The 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship will take place from April 23 to May 3 in Frisco and Allen, Texas. Scroll for an inside look at Team USA's journey on home soil—from the start of camp all the way through the team's final moments at this year's tournament.

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT

It was the final day of practice as we near the end of the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship as the U.S. prepares for its semifinal round game to come tomorrow, along with the medal round game Saturday. Clocking in at day 17 in Frisco, Texas, the ultimate goal is still in sight… winning a gold-medal.

The host country had the late practice, hitting the ice at 2:45 p.m., making minor tweaks and adjustments to its game plan against Sweden, a team it saw and beat five days ago. The stakes now are much larger, where the winner will take on either Canada or Slovakia who’s playing in the first semifinal game of the day.

After an up-beat practice, the team grounded itself and cleared its mind with a 15-minute mediation session in the locker room. Focusing on its breath and staying in the present, having a clear mind is key when entering such a high stakes game.

Afterwards at the rink, Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.) squared off in some quick social media videos which included some trivia and who can tape their stick the fastest… blindfolded. It was a close race, but ultimately, McKinney won.

Snack was had before the players had some time before dinner as PGA Tour started to be played on the PlayStation downstairs. Some competitive rounds were had on the links, virtually, as the rolling meadows of Erin Hills or the calmness of Augusta were on the screen.

It was time for dinner and more NHL playoffs before everyone closed their doors, shut off the lights and caught some z’s.

Team USA (5-0-0-0) will look to punch its ticket to the gold-medal game as it takes on Sweden (4-0-0-1) tomorrow. Faceoff inside Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Frisco, 8:00 p.m. ET, and can be seen live on NHL Network. Tickets for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship can be purchased online here.

Bubble or Cage?
- Cage

White Tape or Black Tape?
- White

Beach or Mountains?
- Beach

Texas BBQ or Texas Chili?
- Texas BBQ

Hotel room - Hot or Cold?
- Ice cold

Would you rather experience a Texas rodeo or a country music concert?
- Concert

Favorite pregame meal?
- Rice and grilled chicken

Favorite vacation destination?
- Key West, Fla.

What’s one thing you can’t live without when traveling for a tournament?
- Wired headphones

If you weren’t a hockey player, what would you be doing?
- Video game streamer

Go-to pre-game music genre/artist?
- Luke Combs

If you could instantly master one sport (other than hockey or golf), what would it be?
- Baseball, specifically pitcher

KEEPING IT ROLLING

Team USA has continued to find its groove and steadied into its routine as day number 14 in Frisco, Texas arrived. Just like the several days before, the day started out like any other... with some eggs, sausage, breakfast sandwiches and fruit to fuel up for the day ahead. After a breakfast, a quick team stretch in the hotel was led by Director of Sports Science Joe Meloni (Falmouth, Mass.).

There was some time in between stretch and rink departure as the weather continued to hold up for the daily 10-minute walk. In between then, forward Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) brought his PlayStation down from his room to dining room/players’ lounge to get some games of “Chel” going with the team. The back-and-forth seemed to continue of who’s better than who at the game and how someone got lucky from the video game win.

With the upcoming quarterfinal game against Lativa, the players and coaches gathered for a video session to help prepare what they should be looking for in a little over 24 hours. After video, the team, as a group (always), walked over to Comerica Center to get ready for practice.

The team went through the basics and worked on its special teams, including its tournament-leading penalty kill, before it was off the ice and geared up to get back to the hotel.

While waiting to go back to the rink, Minnesota natives Jacob Kvasnicka (Plymouth, Minn.) and Maceo Phillips (Wayzata, Minn.) talked with Scott Strande of College Hockey West. A Minnesota native himself, Strande talked with the Gopher commits individually about what it means for them to represent their country, what they’re looking forward to in their college career and what it means to have a few future Gophers on the team.

After the rink, lunch was served, and cards and PlayStation was utilized to help pass the time until dinner. Minatare golf was discussed along with the popular activity of the movie theater before it was time for dinner.

