GOTHENBURG, Sweden – The U.S. National Junior Team will face Finland today in the semifinals of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. local/1:30 p.m. ET and the game can be seen live on NHL Network.

The U.S. has advanced to the semifinals of the World Juniors in seven of the last nine years and looks to return to the gold-medal game for the first time since 2021 when it captured the top prize in the tournament in Edmonton, Alberta.

Team USA is the only squad to win all five games in the tournament and is coming off a 7-2 victory over Latvia in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (Jan. 2). Finland started with losses in its first two games, but has won its last three, including a 4-3 triumph in overtime over Slovakia in the quarterfinals.

The 2024 World Juniors conclude tomorrow with the bronze-medal game at 3 p.m. local/9 a.m. ET and gold-medal contest at 7:30 p.m. local1:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be carried live by NHL Network.

WHAT TO KNOW

• The U.S. and Finland have met 37 previous times in the World Juniors. Each team has won 18 times with one tie. The U.S. has faced Finland twice in the semifinals of the tournament, winning both times by a goal (and going on to win gold both those years).
• Team USA is the top offensive team in the tournament, averaging 7.20 goals and 40.60 shots on goal per game.
• Cutter Gauthier is the leading point-getter in the World Juniors with 1-10—11, while Gavin Brindley leads the tournament in goals with six. Gauthier is tops in assists with 10, while Will Smith leads the event in faceoff percentage at .672 (41-61) and Zeev Buium is number one in plus/minus rating at +10.
• The U.S. won its first gold medal in the World Juniors 20 years ago in 2004. Matt Carle, the brother of U.S. head coach David Carle, was part of that team.
• USA Hockey is hosting the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship and in cooperation with the IIHF, will announce the location of the event tomorrow at a press conference in Gothenburg prior to the bronze-medal game.

COMING SOON

A reminder to Team USA fans that the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team is in Zug, Switzerland, preparing for the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. Team USA begins play in the event on Sunday (Jan. 7) against Slovakia. Opening faceoff is set for 6 a.m. ET and the game can be seen live on NHL Network. Click here to follow along.