Team USA coach Bob Motzko’s job: ‘Turn their talent loose and let these guys go’

In January, Brodie Ziemer enjoyed a hockey highlight he will forever cherish, helping the United States win its second consecutive gold medal in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.

A Gophers freshman at the time, Ziemer had the secondary assist on Teddy Stiga’s overtime goal that gave Team USA a 4-3 victory over Finland in the championship game in Ottawa.

So, what’s Ziemer’s hope for an encore? Help the United States win its third consecutive gold medal in the world’s top under-20 hockey tournament — this time in Minnesota.

“Getting to have it in my home state where so much family and so many friends will be able to come watch and it being such a big, important tournament, you can’t even make it up,” said Ziemer, a Chaska native. “So, I’m super grateful, super excited for this.”

The same can be said for Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko, who is the head coach for Team USA for the third time, after helping the Americans win the gold medal in 2017 and the bronze in 2018.

“Playing for the world junior team in USA Hockey now is a true destination where these guys want to land,” Motzko said from Team USA training camp in Duluth. “… In USA Hockey, it’s in these players’ DNA to want to be in this tournament, and they’re laying it all on the line for us."

Pool play in the tournament opens Friday, Dec. 26, and the United States faces Germany at 5 p.m. that day at Grand Casino Arena. The 10-team tournament runs through Jan. 5 with games split between Grand Casino Arena and 3M Arena at Mariucci.

The last team to win three consecutive gold medals was Canada, which claimed five in a row from 2005 to 2009.

Motzko has been impressed with his team’s speed, balance and depth. In the exhibition against Germany, six players scored goals, led by two each from Michigan’s Will Horcoff and North Dakota’s Will Zellers of Maple Grove. Ziemer had a goal and two assists.

“We told the players, ‘We just put guardrails on, and we point the direction and guide them,’ ” Motzko said. “… What we do as coaches is turn their talent loose and let these guys go."

While Motzko said different players have impressed him each day during training camp, returnees from last year’s team have stood out. That includes Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson, who led all tournament scorers last year with 11 points on three goals and eight assists; Boston College forward James Hagens (5-4-9); Boston U. forward Cole Eiserman (3-4-7); and Ziemer (3-4-7).

Minnesota Duluth forward Max Plante, whose 30 points lead college hockey, has played at a high level this season.

The tournament format includes four games of pool play for each team with the top four in each pool advancing to single-elimination quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and final. That creates a sense of urgency, according to Ziemer.

“You’ve got a bunch of games and not a lot of days, and you can’t really take any off because the competition is so good,” Ziemer said.

“Last year, we did take a loss to Finland in pool play. We had a quick turnaround and had to just flush it out. … We responded great and ended up winning the tournament. If something does go wrong, you’ve got to have a short memory and go on to the next one."

The tournament will serve as a showcase for hockey in Minnesota, and Motzko’s hope is the state embraces it.

“As we get closer to it, our fans are going to get a true understanding of this tournament,” Motzko said. “On the European stage and the Canadian stage, everyone knows about it. The hockey world knows about the United States. Now, we’re trying to get the sports fan to understand.”