Team USA opens World Junior Hockey tournament with 6-3 victory over Germany

When the United States roster for the World Junior Hockey Championships was assembled heading into December, Will Zellers wasn’t on it.

But when the Americans opened the tournament Dec. 26 at Grand Casino Arena, Zellers was front and center. He scored two goals and had an assist as Team USA beat Germany 6-3 before an announced crowd of 14,276.

Zellers was not on the original roster, but he was on the team’s radar. The Maple Grove native was the United States Hockey League’s Player of the Year last season after scoring 44 goals for the Green Bay Gamblers, and he was off to a strong start in his freshman season at North Dakota.

USA Hockey executive John Vanbiesbrouck, the former NHL goalie charged with putting together the team, gave coach Bob Motzko a call and said the Americans should add Zellers.

“He’s got that stick, that strong stick on the power play, something we need,” Motzko said.

Zellers, 19, had just finished a Fighting Hawks practice in Grand Forks on Dec. 8 when “I got a call from Beezer and he said I had been added,” Zellers said. “Happy to hear about it. Had to finish up a couple of finals and got ready to go.”

The American team practiced in Duluth in the buildup to the tournament, and Zellers said he had “a little chip on my shoulder, but didn’t feel a lot of pressure.” Motzko said it wasn’t unusual for a player to be added to the roster late, and Zellers’ strong play in camp got him a spot when the roster was trimmed from 30 to 25 players.

Zellers flipped his commitment from Boston University to North Dakota, where his father played college football, before his sensational season with Green Bay; he has 10 goals this season for the Fighting Hawks.

Now his focus is on the junior tournament, where Team USA is the defending two-time champion. The stands were full of Zellers’ relatives Friday.

“It was a great start,” Zellers said. “Growing up in Minnesota, going to this arena when it was the X and now Grand Casino, means so much, with the state tournament and everything. The crowd was really into it and it was a lot of fun.”

The Americans continue Group A play with a game Saturday, Dec. 27, against Switzerland.

Max Plante, Cole Eiserman, Will Horcoff and defenseman Chase Reid also scored for the U.S., which played sloppy hockey at times Friday, with unforced errors and some poor defensive zone coverage.

Caleb Heil, who was in the Chaska/Chanhassen youth program before four seasons in the USHL, had 18 saves for Team USA. Lennart Neisse faced 47 shots for Germany.

Brendan McMorrow, playing on a line with Zellers and Anthony Spellacy, was chosen the U.S. player of the game.

“He does all the dirty work out there,” Zellers said.

Defenseman Cole Hutson played a game-high 24 minutes, 20 seconds and was a plus-5 as all the game’s goals came at even strength.

Teddy Stiga scored the game-winning overtime goal in last year’s tournament as the U.S. beat Finland 4-3 in Ottawa for its second consecutive gold.

Plante and Kleber, sophomores at Minnesota Duluth, were both on last year’s gold medal team.

Zellers set up the second goal, dropping a blind pass up the slot that was converted by Chase Reid at 10:53.

Horcoff made it 3-0 five minutes later, rapping in Brodie Ziemer’s behind-the-net feet. Ziemer, the Gophers sophomore winger, was named captain for Team USA and played on the first line with Horcoff and center James Hagens.

The Germans, shut out by Team USA 8-0 in an exhibition game in Duluth last weekend, got one back before the period ended when Timo Kose knocked in the rebound of Carlos Handel’s shot from the right side. They drew within 3-2 at 5:46 of the second as Simon Seidl beat Heil off a pass from Dustin Willhoft.

Zellers knocked in the rebound of Hutson’s shot midway through the second to make it 4-2, but less than a minute later Lenny Boos snapped a 20-footer past Heil to make it a one-goal game again.

The third period was scoreless.

In the opening game at Grand Casino Arena, Ivar Stenberg snapped a 2-2 tie with four minutes remaining to lift Sweden to a 3-2 victory over Slovakia.

Stenberg and Anton Frondell, the third overall pick in the NHL draft in June by Chicago, both had a goal and an assist for the Swedes.

In the Group B opener at 3M Arena at Mariucci, Roope Vesterinen scored twice and Jasper Kuhta had three assists as Finland stopped Denmark 6-2.

Wild draft pick Aron Kiviharju had two assists for the winners and was named Finland’s player of the game. The 19-year-old defenseman was a fourth-round selection in 2024.