Players filled up and hit their rooms to watch television or movies and get ready for the important day ahead.

Team USA (4-0-0-0) gears up for quarterfinal action as it’ll face Latvia (0-1-0-3) tomorrow. Faceoff inside Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Frisco, 8:00 p.m. ET, and can be seen live on NHL Network. Tickets for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship can be purchased online here.

Bubble or Cage?
- Cage

White Tape or Black Tape?
- White

Beach or Mountains?
- Beach

Texas BBQ or Texas Chili?
- Texas Chili

Hotel room - Hot or Cold?
- Cold

Would you rather experience a Texas rodeo or a country music concert?
- Concert

Favorite pregame meal?
- Pasta

Favorite vacation destination?
- Atlantis

What’s one thing you can’t live without when traveling for a tournament?
- PlayStation

If you weren’t a hockey player, what would you be doing?
- Golfing

Go-to pre-game music genre/artist?
- Country/Treaty Oak Revival

If you could instantly master one sport (other than hockey or golf), what would it be?
- Baseball, specifically shortstop

EYES SET FORWARD

Team USA had a light day today and geared up for its final preliminary round game tomorrow against Germany. Three games in four days can be a lot, especially when it includes two come-from-behind wins and a total of 20 goals, so a much needed off day from the ice was needed. Although an off day from the ice, the team was still putting in the work inside the gym with some band work, dumbbell exercises and more.

After its workout, the team headed to the Comerica Center stands to watch the final 5:00 of the Germany vs. Switzerland game and get a sneak peak of its opponent for tomorrow. Knotted up at 4 a side, Germany tallied the difference maker late. The game was high drama as Switzerland nearly tied it up with its net empty, but Germany came away with the win to advance to the quarterfinals.

After the team walked back to the hotel and ate lunch, the players had a few hours to kill as some spent time with their family while other opted for movies in their room or playing cards together. Some déjà vu was felt as more playoff hockey was watched and Stanley Cup predictions and hot takes continued to fly.

Just like any other day, the team ate dinner and unwound as it’s still full-steam ahead with its eyes set on Germany.

Team USA (3-0-0-0) rounds out preliminary round play tomorrow as it’ll face Germany (1-1-0-1) as it looks to end it undefeated. Faceoff inside Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Frisco, 8:00 p.m. ET, and can be seen live on NHL Network. Tickets for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship can be purchased online here.

RODEO ROUNDUP
Get to know a little about Team USA players during the tournament as we’ll feature someone new each day. Hear from Team USA defenseman, and University of Minnesota commit, Maceo Phillis, as the Wayzata, Minn., native answers some questions!

THE IN-BETWEEN

After a pair of wins, back-to-back we might add, Team USA was back on the ice with its eyes set on Sweden for its third preliminary round game tomorrow (April 26). Practice was a little later today, with a 1:00 p.m. start, as players and staff made the trek over to the rink. After its typical warmup, the team hit the ice to perfect its game ahead of tomorrow’s tilt. Zone entries and special teams were a focus, as the team was treated to a shortened practice – 30 minutes opposed to an hour – but many stayed on the ice to get the extra reps in… or stay out of the locker room which was particularly warm because of the outside humidity.

Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.) and Blake Fiddler (Frisco, Texas) talked with NHL.com in the media mix zone afterwards as a few Arizona State University commits (and current player) chatted with College Hockey West. Future Sun Devils Benjamin Kevan (Fairfield, Calif.) and Lincoln Kuehne (West Fargo, N.D.), along with current Sun Devil Cullen Potter (Minneapolis, Minn.), all talked about what it means to represent their country while Potter was asked how exciting it’ll be to welcome Kuehne and Kevan to Tempe this upcoming fall.

After arriving back to the hotel for a post-practice meal, players were delighted to see the pan of chicken parm roll through as, just like the orange chicken the other day, players couldn’t get enough.

