OSTRAVA, Czech Republic - The U.S. National Junior Team will play Finland in a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday (Jan. 2) at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, it was announced by the IIHF. The game is set for 5:30 p.m. local time/11:30 a.m. ET at Werk Arena in Trinec, Czech Republic, and will be broadcast live on NHL Network.
The U.S. completed the preliminary round with a record of 2-1-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and finished as the second seed in Group B, while Finland is the third seed in Group A and completed preliminary round play with a record of 2-0-1-1.
Team USA has won its last four quarterfinal games in the IIHF World Junior Championship. The U.S. and Finland have met in the quarterfinal round of the World Juniors twice, with the U.S. winning both contests -- 6-2 in 2010 and 6-3 in 2007.
The U.S. is 11-0-0-7 (W-OTW-OTL-L) all-time in IIHF World Junior Championship quarterfinal history, including its most recent win over the Czech Republic in 2019. The 3-1 victory, led by Cayden Primeau’s effort in net stopping 18 of 19 shots, would eventually lead to the U.S. winning a silver medal. For more information about the tournament click here.
NOTE: Other quarterfinal matchups include Russia-Switzerland at 12:30 p.m. in Trinec, while the two quarterfinals games in Ostrava include Canada-Slovakia at 3:00 p.m. and Sweden-Czech Republic at 8:00 p.m.
DID YOU KNOW
The IIHF World Junior Championship has been played in Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic five times previous to this 2020 championship. The U.S. finishes: 1977 (7th), 1987 (4th), 1994 (6th), 2002 (5th) and 2008 (4th).
U.S. Tournament Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | TIME (LOCAL/ET)/RESULT | Broadcast | U.S. Player of the Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs., Dec. 26 | Canada Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | L, 4-6 | NHL Network | Shane Pinto |
| Fri., Dec. 27 | Germany Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | W, 6-3 | NHL Network | Trevor Zegras |
| Sun., Dec. 29 | Russia Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | W, 3-1 | NHL Network | Spencer Knight |
| Mon., Dec. 30 | Czech Republic Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | OTW, 4-3 | NHL Network | Cole Caufield |
| Thurs., Jan. 2 | Finland Quarterfinal |
Werk Arena | L, 0-1 | NHL Network | Spencer Knight |
More World Juniors News
2025 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster Released
- By USA Hockey 12/02/2024, 11:59am EST
USA Tops Canada in Shootout Victory to Close World Junior Summer Showcase
- By USA Hockey 08/03/2024, 8:15pm EDT
Day Four of Games at World Junior Summer Showcase Comes to a Close
- By USA Hockey 08/02/2024, 7:30pm EDT
USA Drops 5-3 Decision To Finland at World Junior Summer Showcase
- By USA Hockey 07/31/2024, 7:30pm EDT
U.S. Sweeps Day Two of Games at World Junior Summer Showcase
- By USA Hockey 07/29/2024, 7:15pm EDT