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2023 WJC | Rand Pecknold

Rand Pecknold is serving as the head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team for the first time in 2023.

He has twice been part of U.S. coaching staffs, including for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team which earned a silver medal in the 2018 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship and the U.S. Men’s National Team that competed in the 2017 IIHF Men’s World Championship.

Pecknold is in his 29th season as head coach of the Quinnipiac University men’s ice hockey team in 2022-23 and has his team among the nation’s top teams headed into the holiday break.

He guided the 2021-22 Bobcats to a 32-7-3 overall record, as well as the school’s eighth NCAA tournament appearance and its sixth ECAC Hockey regular-season championship.

Pecknold, who was the Spencer Penrose Award recipient as the top coach in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey in 2016 and is a four-time finalist for the honor (2022, 2013, 2005, 2002), began the 2022-23 season with a record of 581-332-100 and currently ranks second among all active NCAA Division I coaches in career victories and 10th all-time. He coached his 1,000th career game on Feb. 6, 2022, becoming just the 19th coach in men's DI history to achieve the milestone.

A four-time Tim Taylor ECAC Coach of the Year recipient (2022, 2021, 2016, 2013), Pecknold previously served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Connecticut College, for three seasons.

As a player, Pecknold led Connecticut College to the 1990 ECAC South Championship and set school season records for goals (17) and points (47) by a defenseman his senior year. He earned First-Team All-ECAC South honors and a spot on the Division III All-England Team. Playing as a forward for two seasons, he led the Camels in goals as a junior (23) and sophomore (19).