After lunch, players had a few hours of free time before dinner to do as they please, although, the pool and pool deck were out of commission due to pool maintenance so that was out of the picture. Kevan and others tested their wits at a local escape room (which they completed), while Maceo Phillips (Wayzata, Minn.) and a few others decided on the cinema to watch “Until Dawn”. Advertised as a horror movie, Phillips shared that it wasn’t too scary.

The players wound down with the NFL Draft and, of course, playoff hockey before it rested up for the big day ahead.

Team USA (2-0-0-0) continues tournament play tomorrow (April 26) as it’s set to face Sweden (2-0-0-0) in its third preliminary round game. Faceoff inside Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, is slated for 7:00 p.m. local, 8:00 p.m. ET, and can be seen live on NHL Network. Tickets for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship can be purchased online here.

RODEO ROUNDUP
Get to know a little about Team USA players during the tournament as we’ll feature someone new each day. Hear from Team USA defenseman, and Boston University commit, Charlie Trethewey as the Woodbine, Md., native answers some questions!

PICTURE DAY

We’re officially less than 24 hours until the puck drops for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship and no better way to get prepared than for official headshots and a team picture. Players filed in line, one-by-one, with their shoulder pads and blue game jerseys on but regular shorts, making everyone look just a little… top heavy we’ll say. After a few adjustments to jerseys, including straightening everything out and making sure there’s no parts that are bunched, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) photographer snapped a quick picture from the front, followed by their nameplate on the back for logging purposes.

A debate being murmured through the picture line on whether to smile or keep a straight face was heard as nearly everyone chose the latter, with a few smirks here and there. Once all 25 players rolled through, coaches and staff made their way through, snapping a picture with their credential first since, well, there’s no nameplates on a suit or tracksuit.

Once the ice was cut, 15 chairs were seen sliding for the Zamboni tunnel towards center ice, along with three pieces of a stage to help tier the picture. Players and staff were orchestrated to get into place before a few shots were taken and off went the chairs and stage to help make up for lost practice time. Players assisted in skating the chair back to the Zamboni door before it dropped its game jerseys in a rolling hamper and put on its practice jerseys with the assistance of equipment manager Jake Visser (Grand Rapids, Mich.). Only eight minutes past between the start of practice, which was the start of the team picture, to pucks flying around as the vibes were high on the final day of practice before prelims.

Donny Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.) was mic’d up for the practice as he was flying around the ice and making for some good sound bites... more on that to come. Before the team broke it down, pucks were seen scattered around the official tournament logo at center ice which meant a shootout would commence. Players went one-by-one and worked on their shootout moves while all three goalies practiced their shootout saves as well.

Everyone walked back to the hotel as the Texas heat started to gear up, clocking in at 85 degrees with 75% humidity, but with some tree and building coverage for some duration of the walk, it was bearable for all. However, the warm sun continued to feel great compared to the brisk, cool air elsewhere.

Players relaxed around the hotel, mainly inside, as cards were shuffled, and NHL Playoffs were on the television in the players’ lounge. Although it might sound like a good way to relax and unwind, the pool was left empty the first time in a few days. “It sounds like a good idea,” Matthew Lansing (Tonawanda, N.Y.) said. “But with the sun beating down on you like that, I wouldn’t want to lose all of that energy.” A good point made by Fargo Force’s very own.

After dinner and a snack, everyone scattered back to their room to grab some shut eye with its eyes set on Czechia.

Team USA officially opens tournament play tomorrow as it’s set to face Czechia in its first of four preliminary round games. Faceoff inside Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, is slated for 7:00 p.m. local (8:00 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on NHL Network. Tickets for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship can be purchased online here.

HOW ABOUT YESTERDAY?

Team USA beat Finland, 4-1, in its final pre-tournament game yesterday as it traveled 20 minutes away to Plano for the game. It’s a group effort to pack up the equipment and move it to its three-hour temporary home, as its all hand on deck to get it down quickly and efficiently. Players are in charge of their own bags while whoever’s done the quickest gets the reward of helping with the stick bag. A lot of work gets done in a short period of time and it’s replicated after the game as well. The U.S. won’t have to worry about moving its equipment back-and-forth anymore though as it’ll play at Comerica Center for the remainder of the tournament.

