OTTAWA – The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship is among the most memorable I’ve covered. The storylines were incredible, the results sometimes shocking and we were introduced to so many personalities over the course of the tournament that hockey fans will remember for a long time.

Team USA secured a 4-1 victory over Czechia to advance to the gold medal game.

OTTAWA – First place in Group A is on the line as North American rivals USA and the Canada world juniors teams square off at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship on New Year’s Eve. Once a semi-annual tradition, the New Year’s Eve showdown between these two teams is back for the first time since 2016.

OTTAWA – For the last 20 years at the World Junior Championship, few series have provided more classics than USA vs. Canada. Despite this tournament dating back 49 years, the U.S. has only been competitive for the last half of that, but that competitiveness has provided iconic moments for both countries.

With the World Junior Championship off and running this week in Ottawa, a number of current and former USHL players are on display north of the border.

The World Junior Championship is one of the most high-profile showcases for top draft-eligible talent and this year offers an awful lot to see. Each of the projected top-three players in the draft are slated to compete in the 2025 World Juniors, and each should be seeing regular ice time, too.

The entire developmental landscape in hockey is about to undergo its most dramatic shift in the modern era. Thursday afternoon, the NCAA’s Division I council adopted rule changes that will allow athletes to retain eligibility even if they are involved with professional teams prior to enrollment. This decision is not final until the meeting is concluded, but this measure has already passed the vote.

One of the more interesting storylines that has emerged in the first half of the 2024-2025 USHL season is the sheer volume of quality netminders who have stood out.

We’re still months away from the 2025 NHL Draft, but that should not hinder excitement surrounding the draft-eligible talent playing in the USHL.

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau released its preliminary players to watch list on Wednesday. This list serves as an early assessment of 2025 draft-eligible prospects, providing graded evaluations from all major development leagues.

The men’s college hockey season will kick off Friday night, but it will be a bittersweet opening, especially in Colorado Springs when the Air Force Falcons take the ice against Arizona State at Cadet Ice Arena.

The USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints will honor the greatest player in its history this season when Johnny Gaudreau’s number will be the first retired by the team. The team is currently planning a full memorial ceremony with details to be announced at a later date, but Gaudreau’s No. 8 will never be worn by another player in Dubuque.

Johnny Gaudreau was not a big man, but he was larger than life. He was an artist with the puck on his stick who could make the seemingly impossible a reality. If only we could escape the reality his life and that of his younger brother Matthew were tragically cut short in a traffic accident Thursday in New Jersey.

The process to build rosters for the World Junior Championship really starts in the summer. Last week, players from USA, Sweden, Finland and Canada descended on Plymouth, Michigan to make an impression on the coaching staffs and decision-makers from their respective countries as they vie for spots on the rosters for the World Juniors.

PLYMOUTH, Michigan – There were 25 forwards in Team USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase camp, all vying for spots alongside a number of returning players that will be looking to defend gold at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.