COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Adam Nightingale (Cheboygan, Mich./Michigan State University), who recently completed his fourth season as the head coach of the men’s ice hockey team at Michigan State University, where he has guided the Spartans to three consecutive Big Ten regular-season titles, has been appointed as the head coach of the 2027 U.S. National Junior Team, as announced today by USA Hockey. The team is set to compete in the 2027 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, scheduled for Dec. 26, 2026 – Jan. 5, 2027, in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.
“Adam is an outstanding coach, and we are thrilled to have him leading and developing our team,” stated John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the U.S. National Junior Team and assistant executive director of USA Hockey. “He possesses an in-depth understanding of the player pool and has a solid grasp of what is required to succeed on the international level.”
Throughout his tenure at MSU, Nightingale has led the Spartans to the NCAA Tournament in three out of four seasons, and his experience with USA Hockey is extensive, including a role as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
The U.S. will enter the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship having secured two gold medals in the last three tournaments. Additionally, the U.S. has achieved a medal in eight of the last 11 World Juniors, marking the most successful period in the nation’s history.
Team USA will face Finland, Germany, Slovakia, and Sweden in Group B during the preliminary round at Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer. Group A, featuring Canada, Czechia, Latvia, Norway, and Switzerland, will conduct its preliminary round matches at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Each venue will host two quarterfinals, while both semifinals, along with the bronze and gold medal games, will take place at Rogers Place.
ABOUT NIGHTINGALE
Nightingale, the head coach of Michigan State University’s men’s ice hockey team and a long-time contributor to USA Hockey, will take the helm of the U.S. National Junior Team for the first time.
On the international front, Nightingale has assisted teams on seven occasions, including his role as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2025 U.S. Men’s National Team. He also served as head coach for the U.S. at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, where Team USA claimed a silver medal. Furthermore, the Cheboygan, Mich., native was an assistant coach for the U.S. at the 2021 IIHF Men’s World Championship and worked as a video coach at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 IIHF Men’s World Championship tournaments and the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.
As the head coach of the Spartans, Nightingale has swiftly restored the program’s national prominence, highlighted by three NCAA Tournament appearances, three Big Ten titles, and two Big Ten conference tournament championships. The two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year holds a record of 95-44-11 (W-L-T) through his initial four seasons in East Lansing, Mich.
Before his tenure at Michigan State, Nightingale spent two seasons as a head coach with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (2020-22), where he developed some of the top players in their age group. He has also been involved in the NHL with the coaching staffs of the Detroit Red Wings (assistant coach, 2019-20; video coach, 2017-19) and Buffalo Sabres (video coach, 2016-17).
Prior to his professional hockey career, he was the head coach of Shattuck-St. Mary’s 14U team for two seasons (2014-16), leading the program to a USA Hockey 14U Tier I National Championship in 2016. He also served as head coach of the school’s 18U AA program from 2008-10.
Between his roles at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Nightingale spent four seasons at Michigan State as the men’s hockey team’s director of operations, where he managed all video and travel requirements for the team.
A 2005 graduate of Michigan State, Nightingale played four seasons of NCAA Division I hockey, initially with Lake Superior State (2000-02) before finishing his collegiate career with the Spartans (2003-05), where he served as alternate captain in both seasons. He concluded his playing career with four seasons (2005-08) in the ECHL.
World Juniors 
