Motzko Named Head Coach of 2026 U.S. National Junior Team

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Bob Motzko (Austin, Minn./University of Minnesota), one of the most accomplished coaches in American hockey today, will serve as head coach of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team it was announced tonight by USA Hockey. The team will play in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026, in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The announcement was made before fans at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul and was followed by a press conference.

“We’re fortunate to have someone with Bob’s level of experience coaching our team on home soil,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of Team USA and assistant executive director for hockey operations at USA Hockey. “Having guided our teams to medals on two other occasions in the World Juniors, he knows what it takes to have success and we’re excited to have him leading our team.”

Motzko, who recently finished his seventh season as head coach of the University of Minnesota men's ice hockey program, coached the U.S. to gold at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship and bronze at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

The U.S. will enter the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship as two-time defending gold medalist. Team USA will compete in Group A against Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland in the preliminary round at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. Group B, which includes Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Latvia, will play its preliminary round contests at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.

Two quarterfinals will be played at each venue with the both semifinals, along with the bronze and gold-medal games, being staged at Xcel Energy Center.

2026 World Juniors Home

Motzko Announcement In St. Paul

Bob Motzko was named head coach of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team during festivities at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on April 15.

ABOUT MOTZKO
Motzko, who recently completed his 20th campaign as an NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey coach and seventh season at the helm of the University of Minnesota men’s ice hockey program, has led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA national tournament five-straight years, including two appearances in the Frozen Four. He’s also guided the program to three regular-season Big Ten Conference titles and a Big Ten Conference tournament title.

Prior to his time with Minnesota, Motzko served as the head coach of his alma mater, St. Cloud State University, from 2005-2018. In his 13 seasons with the Huskies, he led the program to eight NCAA national tournaments, including an appearance in the 2013 Frozen Four, as well as three regular-season conference championships.

Motzko earned the Spencer Penrose Award as the top coach in all of NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey in 2022-23, and has gained recognition as a conference coach-of-the-year seven times, including two in the WCHA (2006, 2007) and two in the NCHC (2014, 2018) while at St. Cloud State, and three with Minnesota in the Big Ten (2020, 2022, 2023).

As a collegiate head coach, he owns an all-time record of 437-274-70, with 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three Frozen Four appearances.

Prior to his time at St. Cloud, Motzko served in multiple coaching capacities in men’s ice hockey at four different schools, including a four-season span at the University of Minnesota (2001-05) that was highlighted by NCAA national championships in 2002 and 2003. His other collegiate coaching stints were with Miami University (1991-93, ’94-98), the University of Denver (1993-94) and St. Cloud State (1986-87).

Additionally, Motzko twice served as a general manager and head coach in the United States Hockey League, the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States, where he was named USHL General Manager of the Year on two different occasions, including with North Iowa in 1988-89 and Sioux Falls in 1999-2000.

On the international stage, Motzko served as head coach for the gold medal-winning 2017 U.S. National Junior Team and led the 2018 squad to the bronze medal. He was also an assistant coach for the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team.

A 1987 graduate of St. Cloud State University, Motzko was a two-year varsity letterwinner for the Huskies hockey program from 1984-86. He began his coaching career the following year as an assistant coach under the legendary Herb Brooks at St. Cloud.