Finland: Siltanews – News Desk
The United States sits one win from history. Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard had a goal and an assist each Saturday as the Americans beat Czechia 4-1 to book a place in the gold-medal game at the world junior hockey championship.
Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard had a goal and an assist each Saturday as the Americans beat Czechia 4-1 to book a place in the gold-medal game at the world junior hockey championship.
Cole Eiserman and Oliver Moore, into the empty net, also scored for the U.S., which will meet Finland in Sunday’s championship showdown. The Scandinavians beat rivals Sweden 4-3 in overtime in the other semifinal.
Trey Augustine made 26 saves. Aram Minnetian had two assists.
Jakub Stancl replied for the Czechs, who will play the Swedes for bronze. Michael Hrabal stopped 21 shots.
The Americans — owners of six world junior crowns, including victories in 2021 and 2024 — have never topped the podium at consecutive tournaments.
“It would mean everything,” said Perreault, a member of last year’s squad. “We definitely have the team to do it. We’ll be ready to go.”
Perreault opened the scoring for the Americans, set to host the 2026 event in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., at 3:14 of the first period with his third goal at the men’s under-20 showcase. Stancl made it 1-1 at 9:28 with his tournament-leading sixth.
Eiserman then one-timed his third of the event at 13:41 of the second inside Canadian Tire Centre — a building decidedly behind the Czechs.
Augustine went full-stretch with under 12 minutes to go in regulation to deny Adam Jecho, who scored the goal that eliminated Canada in the quarterfinals, from the lip of his crease.
“Crazy,” Perreault said. “I’ve seen him do it plenty of times, but that was definitely a big one.”
The U.S. put the game out of reach when Perreault fed Leonard for the American captain’s fourth at 15:33 of the third before Moore iced it into the empty net with his first.
“That’d be unbelievable,” American defenseman Cole Hutson said of going back-to-back. “Probably the last time we ever get a chance to play with a lot of those guys in the room.”
Benjamin Rautiainen scored on a power play at 9:22 of overtime to secure Finland’s victory over Sweden.