The mall reopened yesterday (April 21) which gave players something to do during its free time after the pretournament game. Retail stores, Dave & Buster’s, a movie theater, you name it, the mall probably has it. Their time was used wisely and were all glad they could reenter the mall.

Orange chicken was served for dinner, and the players couldn’t get enough of it. Seconds, third and even fourths were had as all 25 gave their compliments to the chef. Players would get back up and wait patiently for the hotel staff to bring more as the serving tray would last around one minute before wiped clean again. “This is the best orange chicken I’ve ever had… this beats Panda Express!”

RODEO ROUNDUP

Get to know a little about Team USA players during the tournament as we’ll feature someone new each day. Hear from Team USA defenseman, and Arizona State University commit, Lincoln Kuehne as the West Fargo, N.D., native answers some questions!

AN EGG-CITING DAY

The day started off like any other, with a nice, filling breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon, oatmeal, toast etc. to fuel up for the Sunday to come. After the 9:15 a.m. breakfast, the team gathered in its meeting room which is conveniently across the hall from its dining room. Some situational hockey was broken down by assistant coach Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.), followed by head coach Greg Moore (Lisbon, Maine), before Moore shared inspirational wisdom with the tournament nearing its open.

It was cold to Texas’ standards for the walk as a thunderstorm rolled through and made it a chilling 64 degrees. The team arrived at the rink and went through the same routine of warming up and stick handling inside Comerica Center which is slowly making the transition for the tournament. The nation’s flags are seen draped from the rafters while a banner that hangs end-to-end was getting set up.

When the team was ready to roll, Joe Meloni (Falmouth, Mass.), once again, led the team to the Legends strength room and structured a 45-minute lift which included band work, cable work, medicine ball movements and more. "It was a great team workout," Meloni said. After a cooldown, and a 10-minute stationary bike ride from Mikey Berchild (Minnetonka, Minn.), the team watched the 2025 U.S. Women’s National Team pot two goals in the second period of the gold-medal game of the Women’s World Championship.

Fajitas were served for lunch as the players ate and had a few hours to themselves, although, the local attraction of the mall was closed due to Easter Sunday so naps, a pool session and some video filled the void. Playoff hockey, some ‘chel’ and sounds of watching the Women’s National Team secure gold, in overtime, over Canada were also heard on the hotel room floor over the next few hours. Players also caught another ball game as the Frisco RoughRiders's first pitch was 4:00 p.m. and with clear skies and 75-degree weather, it was a great afternoon to catch a ball game.

The team rested and had its eyes geared for the day following as it’ll face Finland in its second and final pre-tournament game before the tournament starts on Wednesday (April 23). The team packed its hockey bags earlier as tomorrow’s tilt is set to take place inside the Starcenter Plano Ice Arena, just a short 15-minute bus ride away, with puck drop slated for 2:00 p.m. ET. Tomorrow’s game will be streamed live on USAHockeyTV.

RODEO ROUNDUP
Get to know a little about Team USA players during the tournament as we’ll feature someone new each day. Hear from Team USA forward, and University of Denver commit, Mikey Berchild as the Minnetonka, Minn., native answers some questions!

CONTINUING TO BUILD THE FOUNDATION

The classic saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” which signifies great achievements don’t take shape overnight. The beginning stages of the tournament are like the ancient saying as Team USA has been continuing to build its strong foundation going on day five in Texas. Preliminary-round games don’t start for another four days, but the work and dedication start well before.

Although Team USA doesn’t have 1,229 years to build that foundation, as ancient historians believed that’s how long it took to build Rome, it’s still putting in the work on and off the ice with its hopes on the ultimate prize… Singing The Star-Spangled Banner, arm-in-arm, with a gold medal around its neck.

