Day 11 - December 25

Merry Christmas from Team USA here in Victoria, British Columbia! After a team breakfast, the U.S. headed to the rink for headshots, team photo and a practice session. After lunch, various members of Team USA will take a tour of Victoria before all the players will head out to see a movie as a team.

PHOTO DAY
An 'unofficial' World Juniors tradition, Christmas Day includes headshots for players and staff as well as the official team photo. Following the team pic, groups gathered for shots -- among them the Northeastern trio of Huskies' associate head coach Jerry Keefe, freshman Tyler Madden and sophomore Cayden Primeau; Yale defensive partners Phil Kemp and Jack St. Ivany; University of Michigan teammates Quinn Hughes and Josh Norris; brothers Quinn and Jack Hughes; the coaching staff, support staff and more.

VICTORIA TOUR
Team USA's bus driver, Glen, is a full-time tour bus driver here in Victoria. Following Team USA's lunch, the team is taking Glen up on his offer of giving the team an hour-long bus tour of the city. The capital of British Columbia, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1843. 

TOURNAMENT BEGINS TOMORROW
Finally, the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship will open tournament play tomorrow in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. The tournament, which includes the best under-20 players in the world, sees the U.S. enter having medaled in three-straight IIHF World Junior Championships for the first time ever after winning gold in 2017 and earning bronze in 2016 and 2018.
     "We're ready to go here," said Mike Hastings, head coach of Team USA. "Our players are excited, they're settled in and now it's time to give it everything we have. The most important game is the next game, and that's the mindset we're going to have here every day moving forward; worry about today."

PHOTO DAY
An 'unofficial' World Juniors tradition, Christmas Day includes headshots for players and staff as well as the official team photo. Following the team pic, groups gathered for shots -- among them the Northeastern trio of Huskies' associate head coach Jerry Keefe, freshman Tyler Madden and sophomore Cayden Primeau; Yale defensive partners Phil Kemp and Jack St. Ivany; University of Michigan teammates Quinn Hughes and Josh Norris; brothers Quinn and Jack Hughes; the coaching staff, support staff and more.