Team USA Prepared to Reclaim Gold at IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship
The moment that Team USA has been preparing for has finally arrived.
After extensive preparation across various leagues and levels, the U.S. will have the opportunity to reclaim gold at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship.
“That’s the objective,” forward Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.) stated, who has been part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program for the past two years. “You build and focus everything toward this event; it’s essentially the goal as a group to come here [to the NTDP] and leave with a gold medal at U18s after two years.”
Historically, this tournament has seen significant success for the Americans. Since the inaugural Under-18 Men’s Worlds in 1999, the U.S. has secured a total of 21 medals, including 11 golds.
The U.S. aims to reclaim the top position on the podium this year after earning a bronze in 2025 and a silver in 2024.
During the 2025 event, the U.S. was arguably the superior team in the semifinal against Sweden, holding a 41-23 advantage in shots on goal, but fell short of facing Canada in the gold-medal match.
“That was a different team, but I believe there’s a sense of pride in reclaiming this tournament,” forward Wyatt Cullen (Moorhead, Minn.) remarked, also a member of the NTDP. “You see what the older group achieved and how close they were, and I don’t think you take that lightly.”
Since arriving in Europe last week for the tournament, the Americans have been performing well in pre-tournament matches.
They triumphed over Norway, 10-0, in their first pre-tournament game last Thursday (April 16), with all three goalies—Brady Knowling (Chicago, Ill.), Luke Carrithers (Maple Grove, Minn.), and Eli Winters (Muskegon, Mich.)—collaborating for the shutout in a match where the U.S. effectively established the pace and identity it aims to bring to the tournament.
The Americans then secured a victory in their second pre-tournament game, winning 7-3 against Finland on Sunday (April 19), highlighted by a hat trick from Sammy Nelson (Maple Grove, Minn.).
The power play has proven to be a strength for the U.S. in the pre-tournament games, converting on four of five opportunities against Norway and Finland, which should bode well for the tournament ahead.
<p“This season we learned that we are in the right place for our development and our game,” Mutryn noted. “We’ve faced various types of games, including USHL and college, as well as other countries, and I think we carry all of that into U18s now.”
Team USA will commence the tournament against Czechia on Wednesday, starting a series of four preliminary games within six days, leading up to the quarterfinals on April 29 and semifinals on May 1. The medal games are scheduled for May 2. All matches will be broadcast live on NHL Network.
“We are looking forward to playing over there,” Cullen said. “It’s something we’ve all considered, and everyone is eager for the opportunity.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
