DULUTH — In a rematch of the
2025 World Junior Championship gold medal game,
the United States beat Finland 3-1 on Tuesday before a crowd of 5,141 in the final pre-tournament game of the
2026 World Junior Championship.
The U.S. National Junior Team — which beat Finland for gold a year ago in Ottawa — now returns to the Twin Cities to prepare for its first World Juniors preliminary round contest against Germany at 5 p.m. Friday at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
The U.S shut out the Germans 8-0 on Sunday in Duluth.
Finland opens the 2026 World Juniors against Denmark at 2:30 p.m. Friday at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.
“We’re leaving here feeling good,” said Bob Motzko, head coach of Team USA and the University of Minnesota. “We made progress. We liked the fact that it was a really tight game. We had a lot guys that got comfortable and stepped forward. You’re going to find yourself in games like this.”
USA forward Will Horcoff (24) celebrates a first-period goal against Finland with teammates on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Minnesota Duluth forward
scored the game-winning goal for the United States in the second period, with winger Will Horcoff of Michigan getting the U.S. on the scoreboard in the first period and Wisconsin defenseman Luke Osburn adding an empty net goal with less than six seconds left.
Caleb Heil, a North Dakota recruit playing juniors with the Madison Capitals of the United States Hockey League, got the start Tuesday for the United States after being scratched Sunday. He finished with nine saves on 10 shots, making a number of point-blank saves against Finland.
“I thought we played pretty well defensively, we kept them to under 20 shots,” said Heil, a native of Victoria, Minnesota. “I thought it was a pretty good game, an all-around team effort. I felt good, dialed in.”
Nick Kempf, the sophomore goalie from Notre Dame, came on in relief with eight minutes to play in the second period, but had to be replaced by Heil with 1:02 left in the second period after his skate blade fell out on the penalty kill. He had to go back to the locker room for repairs, but returned to the net for the third period. He stopped all seven shots faced in regulation, and one in 3-on-3.
USA goaltender Nick Kempf (31) tends net against Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Who won the goaltending battle? That’s yet to be determined.
The U.S. played three goaltenders in Duluth, with Heil and 17-year-old Brady Knowling of the USA Hockey National Team Development Programs getting starts, and Kempf coming on in relief twice (three times if you count the broken skate blade).
Motzko said all three stood up in the games at Amsoil Arena, and all three made statements.
“This might be by committee. The best thing is that you feel good about the step they made this weekend. They’ve answered the bell,” Motzko said. “One of them is going to get the nod in Game 1, and we’ll go from there.”
Both Bulldogs were in the lineup Tuesday after being scratched Sunday.
UMD sophomore defenseman Adam Kleber
was on the top defensive pairing with Boston University’s Cole Hutson, who was also a healthy scratch Sunday. The two played together a year ago in Ottawa with Team USA.
USA forward Max Plante (26) skates with the puck against Joona Saarelainen (12) of Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Plante, a wing at UMD, centered the American second line between wings Cole Eiserman of BU and Minnesota’s LJ Mooney. He was on the first power play unit with Eiserman, Hutson, Michigan State wing Ryker Lee and Boston College center James Hagens.
Motzko said he could move Plante to wing later on in the tournament. Center is where the NCAA’s leading scorer is for now.
“He’s such a good hockey player,” Motzko said. “He’s going to play a lot. He might play everywhere for us.”
Motzko said the goal Plante scored Tuesday gave him a bit of deja vu to the one of the two goals he scored against the Gophers in a 4-1 Bulldogs win at Mariucci Arena in October to sweep the series.
“He is just slippery and finds a way to get it toward the net and it finds a way in there,” Motzko said.
Plante has now scored goals at Amsoil Arena in three different jerseys. He scored one with Hermantown in the 2022 Section 7A championship, he has eight through one and a half seasons at UMD and now one in the red, white and blue.
USA forward Max Plante (26) celebrates after scoring a goal against Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
“That was really fun,” Plante said. “I thought we played a really good game out there, but the fact that I got to score a goal in front of a home crowd, a double home crowd in the U.S. … I thought it was really cool now I’ve scored in this barn with three different jerseys on. That’s pretty special.”
The U.S. didn’t score in 3-on-3 again Tuesday. All three pre-tournament games featured simulated 3-on-3 overtime periods after regulation no matter the score, and Finland scored the lone 3-on-3 goal against Germany on Friday. After that, the U.S. and Germany on Sunday and the U.S. and Finland on Tuesday both went the full five minutes with no one scoring.
USA defenseman Adam Kleber (6) and USA forward Max Plante (26) check in with each other at the end of the game against Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
USA was perfect on the penalty kill, but skunked on the power play. The U.S. even had a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage, but failed to score on that. Motzko said after the game the U.S. had not practiced 5-on-3 power plays yet, and it showed.
Trevor Connelly will miss the 2026 World Juniors with a lower body injury. USA Hockey announced Monday he is no longer eligible to make the final roster due to the injury he suffered in the first period of
The only professional on the U.S. preliminary roster, Connelly plays for the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League. He spent one season at Providence a year ago before turning pro. He was one of nine returnees on the original preliminary roster.
“I feel so bad for the guy,” Plante said. “It’s a dream for every kid to represent the United States and this is the last chance he’ll have at (Under-20) World Juniors. I guess it’s another thing for our team to have inspiration from. He’s a great kid, a great player. You really feel for a guy like that.”
Connelly was not only expected to make the final roster, but play a big part for Team USA on the power play and as a top-six forward. He was on lines with Plante, Lee and Mooney to start training camp in Duluth.
“Trevor is going to be a big loss for us,” Motzko said. “Someone’s got to step up.”
USA plans to unveil its final roster on Christmas Eve. Currently at 27 players, two cuts still need to be made. In addition to the injured Connelly, USA Hockey has also released Los Angeles Kings 2025 first-round defenseman Henry Brzustewicz of the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights and
future Minnesota Duluth goaltender A.J. Reyelts of Proctor.
USA forward Will Horcoff (24) scores a goal against Finnish goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
The U.S. spent nine days in Duluth for training camp and left after Tuesday’s game to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in St. Paul before the tournament begins in earnest Friday.
“We had a great week and a half here in Duluth,” Plante said. “We bonded as a group, learned systems as a group. We had a lot of fun, but I think everyone’s kind of been itching to get down to the Cities and play some real games. We’re going to have a nice bus ride and then be ready to go come the 26th.”
United States 1-1-1-0—3
Finland 1-0-0-0—1
First period
1. FIN, Heikki Ruohonen (Aatos Koivu), 7:01
2. USA, Will Horcoff (Luke Osburn, Brodie Ziemer), 13:56
Second period
3. USA, Max Plante (Cole Eiserman), 14:19
Third period
4. USA, Osburn, 19:54 (en)
3-on-3
No scoring
Saves — Caleb Heil, USA, 9; Nick Kempf, USA, 8; Petteri Rimpinen, FIN, 24.
Power plays — USA 0-4; FIN 0-5. Penalties — USA 5-10; FIN 4-8.
USA defenseman Cole Hutson (44) collides with Joona Saarelainen (12) of Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
USA forward Will Zellers (12) skates with the puck against Juho Piiparinen (6) of Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
USA forward Max Plante (26) reacts to a play against Finland on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Max Westergård (21) of Finland skates with the puck against Team USA on Tuesday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group
Full tournament coverage
Click on the image above to read comprehensive coverage of the 2026 World Junior Championship tournament.
Click on image to read comprehensive coverage of the 2026 World Junior Championship tournament.