John Vanbiesbrouck and Lou Nanne Agree: There’s No Better Place for the U.S. to Make World Juniors History Than the State of Hockey
Even with a Hall of Fame resume that includes a storied NHL career and the highest levels of international competition, John Vanbiesbrouck fails to hide his excitement at the prospect of the United States making World Juniors history on home ice.
After rallying to defeat Finland in overtime in the gold-medal game earlier this month at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ontario, for their second consecutive title, the Americans will be seeking an unprecedented three-peat when they host the 50th anniversary of the IIHF World Junior Championship in the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, next December and January.
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“We’re going to the roots in our country of hockey,” said Vanbiesbrouck, who has served as assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey since 2018. “When you start getting to global scale that this is on, I’m pretty sure that Minnesota is well-known as one of the core epicenters of hockey in the United States.
“When they (fans) get there and see it, they’re going to see a different level of support,” he said. “They’re going to feel like they’re in a big-time world championship, which in a lot of cases is a hard thing to do.”
World Juniors will return to Minnesota for the first time since 1982, the only other time the Twin Cities has hosted the event. The U.S. roster for that tournament included a young goaltender by the name of John Vanbiesbrouck.
Vanbiesbrouck’s international experience as a player — the Olympic Winter Games in 1998; two Canada Cups, four World Championships and two World Juniors — provides a perspective for both what the U.S. has accomplished and what lies ahead.
“What you did in the past and how are we going to do it again is always a great challenge,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “The last two championships we won were in two different places, in places that I would call very difficult to win. We were the greatest enemy in both places, and the players really had to galvanize.
“Now, we’re going to be in a framework where we have some fans and have some support,” he said.
Lou Nanne, long synonymous with hockey in Minnesota on the collegiate, international and professional levels, said the 2026 World Junior Championship will be the perfect blend for both participants and spectators.
“It's just an unbelievable opportunity for the people of Minnesota and those coming to visit to watch the second-best international tournament in the world. The Olympics is the first and this is the second,” Nanne said. “The quality of play is astounding. I was just up there (in Ottawa) this last one that the U.S. won and to watch these kids, and the ability they have, and the caliber that they have, it's just a real treat for anybody that loves hockey.”
Nanne was an All-American player at the University of Minnesota under legendary coach John Mariucci. He captained the 1968 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team and then joined the NHL expansion Minnesota North Stars for an 11-year playing career. Nanne then became the general manager of the franchise.
In addition, Nanne served as a TV color analyst for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament for 60 years, calling his final game at the end of the 2024 season.
“We’re very fortunate to have a knowledgeable hockey base like we have,” Nanne said. “You’re going to be able to attract people that will be very interested in seeing this.”
Nanne said the players will be aware of their historic opportunity, especially at home.
“It’s definitely going to add pressure to the players,” he said. “They can say it’s not, but it’s an opportunity for the United States, for the first time ever, to win its third junior championship in a row. They’ll be aware of it, and when you’re aware of it, there’s an added intensity to the game when you’re playing.”
Vanbiesbrouck also sees it as an opportunity for all involved in the event.
“There's a level of achievement in each one of these players and staff members that is committed to this that will give us that opportunity,” he said. “Can you say there's a level of failure there if you don't win? Well, there's always that. That's what we sign up for. That's why this game is so great. We sign up for winning and losing.
“We sign up to look at it straight in the face and say, ‘This is our time.’ There's no time better than right now to have this opportunity to be in this position.”
It’s also one of the reasons, if not the primary reason, why Vanbiesbrouck has stayed involved in hockey, especially at the developmental level.
“That’s probably the part that I love the most,” he said. “The level that I’m dealing with, is still really at the pure sense of hockey. The game has given me more than I could ever give it, so this a great privilege to help steward the game in a small way.”
DID YOU KNOW: John Vanbiesbrouck spent 10 years (2008-2018) as a key volunteer at USA Hockey, including six years as vice president of USA Hockey and chair of the organization’s Junior Council.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com