HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – The U.S. National Junior Team will play for a bronze medal today against Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. Opening faceoff is set for 3:30 p.m. local/2:30 p.m. ET at the Scotiabank Centre, and the game will be broadcast live by NHL Network.
Team USA is seeking its 14th medal in the World Juniors and sixth medal in the last eight tournaments.
The U.S. is coming off a 6-2 loss to Canada in the semifinals yesterday in a game that ended at 10:30 p.m. local. The contest was far closer than the final score indicated and included two goals scored by Team USA that were ultimately wiped off the board for goalie interference. The U.S. outshot Canada 45-37.
Sweden fell to Czechia in overtime by a 3-2 count in its semifinal game after taking a 2-1 advantage into the final minute of the contest.
The U.S. and Sweden have played 36 previous times and the series is dead even, with each team having won 17 times with two ties. The U.S. did play Sweden in a pre-tournament game on Dec. 21 in advance of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship and the U.S. earned a 5-1 victory at the Avenir Centre in Moncton.