The preparation continued and the foundation continued to form with an hour-long practice inside Comerica Center, home to all Team USA preliminary-round games. Before the team hit the ice though, everyone gathered around the television in the locker room watching the final minutes of the 2025 U.S. Women’s National Team win its semifinal game at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship to advance to the gold-medal game against Canada.

After a stretch, the team hit the ice and was growing that foundation brick-by-brick. Assistant coach Chad Kolarik (Abington, Pa.) was working hard coaching up the defense and perfecting the team’s penalty kill while assistant coach David Lassonde (Durham, N.H.) was working with the goaltenders.

The team met at center ice to break it down, as a loud “USA!” rang through Comerica, but before it headed back into the locker room the team broke out in singing “Happy Birthday!”. Goaltender Patrick Quinlan’s (Kennett Square, Pa.) birthday was today as he celebrated his 18th here in Texas.

The team’s day wasn’t done there, however, as Director of Sports Science Joe Meloni (Falmouth, Mass.) led the team through a workout at the Texas Legends gym inside Comerica Center. The gym was a quick right and then left turn and took no more than one minute to access the facility the team graciously let Team USA utilize. The strength of the workout and condition helps keep a sturdy foundation in which the team is, and will continue to, build.

AROUND THE LONE STAR STATE

After lunch, the team had the remainder of the evening to do as they pleased. Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) chatted on the phone with sportswriter and reporter Jon Morosi as they briefly talked about Moore’s piano talent. The big thing to do amongst the players is visit Dave & Buster’s which is about a five-minute walk. Talks of how many tickets each other have on their Power Card was a point of contention, along with the ‘Pop-a-Shot’ basketball game in which Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.) was heard taking challengers. Laying out by the pool is also a popular activity by the players, while some staff found Cowboy Fit, a local gym located on the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and practice facility in Frisco, Texas, to get a workout in.

Players settled in for the night as it watched the Winnipeg Jets take on the St. Louis Blues for the first game of the NHL Playoffs. During intermission though, the television flipped to professional pillow-fighting on ESPN as players were captivated watching two competitors strategically, in a boxing ring, go back and forth having a pillow fight.

RODEO ROUNDUP
Get to know a little about Team USA players during the tournament as we’ll feature someone new each day. Hear from Team USA forward, and current Arizona State Sun Devil, Cullen Potter as the Minneapolis, Minn., native answers some questions!

"HITTING THE BOOKS"

Although it’s not necessarily a test the players can study for, the team went through some testing today, both off and on the ice. In lieu of practice, Team USA ate a hearty breakfast and assembled early on the second floor of the hotel to begin its off-ice testing. The purpose of the testing is to get players official measurements ahead of the tournament and to help with NHL’s Central Scouting.

Nearly all the players were greeted by a familiar face as Brian Galivan, co-founder of GVN Performance and Director of Sports Science for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, welcomed the team and gave them all a low down. Galivan introduced his brother, and also co-founder of GVN, Patrick Galivan, along with GVN Director of Performance Joey Bower and Dallas Strength Coach Nate Henry. Joe Meloni (Falmouth, Mass.) who’s serving as the Director of Sports Science for the 2025 U.S. National Under-18 Team, is the head strength coach for USA Hockey’s NTDP and a strength coach with Galivan at GVN in USA Hockey Arena.

Alphabetically, the teams started in groups of five stretching up and down the corridors of the hotel before they were met by Dan Marr. Marr, the Director of NHL Central Scouting, was officially recording the players heights and weights, and also checking to make sure their supporting information was correct. Fist bumps were flying when Marr told some players their heights, gaining an extra inch or so since their last measurement. Harvard University commit Donny Bracco (Freeport, N.Y.) was thrilled to see his weight go up as he’s said he’s been “putting on some good lbs”.

Up next was the vertical jump test, or force plate testing, which is used to detect and measure accelerations, reactions and athlete imbalances to provide training insights for coaches and athletes. The players did a vertical jump, no arm jump and squat jump as Andrew O'Neill (Fargo, N.D.) nearly broke the modern-combine vertical jump record while several hit PRs, rounding out the off-ice testing.

