USA Hockey announced the 25-player roster for the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team on December 24, 2025, ahead of the IIHF World Junior Championship starting Friday in Minnesota. The team features eight returning players from last year's gold medal winners and a mix of college and junior league standouts. General manager John Vanbiesbrouck expressed excitement about competing at home.
The 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, set for December 26 to January 5 in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, will see Team USA defend its recent success with a talented young roster. USA Hockey named 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders, with 22 players already drafted into the NHL, including six first-round picks. Twenty-one team members currently play college hockey, led by the University of Michigan with four players and Boston University with three.
Eight players return from the 2025 gold medal-winning squad: defensemen Logan Hensler (University of Wisconsin), Cole Hutson (Boston University) and Adam Kleber (University of Minnesota Duluth), plus forwards Cole Eiserman (Boston University), James Hagens (Boston College), Max Plante (University of Minnesota Duluth), Teddy Stiga (Boston College) and Brodie Ziemer (University of Minnesota). Notable NHL prospects include Pittsburgh Penguins forward Will Horcoff, who leads the NCAA with 19 goals for Michigan; Boston Bruins forward James Hagens, the seventh overall pick in 2025; and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Asher Barnett, a fifth-round selection playing for the same Wolverines.
New York Islanders prospects Cole Eiserman and Kamil Bednarik, both from Boston University, also made the cut, with Eiserman returning from last year. Bruins prospect Will Zellers earned his spot after strong pre-tournament play, scoring twice against Germany.
"We had a terrific camp in Duluth and are most grateful for the hospitality," Vanbiesbrouck said. "It's always difficult to settle on our final roster... We're excited about playing at home this year." Twenty-four players hail from the USHL, and 19 are National Team Development Program alumni, representing nine states, with Minnesota and Illinois each contributing seven.
The tournament opens for Team USA against Germany on December 26 at 6:00 p.m. ET, broadcast on NHL Network.
