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Larson, Miller, Lassonde, Culhane Named To Coaching Staff for 2024 U.S. National Junior Team

By USA Hockey, 06/02/23, 2:00PM EDT

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U.S. to compete in 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Sweden

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Brett Larson (Duluth, Minn./St. Cloud State University) and Steve Miller (Sun Prairie, Wis./University of Minnesota) have been named assistant coaches, David Lassonde (Durham, N.H./USA Hockey) goaltending coach, and Travis Culhane (Kalamazoo, Mich./University of Denver) video coach for the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. 26-Jan.5, in Gothenburg, Sweden, it was announced today by USA Hockey.

The group will work in concert with David Carle (Anchorage, Alaska/University of Denver) who was previously named head coach of the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team.

“We’ve got a terrific coaching staff overall,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team and assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “The blend of experience we have will serve us well in our ultimate goal of bringing home a gold medal.”

“I’m thankful to have the great group of assistant coaches in place,” said Carle. “I look forward to utilizing the vast experience they bring collectively to put us in the best possible position to win gold.”

ABOUT LARSON

Brett Larson is the head men’s ice hockey coach at St. Cloud State University and returns as a coach on the international stage for the fourth time.

Most recently, Larson served as an assistant coach for the 2022 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. He was also an assistant coach for the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, and in 2012 served as head coach of the U.S. Junior Select Team that won the World Junior A Challenge.

A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Larson has spent the last 15 years as a full-time coach, including two stints as an assistant men’s ice hockey coach at his alma mater, University of Minnesota Duluth, where he helped the Bulldogs to a pair of NCAA titles. He also spent two seasons as the head coach and general manager of the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL and two campaigns as associate men’s ice hockey coach at Ohio State University. 

Since the 2018-19 season, Larson has served in his current capacity as head coach at St. Cloud State where he has led the program to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a spot in the 2021 national championship game.

ABOUT MILLER

Steve Miller currently serves as associate head coach of the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey team and brings a track record of experience and success both at the collegiate level and on the international stage over his storied career.

Miller has served as an assistant coach for six previous National Junior Teams, helping the U.S. earn gold in 2021 and 2017, silver in 2019 and bronze in 2018. 

Over his 35-year coaching career, which began at St. Mary's University in 1988-89, and has included stops at Miami University, University of Denver, Providence College, Air Force Academy, Ohio State University, and today Minnesota, Miller has three NCAA national titles to his credit, along with numerous conference regular-season and post-season championships, and NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, native – who was honored with the American Hockey Coaches Association Terry Flanagan Award in 2009 recognizing an assistant coach’s career body of work -- has coached or recruited more than 20 players who have gone on to play in the NHL.

ABOUT LASSONDE

David Lassonde, the national goaltending coach for USA Hockey, brings 35 years of coaching experience, including time behind the bench for 12 international events.

Most recently, Lassonde helped the U.S. to gold as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. He also served on the coaching staff for the silver-medal U18 squad in 2022 as well as the 2021 team. 

The Durham, New Hampshire, native also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games; four U.S. National Junior Teams, including the silver medal-winning 2019 squad and gold medal-winning 2013 team; the 2015 championship-winning U.S. Under-17 Select Team; and the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that finished second at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

Lassonde boasts a 32-year NCAA Division I men’s hockey coaching career that includes stops at Dartmouth College, University of Denver, University of New Hampshire, Miami University and University of Wisconsin with 20 NCAA Tournament berths, including five appearances in the Men’s Frozen Four.

ABOUT CULHANE

Travis Culhane recently finished his second season with the University of Denver men’s ice hockey team as director of hockey operations after helping the Pioneers capture the NCAA national championship in his first year with the program in 2021-22.

Prior to his time at DU, he spent two campaigns at Colorado College as director of hockey operations for the men’s ice hockey program. 

The Kalamazoo, Michigan, native is a 2017 graduate of Western Michigan University and served full-time as the director of hockey operations for the WMU men’s ice hockey team in 2018-19.


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