The team made its first walk of many from its new hotel to Comerica Center which takes a whopping 10 minutes. Once again, no complaints were heard as the 82-degree sun blessed everyone’s skin. “I know it gets hot here in the summer, but it can’t be as bad as the snow and negative temps we have in Michigan, right?” Will Moore (Ithaca, N.Y.) said. “Yeah, this is basically my every day,” Cullen Potter (Minneapolis, Minn.) said, who played this past season at Arizona State University. Moore said though that the 90-degree average between June and September would be a little hot.

The team arrived at the rink, warmed up and hit the ice for the on-ice session of testing. Players partook in different individual drill-esque tests that lasted around an hour and included lateral skating, skating through different gates, backwards skating, crossovers, stickhandles etc. as the list goes on. Team camaraderie was present as you could hear players either waiting for their turn or have already completed pushing their teammates to do the best they can and be the best they could be.

TESTING… IS THIS THING ON?

Moore was mic’d up with NHL.com for the on-ice skating as they strapped a wireless mic pack to his shoulder pads and wrapped the lavalier mic close to his chest. Following the testing, NHL.com asked Moore a few questions, just on what he thought of the testing, what he’s improved on, what surprised him that he did well on and other general hockey questions that pertained to the tournament.

A few hours ticked by before Moore was back in front of the camera, this time with the NHL’s social media crew, but it wasn’t before a few of his teammates went and answered some fun questions. Cole McKinney (Lake Forest, Ill.), Will Horcoff (Birmingham, Mich.), Blake Fiddler (Frisco, Texas), Maceo Phillips (Wayzata, Minn.), Jack Murtagh (East Greenbush, N.Y.), Moore and Potter all spent 15 minutes doing a few TikTok trends and filters, and answering various questions like: Who’s one player not playing in the NHL Yet that you’re confident will be a superstar one day (U.S. gold-medalist Cole Hutson was a popular answer), what’s your hottest food take and who’s your NHL player comp, to name a few.

SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

After a morning practice, the team made the short five-minute walk back to its hotel for the final time on the trip. The trip via walk now doubles as Team USA switched hotels to its main stay for the remainder of the tournament. After a quick meal of chicken, salad, potatoes and an assortment of pasta, the team had around two hours of down time before it packed its stuff to switch hotels.

Some players took advantage of the 80-degree weather and could be seen catching some rays by the pool and playing cards or talking about the upcoming NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. After some time, the team loaded up the bus with luggage and the five-minute journey began. On the trip, the team started to practice their baseball chants as it geared up for the Frisco RoughRiders game while “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was practiced a few times, but more on that to come. After a few lefts and a few rights, there they were at its new hotel. Although it’s a different hotel and a slightly further walk, the proximity remained the same.

Team USA, including all players and staff, share the same floor as both started to get settled into their home for the next two and a half weeks. Some players dashed into their rooms and turned the thermostat as far down as it can go, while others opted to unload their suitcases and have everything neat and organized.

Dinner was served, the first of many meals at the team’s new stay, before it started to make way for Riders Field (a brief 10-minute walk).

SWITCHING OUT THE TWIGS FOR SOME BATS

The team set forth for an afternoon at the ballpark as the team watched the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate club of the MLB’s Texas Rangers, take on the Arizona Diamondbacks farm team, the Amarillo Sod Poodles. The RoughRiders entered the contest with an 8-3 record and looked to add another win under its belt with Team USA in the building… or stadium, that is.

Major leaguers like Chris Davis, Adrian Gonzalez and Ian Kinsler, to name the few off 200+ RoughRiders who have played in the show, have graced the field for the Riders in its 23-year history.

Players were astonished at the unique features and amenities the stadium had to offer, most notably its Lazy River that’s inside the ballpark. Yes, you read that right, an actual Lazy River with water, pool floats, tubes, it had it all. Being one of the largest water features in a professional sporting venue, players were fascinated to learn that NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki, the former Dallas Maverick, was the first occupant in the 174-foot-long pool. “I should’ve brought my swimsuit!” fell on the ears of many, but a nice view from WHERE DID WE SIT was a great spot to watch some ball.

