U.S. hockey has never won back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championships. Team USA has no intention of reinventing the wheel after winning gold at the 2024 Games in Sweden. In fact, with the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship to be held in Ottawa, head coach David Carle is running this tournament with his entire championship team staff led by his coach.
The 34-year-old just won his second NCAA national championship at the University of Denver, leading the Pioneers to their 10th title in program history. Karl will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Steve Miller (University of Minnesota), Brett Larson (St. Cloud State University) and Garrett LaBoin (Augustana University). David Lassonde (USA Hockey) returns as Team USA's goalie coach and Travis Culhane (Denver) becomes video coach for the second straight season.
Karl is currently one of the most highly regarded non-NHL coaches, and there is speculation that an NHL team will hire him soon.
Karl taking the U.S. job will not preclude him from exploring options that may be available at the NHL level, as he will likely be called for an interview. David Quinn was named coach of the USA World Juniors before accepting a job with the New York Rangers, replacing Mike Hastings on Team USA in 2019.
That being said, Karl recently said on the podcast “Spittin' Chiclets” that he is in no rush to lead Denver and that there are many young players to consider before deciding if and when to take the next step to the NHL. He said he has a family.
The U.S. returned to a winning head coach after winning the previous two gold medals. Bob Motzko coached in both 2017 and 2018, winning gold and then bronze. Nate Lehman led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 Bubble World Juniors and finished fifth at the 2022 tournament.
If the Americans are looking to end their winning streak, Karl could be one of their best options. He won two NCAA titles in three years and helped the U.S. age group get over the hump, having struggled to win a big title in Sweden last year.
Team USA returns up to nine players from last year's team, including the promising trio of Will Smith (SJS), Ryan Leonard (WSH), and Gabe Perreault (NYR), who will likely return to Boston College next season can be done. They faced Carl's Pioneers in the NCAA finals and fell just short.
Defensemen Drew Fortescue (NYR), Jeev Bouium (2024) and backup blueliner Aram Minnetian (DAL) are also eligible to return. Up front, Oliver Moore (Chile), Danny Nelson (New York State), and backup forward Carrie Terrence (ANA) could join Smith, Leonard, and Perreault. Trey Augustin (DET) and No. 3 goaltender Sam Hillebrandt are also eligible to compete in separate World Juniors due to their age.
The birth years of 2005 and 2006 have enough depth to help strengthen the team. So expectations will be high for Karl and this group as the Americans aim to do what no American team has ever done: win one gold medal after another.
The 2025 World Junior Championships will be held in Ottawa from December 26, 2024 to January 5, 2025. The American and Canadian teams will be in the same group, guaranteeing at least one matchup between the rivals who didn't meet in last year's tournament.
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