Buccaneers) led the Americans in tournament scoring with four goals and five assists in five games.
United States
Nathan Bienstock, Green Bay Gamblers, D
Nick Bogas, Waterloo Black Hawks, D*
Aidan Hesse, Sioux Falls Stampede, G
Jack Hextall, Youngstown Phantoms, F*
Nikita Klepov, Sioux City Musketeers, F*
Brady Knowling, NTDP, G
Kade Meyer, Waterloo Black Hawks, D
Zaide Penner, Fargo Force, D
Luke Puchner, Lincoln Stars, F**
Kaenan Smith, NTDP/Sioux Falls Stampede, G,
Blake Zielinski, Des Moines Buccaneers, FÂ
*Played full 2024-25 season in the USHL
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). More.