Before the game started, however, the team was recognized during the ceremonial first pitch as Asher Barnett (Wilmette, Ill.) threw out the first pitch. Some may have mistaken him for an up-and-coming player as he threw one right down Broadway that would’ve had some of the best baseball players mesmerized.

The team was treated to a great game as it started off with a quick three-run inning for the home team. Team USA was recognized on the video board with both a message and a live shot, and patrons around were stopping the team and wishing them good luck. Players were on the edge of their seats until the final out as the RoughRiders came away on top, 5-3.

After the fun, the team made way back to its hotel as it prepped for another day ahead.

OFF AND RUNNING

Players and staff from the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team convened at USA Hockey Arena this morning before starting its journey to Frisco, Texas, for the 2025 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Before the team headed off to Detroit Metro Airport, some words of encouragement were said from Parker Trottier, Wyatt Cullen, Logan Stuart and Lukas Zajic, all players from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s U.S. National Under-17 Team. The four individually came on the bus to give the team some words of encouragement and, of course, wish them all good luck before the short trek to the airport.

Everyone filed onto the plane and made themselves comfortable for the 2.5-hour flight, the shortest flight a U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team has taken for a tournament since 2021, when Frisco and Plano, Texas, served as a host site. There was a wide array of entertainment options to choose from on the flight, as some sorted through the hundreds of movie and TV shows on the seatback screen, as others settled for some shut eye. Talks of Gladiator II, Friends, The Office and others were heard waiting at baggage claim to secure all the bags and equipment before the team headed off to the hotel.

After settling in, everyone headed down to the team meeting room, which also serves as the team meal room, for a late lunch before focus was turned to practice.

WELCOME TO COMERICA CENTER

Comerica Center, located in Frisco, Texas, will be the host venue for all Team USA preliminary-round games along with all Group B games and both the semifinal and medal rounds. Comerica Center, not to be confused with the Detroit Tiger’s Comerica Park, is home to the Texas Legends of the NBA G league and the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League. The multi-purpose arena is also home to the executive offices and practice facility of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. With a capacity of 3,500 for ice hockey games, Team USA is no stranger to the arena as the 2021 team played in the same rink during the tournament.

Team USA made the short five-minute walk from the hotel to the rink with no complaints as the 74-degree sunny weather felt much better than 40-degrees and windy back in Michigan. Players were taken aback by the team locker room as equipment manager Jake Visser (Grand Rapids, Mich.), athletic trainer Mike Maciejewski (Lake Orion, Mich.) and general manager Scott Monaghan (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.) traveled a day early to get it all prepared prior to the first practice.

After a brief introduction of assistant coach Mike Garman (Vail, Colo.), current head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Chicago Steel who traveled separately today, the team hit the ice for a late 7:00 p.m. practice.

The team hit the ice for an hour before it walked back to the hotel and rounded out the day with a late dinner. The next time Team USA will see the ice is tomorrow, not for a practice, rather its first pre-tournament game. The team is set to face Norway inside Comerica Center, live on USA Hockey TV, with puck drop slated for 4:30 p.m. CT.

Texas BBQ or Texas Chili?
- Texas BBQ

Hotel room - Hot or Cold?
- Cold

Would you rather experience a Texas rodeo or a country music concert?
- Country music concert

Favorite pregame meal?
- Peanut butter and jelly (Strawberry, specifically)

Dream vacation destination/favorite vacation destination?
- Charleston, S.C.

What’s one thing you can’t live without when traveling for a tournament?
- Over-the-ear headphones

If you weren’t a hockey player, what would you be doing right now?
- Playing golf

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up on game day?
- Shower

Go-to pre-game music artist/genre?
- Drake

Besides golf, if you could instantly master one other sport, what would it be?
- Baseball